초록 ▼

A modular building system wherein extruded, elongate, plastic building components can quickly, and with no special tools or skills, be snapped and slidably fit together to form a wide variety of different building structures. The proposed system produces frameless buildings wherein surface closure s

A modular building system wherein extruded, elongate, plastic building components can quickly, and with no special tools or skills, be snapped and slidably fit together to form a wide variety of different building structures. The proposed system produces frameless buildings wherein surface closure structures, like walls, windows, doors and roof panels are bound into stability through building-wrapping banding structures that include upright, perimeter stabilizer bars, roof trusses, and in most instances, the underlying ground. Within a finished building, the closure structures effectively float and react with relative motion responses to different applied building loads.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. A building structure comprising plural banding structures each banding structure including first and second stabilizing bars vertically positioned in opposing parallel wall expanses, the first and second stabilizing bars being structurally connected via one or more roof rafters, each ro

I claim: 1. A building structure comprising plural banding structures each banding structure including first and second stabilizing bars vertically positioned in opposing parallel wall expanses, the first and second stabilizing bars being structurally connected via one or more roof rafters, each roof rafter having opposing lateral sides, each lateral side having a first connection mechanism; each one of the wall expanses including plural, elongate, vertically stacked plastic beam elements cooperatively assembled to permit sliding longitudinal motion relative to each other when vertically stacked, wherein said elements include apertures defining a common channel that runs vertically through the wall expanse; each stabilizer bar being positioned in one of the channels, the bar having a circumference small enough to create tolerance space within the apertures in a direction coplanar with the wall expanse to allow said beam elements a predetermined range of longitudinal movement relative to each other after said wall structure is finally constructed; and one or more elongate, plastic roof panels, each panel having a long axis and side portions configured for sliding engagement with a connection mechanism of the one or more roof rafters, the connection mechanism permitting sliding of the roof panel relative to the roof rafter in a direction parallel to the long axis of the roof panel. 2. The wall structure of claim 1; wherein said beam elements include upper and lower portions, the upper portion having a male nesting structure, the lower portion having a corresponding female nesting structure, wherein the male and female nesting structures create a vertically nested condition between vertically, next-adjacent elements, said nesting structures inhibiting lateral separation between the next-adjacent elements in a direction which is generally normal to the plane of each one of the wall expanses, but allowing longitudinal motion between the next-adjacent elements. 3. The wall structure of claims 1 or 2, wherein said elements have spaced, oppositely outwardly facing, generally planar surfaces each of which is substantially parallel to the plane of each one of the wall expanses, and said stabilizer bar is positioned between said surfaces. 4. The wall structure of claim 3, wherein pairs of vertically next-adjacent elements include co-contacting slide surfaces, and said stabilizer bar is operatively connected to said elements in a manner cooperating with said slide surfaces to permit individual load-bending of each element in the plane of each one of the wall expanses. 5. The wall structure of claims 1 or 2, wherein pairs of vertically next-adjacent elements include co-contacting slide surfaces, and said stabilizer bar is operatively connected to said elements in a manner cooperating with said slide surfaces to permit individual load-bending of each element in the plane of each one of the wall expanses. 6. The wall structure of claim 1, wherein said elements include upper and lower portions, the upper portion having a female nesting structure, the lower portion having a corresponding male nesting structure, wherein the male and female nesting structures create a vertically nested condition between vertically, next-adjacent elements, said nesting structures inhibiting lateral separation between the next-adjacent elements in a direction which is generally normal to the plane of each one of the wall expanses, but allowing longitudinal motion between the next-adjacent elements. 7. The building structure of claim 1, wherein the first connection mechanism of the roof rafter is a male connection mechanism and the side portions of the one or more roof panels define a complementary female connection mechanism. 8. The building structure of claim 1, wherein the one or more roof panels are light and air opaque. 9. Building structure anchored to a ground, comprising first and second opposing upright wall structures, each one of the wall structures having (a) a lower extremity effectively seated on a foundation on said ground, and (b) an upper extremity disposed above said foundation, and formed from plural, elongate, vertically stacked, generally horizontal plastic beams, wherein said beams include apertures defining a common channel that runs from generally adjacent the bottom to generally adjacent the top of the stack; each one of the wall structures having at least one upright, elongate, slender stabilizer bar having a lower end extending through the foundation and anchored to said ground, and an upper end extending through the foundation and positioned within the channel, the bar having a circumference small enough to create tolerance space within the apertures in a direction coplanar with the wall structure to permit said beams to move longitudinally relative to each other after said bar is positioned within the channel and after said building structure is finally constructed; and one or more roof rafters connecting upper end portions of the stabilizer bar in the first and second wall structures, each roof rafter having opposing lateral sides, each lateral side having a first connection mechanism; and one or more elongate, plastic roof panels, each panel having a long axis and side portions configured for sliding engagement with a connection mechanism of the one or more roof rafters, the connection mechanism permitting sliding of the roof panel relative to the roof rafter in a direction parallel to the long axis of the roof panel. 10. The building structure of claim 9, wherein the upper end of said bar extends within the common channel in said wall structure to the upper extremity of each one of said wall structures. 11. The building structure of claims 9 or 10, wherein next-adjacent beams in each one of said wall structures are vertically juxtaposed in longitudinal sliding contact with one another. 12. The building structure of claim 11, wherein vertically next-adjacent beams engage one another through nested tongue and groove substructures, with the lower beam in a vertically engaged pair of beams having upwardly extending tongue substructure, and the upper beam in that pair having downwardly facing groove substructure. 13. The building structure of claims 9 or 10, wherein vertically next-adjacent beams engage one another through nested tongue and groove substructures, with the lower beam in a vertically engaged pair of beams having upwardly extending tongue substructure, and the upper beam in that pair having downwardly facing groove substructure. 14. The building structure of claim 10, further comprising roof structure disposed above each one of said wall structures and anchored to said ground through said bars. 15. The building structure of claim 14, wherein the roof structure is formed of plural, side-by-side panel members generally distributed along the lengths of said wall structure, and mounted in the building structure for preferential relative motion, after the building structure is constructed. 16. The building structure of claim 14, wherein each one of said wall structures includes a pair of spaced, generally planar and parallel wall sections, and said roof structure possesses an upwardly arched configuration that extends as a curved expanse between said wall sections. 17. The building structure of claim 16, wherein said roof structure is formed with plural, arched, elongate rafter structures that extend between said wall sections, and the arched configurations of said rafter structures are established by tensed, cross-element truss structures, and by elongate, tensed spanner cables which are operatively associated with said truss structures, and which also extend between said wall sections.