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The disclosure and prior art relates to geodesic dome constructions and more particularly pertains to a new geodesic dome construction for simultaneously optimizing vertex positioning to be equidistant from a central point and minimizing a number of uniquely shaped triangular panels utilized in construction.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a plurality of triangular panels being coupled together along sides of the triangular panels forming a geodesic polyhedron structure. Each side of each of the triangular panels has a length corresponding to an associated one of only five length factors times a radius of the geodesic polyhedron structure.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A plurality of the triangular panels 16 is coupled together forming the substantially hemispherical portion of the geodesic polyhedron structure 12. Each side 18 of each of the triangular panels 16 has a length corresponding to an associated length factor times the radius of the geodesic polyhedron structure 12. The associated length factor of each of the sides 18 of the triangular panels 16 consists of one of a length factor A equaling 0.2602174968, a length factor B equaling 0.2915741874, a length factor C equaling 0.3033037472, a length factor D equaling 0.3128689301, and a length factor E equaling 0.3249196962. These length factors are rounded similarly to the tenth digit. However, it would be understood that the length factors could be rounded to fewer digits while still adhering to the intent of the present invention. Each triangular panel 16 has a total shape defined by a combination of associated length factors for each side 18 of the triangular panel 16 such that each unique triangular panel 16 can be identified generally by the specific combination of length factors. The distinct shape for each triangular panels 16 consists of one of the following: AAC 101, BBC 102, BBD 103, DDE 104, and EEE 105.
The triangular panels 16 are joined together as shown generally throughout the drawing figures to form sections of the overall geodesic polyhedron structure 12 corresponding to the positioning and joining of spherical geodesic icosahedron triangle 14. Each triangular panel 16 is provided with connection holes 72 the position of which may be standardized to facilitate assembly of the triangular panels 16 to form the geodesic polyhedron structure 12. When fully assembled, the geodesic polyhedron structure 12 is substantially hemispherical defining a substantially circular planar bottom edge 20 of the geodesic polyhedron structure 12. The bottom edge 20 would further define, without any breaks, an icosagon. Vertices of each of the triangular panels 16 forming the geodesic polyhedron structure 12 are equidistant from a central point of the geodesic polyhedron structure 12.
An entryway 22 may be defined in the geodesic polyhedron structure 12. The entryway 22 may of course be formed anywhere in the geodesic polyhedron structure by truncating any of the sides 18 of any of the triangular panels 16 as desired. However, within the teaching of the present invention, the entryway 22 is positioned adjacent to an unaltered one of the triangular panels 16A and a plurality of truncated triangles 16B. The truncated triangular panels 16B still form triangles but are an exception to the five distinct triangles which form the geodesic polyhedron structure 12. At least one side of each of the truncated triangular panels 16B corresponds to one of the five length factors and more specifically to either the length factor B or the length factor D. A width of the entryway 22 is equal to the length factor E times the radius of the geodesic polyhedron structure 12. A top edge 24 of the entryway 22 is defined by the side 18 of one of the triangular panels 16 having a shape corresponding to combination EEE. At least two vertices of each of the truncated triangular panels 16B are equally distant from the central point of the geodesic polyhedron structure 12 as the vertices of the triangular panels 16 forming the geodesic polyhedron structure 12.
A plurality of entryway side panels 26 is coupled to the geodesic polyhedron structure 12. Each of the entryway side panels 26 is typically positioned planar and perpendicular to the planar bottom edge 20 of the geodesic polyhedron structure 12. The entryway side panels 26 may extend inwardly into the interior of the geodesic polyhedron structure 12, as shown in
As shown in
In use, the adherence to the length factors and shapes of the triangular panels 16 provides for reduced production costs and modularity combined with optimized approximation of spherical structure. The invention also provides for no scalene triangles except as may be employed for the entryway 22. The geodesic polyhedron structure 12 may be scaled as desired and employed for various structures including dwellings, storage, amusement, or any other desired purpose.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
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