GB2312450A - A 3-dimensional construction - Google Patents

Abstract

A 3-dimensional structure, suitable for use as a reinforcement for a structural material, e.g. concrete or foamed plastics, or as a girder or box portion, has components which mimic the 3-dimensional geometry of the molecular structure of carbon diamond. The structure may be constructed from zig-zag shaped components 1,2, connected together at right angles to one another. The angle between the straight sections of the components should be 109{28' to produce joints which are a precise copy of the tetrahedral form of the said molecular structure. The ridges and troughs of the components may be slotted to facilitate the joining of the components.

Description

A 3-DIMENSIONAL CONSTRUCTION This invention relates to the field of construction and engineering of 3-dimensional structures.

One of the strongest natural substances known is carbon diamond. The structure of this substance is based on the tetrahedral shape of the four bonds of a carbon atom which stick out from it. These bonds make an angle to one another of 1090 28'. The 3-dimensional structure of carbon diamond is formed by a regular repeating pattern of these atoms, and it is the geometry of this structure which gives diamond its great strength.

The 3-dimensional geometry of such a structure may be created using normal structural materials such as metals and plastics, and it is such a structure which forms the basis of the present invention. The structures described herein may be permanently constructed, or may be put together in demountable form. Structures made in this way would be very light and strong, and could be used anywhere where light strong structures are needed, such as in the construction of lightweight girders, lightweight box constructions, reinforcement for beams of concrete or other materials such as plastic foams. Some forms of the invention also allow for very compact packing of the individual components before they are put together, or after they have been demounted, as all are of a similar shape and will pack closely together.

This form of the invention also allows components to be cut very economically from a sheet of the construction material.

The 3-dimensional geometry of carbon diamond could be constructed from individual components in a number of different ways. One possible way is described here. Close examination of the structure of carbon diamond reveals that it in fact consists of a multiplicity of zig-zag components, stacked in layers, one upon another. Hence one form of the present invention is a 3-dimensional structure which consists of zig-zag shaped components made from any suitable construction material joined together in such a way as to be geometrically similar to the structure of carbon diamond.

Exact replication of the diamond structure would require that the angle of the zig-zag were 1090 28', but the components would fit together whatever angle were used, and therefore no particular angle is specific to the invention.

The cross-sectional shape of the components could be any suitable shape. The zig-zag shaped components can be fixed together by any suitable method, provided they are fixed in the correct configuration to mimic the diamond structure, although a possible method of locating them together is described below.

A specific example of the present invention is described below.

Figure 1 shows the basic shape of a single zig-zag component.

Figure 2 shows the configuration in which such components can be joined together in order to mimic the molecular structure of diamond.

Figure 3 shows a specific way in which the components could be made in order that they would fit together.

Figure 4 shows how components of the structure can pack together before construction or after demounting of the structure. This figure also demonstrates how components can be cut very economically from a single sheet of the construction material.

The basic constructional component is shown in Figure 1., which takes the form of a zig-zag shaped piece of construction material. The length of the straight portions of the component is not specified, although all such straight portions of all the components used in a particular structure must be equal. The thickness of the the component is not specified, neither is the cross-sectional shape. The angle at which the straight portions of the component are set to one another need not be specified, but again this must be equal for every angle of every component within a particular structure. In order to mimic the carbon diamond structure exactly, this angle should be 1090 28'. The number of zig-zags in a particular component is not specified. The length of a particular component will depend upon the dimensions of the structure being made.

Components like that shown in Figure 1 are used to make a 3-dimensional structure by fixing them together as shown in Figure 2. The structure consists of layers of components.

In each layer the components run parallel to one another.

The components in a particular layer run at a 900 angle to components in the layer above and in the layer below. Hence components in alternate layers of the structure also run parallel to one another. Figure 2 is a 2-dimensional representation of the 3-dimensional structure showing layers of components in which some layers are in the plane of the page, eg. the component labelled 1, while alternate layers are running back into the page, making an angle of 900 to the plane of the page eg. the component labelled 2. The components in a particular layer are joined to those in adjacent layers by joining together of the points of the components in each layer. The plane of each component is vertical when joined together as shown in the figure. Four straight sections meet together at each joint between components. If an angle of 1090 28' is used in making the individual components, then each of the four straight sections meeting at a point will be at an angle of 1090 28' to each of the other straight sections meeting at the same point. In this case the structure will precisely mimic the structure of carbon diamond.

Figure 3 shows the detail of one particular way in which the points of the components might be cut away to allow joints to be made. In this case the cross section of the component is rectangular. Slots are cut in all the points of the component to allow it to be joined to the components in the layers above and below. The dashed line represents the centre line of the component. The width of the slot should be the same as the thickness of a component. Since the components are joined at right angles to one another this will allow one component to join accurately with another.

The depth of the slot should be such that the bottom of the slot coincides exactly with the centre line of the component. Hence the four centre lines of the four straight sections meeting at the joint will coincide exactly. This represents one way in which components may be joined to one another. Any other suitable joint may be used, and different joints may be necessary if, for example, the cross section of the component is round. Whatever the design of joint, it must be as rigid as possible, as this will determine the rigidity of the final structure.

Figure 4 demonstrates how components can be packed closely together for packaging and transport. Thus demountable structures can be packed into a relatively small space. The Figure also indicates how components can be cut very economically from a single sheet of construction material with virtually no wastage, if a rectangular cross-section is required for the component.

Claims (9)

1 A 3-dimensional structure using components constructed from any suitable construction material put together in such a way as to be geometrically similar to the structure of carbon diamond.

2 A 3-dimensional structure as claimed in claim 1 which is constructed from zig-zag shaped components.

3 A structure as claimed in claim 2 in which the components can be closely packed together prior to construction of the structure.

4. A structure as claimed in claim 2 in which the zig-zag shaped components are joined in such a way that the structure is demountable and can be repeatedly constructed and demounted at will.

5. The components of whatever shape used to construct a structure as described in claim 1.

6. The zig-zag shaped components used to construct a structure as described in claim 2.

7. The zig-zag shaped components used to construct a structure as described in claim 3.

8. The zig-zag shaped components used to construct a structure as described in claim 4.

9. A 3-dimensional structure substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-4 of the accompanying drawing.