Building panels and structures including same

Abstract

Building panels and structures formed from building panels are disclosed. A building panel includes a first building panel unit including a first outer wall and a first sidewall angularly offset from the first outer wall. The building panel can also include a second building panel unit including a second outer wall and a second sidewall depending from the second outer wall. In the building panel, the first sidewall of the first building panel unit is attached to the second sidewall of the second building panel unit, and the attachment of the first sidewall to the second sidewall applies a constant tension to the first outer wall and the second outer wall.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A building panel comprising:
 a first building panel unit including a first outer wall and a first sidewall angularly offset from the first outer wall; and   a second building panel unit including a second outer wall and a second sidewall depending from the second outer wall, the first sidewall of the first building panel unit being attached to the second sidewall of the second building panel unit, wherein the attachment of the first sidewall to the second sidewall applies a constant tension to the first outer wall and the second outer wall.   
     
     
         2 . The building panel of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third building panel unit including a third outer wall and a third sidewall depending from the third outer wall, the third sidewall of the third building panel unit being attached to the second sidewall of the second building panel unit,   wherein the attachment of the third sidewall to the second sidewall applies a constant tension to the second outer wall and the third outer wall; and   a fourth building panel unit including a fourth outer wall and a fourth sidewall depending from the fourth outer wall, the fourth sidewall of the fourth building panel unit being attached to the third sidewall of the third building panel unit and the first sidewall of the first building panel unit, respectively,   wherein the attachment of the fourth sidewall to the third sidewall applies a constant tension to the third outer wall and the fourth outer wall, and   wherein the attachment of the fourth sidewall to the first sidewall applies a constant tension to the first outer wall and the fourth outer wall.   
     
     
         3 . The building panel of  claim 1 , wherein the first sidewall of the first building panel unit includes:
 a coupling portion;   a chamfered edge portion positioned between the first outer wall and the coupling portion; and   a plurality of apertures formed through the coupling portion, the plurality of apertures formed a predetermined distance apart from one another.   
     
     
         4 . The building panel of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a gasket contacting the coupling portion of the first sidewall of the first building panel unit, the gasket positioned between and the first sidewall of the first building panel unit and the second sidewall of the second building panel unit.   
     
     
         5 . The building panel of  claim 1 , wherein the first building panel unit and the second building panel unit are coupled with a mechanical coupling component selected from a group consisting of nuts, bolts, nails, screws, adhesives, epoxies, silicones, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The building panel of  claim 1 , wherein a shape of the first outer wall of the first building panel unit and a shape of the second outer wall of the second building panel unit includes a two-dimensional shape selected from a group consisting of regular polygons, irregular polygons, circles, triangles, squares, rectangles, pentagons, hexagons, heptagons, octagons, nonagons, decagons, hendecagons, dodecagons, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The building panel of  claim 1 , wherein the first building panel unit and the second building panel unit coupled together, collectively have a shape including a two-dimensional face selected from a group consisting of regular polygons, irregular polygons, circles, triangles, squares, rectangles, pentagons, hexagons, heptagons, octagons, nonagons, decagons, hendecagons, dodecagons, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The building panel of  claim 1 , wherein the first building panel unit and the second building panel unit include a material selected from a group consisting of flexible materials, recycled materials, metals, aluminum, alloys, canvas, resins, bioresins, chitin, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . A structure, comprising:
 at least one building panel, the at least one building panel including:
 a first building panel unit including a first outer wall and a first sidewall angularly offset from the first outer wall; and 
 a second building panel unit including a second outer wall and a second sidewall depending from the second outer wall, the first sidewall of the first building panel unit being attached to the second sidewall of the second building panel unit, wherein the attachment of the first sidewall to the second sidewall applies a constant tension to the first outer wall and the second outer wall. 
   
     
     
         10 . The structure of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one building panel has a shape selected from a group consisting of hemispherical polyhedrons, geodesic polyhedrons, regular polyhedrons, irregular polyhedrons, rhombicuboctahedrons, stellation, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The structure of  claim 9 , further comprising at least one door, at least one garage door, at least one window, at least one vent, at least one duct, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The structure of  claim 9 , further comprising at least one energy harvesting device coupled to the at least one building panel. 
     
     
         13 . The structure of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one energy harvesting device is selected from a group consisting of solar panels, photovoltaic films, wind turbines, tulip wind turbines, hydroelectric generators, Peltier devices, piezoelectric devices, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The structure of  claim 12 , further comprising an energy storage unit operably coupled to the at least one energy harvesting device. 
     
     
         15 . The structure of  claim 9 , further comprising at least one hook coupled to the at least one building panel. 
     
     
         16 . The structure of  claim 9 , wherein the first sidewall of the first building panel unit forming the at least one building panel further includes:
 a coupling portion;   a chamfered edge portion positioned between the first outer wall and the coupling portion; and   a plurality of apertures formed through the coupling portion, the plurality of apertures formed a predetermined distance apart from one another.   
     
     
         17 . The structure of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 at least one internal panel unit releasably coupled to one of the first building panel unit or the second building panel unit, the at least one internal panel unit including:
 an exposed surface; and 
 connection-spring sidewalls formed adjacent, the connection-spring sidewalls releasably coupled to a mechanical coupling component for coupling the first building panel unit and the second building panel unit. 
   
     
     
         18 . The structure of  claim 17 , the at least one internal panel unit further includes at least one of:
 a strengthening layer positioned between the at least one internal panel unit and one of the first building panel unit or the second building panel unit, or   an insulative layer positioned between the at least one internal panel unit and one of the first building panel unit or the second building panel unit.   
     
     
         19 . The structure of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a bonding compound disposed within a recess formed between the first building panel unit and the second building panel unit coupled to one another, the recess defined by the first sidewall angularly offset from the first outer wall of the first building panel unit and the second sidewall angularly offset from the second outer wall of the second building panel unit.   
     
     
         20 . The structure of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a support base positioned below the at least one building panel, the support base affixed to the at least one building panel.