Modular structural framing system - Patent Review 5584156

What is claimed is:

1. Modular structural framing system comprising, in combination: first and second three-dimensional, hollow structural members each including an end panel having inside and outside faces and at least a first side edge, a side panel having an inside face and at least a first side edge, and means for removably securing the first edges of the end and side panels, with the inside faces of the end and side panels defining a hollow interior when the first edges of the end and side panels are removably secured; a stiffener comprising, in combination: a stiffener panel having a size, shape, and contour corresponding to the inside face of the end panel and having at least a first side edge, and a stiffener flange integrally connected and extending at a nonparallel angle to the side edge of the stiffener panel and terminating in a free edge, with the stiffener panel being held with the end panel and inside of the hollow interior with the free edge of the stiffener flange extending inside of the hollow interior and abutting with and transferring forces to the side panel inside of the hollow interior, with the outside faces of the end panels of the first and second structural members having complementary shapes for abutting with each other, with each of the first and second structural members having at least first ports formed therein, with the first ports extending through the outside faces of the panels of the first and second structural members and being of the same size; and a clamp comprising, in combination: a primary band having a central wall having first and second edges, first and second outwardly directed side walls extending from the first and second edges of the central wall respectively, with the walls having a generally channel-shaped transverse cross section, with the walls being flexible between an insertion shape allowing passage of the side walls through the ports and a connection shape with the central wall being inside and abutting the port, and at least a first outwardly directed ear extending from the central wall intermediate the side walls and having a radial extent greater than the side walls for abutting with the inside faces of the end panels of the first and second structural members.

2. Three-dimensional, hollow structural member comprising, in combination: an end panel having inside and outside faces and at least a first side edge; a side panel having an inside face and at least a first side edge; means removably securing the first edges of the end and side panels, with the inside faces of the end and side panels defining a hollow interior; and a stiffener comprising, in combination: a stiffener panel having a size, shape, and contour corresponding to the inside face of the end panel and having at least a first side edge; a stiffener flange integrally connected and extending at a nonparallel angle to the side edge of the stiffener panel and terminating in a free edge, with the stiffener panel being held with the end panel and inside of the hollow interior with the free edge of the stiffener flange extending inside of the hollow interior and abutting with and transferring forces to the side panel inside of the hollow interior.

3. The three-dimensional hollow structural member of claim 2 wherein the removably securing means comprises, in combination: a panel flange extending from the side edge of each of the end panel and the side panel at a nonparallel angle, with the free edge of the stiffener flange abutting with the panel flange of the side panel.

4. The three-dimensional, hollow structural member of claim 3 wherein the stiffener panel is removably held with the end panel by nesting of the stiffener flange within the panel flange of the end panel.

5. The three-dimensional, hollow structural member of claim 4 wherein the end panel includes a port extending through the inside and outside faces, with the end panel including a tube having a cross section corresponding to the shape of the port and extending from the end panel beyond the inside face, with the stiffener panel including an aperture for receipt of the tube.

6. The three-dimensional, hollow structural member of claim 5 wherein the tube is frusto-conical in shape and extends at an obtuse angle to the inside face of the end panel, with the aperture of the stiffener panel nesting on the tube.

7. The three-dimensional, hollow structural member of claim 3 wherein the side panel includes an abutment spaced at a distance from the panel flange for slideable receipt of the free edge of the stiffener flange therebetween.

8. The three-dimensional, hollow structural member of claim 7 wherein the abutment of the side panel comprises a tube extending from the side panel beyond the inside face of the side panel.

9. The three-dimensional, hollow structural member of claim 3 wherein the panel flange includes a free edge; and wherein the removably securing means further comprises, in combination: lugs and latches extending from the free edge of the panel flange, with the lugs and latches of the end and side panels being in a slideable relation.

10. The three-dimensional, hollow structural member of claim 2 wherein the end panel includes a port extending through the inside and outside faces, with the end panel including a tube having a cross section corresponding to the shape of the port and extending from the end panel beyond the inside face, with the stiffener panel including an aperture for receipt of the tube.

11. The three-dimensional, hollow structural member of claim 10 wherein the tube is frusto-conical in shape and extends at an obtuse angle to the inside face of the end panel, with the stiffener panel being held with the end panel by removable nesting of the aperture on the tube.

12. Clamp for first and second structural members each having first and second faces, with the first faces of the first and second structural members having complementary shapes for abutting with each other, with each of the first and second structural members having at least first ports formed therein, with the first ports extending through the first and second faces of the first and second structural members and being of the same size, comprising, in combination: a primary band having a central wall having first and second edges; first and second outwardly directed side walls extending from the first and second edges of the central wall respectively, with the walls having a generally channel-shaped transverse cross section, with the walls being flexible between an insertion shape adapted to allow passage of the side walls through the ports and a connection shape adapted to allow positioning the central wall inside and abutting the port; and at least a first outwardly directed ear extending from the central wall intermediate the side walls and having a radial extent greater than the side walls and adapted to abut with the first faces of the structural members.

13. The clamp of claim 12 wherein the ear comprises, in combination: a planar member having a radially inner edge corresponding to and for abutment with the central wall and a radially outer edge; and at least first and second tabs extending from the radially inner edge generally perpendicular and in opposite directions to the planar member, with the tabs being secured to the central wall.

14. The clamp of claim 13 wherein the central wall includes a slot for slideably receiving the planar member, with the tabs located on the opposite side of the central wall than the radially outer edge.

15. The clamp of claim 14 wherein the central wall has a length, with the primary band being generally annular but U-shaped and having first and second free ends; and wherein the clamp further comprises, in combination: first and second secondary bands each having first and second ends; means for pivotally mounting the first ends of the first and second secondary bands together about a first axis; means for pivotally mounting the second end of the first secondary band relative to the first free end of the primary band; and means for pivotally mounting the second end of the second secondary band relative to the second free end of the primary band, with pivotal movement of the first and second secondary bands about the first axis causing the primary band to distort from its normal shape to further separate the first and second free ends of the primary band.

16. The clamp of claim 15 wherein the first and second walls of the primary band include flex notches to allow flexing of the walls of the primary band, with the flex notches dividing the primary band into first and second portions interconnected by the central wall acting as a hinge, with the first ear associated with the first portion; and wherein the clamp further comprises, in combination: a second ear associated with the second portion.

17. The clamp of claim 16 for the first and second structural members wherein the first ports have a generally cylindrical shape; wherein the flex notches further divide the primary band into a third portion interconnected by the central wall acting as a hinge, with the third portion located intermediate the first and second portions; and wherein the clamp further comprises, in combination: means formed in the primary band for preventing rotation of the first and second structural members relative to each other.

18. The clamp of claim 17 wherein the rotation preventing means comprises one of circumferentially spaced notches and detents formed in the third portion of the primary band adapted to slideably fit in the other of the circumferentially spaced notches and detents formed in the first and second structural members.

Description Submit all comments and votes

BACKGROUND

The present invention generally relates to modular structural framing systems, and particularly to attachment panels, clamps, and interconnect apparatus therefor.

The craft of building structures is well known. Typical wood framing utilizing 2 inch by 4 inch (5 cm by 10 cm) studs has been used for construction for many years, with metal studs being used more recently. Further, steel, aluminum, wood, plastic, and other materials have been used for fabricating tubing, channel, "T" or "I" beams, and like structural members. Typically, studs and other structural members are joined together with nails, barbed plates, bolts, rivets, and the like. Other structures utilized columns and beams connected by other methods of fastening including rope lashing, special notch cutting, mitering and nesting techniques, and the like to obtain strong and simple connections to build a variety of structures. As time progressed, building materials such as stone, wood, steel, and more recently composites have become standardized in size, weight, and strength. The introduction of truss or space frames allowed building materials to have reduced structural mass and increased span resulting in higher strength to weight ratios. However, most construction practice used in fastening building structural components of a structure together still rely upon common devices such as nails, rivets, bolts, and like fasteners. Also, building materials are generally of a solid mass or unitized truss member requiring the maximum space for storage or transport. Further, quick connect/disconnect fastening mechanisms for structural members so that they can be rapidly assembled and disassembled without compromising structural strength are known such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,721. However, such fastening mechanisms utilized clamping mechanisms extending around the periphery of portions of the structural members thus restricting the configuration thereof and/or location of the attachment of one structural member to another, i.e. an in-line end tube connection will not attach to the side wall of another tube, etc., and often would not allow communication through the fastening mechanism. Also, prior quick connect/disconnect fastening mechanisms may only join together respective male/female structural members by a change in orientation and by radial translation and/or displacement of one or more members to interfit the male/female interface.

Thus, a need exists for modular structural framing systems including components which overcome the disadvantages of prior fastening mechanisms.

SUMMARY

The present invention solves these needs and other problems in the field of framing systems by providing, in the preferred form, an interconnect apparatus including a clamp which is removably locatable in ports of abutting first and second structural members for abutting with the ports and the opposite faces of the first and second structural members and clamping the first and second structural members together.

In a preferred form of the present invention, the clamp includes at least a first outwardly directed ear extending from the central wall intermediate the side walls and having a radial extent greater than the side walls for abutting with the faces of the structural members, with the ear allowing ease of assembly of the clamp and the first and second structural members.

In other preferred aspects of the present invention, the structural members are formed from attachment panels secured together by their edges. In a preferred form, the interconnect port includes a tube integrally extending from the plate beyond the interior face to allow minimizing the thickness of the plate.

Also in a preferred form, the edges of the attachment panels are removably secured together by the receipt of free edges of a plurality of spaced lugs extending from the edges of the panels in the latching edges of a plurality of complementary spaced latches.

In other aspects of the present invention, the free edge of a flange of a stiffener abuts with and transfers forces to the side panel of a first three-dimensional, hollow structural member, with the stiffener being held with the end panel of the first structural member interconnected to a second structural member by a clamp.

It is then an object of the present invention to provide a novel modular structural framing system.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel framing system providing an optimum of design flexibility with concurrent engineering analysis for safe, trouble-free building.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel framing system having a high strength-to-weight ratio for structural support.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel framing system which is quick and easy to assemble without the use of tools thereby reducing labor costs and with a connection strength for safety and durability.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel framing system reducing the time for structural component assembly as well as the construction of the resulting structures from the assembled components, which is especially important when time is a constraint in the assembly and construction of the structures being built.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel framing system having modular interlocking components interconnectable at multiple locations on all sides and at the ends.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel framing system requiring fewer components to save in unnecessary inventory build-up and cost.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel framing system allowing all sizes of beams, columns, intersections for different loads, spans, and working heights to be made from the same components and specifically does not require different size trusses or space frames for different loads and spans.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel framing system which can be stored and transported knocked-down.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel framing system utilizing structural members (and particularly cubes) formed from a common, locking panel which can be formed by a manufacturing process utilizing a single tool, die, or the like.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel framing system providing hollow structural members connected together with passage therebetween.

These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of this invention described in connection with the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The illustrative embodiment may best be described by reference to the accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 shows an exploded, perspective view of a modular structural framing system according to the preferred teachings of the present invention, with portions being shown in phantom.

FIG. 2 shows a partial, exploded, perspective view of the modular structural framing system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the modular structural framing system of FIG. 1 according to section line 3--3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the modular structural framing system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows a top, plan view of the clamp of the modular structural framing system of FIG. 1 in its insertion shape.

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the modular structural framing system of FIG. 1 according to section line 6--6 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the modular structural framing system of FIG. 1 according to section line 7--7 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 shows a partial, cross-sectional view of the modular structural framing system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 shows an exploded, perspective view of the welded truss of the modular structural framing system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 shows an exploded, perspective view of the stiffener of the end panel of the modular structural framing system of FIG. 1.

All figures are drawn for ease of explanation of the basic teachings of the present invention only; the extensions of the Figures with respect to number, position, relationship, and dimensions of the parts to form the preferred embodiment will be explained or will be within the skill of the art after the following teachings of the present invention have been read and understood. Further, the exact dimensions and dimensional proportions to conform to specific force, weight, strength, and similar requirements will likewise be within the skill of the art after the following teachings of the present invention have been read and understood.

Where used in the various figures of the drawings, the same numerals designate the same or similar parts. Furthermore, when the terms "first", "second", "end", "interior", "exterior", "face", "edge", and similar terms are used herein, it should be understood that these terms have reference only to the structure shown in the drawings as it would appear to a person viewing the drawings and are utilized only to facilitate describing the invention.

DESCRIPTION

A modular structural framing system according to the preferred teachings of the present invention is shown in the drawings and generally designated 10. In the most preferred embodiment of the present invention, system 10 is an improvement of the type shown and described in International Publication No. WO 93/12345. For purpose of explanation of the basic teachings of the present invention, the same numerals designate the same or similar parts in the present figures and the figures of International Publication No. WO 93/12345. The description of the common numerals and system 10 may be found herein and in International Publication No. WO 93/12345, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

System 10 includes first and second, hollow, structural truss members 12 and 14 shown in a preferred form as hollow parallelepipeds, and in the preferred form as right parallelepipeds including but not limited to cubes. Specifically, hollow structural members 12 and 14 include attachment panels 16 secured by their edges to form and define the hollow interior, with panels 16 being planar when members 12 and 14 are in the form of parallelepipeds and being generally of the same size and shape when members 12 and 14 are in the form of cubes. Panels 16 include first, exterior faces 18 and second, interior faces 20 defining a panel thickness. Interconnect ports 22 of the same shape and size are formed in each of panels 16 extending through faces 18 and 20, with ports 22 being symetrical in the preferred form and shown as being cylindrical in shape in the most preferred form. A tube 24 having a cross section corresponding to the shape of port 22 integrally extends from panel 16 beyond second, interior face 20, with tube 24 having a free end defining a third panel face 25 generally parallel to and spaced from faces 18 and 20. Notches 26 are formed in the free end of tube 24 and are circumferentially spaced from each other such as 30.degree. apart. Tube 24 is generally cylindrical-shaped and in the most preferred form is frusto-conical in shape and extends at an obtuse angle relative to face 20, with the frusto-conical shape allowing nesting of panels 16 during storage and/or transport.

In the most preferred form of the present invention, system 10 further includes provisions 48 for removably securing the edges of planar panels 16 to form three-dimensional members 12 and 14. Specifically, the edges of panels 16 terminate in a connecting flange 50 extending at an obtuse angle in the order of 105.degree. relative to face 20. A plurality of lugs 52 extend at an acute angle in the order of 60.degree. from and equally spaced along the free edge of flange 50 in an exterior direction. The free edges 54 of lugs 52 are generally perpendicular to the faces of lugs 52, with lugs 52 being generally semicircular in shape. A plurality of latches 56 extend generally at an acute angle in the order of 60.degree. from and equally spaced along the free edge of flange 50 in an exterior direction, with latches 56 being located intermediate lugs 52. Latches. 56 are generally U-shaped including first and second legs 58 having their first ends connected to flange 50 and spaced a distance generally equal to and for slideable receipt of lugs 52. The second ends of legs 58 are connected to a head 60 extending between legs 58. Head 60 further includes a lower edge 64 spaced from the free edge of flange 50 of panel 16 generally equal to the length of lugs 52 and for receipt of free edges 54 of lugs 52. Detent portions 62 are formed in legs 58 adjacent their second ends and adjacent head 60, with portions 62 being semispherical in shape and extending towards flange 50. Thus, latches 56 have a generally L-shape.

It should then be noted that lugs 52 of a first panel 16 are slideably received in latches 56 of a second panel 16 between legs 58, with edges 64 abutting and hooking with edges 54, and with lugs 52 of the second panel 16 being slideably received in latches 56 of the first panel 16. Thus, it can be appreciated that panels 16 are disengagably divergent generally in a plane in the order of 45.degree. from opposing panels 16 and yet are locked when engaged with forces imposed at 90.degree. to engaged panels 16. In the hooked relation, lugs 52 and latches 56 have a generally T-shaped end view and in the most preferred form have a generally cross-shaped end view, with lugs 52, legs 58 and heads 60 aside from detent portions 62 lying within the same plane and defining the leg of the T-shaped end view. Detent portions 62 intersect the p