Interlocking construction blocks
View Patent ↗The present invention is an improvement on a previous version of an interlocking building block system for use in constructing a building wall. The improvements introduced are radii corners and chamfered edges that allow for claddings to be attached to the wall by leaving space for mechanical screws to be secured between two blocks. Furthermore, the radii corners allowed for increased mechanical movement between two interlocking blocks, resulting in greater durability of the blocks. The improvement also include a corner block and an intersecting block which replace the need for using multiple blocks to create intersecting points or corners. Some blocks also contain an additional hollow cavity with channels to allow increased support members to be introduced between blocks, thus increasing the height of the walls that can be built using the block system.
1 . An interlocking construction block comprising:
a block body having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side and a second side; the first side of the block body comprising:
(a) a first head portion defining two lobe-shaped outwardly convex surfaces, two inwardly concave surfaces, and a vertically-extending groove defining a flat surface that extends between and contacts the two lobe-shaped outwardly convex surfaces;
(b) an outer face opposite to the first head portion, the outer face being parallel to the flat surface defined by the vertically-extending groove of the first head portion;
(c) two flanges, each at a respective opposed end of the first side, each flange expanding in a direction away from the outer face of the first side and towards the first head portion and defining a respective front surface that is parallel to the outer face of the first side;
the second side of the block body comprising a block interconnecting element extending at a 90 degree angle to the outer face of the first side, the block interconnecting element comprising:
(d) a second head portion defining a lobe-shaped outwardly convex surface, an inwardly concave surface, and a vertically-extending groove defining a flat surface that extends between and contacts the lobe-shaped outwardly convex surface of the second head portion and the outer face of the first side of the block body;
(e) an outer face opposite to the second head portion, the outer face of the block interconnecting element being in contact with and at a 90 degree angle to the outer face of the first side of the block body, and being parallel to the flat surface defined by the vertically-extending groove of the second head portion; and
(f) a flange at an end of the block interconnecting element, the flange expanding in a direction away from the outer face of the block interconnecting element and towards the second head portion and defining a front surface that is parallel to the outer face of the block interconnecting element.