EP0086729B1 - Junction and assembling knot with a tronconico-pyramidal geometrical shape for multi-directional elements of a three-dimensional framework - Google Patents

Description

In the art of building, especially in metal construction, the part occupied by three-dimensional structures is known and their usefulness is no longer to be demonstrated.

The choice in this kind of structures is not lacking. We know triangular beams, flat structures, spatial structures, so-called large mesh structures ... They generally allow the construction of large buildings and roofs with large spans, of various shapes: flat, single or double curvature.

We know that these structures have both great lightness and great rigidity and that their characteristics are to be composed of straight bars, subjected to normal forces, simple pulls or compressions, without local deflection, assembled by their ends. to nodes to which workloads are applied.

We also know that the most complicated element of these assemblies is the assembly node because it is the point of competition for bars of various sections coming from any direction, which can transmit unequal forces.

Obviously, for a given structure, an effort is made to increase, from the manufacturing point of view, the quantity of each series of nodes in order to decrease the cost price. But, from one structure to another, and from one kind of structure to another, the need for a modular type node is necessary.

The subject of the invention is a node capable of being for a given model, depending on its function, usable in various cases of assembly by a simple combination game.

The state of the art can be defined by the AHERN and HOGAN patents.

- AHERN - US 3,844,074 -

Assembly node of three-dimensional structure which has the shape of a cone and on the outer face of which are attached assembly tabs. Said assembly tabs have two radial wings, the walls of which have holes which allow bolting assemblies. This type of knot can only be used for a specific use of structure or framework.

- HOGAN - US 3,844,664 -

Knot of assembly of three-dimensional structures which has the shape of a pyramid, it is formed of several pieces bolted together. Two of its sectors are separate (3, 8) and overlapped. The walls have extra thicknesses (10) and are therefore not uniform. The hole (15) allows the volume of said node during its manufacture but in no case to assemble the nodes together. There is only one way to build the structure module from said HOGAN node.

The invention therefore avoids all the drawbacks described above.

The knot according to the invention is in the form of a solid resulting from the intersection of a truncated cone and a truncated pyramid, the small bases and the large bases of said truncated cone and truncated pyramid being respectively coplanar. The small base 3 of said solid is circular and the large base 1 of said solid is of polygonal shape.

The small base 3 is a circumference, the large base 1, the perimeter of any polygon and whose angle a at the top of the truncated cone and / or the trunk of the pyramid is a function of the geometry of the structure to be produced. Said angle a can be between 5 ° and 175 °. The small base 3 is therefore perforated and thus allows the passage of any connecting or fixing member.

Preferably, the shape of any large polygon base 1, seen from above in elevation, FIG. 1b, has, for perimeter, the perimeter of a square 1.

According to the needs of the structure to be produced, part of the surface 4 of the node can be eliminated to leave one or more legs or branches of assembly 5, 6, 7 and 8. These legs or branches have a flat surface. These legs or assembly branches can be folded down at an angle of 90 °, either downwards or upwards.

The shape chosen for the description and its ease of graphical representation, represented in FIG. 1a in elevation view and in FIG. 1b seen from above, has for large base the perimeter of a square. We will claim the theoretical layout of the piece in fine mixed lines and its outline in stronger continuous lines.

In the spirit of making the part as light as possible, it is allowed to eliminate certain parts, for example, as shown by the dotted part 2, figure 1b to obtain, as we can see in elevation, figure 2a and in top view, Figure 2b, a lightened or lightened to the extreme part as shown in Figures 7a and 7b. Thus, in these cases, only the useful lateral parts remain for their assembly function and the central part which, with its opening and preferably, serves to join the nodes together as in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6 energetically and to constitute an assembly unit.

• Figure 3 d'une entretoise A, de deux rondelles B et C et d'un boulon de commerce D précontraint ou non.
• Figure 4 le même cas mais avec un autre élément de fixation, un rivet tubulaire E ou plein.
• Figure 5 cette unité d'assemblage associe les noeuds des figures précédentes et les accessoires A et B à un embout du tube à souder F ou à visser, un goujon G et un écrou du commerce H. Le tube 1 peut être, soit un poteau, soit un quelconque élément de structure.
• Figure 6 combinaison de trois noeuds dont un relativement plat avec deux entretoises A et un rivet tubulaire ou non J.

The cohesion and solidity of this unit can be achieved among other means, with the help of accessory parts, for example:

• Figure 3 of a spacer A, two washers B and C and a commercial bolt D prestressed or not.
• Figure 4 the same case but with another fastening element, a tubular rivet E or full.
• Figure 5 this assembly unit combines the nodes of the previous figures and the accessories A and B to a tip of the tube to be welded F or to be screwed, a stud G and a commercial nut H. The tube 1 can be either a post or any structural element.
• Figure 6 combination of three nodes, one relatively flat with two spacers A and a tubular rivet or not J.

It will be noted in these sectional views of Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 that each node can have, before the complete union, a different orientation compared to the others, which adds a characteristic, that the tubular rivet leaves an opening in its center, free for any use, without hampering the rigidity of the assembly unit, that the knots can have different angles at the top and different lateral parts, the accessories adapting.

These are the lateral parts or assembly tabs which are used to connect the nodes with the bars of the structures, their flat shapes facilitate the assembly of all the commercial profiles by bolting, riveting, welding, gluing and any other process.

In the kind of light knot, there are other forms. In Figures 7a and 7b is shown a node with a connection element, a branch or lug. In Figures 8a and 8b, the node has two branches.

Figures 9 and 10 show knots with three and five branches or legs.

FIGS. 11a, 11b, 11c represent an elongated knot, seen from three sides, the derived form of which is derived from the combination of a prism 12 interposed between two half-branches of basic form N1 and N2.

The knots can also have a reinforced version, as shown in Figure 12, from the right half-shape, it is possible to fold the sides as shown on the left half-cut, either down, flap 9, either upwards, flap 10, as shown in the half-views of FIG. 13.

In the following figures, are shown schematically and in section in the center, some of the nonlimiting combinations of possible modular knots with the basic modular knot shown in Figures 2a, 2b and only the angle a at the top varies.

It should be noted that Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 show modular combinations.

In Figure 14, a modular combination of nodes is shown to create an assembly unit of four single side bars in this version, but other profiles and a central bar could be adapted.

The following figures are given by way of non-limiting example. They represent a preferred embodiment according to the invention.

Figure 15 is a combination of four nodes.

Figure 16 is a combination of three nodes.

Figure 17 is a combination of three nodes,

Figure 18 is a combination of four nodes.

Figure 19 is a combination of six nodes.

Figure 20 shows in this embodiment, the combination of six identical nodes, assembled by bolting and riveting combined.

In figure 21 the node is the monobloc model of the modular combination, figure 20.

In figure 22 the node is the monobloc model of the modular combinations represented in figures 3, 4 and 5.

In figure 23 there is a combination of two monoblock assembly units of the same shape as in figure 22.

In FIG. 24 is shown a monobloc version of the modular combination of FIG. 16.

In Figure 25 is shown a combination of two one-piece assembly units with two lightened or reinforced base nodes.

In Figure 26 is shown a combination of a one-piece model with two basic nodes, lightened or reinforced.

Claims (10)

1. A jonction- and assembly-node, called basic node, for any given type of bar, in plane or curved structures, which may be single- or multilayered and used for various purposes, characterised by the fact that it has the shape of a body resulting from the intersection of a truncated cone and a truncated pyramid, the small bases and the large bases of said truncated cone and truncated pyramid being respectively placed in the same plane, and by the fact that the small base (3) of said body is circular and the large base (1) of said body is of polygonal shape.

2. A node as claimed in claim 1, characterised by the fact that it is used, because of the design of its geometrical shape, for the construction of another node, of which the structure is obtained by the combination and assembly of 2, 3, 4, 5 or more basic nodes, which may be identical or of a derived type, and which are strongly built together.

3. A node as claimed in claim 1, characterised by the fact that the basic node can be made lighter by partly reducing its area (4) in height while conserving at least one lateral part (5).

4. A node as claimed in claim 1, characterised by the fact that the basic node can be made lighter by partly reducing its area (4) in height while conserving several lateral parts (5).

5. A junction and assembly-node, called basic node, for any given type of bar, in plane or curved structures, which may be single- or multi-layered, and used for various purposes, as claimed in claim 1, characterised by the fact that the basic node can be locally reinforced by extending all the flat faces of the surface (4), in their plane area, over their full width and by folding them to the outside (9) or to the inside (10) of said surface (4).

6. A modular basic node, for the junction and assembly of multidirectional members in three dimensional structures, as claimed in claim 1, characterised by the fact that the opening-angle (a) at the top of the truncated cone and/or truncated pyramid can be comprised between 5 degrees and 175 degrees.

7. A combination of basic nodes, called junction- and assembly-unit, for various types of bars, in plane or curved structures which may be single- or multi-layered and used for various purposes as claimed in any of the claims 1,2,3,4, 5 or 6, characterised by the fact that several basic nodes can be assembled, only by the top of truncated cone, by placing them opposite each other, or side by side, or inside each other, in either way or all at the same time, per unit, in pair or by group.

8. A combination of basic nodes, called jonction- and assembly-unit, for various types of bars, in plane or curved structures which may be single- or multi-layered and used for various purposes, as claimed in any of the claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, characterised by the fact that the basic nodes can be strongly connected to each other, either by their tops, or with their flat sides, or both, by means of accessory connecting-members which may be adapted to suit or of a known type or both.

9. A combination of basic nodes, called jonction- and assembly-unit for various types of bars, in plane or curved structures which may be single-or multi-layered and used for various purposes, as claimed in any of the claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8, characterised by the fact that the assembled basic nodes can each have a different orientation with regard to the others, at will, by simple rotation around the assembly-axis.

10. Any plane or curved structure, which may be single- or multi-layered and used for various purposes, characterised by the fact they are realised by means of the basic nodes and/or the combinations of basic nodes called junction- and assembly-units which are claimed in any of the claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 7, 8 or 9.

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