Chassis guidance system and method for modular buildings

Abstract

Systems and methods for use in automatic alignment of prefabricated building modules. Mating alignment structures on a new module and one more placed modules or mounted pilots interact as the new module is lowered to align edges of the new module relative to the placed components. Different alignment structure types are used to provide different degrees of positional alignment for different edges of a module during installation. When two edges of a module are simultaneously constrained, a horizontal position of one edge is constrained to a greater degree than the second edge. Alignment structures also can be configured so the degree of position constraint on a particular edge varies and to change which module edges are constrained as a module is lowered into position. The system and methods are suitable for use with prefabricated modules having preinstalled interlocking façade panels.

1 . A system for use in placing a new module on a substrate of a modular building and in alignment with a first module already positioned on the substrate and a second module already position on the substrate, each respective module having a top and a bottom, first front supports and second front supports defining a front side of the respective module, first rear supports and second rear supports defining a rear side of the respective module, wherein the first front support and the first rear support define a first side of the respective module and the second front support and the second rear support define a second side of the respective module, and each respective module having substantially the same height, the system comprising:
 an upper female guide of a first female guide type on the second side of the new module positioned along the second front support at a first height above the bottom of the new module and a lower female guide of the first female guide type on the second side of the new module and positioned along the second front support at a second height above the bottom of the new module, the second height lower than the first height;   a male guide of a first male guide type on the first side of the second module adjacent the front of the second module, the male guide extending upwards from a height above the bottom of first module to substantially the top of the first module;   the first male guide type and first female guide type being compatible configured so that when the male guide on the first module is engaged with a respective upper or lower female guide a position of the male guide relative to the respective female guide is constrained along a lateral axis of the respective first female guide to first lateral range and along a normal axis of the respective female guide to a first normal range;   a rectangular male guide on a bottom corner of the rear side adjacent the first side of the new module, the male guide extending vertically upwards from a from a start a third height above the bottom of the new module to an end a fourth height above the bottom of the new module;   a rectangular female guide on the rear of the first module adjacent the second side and extending vertically upwards along a respective guide axis from a fifth height above the bottom of the first module;   the rectangular male guide being compatible with the rectangular female guide such that when the rectangular male guide is engaged with the rectangular female guide motion of the rectangular male guide relative to the rectangular female guide is constrained along a lateral axis of the rectangular female guide to a second lateral range,   wherein when the new module is positioned so the bottom of the new module is above the top of the first module and the top of the second module, the second side of the new module is horizontally adjacent the first side of the first module, and the rear side of the new module is horizontally adjacent the rear side of the second module:
 (a) the new module can be lowered to a first position in which the lower female guide on the new module is engaged by the male guide on the first module and the rectangular male guide on the new module is engaged with the rectangular female guide on the second module, interaction between the lower female guide on the new module and the male guide on the first module aligning a position of the second front support of the new module relative to the first front support of the first module, interaction between the rectangular male guide and rectangular female guide aligning a position of the first rear support of the new module with the second rear support of the second module; and 
 (b) the new module can be lowered from the first position to a second position in which the upper female guide on the new module is engaged by the male guide on the first module and the rectangular male guide on the new module is engaged with the rectangular female guide on the second module, interaction between the upper female guide on the new module and the male guide on the first module aligning the position of the second front support of the new module relative to the first front support of the first module, interaction between the rectangular male guide and rectangular female guide aligning the position of the first rear support of the new module with the second rear support of the second module. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first lateral range and the second lateral range are substantially the same. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising;
 a first pilot having a respective base and a respective side with a male guide of the first male guide type therein extending upwards from the respective base, the first pilot configured to be mountable on the top of the first module with the first pilot male guide in alignment with the male guide on the first module; and   a second pilot having a respective base and a respective side with a rectangular female guide therein extending upwards from the respective base, the second pilot configured to be mountable on the top of the second module with the second pilot rectangular female guide in alignment with the rectangular female guide on the second module.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an alignment pin mountable to the substrate and configured to engage an alignment aperture in the bottom of the new module when the new module is lowered from the second position to a placement position on the substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , the upper female guide and lower female guide is comprised of a respective upper female guide portion at a top of an elongated female guide and a respective lower female guide portion at a bottom of the elongated female guide.