System of Modular Structural Panels Comprising Agricultural Waste Materials and Method Therefor

This application is a 371 of International Application No. PCT/US2023/050656 filed on May 12, 2023, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/341,109, filed on May 12, 2022, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes.

The embodiments described herein are directed to building elements made from recycled agricultural waste products. More particularly, the embodiments provide systems of modular structural panels, and methods of assembling and manufacturing the same.

The following is not an admission that anything discussed below is part of the prior art or part of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art.

Agricultural waste materials are readily available, accessible, natural, renewable, sustainable, and possess favourable physical properties. For example, corn is the most widely planted crop in the world. Corn husks are the inedible leafy shell of corn that are generally stripped from the corn cob and discarded. Approximately 45 million tons of corn husks are discarded each year. The corn husk is composed of many individual fibers. These fibers show a high strength, high elongation, moderate durability, and good pliability.

Currently, manufacture of pallets for structural or transportation purposes may include the use of wood, paper, cardboard, plant fiber, straw, wastepaper, resin, mineral components, and cellulose fibers. Further manufacturing processes may create a building material that can be formed to any desired shape or size, such as boards, panels, posts, beams, siding, sheathing, trusses, blocks, and shingles.

However, absent from the industry is a panel system manufactured of a sturdy, environmentally conscious material with the ability to easily assemble together to form durable structures and transportation methods with an increased load capacity.

The drawings included herewith are for illustrating various examples of articles, systems, and methods of the teachings of the preset specification and are not intended to limit the scope of what is taught in any way. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale. The dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the drawings to indicate corresponding or analogous elements or steps, or omitted for repeating instances of like features.

Various apparatuses will be described below to provide an example of one or more embodiments. No embodiment described below limits any claims and any claims may cover apparatuses that differ from those described below. The claims are not limited to apparatuses, methods or systems having all of the features of any one apparatus, method, or system described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses, methods and systems described below.

It is possible that an apparatus, system or method described herein is not an embodiment of any claim. Any embodiment disclosed herein that is not claimed in this document may be the subject matter of another protective instrument, for example, a continuing patent application, and the applicants, inventors or owners do not intend to abandon, disclaim or dedicate to the public any such embodiment merely by its disclosure in this document.

The terms “including”, “comprising”, and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to”, unless expressly specified otherwise. A listing of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms “a”, “an”, and “the” mean “one or more”, unless expressly specified otherwise.

As used herein and in the claims, two or more parts are said to be “coupled”, “connected”, “attached”, “mounted” or “fastened” where the parts are joined or operate together either directly or indirectly (i.e., through one or more intermediate parts), so long as a link occurs. As used herein and in the claims, two or more parts are said to be “directly coupled”, “directly connected”, “directly attached”, or “directly fastened” where the parts are connected in physical contact with each other. As used herein, two or more parts are said to be “rigidly coupled”, “rigidly connected”, “rigidly attached”, or “rigidly fastened” where the parts are coupled so as to move as one while maintaining a constant orientation relative to each other. None of the terms “coupled”, “connected”, “attached”, “mounted”, and “fastened” distinguish the manner in which two or more parts are joined together.

Some elements herein may be identified by a part number, which is composed of a base number followed by an alphabetical or subscript-numerical suffix (e.g.,, or). Multiple elements herein may be identified by part numbers that share a base number in common and that differ by their suffixes (e.g.,,, and). Elements with a common base number may in some cases be referred to collectively or generically using the base number without a suffix (e.g.,).

It should be noted that terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about”, and “approximately” as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed. These terms of degree may also be construed as including a deviation of the modified term, such as by 1%, 2%, 5% or 10%, for example, if this deviation does not negate the meaning of the term it modifies.

It should also be noted that, as used herein, the wording “and/or” is intended to represent an inclusive-or. That is, “X and/or Y” is intended to mean X or Y or both X and Y, for example. As a further example, “X, Y, and/or Z” is intended to mean X or Y or Z or any combination thereof of X, Y, and Z.

Furthermore, the recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints herein includes all numbers and fractions subsumed within that range (e.g.,toincludes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.90, 4, and 5). It is also to be understood that all numbers and fractions thereof are presumed to be modified by the term “about” which means a variation of up to a certain amount of the number to which reference is being made if the end result is not significantly changed, such as 1%, 2%, 5%, or 10%, for example.

In some examples, similar references may be used in different figures to denote similar components. In some examples, like features may only be labeled in one instance for simplicity and clarity of the drawings.

Wooden pallets are a ubiquitous element associated with the shipping industry. They facilitate the stacking and movement of bulk goods from manufacturer to consumer, and everywhere in between. However, upon reaching their final destination, wooden pallets are often discarded or burned. Although there are some efforts to repurpose waste wooden pallets, there are numerous limitations. For example, older wooden pallets are treated with chemicals that are hazardous to humans through contact or inhalation. Although newer pallets are generally not treated, they may nonetheless become contaminated through absorption from spills of harmful chemicals during transportation. The wood is similarly a risk of mold or pest infestation. Another limitation includes size variability of the wooden pallets, which are unstable to stack and difficult to dismantle or connect without additional tools and materials. Each of the described limitations make wooden pallets unsuitable or sub-optimal for repurposing such as for the construction of building elements.

Accordingly, an alternative to traditional wooden pallets is desired. The various embodiments described herein generally relate to systems of modular structural panels, and methods of assembling and manufacturing the same. The modular structural panels and systems thereof can make use of agricultural waste products and seek to overcome the issues with traditional wooden pallets. Specifically, the modular structural panels and systems thereof may provide chemically and biologically resistant, repeatably manufacturable, and stackable pallets, with a load-bearing capacity similar to that of wooden pallets, and modularity conducive to simplified construction of building elements.

Reference is now made to, which illustrates an example modular structural panel, in accordance with an example embodiment. The modular structural panelincludes a planar surfacedefining a first plane. The planar surfaceincludes one or more tapered recesses,,located proximate an interior, edge, and/or corner of the planar surface. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, repeating instances of each tapered recess type have not been labelled.

Referring still to, also shown are connectors,, which connect adjacent modular structural panels. The connectors,are shaped and sized to be received in adjacent, aligned tapered recesses of adjacent modular structural panels. For example, connectorcan connect two modular structural panels. The two modular structural panelscan be aligned such that tapered recessesof each modular structural panelare side-by-side. Connectorcan then be placed to couple each tapered recessof each modular structural panel. In another example, connectorcan connect two, three, or four modular structural panelsat aligned tapered recesses. In such example, multiple modular structural panelscan be aligned such that tapered recessof each modular structural panelare side-by-side. Connectorcan then be coupled to each modular structural panelthrough tapered recess. Other shapes of connectorare possible. For example, connectormay be substantially “L”-shaped for connecting three modular structural panels at aligned tapered recesses. Connectormay, for example, be substantially shaped as to be at a right angle. In another example, connectorcan connect two modular structural panels at aligned tapered recesses. When inserted into tapered recesses,, connectors,may be substantially coplanar with the planar surfacesuch that the surface of the modular structural panelis substantially flat. Shapes of tapered recesses,and corresponding connectors,other than those depicted may be possible, such as substantially triangular or circular, for example. Connectors are further described in relation to-

Referring still to, shown therein are cover plates,,shaped and sized to be received in and cover each tapered recesses-, respectively. For example, where a recess located proximate an edge or a corner of the planar surfaceis not to be used to connect modular structural panelto another modular structural panel, these may be enclosed by inserting cover platesand, respectively. Recesses located proximate the interior of the planar surfacemay similarly be enclosed by cover plates. In the embodiment shown, cover platesandare substantially similar to connectorsand, respectively. For simplicity, these have been dually labelled inaccordingly. When inserted into tapered recesses-, cover plates-may be substantially coplanar with the planar surfacesuch that the surface of the modular structural panelis substantially flat. As disclosed herein, shapes of tapered recesses-and corresponding cover plates-other than those depicted may be possible. Cover plates-are further shown and described in relation to-

For example, referring briefly to, shown therein are top views of example embodiments of modular structural panelsand, respectively. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, repeating instances of each tapered recess type have not been labelled. Within the planar surfaceof modular structural panelare tapered recesses,,of which those located proximate the interior are substantially square, and those located proximate an edge or corner are substantially triangular. Within the planar surfaceof modular structural panelare tapered recesses,,. In this embodiment, the orientation of the tapered recesses-are substantially similar to those depicted in. However, recesses located proximate the interior and edge are divided into four and two sub-recesses, respectively. Accordingly, in this embodiment all connectors and cover plates may be the same shape and size. Alternative shapes and sizes may be used, for example, to improve the holding strength of the connections and/or produce a particular pattern on the planar surface of the modular structural panel.

In some embodiments, the two structural panelsmay be connected using an alternative system to the connectors,. For example, the structural panelsmay be connected by fasteners, nails, bolts, or any other connecting mechanism. In an example embodiment, structural panelsmay each have a recess located along a side of the structural panels, and a tab located along the opposing side of the structural panels. In said embodiments, the tab of a first structural panelmay be received by the recess of the second structural panelto connect the structural panelstogether. Tabs and/or recesses may be included in the structural panelsto facilitate connection of the structural panelsin any way as desired, such as along adjacent walls or along a single wall.

Referring now to, shown therein is a top view of the modular structural panelof. As shown, planar surfaceincludes tapered recesses-. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, repeating instances of each tapered recess type have not been labelled. The interior of tapered recesses will be discussed in greater detail in subsequent sections. Section A ofis discussed in relation to

Reference will now be made to, which shows a bottom view of the modular structural panelof. Shown therein are a plurality of support members,,which can extend opposite the planar surfacefor supporting the modular structural panel. Each support member-extends to a second plane substantially parallel to the planar surfacesuch that the support members are each substantially the same length. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, repeating instances of each support member type have not been labelled. Section B ofis discussed in relation to

As shown in, each tapered recess-can respectively correspond to a support member-. For example, each tapered recesslocated proximate the interior of the planar surfacemay extend through the planar surfaceand into a corresponding support memberto form a cavity therein. Similarly, each tapered recesslocated proximate an edge of the planar surfacemay extend through the planar surfaceand into a corresponding support memberto form a cavity therein. Each tapered recesslocated proximate a corner of the planar surfacemay extend through the planar surfaceand into a corresponding support memberto form a cavity therein. In another embodiment, for example, a plurality of hollow support members may be removably coupled to the planar surface beneath each tapered recess.

Each modular structural panel can further include at least one first set of stringers,,,extending opposite the planar surfacebetween at least two adjacent support members for structural reinforcement of the planar surface. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, repeating instances of each feature have not been labelled. Each stringer in the first set of stringers-may carry a portion of the load received by the planar surfaceeither in a direction perpendicular to the planar surface, such as compressive or tensile loads, or along the first plane of the planar surface, such as shear load. Each stringer in the first set of stringers-may extend opposite the planar surfaceto a position between the first plane and the second plane, such that the forks of a forklift may pass beneath them for the purpose of lifting the modular structural panel, for example.

Referring still to, each modular structural panel can further include a second set of stringers,extending opposite the planar surfacebeing substantially perpendicular to the first set of stringers. In at least one embodiment, the second set of stringers,and first set of stringers-can intersect. In at least one embodiment, the planar surface, support members-, each stringer in the first set of stringers-, and the second set of stringers,, can be integrally formed. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, repeating instances of each feature have not been labelled.

In the embodiment shown, the first set of stringers includes one or two outer stringers,, and one or two inner stringers,,, depending on whether they run proximate an edge or the interior of the planar surface. Each stringer in the first set of stringers-may carry a portion of the load received by the planar surfaceeither in a direction perpendicular to the planar surface, such as compressive or tensile loads, or along the first plane of the planar surface, such as shear load. Each stringer in the first set of stringers-may extend opposite the planar surfaceto a position between the first plane and the second plane, such that the forks of a forklift may pass beneath them for the purpose of lifting the modular structural panel, for example.

In the embodiment shown in, stringersandof the first set of stringers define a channelpassing through each support member,. Stringersandcan intersect support memberand protrude into tapered recess. Where one of the stringersandis absent, such as along an edge of the modular structural panel, the channel may be formed by connecting to an adjacent modular structural panel. Each channelmay be shaped and sized to receive one of a plurality of structural framing members. For example, the channel may be shaped and sized to receive a 2×4, such as is used in framing a wall. In another example, the channel may be shaped and sized to receive a 2×8, such as is used as a floor joist. Other channel dimensions are possible.

In the shown embodiment, stringerof the second set of stringers may intersect with a support memberand stringersandwithin a tapered recess. Stringerof the second set of stringers may not intersect with any of the support members-. In at least one embodiment, stringerdoes not cross through channel, providing a clear path for channelto receive structural framing members. In another embodiment, stringermay cross through support memberand channel. Stringer, where intersecting support member-and stringersand, can define at least one slot within the tapered recess-. In another example embodiment, stringermay be located as to extend between the exterior edges of support members-

Other extension distances are possible. For example, each stringer in the first set of stringers-may extend to the second plane such that the forks of a forklift may only be receivable beneath each stringer of the second set of stringers,. In another example, each stringer in the second set of stringers,may extend to the second plane such that the forks of a forklift may only be receivable beneath in the second set of stringers-. In yet another example, all stringers may extend to the second plane, and each stringer of the first set of stringers-and/or the stringers in the second set of stringers,may have a recessed portion defining a slot through which the forks of a forklift may be received.

Referring now to, shown therein are zoomed in views of Section A and Section B of, respectively. Referring to, shown is a top view of an interior tapered recess, an edge tapered recessand a corner tapered recessof an example embodiment of a modular structural panel. Referring to, shown is a bottom perspective view of connector/cover plate, connector/cover plate, and cover plate. To clarify the relationship between connectors,and/or cover plates-with tapered recesses-, reference towill be made simultaneously. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, repeating instances of each feature have not been labelled, and reference will be made to a single instance intended to be representative of each repeating instance of each feature.

Tapered recesses-may comprise a cavity,,. Each tapered recess-may extend through the planar surfaceand into a corresponding support memberto form a cavity-therein. In at least one embodiment, each cavity-can have at least one slot,,. A slot-may be formed between an inner edge of a cavity-and stringer, as shown.

Each connector,can have at least one projection,shaped and sized to engage in the tapered recesses-. The projections,may extend from a surface opposite that of the planar surface. The projections,may be rectangular, square, circular, oval, triangular, or any other applicable shape. Each slot-may be shaped and sized to receive at least one projection,of each connector in an interference fit to secure two or more modular structural panels together. For example, projectionof connectormay slidably engage slotof cavity, or slotof cavity. Like projections may be received in like slots. This may be done to secure two adjacent modular structural panels together along their edge, or to secure two, three, or four modular structural panels together at their corners, respectively. Securing multiple structural panels together is further disclosed in relation to. Similarly, projectionof connectormay slidably engage slotof cavityto secure two adjacent modular structural panels together at their corners. In at least one embodiment, each connector,may have at least a first projection,and a second projection,

Each cover plate,,can similarly have at least one projection,,shaped and sized to engage each tapered recess-so as to secure the cover plate in place. The projections-may be rectangular, square, circular, oval, triangular, or any other applicable shape. In at least one embodiment, the at least one slot-of each cavity-can be further shaped and sized to receive one projection-of each cover plate in an interference fit to secure the cover plate in place. For example, projectionof cover platemay slidably engage slotof cavityto enclose tapered recess. Similarly, projectionof cover platemay slidably engage slotof cavityto enclose tapered recess. Projectionof cover platemay slidably engage slotof cavityto enclose tapered recess. Like projections may be received in like slots.

Referring still tosimultaneously, in another embodiment, each connector,can have at least two projectionsand,andlocated proximate each other. The at least two projections can be shaped and sized to engage each adjoining tapered recess-so as to secure two or more modular structural panels together. The projections,,,may be rectangular, square, circular, oval, triangular, or any other applicable shape. In the shown embodiment of, the two projections,and, for example, may be placed within the cavityof the tapered recess. The first projectionmay slidably engage slotof cavity, while the second projectionmay be located on the inner surface of stringer, so each projection,straddles stringer, thereby holding the connectorin place over tapered recess

In another embodiment, each cavity-can have at least one rail extending across the cavity, each rail shaped and sized to be received between two projections,of each connector,in an interference fit to secure two or more modular structural panels together. In said embodiment, stringercan extend between support members-and not intersect tapered recesses-so as to allow for at least one rail to extend across cavity-

Each cover plate-can similarly have at least two projections-,,,shaped and sized to engage each tapered recess-so as to secure the cover plate in place. The projections,,,may be rectangular, square, circular, oval, triangular, or any other applicable shape. In the shown embodiment of, the two projections,and, for example, may be placed within the cavityof the tapered recess. The first projectionmay slidably engage slotof cavity, while the second projectionmay be located on the inner surface of stringer, so each projection,straddles stringer, thereby holding the connectorin place over tapered recess

In another embodiment, each cavity-can have at least one rail extending across the cavity, each rail shaped and sized to be received between two projections,of each cover plate,in an interference fit to secure two or more modular structural panels together. In said embodiment, stringercan extend between support members-and not intersect tapered recesses-so as to allow for at least one rail to extend across cavity-

Referring now to, shown therein is an example embodiment of the modular structural panelof, with various tapered recesses enclosed. For example, tapered recesses located proximate the interior of the planar surfacehave been enclosed by cover plates. Tapered recesseslocated proximate an edge of the planar surfacemay be enclosed by cover platesor connectors, and tapered recesseslocated proximate a corner of the planar surfacemay be enclosed by connectorsor. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, repeating instances of each feature have not been labelled.

Each modular structural panel can be used as one or more of a pallet, a floor member, or a wall member. For example,shows an example embodiment wherein multiple modular structural panels are being transported via a forklift as pallets, which have then been connected and installed both as a floor, system of modular structural panels, and as a wall, system of modular structural panels.

Reference will now be made to, which shows a flowchart of an example methodfor assembling a system of modular structural panels. To assist with the description of the method, reference will be made simultaneously to. In, each modular structural panel is substantially similar to modular structural panelas described in, with like features labeled in increments of 100. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, repeating instances of each feature have not been labelled.

At Step, shown in, a first modular structural panelis positioned adjacent to a second modular structural panel.

At Step, shown in, a first edgeof the first modular structural panelis positioned to abut against a first edgeof the second modular structural panel.

At Step, shown in, each support member corresponding to tapered recessesandproximate the first edgeof the first modular structural panelis substantially aligned with each support member corresponding to tapered recessesandproximate the first edgeof the second modular structural panel.

At Step, shown in, the first modular structural panelis detachably connected to the second modular structural panelalong the abutting edge,by inserting at least one connector-in each of the plurality of adjoining tapered recess-,-. In the embodiment shown in, connectorcan be inserted in adjoining tapered recessesand. Adjoining tapered recessesandmay similarly be connected by connectoror, depending on whether they are to be connected to an additional modular structural panel. For example, in one embodiment where only a first modular structural paneland a second modular structural panelare coupled, connectormay be placed within adjoining tapered recessesand. In another embodiment, for example, where more than two modular structural panels may be coupled, connectormay be placed within adjoining tapered recessesand. In said embodiment, connectormay be used to couple two further modular structural panels.

At optional Step, shown in, the tapered recesses,,,,,that are independent of any adjacent tapered recess can be covered by inserting at least one cover plate,. Tapered recesses,,,that are to adjoin an adjacent tapered recess can be covered by at least one connector,,. Tshows modular structural panelsandconnected along their respective first edge,, with all tapered recesses closed. Planar surfaceand planar surface, as well as each cover plate and connector, can be substantially coplanar with the first plane such that the planar surfaces,are substantially flat. In another embodiment, an additional modular structural panel may be connected to any of a second edgeor a fourth edgeof modular structural panel, or a second edge, a third edge, or a fourth edgeof modular structural panel. A third edgeof modular structural panelis shown to be enclosed by cover plates and therefore is unavailable to connect to an additional modular structural panel. This may be done for various reasons, such as along a finished edge, for example. Other connector and cover plate configurations are possible, depending on the number and location of additional modular structural panels to be connected. For example, this may depend on the intended use of the system of modular structural panels. In the embodiments shown, the modular structural panels are substantially square. In some embodiments, for example, other panel shapes may be possible such as triangular or hexagonal.

At optional Step, shown in, Stepstocan be repeated for each additional modular structural panel to be added to the system of modular structural panels. Shown therein is a system of modular structural panels after repeating Stepstoas depicted in, the system now including three modular structural panels,,. Planar surfaces,,, as well as each cover plate and connector, can be substantially coplanar with the first plane such that the planar surfaces,,are substantially flat.

Reference is now made to, which shows another example methodfor assembling a system of modular structural panels. Methodsteps corresponding to methodsteps have been similarly numbered. Steps,, andof methodare substantially similar to steps,, andin method. To assist with the description of the method, reference will be made simultaneously toand again toto