Factory-built mechanical cartridges for modular homebuilding
This technology is a system of prefabricated building modules — called 'cartridges' — that package all of a home's core mechanical systems (HVAC, electrical power, plumbing) into discrete, standardized units that can be manufactured in a factory and snapped together on-site. A central 'spine cartridge' acts as a distribution backbone, routing power, air, and water from the systems and plumbing cartridges to connection points throughout the building. Movable wall panels with built-in utilities plug into this spine, allowing room layouts to be reconfigured without major renovation work. The entire approach shifts skilled trade labor from the construction site to a controlled factory environment, dramatically reducing on-site build time and variability.
What you could build
A factory-built modular housing system sold to production homebuilders, manufactured housing companies, or multifamily developers who want to reduce construction cycle time and trade labor costs; the cartridges ship like appliances and assemble like furniture.
Who in Virginia should care
Virginia modular and manufactured housing builders, as well as large residential developers active in Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley growth corridors, would have direct commercial interest.
Readiness: Prototype likely
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Joseph Wheeler, Robert Vance
- Granted
- June 21, 2022
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 11365540
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.