WO2008094034A1 - Coupling system - Google Patents

Coupling system Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2008094034A1
WO2008094034A1 PCT/NL2008/050039 NL2008050039W WO2008094034A1 WO 2008094034 A1 WO2008094034 A1 WO 2008094034A1 NL 2008050039 W NL2008050039 W NL 2008050039W WO 2008094034 A1 WO2008094034 A1 WO 2008094034A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
coupling
coupling system
support
profiles
circumference
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/NL2008/050039
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Rinze Martijn Wels
Original Assignee
Creative Constructions B.V.
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 Creative Constructions B.V. filed Critical Creative Constructions B.V.
Publication of WO2008094034A1 publication Critical patent/WO2008094034A1/en

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
    • E04B1/38—Connections for building structures in general
    • E04B1/58—Connections for building structures in general of bar-shaped building elements
    • E04B1/5825—Connections for building structures in general of bar-shaped building elements with a closed cross-section
    • E04B1/5837—Connections for building structures in general of bar-shaped building elements with a closed cross-section of substantially circular form
    • 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
    • E04B1/38—Connections for building structures in general
    • E04B1/58—Connections for building structures in general of bar-shaped building elements
    • E04B1/5825—Connections for building structures in general of bar-shaped building elements with a closed cross-section
    • E04B1/5837—Connections for building structures in general of bar-shaped building elements with a closed cross-section of substantially circular form
    • E04B1/5843—Connections for building structures in general of bar-shaped building elements with a closed cross-section of substantially circular form with ends provided with protuberances
    • 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
    • E04B1/38—Connections for building structures in general
    • E04B1/58—Connections for building structures in general of bar-shaped building elements
    • E04B1/5825—Connections for building structures in general of bar-shaped building elements with a closed cross-section
    • E04B1/5837—Connections for building structures in general of bar-shaped building elements with a closed cross-section of substantially circular form
    • E04B1/585—Connections for building structures in general of bar-shaped building elements with a closed cross-section of substantially circular form with separate connection devices
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16B—DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING
    • F16B7/00—Connections of rods or tubes, e.g. of non-circular section, mutually, including resilient connections
    • F16B7/04—Clamping or clipping connections
    • F16B7/044—Clamping or clipping connections for rods or tubes being in angled relationship
    • F16B7/048—Clamping or clipping connections for rods or tubes being in angled relationship for rods or for tubes without using the innerside thereof
    • F16B7/0486—Clamping or clipping connections for rods or tubes being in angled relationship for rods or for tubes without using the innerside thereof forming an abutting connection of at least one tube

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a coupling system comprising a support, a coupling and one or more elements connected to the support via said coupling.
  • the present invention also relates to a coupling suitable for use in said coupling system and to a construction assembled by means of said coupling system.
  • a drawback of the known coupling system is the fact that fastening means, such as bolts and nuts to be screwed down or unscrewed, and tools for said fastening are needed each time a construction is to be assembled. Bringing along and using the tools takes time and frequently leads to unsafe situations, in particular in those cases in which a construction such as scaffolding, a stall or a kiosk or the like must be built up or taken down quickly.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide an improved, solid coupling system, by means of which a construction that can be designed with greater creative freedom - as regards shape - can be built up or taken down in a safe manner.
  • the coupling system according to the invention exhibits the features defined in claim 1.
  • the advantage of the coupling system according to the invention is that no tools are required for connecting said one or more elements to the coupling.
  • To connect the elements to the coupling several profiled ends of the elements are simply manually brought into engagement with the profiles formed in the circumferential sides of the circumferential opening.
  • a coupling is provided which engages in a stable manner on either side of the circumferential opening without tools being required.
  • the profiles formed at one end of element are preferably configured to be slidable in the circumferential opening.
  • a preferred embodiment of the coupling system according to the invention is characterised in that the base has a curved side extending between the edges, which is supported on the circumference of the support in assembled condition.
  • the elements can be brought together at varying angles at a coupling. Torsional forces in the elements are prevented if the element is pivotable with respect to its end.
  • the aforesaid possibilities make it possible to realise also constructions comprising supports that cross one another at a particular angle. Furthermore, this provides a possibility of making the coupling system, or the supports and/or the elements, at least partially collapsible, so that they will take up less space, for example during storage or transport .
  • a coupling system which is flexible on account of the detachability of the coupling is obtained if the coupling is built up of interconnectable, possibly partially pivotable shell members.
  • said shell members are provided with clamping means, which can be operated only manually, if desired, thus ensuring a simply assembly and disassembly of the coupling system according to the invention.
  • Figures 1 and 2 are views of a coupling system according to the invention, comprising a single and a double coupling, respectively, which is connected to several elements;
  • Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the coupling of figure 1 at the location of the base at the end of the element;
  • Figure 4 is cross-sectional view of a part of a coupling according to the invention, which comprises three bases and clamping means to be screwed down for securing the coupling, which is built up of shell members.
  • Figure 1 shows a coupling system 1, in this case comprising a support 2, a single coupling 3 and a few elements 4.
  • the support 2 and the elements 4 are bars or tubes formed by means of an extrusion process, for example. Said bars or tubes are for example made of aluminium, steel or plastic material.
  • the coupling 3 is a single coupling made up of two pivotable shell members 3-1 and 3-2, which is arranged round the circumference of the support, which shell members are interconnected at the rear side of the support 2 (not shown in figure 1) by clamping means yet to be explained in more detail.
  • Each shell member 3-1, 3-2 consists of two rigidly interconnected ring segments, between which a curved circumferential opening 5 is present.
  • Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the coupling 3 of figure 1, showing a base 6 provided at an end 7 of the element 4, which is disposed in the circumferential opening 5.
  • the circumferential opening 5 has two opposite circumferential sides 8 formed with a profile 9, for example a notch profile or a cam profile.
  • the radially inwardly extending - internal - profile 9 on the ring segments of the shell members 3-1, 3-2 of the coupling 3 is in engagement with a radially upwardly extending - external - profile 11 formed on an end 10 of the element 4.
  • the profiles 9 and 11 are provided with the illustrated cams or notches, for example, they will be movable with respect to each other in the circumferential opening 5.
  • the profile 11 is formed on edges of the base 6, which has a curved side 12 extending between said edges, which is supported on the circumference of the support 2 in assembled condition, so that a construction 1 which is movable and flexible yet during assembly, but which optimally ensures mechanical stability after assembly, can be realised by means of the coupling system 1.
  • Figure 2 shows that the coupling system 1 can accommodate a large number of elements 4 converging at the coupling 3, which is configured as a double coupling in this case.
  • two couplings 3 are arranged side by side, which couplings are capable of taking up any opposing forces that may be exerted on the respective couplings 3.
  • the elements 4 may include a large number of different angles with the support 2, which can be freely adjusted during assembly, because the ends 7 of the elements 4 are provided with pivots 13.
  • end 7 of the element 4 may be provided with a rotary bearing 14, making the end 7 and the pivot 13 rotatable, so that the coupling system 1, and thus the construction to be formed, will have a large number of degrees of freedom due to the combination of the slideability of the base 6, said pivotability and said rotatability.
  • Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the coupling 3, which comprises three bases 6, which slidably engage in the circumferential opening 5 in the manner explained in the foregoing.
  • the two shell members 3-1, 3-2 shown in this figure are coupled together by means of the aforesaid clamping means 15.
  • a clamp to be manually moved through a dead point might be used for this purpose.
  • the figure shows an alternative for coupling the pivotable shell members together, which requires the use of a common screwdriver.
  • the clamping means comprise two pin members 15-1 provided in each of the spaced-apart shell members, which are moved together upon assembly into tapered openings 15-2 of a holder 15-3.
  • the holder 15-3 is furthermore provided with a threaded hole for receiving a bolt 15-4, which is provided with a ring 15-5 having a bevelled circumferential edge.
  • a bolt 15-4 which is provided with a ring 15-5 having a bevelled circumferential edge.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Architecture (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Mutual Connection Of Rods And Tubes (AREA)

Abstract

There is disclosed a coupling system comprising a support, a coupling and one or more elements connected to the support via said coupling. The coupling extends round the circumference of the support, and a circumferential opening provided therein is bounded on two opposite circumferential sides by profiles which, in the coupled position, are in engagement with profiles formed on an end of the element. The coupling system can be suitably used in building up and taking down a stable construction, such as scaffolding, a stall, a stand, a kiosk, a platform, a work of art, an architectural structure or a sculpture, without tools or specialist know-how being required.

Description

COUPLING SYSTEM
The present invention relates to a coupling system comprising a support, a coupling and one or more elements connected to the support via said coupling.
The present invention also relates to a coupling suitable for use in said coupling system and to a construction assembled by means of said coupling system.
Such coupling systems are known. A drawback of the known coupling system is the fact that fastening means, such as bolts and nuts to be screwed down or unscrewed, and tools for said fastening are needed each time a construction is to be assembled. Bringing along and using the tools takes time and frequently leads to unsafe situations, in particular in those cases in which a construction such as scaffolding, a stall or a kiosk or the like must be built up or taken down quickly.
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved, solid coupling system, by means of which a construction that can be designed with greater creative freedom - as regards shape - can be built up or taken down in a safe manner.
In order to accomplish that object, the coupling system according to the invention exhibits the features defined in claim 1.
The advantage of the coupling system according to the invention is that no tools are required for connecting said one or more elements to the coupling. To connect the elements to the coupling, several profiled ends of the elements are simply manually brought into engagement with the profiles formed in the circumferential sides of the circumferential opening. As the latter profiles are formed on opposite sides of the circumferential opening, a coupling is provided which engages in a stable manner on either side of the circumferential opening without tools being required. This renders the coupling system according to the invention very suitable for realising a construction that can be designed with great creative freedom, using application-oriented, generally light-weight materials, which can be assembled to form a mechanically stable unit by unskilled personnel.
When inwardly an outwardly oriented profiles to be brought into engagement with each other are used, a solid engagement that will not come loose undesirably is advantageously obtained. This renders the coupling system according to the invention excellently suitable for use in erecting stands, platforms, works of art, architectural structures and sculptures, for example, while complying with the applicable safety regulations. Cable constructions may be used in the coupling system instead of some supports or elements, if desired, insofar as pulling forces occur in the supports or elements in question.
In one embodiment, the profiles formed at one end of element are preferably configured to be slidable in the circumferential opening.
The advantage of this embodiment of the coupling system according to the invention is that forces exerted by adjacent profiled ends of elements jointly formed in the same circumferential opening at least partially counteract each other and are not necessarily exerted entirely on the coupling. In this way the coupling may in principle be of less sturdy construction, without this having an adverse effect on the reliability and solidity thereof. A preferred embodiment of the coupling system according to the invention is characterised in that the base has a curved side extending between the edges, which is supported on the circumference of the support in assembled condition.
In this way an optimum mechanical stability is advantageously obtained, because the curved side of the base supported on the circumference of the support provides a direct transmission of forces from each of the elements to the support. Said transmission of forces does not take place via the coupling, therefore, which may thus be less sturdy, so that the cost price of the coupling system will be lower.
If the end of an element is provided with a pivot, the elements can be brought together at varying angles at a coupling. Torsional forces in the elements are prevented if the element is pivotable with respect to its end. The aforesaid possibilities make it possible to realise also constructions comprising supports that cross one another at a particular angle. Furthermore, this provides a possibility of making the coupling system, or the supports and/or the elements, at least partially collapsible, so that they will take up less space, for example during storage or transport .
A coupling system which is flexible on account of the detachability of the coupling is obtained if the coupling is built up of interconnectable, possibly partially pivotable shell members. Preferably, said shell members are provided with clamping means, which can be operated only manually, if desired, thus ensuring a simply assembly and disassembly of the coupling system according to the invention. - A -
The coupling system according to the present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the figures below, in which like parts are indicated by the same numerals. In the drawings:
Figures 1 and 2 are views of a coupling system according to the invention, comprising a single and a double coupling, respectively, which is connected to several elements; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the coupling of figure 1 at the location of the base at the end of the element; and
Figure 4 is cross-sectional view of a part of a coupling according to the invention, which comprises three bases and clamping means to be screwed down for securing the coupling, which is built up of shell members.
Figure 1 shows a coupling system 1, in this case comprising a support 2, a single coupling 3 and a few elements 4. The support 2 and the elements 4 are bars or tubes formed by means of an extrusion process, for example. Said bars or tubes are for example made of aluminium, steel or plastic material. In the illustrated embodiment, the coupling 3 is a single coupling made up of two pivotable shell members 3-1 and 3-2, which is arranged round the circumference of the support, which shell members are interconnected at the rear side of the support 2 (not shown in figure 1) by clamping means yet to be explained in more detail. Each shell member 3-1, 3-2 consists of two rigidly interconnected ring segments, between which a curved circumferential opening 5 is present.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the coupling 3 of figure 1, showing a base 6 provided at an end 7 of the element 4, which is disposed in the circumferential opening 5. The circumferential opening 5 has two opposite circumferential sides 8 formed with a profile 9, for example a notch profile or a cam profile. In the illustrated position, the radially inwardly extending - internal - profile 9 on the ring segments of the shell members 3-1, 3-2 of the coupling 3 is in engagement with a radially upwardly extending - external - profile 11 formed on an end 10 of the element 4. If the profiles 9 and 11 are provided with the illustrated cams or notches, for example, they will be movable with respect to each other in the circumferential opening 5.
The profile 11 is formed on edges of the base 6, which has a curved side 12 extending between said edges, which is supported on the circumference of the support 2 in assembled condition, so that a construction 1 which is movable and flexible yet during assembly, but which optimally ensures mechanical stability after assembly, can be realised by means of the coupling system 1.
As figure 3 shows, the profiles 9 and 11 and the openings into which they fall are slightly conical, so that a clamping force is generated when the profiles are being secured together, which eliminates any play therebetween.
Figure 2 shows that the coupling system 1 can accommodate a large number of elements 4 converging at the coupling 3, which is configured as a double coupling in this case. In this case two couplings 3 are arranged side by side, which couplings are capable of taking up any opposing forces that may be exerted on the respective couplings 3. This makes it possible to assemble more complex, usually high-rising constructions, such as a small Eiffel tower, for example, comprising a multitude of cross connections. The elements 4 may include a large number of different angles with the support 2, which can be freely adjusted during assembly, because the ends 7 of the elements 4 are provided with pivots 13. Furthermore, the end 7 of the element 4 may be provided with a rotary bearing 14, making the end 7 and the pivot 13 rotatable, so that the coupling system 1, and thus the construction to be formed, will have a large number of degrees of freedom due to the combination of the slideability of the base 6, said pivotability and said rotatability.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the coupling 3, which comprises three bases 6, which slidably engage in the circumferential opening 5 in the manner explained in the foregoing. The two shell members 3-1, 3-2 shown in this figure are coupled together by means of the aforesaid clamping means 15. A clamp to be manually moved through a dead point might be used for this purpose. The figure shows an alternative for coupling the pivotable shell members together, which requires the use of a common screwdriver. The clamping means comprise two pin members 15-1 provided in each of the spaced-apart shell members, which are moved together upon assembly into tapered openings 15-2 of a holder 15-3. The holder 15-3 is furthermore provided with a threaded hole for receiving a bolt 15-4, which is provided with a ring 15-5 having a bevelled circumferential edge. When the bolt 15-4 is tightened, the pin members 15-1 are clamped down in the tapered openings 15-2, as a result of which the shell members 3-1, 3-2 are clamped together practically without play after assembly and the curved sides 12 of the various bases 6 are supported on and butt flat against the outer surface of the support 2, thus providing a mechanically stable coupling system 1.

Claims

1. A coupling system comprising a support, a coupling and one or more elements connected to the support via said coupling, which coupling extends round the circumference of the support, and which is provided with at least one circumferential opening, which is bounded on two opposite circumferential sides by profiles which, in the coupled position, are in engagement with profiles formed on an end of the element.
2. A coupling system according to claim 1, characterised in that said profiles are configured as radially outwardly and radially inwardly oriented profiles.
3. A coupling system according to claim 1 or 2 , characterised in that said profiles are configured to be slidable in the circumferential opening.
4. A coupling system according to any one of the claims 1-3, characterised in that the end of the element is provided with a base, whose edges are provided with said profile .
5. A coupling system according to claim 4, characterised in that said base has a curved side extending between said edges, which side is supported on the circumference of the support in assembled condition.
6. A coupling system according to any one of the claims 1-5, characterised in that the end of an element is provided with a pivot.
7. A coupling system according to any one of the claims 1-6, characterised in that the element is pivotable with respect to its end.
8. A coupling system according to any one of the claims 1-7, characterised in that the coupling is built up of several shell members to be arranged round the circumference of the support .
9. A coupling system according to claim 8, characterised in that said shell members are interconnectable .
10. A coupling system according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that said shell members are pivotable .
11. A coupling system according to any one of the claims 8-10, characterised in that the support is provided with clamping means interconnecting the shell members, which function to clamp the coupling round the support.
12. A coupling suitable for use in the coupling system according to any one of the claims 1-11, characterised in that said comprises elements connected to a support, which coupling is arranged for being provided round the circumference of said support, and which is provided with at least one circumferential opening, which is bounded on two opposite circumferential sides by profiles formed in the coupling, which are to be coupled with corresponding profiles.
13. A construction assembled by means of the coupling system according to any one of the claims 1-11.
PCT/NL2008/050039 2007-02-02 2008-01-22 Coupling system WO2008094034A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NLNL-1033321 2007-02-02
NL1033321A NL1033321C2 (en) 2007-02-02 2007-02-02 Coupling system.

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2008094034A1 true WO2008094034A1 (en) 2008-08-07

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ID=38543701

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/NL2008/050039 WO2008094034A1 (en) 2007-02-02 2008-01-22 Coupling system

Country Status (2)

Country Link
NL (1) NL1033321C2 (en)
WO (1) WO2008094034A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AT515528A4 (en) * 2014-09-17 2015-10-15 Teufelberger Composite Ges M B H connecting element
CN105508355A (en) * 2016-01-07 2016-04-20 上海振华重工(集团)股份有限公司 Containing-type node

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AU596917B2 (en) * 1987-11-02 1990-05-17 Tubemakers Of Australia Limited An adjustable coupling

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AU596917B2 (en) * 1987-11-02 1990-05-17 Tubemakers Of Australia Limited An adjustable coupling

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AT515528A4 (en) * 2014-09-17 2015-10-15 Teufelberger Composite Ges M B H connecting element
AT515528B1 (en) * 2014-09-17 2015-10-15 Teufelberger Composite Ges M B H connecting element
CN105508355A (en) * 2016-01-07 2016-04-20 上海振华重工(集团)股份有限公司 Containing-type node
CN105508355B (en) * 2016-01-07 2018-06-19 上海振华重工(集团)股份有限公司 A kind of containment type node

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NL1033321C2 (en) 2008-08-05

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