Architectural building block

• US 5,033,245 A
• Filed: 04/20/1990
• Issued: 07/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Glass Alternatives Corporation
• Original Assignee: Glass Alternatives Corporation
• Inventors: Kline, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Watson, L.
• Application Number:
  US07/511,284
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 52/306, 52/308, 52/307, 52/590, 52/591, 52/309.1, 40/312, 40/541, 40/545, 40/552, 40/553, 40/564, 40/570, 40/574, 40/584, 40/606, 40/661
• US Class Current: 52/306
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 1/42 of glass or other transparent material panels made of glass bricks E04C2/546

Abstract

An architectural building block is formed of light transmitting, molded plastic material to resemble a common glass block or brick and comprises a pair of halves joined together along a seam to form a hollow block with the seam spaced intermediately between a pair of opposite planar outer side walls of the block. Each half has an inner surface and an outer surface comprising one of the outer side walls of the block integrally joined around its periphery to an inwardly directed peripheral edge wall having a plurality of planar wall segments and having a continuous free edge providing one joining edge of the seam. Integrally formed snap lock connectors are provided adjacent each corner of the block for interconnecting an adjacent block laid up in a wall structure and a flange structure is formed along each wall segment between the connectors providing a surface for backing up joint adhesive applied between adjacent wall segments of laid up blocks.

Claims

1. An architectural building block formed of light transmitting, molded material to resemble a common glass block, comprising:

a plurality of hollow half members joined together along a seam to form a hollow block enclosure with said seam spaced intermediately between a pair of opposite outer side faces of said block, each half member having an inner surface and an outer surface comprising one outer side face of said block of polygonal shape integrally joined around its periphery to an inwardly directed continuous peripheral edge wall having a plurality of angularly intersecting wall segments normal to said outer side face and a continuous free edge providing one joining edge of said seam;

flange means formed along at least one of said wall segments aligned to extend outwardly of said side face for at least partially filling a precise amount of space established between a pair of adjacent blocks when said blocks are positioned with respective wall segments thereof in spaced apart confronting relationship for forming a wall structure including said pair of blocks; and

connector means including a pair of interlockable tongue and slot forming elements integrally formed and aligned on said flange means of said respective blocks for detachably securing said adjacent blocks together.

2. The architectural building block of claim 1, wherein:

said connector means includes tongue and slot elements projecting outwardly of said for detachable interconnection with a slot and tongue of an adjacent block to maintain said space between said adjacent facing wall segments of said blocks.

3. The architectural building block of claim 2, wherein:

said tongue of a connector means on one block is adapted to snap fit into a slot of a connector means of an adjacent block.

4. The architectural building block of claim 3, wherein:

said tongues and slots slope angularly outwardly of said planar wall segments.

5. A plurality of architectural building blocks as set forth in claim 2, having said connector means thereof interconnected, wherein:

said tongues of one pair of interconnected blocks together form a slot for receiving the tongue of another block.

6. A plurality of architectural building blocks as set forth in claim 5, wherein:

said tongues of said one pair of inter-connected blocks are spaced apart by tongues of another pair of said blocks.

7. A plurality of architectural building blocks as set forth in claim 6, wherein:

said slot formed by said tongues of said one pair of interconnected blocks is aligned to extend angularly outwardly of facing adjacent corners of said other pair of blocks.

8. The architectural building block of claim 1, wherein:

said flange means comprises a plurality of flange segments spaced apart in a row along said wall segment providing spaces between adjacent segments in said row for receiving liquid adhesive joining material.

9. An architectural building block formed of light transmitting, molded plastic material resembling a glass block, comprising:

a par of rectangular-shaped halves adapted to be joined together along a peripheral sam to form a hollow building block with said seam spaced intermediately between parallel, opposite, outside wall faces of generally rectangular shape, each of said halves including an inner surface and an outer surface comprising one of said outside wall faces and a peripheral edge wall integrally joined to an outer peripheral edge of said outside wall face, said peripheral edge wall having an inner peripheral edge forming one joining edge of said seam and comprising a plurality of pairs of parallel, planar walls segments intersecting to form corners of said block;

integrally formed spacer means on said intersecting wall segments for maintaining a spaced apart parallel relation with an adjacent wall segment of an adjacent block, said spacer means including connector means for detachably interconnecting and securing said adjacent blocks to retain said adjacent wall segments in said spaced apart parallel relation.

10. The architectural building block of claim 9, including:

integral flange means aligned along said wall segments projecting outwardly thereof and inset from said outer surface of outside wall for reducing open space between adjacent wall segments of adjacent blocks laid up in a structure.

11. The architectural building block of claim 10, wherein:

said flange means comprises a plurality of flange segments aligned in a row with spaced openings between said segments for permitting fluid adhesive material applied in a joint between said adjacent blocks to penetrate to an inside face of said flange segments for securing said adjacent blocks together.

12. The architectural building block of claim 11, wherein:

said flange segments have an outer edge spaced outwardly of an adjacent wall segment by an amount providing for an opening between said outer edge and an adjacent outer edge of said adjacent block for permitting said fluid adhesive material to penetrate between said outer edges of said adjacent blocks for securing said blocks together.

13. The architectural building block of claim 9, including:

flange means on each of said wall segments projecting outwardly thereof and spaced inwardly of said outer surface of said outside wall for providing a backing surface between adjacent wall segments of adjacent blocks positioned with said adjacent wall segments in spaced confronting relation in a structure including said adjacent blocks for receiving a fluid adhesive material applied to securing said blocks together.

14. The architectural building block of claim 13, wherein:

said flange means comprises a plurality of flange segments aligned in a row with spaced openings between said segments for permitting fluid adhesive material applied in a joint between said adjacent blocks to penetrate to an inside face of said flange segments for securing said adjacent blocks together.

15. The architectural building block of claim 14, wherein:

said flange segments have an outer edge spaced outwardly of an adjacent wall segment by an amount providing for an opening between said outer edge and an adjacent outer edge of said adjacent block for permitting said fluid adhesive material to penetrate between said outer edges of said adjacent blocks for securing said blocks together.

16. The architectural building block of claim 9, including:

detachable snap lock connector means on said wall segment for interconnecting adjacent blocks in a wall structure.

17. The architectural building block of claim 16, wherein:

said connector means are positioned adjacent said corners inset from said outer surface of said outside wall face.