Lightweight building element

By designing web members and flange members at predetermined distances, the problems of manufacturing complexity and metal waste of traditional building components are solved, the weight and CO2 emission reduction of lightweight building components are achieved, and structural performance is maintained.

CN119301336APending Publication Date: 2025-01-10SAINT GOBAIN PLACO SAS
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202380043523.1
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2022-06-21
Filing Date
2023-06-14
Publication Date
2025-01-10

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In the prior art, traditional building components have problems of manufacturing complexity and metal waste in reducing metal consumption and weight, resulting in increased CO2 emissions and inability to effectively reduce metal usage.

Method used

Design a lightweight building element, including a plurality of web members and flange members spaced apart from each other, through structural features such as deformation areas and pre-perforation, to achieve simple manufacturing and low metal usage, and to pass the distance between web members and connect the way to reduce metal resistance.

Benefits of technology

A 25-40% weight reduction is achieved, reducing metal consumption and CO2 emissions, simplifying the manufacturing process, and improving the stiffness and installation convenience of building components.

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Abstract

A lightweight building element includes first and second flange members 10, 20 having front surfaces 13, 23 opposite each other and rear surfaces 14, 24 that are not opposite each other. The first and second flange members 10, 20 are arranged at a distance X from each other wherein the flange members 10, 20 have a deformed region comprising at least one of a hole 30a, 30b, a raised portion 40a, 40b, or a groove 15 ', 25'. Furthermore, the lightweight building element further comprises a plurality of web members 50 wherein the plurality of web members 50 are physically engaged with the first and second flange members 10, 20 by attachment to the front surface 13, 23 or the rear surface 14, 24 of each flange member 10, 20. The plurality of web members 50 do not require the use of full-length webs, thereby reducing the use of metal and thus reducing CO2 emissions in turn.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lightweight construction element, and more particularly to a lightweight construction element having a plurality of web members spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. More particularly, the present invention relates to a lightweight construction element having two spaced apart flange members joined together with a plurality of web members. Background Art

[0002] Conventional building elements and framing members have been widely used as part of a drywall system, wherein a building panel is connected to the conventional building element. A plurality of conventional building elements are placed at predetermined intervals so that the building panel can be mounted and secured to the conventional building element from one or both sides. Typically, the conventional building element includes a central region, which is a web, with at least two flanges extending from either side thereof. Typically, the conventional building element is formed from a single piece of metal, weighing approximately 1.4 kg to 1.6 kg per meter, and having a height of approximately 3.2 m to 3.6 m. It is worth noting that a huge amount of metal consumption is involved in manufacturing each conventional building element.

[0003] Over the years, various developments have been made in the configuration and construction of traditional building elements, with a focus on design improvements. These design improvements have included various attempts to modify the structure of traditional building components, targeting various functions that are not limited to sound insulation and thermal insulation. Design improvements that reduce metal consumption have also been attempted in the past. However, past design and technological changes in this area have not led to a significant reduction in the amount of metal used in traditional building components.

[0004] For example, in the prior art KR20130036982A, the web of the column is structurally modified so that the web is bent into a W-shaped pattern, thereby delaying the propagation path of noise and vibration. In addition, some embodiments of the prior art also disclose a plurality of grooves on the web for blocking the propagation path of sound and vibration. However, such structural improvements do not lead to a significant reduction in metal consumption or metal usage.

[0005] In another prior art WO2020125916A1, the web of a traditional building element, i.e., a column, is structurally modified in order to achieve thermal decoupling of two branches (or flanges). The web in the prior art is in the form of a plate fastened to a portion of the branch. The structural modification formed in this way also leads to reduced sound propagation. However, the amount of metal used in the column is still not significantly reduced, and the way the web is connected to the branch may cause the connection to break during torsion and bending, and thus cause damage to the column. In addition, the manufacture and assembly of the building element described in WO2020125916A1 will be complicated.

[0006] Recently, design improvements have also been aimed at reducing the weight of columns, and workers in this field have explored ways to reduce raw material consumption as a way to reduce carbon footprint. It is well known that for building and frame elements, each step in the manufacturing process (metal casting, metal forming, metal processing, metal joining, finishing and related) involves huge CO2 emissions.

[0007] Therefore, the prior art has been trying to reduce the weight of conventional building elements. However, the design modifications in the prior art have certain drawbacks, including complexity of manufacturing and handling, additional manufacturing operation requirements, weakening of the building element so that it cannot resist forces such as bending moments or even stamping metal parts, resulting in metal waste.

[0008] For example, in prior art WO2017015766A1, the traditional webs in the columns are replaced by a wire matrix, which in turn provides channels for utility lines. Although the prior art results in a reduction in the overall weight of the building element, the arrangement of the webs increases complexity and requires specialized skills to install, thereby increasing costs.

[0009] In addition, the prior art KR101637145B1 describes a structural modification of a building element, namely a column, thereby producing a lightweight partition column. However, the complex arrangement makes the manufacture of the entire column very troublesome.

[0010] Thus, the known prior art references may lead to a reduction in the amount of metal used and a reduction in the weight of the building elements, but these solutions increase the complexity and difficulty of manufacturing the product, resulting in increased manufacturing and sales costs. In addition, the increase in manufacturing complexity may involve an increase in CO2 emissions, which will offset the CO2 savings due to the overall reduction in metal. In addition, there is no evidence in the prior art that the proposed lightweight building elements actually lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions.

[0011] Therefore, there is still a need in the art to develop a building element to address the deficiencies of the prior art. In particular, there is a need in the art to develop a lightweight building element that can reduce CO2 emissions during the manufacturing process and is simple and economical to manufacture.

[0012] Thus, the present invention provides a lightweight building element that eliminates any additional manufacturing complexity requirements, reduces metal consumption and metal waste, thereby leading to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. Most importantly, the lightweight building element produced by the present invention weighs 25-40% less than any traditional building element. Summary of the invention

[0013] In one aspect of the present invention, a lightweight building element is disclosed, comprising first and second flange members and a plurality of web members. Each flange member has a front surface facing each other and a rear surface not facing each other. The first flange member and the second flange member are aligned side by side with each other so that the spacing distance between the closest points on each flange member is X. In addition, the flange includes a plurality of deformation regions, which are aligned and facing opposite to the deformation regions in the flange. Each of the plurality of web members includes a plate portion having a length and a width, a first edge region, a second edge region, a third edge region, and a fourth edge region. The first edge region and the second edge region are arranged to span the width of the plate portion, and the third edge region and the fourth edge region span the length of the plate portion, and the width of the plate portion defines the spacing between the first flange member and the second flange member. The plurality of web members are physically engaged with the first and second flange members through the deformation regions on each of the first and second flange members.

[0014] Another aspect of the present invention discloses a method for manufacturing a lightweight building element. The method comprises the following steps: arranging a first flange member and a second flange member, wherein the first flange member and the second flange member are spatially spaced apart from each other at a distance X at the closest point on each flange member. Then, the first flange member and the second flange member are joined together by arranging a plurality of web members. Furthermore, the web members are spaced apart by a distance of 50-300 mm.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a drywall partition is disclosed that includes a frame assembly. The frame assembly includes a horizontal frame member fixed to a floor and a further horizontal frame member fixed to a ceiling so that it is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the horizontal frame member fixed to the floor; a plurality of lightweight building elements and at least one building panel. The plurality of lightweight building elements are vertically spaced and mounted at top and bottom ends to the horizontal frame member. Furthermore, the lightweight building elements are mounted so that when the at least one building panel is fixed to one or each side of the frame assembly, the flange members of the lightweight building elements abut and support the surface of the building panel at a position outside the deformation area of ​​the flange members.

[0016] Other features and aspects of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] By referring to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art can better understand the content of the present invention and clearly know its numerous features and advantages. The embodiments are described by way of example and are not limited to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] Figure 1A shows a perspective view of a lightweight building element in an unassembled stage according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 1B shows a perspective view of a lightweight building element in an assembly stage according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2A , 2B and 2C show perspective views of web members according to various embodiments of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3A shows a perspective view of a lightweight building element in an unassembled stage according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3B shows a perspective view of a lightweight building element in an assembly stage according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4A shows a perspective view of a lightweight building element in an unassembled stage according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4B shows a perspective view of a lightweight building element in an assembly stage according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5A and 5B shows perspective views of lightweight building elements in assembly stages according to two further embodiments of the invention; and

[0026] Figure 6 A perspective view of a drywall partition including a frame assembly and drywall partition frame components is shown in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] The use of the same reference numbers in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.

[0028] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the elements in the figures are drawn for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the size of some elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help deepen the understanding of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0029] The features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in the detailed description of the embodiments as shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the present invention can be modified in various aspects without exceeding the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, rather than restrictive. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] In this context, a "U-shaped" lightweight building element is defined as a lightweight building element comprising a pair of flanges which are substantially parallel to each other and which are connected substantially perpendicularly at their bases by one or more web members.

[0032] In this context, a "C-shaped" lightweight building element is defined as a lightweight building element comprising a pair of substantially parallel flanges, the pair of flanges being connected substantially perpendicularly at their bases by one or more web members, the pair of flanges having return edges pointing inwardly and substantially parallel to the web members.

[0033] In this context, an "I-shaped" lightweight building element is defined as a lightweight building element comprising a pair of substantially parallel flanges connected substantially perpendicularly by one or more web members, preferably located in the middle of the pair of flanges. In this context, substantially parallel means parallel + / - 10 degrees, and substantially perpendicular means perpendicular + / - 10 degrees.

[0034] Figure 1A 1 is a perspective view of a lightweight building element 100a in an unassembled stage according to one embodiment of the present invention. The lightweight building element comprises first and second flange members 10, 20 and a plurality of web members 50. The web members 50 each comprise a plate portion 51 having a length and a width, a first edge region 52a, a second edge region 52b, a third edge region 53a and a fourth edge region 53b. In this embodiment, the web members 50 and the plate portion 51 are identical. The first edge region 51a and the second edge region 52a span the width of the plate portion 51, and the third edge region 53a and the fourth edge region 53b span the length of the plate portion 51. In addition, the width of the plate portion 51 defines the spacing between the first flange member 10 and the second flange member 20. The first and second flange members 10, 20 each have front surfaces 13, 23 facing each other and rear surfaces 14, 24 not facing each other. The first flange member 10 and the second flange member 20 are aligned side by side with the closest points on each flange member 10, 20 spaced a distance X apart. In addition, the closest point for measuring the distance X between the flange members 10, 20 is located at the corresponding edge or the corresponding center of the flange member, or at the corresponding point located at the center between its edges. Each flange member 10, 20 includes a plurality of deformation regions, so that each deformation region in the first flange member 10 is aligned and facing the deformation region in the second flange member 20. Figure 1AThe deformation region in the present embodiment shown in comprises holes 30a and 30b. Holes 30a, 30b are cut out of the first and second flange members 10 and 20, and the cut portion of each flange is bent at right angles to the respective front surfaces 13 and 23 of the flanges to form flanged portions 31a and 31b. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the first and second flange members 10, 20 extend at non-zero angles to their respective front surfaces 13, 23 along their respective first edges 11, 21 and second edges 12, 22 to form stiffener members 15, 25, respectively. Stiffener members 15, 25 increase the stiffness of the lightweight building element and are thus able to withstand deflection. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the lightweight building element 100a is free of stiffener members.

[0035] Figure 1B A perspective view of a lightweight building element 100a in an assembly stage according to another embodiment of the present invention is described. The web member 50 is a flat plate that is physically joined to the flanged portions 31a, 31b generated from the holes of the first and second flanges 10 and 20. The holes 30a and 30b are spaced apart from each other by a distance of 50 to 300 mm. The joining is achieved by snap fit, screw riveting, bolting, screwing, welding, press riveting or crimping or a combination of the above. In an optional embodiment, the web member 50 may include pre-punched holes to facilitate screwing, screwing, riveting, or bolting, for example, the pre-punched holes may be located near all four corners of the web member. In this embodiment, the web member 50 has no pre-punched holes.

[0036] Using the web members 50 at predetermined intervals can reduce the consumption of raw materials. It should be noted here that the lightweight building element in this embodiment is an I-type drywall stud. In alternative embodiments, the drywall stud is C-shaped or U-shaped. For the U-shaped embodiment, the hole is aligned with the topmost or bottommost portion of the first and second flanges 10, 20, so that when the web member 51 engages with the flanged portion generated from the hole, the web member 51 is located at the top or bottom. The C-shaped embodiment is similar to the U-shaped embodiment, but additionally has a return edge along one edge of each flange, and the return edge is substantially parallel to the web member.

[0037] The web member 50 in another embodiment of the present invention is similar to the web member 50 in the above reference Figure 1A The web member 50 has similar features. Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, the web member 50 extends a sliding portion 54 at a right angle to the edge of the plate portion 51 in the first edge region 52a and the second edge region 52b, and the third edge region 53a and the fourth edge region 53b are provided with at least one groove 55. In some other embodiments, the web member 50 does not have the groove 55, such as Figure 2CAs shown. This arrangement of the web member 50 helps to keep the web member 50 in place when the sliding portion 54 engages with the deformed area in the first and second flange members 10, 20 of the lightweight building element 100b or 100c. In addition, the cutout 55 can minimize the metal resistance of the engagement, thereby providing convenience for installation. Figure 2B In another alternative embodiment shown, the web member 50 has an extended metal portion 57, which further increases the rigidity of the web member 50 and further holds it in place after assembly. Figure 2C In some other embodiments shown, the web member 50 is such that the third and fourth edge regions 53 a , 53 b of the web member 50 are positioned perpendicular to the front surfaces 13 , 23 of the flange members 10 , 20 .

[0038] Figure 3A A perspective view of a lightweight building element 100b in an unassembled stage according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. The flange members 10, 20 in this embodiment have a deformation in the form of raised portions 40a, 40b spaced 50-300 mm apart. The raised portions 40a, 40b include slit openings 41a, 41b and 41a', 41b' located at the top and bottom along their respective longitudinal axes. In another embodiment, the raised portions 40a, 40b include only one slit opening 41a, 41b. The raised portions 40a, 40b have a rectangular profile, the length of which matches the length of the web member 50, and the height H matches the height of the cut groove H' in the web member 50. As shown by the markings in the figure, the web members 50a, 50b can have two styles. The web member 50a in this embodiment is bent at right angles to the plate portion 51 in the edge areas 53a, 53b (such as Figure 2A In other optional embodiments, the web member 50b is bent at right angles to the plate portion 51 at the edge regions 53a, 53b (as shown in FIG. Figure 2B ), so that the edge regions 53a, 53b are no longer opposite to each other.

[0039] Figure 3BA perspective view of a lightweight building element 100b in an assembly stage according to another embodiment of the invention is depicted. The web member 50 is fixed to the first and second flanges 10, 20 by snap-fitting, wherein the bent portions of the web member 50 at the edge regions 53a, 53b fit into the slit openings 41a, 41b and 41a', 41b' of the raised portions 40a and 40b of the flanges 10, 20, respectively. The bent parts are slightly pressed inwards when entering the slit openings 41a, 41b and 41a', 41b', whereby the sliding portion 54 snap-fits and locks with the bottom end of the raised portions 40a, 40b to provide a secure fit. The cutouts 55 facilitate the pressing by reducing the stiffness of the board. It should be noted that in order to facilitate the fitting of the web member 50 in the raised portions 40a and 40b of the flanges 10 and 20, respectively, the thickness of the web member 50 is proportional to the slit openings 41a, 41b and 41a', 41b' (eg Figure 2A ) to match the thickness of the web member. In other optional embodiments where there is only one slit opening 41a, 41b at the top, the web member does not have a sliding portion 54, and the bent portion of the web member 51 snaps into the raised portions 40a, 40b. In addition, in optional embodiments where the web member has an extended metal portion 57, the extended metal portion 57 helps to provide additional rigidity to the web member 50 while helping to keep the web member 51 in the raised portions 40a, 40b. The web member is fixed to the first and second flange members 10, 20 by snap fit, screw rivets, bolt connections, screw connections, welding connections, press rivet connections or crimping connections, or a combination of the above. In addition, there are other embodiments, such as Figure 1A or Figure 1B As shown, the web member 50 is simply a flat metal sheet.

[0040] Figure 4A A perspective view of a lightweight building element 100c in an unassembled stage according to yet another embodiment of the present invention is depicted. The flanges 10, 20 include a plurality of deformation regions such that each deformation region in the first flange 10 is aligned and faces a deformation region in the second flange 20. The deformation regions in this embodiment include holes 30a and 30b. The holes 30a and 30b in the first and second flange members 10, 20 are cut out and bent at right angles to their respective front surfaces 13, 23 (e.g., Figure 1A) to form the flanged portions 31a, 31b. The flanged portions 31a, 31b in this embodiment further include raised portions 40a, 40b, respectively. The raised portions 40a, 40b in this embodiment have two slit openings 41a, 41b and 41a', 41b' located at the top and bottom of the raised portions 40a, 40b along their respective longitudinal axes. This facilitates the snap fit of the web member 50 into the raised portions 40a, 40b, thereby forming an I-shaped lightweight building element 100c. In other optional embodiments, the raised portions 40a, 40b include only one slit opening 41a, 41b, wherein the web member 51 does not have a sliding portion 54.

[0041] Figure 4B A perspective view of a lightweight building element 100c according to a further embodiment of the invention in an assembly stage is depicted. The web member 50 is fixed to the first and second flanges 10, 20 by snap-fitting, wherein the web member 50 fits into the slit openings 41a, 41b and 41a', 41b' of the raised portions 40a and 40b of the flanged portions 31a, 31b, respectively. The edge regions 53a, 53b (e.g. Figure 2A ) is slightly pressed inwardly when entering the slit openings 41a, 41b and 41a', 41b', so that the sliding portion 54 snaps and locks with the raised portions 40a, 40b to provide a secure fit. The slot 55 facilitates pressing by reducing the stiffness of the plate. In order to facilitate the fit of the web member 50 in the raised portions 40a and 40b of the flanges 10 and 20, respectively, the thickness of the web member 50 matches the thickness of the slit openings 41a, 41b and 41a', 41b'. In addition, in the optional embodiment where the web member has an extended metal portion 57, the extended metal portion 57 helps to provide additional stiffness to the web member 50 while helping to maintain fixation. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the web member is fixed to the first and second flange members 10, 20 by snap fit, screw rivet, bolt connection, screw connection, welded connection, press riveted connection or crimped connection or a combination of the above.

[0042] Figure 5A and 5B 1 and 100e, respectively, are perspective views of lightweight building elements 100d and 100e according to another embodiment of the present invention. The first and second flange members 10, 20 of the lightweight building elements 100d and 100e extend at 90° along their respective first edges 11, 21 and second edges 12, 22 and their respective front surfaces 13, 23 to form reinforcement members 15, 25, respectively. In the lightweight building elements 100d and 100e, the reinforcement members 15, 25 of the flange members 10, 20 further include grooves 15', 25'. The grooves 15', 25' may be as shown in FIG. Figure 5AAs shown, they are placed at frequent intervals. In this embodiment, the spacing between the slots 15' and 25' is 10-50 mm. In other embodiments, as shown, Figure 5A As shown, the grooves 15', 25' are only placed in the area where the web member 50 is joined to the flange members 10, 20. In this embodiment, the spacing between the grooves 15', 25' is 100-500 mm. When the web member 20 is joined to the flange members 10, 20, the grooves 15', 25' receive the sliding portion 54 of the web member 50 through a snap-fit ​​action.

[0043] In addition, it should be pointed out that Figure 3A , 3A All other features of the embodiments shown in 4A and 4B are the same as those of Figure 1A and 1B The features of the detailed embodiments are similar.

[0044] Preferred dimensions of the lightweight construction element 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d or 100e are as follows: The length of the web member ranges from 20 mm to 200 mm, and the width ranges from 10 mm to 150 mm. The height of the first and second flanges ranges from 2.5 m to 8 m. In addition, the spacing between the web members 50 ranges from 50 mm to 300 mm.

[0045] It should be noted that the length of the web members 50 is not equal to the length of the flange members 10, 20. They are spaced at a predetermined pitch so that a plurality of web members 50 together cover a small portion of the length of the flange member 10 or 20. This reduces the weight of the lightweight frame component 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d or 100e and facilitates installation due to the reduced weight. Furthermore, the lightweight building element of the present invention is equally effective in terms of structural performance and deflection, comparable to any conventional lightweight building element. Furthermore, as previously mentioned, the reduction in the amount of metal used in turn reduces the fuel consumption required for melting and forming the metal sheets, thereby reducing CO2 emissions. Therefore, the present invention promotes sustainability and sustainable living without compromising on quality.

[0046] In an embodiment of the present invention, the lightweight building element 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d or 100e is made of metal, but in alternative embodiments, it can be made of plastic, polymer, cardboard, wood, steel or any different types of metal components. The components of the lightweight frame element 100 can be manufactured in whole or in part according to the requirements and use. In addition, the lightweight frame element 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d or 100e described in the present invention is a dry wall stud that helps to hold the building panel 350, but in alternative embodiments, it can also be used as a ceiling or floor channel.

[0047] The present invention also describes a method of manufacturing a lightweight building element 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d or 100e, the method comprising: arranging a first flange member 10 and a second flange member 20, the first flange member and the second flange member 20 being spatially spaced apart from each other at a closest point by a distance X, and then joining the first flange member 10 and the second flange member 20 together by arranging a plurality of web members 50 spaced apart from each other by a distance of 50-300 mm. The web members 50 are riveted, riveted, bolted, crimped or welded to a deformed area on the first flange member 10 and the second flange member 20, the deformed area comprising at least one of a hole 30a, 30b, a raised portion 40a, 40b or a groove 15'a, 25'a. Furthermore, in other alternative embodiments, the web member 50 is snap-fitted to the raised portion 40a, 40b by a sliding action, wherein the sliding portion 54 (e.g. Figure 2A 2B) and is deflected and inserted into the slit openings 41a, 41b or grooves 15', 25' of the raised portions 40a, 40b (as shown in FIG. Figure 2C shown).

[0048] Figure 6 3 is a perspective view of a drywall partition according to one embodiment of the present invention, the drywall partition having a frame assembly 500 and a building panel 350. The frame assembly 500 includes a horizontal frame member 200 fixed to a floor 210, a horizontal frame member 300 substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the horizontal frame member 200 and fixed to a ceiling 310, a plurality of vertically spaced lightweight building elements 100b, the plurality of lightweight building elements being mounted to the horizontal frame member 200 at their bottom ends and to the horizontal frame member 300 at their top ends, and at least one building panel 350. The lightweight building elements 100b are mounted so that when the at least one building panel 350 is fixed to one or each side of the frame assembly 500, the flange members 10, 20 of the lightweight building elements 100b abut and support the surface of the building panel 350 at positions outside the deformation regions of the flange members 10, 20, respectively. In addition, flange members 10, 20 near or located at the bottom end of lightweight construction element 100b are fixed to horizontal frame member 200, and flange members 10, 20 near or located at the top end of lightweight construction element 100b are fixed to horizontal frame member 300 at positions outside the deformation areas of flange members 10, 20, respectively.

[0049] Industrial Applications

[0050] Therefore, the lightweight construction element 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d or 100e of the present invention is lightweight (in terms of eliminating the need for a continuous web) and leads to reduced CO2 emissions during its manufacture. In addition, the lightweight construction element 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d or 100e also has the following advantages:

[0051] - the lightweight building element 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d or 100e of the present invention can be used in combination with existing industry standard drywall components (i.e. drywall boards, etc.) without modifying other system components;

[0052] - the plurality of web members 50 are spaced apart and gaps are left between consecutive web members, resulting in a lightweight component and thus facilitating installation;

[0053] - In addition, lightweight construction elements easily adapt to the use of mechanical fastening devices, thereby eliminating any obstacles caused by their design that could lead to deflection, bending or breaking of these devices;

[0054] - The web member 50 is cut from a flat sheet of metal, thus resulting in almost zero metal waste and metal loss.

[0055] The lightweight building element 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d or 100e of the present invention can be applied to building structures not limited to commercial and residential spaces. The structural modification in the present invention eliminates the use of a continuous web to connect the flanges of drywall studs or channel components. It is easy to manufacture, sustainable, easy to transport and assemble, and cost-effective. In addition, no additional assembly tools or accessories are required when assembling the web members in the lightweight building element of the present invention.

[0056] After describing the preferred forms of the present invention with particular reference thereto, it is apparent that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments described in the specification and the figures shown in the accompanying drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical concept of the present invention. It should be understood that various modifications that may be substituted in the present application may have equivalents and variations.

[0057] Note that not all activities described in the general description or examples above are required, that portions of a specific activity may not be required, and that one or more further activities may be performed in addition to the activities described. Furthermore, the order in which the activities are listed is not necessarily the order in which the activities must be performed.

[0058] The benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with respect to specific embodiments. However, these benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any features that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more obvious, are not to be construed as key, necessary, or essential features of any or all of the claims.

[0059] The description and illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the various embodiment structures. This description and illustrations are not intended to be exhaustive and comprehensive descriptions of all elements and features of the devices and systems using the structures or methods described herein. For clarity, certain features described herein in separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, for brevity, the various features described in a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in a sub-combination. In addition, the values ​​expressed in ranges include every value within the range. Only after reading this specification, many other embodiments may be obvious to those skilled in the art. The content of the present invention may be used and other embodiments may be derived therefrom, so that structural replacement, logical replacement or other changes may be performed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0060] The description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is provided to help understand the teachings disclosed herein, to help describe the teachings, and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope or applicability of the teachings. However, other teachings can certainly also be used in this application.

[0061] As used herein, the terms "include", "comprises", "has" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a method, article or apparatus comprising a list of features is not necessarily limited to these features, but may also include other features not explicitly listed or features inherent to these methods, articles or apparatus. In addition, unless expressly stated to the contrary, "or" refers to an inclusive or, not an exclusive or. For example, condition A or B satisfies any of the following conditions: A is true (or exists) and B is false (or does not exist), A is false (or does not exist) and B is true (or exists), and both A and B are true (or exist).

[0062] In addition, "a" or "an" is used herein to describe elements and components described herein. This is done for convenience only and to give a general meaning of the scope of the disclosure. The description should be understood to include one or at least one, and the singular also includes the plural, and vice versa, unless otherwise clearly meant. For example, when a single item is described herein, more than one item can be used in place of the single item. Similarly, when more than one item is described herein, one item can also be used in place of more than one item.

[0063] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs. The materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and are not limiting. Where certain details of specific materials and processing actions are not described, these details may include conventional methods and can be found in reference books and other sources in the field of manufacturing technology.

[0064] Although various aspects of the present invention have been particularly shown and described with reference to the above-mentioned embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various other embodiments may be conceived by modifying the disclosed machines, systems and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. These embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present invention as determined by the claims and any equivalents thereof.

[0065] Components List

[0066] Lightweight building elements

[0067] 10: First flange member

[0068] 13, 23: front surface

[0069] 14, 24: rear surface

[0070] 15, 25: Reinforcement

[0071] 15', 25': Slot

[0072] 20: Second flange component

[0073] 30a, 30b: Hole

[0074] 31a, 31b: Flanged part

[0075] 40a, 40b: raised part

[0076] 41a, 41a', 41b, 41b': Slit openings

[0077] 50: Web member

[0078] 51: Plate part

[0079] 52a: First edge area

[0080] 52b: Second edge area

[0081] 53a: Third marginal area

[0082] 53b: Fourth marginal area

[0083] 54: Sliding part

[0084] 55: Grooving

[0085] 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d, 100e: Lightweight building elements

[0086] 200, 300: Horizontal frame members

[0087] 210: Floor

[0088] 310: Ceiling

[0089] 350: Building Panels

[0090] 1000: Drywall studs

[0091] 500: Framework components

[0092] H, H': Height

[0093] X: Distance

Claims

1. A lightweight building element comprising: First and second flange members (10, 20), each having a front surface (13, 23) facing each other and a rear surface (14, 24) not facing each other, wherein the first flange member (10) and the second flange member (20) are aligned side by side with the closest points on each flange member (10 and 20) being separated by a distance X; and A plurality of web members (50), each comprising: a plate portion (51) having a length and a width, a first edge region (52a), a second edge region (52b), a third edge region (53a), and a fourth edge region (53b), wherein the first edge region (52a) and the second edge region (52b) span the width of the plate portion, the third edge region (53a) and the fourth edge region (53b) span the length of the plate portion (51), the width of the plate portion (51) defining a spacing between a first flange member (10) and a second flange member (20), Characterized in that each flange (10, 20) comprises a plurality of deformation regions, wherein each of the deformation regions in the flange (10) is aligned opposite and facing a deformation region in the flange (20), and The plurality of web members (50) are physically engaged with the first and second flange members (10, 20) via the deformed regions on each of the first and second flange members (10, 20).

2. The lightweight building element according to claim 1, wherein The deformed region on each of the first and second flange members (10, 20) includes at least one of a hole (30a, 30b), a raised portion (40a, 40b), or a groove (15', 25').

3. The lightweight building element according to claim 1, wherein The first and second flange members (10, 20) extend along their respective first edges (11, 21) and second edges (12, 22) at 90 degrees to their respective front surfaces (13, 23) to form stiffener members (15, 25), respectively.

4. The lightweight building element according to claim 3, wherein: The reinforcement (15, 25) is provided with a groove (15', 25').

5. The lightweight building element according to claim 2, wherein: The grooves (15', 25'), holes (30a, 30b) and raised portions (40a, 40b) are spaced apart at a distance of 10 to 500 mm.

6. The lightweight building element according to claim 2, wherein: At the holes (30a, 30b), the first and second flange members (10, 20) are cut and bent at right angles to the respective front surfaces (13, 23) of the first and second flange members to form flanged portions (31a, 31b).

7. The lightweight building element according to claim 2, wherein: The raised portion (40a, 40b) includes at least one slit opening (41a, 41b).

8. The lightweight building element according to claim 1, wherein The web member (50) extends a sliding portion (54) at the first edge region (52a) and the second edge region (52b) at a right angle to the edge region of the plate portion (51), and wherein the third edge region (53a) and the fourth edge region (53b) are provided with at least one cutout (55).

9. The lightweight building element according to claim 1, wherein: The first and second flange members (10, 20) extend along their respective first edges (11, 21) and second edges (12, 22) at non-zero angles to their respective front surfaces (13, 23) to form stiffener members (15, 25), respectively.

10. The lightweight building element according to claim 2, wherein: The raised portions (40a, 40b) are provided on the flanged portions (31a, 31b).

11. The lightweight building element according to claim 2, wherein: The raised portions (40a, 40b) are rectangular in profile, the length of which matches the length of the web member (50), and the height H of which matches the height of the cutout (55) in the web member (50).

12. The lightweight building element according to claim 1, wherein The web member (50) is bent at right angles to the plate portion (51) at edge regions (53a, 53b) to form a U-shaped profile such that the edge regions (53a, 53b) are held opposite to each other.

13. The lightweight building element according to claim 1, wherein The web member (50) is bent at right angles to the plate portion (51) at edge regions (53a, 53b) so that the edge regions (53a, 53b) do not oppose each other.

14. The lightweight building element according to claim 1, wherein The web member (50) is fixed to the first and second flange members (10, 20) by snap fit, screw riveting, bolt connection, screw connection, welding connection, press riveting connection or crimping connection or a combination of the above.

15. The lightweight building element according to claim 6, wherein The thickness of the web member (50) matches the thickness of the slit openings (41a, 41b).

16. The lightweight building element according to claim 2, wherein: The raised portion (40a, 40b) has two slit openings (41a, 41b and 41a', 41b') disposed on the top and bottom of the raised portion (40a, 40b) along its respective longitudinal axis.

17. The lightweight building element according to claim 1, wherein The length of the web member (50) is not equal to the length of the flange members (10, 20).

18. The lightweight building element of claim 1, wherein: The closest points for measuring the distance X between the flange members (10, 20) are located at the respective edges or the respective centers of the flange members or at the respective points between the edges and the centers of the flange members.

19. The lightweight building element according to claim 1, wherein The lightweight construction element is an I-shaped column.

20. The lightweight building element of claim 1, wherein: The lightweight building elements include plastics, polymers, cardboard, wood, steel or other metals.

21. The lightweight building element of claim 1, wherein: The lightweight construction element comprises metal.

22. The lightweight building element of claim 1, wherein: The lightweight construction element is manufactured in one piece or in parts.

23. The lightweight building element of claim 1, wherein: The lightweight construction elements are drywall studs.

24. A method of manufacturing a lightweight building element according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: Providing a first flange member (10) and a second flange member (20), wherein the first flange member and the second flange member are spatially spaced apart from each other by a distance X at the closest point; as well as The first flange member (10) and the second flange member (20) are joined together by arranging a plurality of web members (50) spaced apart from each other by a distance of 50-300 mm.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein: The web member (50) is connected to the first flange member (10) and the second flange member (20) by riveting, rivet connection, bolt connection, crimping connection or welding, and the deformation area includes at least one of a hole (30a, 30b), a protrusion (40a, 40b) or a groove (15'a, 25'a).

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein: The web member (50) is snap-fitted into the raised portions (40a, 40b) by a sliding action, wherein the sliding portion (54) is deflected and inserted into the slit openings (41a, 41b) of the raised portions (40a, 40b).

27. A drywall partition having a frame assembly (500), the frame assembly (500) comprising: a horizontal frame member (200) secured to a floor (210); a horizontal frame member (300) substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the horizontal frame member (200) and fixed to a ceiling (310); The plurality of lightweight building elements (100b) according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of lightweight building elements (100b) are vertically spaced and assembled to the horizontal frame member (200) at the bottom end and assembled to the horizontal frame member (300) at the top end; and at least one building panel (350), It is characterized in that The lightweight building element (100b) is assembled so that when the at least one building panel (350) is fixed to one or each side of the frame assembly (500), the flange members (10, 20) of the lightweight building element (100b) abut and support the surface of the building panel (350) at positions outside the deformation areas of the flange members (10, 20), respectively.

28. The drywall partition of claim 27, wherein: The flange members (10, 20) close to or located at the bottom end of the lightweight construction element (100b) are fixed to the horizontal frame member (200) and the flange members (10, 20) close to or located at the top end of the lightweight construction element (100b) are fixed to the horizontal frame member (300) at positions outside the deformation regions of the flange members (10, 20).

Citation Information

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