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Method and apparatus for sheltered, in-place home building

Method and apparatus for sheltered, in-place home building description/claims

This application is related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/431,196 entitled “Building Transport Device” and filed on May 9, 2006; 11/620,103 entitled “Device and Method for Transporting a Load” and filed on Jan. 5, 2007; 11/559,229 entitled “Transport Device Capable of Adjustment to Maintain Load Planarity” and filed on Nov. 13, 2006; 11/620,560 entitled “Method and Apparatus for Mobile Stem Wall” and filed on Jan. 5, 2007; 11/681,052 entitled “Method and Apparatus for Stationary Home Building Within a Factory” and filed on Mar. 1, 2007; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/887,696, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Integrated Inventory and Planning” and filed on Feb. 1, 2007 the entire contents of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Typically, large buildings (e.g., single-family homes, townhouses, apartment complexes, commercial structures, multi-story buildings, buildings legally or physically too large to be transported substantially intact via public roads, etc.) are built upon their permanent locations. A foundation is prepared, and raw materials and perhaps small components (e.g., pre-formed roof or floor trusses, door frames, window frames, etc.) are brought to the site and assembled piece by piece onto the foundation to form the building. However, temperature, wind, precipitation, insect infestations and other weather or environmental issues can cause delays in production or damage to partly completed buildings.

In one embodiment, a building manufacturing system is provided. The system includes a temporary assembly facility configured to substantially cover one or more permanent building locations. The temporary assembly facility is further configured to enable one or more buildings to be assembled up the one or more permanent building locations. In one embodiment, the temporary assembly facility includes a raw materials, component and/or sub-component storage area.

In another embodiment, the temporary assembly facility includes a manufacturing facility. In one embodiment, the manufacturing facility includes one or more component assembly areas.

In another embodiment, the temporary assembly facility includes a transportation system. In one embodiment, the transportation system includes an overhead rail system.

In another embodiment, the temporary assembly facility includes a roof configured to divert precipitation. In one embodiment, the roof is flexible. In another embodiment, the roof includes a canvass portion. In one embodiment, the roof includes a plastic portion. In another embodiment, the roof is substantially inflexible.

In one embodiment, the temporary assembly facility includes a frame. In one embodiment, the frame is collapsible. In another embodiment, the frame includes a plurality of elongated members and a plurality of connectors. In one embodiment, the frame includes one or more members, wherein the members are configured to be removably at least partly embedded in the ground. In another embodiment, the frame is attached to one or more anchors that are at least partly embedded in the ground.

In one embodiment, the temporary assembly facility is reconfigurable. In one embodiment, the temporary assembly facility is reconfigurable to cover an additional permanent building location. In another embodiment, the temporary assembly facility is reconfigurable to not cover one of the one or more permanent locations.

In one embodiment, a method of building a building is provided. The method includes covering a permanent building location with a portion of a temporary assembly facility, assembling the building upon the permanent building location and removing the portion from the permanent building location.

Additional features and advantages are described herein, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description and the figures.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a building manufacturing system having a temporary assembly facility erected over one permanent home site in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a building manufacturing system having a temporary assembly facility erected over four permanent home sites in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a building manufacturing system having a temporary assembly facility erected over four permanent home sites and a component manufacturing facility in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a building manufacturing system having a temporary assembly facility erected over four permanent home sites, a manufacturing facility and a transportation route in accordance with one embodiment.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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