Patent Application
20110167736
The present invention generally relates to a modular seating riser for stadia, to a set of structural modules for building the same, to a kit and an assembly therefor, as well as to a method for building the same.
Known in the art are prefabricated or precast concrete grandstand riser sections. The majority of stadiums, both indoor and outdoor, utilize this type of construction to support their seating. The usual construction method utilizes a structural steel or concrete support structure, although other materials can be used. The supporting structure typically consists of vertical column elements that support sloping raker beams. The raker beam is erected at the appropriate slope matching the inclination of the grandstand and in turn supports the grandstand precast riser sections that are fixed to it. The raker beams are parallel in straight seating sections and are typically spaced at intervals between 25 to 40 feet but may be spaced at closer or wider distances. In the corners of most stadiums, the seating areas approximate curves by using straight precast riser segments. In these instances, the raker beams are not parallel and the spacing between the rakers is variable.
The precast riser sections are “L” shaped sections consisting of a relatively horizontal floor section and a vertical back section. The riser sections are designed to support both their own dead weight in addition to the weight of the spectators attending an event. The riser sections must also be designed to meet certain deflection and vibration criteria so that the spectators feel comfortable and safe from their elevated seat location. The horizontal section may be slightly sloped for drainage and to facilitate cleaning between events. This flat floor section creates the space for the seating area plus a walkway aisle in front of the seat and may also support floor mounted seat brackets. The vertical section forms the back of the seating area and generally has a seat bracket fixed to its surface. Today, most seats are back mounted to facilitate cleaning and maintenance between events. In order to minimize construction and erection time, the riser sections are often constructed as a double L or a triple L creating two or three rows of seating respectively.
Typical stadium seats require one or two vertical rows of bolts that attach the seat support plate to the back of the riser section. To accomplish this with concrete risers, first the location of each bolt has to be measured and marked, holes drilled, threaded anchors placed and epoxied into place prior to seat installation. For steel risers, bolt location must be measured and marked, holes drilled and one-sided bolts used to install the seats. In the case of SPS (Sandwich Plate System) risers, the same procedure is used as for concrete risers. Additionally in all of the above cases, if seats need to be relocated for any reason, such as to install handicap seating, new bolts have to be installed. Generally, epoxy anchored bolts are expensive and can only be installed in temperatures above freezing.
Precast concrete riser sections are relatively heavy and weigh in the vicinity of 100 pounds per square foot. Most North American design codes specify that the live load to be supported by the riser sections is 60 pounds per square foot. Thus the supporting structure must be designed to carry a larger proportion of dead load than live load resulting in a heavy support structure. Additionally, seismic lateral forces are calculated as a percentage of the dead load only, again resulting in large lateral forces to be resisted by the structure.
Large stadiums require hundreds of riser units. Precast concrete units must be poured in individual forms and necessitate cure time. This results in long prefabrication times in order to fabricate a sufficient number of units prior to commencement of erection. Also for large grandstands, the uppermost risers require a long crane reach to deposit the units. These heavy units require large crane capacities significantly increasing crane size and cost. Higher capacity cranes have slower travel speeds again increasing erection cost. Moreover, the constant tread width of such precast concrete units generally renders an inflexible geometry.
A small percentage of stadiums use prefabricated steel riser sections custom manufactured from steel plate components. Steel risers have the same form and shape as the precast concrete risers. Known to the Applicant is U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,699 (KENNEDY), which describes sandwich plate stepped riser made of upper and lower metal plates bonded together by an elastomer.
Also known to the applicant is U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,788 (MERRICK), which discloses a decking system for bleacher-type stadium seating, including a plurality of extruded metal formed filler boards, foot boards and riser boards, which may be interlocked with each other and with a stadium seating substructure. The substructure includes conventional angle members forming an L shaped support surface for receiving the various decking components.
Steel riser sections are much lighter using thin steel plates capable of resisting the overall load. However these plates must be locally reinforced to minimize local deflection and vibration forces resulting in more expensive riser sections than precast concrete risers. In some instances a secondary structure is required. In addition, steel riser sections require welding to fabricate the section. The welded joints cause distortion of the steel plates necessitating costly shop operations to correct these distortions.
Also known to the Applicant are die-formed aluminum riser sections. These sections are however limited in length and require a secondary steel structure to support the sections, resulting in cluttering of the space underneath the riser. This space is usually used for spectators to circulate within the stadium, and for restaurants and washrooms areas. Existing aluminum risers are therefore mostly used for small municipal stadiums.
A number of modular structures are known in the field of staircases. For example, known to the applicant is U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,256 (JEFFERYS), which discloses an adjustable step construction having cooperating projections and grooves on the riser portion in order to adjust the height of each step. Also known to the applicant is PCT patent application WO90/04692 (MOON et al.), which discloses a staircase made of a plurality of tread members which can be adjustably mounted in order to vary the angle of the staircase. Moreover, also known to the applicant is European patent application 82306775.6 (PERRY et al.), which is directed to a staircase cladding adapted to clad the nose and the riser of the step. However, these documents are considered to be irrelevant with respect to the field of the present invention since the structures described therein are not readily suitable for bleacher-type stadium seating risers provided in large scale grandstand riser sections.
Thus there is a need for an improved riser unit and/or seating riser that performs as well as a concrete riser from a spectator viewpoint, is lighter in order to reduce the weight of the supporting structure and the lateral seismic forces, that span across a considerably long distance, that can be manufactured and assembled in a relatively short time frame and that is lighter to reduce the equipment cost and erection time and effort.
An object of the present invention is to provide a riser section and/or riser assembly that satisfies at least one of the above-mentioned needs.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the above object is achieved with a set of structural modules for building a modular seating riser on which seats of a bleacher-type stadium are mounted, each of the structural modules being a metal extrusion having an elongated shaped body with two opposite lateral edges, the set comprising: a first module having a female tensioned catch-connector provided along at least one of the lateral edges thereof; and a second module having a male tensioned catch-connector provided along at least one of the lateral edges thereof, the male and female tensioned catch-connectors having complementary configurations for mating and interlocking together, the first and second modules being operable between an unassembled configuration, wherein the female and male catch-connectors are disconnected, and an assembled configuration, wherein the female and male catch-connectors are interlocked together and frictionally tensioned against one another to form a structural permanent joint.
In the context of the present invention, the term “structural” means used in or necessary to building, capable of bearing the weight of a building structure or a part of I 0 a structure that bears a weight, or the structural piece used for such a part.
In the context of the present invention, the term “module” means a standardized, often interchangeable component of a system or construction that is designed for easy assembly or flexible use.
Moreover, the term “modular” means relating to or based on a module or modulus, or designed with standardized units or dimensions, as for easy assembly and repair or flexible arrangement and use.
In the context of the present invention, the term “extrusion” means a material having been pushed or drawn through a die of the desired cross-section, or an object or material produced by extruding (i.e. shaped by forcing it through a die).
In the context of the present invention, the term “catch-connector” means a fastener being configured to join with another complementary catch-connector and to interlock therewith once joined, typically by virtue of a hooking or blocking system formed between the two fasteners, mutually locking the catch-connectors together. Moreover, the expression “tensioned catch-connector” means that the catch-connector is biased and/or exerts a force, so as to form, once connected to the other complementary catch-connector, a structural joint, by virtue of a biasing force, a tension, a mechanical stress or a friction force created between the two catch-connectors.
In the context of the present invention, the term “interlocking” means uniting/joining closely as by hooking or dovetailing, or connecting the modules together so that these modules affect each other in motion or operation.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a modular seating riser for mounting seat rows of a bleacher's type stadium, the modular seating riser comprising: at least a first and a second structural module, each of the first and second structural modules being a metal extrusion having an elongated shaped body with two opposite lateral edges, the first module having a female tensioned catch-connector provided along at least one of the lateral edges thereof, and the second module having a male tensioned catch-connector provided along at least one of the lateral edges thereof, the male and female tensioned catch-connectors having complementary configurations for mating and interlocking together, the first and second modules being operable between an unassembled configuration, wherein the female and male catch-connectors are disconnected, and an assembled configuration, wherein the female and male catch-connectors are interlocked together and frictionally tensioned against one another to form a structural permanent joint.
Preferably, an other lateral edge of at least one of the first and second modules is provided with a lock-connector and the modular seating riser further comprises: at least one third structural module having an elongated shaped body with a first and a second opposite lateral edge, a first lock-connector provided along the first lateral edge, the first lock-connector of the third module and the lock-connector of the other lateral edge of the at least one of the first module and second modules having complementary configurations for mating and interlocking together. Preferably, the other lateral edges of both the first and second modules are each provided with the lock-connector. Preferably, the third module comprises a second lock-connector provided along the second lateral edge thereof, the first lock-connector of the third module and the lock-connector of the other lateral edge of the first module having complementary configurations for mating and interlocking together and the second lock-connector of the third module and the lock-connector of the other lateral edge of the second module having complementary configurations for mating and interlocking together.
Preferably, the first and second modules, in the above-mentioned embodiments, have inner cellular sections defined by first and second space-apart walls interconnected by transversal ribs and wherein the female catch-connector comprises a pair of inward female sloping-arms, each extending from a respective one of the first wall and the second wall inward a cellular section, the female sloping-arms sloping toward one another at a substantially identical first angle with respect to the first and second walls respectively, and the male catch-connector comprises a pair of outward male sloping-arms, each extending from a respective one of the first wall and the second wall outward a cellular section, the male sloping-arms sloping toward one another, each at a substantially identical second angle with respect to the first and second walls respectively, the second angle being inferior to the first angle for wedging the male catch-connector within the female catch-connector and each male sloping-arm having a male contact surface provided with a locking stub to engage a respective end of the female sloping-arm and lock the male catch-connector within the female catch-connector.
Preferably, the female tensioned catch-connector, in the above-mentioned embodiments, extends substantially laterally with respect to the body of the first module and the male tensioned catch-connector extends substantially laterally with respect to the body of the second module such that when the first and second modules are in the assembled configuration, a substantially planar riser module assembly is formed. Preferably, the substantially planar riser module assembly defines a floor section of the modular seating riser.
Preferably, the above-mentioned third module defines a vertical wall section (also referred to herein as “back section”).
Preferably, there is provided an elongated stadium riser section made of extruded metal and having an L shaped cross-section formed with a floor section and a back section extending substantially at a right angle to each other and a structural snap fit joint (i.e. the “structural permanent joint”) joining the floor section and the back section.
Preferably, the floor section has an outer edge and an inner edge and the back section has a top edge and a bottom edge. The inner edge of the floor section is preferably provided with either a male or a female snap fit joint component mating respectively to a female or male snap fit joint component provided at the bottom edge of the back section.
Still preferably, the riser further comprises an additional back section extending at right angle from the outer edge of the floor section in opposite direction to the back section described above, the additional back section being joined to the outer edge of the floor section with an overlapping screwed joint.
Preferably, the floor section comprises at least two floor subsections extending side-by-side to each other. The at least two floor subsections comprise an outer floor subsection, an inner floor subsection and a structural snap fit joint joining an inner edge of the outer floor subsection to an outer edge of the inner floor subsection.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a kit for forming a stadium riser, the kit comprising: a plurality of elongated floor sections made of extruded metal, each floor section having an edge provided with either a male or female snap fit joint component; and a plurality of elongated back sections made of extruded metal, each back section having an edge provided with a female or male snap fit joint component mating to the corresponding male or female snap fit joint component of the floors sections.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for building a modular seating riser on which seats of a bleacher-type stadium are mounted, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of sets of structural modules, as described above; (b) assembling at least the first and second modules of each set by interlocking, for each set, the female catch-connector of the first module with the male catch-connector of the second module, thereby forming a plurality of corresponding riser assemblies; and (c) connecting the plurality of said riser assemblies in a successive arrangement by mounting each riser assembly onto a preceding one of said riser assemblies.
Preferably, the connecting of step (c) comprises: providing at least one third module, as described above; and connecting at least one successive pair of said riser assemblies via one of the at least one third module, by mating, for each of the at least one successive pair, the first lock-connector of the corresponding third module with the first module of a preceding riser assembly of said pair and the second lock-connector of the corresponding third module with the second module of a succeeding riser assembly of said pair.
In the context of the present invention, the term “in a successive arrangement” means provided in a sequential or serial order.
In the context of the present invention, the term “mounting” means connecting or joining, either directly or by means of an intermediate or auxiliary element.
In the context of the present invention, the expression “preceding” means provided before in term of order, sequence or position and the expression “successive” means following in term of order, sequence or position.
Preferably, there is further provided a method for building a stadium riser, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a kit as described above; (b) snapping together a floor section and a back section forming an L shaped riser section; (c) stacking a plurality of L shaped riser sections by joining the outer edges of the floor sections to the top edges of the back sections with overlapping screwed joints.
The structural permanent joint (also referred to herein as “snap fit joint”) advantageously provides a structural connection so that the floor and back sections function as a single piece.
Preferably, the riser sections are produced from extruded aluminum. The snap fit joint is designed so that the snap fit interlocking joint components are extruded with a permanent offset such that after they are pressed together, permanent bending stresses in the arms of the interlocking components create a permanent lock.
Advantageously, this snap fit joint develops large friction forces sufficient to overcome any horizontal shear forces between the components. The large clamping force produces a structural connection enabling the components to function as a single piece in flexural bending. A simple nesting joint permits interconnection of the riser units in the field.
Moreover, the modular nature of the stadium riser provides flexibility in the design, with just a few different components, thereby allowing to provide a wide range of possible sizes and configurations of risers.
Objects and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, given for the purpose of exemplification only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the following description, similar features in the drawings have been given similar reference numerals. To preserve the clarity of the drawings, some reference numerals have been omitted, if they were already identified in a preceding figure. The embodiments, geometrical configurations, materials mentioned and/or dimensions shown in the figures or described in the present description are preferred embodiments only given for exemplification purposes only.
In the context of the present description, the expression “catch-connector” includes all types of connectors allowing to interlock with another complementary catch-connector and thus includes connectors of clip-type, snap-fit type and/or the like, as exemplified herein. Moreover, the expression “lock-connector” generally includes any type of fastening connector provided on a component and allowing a connection with another compatible component, including for example catch-connectors and snap-fit connectors, as well as other suitable fastening mechanisms, such as, for example, a nesting assembly as described herein. For these reasons, in the present description, the expressions “catch-connector” and “snap fit joint component”, or even “lock-connector” (in some cases) as well as any other equivalent expressions and/or compound words thereof may be used interchangeably, as can be easily understood by a person skilled in the art. Moreover, the expressions “snap fit joint”, “structural joint”, “structural permanent joint”, as well as any other equivalent expressions and/or compound words thereof, may be used interchangeably, as apparent to a person skilled in the art. Moreover, the expressions “male” and “female” may be used interchangeably, when referring to “catch-connector” and “snap-fit joint component”, as can be easily understood.
Also in the context of the present description, the expressions “stadium riser section”, “riser module assembly” and “modular seating riser”, as well as any other equivalent expressions and/or compound words thereof, may be used interchangeably. The same applies for any other mutually equivalent expressions, such as “back section”, “back riser”, “vertical section”, “vertical riser section” or even “third module” (in some cases), as well as for “screwed joint” and “nesting connection”, or even for “floor section”, “inner floor subsection”, “outer floor subsection”, “intermediate floor subsection”, “first module”, “second module” and “third module”, as the case may be. Similarly, the expressions “structural module assembly”, “level”, “row” and/or other mutually equivalent terms may also be used interchangeably when referring to the levels of a seating stadium riser, as apparent to a person skilled in the art.
In addition, although the preferred embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises components, and although the preferred embodiment of the structural modules, the modular seating riser and corresponding parts of the present invention as shown consists of certain geometrical configurations as explained and illustrated herein, not all of these components and geometries are essential to the invention and thus should not be taken in their restrictive sense, i.e. should not be taken so as to limit the scope of the present invention. It is to be understood, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art, that other suitable components and cooperations therein between, as well as other suitable geometrical configurations, may be used for the structural modules and/or modular seating riser according to the present invention, as will be briefly explained herein and as can be easily inferred herefrom, without departing from the scope of the invention.
Broadly described, there is provided a set of structural modules for building a structurally sound modular seating riser on which seats of a bleacher-type stadium are mounted, each of the structural modules being a metal extrusion having an elongated shaped body with two opposite lateral edges.
As better illustrated in
Preferably, there is provided a single elongated L shaped stadium riser section 15 consisting of a floor section 12 and a back section 14. The floor section 12 has an outer edge 20 and an inner edge 22 and the back section 14 has a top edge 24 and a bottom edge 26. The inner edge 22 of the floor section 12 is preferably provided with either a male 28 or a female 30 snap fit joint component (i.e. male and female tensioned catch-connector) mating respectively to a female 30 or male 28 snap fit joint component provided at the bottom edge 26 of the back section 14. Thus, the floor section 12 and back section 14 may correspond to the aforementioned first 3 and second modules 6, respectively, or visa versa, that is to say, the floor section 12 and back section 14 may alternatively correspond to the second 6 and first 3 modules respectively.
Preferably, still with reference to
Preferably, the inner floor subsection 18 is connected via a snap fit joint 19 (i.e. structural permanent joint) to the outer floor subsection 16 at its outer edge 34 and to the bottom edge 26 of the back section 14 at its inside edge, which corresponds to the inner edge 22 of the floor section 12.
Still with reference to
Referring now to
Any one of the structural modules 3, 6, 13 including the outer and/or inner floor subsections 16, 18, as well as the back section 14 may be provided in the form of a solid component (i.e. meaning not hollow or not cellular, in the context of the present description) or semi-solid component, as can be easily understood. Moreover, any one of the structural modules 3, 6, 13 may be provided with a single hollow cell, depending on the width of the module, as can be easily understood by a person skilled in the art. The cellular section(s) may contain insulation material in order to reduce sound transmission and reverberation. For example, such insulation material may include ultra lightweight concrete, which is fire resistant, sealing, thereby preventing leakage of fluids into the cavities (i.e. cells) and reduces vibration. Any other suitable insulating material or sealant may alternatively be used, as can be easily understood.
Referring now to
The above tensioned catch-connectors 28, 30 may be any connector or fastener configured to interlock with another complementary catch-connector, that is to say, it can not easily disconnect therefrom and further forming a structural joint, by virtue of a biasing force, tension or friction created between the two catch-connectors.
Thus, with further reference to
As previously mentioned, and with further reference to
As also mentioned, the slope angle 50 of the sloping-arm 38 of the male component 28 is made smaller than the corresponding slope angle 51 of the sloping-arm 44 of the female component 30. Thus a significant pressure is required to force the male component 28 into the female component 30. The difference in angle is such that after the locking stubs 40, 46 have come into contact, a large permanent pressure exists between the male 28 and female 30 components. This contact pressure develops large friction forces between the male 38 and female 44 arms resisting any movement in the longitudinal direction of the joint 19. This pressure is designed to be significantly larger than the horizontal shear forces developed by the longitudinal bending of the riser due to its dead load and anticipated live load. Additionally, the joint 19 acts as a moment connection in the transverse direction of the riser, thus exploiting the full depth of the inner 18 and outer 16 floor subsections.
As previously mentioned, each female sloping-arm 44 preferably has a female contact surface 47 devised to engage with the male contact surface 39 of a corresponding one of the male sloping-arms 38 and the end 45 of each of the female sloping-arms 44 comprises a blocking stub 46 protruding from a surface opposite the female contact surface 47 for interlocking with a corresponding one of the locking stubs 40 of the male sloping-arms 38. The locking stub 40 preferably has a rounded surface 52 to glide along the female contact surface 47.
The above-described female sloping-arms 44 and male sloping-arms 38 may be provided in a number of various configurations, as can be easily understood by a person skilled in the art. Indeed, as exemplified in the embodiment illustrated at
In view of the above, the female tensioned catch-connector 30 and the male tensioned catch-connector 28 may each extend substantially laterally with respect to the body of the corresponding module such that when the first and second modules 3, 6 are in the assembled configuration, a substantially planar riser module assembly 15 is formed, as better illustrated in
Moreover, the female tensioned catch-connector 30 may extend substantially perpendicularly with respect to the body of the first module 3 and the male tensioned catch-connector 28 may extend substantially laterally with respect to the body of the second module 6 such that when the first 3 and second 6 modules are in the assembled configuration, a substantially corner riser module assembly 15 is formed, as previously mentioned, as exemplified in
A similar substantially corner riser module assembly 15 may also be formed with a first module 3 having a female catch-connector 30 extending substantially laterally with respect to the body of the corresponding first module and the male tensioned catch-connector 28 extending substantially perpendicularly with respect to the body of the corresponding second module 6, as can be easily understood by a person skilled in the art. Indeed, the male 28 and female 30 catch-connectors may each extend or be oriented at any suitable angles with respect to the body of the corresponding module 3, 6, (for example, each at 45 degree angles) such that, when assembled together, a substantially perpendicular angle results, as can be easily understood. Typically, such a corner riser module assembly provides a wall section 14 or portion thereof, and a floor section 12 or portion thereof. Alternatively, such a corner riser module assembly 15 may provide a floor section 12 or portion thereof, with a barrier section 84, typically for a lowermost row of a modular seating riser, as exemplified in
Referring now to
These slots 64 or openings 62 thus facilitate the installation of stadium seating or benches. As previously explained, typical stadium seats require one or two vertical rows of bolts that attach the seat support plate to the back of the riser section. Thus, a Tee bolt (also referred to as “T head bolt” or “planar bolt”) or other similar types of fastener may be installed in the slot with the Tee head being positioned in parallel with respect to the length of the slot and then rotated to keep it in place as the seat is installed. The seat or bench is slid to its correct location and the Tee bolt is then tightened. Seat configurations can thereby easily be changed, such as the mounting of a wider seat or placing of a bench for an obese person or the installing of a special seat or removing of seats for a handicapped person (for example, for a season ticket holder). Seat spacing can be changed by loosening the bolt and sliding the seat. The installation of seats using such a slot thereby, does not require any measuring, drilling or installation of an epoxied anchor, as generally required for seat installations on conventional stadium risers. Seats may thus be easily and quickly installed and uninstalled, resulting in time and cost savings. It is to be understood that a standard method of mounting seats may also be applied according to embodiments of the present invention.
Referring now to
More particularly, shown in
Still referring to
Accordingly, the said another succeeding level (i.e. third level of the modular seating riser 2) corresponding to a third structural module assembly 15c (i.e. floor section 12c with wall section 14c), is connected to the wall section 14b of the second structural module assembly 15b at the second level. Similarly, this third level 15c also comprises a floor section 12c being made of two structural modules 3c, 6c (outer floor subsection 16c and inner floor subsection 18c) and a third module 13c forming a wall section 14c similar to that of the first 15a and second 15b levels. The wall section 14c of this third level 15c is also configured to connect to another floor section of a subsequent level assembly, however no such subsequent level is shown in
Referring now to
The modular seating risers 2 shown in
Preferably and in the particular embodiments discussed herein, the vertical section 14 is provided by at least one of said third structural module 13, as mentioned above, having an elongated shaped body. The third module 13 or wall section 14 is provided with a first 70 and a second 72 opposite lateral edge, to connect, via a first lock-connector 74 provided along the first lateral edge 70 thereof, with one of the first 3 and second 6 modules. The first lock-connector 74 of the third module 13 and the lock-connector 53 of the other lateral edge 66, 68 of the first module 3 and/or second 6 module have complementary configurations for mating and interlocking together. For example, the barrier section 84 (i.e. third module 13′a) described above and illustrated in
As also exemplified, the above-described wall sections 14a, 14b, 14c (i.e. third module 13a, 13b, 13c) also each have a male catch-connector 28 (i.e. lock-connector 74) provided along a lower edge (i.e. first lateral edge 70a, 70b, 70c) thereof for connecting, in this case, with an inner floor subsection 18, (i.e. first modules 3a, 3b, 3c, respectively). Moreover, the illustrated wall sections 14a, 14b, 14c further comprise a connector 76 provided along an upper edge thereof (i.e. second lateral edge 72a, 72b, 72c for connecting with a succeeding floor section 12 (i.e. second modules 6b, 6c, respectively) of the modular seating riser 2. Thus, the third module 13 may comprise a second lock-connector 76 provided along the second lateral edge 72 thereof. More particularly, the first lock-connector 74 of the third module 13 and the lock-connector 53 of the other lateral edge 66 of the first module 3 have complementary configurations for mating and interlocking together. Moreover, the second lock-connector 76 of the third module 13 and the lock-connector 53 of the other lateral edge 68 of the second module 6 have complementary configurations for mating and interlocking together.
Preferably, referring further to
Though the above-described third module 13 typically corresponds to a vertical section 14, 84 of the modular seating riser 2 or to a portion thereof, and more particularly to a linking wall section 14, it is to be understood, that the above-described third module 13 may be used in any suitable configuration in cooperation with the other structural modules 3, 6, 13. Moreover, this third module 13 may be embodied by an assembly of submodules. More particularly, in the case where the third module 13 defines a riser wall section 14, this wall section 14 may include any suitable number of wall subsections, such that the resulting wall section 14 forms the above-described third module 13. The same applies to the assembly of first 3 and second 6 modules, as can be readily understood by a person skilled in the art. Indeed and for example, if the first 3 and second 6 modules define a floor section 12, it is to be understood, that they may be connected by any suitable numbers of intermediate floor subsection 90, in order to extend the floor section and/or increase structural support therein. As can also be easily understood, the third module 13 may alternatively correspond to another floor subsection 12, for example, with reference to
As described with reference to
In other words, the third module 13b or resulting vertical section 14b is preferably shaped and configured to fit over the innermost edge 22b of the floor section 12b (i.e. first module 3b) and to also fit under the outermost edge 20b of the floor section 12b (i.e. second module 6b, as better illustrated in
As previously mentioned, the above-mentioned lock-connector 53, may be a catch-connector 28, 30, as previously described or any other suitable connector and/or fastener. Typically, the additional back section 14 is joined to the outer edge 20 of the floor section via a nesting connection 36, including for example, an overlapping screwed joint 36. More particularly, as better illustrated in
Preferably, the second lock-connector further comprises a supporting ledge 86 extending substantially perpendicularly with respect to the body of the third module 13, toward an inner face 88 thereof, to provide further support for and/or fastening means with the corresponding floor section 12, as better shown in
Preferably, longitudinal anti-skid flutes 92 are extruded onto the walking surface of the floor sections 12 to prevent slipping of pedestrian traffic, as better illustrated in
The above-described modular seating riser 2 may thus be entirely assembled and mounted on site from disassembled structural modules, according to embodiments of the present invention, and/or with other additional modules. Alternatively, the above-described modular seating riser may be provided in semi-assembled portions (i.e. assembled in riser module assemblies 15). Indeed and for example, there may be provided a single-row configuration wherein one row of floor and wall section is assembled together, a double-row configuration wherein two rows are assembled, a triple-row configuration wherein three rows are assembled, a quadruple-row configuration wherein four rows are assembled, and/or any other configuration suitable for transportation and on-site assembly and mounting, as can be easily understood. Moreover, the above-mentioned modular seating riser portions and structural modules may be provided in a variety of lengths, as can also be readily understood. Moreover, the above-mentioned modular seating riser portions and/or kit of structural riser modules may be additionally provided with a stair section made of extruded metal or aluminum, typically for facilitating circulation across the riser. The stair section may be provided integral or assembled with the modular seating riser portion or separately, as can be easily understood by a person skilled in the art.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the above-described modular seating riser, structural riser modules and/or components thereof are preferably made of aluminum, namely for its anticorrosion properties and its ease of extrusion. Alternatively or additionally, the modular seating riser, structural riser modules and/or components thereof may be painted using a suitable paint or protected for fireproofing, finishing, shimming or insulating purposes. Preferably, the ends of each of the structural module is capped using a ultra lightweight concrete and/or any other suitable caulking. Moreover, the modular seating riser, structural riser modules and/or components thereof may be covered with any suitable cladding, as can be easily understood.
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise embodiments and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CA2009/001112 | 8/17/2009 | WO | 00 | 3/10/2011 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61095656 | Sep 2008 | US |
