FR2826384A1 - Frame for construction of buildings or structures comprises three-dimensional network composed of long elements assembler by identical nodes consisting of three interlocked perpendicular plates - Google Patents

Abstract

The frame is the shape of a three-dimension network is composed of long elements assembled by identical nodes (3). Each node consists of three perpendicular plates (30,31,32) interlocked into each other to form a star with twelve branches able to receive up to eight elements.

Description

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The present invention relates to a framework, in particular for the construction of buildings or civil engineering structures, this framework consisting of several elongated elements, assembled by means of knots. so as to form a continuous three-dimensional network, each node defining a star with twelve branches, these branches being perpendicular to each other, to receive, in the same plane, at most eight elements and, on each side of said plane, at most four elements inclined to 450 in relation to the said plan.

This type of frame has the advantage of being made of elements made of wood, having an ultra-light structure, having great physical strength and ensuring the self-supporting of the elements between them. These frameworks allow a great saving of wood, an automated manufacture of the parts, a simple assembly requiring neither knowledge nor specific materials. In addition, they have the advantage of being able to be presented in the form of a ready-to-assemble assembly, hence easy transport to the site. They also make it possible to produce easily mountable and also easily dismountable frames without degradation of the constituent elements.

Such a framework is already known from publication WO-A-00/19027 by the same holder. This framework uses necessarily metal knots and necessarily assembled by welding or riveting. Once assembled, these nodes therefore have a three-dimensional volume. Therefore, they are not nestable or stackable with each other which induces volumes and very high storage and transport costs. These nodes are arranged to receive at most sixteen elements, eight in a plane and four on each side of this plane. It is therefore not possible to add elements to it in the axis of this node. Then, each element is fixed to this node by a single screw, generating a pivot point allowing a rotational movement between this element and the node. This freedom to

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 movement can, in certain cases, be prejudicial for the construction creating a zone of weakness of the framework. In addition, depending on whether the knot is positioned in a corner of the frame or in a door or window opening, it must have been partially truncated. Therefore, the assembly of the framework required a location and a precise positioning of the various nodes, which could only be carried out by a knowledgeable or even professional person.

Another framework of this type is also known from the publication US-A-4,065,220 in which the nodes are arranged to receive at most eighteen elements. However, these nodes are made of metal plates assembled and welded together, forming a three-dimensional volume which generates the drawbacks mentioned above related to their storage and transport. In addition, these nodes have peripheral notches for receiving the elements which necessarily consist of metal tubes, each end of which fits into these notches. This framework is therefore limited to heavy and very rigid constructions, for example for industrial halls.

The present invention seeks to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a framework produced with standard nodes, that is to say all identical regardless of their position in the framework, these nodes can be produced easily at low cost, can be assembled without welding or riveting, on the construction site, so that it can be stored and transported in the disassembled state in a volume and at a very reduced cost. In addition, these nodes allow the assembly of two additional elements in the axis of each of the nodes, which allows even more combination.

For this purpose, the invention relates to a frame of the kind indicated in the preamble, characterized in that the nodes are identical and each consisting of three plates assembled by interlocking, a central plate forming said plane and two plates

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 transverse, the transverse plates being assembled perpendicularly to each other and to the central plate by crossing it right through.

In a preferred form of the invention, each node is arranged to receive two complementary elements arranged in the axis A of said node passing through the axis of intersection of said transverse plates, which considerably increases the possibilities of assembly.

The three plates constituting a node can have a shape chosen by the group comprising at least one square, circular, octagonal shape. These three plates preferably have an identical shape and dimensions. These plates can be made of a material chosen from the group comprising at least metal, alloys, wood, glued laminate, synthetic materials, composite materials.

In the preferred embodiment, the transverse plates have at least three external slots, one median located in the axis A and two lateral located on an axis B perpendicular to the axis A, the median slot extending over a depth at most equal to half the side of said plate and the lateral slits extending over a depth less than that of the central slit, these lateral slits being spaced apart by an interval i.

In this preferred embodiment, the central plate has at least four internal slots, arranged around a central recess, these slots being aligned in pairs on perpendicular axes, and having a depth such that the distance separating the bottom of two aligned slots is at least equal to the side of said transverse plates, the internal dimension of the central recess being at least equal to the interval i between the two lateral slots.

The node advantageously comprises a set of holes distributed in such a way that they allow the elements to be fixed by at least one fixing member by

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 element and by plate on which it is assembled. These plates constituting the knot may include at least one lightening recess.

The section of the elements can be chosen from the group comprising at least one square, rectangular, round, hexagonal, octagonal, triangular shape.

The elements may consist of a single piece and comprise at least one slot arranged to fit onto at least one of the plates of said node and at least one through hole arranged to receive at least one assembly member. Some elements may have at their ends two perpendicular slots arranged to fit at the point of intersection of two plates of said node and at least two through holes oriented perpendicularly between them arranged to each receive at least one assembly member.

In another alternative embodiment, elements may consist of two parts forming sub-elements, arranged in parallel and spaced apart by an interval e corresponding to the thickness of said plates forming said node, each sub-element comprising at least one hole crossing arranged to receive at least one assembly member. The sub-elements of certain elements may have at their ends a slot for fitting these elements at the point of intersection of two plates of said node and at least two through holes oriented perpendicularly to each other arranged to each receive at least one assembly member .

Still in another alternative embodiment, the elements may consist of four parts forming sub-elements, arranged in parallel, in a square and two by two apart by an interval e corresponding to the thickness of said plates forming said node, each sub -element comprising at least one through hole arranged to receive at least one assembly member. The sub-elements of certain elements may have at their ends at least two oriented through holes

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 perpendicularly between them arranged to each receive at least one assembly member.

These elements can be produced from a material chosen from the group comprising at least wood, glued laminate, metal, alloys, synthetic materials, composite materials.

The elements are advantageously arranged so as to form channels for the passage of technical sheaths and the empty spaces created inside said framework are preferably filled with insulating materials.

The present invention and its advantages will appear more clearly in the following description of several exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example of a framework according to the invention, FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the knot entering the frame of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the knot of FIG. 2, FIG. 4A-F are perspective views illustrating the steps for mounting the knot of FIG. 2, the Figure 5 is an exploded view of the node of Figure 2 and the elements it can receive, Figure 6 is a perspective view of the node of Figure 2 assembled only with the orthogonal elements, Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, the node being assembled with the eighteen elements, and Figures 8 and 9 are views similar to view 5 with other elements.

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With reference to FIG. 1, the framework 1 according to the invention is intended to constitute the skeleton of a building, such as a dwelling house, a hall, or a work of art, such as a bridge, a walkway. This frame 1 is produced by assembling several elements 2 to each other by means of nodes 3 so as to form a continuous three-dimensional network.

The nodes 3 are arranged to receive at most eight elements 2 arranged on the same plane, at most four elements 2 on each side of this plane, these elements being inclined at 45 relative to said plane, and at most two elements 2 in the axis A of this node, i.e. a total of eighteen elements 2 per node 3.

More precisely, the assembly of the elements 2 and the nodes 3 forms adjacent and stacked cubes 4, the nodes 3 being located in each corner of the cubes 4. The edges of each cube 4 being formed by elements 2a called orthogonal and the diagonals of each face of the cube 4 being formed by elements 2b said diagonally. Depending on the constraints that the framework 1 must bear, we can choose to put only one element 2b diagonally instead of two, on one or more faces of each cube 4. This construction method therefore opens up many possibilities for configuration of the patterns of the three-dimensional network.

The three-dimensional network thus formed makes it possible to produce a main part of the construction, such as for example the floor, then another main part, such as a wall, continuously. Thus, the frame 1 according to the invention consists of a single piece, similar to a knitting of the elements 2 with the nodes 3. There is therefore no separation between the different main parts of a construction.

Patterns may not be formed in the three-dimensional network to leave openings for windows, doors, stairs, etc. Due to the layout

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 elements 2 at right angles and at 45, these openings can be made either along the same axes as the walls for example, or rotated by 450.

Within the three-dimensional network, empty spaces are obtained forming channels 5 of triangular section. These channels 5 can advantageously constitute passages for technical sheaths.

Referring to Figures 2 to 4, the nodes 3 are all identical regardless of their position in the frame. They each consist of three plates 30, 31, 32, perpendicular to one another, assembled by interlocking, a central plate 30 and two transverse plates 31, 32. The transverse plates 31, 32 are assembled perpendicularly to each other and assembled perpendicular to the central plate 30 by passing right through it. Each node 3 forms a kind of star with twelve branches and can receive a total of at most eighteen elements 2, including one element per branch and one element at each intersection of two branches.

The three plates 30, 31, 32 constituting each node 3 are, in the example shown, of equal shapes and dimensions. These plates can also have different and / or combined shapes, for example circular, octagonal, etc. Depending on the nature of the construction to be performed, these plates can be made of steel, alloy, wood, glued laminate, synthetic materials, composite materials, etc., by cutting, stamping, machining, molding, injection, etc. .

The transverse plates 31, 32 are identical. They have a square shape and comprise, in the example illustrated, three external slots 33, 34 arranged on its orthogonal axes A, B, including a middle slot 33 of axis A and two lateral slots 34 of axis B, and a set of holes 35 distributed around its axes A and B and near the corners of the plate and serving as fixing holes for the elements 2. The central slot 33 extends over a depth at most equal to half the side L

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 from plate 31.32. The lateral slits 34 extend over a depth that is less than that of the central slit 33, these slits being spaced apart by an interval i.

These transverse plates 31, 32 also include a set of recesses 36a, 36b, that is a central recess 36a of circular shape and four recesses 36b in the form of a notch arranged on the diagonals of the plate 31,32. These recesses 36a, 36b in particular make it possible to lighten the part and to give it a certain elasticity. They can of course be different in their shape, in their number and in their location on each plate.

The central plate 30 has a square shape and comprises, in the example illustrated, four interior slots 37 arranged around a central recess 38, these slots being aligned in pairs on the diagonals of the central plate 30. These interior slots 37 extend over a depth such that the distance 1 separating the bottom of two aligned slots is at least equal to the side L of the transverse plates 31,32. The internal dimension d of the central recess 38 is at least equal to the interval i between the two lateral slots 34 of the transverse plates 31, 32. This central recess 38 has a circular shape but can have any suitable shape. The central plate 30 also comprises a set of holes 35 distributed around its orthogonal axes C and D and near the corners of the plate, these holes serving for fixing the elements 2.

The assembly of these three plates 30, 31, 32 to form the node 3 as illustrated in FIG. 2 is detailed step by step in FIGS. 4A to 4F. The two transverse plates 31, 32 of FIGS. 4A and 4B are positioned vertically and perpendicularly with respect to each other, their median slots 33 facing each other. They are fitted, according to FIG. 4C, one inside the other along the axis A until they are completely assembled according to FIG. 4D. These two transverse plates 31, 32 form a cross which is then assembled to the central plate 30, according to FIG. 4E by introducing the branches of the cross into the internal slots 37 of this central plate 30. When the external lateral slots 34 of

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 the cross are opposite the central plate 30, the cross is turned around the axis A in one direction or the other by an angle of 45, according to FIG. 4F. To ensure the assembly of these plates 30, 31, 32, the various slots 33, 34, 37 have a width substantially equal to the thickness of the plates. This width is preferably chosen to obtain a tight assembly.

As shown in FIG. 5, certain elements 2 are of rectangular shape and others have a pointed end at 45. They all have an identical square section.

But they can also have different sections, for example circular, hexagonal, octagonal, triangular, rectangular, etc. These elements are preferably made of wood and cut in the longitudinal direction of the wood fibers. Their relative small section makes it possible to detail a tree trunk practically in its entirety, by generating only very few falls. Depending on the case, they can be made of glued laminate, steel, alloy, synthetic materials, composite materials, etc.

With reference also to FIG. 6, the orthogonal elements 2a intended to fit at the six points of intersection of the plates 30, 31, 32 of the node 3 comprise two notches 23, 24 perpendicular, of a certain depth, intended for s 'fit on the two corresponding plates of each point of intersection, the width of the notches 23,24 being substantially equal to the thickness of the plates. At these notches 23, 24, the elements 2a have four through holes 25, perpendicular two by two and intended to be aligned with the corresponding holes 35 provided in the plates on either side of their orthogonal axes to receive screws fixing (not shown), or any other assembly member. A different number of holes can be provided as required.

With reference also to FIG. 7, the elements 2b diagonally intended to fit onto the twelve branches of the node 3 have a tip-shaped end at 45 for a question of space compared to the other elements 2a.

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 They have at their end a notch 26 of a certain depth intended to fit onto the corresponding plate, the width of the notch 26 being substantially equal to the thickness of the plates. At this notch 26, the elements 2b have two through holes 25 intended to be aligned with the corresponding holes 35 provided in the corners of the node 3 to receive fixing screws (not shown), or any other assembly member. A different number of holes can be provided as required.

It is understood that, depending on the position of the elements 2 on the node 3, these elements 2 have a different length whether it is an orthogonal element 2a or a diagonal element 2b. Similarly, the elements 2b arranged in the diagonals have a particular construction allowing them to intersect such as, for example, notches allowing them to fit in their middle.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate other embodiments of the elements 2. In FIG. 8, each element 20a, 20b consists of two sub-elements 21 of rectangular section, identical, parallel and distant by an interval e corresponding to the thickness of the plates 30, 31, 32. The sub-elements 21 have at their ends two through holes 25 to be fixed on either side of the plates of the node 3. The sub-elements 21 of the elements 20a also have a slot 24 for fitting these elements 20a at the point of intersection of two plates of the node 3 and a complementary through hole 25 oriented perpendicularly to the other holes 25 already mentioned.

In FIG. 9, each element 22a, 22b consists of four sub-elements 23, of square section, identical, parallel, arranged in a square and two by two apart by an interval e corresponding to the thickness of the plates forming the knot 3. The sub-elements 23 have at their ends a through hole 25 to be fixed on either side of the plates of the node 3. The sub-assemblies 23 of the elements 22a

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 additionally comprise a complementary through hole 25 oriented perpendicularly to the other holes 25 already mentioned.

These different variants make it possible to select the desired section of the elements 2 according to the type of construction to be carried out. The smaller the section, the greater the savings in wood. In addition, the fact of cutting an element 2 into sub-elements makes it possible to considerably simplify the manufacture of these elements since it is no longer useful to machine the slots 26 in the production in two sub-elements, nor the slots 23 , 24 in the implementation in four sub-elements. These embodiments also make it possible to be able to replace one of the sub-elements more easily without dismantling part of the framework 1. Another advantage of these embodiments is to be able to more easily cross the elements 20b, 22b diagonally by interlacing the sub-elements 21 , 23, which further promotes the static behavior of the frame 1.

The frame 1 according to the invention is entirely assembled by assembling the elements 2 to nodes 3 according to a defined pattern. A person who is not a man of the construction trade can thus easily assemble his dwelling in the manner of a mechanic, since the elements 2 and the nodes 3 can be delivered in kit. The nodes 3, by design, can be quickly assembled on site by a simple fitting operation of the three plates 30, 31, 32, one inside the other. Once the frame 1 is fully assembled, the technical ducts for the electrical installation, the sanitary facilities and the heating are mounted in the channels 5 created by the three-dimensional network. It is therefore no longer necessary to provide specific arrangements to integrate these sheaths or to make grooves in the walls, which must then be filled. The installation of technical ducts in the framework 1 is done very quickly in a single intervention. Then, the framework is covered by an interior and exterior coating which can be placed directly on the edge of the corresponding nodes 3. For this purpose, covers can be provided to cover the edge of these nodes 3 thus allowing the fixing of this coating.

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Several choices of interior and exterior coating are possible. Of course, you must respect the rules of the art of construction. The covering does not have to participate in the construction statics. The coverings are directly mounted on the frame 1. No battening is necessary.

Finally, the empty spaces created inside the frame 1 are filled with insulating materials such as cellulose by the blowing technique. The different elements of the framework hold the cellulose in place. There is no longer a tedious operation to fill in the gaps. All the technical ducts of the electrical and sanitary installations are optimally insulated thanks to the presence of cellulose which surrounds them perfectly. In addition, they are far enough from the surface coating to be well protected.

Thanks to this construction, the house obtained is characterized by very low energy consumption. In the future, a computer will be able to manage the distribution of energy within the house.

Such a frame is self-supporting and has great dimensional stability, the forces being uniformly distributed inside the same frame. It is in particular anti-seismic and resistant to cyclones. It also exhibits very good behavior for the distribution of forces. This allows, as in a reinforced concrete construction, to make openings in walls, ceilings and roofs. In the event of failure of one of the elements, the forces are distributed over the neighboring elements.

As the three-dimensional network which constitutes it forms a single piece and there is no separation between the main parts of the construction, there are no problems of assembly, insulation, expansion or cracks, problems often encountered in traditional constructions. In addition, it is not

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 necessary to change materials or construction techniques between floors, walls, ceilings and roofs.

The elements used have a small section compared to beams traditionally used. This allows in particular to cut the elements directly in the sawmill without additional operation. The dimensions therefore do not vary. In addition, the elements being short and of small sections, it is therefore easy to obtain elements devoid of any defect (knot, crack, etc.). The elements are therefore of first quality. The nominal stresses are consequently 15% higher compared to second choice elements.

On the other hand, the number of components of the framework being very reduced, they can easily be manufactured in advance and delivered upon order. The elements can have a section included in a certain interval, for example from 24 mm to 40 mm, while being able to be assembled by means of the same knot. The thickness of the knots can also vary depending on whether it is a metallic knot or a glued laminated knot for example. These different thicknesses are of course chosen according to the construction to be carried out and the mechanical stresses that the frame must undergo.

The frame according to the invention is preferably made of wood, such as fir or beech. It is a light construction (about 10 kg / m2) because it only consumes 5.5% of wood. If it is prefabricated, it can therefore be easily transported, for example by helicopter, to be placed in inaccessible places. Similarly, the parts being loaded and delivered on pallets, all of the parts before assembly are compact compared to traditional constructions.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described but extends to any modification and variant obvious to a person skilled in the art, while remaining within the scope of protection as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (19)

Claims 1. Frame (1), in particular for the construction of buildings or engineering structures, this frame consisting of several elongated elements (2), assembled by means of knots (3) so as to form a continuous three-dimensional network , each node (3) defining a star with twelve branches, these branches being perpendicular to each other, to receive, in the same plane, at most eight elements (2) and, on each side of said plane, at most four elements (2) inclined at 45 relative to said plane, characterized in that the nodes (3) are identical and each consisting of three plates (30, 31, 32) assembled by interlocking, a central plate (30) forming said plane and two transverse plates ( 31,32), the transverse plates (31,32) being assembled perpendicularly to each other and to the central plate (30) by passing right through it. 2. Frame according to claim 1, characterized in that each node (3) is arranged to receive two complementary elements (2) arranged in the axis A of said node (3) passing through the axis of intersection of said transverse plates ( 31,32). 3. Frame according to claim 1, characterized in that the three plates (30,31, 32) constituting a node (3) have a shape chosen by the group comprising at least one square, circular, octagonal shape. 4. Frame according to claim 3, characterized in that the three plates (30,31, 32) have an identical shape and dimensions. 5. Framework according to claim 1, characterized in that the plates (30, 31, 32) are made of a material chosen from the group comprising at least metal, alloys, wood, glued laminated timber, synthetic materials, composite materials. <Desc / Clms Page number 15>  6. Frame according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transverse plates (31,32) have at least three external slots (33,34), one in the middle (33) located in the axis A and two lateral (34) located on an axis B perpendicular to the axis A, the central slot (33) extending over a depth at most equal to half the side (L) of said plate (31,32) and the lateral slits (34) extending over a depth less than that of the central slit (33), these lateral slits (34) being spaced apart by an interval (i). 7. Frame according to claim 6, characterized in that the central plate (30) comprises at least four internal slots (37), disposed around a central recess (38), these slots being aligned two by two on perpendicular axes , and having a depth such that the distance (1) separating the bottom of two aligned slots is at least equal to the side (L) of said transverse plates (31,32), and in that the internal dimension (d) of the central recess is at least equal to the interval (i) between the two lateral slots (34) of the transverse plates (31,32). 8. Framework according to claim 1, characterized in that the node (3) comprises a set of holes (35) distributed in such a way that they allow the fixing of the elements (2) by at least one fixing member per element ( 2) and by plate (30, 31, 32) on which it is assembled. 9. Framework according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plates (30,31, 32) constituting the node (3) comprise at least one recess (36a, 36b) for lightening. 10. Frame according to claim 1, characterized in that the section of the elements (2) is chosen from the group comprising at least one square, rectangular, round, hexagonal, octagonal, triangular shape. <Desc / Clms Page number 16> 11. Frame according to claim 10, characterized in that elements (2a, 2b) consist of a single piece and comprise at least one slot (23,24, 26) arranged to fit onto at least one of the plates of said node (3) and at least one through hole (25) arranged to receive at least one assembly member 12. Frame according to claim 11, characterized in that certain elements (2a) have at their ends two perpendicular slots (23,24) arranged to fit together at the point of intersection of two plates of said node (3) and at least two through holes (25) oriented perpendicularly to each other arranged to each receive at least one assembly member. 13. Frame according to claim 10, characterized in that elements (20a, 20b) consist of two parts forming sub-elements (21), arranged in parallel and spaced apart by an interval (e) corresponding to the thickness of said plates (30, 31, 32) forming said node (3), each sub-element (21) comprising at least one through hole (25) arranged to receive at least one assembly member. 14. Frame according to claim 13, characterized in that the sub-elements (21) of the elements (20a) have at their ends a slot (24) for fitting said elements (20a) at the point of intersection of two plates of said node (3) and at least two through holes (25) oriented perpendicularly to each other arranged to each receive at least one assembly member. 15. Frame according to claim 10, characterized in that elements (22a, 22b) consist of four parts forming sub-elements (23), arranged in parallel, in a square and two by two apart by an interval (e) corresponding to the thickness of said plates (30, 31, 32) forming said node (3), each sub-element (22) comprising at least one through hole (25) arranged to receive at least one assembly member. <Desc / Clms Page number 17> 16. Frame according to claim 15, characterized in that the sub-elements (23) of the elements (22a) have at their ends at least two through holes (25) oriented perpendicularly between them arranged to each receive at least one member of 'assembly. 17. Frame according to claim 1, characterized in that the elements (2) are made of a material chosen from the group comprising at least wood, glued laminate, metal, alloys, synthetic materials, composite materials. 18. Frame according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elements (2) are arranged so as to form channels (5) for the passage of technical sheaths. 19. Frame according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the empty spaces created inside said frame (1) are filled with insulating materials.