Building subsystem and packaging arrangement

Claim 2

A residential building subsystem for installation in a building structure having a floor to support said unit, comprising: a unitary assembly including a planar side wall structure having residential appurtenances mounted on one face thereof in cantilever fashion, at least one planar end wall permanently secured to the end of said side wall, said end wall having a length in excess of the depth of said appurtenances so that the unsecured vertical edge of said end wall lies in a plane parallel to said side wall and spaced from said side wall sufficiently that the exposed front faces of said appurtenances are spaced toward said side wall from said plane; facing wall means generally coextensive in area with the area of said planar side wall; and means for securing said facing wall means to said unitary assembly to form a shipping package closed on the four vertically extending sides and devoid of a floor, said securing means being of a character permitting relatively ready lateral separation of said unitary assembly from said facing wall means so that said unitary assembly and said facing wall means may be moved apart from each other to their proper locations in said building structure.

Claim 3

A subsystem according to claim 1 including: a planar end wall permanently secured to both of the opposite ends of said planar side wall.

Claim 4

A subsystem according to claim 2 wherein: said facing wall means comprises a unitary assembly including a planar side wall and opposite end walls, said walls forming a mirror image in plan view of the walls of the opposite unitary assembly.

Claim 5

A subsystem according to claim 1 wherein: said appurtenances include those of the character requiring water for operation mounted on said planar side wall; said subsystem including supply and drain plumbing extending from said water using appurtenances to a localized area of said planar side wall, said planar side wall having a cut-out therein to permit connections to a main supply and drain plumbing network in said building.

Claim 6

A subsystem according to claim 1 wherein: said appurtenances include appliances of the character requiring electricity for operation, and said subsystem includes electrical wiring extending from said appliances to an electrical load center carried by said planar wall.

Claim 7

A subsystem according to claim 5 wherein: said subsystem includes means for forming a ceiling after said unitary assembly has been separated from said facing wall means, said ceiling means including lighting fixtures carried thereby, and electrical wiring extending from said lighting fixtures to said electrical load center with sufficient length therein to accommodate proper placement of said ceiling means and fixtures after separation of said unitary assembly and facing wall means.

Claim 8

A residential building subsystem and shipping package for on-site installation in a building structure having a floor to support said subsystem, comprising: a pair of unitary assemblies, each including a planar side wall and opposite end walls arranged to form a shallow U-shape as viewed in plan; residential appurtenances mounted on each of said planar side walls in cantilever fashion; said assemblies being arranged to form a rectangular shipping package substantially closed on all four ides by placing said assemblies in mirror image relation with respect to the form of said walls, and with the vertical edges of the end walls of one assembly abutting the vertical edges of the end walls of the other assembly; the depth of the appurtenances facing each other in the two assemblies being less than the distance between the inner faces of the two opposing planar side walls when said assemblies are in the form of said shipping package; and means for securing said assemblies together for shipping purposes And to prevent lateral and vertical separation of said assemblies during shipping.

Claim 9

A residential building subsystem and shipping package for on-site installation in a building structure having a floor to support said subsystem, comprising: a pair of unitary assemblies, each including a planar side wall and opposite end walls arranged to form a shallow U-shape as viewed in plan; residential appurtenances mounted on each of said planar side walls in cantilever fashion; said assemblies being arranged to form a rectangular shipping package substantially closed on all four ides by placing said assemblies in mirror image relation with respect to the form of said walls, and with the vertical edges of the end walls of one assembly abutting the vertical edges of the end walls of the other assembly; the depth of the appurtenances facing each other in the two assemblies being less than the distance between the inner faces of the two opposing planar side walls when said assemblies are in the form of said shipping package; and means for securing said assemblies together for shipping purposes And to prevent lateral and vertical separation of said assemblies during shipping.

Claim 10

A subsystem according to claim 7 wherein: each of said unitary assemblies includes a fixed ceiling portion extending for the length of the planar side walls, and extending away from said planar side walls for a distance less than the length of said end walls; and central ceiling means having a dimension in one direction corresponding generally to the length of said planar side walls, and a dimension in the other direction less than the distance between said opposite planar side walls when said assemblies are in the form of a shipping package, said central ceiling means overlying and being supported by said fixed ceiling means when said assemblies are in the form of said shipping package.

Claim 11

A residential building subsystem and shipping package arrangement thereof for installation in a building system at the site of the building, the building system being of the character providing all of the vertical support for said subsystem, comprising: at least one unitary assembly including residential appurtenances and vertical support means, of non-load bearing character from a building system standpoint, for supporting said appurtenances in substantially their final location relationship in accordance with the predetermined building design; facing wall means disposed in facing relation to the appurtenances presented by said unitary assembly; end means at each of the opposite ends of said unitary assembly and said facing wall means for obtaining a spacing therebetween sufficient that the front faces of said appurtenances are spaced from facing structure to avoid interference therebetween; said unitary assembly, facing wall means and end means being assembled together to form a compact shipping package having a peripheral boundary encompassing an area less in extent than the area bounded by lines encompassing said parts as installed in said building system after the parts of the package are separated and finally located in said building system in accordance with said predetermined building design: means at at least two of the interfaces between said parts in the form of said shipping package to prevent relative vertical movement and lateral separation in one sideways direction, while permitting relatively ready lateral separation in the other sideways direction; and securing means extending around said parts in said shipping package form to hold said parts in said form for purposes of movement to and into said building system, said securing means being relatively readily releasable to permit the separation of said parts in said building system and their subsequent movement to their final respective locations in accordance with said predetermined building design.

Claim 12

A residential building subsystem and shipping package arrangement thereof for installation in a building system at the site of the building, the building system being of the character providing all of the vertical support for said subsystem, comprising: at least one unitary assembly including residential appurtenances and vertical support means, of non-load bearing character from a building system standpoint, for supporting said appurtenances in substantially their final location relationship in accordance with the predetermined building design; facing wall means disposed in facing relation to the appurtenances presented by said unitary assembly; end means at each of the opposite ends of said unitary assembly and said facing wall means for obtaining a spacing therebetween sufficient that the front faces of said appurtenances are spaced from facing structure to avoid interference therebetween; said unitary assembly, facing wall means and end means being assembled together to form a compact shipping package having a peripheral boundary encompassing an area less in extent than the area bounded by lines encompassing said parts as installed in said building system after the parts of the package are separated and finally located in said building system in accordance with said predetermined building design: means at at least two of the interfaces between said parts in the form of said shipping package to prevent relative vertical movement and lateral separation in one sideways direction, while permitting relatively ready lateral separation in the other sideways direction; and securing means extending around said parts in said shipping package form to hold said parts in said form for purposes of movement to and into said building system, said securing means being relatively readily releasable to permit the separation of said parts in said building system and their subsequent movement to their final respective locations in accordance with said predetermined building design.

Claim 13

A subsystem and packaging arrangement according to claim 9 wherein: said facing wall means comprises a second unitary assembly including appurtenances; both said one and said second unitary assemblies include appurtenances of an electrically powered character; said one unitary assembly includes an electrical load center adapted to be connected to an electrical distribution system of said building system; and electrical wiring is provided to extend from said electrical load center to said electrically powered appurtenances of said second unitary assembly with sufficient length to accommodate the separation of said parts while maintaining the integrity of said wiring.