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US-20260125893-A1 - Expandable Building Systems and Related Methods

US20260125893A1US 20260125893 A1US20260125893 A1US 20260125893A1US-20260125893-A1

Abstract

A wall assembly can comprise wall segments including at least two pivotable wall segments that are each pivotably coupled to at least one other of the wall segments such that the wall assembly is movable between folded and unfolded states. In the folded state, at least two wall segments can extend in a widthwise direction, at least four wall segments including the pivotable wall segments can extend in a lengthwise direction that is substantially perpendicular to the widthwise direction, and the wall assembly can have an interior volume circumscribed by the wall segments. In the unfolded state, at least four wall segments including at least two of the pivotable wall segments can extend in the widthwise direction, at least two wall segments can extend in the lengthwise direction, and the wall assembly can have an interior volume circumscribed by four walls defined by at least six of the wall segments.

Inventors

  • James F. Harvey

Assignees

  • James F. Harvey

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20241106

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A wall assembly comprising: six or more wall segments, wherein the wall segments include at least two pivotable wall segments that are each pivotably coupled to at least one other of the wall segments such that the wall assembly is movable between: a folded state in which: at least two of the wall segments extend in a widthwise direction; at least four of the wall segments that include the pivotable wall segments extend in a lengthwise direction that is substantially perpendicular to the widthwise direction; and the wall assembly has an interior volume circumscribed by the wall segments; and an unfolded state in which: at least four of the wall segments that include at least two of the pivotable wall segments extend in the widthwise direction; at least two of the wall segments extend in the lengthwise direction; and the wall assembly has an interior volume circumscribed by four walls that are defined by at least six of the wall segments that include the pivotable wall segments; wherein: a width of the wall assembly, measured in the widthwise direction, is larger when the wall assembly is in the unfolded state than when the wall assembly is in the folded state; a length of the wall assembly, measured in the lengthwise direction, when the wall assembly is in the unfolded state is approximately the same as the length of the wall assembly when the wall assembly is in the folded state.
  2. 2 . The wall assembly of claim 1 , wherein: the wall segments include first and second fixed wall segments that each extend in the widthwise direction between first and second ends when the wall assembly is in the folded state and when the wall assembly is in the unfolded state; when the wall assembly is in the folded state, the interior volume of the wall assembly is disposed between the first and second fixed wall segments; and a length of each of the first and second fixed wall segments, measured in the widthwise direction, is less than or equal to 40% of the length of the wall assembly when the wall assembly is in the folded state.
  3. 3 . The wall assembly of claim 2 , wherein the pivotable wall segments include one or more sets of the pivotable wall segments, each of the set(s) including: first and second pivotable wall segments that each extend between first and second ends, wherein: the first end of the first pivotable wall segment is pivotably coupled to one of the ends of the first fixed wall segment; and the first end of the second pivotable wall segment is pivotably coupled to one of the ends of the second fixed wall segment; wherein when the wall assembly is in the unfolded state, the first and second pivotable wall segments each extend in the widthwise direction.
  4. 4 . The wall assembly of claim 3 , wherein for at least one of the set(s) of pivotable wall segments, the first and second pivotable wall segments each have a length that is approximately the same as the length of the wall assembly when the wall assembly is in the folded state.
  5. 5 . The wall assembly of claim 3 , wherein for at least one of the set(s) of the pivotable wall segments, the length of the first pivotable wall segment and the length of the second pivotable wall segment are together approximately the same as the length of the wall assembly when the wall assembly is in the folded state.
  6. 6 . The wall assembly of claim 3 , wherein: the one or more sets of the pivotable wall segments include first and second sets of the pivotable wall segments; for the first set of the pivotable wall segments: the first end of the first pivotable wall segment is pivotably coupled to the first end of the first fixed wall segment; the first end of the second pivotable wall segment is pivotably coupled to the first end of the second fixed wall segment; and the first and second pivotable wall segments each have a length that is approximately the same as the length of the wall assembly when the wall assembly is in the folded state; for the second set of the pivotable wall segments: the first end of the first pivotable wall segment is pivotably coupled to the second end of the first fixed wall segment; the first end of the second pivotable wall segment is pivotably coupled to the second end of the second fixed wall segment; and the length of the first pivotable wall segment and the length of the second pivotable wall segment are together approximately the same as the length of the wall assembly when the wall assembly is in the folded state.
  7. 7 . The wall assembly of claim 2 , wherein the length of each of the first and second fixed wall segments is less than or equal to 102 inches.
  8. 8 . The wall assembly of claim 1 , wherein the length of the wall assembly when the wall assembly is in the folded state is between 30 and 53 feet.
  9. 9 . The wall assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the wall segments includes one or more windows and/or one or more doors.
  10. 10 . The wall assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the wall segments comprises: a plurality of vertically-extending studs and a plurality of horizontally-extending supports coupled to the studs, wherein the studs and supports each comprise steel; one or more drywall panels coupled to a first side of the studs; and exterior siding coupled to a second side of the studs.
  11. 11 . A method of constructing a building at a building site, the method comprising: transporting, over one or more roads, one or more wall assemblies to the building site, wherein each of the one or more wall assemblies: comprises six or more wall segments, wherein the wall segments include at least two pivotable wall segments that are each pivotably coupled to at least one other of the wall segments such that the wall assembly is movable between: a folded state in which: at least two of the wall segments extend in a widthwise direction; at least four of the wall segments that include the pivotable wall segments extend in a lengthwise direction that is substantially perpendicular to the widthwise direction; and the wall assembly has an interior volume circumscribed by the wall segments; and an unfolded state in which: at least four of the wall segments that include at least two of the pivotable wall segments extend in the widthwise direction; at least two of the wall segments extend in the lengthwise direction; and the wall assembly has an interior volume circumscribed by four walls that are defined by at least six of the wall segments that include the pivotable wall segments; wherein: a width of the wall assembly, measured in the widthwise direction, is larger when the wall assembly is in the unfolded state than when the wall assembly is in the folded state; a length of the wall assembly, measured in the lengthwise direction, when the wall assembly is in the unfolded state is approximately the same as the length of the wall assembly when the wall assembly is in the folded state; and the wall assembly is in the folded state when the wall assembly is transported to the building site; for each of the one or more wall assemblies, pivoting each of the pivotable wall segments at the building site such that the wall assembly moves from the folded state to the unfolded state.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein for at least one of the one or more wall assemblies, one or more prefabricated walls and/or one or more floor assemblies are disposed in the interior volume of the wall assembly while the wall assembly is in the folded state and is transported to the building site.
  13. 13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein: each of the prefabricated wall(s) comprises: a plurality of vertically-extending studs and a plurality of horizontally-extending supports coupled to the studs, wherein the studs and supports each comprise steel; and one or more drywall panels coupled to a first side of the studs; each of the one or more floor assemblies comprises: a frame defining a periphery of the floor assembly, the frame comprising steel; a plurality of joists that each extend between opposing edges of the frame, each of the joists comprising wood; and one or more wood panels coupled to the joists and the frame.
  14. 14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein for each of the one or more wall assemblies: the wall segments include first and second fixed wall segments that each extend in the widthwise direction between first and second ends when the wall assembly is in the folded state and when the wall assembly is in the unfolded state; when the wall assembly is in the folded state, the interior volume of the wall assembly is disposed between the first and second fixed wall segments; a length of each of the first and second fixed wall segments, measured in the widthwise direction, is less than or equal to 40% of the length of the wall assembly when the wall assembly is in the folded state; and the pivotable wall segments include one or more sets of the pivotable wall segments, each of the set(s) including: first and second pivotable wall segments that each extend between first and second ends, wherein: the first end of the first pivotable wall segment is pivotably coupled to one of the ends of the first fixed wall segment; and the first end of the second pivotable wall segment is pivotably coupled to one of the ends of the second fixed wall segment; wherein when the wall assembly is in the unfolded state, the first and second pivotable wall segments each extend in the widthwise direction.
  15. 15 . The method of claim 14 , comprising for each of the one or more wall assemblies, for at least one of the set(s) of pivotable wall segments, after pivoting the first and second pivotable wall segments: moving a movable one of the wall segments relative to the first and second pivotable wall segments such that the movable wall segment extends between the second end of the first pivotable wall segment and the second end of the second pivotable wall segment; and fixing the movable wall segment to the second end of the first pivotable wall segment and the second end of the second pivotable wall segment.
  16. 16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein for each of the one or more wall assemblies, for at least one of the set(s) of the pivotable wall segments: the set of pivotable wall segments includes a third pivotable wall segment that extends between first and second ends, wherein the first end of the third pivotable wall segment is pivotably coupled to the second end of the first pivotable wall segment; wherein when the wall assembly is in the unfolded state, the third pivotable wall segment extends in the lengthwise direction.
  17. 17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein for each of the one or more wall assemblies: the one or more sets of the pivotable wall segments include first and second sets of the pivotable wall segments; for the first set of the pivotable wall segments: the first end of the first pivotable wall segment is pivotably coupled to the first end of the first fixed wall segment; the first end of the second pivotable wall segment is pivotably coupled to the first end of the second fixed wall segment; and for the second set of the pivotable wall segments: the first end of the first pivotable wall segment is pivotably coupled to the second end of the first fixed wall segment; the first end of the second pivotable wall segment is pivotably coupled to the second end of the second fixed wall segment.
  18. 18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein for each of the one or more wall assemblies: the length of each of the first and second fixed wall segments is less than or equal to 102 inches; the length of the wall assembly when the wall assembly is in the folded state is between 30 and 53 feet; and the wall assembly is transported to the building site on a trailer.
  19. 19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein for each of the one or more wall assemblies, at least one of the wall segments includes one or more windows and/or one or more doors.
  20. 20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein for each of the one or more wall assemblies, each of the wall segments comprises: a plurality of vertically-extending studs that and a plurality of horizontally-extending supports coupled to the studs, wherein the studs and supports each comprise steel; one or more drywall panels coupled to a first side of the studs; and exterior siding coupled to a second side of the studs.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates generally to expandable building components and building construction methods using such components. BACKGROUND Almost all buildings such as homes are constructed by bringing materials to a building site where the materials are measured, cut to size, and assembled. For example, over 96% of homes in the United States are made in this manner with a stick-built wood frame construction. This construction technique grants architects wide latitude in the customization of the building design. However, with the effort needed to bring all of the materials to the building site and to tailor them for the custom building design, it can be expensive to construct the building in this manner. Additionally, this building process can required a significant amount of time to finish the building, often up to 6 months—or longer if there are delays, such as from weather—for a single-family home depending on the level of customization. And there can be a wide variance in the quality of building construction depending on, for example, the skill of the individuals constructing the buildings. Some buildings are made using modular construction where prefabricated units are manufactured offsite and are transported to the building site where they are assembled. Modular construction can cost less than other conventional construction techniques like stick-built wood frame construction because most of the fabrication is performed in a factory where construction, due to controlled processes, can be more efficient than at the building site. Additionally, the time required to install prefabricated units at the building site can be significantly less than that required to assemble a custom building at the building site. Modular construction, however, still faces challenges that have hindered widespread adoption thereof. For example, while assembly of prefabricated components at a factory can be more cost-effective than assembly at the building site, transportation of the prefabricated components to the building site can be more expensive that transportation of the components'constituent materials because the constituent materials can be packed at a higher density than prefabricated components. Additionally, regulations regarding the size of loads transported over a road can limit the size of the prefabricated components, including their footprint and rooflines, such that buildings made using a modular construction often have a less-desirable architecture than custom-built buildings. SUMMARY There is accordingly a need in the art for building components and building construction techniques that promote affordability and allow for the quick construction of buildings that can have features larger than those of conventional modular constructions. To address this need, the present building systems can include one or more expandable components that can have a compact form for transportation to a building site (e.g., over one or more roads) to allow them to be densely-packed and accordingly mitigate transportation costs, and the expandable component(s) can be expanded at the building site to define one or more features of a building constructed therefrom that can be larger than those defined by prefabricated components in conventional modular construction. The transportability of the expandable component(s) allows them to be constructed off-site (e.g., at a factory) such that they can be produced cost-effectively and with consistent quality, and the expandable component(s), when deployed, can define significant portions of the building such that limited finishing work is required at the building site, which can reduce the amount of time needed to construct the building. In this manner, transporting the expandable component(s) to construct a building can be more cost effective than in conventional modular construction, rendering construction using the same even more cost-effective—and faster—than conventional custom-built techniques. And with their expandability allowing them to define relatively large portions of the building, the expandable component(s) can be used to make a building having an architecture that is more desirable than conventional modular constructions. One expandable component that can be used in some of the present building systems is an expandable roof truss, which can comprise a lower chord and one or two upper chords. With two upper chords, each of the upper chords can have a first end and a second end that overlies the lower chord and is pivotably coupled to the second end of the other of the upper chords. Furthermore, the roof truss can comprise a plurality of braces that include two or more pivotable braces that each have a first end pivotably coupled to the lower chord and a second end pivotably coupled to one of the upper chords, where at least two of the pivotable braces include extendible braces that are each extendible from a shortened state to an extended state. With su