U.S. patent application number 11/124688 was filed with the patent office on 2005-11-24 for building material.
Invention is credited to Tabeshnekoo, Masoud.
Application Number | 20050257466 11/124688 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35373833 |
Filed Date | 2005-11-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050257466 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tabeshnekoo, Masoud |
November 24, 2005 |
Building material
Abstract
A method and block for constructing a block wall providing the
appearance of a brick facade. Each block includes a front wall,
rear wall, left sidewall, and a right side wall. The method
includes forming at least one groove on a front face of the front
wall of each block or providing blocks with at least one groove on
the front face. The method further includes attaching the blocks to
each other thereby forming a block structure. The grooves on the
front faces of the blocks form a facade and provide an impression
that the facade is made of a plurality of bricks.
Inventors: |
Tabeshnekoo, Masoud;
(Reseda, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Averill & Varn
8244 Painter Ave.
Whittier
CA
90602
US
|
Family ID: |
35373833 |
Appl. No.: |
11/124688 |
Filed: |
May 9, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60569221 |
May 7, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/314 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B 2/26 20130101; E04B
2002/0267 20130101; E04B 2/16 20130101; E04B 2002/025 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/314 |
International
Class: |
E04C 001/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A method for constructing a wall, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of blocks, each of the plurality of concrete
blocks comprising a front wall having a front face, a rear wall
having a rear face, a left side wall having a left face, and a
right side wall having a right face, the blocks including at least
one groove on the front face of each of the blocks; and laying the
blocks to form a structure providing an impression of a facade made
from a multiplicity of smaller blocks.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the blocks comprises
molding the blocks in molds creating at least one groove on the
front face of each of the blocks.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the blocks comprises
molding the blocks in molds creating raised surface having
approximately the dimensions of bricks on the front face of each of
the blocks.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the blocks comprises
molding the blocks using colored concrete.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the blocks comprises:
providing plain blocks; and cutting the plain blocks to create at
least one groove on the front face of each of the blocks.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein cutting the plain blocks
comprises cutting the blocks to create raised surfaces having
approximately the dimensions of bricks on the front face of each of
the blocks.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the blocks comprises:
providing plain blocks; and grinding the plain blocks to create at
least one groove on the front face of each of the blocks.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein grinding the plain blocks
comprises grinding the blocks to create raised surface having
approximately the dimensions of bricks on the front face of each of
the blocks.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a plurality of blocks
comprises providing the blocks having raised surfaces having
approximately the dimensions of bricks on the front face of each of
the blocks.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein providing a plurality of blocks
further comprises providing the blocks having raised surfaces
having approximately the dimensions of bricks on the rear face of
each of the blocks.
11. The block of claim 9, wherein providing a plurality of blocks
further comprises providing the blocks having half width grooves at
ends of rows corresponding to ends of the raised surfaces having
the shapes of full bricks
12. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a plurality of blocks
comprises providing hollow concrete blocks.
13. A block comprising: a front wall having a front face; a rear
wall having a rear face; a left sidewall having a left face; and a
right sidewall having a right face, wherein at least one of the
faces includes at least one groove, the at least one groove
configured to provide an impression that a structure constructed
from a multiplicity of the blocks is constructed from a
multiplicity of smaller blocks.
14. The block of claim 13, wherein the at least one groove creates
at least one raised surface having approximately the dimensions of
bricks on the front face of each of the blocks.
15. The block of claim 14, wherein the blocks have half width
grooves at ends of rows corresponding to ends of the raised
surfaces having the shapes of full bricks.
16. The block of claim 13, wherein the block is a hollow block.
17. A block structure comprising: a multiplicity of connected
blocks comprising: a front wall having a front face having raised
surfaces having shapes of full bricks and of half bricks; a rear
wall having a rear face; a left sidewall having a left face; and a
right sidewall having a right face, wherein the raised surfaces of
the front faces provide an impression that the block structure is
constructed from a multiplicity of bricks.
18. The block of claim 17, wherein the rear face has the raised
surfaces having the shapes of full bricks and of half bricks to
provide an impression that the block structure is constructed from
a multiplicity of bricks.
19. The block of claim 18, wherein the blocks have half width
grooves at ends of rows corresponding to ends of the raised
surfaces having the shapes of full bricks.
20. The block of claim 19, wherein side-by-side ones of the blocks
are connected by clips to hold the side-by-side ones of the blocks
close together to provide a cooperation of adjacent half width
grooves providing an impression of a single full width groove.
Description
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/569,221, filed May 7, 2004,
which application is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to building materials, and in
particular, construction blocks used to construct block structures
such as buildings, walls, barriers, foundations, or the like.
[0003] Walls are often made of either concrete blocks or bricks.
For example, some walls are made by digging a trench, pouring a
concrete footing inside the trench, laying a first course of blocks
onto the footing, and vertically stacking additional courses of
concrete blocks on top of each other, and using mortar in between
blocks to attach the blocks to each other. Steel rods (e.g. steel
reinforcing bar known as rebar) may be inserted vertically through
hollow interiors of the concrete blocks and horizontally between
courses of the blocks for structural support, and the hollow
interiors of the blocks may be filled with concrete for greater
strength.
[0004] Some walls have a lay of bricks over plain concrete blocks
to form a facade to improve the appearance of the wall. The bricks
are individually laid by hand with the use of mortar or adhesives
known in the art. The process of brick laying is time consuming,
labor intensive, and requires additional materials (e.g., bricks
and mortar). A faster and less labor-intensive system for creating
the impression of a brick facade is desired.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention provides a method for constructing a
block wall having the appearance of a brick facade. The method
includes providing a plurality of concrete blocks. Each of the
blocks includes a front wall, a rear wall, a left sidewall, and a
right side wall. The front wall has an exposed front face and the
rear wall has an exposed rear face. The method includes forming at
least one groove on at least one of the faces of each of the
blocks, or providing blocks having grooves on at least one of the
faces of each of the blocks. The concrete blocks are attached to
each other to form a block structure. The faces of the plurality of
concrete blocks preferably form a facade, and the grooves on each
of the blocks provide an impression that the facade comprises a
plurality of bricks.
[0006] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is
provided a block for construction of a block structure, for
example, a block wall or the like. The block includes a front wall
having a front face, a rear wall having a rear face, a left
sidewall having a left face, and a right sidewall having a right
face. At least one of the faces includes at least one groove, the
grooves are configured to provide an impression that the block
structure is constructed from a plurality of smaller blocks, for
example, bricks.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0007] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the
present invention will be more apparent from the following more
particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the
following drawings wherein:
[0008] FIG. 1A is substantially a right perspective view of one
embodiment of the building block of the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 1B is substantially a front view of the embodiment of
the building block shown in FIG. 1A.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a front view of a second embodiment of the
building block of the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a front view of a third embodiment of the building
block of the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 4 is substantially a front view of a fourth embodiment
of the building block of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 5 is a front view of a fifth embodiment of the building
block of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 6 is a front view of a sixth embodiment of the building
block of the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 7 is a front view of a seventh embodiment of the
building block of the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 8 is a front view of an eighth embodiment of the
building block of the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 9 is a front view of a nineth embodiment of the
building block of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 10A is a perspective view of a clip for connecting
blocks according to the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 10B is an end view of the clip for connecting blocks
according to the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 11 is a partial view of a structure constructed using
bricks according to the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a block according to the
present invention with an end notch for mortar.
[0022] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding
components throughout the several views of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] The following description is of the best mode presently
contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is
not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the
purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the
invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with
reference to the claims.
[0024] A right front perspective view of a building block 20
according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1A, and a front
view of the building block 20 is shown in FIG. 1B. A multiplicity
of the building block 20 may be used to construct block structures,
for example, buildings, walls, barriers, foundations, and the like.
The building block 20 includes a front wall 22, a rear wall 24, a
left sidewall 26, and a right side wall 28. Walls 22, 24, 26, and
28 preferably define a hollow interior 30. The hollow interior 30
is preferably divided into two sections by an interior wall 32
which is attached substantially perpendicularly to the front wall
22 and rear wall 24. The interior wall 32 is preferably positioned
substantially centrally between the right side wall 28 and the left
sidewall 26. The front wall 22 has a front face 22a, the rear wall
24 has a rear face 24a, the left sidewall 26 has a left face 26a,
and the right sidewall 28 has a right face 28a. A rebar notch 31
may be provided in tops of the walls 26, 28, and 30 to allow a
horizontal run of rebar to tie columns of the blocks 20 together.
The notches 30 are preferably large enough to allow the rebar to be
surrounded by concrete and/or mortar for added strength. Typically,
horizontal rebar runs are vertically spaced apart at, for example
three feet, and preferably two horizontal runs of rebar are used in
a wall.
[0025] With continuing reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the building
block 20 includes at least one groove on the front face 22a to
provide an impression of more then one smaller block. In one
embodiment, the front face 22a of building block 20 preferably
includes a plurality of vertical grooves 34a-34e and a plurality of
horizontal grooves 36a and 36b creating raised surfaces between the
grooves. The grooves 34a-34e and 36a and 36b are preferably
arranged in a manner that gives an impression that the building
block 20 is made of a plurality of smaller blocks (i.e., small than
the blocks 20), for example bricks individually attached to each
other, and that a structure constructed form the block 20 provides
an impression of a brick facade, and the grooves 34a-34e and 36a
and 36b are preferably straight grooves.
[0026] The block 20 is may be made from a pre-designed mold that
creates the grooves 34a-34e and 36a-36b on at least the front face
22a, and additionally may create the grooves on the rear face 24
and/or the left face 26a and/or the right face 28a of the building
block 20. Concrete may be poured into the mold, dried, and the
resulting block 20 removed from the mold. Colored concrete material
known in the art may be poured into the mold to produce a colored
brick imitation. For instance, a rusty red colored concrete
material may be used to form rusty red building block.
[0027] Alternatively, the building block 20 may be made from
existing concrete blocks having plain faces. A cutting or grinding
tool suitable for use with concrete may be used to cut or grind the
grooves on the faces 22a, 24a, 26a, and/or 28a. The faces 22a, 24a,
26a, and/or 28a may be painted (before or after creating the
grooves) with a desired color, and the grooves may be painted with
a color different from the color used on the faces to provide a
visual effect. Preferably, the block 20 may be molded, or
cut/ground from a plain block, creating raised surface having
approximately the dimensions of bricks on the front face 22a of
each of the blocks 20.
[0028] The block 20 is preferably made in approximately one or more
of several common sizes, for example, 14 inches by 8 inches by 8
inches, 16 inches by 8 inches by 8 inches, 14 inches by 6 inches by
8 inches, 16 inches by 6 inches by 8 inches, 8 inches by 8 inches
by 8 inches, 8 inches by 6 inches by 8 inches, 12 inches by 12
inches by 2 inches, and 12 inches by 6 inches by 2 inches. The
raised surfaces (i.e., the face portions separated by the grooves
in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2) are preferably approximately the size of a
common brick, for example, approximately 21/4 inches by
approximately eight inches.
[0029] The spatial orientations of the grooves on the faces 22a,
24a, 26a, and/or 28a and number of grooves may be varied and still
fall within the scope of the present invention. For instance, in a
second embodiment of the block 20a is shown in FIG. 2, the number
and the orientations of the vertical grooves have been modified
from the number and orientations of the vertical grooves 34a-34e of
the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Specifically, the number
of vertical grooves has been reduced by one and they are arranged
so that one groove 35a is substantially on the center of the first
row 37, two grooves 35b and 35c are on the second row 39, and one
groove 35d is substantially in the center of the third row 41.
[0030] With reference to FIG. 3, a third embodiment of the block
20b is shown. The front wall of building block 20b preferably
includes two vertically oriented grooves 42a and 42b. Each groove
42a or 42b preferably spans from the top of front wall 46 to the
bottom of the front wall 48. Grooves 42a and 42b are preferably
substantially equally spaced apart from each other to define three
columns 47, 48, and 49.
[0031] With reference to FIG. 4, a fourth embodiment of block 20c
is shown wherein the building block 20b of FIG. 3 is modified to
include additional horizontal grooves 72 and 74, which are
preferably positioned substantially in the middle of column 47 and
49, respectively. With reference now to FIG. 5, a fifth embodiment
of building block 20d is shown. The front face 22a of building
block 20c includes a first row 52, a second row 54, and third row
56. The first row 52 preferably has a vertical groove 58
approximately centered on the row 52. The second row 54 preferably
includes three rectangular protrusions 60, 62, and 64 having
approximately the same width. The third row 56 has a vertical
groove 60 approximately centered on the row 56.
[0032] Referring to FIG. 6, a sixth embodiment of building block
20e is shown wherein two equally spaced horizontal grooves 82 and
84 span across the front wall of the building block. Grooves 82 and
84 preferably define three rows 86, 88, and 90 on the front face
22a of the building block 20e. With reference to FIG. 7, a seventh
embodiment of building block 20f is shown wherein two equally
spaced vertical grooves 102 and 104 are added to the building block
embodiment 80 shown in FIG. 6. Vertical grooves 102 and 104 define
columns 106, 108, and 110 on the front face 22a of building block
20f. The front face 22a of building block 20f shows a total of nine
brick-like structures 112 a-l.
[0033] Referring to FIG. 8, an eighth embodiment of building block
20g is shown wherein a design 114a, 114b, and 114c replaces the
brick like structures 112d, 112e, and 112f in FIG. 7. The block 20g
thus provides the impression of a decorative row between rows (or
courses) of bricks. While diamond shaped designs are shown in FIG.
8, a block with top and bottom rows creating the impression of
bricks or of smaller blocks, and a center row having one or more
designs, is intended to come within the scope of the present
invention.
[0034] The front face of a block 20h similar to the block 20 (see
FIG. 1A, 1B) is shown in FIG. 9. The block 20h includes half width
groove 34f and 34g which cooperate in adjacent blocks to give the
appearance of a single full width groove. The half groove 34f and
34g reside at ends of rows corresponding to ends of full size brick
likenesses.
[0035] While FIGS. 1-9 show blocks with grooves in the front face
22a, a block with grooves in the rear face 24a and either or both
end faces 26a and 28a are intended to come within the scope of the
present invention. Further, a block with grooves in any combination
of faces 22a, 24a, 26a, and/or 28a are intended to come within the
scope of the present invention.
[0036] A clip 120 is shown in a perspective view in FIG. 10A and in
an end view in FIG. 10B. The clip 120 is used to hold adjacent
blocks 20 closely together during construction to better provide
the appearance of a brick facade.
[0037] A portion of a structure 122 constructed from alternating
courses of the blocks 20h (see FIG. 9) and alternate blocks (e.g.,
blocks with the raised surfaces vertically shifted) to produce an
impression of common alternating rows (or courses) of bricks is
shown in FIG. 11. The clip 20 holds side-by-side bocks closely
together to provide a preferred impression. The half width grooves
34f and 34g (see FIG. 9) cooperate to provide the appearance of a
full width groove. Consecutive courses of the blocks 20h are offset
by one half block to provide greater strength. The alternate blocks
are preferably similar to the block 20a (see FIG. 2). In such
instance, the alternate blocks preferably include the half width
grooves at ends of rows corresponding to ends of raised surfaces
having full brick size.
[0038] A block according to the present invention including a
mortar groove 124 is shown in FIG. 12. The mortar groove 124 allows
the blocks to be laid closely together as shown in FIG. 11 for a
better impression. The mortar groove 124 may be used with any of
the blocks shown in FIGS. 1A through 9, and may be on one or both
ends of a block.
[0039] In addition to the application of the present invention to
construction, the present invention may also be practiced in the
form of a Child's building block. The child's block is preferably
made from Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) or the like, but is otherwise
similar to the construction block described above.
[0040] It can be appreciated that various embodiments of the
building blocks of the present invention provides the ability of
creating a brick wall or impression thereof without engaging in the
conventional and labor-intensive brick laying process. The building
blocks of the present invention allows builders to build a wall
that looks like it is made from a plurality of bricks without
having to purchase individual bricks and without having to manually
attach bricks one by one. Therefore, building blocks of the present
invention alleviate builders from costs associated with materials
and labor involved in building conventional brick walls. Various
embodiments of the building blocks further provide building
materials to create decorative walls.
[0041] While the invention herein disclosed has been described by
means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous
modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled
in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set
forth in the claims.
* * * * *