Horizontal building panel with connector block assembly

Abstract

A floor panel includes hollow floor connector blocks that are reinforced with anchor pins embedded in cementitious material in the body of the panel. The floor connector blocks have two internal plates, which have holes that guide a tapped-head bolt. The tapped-head bolt has a threaded hole in its head and a bottom end thread that are used as anchoring sites respectively for upper and lower wall panels, which are also equipped with connector blocks.

1 . A connecting assembly for a horizontal building panel, the connecting assembly comprising:
 a connector block comprising:
 a body, which is hollow and has an open top end and an open bottom end; 
 a top plate fastened inside the body below the open top end, in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the body, the top plate having a hole in its center; and 
 a bottom plate fastened inside the body at the open bottom end, in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body, the bottom plate having a hole in its center; 
   a bolt comprising:
 a shank that passes through the hole in the top plate; 
 a head that is supported by the top plate and extends not further than the open top end; 
 an internally threaded axial hole in the head; and 
 a threaded end that passes through the hole in the bottom plate and projects below the bottom plate; 
   at least one anchor pin connected to and projecting outward in a first direction from the body; and   at least one other anchor pin connected to and projecting outward from the body in a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the anchor pins are welded into holes in the connector block. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the top and bottom plates are made from steel and are welded to the connector block. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises:
 a first internal shoulder upon which the top plate is located; and   a second internal shoulder upon which the bottom plate is located.   
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the internally threaded axial hole is ⅝″ in diameter and 1″ deep;   the shank is ⅝″ in diameter;   the threaded end has a ⅝″ diameter;   the first and second internal shoulders are 3/16″ deep;   the first internal shoulder is located 1.5″ below the open top end;   the top plate is ½″ thick and has a ¾″ threaded hole in its center;   the bottom plate is ⅜″ thick and has a ¾″ hole in its center; and   the body has a 4″ square section.   
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the body has four walls. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 6 , wherein
 the at least one anchor pin projects from a first of the walls; and   the at least one other anchor pin projects from a second of the walls adjacent to the first wall.   
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the bottom plate is flush with the open bottom end of the body. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 6 , wherein:
 third and fourth walls of the body define a corner of a horizontal building panel; and   the anchor pins are embedded in cementitious material in the horizontal building panel.   
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the body is made from hollow structural steel with a rounded-corner square cross-section. 
     
     
         11 . A horizontal building panel comprising:
 a connecting assembly comprising:
 a connector block comprising:
 a body, which is hollow and has an open top end and an open bottom end; 
 a top plate fastened inside the body below the open top end, in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the body, the top plate having a hole in its center; and 
 a bottom plate fastened inside the body at the open bottom end, in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body, the bottom plate having a hole in its center; 
 
 a bolt comprising:
 a shank that passes through the hole in the top plate; 
 a head that is supported by the top plate and extends not further than the open top end; 
 an internally threaded axial hole in the head; and 
 a threaded end that passes through the hole in the bottom plate and projects below the bottom plate; 
 
 at least one anchor pin connected to and projecting outward in a first direction from the body; and 
 at least one other anchor pin connected to and projecting outward from the body in a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction; and 
   a volume of cementitious material adjacent to the body, in which the anchor pins are embedded;   wherein:
 the open top end is level with a top surface of the horizontal building panel; and 
 the open bottom end is level with a bottom surface of the horizontal building panel. 
   
     
     
         12 . The horizontal building panel of  claim 8 , wherein the anchor pins are welded into holes in the connector block. 
     
     
         13 . The horizontal building panel of  claim 8 , wherein the top and bottom plates are made from steel and welded to the connector block. 
     
     
         14 . The horizontal building panel of  claim 8 , wherein the body comprises:
 a first internal shoulder upon which the top plate is located; and   a second internal shoulder upon which the bottom plate is located.   
     
     
         15 . The horizontal building panel of  claim 8 , wherein the body is made from hollow structural steel with a rounded-corner square cross-section. 
     
     
         16 . The horizontal building panel of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the body has four walls;   the at least one anchor pin projects from a first of the walls;   the at least one other anchor pin projects from a second of the walls adjacent to the first wall;   third and fourth walls of the body define a corner of the horizontal building panel; and   the anchor pins are embedded in cementitious material in the horizontal building panel.   
     
     
         17 . The horizontal building panel of  claim 16 , wherein the bottom plate is flush with the open bottom end of the body. 
     
     
         18 . A method for connecting building panels comprising:
 placing a lower wall panel in a required position, the lower wall panel having a first connector block with a top hole on an upper edge of the lower wall panel and a first open face accessible from a side of the lower wall panel;   providing a horizontal building panel comprising:
 a connecting assembly comprising:
 a connector block comprising:
 a body, which is hollow and has an open top end and an open bottom end; 
 a top plate fastened inside the body below the open top end, in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the body, the top plate having a hole in its center; and 
 a bottom plate fastened inside the body at the open bottom end, in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body, the bottom plate having a hole in its center; 
 
 a bolt comprising:
 a shank that passes through the hole in the top plate; 
 a head that is supported by the top plate and extends not further than the open top end; 
 an internally threaded axial hole in the head; and 
 a threaded end that passes through the hole in the bottom plate and projects below the bottom plate; 
 
 at least one anchor pin connected to and projecting outward in a first direction from the body; and 
 at least one other anchor pin connected to and projecting outward from the body in a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction; and 
 
 a volume of cementitious material adjacent to the body, in which the anchor pins are embedded; 
 wherein:
 the open top end is level with a top surface of the horizontal building panel; and 
 the open bottom end is level with a bottom surface of the horizontal building panel; 
 
   placing the horizontal building panel so that the bottom open end is over the top hole of the lower wall panel;   providing a bolt comprising:
 a shank that passes through the hole in the top plate; 
 a head that is supported by the top plate and extends not further than the open top end; 
 an internally threaded axial hole in the head; and 
 a threaded end that passes through the hole in the bottom plate and projects below the bottom plate; 
   placing the bolt through the holes in the top and bottom plates;   inserting a nut through the first open face and tightening the nut onto the bolt;   providing an upper wall panel having a second connector block with a bottom hole on a lower edge of the upper wall panel and a second open face accessible from a side of the upper wall panel;   placing the upper wall panel on the horizontal floor panel so that the bottom hole is aligned with the internally threaded axial hole of the bolt;   inserting a further bolt through the second open face and tightening the further bolt into the internally threaded axial hole.