Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Shaped or strengthened by fluid pressure – Comprising spaced – sheetlike members and fluid chamber...
Patent
1997-03-10
1999-05-11
Kent, Christopher
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Shaped or strengthened by fluid pressure
Comprising spaced, sheetlike members and fluid chamber...
52 223, 52 6, 52 22, E04H15/20
Patent
active
059015047
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a roof of a built structure and more particularly of a building-like structure such as a hall or a shed, a trade fair stand and an open-sided shelter or the like.
Known roofs of this type are composed of a trussed roof structure and a roof sheet borne thereby which is generally made up of plate-like elements.
In the case of a built structure described in the German utility model G 9,418,076.8 a roof of the type initially mentioned is present, which is composed of individual sheet-like roof elements individually carried on supports. In order to facilitate handling the roof elements are constituted by air-tight hollow bodies inflated with compressed air. The large number of supports required does however reduce the utility of the area covered by the roof.
One object of the present invention is to provide a roof of the type initially mentioned, which while being easy to erect provides a free span roof for large areas.
In order to achieve this aim a hollow body structure with linked walls of flexible and at least substantially air-impermeable material is provided, the walls delimiting, in a row direction, elongated chambers arranged in sequence side by side, such chambers being in the form of alternating gage pressure chambers subject to a gage pressure and vacuum chambers subject to vacuum.
A roof erected in this manner renders possible the realization of large free span configurations. Consequently large areas may be covered over without having to rely on intermediate supports. The design using flexible material facilitates simple shipping to the assembly site and renders possible simple handling during assembly. Owing to the alternating subjection to gage pressure and vacuum (the terms gage pressure and vacuum being related to atmospheric pressure) of the chambers directly placed together in sequence the result is an extremely stiff and dimensionally stable roof design with a relatively low weight. The support action as such is in this case mostly provided by the elements subject a gage pressure which may transfer the forces occurring if required via supports provided at the edges or, respectively, a suitable bearer structure, to the ground. In the vacuum chambers even a low degree of vacuum of the order of 0.005 bar is sufficient to obtain the necessary thrust-related rigidity in the row direction and to prevent flutter of the walls delimiting the vacuum chambers in the wind. It is in this manner that it is possible not only to bridge over large spans but also produce long overall lengths in the row direction. Moreover, even a low vacuum is sufficient to ensure that the vacuum chambers remain in place simply because of their own weight and are not drawn apart. If required it is however possible additionally or as an alternative to provide the support or means for securing the walls of some gage pressure chambers in position as a measure for maintaining the mutual spacing assumed by the gage pressure chambers.
Further advantageous developments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.
The walls of the gage pressure chambers are preferably so shaped that individual elements are present in the form of hose-like hollow bodies, which respectively delimit one gage pressure chamber. Such hose-like bodies may be manufactured comparatively simply. Their cross sectional configuration is preferably round for reasons of mechanical strength and is more particularly preferably circular.
In order to form a respective vacuum chamber between two adjacent hose-like hollow bodies, in the intermediate space two equally spaced diaphragm elements preferably extend in a direction athwart the direction of the roof, such diaphragm elements constituting, together with the mutually facing wall sections of the hose-like hollow bodies or wall sections in front of the wall sections, the wall of the respective vacuum chambers. Such diaphragm elements can be manufactured as sheet-like elements in a simple fashion. If required they may be attached permanently to the walls of the gage pressure chambers,
REFERENCES:
patent: 2946337 (1960-07-01), Wolshin
patent: 4146996 (1979-04-01), Arnesen
patent: 5079887 (1992-01-01), Anderson
German Bauzeitschrift-DBZ, NR. 7, Jul. 1992, pp. 1283-1299, XP002013671, G. Minke. "Pneumatisch stabilisierte Membrantragweirk.".
German zeitserift (Bauen+Wohnen), Nov., 1971, pp. 501-508.
Stoll Wilfried
Thallemer Axel
Festo KG
Kang Timothy B.
Kent Christopher
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