AU622157B2 - Design apparatus and a method of designing graphic layouts - Google Patents

Description

7 4k 6221 57 1 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1952 4 JTIN WIN'rEEZ 1'4

S

*C COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED:- "DESIGN APPARATUS AND A METHOD OF DESIGNING GRAPHIC LAYOUTS" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- '0014 '9/4

I'

4: 2 This invention relates to design apparatus suitable for use in the design of graphic layouts such as floor plans and the like of buildings and to a method of designing or producing such graphic layouts with the aid of said apparatus.

This invention has particular but not exclusive application to the design of floor plans of houses, and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to such S. applications. However, it is to be understood that this 10 invention could be used in other applications such as the :design of floor plans of buildings intended for commercial or industrial use. Further, the invention is not limited to the design of floor plans of proposed building structures but may o also be used for example when redesigning or partitioning 15 existing office space.

Hitherto persons who intended to build or have built a house often approached an architect with a list of 'esired features for inclusion in the design of the house such as for example, three bedrooms, double garage, lounge room, dinning room and a separate bathroom and shower.

With the above as a guide the architect then produced a number of sketches enabling all concerned to determine the position and relative size of the various rooms of the house.

The process of sketching a number of floor plans was both time consuming and expensive. The process further failed to eliminate the need for the architect to produce drawings from 1 1 1 'I 1 1 ~J ,I 3 which a builder in turn may work from and from which an estimate as to the construction costs could be ascertained.

The present invention aims to alleviate the above disadvantages and to provide a design apparatus and a method of designing graphic layouts, in particular, floor plans of buildings, which will be both reliable and efficient in use.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter become apparent.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this inventic in one aspect resides broadly in design apparatus for preparing a desired graphic layout, said design apparatus including:a plurality of transparent sheets each having printed thereon a portion of one of a plurality of alternative layouts which comprise selected combinations of said layout portions; a mounting assembly for mounting said plurality of transparent sheets; identification means for identifying said desired graphic layout; and collating means for collating said transparent sheets; wherein each said sheet includes at least one aperture or recess formed therein and at least one projection formed therein and receivable in and engageable by the aperture or recess of another sheet, whereby said transparent sheets are collated in superimposed and staggered relationship whereby said layout portions thereon combine to form a desired graphic layout that is photographically reproducible to include a copy of said identification means.

Preferably the layouts represented on respective sheets are all drawn in accordance with the one scale thereby allowing various layouts to be combined together without the need for additional alterations.

Each transparent sheet may have printed thereon the plan of a room, rooms or portions thereof, each said layout including exterior and/or interior walls, windows and indications as to the possible positioning of wardrobes, 77~ 4 toilets, basins and the like.

The aforementioned attachment means may include adhesive tape used to join overlapping sheets together. Preferably the tape is transparent or is a colour which when the combined layout is reproduced on copying apparatus, will not mark or in any way appear on the copy produced. The use of adhesive tape also permits the various sheets to be used again in future layouts.

.In an alternative embodiment the attachment means may 10 include a plurality of upstanding projections positioned preferably around the periphery of each transparent sheet.

fe When the transparent sheet is correctly positioned relative to a neighboring transparent sheet, said upstanding 0*OS projections may be received within and preferably engage with 0*O* 15 corresponding apertures or recesses positioned preferably around the periphery of the neighboring sheet.

B

In yet another embodiment, each transparent sheet may include a plurality of apertures or upstanding projections o oo

B

-which in turn may engage with or be received in corresponding upstanding projections or apertures associated with a mounting member.

Preferably the mounting member is a transparent or laminated sheet of paper, glass or plastics material. The mounting member may also have printed thereon such additional information as the architect's name, the client's name and *relevant building specifications. The mounting member may 1 I include attachment means for securing a completed layout thereto such as a series of clips integral with or attached to the member and which may be 7pring biased.

The attachment means securing various sheets together enables the user to transport or transfer the combined sheets to copying apparatus for reproduction of the graphic layout.

Alternatively, the mounting member together with the various sheets attached thereto may then be reproduced on copying apparatus thereby providing both the client and the architect with a permanent record of the approved layout.

In yet another embodiment various transparent sheets may be progressively affixed to a mounting member using adhesive tape or glue. It is however desirable that the mounting member and the transparent sheets be reusable.

Adhesive tape lhich when copied by a copying apparatus will not be reprodiced on the copy may be used to blank out portions of the graphic layout not required as well as to join together overlapping sheets.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a. method of preparing a desired graphic layout, said method including:providing a plurality of transparent sheets each having printed thereon a portion of one of a plurality of alternative layouts which comprise selected combinations of said layout portions each said sheet including at least one aperture or recess formed therein and at least one projection formed therein and receivable in and engageable by the aperture or recess of another sheet; collating said transparent sheets in superimposed and staggered relationship in a mounting assembly; providing identification means for identifying said desired graphic layout; and photographically reproducing said collated sheets to form a desired graphic layout to include a copy of said identification means.

In order that this invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred AA embodiment of the invention, wherein:- 6 FIG 1 illustrates a transparent sheet according to the present invention; FIG 2 illustrates a transparent sheet similar to that illustrated in Figure 1; FIG 3 illustrates numerous transparent sheets mounted on a mounting member in accordance with the present invention; and FIG 4 illustrates a number of roof profiles.

FIG 3 illustrates various apparatus used in the production of a typical floor plan 20 of a house including a mounting member 21 on which is mounted a number of transparent sheets 22, each having printed thereon a portion of the overall layout such as a room, a number of rooms or portions thereof 26. The mounting member 21 is preferably a sheet of laminated plastics material upon which is printed 1 N 1 1 00 0 0 i 0 O0 00 s 0 .0 0 s o

S

0 o 0* 0 0 0 0 matter such as drawing details 23 or building specifications.

Transparent sheets 22 are arranged, in an overlapping manner so as to complete the floor plan 20 and are joined to one another by adhesive strips 24A. The transparent sheets 22 are secured to the mounting member 21 by strips of adhesive tape 24. The mounting member 21 including the transparent sheets 22 mounted thereon may subsequently be photocopied so as to produce a number of copies of the layout from which the client, architect and builder may work from.

10 Figures 1 and 2 each represent a transparent sheet and 10B on which is printed a typical layout of a garage 11A and 11B respectively. Both garages 11A and 11B include two roller doors 12 and a window 13 positioned part way along an external side wall 14 thereof.

15 Selection criteria such as two roller doors 12 and a window 13 represent desired features a client for example, wishes to be incorporated in the layout of his proposed house. In response to his requests, the architect, a consultant or a builder may suggest any number of alternative layouts varying in size and including such additional features as a porch 16 or entry 17 and wherein each portion of the layout is printed on a separate transparent sheet Transparent sheets 10A and 10B represent two examples of garages from which the client may select.

Upon reaching agreement as to which garage suits the needs of his client, the architect, consultant or builder

I

Ii 44% i I I on 0* S.9 5

S

S

S S *3*5 U S 0 mounts the transparent sheet 10A or 10B on a mounting board or attaches the transparent sheet to other selected transparent sheets and proceeds with the selection of the next portion of the house immediately adjacent the garage 11A or 11B. The method or process of selection as described above is continued until the entire layout or floor plan of the house is complete.

It .ill be appreciated from the above description that the use of transparent sheets on which there is printed the 10 plan of a room, a number of room or portions thereof, represents an efficient way of producing a plan of a building which may be amended with little fuss.

Each sheet may also have associated therewith an estimated construction costing whereby the construction 15 costing for the building illustrated in the floor plan may be estimated by adding the estimated construction costing for the sheets in the compiled floor plan. In addition, figure 4 illustrates a sheet on which there is represented a number of alternative roof profiles. Clients may select a particular 20 roof profile from those represented. Where the cost per area covered by the roof is known, an estimate of the total cost of the roof based upon the area of the floor plan can also be calculated. Where the cost concerning the production of each layout represented on a particular transparent sheet is already known, including the cost of manufacturing the roof, an estimate of the total cost of the building comprising the

S

OS S S S

N

summation of the costs associated with each sheet may be calculated. Alternatively, each sheet may have associated therewith an estimated construction costing dependent upon the roof profile selected whereby the construction costing of the building illustrated in the floor plan having a selected roof profile may be estimated by adding the estimated construction costing for the sheets in the compiled floor plan.

It will of course be realised that while the above has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is in the appended claims.

*S

:00*00 *6 0 S 6 I:i::i: Iv

Claims (8)

1. Design apparatus for preparing a desired graphic layout, said design apparatus including:- a plurality of transparent sheets each having printed thereon a portion of one of a plurality of alternative layouts which comprise selected combinations of said layout portions; a mounting assembly for mounting said plurality of transparent sheets; identification means for identifying sai desired graphic layout; and collating means for collating said transparent sheets; wherein each said sheet includes at least one aperture or recess formed therein and at least one projection formed therein and receivable in and engageable by the aperture or recess of another sheet, whereby said transparent sheets are collated in superimposed and staggered relationship whereby said laycat portions thereon combine to form a desired graphic layout that is photographically reproducible to include a copy of said identification means.

2. Design apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said collating means secures the combined sheets together whereby said combined sheets may be transported to copying apparatus for reproduction of said selected graphic layout.

3. Design apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said layout portions include floor layouts of dwelling rooms.

4. Design apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each said sheet has an estimated construction costing whereby the construction costing for the building illustrated in the graphic layout may be estimated by adding the estimated construction costing for the sheets in the SU compiled layout.

Design apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein each sheet i has an estimated construction costing dependent upon the roof L- 4.i 11 profile selected whereby the construction costing of the building illustrated in the graphic layout having a selected roof profile may be estimated by adding the estimated construction costing for the sheets in the compiled layout.

6. A method of preparing a desired graphic layout, said method including:- providing a plurality of transparent sheets each having printed thereon a portion of one of a plurality of alternative layouts which comprise selected combinations of said layout portions, each said sheet including at least one apertu or recess formed therein and at least one projection formed therein and receivable in and engageable by the aperture or recess of another sheet; collating said transparent sheets in superimposed and staggered relationship in a mounting assembly; providing identification means for identifying said desired graphic layout; and photographically reproducing said collated sheets to form a desired graphic layout to include a copy of said identification means.

7. A design apparatus for preparing a desired graphic layout substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. A method of preparing a desired graphic layout substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this EIGHTEENTH day of DECEMBER 1991. JOHN WINTER by PIZZEY COMPANY PATENT ATTORNEYS i ~AU V CS