Coupling Connector and Geodome Frame Made Therewith

Abstract

A coupling connector for a geodesic dome frame comprising a body having holes radial to the vertical axis of the body and positioned at an angle to its horizontal plane. A geodesic dome frame formed with the coupling connector comprises coupling connectors with holes, in which rod ends are positioned to form multiple interconnected triangles forming the surface of the geodesic dome.

Claims

1. A coupling connector for a geodesic dome frame comprising, a body having a body surface, through holes comprising a through hole axis, a vertical axis and a horizontal plane; and at least six holes radial to the vertical axis of the body; wherein, the at least six holes, comprise an axis, a diameter, and a length, are positioned at an angle to the horizontal plane, the angle is from six to ten degrees, and are positioned to each other at an angle of 60; at least a portion of the at least six holes comprises a conic part with a cone angle within four to ten degrees to the axis; the diameter to length ratio comprises at least 0.5; the through holes coupled with one radial hole at one side; the body surface at the other side so the through holes axis is positioned in one plane with the axis of a radial hole.

2. The coupling connector of claim 1, wherein the radial holes are made blind.

3. The coupling connector of claim 1, wherein the axis of radial holes is positioned at the angle of 8 to the horizontal plane.

4. The coupling connector of claim 1, wherein the diameter to length ratio of holes is from 0.5 to 1.5.

5. The coupling connector of claim 1, wherein the axis of through holes is positioned perpendicular to the radial hole to which a through hole is coupled.

6. The coupling connector of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises axial holes.

7. The coupling connector of claim 6, wherein axial holes are positioned between radial holes.

8. The coupling connector of claim 6, wherein axial holes are made blind.

9. The coupling connector of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a central axial hole made blind.

10. A geodesic dome frame comprising coupling connectors with holes, in which rod ends are positioned to form multiple interconnected triangles forming the surface of the geodesic dome, wherein it comprises the coupling connector having six radial holes in which rods are positioned at an angle ranging between 6 and 10 to the horizontal plane of the coupling connector with changeable angle of positioning within 4 to 10 to the axis of radial holes of the connector, and the coupling connector having five radial holes, in which rods are positioned at an angle ranging between 6 and 10 to the horizontal plane of the body and at an angle of 72 to each other, each coupling connector comprises fixators positioned in axial through holes so that each fixator is coupled with a rod end positioned in each radial hole of the said coupling connectors.

11. The frame of claim 10, wherein the ratio of the length of a part of rod ends positioned in radial holes of coupling connectors to the radial hole diameter is at least 0.5.

12. The frame of claim 11, wherein the ratio of the length of a part of rod ends positioned in radial holes of coupling connectors to the radial hole diameter comprises from 0.5 to 1.5.

13. The frame of claim 10, wherein rods in radial holes of each coupling connector are positioned at an angle of 8 to the horizontal plane of the coupling connector.

14. The frame of claim 10, wherein the axis of each fixator is positioned perpendicular to the axis of the respective radial hole to which the said fixator is coupled.

15. The frame of claim 10, wherein each coupling connector having six radial holes is coupled by rods with at least four coupling connectors with five radial holes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The invention claimed is illustrated by the following exemplary embodiment of the coupling connector and the geodome frame formed therewith and by figures where:

[0036] FIG. 1 is a top view of the coupling connector having six radial holes and the frame having the form of a pentagonal prism,

[0037] FIG. 2 is a section A-A on FIG. 1,

[0038] FIG. 3 is a view on FIG. 2,

[0039] FIG. 4 is a top view of the coupling connector having six radial holes and the frame having the form of a round cylinder,

[0040] FIG. 5 is a section A-A on FIG. 4,

[0041] FIG. 6 is a section B-B on FIG. 5,

[0042] FIG. 7 is a top view of the coupling connector having five radial holes and the frame having the form of a round cylinder,

[0043] FIG. 8 is a section A-A on FIG. 7,

[0044] FIG. 9 is a top view of the coupling connector having six radial holes with rods positioned therein upon assembly of the geodome frame,

[0045] FIG. 10 is a top view of the coupling connector having five radial holes with rods positioned therein upon assembly of the geodome frame,

[0046] FIG. 11 is a general view of the geodome frame, so assembled.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The particular embodiment of the coupling connector and the geodome frame, disclosed herein, is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the claims appended hereto, but to explain the essence of the invention.

[0048] The coupling connector 1 for the geodesic dome frame comprises the body 2 equipped with at least six holes 3 radial to the vertical axis 0-0 of the body 2 and positioned at an angle a ranging between 6 and 10 to its horizontal plane, preferably, at the angle of 8, and at the angle of 60 to each other. The body 2 preferably has the form of a hexagonal prism (FIGS. 1-3) or of a round cylinder (FIGS. 4-6) or may have any other acceptable form.

[0049] Radial holes 3 have, at least partially, a conic part 4 with a cone angle within 4 . . . 10 to the axis of holes. Radial holes 3 are made blind. The ratio of diameter D of holes 3 to their length is at least 0.5, preferably, within 0.5 . . . 1.5.

[0050] The body 2 is further equipped with through holes 5, each coupled to one radial hole 3, on the one side, and surface of the body 2, on the other. The axis of through holes 5 is positioned in one plane to the axis of the radial hole 3, to which the through hole 5 is coupled. The body 2 further comprises axial holes 6 positioned between radial holes 3 and the central axial hole 7. The said holes 6 and 7 are made blind.

[0051] The geodesic dome frame made with the connector 1, as disclosed above, comprises, respectively, such coupling connector 1 having six radial holes and the coupling connector 8 having five radial holes (FIG. 3).

[0052] The coupling connector 8 comprises the body 9 equipped with five blind holes 10 radial to the vertical axis 0.sub.1-0.sub.1 of the body 9 and positioned at the angle a ranging between 6 and 10 to its horizontal area, preferably, at the angle of 8, and at the angle of 72 to each other. Unlike the coupling connector 1, holes 10 are cylindrical, i.e. having no conic part. The body 9 may also be a round cylinder (FIGS. 7, 8) or may have any other acceptable form similar to the coupling connector 1. Ratio of diameter D.sub.1 of radial holes 10 to their length L.sub.1 is also at least 0.5, preferably, within 0.5 . . . 1.5. The body 9 is further equipped with through holes 11, each coupled to one radial hole 10, on the one side, and surface of the body 9, on the other. The axis of through holes 11 is positioned in one plane to the axis of the radial hole 10, to which the through hole 11 is coupled, preferably, positioned perpendicular to the radial hole 10, to which the through hole 11 is coupled. The body 9 may further comprise additional axial holes, in particular, central axial hole 12.

[0053] Rods 11 in both coupling connectors 1 and 8 are positioned at an angle within 6 to 10 to the horizontal plane of each coupling connector, preferably, at an angle of 8 to correspond to the angle a of positioning of the axis of radial holes 3 and 10. Rods 11 in coupling connectors 1 are positioned at the angle of 60 to each other and the angle is changeable within 4 . . . 10 to the axis 0-0 of radial holes 3 of the connector depending on the angle of the conic part 4 of radial holes 3. In the coupling connector 8, rods 11 are also positioned at an angle within 6 to 10 to the horizontal plane of the body of the connector 8 and at the angle of 72 to each other. Therefore, each coupling connector 1 is coupled with at least four coupling connectors 8 with rods 11.

[0054] Each coupling connector 1 and 8 comprises fixators 13 positioned in through holes 5 and 11, respectively. Each fixator 10 is coupled with an end of the rod 11 positioned in radial holes 3 and 10 of the said coupling connectors 1 and 8. The axis of each fixator 13 may be positioned perpendicular to axis 0-0 of the respective radial hole 3 and 10 to which the said fixator 13 is coupled. Fixators 13 may be made as a bottom or as a screw thread insert etc.

[0055] The ratio of the length of a part of ends of rods 11 positioned in radial holes 3 and 10 of the coupling connectors 1 and 8, which is equal to the length of radial holes, and diameter D of radial holes 3 and 10 is at least 0.5, preferably, within 0.5 . . . 1.5.

[0056] Coupling connectors of both types may be made by any method known, in particular, by high-pressure extrusion using an injection-moulding machine and various types of plastics or other materials suitable for manufacture of products of such type with the required strength or by milling of metal, plastic or other material suitable for products of such type.

[0057] The frame of the geodesic dome as disclosed above is assembled using the said coupling connectors 1 and 8 as described below. First, end of rods 11 are to be positioned in radial holes 3 and 10, respectively, to form a multiple of interconnected triangles forming a surface of the geodesic dome. During the assembly, the angle of positioning of rods 11, with ends placed in radial holes 3, is changed within 4 . . . 10 to the axis 0-0 of radial holes 3 of the connector 1 to couple with the coupling connector 8. Ends of rods 11 are fixed in radial holes 3 and 10 using fixators 13 by positioning the rods in through holes 5 and 11, respectively.

[0058] Therefore, the geodome frame of varying diameter and varying geosphere segmentation frequency, in particular, the frame with a diameter ranging between 3 and 16 meters and segmentation frequency between V4 and VS may be assembled using only two types of coupling connectors with a simple design in terms of manufacture and having not moveable parts to change the angle of rod positioning so that the geodome frame formation is simplified and reliability of its operation is improved.