Irregular trapezoidal building unit and wall structure including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9739028-B2
Application number	US-201414204589-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

An irregular trapezoidal structural unit configured to be arranged with other like units in courses to form a structure comprises opposing upper and lower surfaces, opposing irregular front and rear faces, and irregular opposed side faces. The side faces each include a general S-shape mating section that are translated images of each other such that each side of the unit will mate with either side face of another like unit. The front and rear faces optionally include S-shaped mating sections that are translated images of each other. Structures are formed in courses by arranging units side to side along a line to form at least a first course, wherein adjacent side faces mate and interlock. Optionally, a second course is disposed laterally adjacent the first course wherein adjacent front and rear faces mate and interlock. Additional courses can be added on top of the other courses forming wall structures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An irregular trapezoidal structural unit configured to be arranged with other like units in courses to form a structure, the unit comprising:
an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface being opposed to the upper surface; a front face and an opposed rear face disposed between the upper surface and the lower surface, the front face being longer than the rear face, the front and rear faces having an irregular configuration; a first side face and an opposed second side face disposed between the upper surface and the lower surface, wherein both the first side face and the second side face generally extend inwardly in plan view from the front face to the rear face;
wherein the first side face and the second side face each include a general S-shape section;
wherein the S-shape section of the first side face and the S-shape section of the second side face each are center rotational images; and
wherein the S-shape section of the first side face is a translated image of the S-shape section of the second side face such that the first side of said unit will mate with either a first or second side face of another like unit and the second side face of said unit will mate with either a first or second side face of another like unit;
wherein the front face and the rear face each include a general S-shape section;
wherein the S-shape section of the front face and the S-shape section of the rear face each are center rotational images; and
wherein the S-shape section of the front face is a translated image of the S-shape section of the rear face.

2. The structural unit of claim 1 wherein the S-shape section of the front face is substantially in the center of the front face.

3. The structural unit of claim 1 , wherein the S-shape section of the front face comprises a generally concave portion and a generally convex portion.

4. The structural unit of claim 1 , wherein the configuration of the S-shape section of the front face has a different configuration than the S-shape section of the first and second side faces.

5. The structural unit of claim 1 , wherein the S-shape sections of the first side face and the second side face each comprise a generally convex portion and a generally concave portion.

6. The structural unit of claim 1 , wherein at least the front face is irregularly drafted.

7. The structural unit of claim 6 , further comprising a natural rock feature in the top surface of the unit.

8. The irregular trapezoidal unit of claim 1 ,
wherein the general S-shape section of the front face is a center rotational image about a first midpoint, and the general S-shaped section of the rear face is a center rotational image about a second midpoint;
wherein the S-shape section of the first side face is a center rotational image about a third midpoint and the S-shape section of the second side face is a center rotational image about a fourth midpoint;
wherein the first and second midpoints are aligned with one another along a first line and the third and fourth midpoints are aligned with one another along a second line;
wherein the first and second lines are perpendicular to one another; and
wherein the first line is a centerline of the irregular trapezoidal unit.

9. A partial structure comprising:
a plurality of irregular trapezoidal structural units arranged side to side along a line to form at least a first course, each structural unit comprising:
an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface being opposed to the upper surface;
a front face and an opposed rear face disposed between the upper surface and the lower surface, the front face being longer than the rear face;
a first side face and an opposed second side face disposed between the upper surface and the lower surface, wherein both the first side face and the second side face generally extend inwardly in plan view from the front face to the rear face;
wherein the first side face and the second side face include a general S-shape section wherein the general S-shape section of the second side face is a translated image of the general S-shape section of the first side face;

wherein the structural units are arranged such that the S-shape sections of adjacent units mate and interlock;
wherein the front face and the rear face each include a general S-shape section, and wherein the S-shape section of the front face is a translated image of the S-shape section of the rear face.

10. The partial structure of claim 9 , wherein the structural units are arranged such that adjacent structural units are reversed in orientation with respect to each other such that adjacent first sides mate and interlock and adjacent second sides mate and interlock.

11. The partial structure of claim 9 , further comprising a second course of structural units disposed parallel to and adjacent with the first course;
wherein adjacent structural units in the second course are arranged such that the S-shape sections of adjacent first side faces of the structural units in the second course mate and interlock and the S-shape sections of adjacent second side faces of the structural units in the second course mate and interlock;
wherein the second course is arranged with respect to the first course such that a front face of at least one structural unit in the first course mates and interlocks with either a front face or a rear face of an adjacent structural unit in the second course.

12. The partial structure of claim 9 , further comprising a second course of structural units disposed above the first course to form a partial wall structure.

13. The partial structure of claim 9 , wherein the front and rear faces on each structural unit are irregularly drafted.

14. The partial structure of claim 9 ,
wherein, in each structural unit, the general S-shape section of the front face is a center rotational image about a first midpoint, and the general S-shaped section of the rear face is a center rotational image about a second midpoint;
wherein, in each structural unit, the S-shape section of the first side face is a center rotational image about a third midpoint and the S-shape section of the second side face is a center rotational image about a fourth midpoint;
wherein, in each structural unit, the first and second midpoints are aligned with one another along a first line and the third and fourth midpoints are aligned with one another along a second line;
wherein, in each structural unit, the first and second lines are perpendicular to one another; and
wherein the first line is a centerline of the irregular trapezoidal unit.

15. A partial wall structure comprising:
a plurality of irregular trapezoidal structural wall units arranged side to side along a line to form at least a first course, each structural wall unit comprising:
an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface being opposed to the upper surface;
a front face and an opposed rear face disposed between the upper surface and the lower surface, the front face being longer than the rear face;
a first side face and an opposed second side face disposed between the upper surface and the lower surface, wherein both the first side face and the second side face generally extend inwardly in plan view from the front face to the rear face;
wherein the first side face and the second side face include general S-shape sections that are translated images of one another;

wherein the S-shape sections on the sides of adjacent structural wall units mate and interlock with each other; and
wherein the front face and the rear face of each unit include general S-shape sections that are translated

Assignees

• Keystone Retaining Wall Systems Llc

Inventors

• Riccobene Thomas S
• Macdonald Robert A

Classifications

• E02D29/025 Primary

  made up of similar modular elements stacked without mortar · CPC title