WO1996018783A1

WO1996018783A1 - Deformable structure

Info

Publication number: WO1996018783A1
Application number: PCT/FR1995/001646
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michel Tatin
Original assignee: Michel Tatin
Priority date: 1994-12-12
Filing date: 1995-12-12
Publication date: 1996-06-20
Also published as: EP0797715A1; FR2728000A1; DE69503148D1; FR2728000B1; EP0797715B1; CA2207980A1

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

DEFORMABLE STRUCTURE

The present invention relates to a structure comprising bars connected to each other by connecting means, in particular a deformable structure. Structures are known, for example scaffolding, constituted by bars connected to each other by specific connection flanges or metal nodes, depending on the type of assembly desired, comprising screws and clamping nuts. Thus, the number of different parts is important, the assembly and disassembly long and tedious.

The present invention relates to a deformable structure which does not have these drawbacks. It also aims to provide a deformable structure, the number of parts can be limited to three main parts, which is easy to handle and implement, which can adapt to land, or surfaces , not plans.

Thus, according to the invention, a structure comprising at least three bars, connected by at least one flexible link, is characterized in that the bars are linked in pairs by a flexible link, said links being connected to each other by a piece common ring finger they cross; each link crosses the annular part twice.

Advantageously, each bar has passages for the links; at least one passage is a transverse bore; alternatively, at least one passage is a transverse notch; according to 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 with 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 now describe, by way of purely illustrative and nonlimiting example, an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

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, compared 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;

- Figures 8 and 9 show, in partial section, another embodiment of a stop means for the links, during installation, Figure 8, and after installation, Figure 9. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, we see a three-bar structure 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 of circular section; this section can, of course, be other than circular, for example polygonal; similarly, the bars according to the example are rectilinear, but they could also not be entirely rectilinear, even angular, curved, curved, curvilinear, or the like, depending on the destination and the application of the structure; the bars can be made of any suitable material, such as wood, metal, or the like; they can also be solid or hollow.

The bar 10, as can also be seen in FIG. 3, has four passages 11, 12, 13 and 14; one of the passages, passage 11, is in the vicinity of one end of the bar 10; the other passages, 12, 13, 14, follow each other, along the bar 10, in the order of their reference number from the passage 11; the four passages are transverse through cylindrical holes, that is to say that they extend perpendicular to the axis of the bar 10; the passage

12 is close to passage 11; the passage 13 is in the vicinity of the central part of the bar 10; passage 14 is close to passage

13; passages 11 and 14, which are the most distant from each other, are parallel to each other; the two passages 12, 13, placed along the bar 10 between the passages 11 and 14, are also parallel to each other but extend in a direction which is orthogonal to that in 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 connecting the bars 10, 20, 30 two by two; to facilitate the reading of the drawings, the reference of each link includes, in addition to the figure 1 of hundreds, the figure of tens and that of the units which are, respectively, equal to the figure of tens of the reference of the bars which it connects: thus , the link 112 connects the bars 10 and 20, the link 123 connects the bars 20 and 30, and the link 131 connects the bars 30 and 10. The three links 112, 123, 131 cooperate with the same annular part 40 in the manner described below; the annular part 40, according to the example, is a metal ring; it could be in any other suitable material and have a different shape, in diabolo for example, provided that it is in the shape of a ring.

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

The path followed by the link 112, with respect to the passages of the bars 10 and 20, is the following. After crossing the passage 12 of the bar 10, the link crosses the passage 21 of the bar 20, crosses the ring 40, placed between the bars 10 and 20 approximately at the right of their passages 13, 14 and 23, 24; at the exit of the ring 40, the link

112 crosses the passage 23 of the bar, makes a revolution and a half around it, crosses again the ring 40 then the passage 24 of the bar; at its two ends, the link 112 has attachment or stop means, for example nodes 113 and 114. It can be seen, in FIG. 3, that the link 1 12 is arranged in a certain way relative to the ring 40 and 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 associated bar 10, the link 112 passes under the bar 20, then crosses the ring 40 by entering it above, penetrates, from below the bar 20, in the passage 23, wraps around the bar 20 over a revolution and a half, in the dextrorsum direction, again crosses the ring 40 while entering it above, to finally join the passage 24 which it crosses having penetrated the side of this passage closest to the ring 40.

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

To complete the structure of FIGS. 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, following the path passage 32 - passage 11 - ring 40 - passage 13 - ring 40 - passage 14.

Figures 1 and 2 show the deployed structure in the operational position; to facilitate reading of FIG. 2, the different passages made in the different bars have been shown either parallel to the plane of the figure, or perpendicular to this plane; it goes without saying that, when the structure is loaded, the tensioned links can cause the bars to rotate on themselves and the passages which they present are then slightly inclined relative to their position shown in the figure; anyway, such a structure is very stable and can withstand very heavy loads, especially since it is possible to assemble, as described above, as many bars as is necessary depending on the load that the structure must support; by increasing the number of bars, the stability of the structure is further increased; another example of structure according to the invention is shown in perspective, in FIG. 5, comprising in particular five bars.

The applications of a structure according to the invention are numerous and varied; such a structure allows the creation of fixed frames or variable geometry, in the field of architectural works, furniture, intervention equipment for the building, sail supports, such as a canvas for example, or the like. 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 thus formed can be a low table or a high table depending on the choice of elements of the structure: length of the bars, length of the links, position of the passages of the links along the bars.

Advantageously, as it is easily understood, the height of the structure is easily adjustable: it is sufficient, for this, that the effective length of each link is adjusted; The effective length of a link is understood here to mean the length of the link which separates the attachment or stop means: for example, for the link 112, the distance between the nodes 113 and 114; to facilitate the adjustment of the height of the structure, the end of each link, which is the furthest from the annular part, bears markers; this is illustrated in FIG. 3 where the link 112 has a free end 116 which extends beyond the node 113 and I along which marks 115 are visible; these marks make it easier to make the effective lengths of all links equal. The links can have any diameter and be made of any material, the diameter and / or the material being adapted to the load that the structure must bear; thus, they can be made from a single string or, to support heavy loads, be made from metallic or fiber-based cables; in the latter field, good results have been obtained with cables made of aramid fibers, which are polyamide fibers, such as those which are marketed under the brands NOMEX or KEVLAR by the company DU PONT de NEMOURS.

With regard to the links, in particular when they are made from technical cables, it may be useful to protect them at the ends of the passages they pass through, avoiding, taking into account the angles they form with the direction of passage, their cooperation with a sharp edge bordering the passage at said ends; for this, these ends can be flared, as shown at 117 in FIG. 3 on either side of the passage 14. It may also be preferable not to make the stop means by knotting the links, in particular when the links are made from technical cables, such an operation being liable to weaken them; 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 inner surface 67 of revolution with a flared profile opening, on one side, towards the outside, along its section of smaller diameter which corresponds to the section of the link 112 which is introduced into the nut 65 on the side of this section smaller diameter; the surface 67 opens out, on the other side, into an externally threaded cylindrical portion 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 plug 60 is intended for maintaining the pressure of a core 62 inside the nut 65; the core 62 has a cylindrical portion 64 adapted to be received with play inside the plug 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 ending in the form of 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; at first, the point 68 penetrates into the link 112 by spreading the interior fibers of the latter, as shown in 70; in Figure 8, the plug 60 and the core 62 are shown at a distance from the nut 65 although the end fibers are shown apart, to facilitate reading of the drawing; after screwing the plug 60 to the bottom of the nut 65, the fibers are held by clamping between the surface 67 of the nut 65 and the tail 63 of the core 62, as shown in FIG. 9; it will be appreciated that, during the screwing of the plug 60, the core 62, independent of the plug 60, does not rotate with it and a twisting of the fibers of the link 112 is avoided, which twisting would have risked initiating a shearing of 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; well understood, taking into account the nature of the links, other forms can be envisaged; the ends of the links can be held on the 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 pins 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; it is also possible to make these passages differently; in FIG. 6, the end passages 11 and 12 of the bar 10 are produced in the form of longitudinal notches, extending parallel to the axis of the bar 10; in FIG. 7, these same passages are made in the form of 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 recess, respectively 51 and 52.

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

The structure according to the invention, thanks to the flexibility of the links, has the advantage of being foldable, the parts which constitute it remaining correctly assembled, thanks to the annular part, which moreover plays the role of articulations for the links during operations that allow the structure to be folded down or deployed; in the folded position of the structure, the bars are assembled being 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 assembly by establishing connections, for example using cables other than the links, between the ends of the bars which touch the ground and those which are "in the air", as shown schematically by the dashed lines 212, 223, 231 in FIG. 1. In the examples shown, the 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 planar, and / or in the case where the structure is brought to bear a non-planar load, and / or in the case where it is desired that the load is slightly inclined with respect to a horizontal plane.

Claims

1. Structure comprising at least three bars, connected by at least one flexible link, characterized in that the bars (10, 20, 30) are linked in pairs (10, 20; 20, 30; 30, 10) by a flexible link (112, 123, 131), said links being connected together by a common annular part (40) which they pass through.

2. Structure according to claim 1, characterized in that each link (112, 123, 131) crosses twice the annular part (40).

3. Structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each bar (10, 20, 30) has passages (11-14, 21-24, 31-34) for the links (112, 123, 131) .

4. Structure according to claim 3, characterized in that at least one passage (11-14, 21-24, 31-34) is a transverse bore.

5. Structure according to claim 3, characterized in that at least one passage (11-14, 21-24, 31-34) is a transverse notch.

6. Structure according to claim 3, characterized in that at least one passage (11-14, 21-24, 31-34) is a longitudinal notch.

7. Structure according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that each bar (10, 20, 30) has four passages, including three passages (12-14, 22-24, 32-34) for the link which associates it with the annular part (40) and a passage (11, 21, 31) for another link.

8. Structure according to claim 7, characterized in that the four passages are two to two parallel, the two passages (12, 13; 22, 23; 32, 33) placed between the two other passages (11, 14; 21 , 24; 31, 34) extending parallel to each other at an angle with said two other passages (11, 14; 21, 24; 31, 34).

9. Structure according to claim 8, characterized in that this angle is a right angle.

10. Structure according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the bars are all identical and the effective lengths of all the links (112, 123, 131) are equal.

11. Structure according to one of claims 1 to 10,> characterized in that the effective length of each link (112,

123, 131) is adjustable.