EP0797715B1 - Deformable structure - Google Patents

Abstract

A structure comprising at least three bars (10, 20, 30) joined together in pairs (10, 20; 20, 30; 30, 10) by a flexible linkage (112, 123, 131), the linkages being interconnected by a common ring-shaped member (40) through which they extend. Each bar (10, 20, 30) comprises channels (11-14, 21-24, 31-34) for the linkages (112, 123, 131).

Description

The present invention relates to a structure comprising bars connected to each other by connecting means, in particular a deformable structure.

We know structures, for example scaffolding, consisting of bars connected to each other by flanges of connection or specific metal nodes, depending on the type desired assembly, including screws and clamping nuts. So the number of different parts is important, assembly and disassembly long and tedious.

US-A-4,934,638 describes a tripod stool including the three legs are made up of bars linked together by a core, said bars being telescopic. In such structure, the stability of the tripod under the action of a load is not ensured by a set of flexible links but by the presence simultaneous of the aforementioned nucleus and the plane on which can be based the user, a plane which connects the upper ends of the three feet. The stability of the structure under load is therefore essentially a function of the hanging of the bars on the support surface superior. Any deterioration of this attachment makes the tripod structure.

US-A-4,421,356 describes a seat made of four bars, two of which are connected in X while the other two are independent of the first two. The four bars are connected between them by a plurality of cables, each of which is stretched between two points each belonging to a bar. This structure is susceptible to support a form of seat which is shaped to come to bear on one end of each bar, the other four ends constituting the ground support. This structure requires a seat specially shaped to come to rest on the ends of bars and, in addition, it requires two cables arranged in the lower part, in the vicinity of the ground supports, which prevents the use of the structure on uneven ground.

The subject of the present invention is a structure deformable without these drawbacks. She also aim of proposing a deformable structure whose number of pieces can be limited to three main pieces, which is easy to handle and implement, which can adapt to terrain, or to non-planar surfaces. The invention also provides a structure which has the advantage of being foldable, the parts which constitute it remaining properly assembled; in the folded position of the structure, it is easily transportable. The invention also has for object of proposing a structure adapted to support a veil and constitute a building providing shelter for events various.

Thus, according to the invention, a structure comprising at least three bars, in which the bars are linked together by links flexible, some of which are connected together by an annular piece, is characterized by the fact that all flexible links (112, 123, 131) assigned to the set of pairs (10, 20; 20, 30; 30, 10) of bars (10, 20, 30) are interconnected by said annular piece (40) common they cross, each flexible link (112,123, 131) crossing the first bar of a pair of bars at a first point neighbor of the annular part (40) and being retained on it by means of fasteners (113, 114) then returning to said annular part for cross the mean plane of this annular part, said link emerging from said annular piece (40) for crossing, again, said first bar at a second point close to the aforementioned first point, said link re-entering the annular part (40) again to cross the plane by means of said annular part and emerging from said annular part to cross, again, said first bar at a third point distant from the annular part (40), said link going to be fixed on the second bar of the pair of bars concerned by crossing it and being retained by it by means of fasteners (113, 114), all links (112, 123, 131) being capable of sliding freely in the bars (10, 20, 30) which they cross except at their ends where are arranged the attachment means (113, 114).

Advantageously, each bar has passages for links; at least one passage is a transverse bore; in alternatively, at least one passage is a transverse notch; according to one another variant, at least one passage is a longitudinal notch.

Preferably, each bar has four passages, including three passages for the link which associates it with the annular part and a passage for another link; the four passages are two by two parallel, the two passages placed between the two other passages extending parallel to each other at an angle to said two other passages; this angle is a right angle.

According to one embodiment, the bars are all identical; the effective lengths of all links are equal.

Preferably, the effective length of each link is adjustable.

To better understand the object of the invention, we will describe it now as a purely illustrative example and not limiting, an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective montrant un exemple de réalisation d'une structure à trois barres selon l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue de dessus à échelle réduite de l'exemple selon la figure 1;
• la figure 3 est un schéma illustrant la liaison de deux barres par un lien ;
• la figure 4 est un schéma partiel illustrant une variante, par rapport à la figure 3, de la liaison de deux barres ;
• la figure 5 est analogue à la figure 1 mais montre un autre exemple de réalisation ;
• les figures 6 et 7 sont des vues partielles en perspective montrant chacune une variante de passage pour les liens ;
• les figures 8 et 9 montrent, en coupe partielle, un autre exemple de réalisation d'un moyen de butée pour les liens, en cours de mise en place, figure 8, et après mise en place, figure 9.

In these drawings:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a three-bar structure according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a top view on a reduced scale of the example according to Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the connection of two bars by a link;
• Figure 4 is a partial diagram illustrating a variant, with respect to Figure 3, of the connection of two bars;
• Figure 5 is similar to Figure 1 but shows another embodiment;
• Figures 6 and 7 are partial perspective views each showing a variant passage for the links;
• FIGS. 8 and 9 show, in partial section, another embodiment of a stop means for the links, during installation, FIG. 8, and after installation, FIG. 9.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, we see a structure with three bars according to the invention, in its deployed operational position.

This structure includes three identical bars 10, 20, 30 ; according to this example, these bars are cylindrical, here in section circular; this section can, of course, be other than circular, for example polygonal; similarly, the bars according to the example are straight, but they may also not be completely straight, see angular, curved, curved, curvilinear, or other, depending on the destination and the application of the structure; the bars can be made of any suitable material, such as wood, a metal, or the like; they can also be solid or hollow.

Bar 10, as can also be seen in the figure 3, has four passages 11, 12, 13 and 14; one of the passages, the passage 11, is in the vicinity of one end of the bar 10; others passages, 12, 13, 14, follow each other, along the bar 10, in the order of their reference number from passage 11; the four passages are transverse through cylindrical holes, i.e. that they extend perpendicular to the axis of the bar 10; the passage 12 is close to passage 11; passage 13 is near the central part of bar 10; passage 14 is close to passage 13; passages 11 and 14, which are the most distant passages one on the other, are parallel to each other; the two passages 12, 13, placed along the bar 10 between passages 11 and 14, are also parallel to each other but extend in a direction which is orthogonal to that along which the passages 11 and 14 extend.

Bars 20 and 30 are identical to bar 10; the passages which they present in the same way have been designated, respectively, by 21, 22, 23, 24 and 31, 32, 33, 34.

The structure also includes three flexible links 112, 123, 131 linking the bars 10, 20, 30 two by two; to facilitate the reading the drawings, the reference of each link includes, in addition to digit 1 of the hundreds, the digit of the tens and that of the units which are, respectively, equal to the tens digit of the reference of bars that it connects: thus, the link 112 connects the bars 10 and 20, the link 123 connects bars 20 and 30, and link 131 connects bars 30 and 10. The three links 112, 123, 131 cooperate with the same annular part 40 as described below; the annular part 40, according to the example is a metal ring; she could be in any other suitable material and have a different shape, in diabolo by example, as long as it is in the shape of a ring.

Figure 3 illustrates how the link 112 connects the bars 10 and 20, shown in parallel to facilitate reading of the drawing.

The path followed by link 112, in relation to the passages bars 10 and 20 is as follows. After crossing passage 12 from bar 10, the link crosses passage 21 from bar 20, crosses the ring 40, placed between the bars 10 and 20 approximately at the right from their passages 13, 14 and 23, 24; at the exit of the ring 40, the link 112 crosses passage 23 of the bar, makes a revolution and a half around the latter again crosses the ring 40 then the passage 24 of the bar; at its two ends, the link 112 has means of attachment or stop, for example nodes 113 and 114. It can be seen in FIG. 3 that the link 112 is arranged in a certain way relative to the ring 40 and at the bar 20: thus, with respect to the plane of the figure, at its exit from the passage 21 on the side, of this passage, which is furthest from the bar 10 associated, the link 112 passes under the bar 20, then crosses the ring 40 entering it from above, enters from below the bar 20, in passage 23, wraps around bar 20 on a turn and a half, in the dextrorsum direction, again crosses the ring 40 by entering this one above, to finally join the passage 24 which it crosses having penetrated on the side of this passage most close to ring 40.

The direction of the winding of the link 112 around the bar 20 is not imperative, but it is important that all of the links between two-by-two bars are arranged in the same way.

To complete the structure of Figures 1 and 2, it suffices to have, on the one hand, the link 123 between the bars 20 and 30, following the path passage 22 - passage 31 - ring 40 - passage 33 - ring 40 - passage 34, and, on the other hand, the link 131 between the bars 30 and 10, in along the path passage 32 - passage 11 - ring 40 - passage 13 - ring 40 - passage 14.

Figures 1 and 2 show the structure deployed, operational position; to make it easier to read Figure 2, the different passages in the different bars have been represented either parallel to the plane of the figure, or perpendicular to this plan ; it goes without saying that, when the structure is loaded, the links in tension can cause the bars to turn on themselves and the passages they present are then slightly inclined relative to at their position shown in the figure; anyway, such structure is very stable and can support very heavy loads important, especially since it is possible to assemble, in the way described above, as many bars as necessary depending on the load that the structure must support; increasing the number of bars, the stability of the structure is further increased; we represented in perspective, in FIG. 5, another example of structure according to the invention notably comprising five bars.

The applications of a structure according to the invention are many and varied; such a structure allows the creation fixed or variable geometry frameworks, in the field of architectural works, furniture, intervention equipment for the building, sail supports, such as a canvas for example, or other. In Figure 2, there is illustrated by a circular mixed line 50 a table top, which can be glass, wood, stone, or other, resting on the three-bar structure 10, 20, 30; this table as well can be a coffee table or a high table depending on the choice of structural elements: length of bars, length of links, position of the links passages along the bars.

Advantageously, as is easily understood, the height of the structure is easily adjustable: all that is needed is the effective length of each link is set; here we mean by effective length of a link the length of the link between the means of attachment or stop: for example, for link 112, the distance between nodes 113 and 114; to facilitate adjustment of the height of the structure, the end, of each link, which is the most distant from the annular part carries marks; this is illustrated on the Figure 3 where the link 112 has a free end 116 which extends beyond the node 113 and along which markers 115 are visible; thanks to these benchmarks makes it easier to make sure that the lengths effective of all links be equal.

The links can have any diameter and be made in any material, the diameter and / or the material being adapted to the load that must support the structure; so they can be made from with a simple string or, to support heavy loads, be made from metallic or fiber-based technical cables; in this last area, good results have been obtained with cables in aramid fibers, which are polyamide fibers, such as those which are marketed under the NOMEX or KEVLAR brands by the DU PONT de NEMOURS company.

Regarding links, especially when they are made from technical cables, it may be useful to protect them at the ends of the passages they cross, avoiding, taking into account the angles they form with the direction of the passage, their cooperation with a sharp edge bordering the passage to said extremities; for this, these ends can be flared, as shown at 117 in FIG. 3 on either side of passage 14.

It may also be better not to perform the stop means by tying the links, in particular when the links are made from technical cables, such an operation risking them weaken ; a stop means suitable for this type of link is shown in Figures 8 and 9; in these figures, a hollow nut 65, of annular shape, advantageously made of metal, is threaded around the end of the link 112; it has an interior surface 67 of revolution with flared profile opening, on one side, outwards, according to its section of smaller diameter which corresponds to the section of the link 112 which is introduced into nut 65 on the side of this section of smaller diameter; the surface 67 opens, on the other side, in a portion externally threaded cylindrical 66; a plug 60 has a cylindrical portion 61 internally threaded, the thread of which is adapted to cooperate with the thread of the portion 66; the cap 60 is intended maintaining a core 62 in pressure inside the nut 65; the core 62 has a cylindrical portion 64 adapted to be received with clearance inside the cap 60; the cylindrical portion 64 of the core 62 is extended by a tapered tail 63, the profile of which has a shape complementary to that of the profile of the surface 67 of the nut 65, and is ending in a point 68. After the end of the link 112 has been threaded into the nut 65, the core 62 is inserted into the nut 65 and the plug 60 is mounted on the nut 65; Firstly, the point 68 enters the link 112 by spreading the inner fibers of this, as shown in 70; in FIG. 8, the plug 60 and the core 62 are shown at a distance from the nut 65 although the fibers are shown apart, to facilitate reading of the drawing; after screwing the cap 60 onto the nut 65, the fibers are held by clamping between the surface 67 of the nut 65 and the tail 63 of core 62, as shown in Figure 9; we will appreciate that, when the cap 60 is screwed, the core 62, independent of the plug 60, does not rotate with it and a twist of the fibers of the link 112 is avoided, which twisting would have risked initiating a shear said fibers and / or a displacement of the link 112 inside the nut 65.

We have just described a particular stop means suitable for links in the form of technical cables; good understood, given the nature of the links, other forms may be considered; the ends of the links can be kept on bars, for example, by nailing, by wedging; a cable tie or other can replace a knot, a key can be provided; a loop can be provided at the end of a link and cooperate with nipples distributed along each bar.

In the example described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, the passages are made in the form of through passages; he is it is also possible to carry out these passages differently; in figure 6, the end passages 11 and 12 of the bar 10 are produced under form of longitudinal notches, extending parallel to the axis of the bar 10; in FIG. 7, these same passages are made in the form transverse notches, making an angle, here right, with the axis of the bar 10; in this case, the bottom of the notches can be extended by a longitudinal positioning groove, respectively 51 and 52.

As we can see, the structure is simple, its uses are many ; there is shown, for example, in Figure 5, a five-bar structure according to which the links and the annular part are close to the ends of the bars that rest on the ground, their others ends being very far from the links and the annular part; a such a structure is well suited to support a veil and constitute a sheltered building for receptions, fun events, or other.

The structure according to the invention, thanks to the flexibility of the links, has the advantage of being foldable, the parts that constitute it remaining correctly assembled, thanks to the annular part, which moreover acts as joints for links during operations which allow to fold or deploy the structure; in position folded back from the structure, the bars are assembled in parallel to each other, and the structure is easily transportable; in the deployed position of the structure, it is possible to reinforce the rigidity of the whole by establishing connections, for example using cables other than ties, between the ends of the bars touching the ground and those that are "in the air", as schematized by the lines mixed 212, 223, 231 in FIG. 1.

In the examples shown, bars 10, 20, 30 have equal lengths; of course it could be otherwise in the case for example where the ground, on which the structure rests, is not plan, and / or in the case where the structure has to support a non-planar load, and / or if it is desired that the load be slightly inclined with respect to a horizontal plane.

Claims (10)

1. Structure comprising at least three bars, in which the bars are joined together by flexible links, some of which are joined together by an annular component, characterized in that all the flexible links (112, 123, 131) assigned to all the pairs (10, 20; 20, 30; 30, 10) of bars (10, 20, 30) are joined together by the said common annular component (40) through which they pass, each flexible link (112, 123, 131) passing through the first bar of a pair of bars at a first point close to the annular component (40) and being held on it by attachment means (113, 114) before passing back into the said annular component in order to pass through the mid-plane of this annular component, the said link re-emerging from the said annular component (40) to pass once more through the said first bar at a second point close to the aforementioned first point, the said link passing once more into the annular component (40) to pass through the mid-plane of the said annular component and re-emerging from the said annular component to pass once more through the said first bar at a third point distant from the annular component (40), the said link going on to be fixed to the second bar of the pair of bars in question, passing through it and being retained by it by attachment means (113, 114), all the links (112, 123, 131) being capable of sliding freely through the bars (10, 20, 30) through which they pass except at their ends where the attachment means (113, 114) are situated.
2. Structure according to Claim 1, characterized in that each bar (10, 20, 30) has passages (11-14, 21-24, 31-34) for the links (112, 123, 131).
3. Structure according to Claim 2, characterized in that at least one of the passages (11-14, 21-24, 31-34) is a transverse drilling.
4. Structure according to Claim 2, characterized in that at least one of the passages (11-14, 21-24, 31-34) is a transverse cut.
5. Structure according to Claim 2, characterized in that at least one of the passages (11-14, 21-24, 31-34) is a longitudinal cut.
6. Structure according to one of Claims 2 to 5, characterized in that each bar (10, 20, 30) has four passages, three of which (12-14, 22-24, 32-34) are for the link which connects it to the annular component (40) and one of which (11, 21, 31) is for another link.
7. Structure according to Claim 6, characterized in that the four passages are in parallel pairs, the two passages (12, 13; 22, 23; 32, 33) placed between the other two passages (11, 14; 21, 24; 31, 34) running parallel to each other, and being at an angle to the said other two passages (11, 14; 21, 24; 31, 34).
8. Structure according to Claim 7, characterized in that this angle is a right angle.
9. Structure according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the bars are all identical and the working lengths of all the links (112, 123, 131) are equal.
10. Structure according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the working length of each link (112, 123, 131) is adjustable.

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