GB2303650A - Wall with frame of variable configuration - Google Patents

Wall with frame of variable configuration Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2303650A
GB2303650A GB9515291A GB9515291A GB2303650A GB 2303650 A GB2303650 A GB 2303650A GB 9515291 A GB9515291 A GB 9515291A GB 9515291 A GB9515291 A GB 9515291A GB 2303650 A GB2303650 A GB 2303650A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
length
wall
elements
connector
frame
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB9515291A
Other versions
GB9515291D0 (en
GB2303650B (en
Inventor
John Shakeshaft
Paul Harkin
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
CENTRAL ENGLAND IN BIRMIN, University of
Original Assignee
CENTRAL ENGLAND IN BIRMIN, University of
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by CENTRAL ENGLAND IN BIRMIN, University of filed Critical CENTRAL ENGLAND IN BIRMIN, University of
Priority to GB9515291A priority Critical patent/GB2303650B/en
Publication of GB9515291D0 publication Critical patent/GB9515291D0/en
Publication of GB2303650A publication Critical patent/GB2303650A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2303650B publication Critical patent/GB2303650B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E04—BUILDING
    • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
    • E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
    • E04B1/343—Structures characterised by movable, separable, or collapsible parts, e.g. for transport
    • E04B1/344—Structures characterised by movable, separable, or collapsible parts, e.g. for transport with hinged parts
    • E04B1/3441—Structures characterised by movable, separable, or collapsible parts, e.g. for transport with hinged parts with articulated bar-shaped elements
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E04—BUILDING
    • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
    • E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
    • E04B1/18—Structures comprising elongated load-supporting parts, e.g. columns, girders, skeletons
    • E04B1/19—Three-dimensional framework structures
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E04—BUILDING
    • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
    • E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
    • E04B1/343—Structures characterised by movable, separable, or collapsible parts, e.g. for transport
    • E04B1/34305—Structures characterised by movable, separable, or collapsible parts, e.g. for transport telescopic
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E04—BUILDING
    • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
    • E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
    • E04B1/18—Structures comprising elongated load-supporting parts, e.g. columns, girders, skeletons
    • E04B1/19—Three-dimensional framework structures
    • E04B1/1903—Connecting nodes specially adapted therefor
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E04—BUILDING
    • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
    • E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
    • E04B1/18—Structures comprising elongated load-supporting parts, e.g. columns, girders, skeletons
    • E04B1/19—Three-dimensional framework structures
    • E04B2001/1924—Struts specially adapted therefor
    • E04B2001/1927—Struts specially adapted therefor of essentially circular cross section
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E04—BUILDING
    • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
    • E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
    • E04B1/18—Structures comprising elongated load-supporting parts, e.g. columns, girders, skeletons
    • E04B1/19—Three-dimensional framework structures
    • E04B2001/1924—Struts specially adapted therefor
    • E04B2001/1942—Struts adjustable in length
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E04—BUILDING
    • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
    • E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
    • E04B1/18—Structures comprising elongated load-supporting parts, e.g. columns, girders, skeletons
    • E04B1/19—Three-dimensional framework structures
    • E04B2001/1981—Three-dimensional framework structures characterised by the grid type of the outer planes of the framework
    • E04B2001/1987—Three-dimensional framework structures characterised by the grid type of the outer planes of the framework triangular grid
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E04—BUILDING
    • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
    • E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
    • E04B1/18—Structures comprising elongated load-supporting parts, e.g. columns, girders, skeletons
    • E04B1/19—Three-dimensional framework structures
    • E04B2001/199—Details of roofs, floors or walls supported by the framework

Abstract

A wall is made of a frame F comprising individual length elements L joined together at nodes E, the length elements L being telescopic.

Description

WE STRUCTURES The invention relates to walls and in particular to the construction of walls of variable dimensions such as length. height and thickness.
It is well known that the volume of an enclosure such as a room may be too large for the number of occupants as a result of which unnecessary expense is incurred in heating the total volume of the room to a temperature at which the occupants are comfortable. While it is possible to reduce the volume of a room, for example by installing a false ceiling or by partitioning.
these jobs can involve major constructural installations. In addition once these items have been installed they cannot easily be removed. It is an object of this invention to provide a wall or volume enclosing structure which is easily adjustable to alter the volume and form of an enclosure defined by the walls.
According to the invention in one aspect there is provided a wall comprising a frame including length elements and nodal connector elements. each length element being of variable length; each connector element having a plurality of connecting units spaced about the connector element; each length being engaged at its ends with a connector unit of spaced apart connector elements whereby a dimension of the wall may be increased or decreased by varying the length of a length element.
Preferably the individual length elements are telescopic. Preferably the connecting units are sockets which receive the end portions of the length elements. Preferably the lengths are moved by power means controlled by switches arranged to move an individual length or a plurality of lengths. The power means may be motor, hydraulic or pneumatic or like means.
Preferably the length elements are arranged to form within the wall an array of tetrahedrons and octahedrons or other stable geometric arrangement.
The invention allows the wall structure of an enclosure to change in thickness, to provide a direct control over the insulating properties of the wall itself. The invention possesses other intrinsic properties: the external surface of the wall may be angled towards the direction of suniight, enabling the enclosed space to be heated more efficiently by solar radiation. When heat needs to be dispersed to prevent internal overheating the occupant can cause the wall surface to present an oblique face to the direction of sunlight, or to assume a form of greater wall thickness, to enable slower heat diffusion from outside to inside. The space inside the enclosed space, as well as the overall external shape of the enclosure. are thus able to be altered in both volume and form.In these ways the form changing structure may be used to form an inhabitable enclosure with variable thermal and insulative properties.
The invention allows for the creation of both a multiplicity of static enclosed volumes, or a continuously variable space. by its moving surface elements which constitute the wall or a part thereof. This allows for any form or volume to be reproduced by the invention, both as an external shape and internal volume. and for the invention to change its form continually between any shape or volume.
In another aspect, the invention provides an enclosure comprising a plurality of walls as defined, the walls being linked together to form the enclosure.
The enclosure may be a total building: an individual room within a building: a confined space such as a cubicle or workstation within a room; or the like.
In another aspect the invention provides a method of adjusting the dimensions of a wall, the method comprising varying the length of length elements in a frame making up a wall, the ends of each length element being connected to modal connector elements.
By covering the internal and external elements of the structure's framework with a suitably flexible material, a bounded enclosure would be formed, to be used as a moulding device for shaping any number of a variety of forms from an appropriate casting substance. Once one form had been set, the same device could then be re-used to cast a different form, and so-on for any number of desired forms.
In order that the invention may be well understood it will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a section through the frame of a structural surface element forming part of a wall; Figure 2 is a representation of six interconnected length portions An enclosure is made up of a wall comprising structural surface elements each having an internal frame F of the type shown in Figure 1. The wall may be a sidewall, floor or roof or any combination. Each frame F comprises a number of lengths L made up of length portions L1, L2, L3, LA (or more or less as appropriate) which engage telescopically. At each outer end the length portions are received in sockets S of multisocket connector elements E.Because there are several sockets spaced apart from the elements E, the lengths extend away from the elements at differing angles to form one or more elements of the enclosure. A motor is associated with one or more lengths arranged to extend or retract the length portions so as to vary the length by extension or retraction. An element length sensor, not shown, is present in addition to a sensor to determine the imposed load acting upon the telescopic length. The motor is controlled directly by a switch readily accessible to an occupant of the enclosure, preferably using a computer relay switch extension or by one or more centralised control computers, or by local network control computers. The local network computers will control one or a number of telescopic length elements. The wall has outer and inner skins as shown.
The number of lengths will determine the flexibility and form and volume of the enclosure.
Movement of the lengths may be controlled individually or as part of a coordinated network of telescopic length elements. The control computers, if used, will co-ordinate the appropriate combined extension/retraction rates for several interconnected length elements. These will be determined by a combination of inputs from the telescopic length and load sensors, information produced by a simulated computer model of either the whole network or the localised network, and the appropriate telescopic extension lengths to achieve the desired form.

Claims (8)

1. A wall comprising a frame including length elements and nodal connector elements therefor, each length element being of variable length; each connector element having a plurality of connecting units spaced about the connector element; each length being engaged at its ends with a connector unit of spaced apart connector elements, whereby a dimension of the wall may be increased or decreased by varying the length of a length element.
2. A wall according to Claim 1, wherein the individual length elements are telescopic.
3. A wall according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the connecting units are sockets which receive the end portions of the length elements.
4. A wall according to any preceding Claim, including power means arranged to vary the length of an individual length or a plurality of lengths.
5. A wall according to Claim 4, wherein the power means is provided by motor, hydraulic or pneumatic power.
6. A wall according to any preceding Claim, wherein the individual length elements are arranged to make an array of tetrahedrons or octahedrons within the frame.
7. An enclosure comprising a plurality of walls according to any preceding Claim, the walls being linked together to form the enclosure.
8. A method of adjusting the dimensions of a wall, the method comprising varying the length of length elements in a frame making the wall, the ends of each length element being connected to nodal connector elements.
GB9515291A 1995-07-26 1995-07-26 Wall structures Expired - Lifetime GB2303650B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9515291A GB2303650B (en) 1995-07-26 1995-07-26 Wall structures

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9515291A GB2303650B (en) 1995-07-26 1995-07-26 Wall structures

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9515291D0 GB9515291D0 (en) 1995-09-20
GB2303650A true GB2303650A (en) 1997-02-26
GB2303650B GB2303650B (en) 1999-01-13

Family

ID=10778257

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9515291A Expired - Lifetime GB2303650B (en) 1995-07-26 1995-07-26 Wall structures

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2303650B (en)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AU2001264123B2 (en) * 2000-06-15 2007-03-01 Mark Goulthorpe Display system
GB2424427B (en) * 2005-03-24 2010-11-03 Metaphorm Ltd Expandable building
GB2445900B (en) * 2005-11-18 2010-11-03 Jorge Tomas Cueli Lopez Mobile structure for adapting surfaces
ITMI20101344A1 (en) * 2010-07-21 2012-01-22 Frigerio Tende Da Sole S R L MODULAR BEARING STRUCTURE, PARTICULARLY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF CONSTRUCTION AS PERGOLAS, ROOFS, DOME, TUNNELS, ETC.
WO2014006422A2 (en) * 2012-07-06 2014-01-09 Paul Harkin Adjustable structures
US9561698B2 (en) * 2014-12-19 2017-02-07 Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. Shape morphing fuselage for an aerocar
ES2659841A1 (en) * 2018-01-11 2018-03-19 Universidad Politécnica de Madrid TRANSFORMABLE RETICULAR STRUCTURE (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4241746A (en) * 1979-05-02 1980-12-30 Bruce Rothe Collapsible building structure
GB2256444A (en) * 1991-05-25 1992-12-09 Robert Laxton John Burdon Foldable structure
WO1994001631A1 (en) * 1991-01-11 1994-01-20 Societe D'exploitation Des Etablissements Michel Guinaudeau Expandable and collapsible structure particularly for forming a stall

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4241746A (en) * 1979-05-02 1980-12-30 Bruce Rothe Collapsible building structure
WO1994001631A1 (en) * 1991-01-11 1994-01-20 Societe D'exploitation Des Etablissements Michel Guinaudeau Expandable and collapsible structure particularly for forming a stall
GB2256444A (en) * 1991-05-25 1992-12-09 Robert Laxton John Burdon Foldable structure

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AU2001264123B2 (en) * 2000-06-15 2007-03-01 Mark Goulthorpe Display system
US7277080B2 (en) 2000-06-15 2007-10-02 Mark Goulthorpe Three dimensional dynamic display system
GB2424427B (en) * 2005-03-24 2010-11-03 Metaphorm Ltd Expandable building
GB2445900B (en) * 2005-11-18 2010-11-03 Jorge Tomas Cueli Lopez Mobile structure for adapting surfaces
ITMI20101344A1 (en) * 2010-07-21 2012-01-22 Frigerio Tende Da Sole S R L MODULAR BEARING STRUCTURE, PARTICULARLY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF CONSTRUCTION AS PERGOLAS, ROOFS, DOME, TUNNELS, ETC.
EP2410098A3 (en) * 2010-07-21 2012-05-09 Frigerio Tende Da Sole S.r.l. Modular bearing construction for making structures such as pergolas, roofs, domes, tunnels and the like
WO2014006422A2 (en) * 2012-07-06 2014-01-09 Paul Harkin Adjustable structures
WO2014006422A3 (en) * 2012-07-06 2014-02-27 Paul Harkin Adjustable structures
US9561698B2 (en) * 2014-12-19 2017-02-07 Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. Shape morphing fuselage for an aerocar
ES2659841A1 (en) * 2018-01-11 2018-03-19 Universidad Politécnica de Madrid TRANSFORMABLE RETICULAR STRUCTURE (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9515291D0 (en) 1995-09-20
GB2303650B (en) 1999-01-13

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
732E Amendments to the register in respect of changes of name or changes affecting rights (sect. 32/1977)
PE20 Patent expired after termination of 20 years

Expiry date: 20150725