US20080295440A1

US20080295440A1 - Building component

Info

Publication number: US20080295440A1
Application number: US12/153,616
Authority: US
Inventors: Andre Esterhuizen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-05-21
Filing date: 2008-05-21
Publication date: 2008-12-04
Also published as: USD600821S1

Abstract

An interlocking building component which comprises a generally rectangular hollow main body having operatively top and bottom surfaces and in which the operatively top surface has one or more upwardly extending projections and the operatively bottom surface includes recesses adapted and positioned to receive the projections of a like component in an operatively stacked arrangement.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a building component for application in the construction industry. More specifically, the invention applies to a building component that has particular application to the construction of low-cost housing structures and any other types of structures.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of inter-locking block components for the purposes of building houses, particularly low cost housing structures, is well known. There are, however, well documented difficulties associated with existing interlocking block systems.
One known difficulty concerns the fact that the majority of blocks used in these systems are solid structures. Accordingly, the blocks are heavier, more difficult to work with and more expensive due to the need to use more building material in their manufacture. Furthermore, in known systems, at least a small amount of paste substance is still required to stabilise wall structures built using these interlocking block components.
A further difficulty associated with known interlocking block systems is that they usually require at least two different block configurations in order to build a wall structure. Furthermore, although many interlocking building systems are intended for the so-called “owner-builder” market, a relatively high level of skill is nevertheless still required in the proper laying of the building components in order to safely construct wall structures. This is partly due to the fact that there are a number of possible ways in which two blocks may be inter-connected and the builder is required to determine the most effective manner of laying them. A still further problem associated with existing interlocking block systems is that the interlocking structures do not slide into place easily and must often be manually manipulated, sometimes requiring force, in order to secure them in position.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide an interlocking building component that has advantages over many prior art arrangements.
In accordance with one aspect of this invention there is provided an interlocking building component in which the building component comprises a generally rectangular main body having operatively top and bottom surfaces and in which the generally top surface has one or more upwardly extending projections and the operatively bottom surface includes recesses adapted and positioned to receive the projections of a like component in an operatively stacked arrangement.
Further features of the invention provide for the building component to have two opposing lateral and end walls respectively; for the building component to preferably be hollow defining an outer peripheral edge and having at least one central dividing wall; for the building component to preferably be manufactured from concrete or a similar material; for the projections to preferably be of a generally rectangular configuration; for there to be at least two projections on each opposing lateral peripheral edge and at least one projection on each opposing end wall edge; for there to preferably be one projection extending from the peripheral edge of the dividing wall; for the projections of the dividing and end walls to be generally centrally positioned and for the three projections to be co-linear; for the two projections of each lateral wall to be spaced apart and towards generally outer edges of the lateral wall and to be positioned directly opposite the projections on the opposing lateral wall; for the projections to be relatively shallow; for the recesses of the operatively bottom surface to be located in co-linear arrangement with the projections of the operatively top surface; for the recesses of the outer lateral and side walls to be exact impressions of the projections.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the above and other features of the invention may be more fully understood one embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the building component of the present invention, showing the top portion thereof;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the building component of the present invention, showing the bottom portion thereof;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the building component;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the building component;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the building component; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a plurality of building components in assembled condition to form a wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the embodiment of the invention generally illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 of the drawings, an interlocking building component or block 10 comprises a generally rectangular main body 12 comprising a pair of opposing lateral walls 14 and a pair of opposing end walls 16 and in which the body 12 has an operatively top surface 18 and an operatively bottom surface 20.
The rectangular body 12 of the building component is preferably hollow defining a peripheral outer edge 22 and having a dividing central wall 24 in order to create two halves of equal dimensions. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there are at least two spaced apart generally upwardly extending projections 26 on the upper peripheral edges of the two opposing lateral walls 14. The projections 26 on opposing lateral walls 14 are co-linear. A further pair of co-linear projections 28 is provided on the upper edges of opposing end walls 16 with the projections 28 being centrally located along the peripheral edges of the end walls 16. A further projection 30 is provided on the upper edge of the central dividing wall 24 which is also co-linear with the projections 28 of the two end walls 16. The projections 26, 28, 30 are generally rectangular in configuration.
Recesses 32, 34 are provided on the peripheral edge of the operatively bottom surface 20 of the main body 12. The recesses 32 and 34 are adapted to receive projections 26 and 28, respectively, of an inverted similar block 10 in a stacked arrangement during building operations. The recesses 32 and 34 of the peripheral edges of the lateral and end walls 14 and 16, respectively, are exact impressions of the corresponding projections 26 and 28, respectively, and are also arranged such that each projection 26, 28 on the top surface 18 is co-linear with a recess 32, 34 on the bottom surface 20. The recess on the bottom edge of the central dividing wall 24 is not, however, an exact impression of its corresponding projection and is, instead, more in the nature of an elongate groove or opening 36 between the lower portions of the opposing lateral walls 14.
The building component 10 of the invention is intended to be stacked together with like building components in a vertical arrangement in order to build walls or the like. In the stacked arrangement of the wall W, illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings, the projections 26, 28 of the one component 10 slot or slide into the corresponding recesses 32, 34 of the inverted component stacked above it. In use, the components may be placed directly on top of one another or, alternatively, only one half of a component may be located on top of one half of the other component, as shown in FIG. 6. Further in this connection, the ability to lay the components in this manner facilitates the building of corners between two walls, as also shown in FIG. 6. The central groove 36 on the operatively bottom surface 20 facilitates the stacking of the building components in the manner described above, in that it receives therein the projection 30 on the central dividing wall 24 of the adjacent component.
Further in accordance with this invention, the positioning of the projections 26, 28, 30 and corresponding recesses 32, 34, 36 facilitates the laying of the components 10 as there are limited ways in which the components may be interlocked. The result is that fewer construction errors are made and less skill is required to lay the components. Also, the fact that the projections 26, 28 are shallow facilitates in the laying thereof as less force is required to properly locate projections within recesses 32, 34.
A further advantage of the interlocking building components 10 is that they allow for a mortarless wall assembly. The building components allow for a completely dry interlocking and stackable system as no paste in the form of cement, plaster or the like is required to stabilise a wall structure resulting therefrom.
It will be understood that the invention provides an extremely simple yet highly effective interlocking building component that has wide application potential depending on requirements. Also, numerous variations may be made to the embodiment of the invention described above without departing from the scope hereof.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A building component, comprising:

a hollow generally rectangular main body having a pair of opposing lateral walls and a pair of opposing end walls defining an operatively top surface and an operatively bottom surface;

a dividing central wall having said top surface and extending between said lateral walls in substantially parallel relation to said end walls to define two hollow half portions of said main body;

a generally rectangular first projection extending upwardly from said top surface at the midportion of said lateral walls in each of said half portions so that there are two spaced apart first projections on each of said lateral walls, said first projections on said opposing lateral walls being co-linear;

a generally rectangular second projection extending upwardly from said top surface at the midportion of each of said end walls, said second projections on said opposing end walls being co-linear;

a generally rectangular third projection extending upwardly from the midportion of said top surface of said central wall, said third projection being co-linear with said second projections;

a generally rectangular first recess extending upwardly from said bottom surface at the mid portion of said lateral walls in each of said half portions so that there are two spaced apart first recesses on each of said lateral walls, said first recesses on said opposing lateral walls being co-linear, each first recess being of the same size as said first projection so that said first projection can be slidably received therein;

a generally rectangular second recess extending upwardly from said bottom surface at the mid portion of each of said end walls, said second recesses on said opposing end walls being co-linear, each second recess being of the same size as said second projection so that said second projection can be slidably received therein;

the bottom of said central wall being recessed upwardly from said bottom surface to define an elongate opening between said lateral walls that is at least as long as said third projection;

whereby a second building component the same as said building component can be inverted and positioned on and in interlocking relation with said building component so that said first projections are received in the first recesses of the second building component, said second projections are received in the second recesses of the second building component, and said third projection is received in the elongate opening of the second building component.

2. The building component of claim 1 wherein it is made of concrete.

3. The building component of claim 1 wherein said first projections, said second projections and said third projection are of the same size so that a half portion of the inverted second building component can be positioned on either of said half portions of said building component in lateral alignment therewith or in perpendicular relation thereto.

4. The building component of claim 3 wherein it is made of concrete.

5. The building component of claim 3 wherein said lateral walls, said end walls and said central wall are of substantially the same thickness.