Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Compound curve structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-18
2001-12-04
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Compound curve structure
C052S082000, CD25S019000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06324791
ABSTRACT:
fabricated huts made from modules that are transported and assembled “in situ” are already known.
More specifically, huts that are shaped approximately like a semi-sphere based on semi-spherical lune modules are well-known, for example Utility Models 164.457, 292.023, Pat. No. 2,134,683 of Spain or U.S. Pat. No. 2,176,712.
These huts are normally used for outdoor shelter.
All of the known huts suffer from the essential defect that in order to be resistant to the forces of nature, such as snow and wind, the material used to make each of the modules is too thick. This means that they are expensive to manufacture and hard to transport, handle and assemble.
This defect has been overcome by the hut of the invention, due to the geometry of each module, which progressively changes from a concave to convex shape.
A vertical section taken through the center of a module of the invention, has a geometry, which, when viewed from the outside, is concave in the upper part and convex in the lower part. This S-shaped geometry represents a considerable increase in the moment of inertia with respect to the axis of the element.
A horizontal section, for example, at the center point of the assembled hut, has a geometry that is a repetition of concave shapes forming a convex shape at the point where the elements are join together. This also represents a much greater moment of inertia with respect to the axis, than any other geometry of the prior art huts made from modules.
The geometry of the invention improves the static performance(snow loads) as well as repetitive variable intensity loads (action of the wind) of each module and of the hut as a whole, thus permitting the use of less thick modules with the relative saving of material.
The whole hut is lighter in weight, meaning that it can be assembled on soft ground and levelled areas because it is not necessary for the land to be prepared to support pillars or supports as often occurs with known prefabricated huts.
Features of the invention include:
The design of the geometry of each module is such that they are manufactured as elementary single-pieces, that is, they are not comprised of other parts, pieces or reinforcements, so there are no joints.
The modules are stacked together guaranteeing the safety of the pack as one part fits into another, preventing the module from slipping, thereby taking up minimal space, and thus optimizing both transport and storage, due to their formal and structural design.
Each individual module is improved as, dimensionally, its shape is maintained, therefore improving its breaking behaviour, each element being able to be handled individually, thus facilitating the assembly.
This invention advocates a hut with outside modular walls, of the kind with four sides, two sides which are similar to each other, a lower one and an upper one, which is characterized because when the cross sections of the modules are viewed from the inside, they are concave in the areas close to the lower side and convex in the areas close to the upper side, with an intermediate area where the curvature progressively changes.
The invention is also characterized because the module is shaped approximately like a semi-spherical lune, where its cross sections (st) are carried out from the center of the sphere at different tilt angles (&agr;) where (R) is the radius of the sphere and (R′) is the radius of curvature of each cross section (st), such that:
if &agr; = 0
R′ = R
st = concave
if 4° ≦ &agr; ≦ 10°
1.5 R ≦ R′ ≦ 2 R
st = concave
if &agr; = 45°
R′ = R/2
st = convex
if 70° ≦ &agr; ≦ 80°
R/10 ≦ R′ ≦ R/12
st = convex
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 363993 (1995-11-01), Johnson et al.
patent: D. 396115 (1998-07-01), Zobel, Jr.
patent: 3513608 (1970-05-01), Nagrod
patent: 5341610 (1994-08-01), Moss
Bierman, Muserlian and Lucas
Friedman Carl D.
Varner Steve M.
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