Structures creatable by tensile-integrity structures were first contemplated by R. B. Fuller in the 1950s and 1960s (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,063,521). Fuller teaches “tensegrity” structures additional together into an overarching generally spherical or domic array. Tension is maintained throughout his structure by use of “tension elements” including, for example, “wires or cables”.
Likewise, means of devising three-dimensional representations of polygons is known in the art, such as is taught by Chen (U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,789), however, these structures are typically employed for demonstration only, and lack any sufficiency for load bearing. In the case of the device taught by Chen, as with others, interconnection of supporting rods is enabled by endwise mating into a spherical connector which orients the rods into pyramidal and other polygonal arrangements.
Applicant's invention, however, enables erection of a tension compression, tension integrity (“tensegrity”) structural unit wherein each of at least three elongate members is disposed in interlapping array to apply tension forces against each other and maintain integrity. No additional tensioning elements (such as wires or cables) are required; the elongate members are flexible and elastic enough to tension against each other, and thus define curved boundaries delimiting a central aperture between their interlapped ends.
This central aperture defines an “attractor polygon”, that is a polygon dependent on the number of elongate members comprising the particular structural unit comprehended by application of the method set forth herein. Thus three elongate members create a triangular attractor polygon; four, a square attractor polygon; five, a pentagonal attractor polygon; and so on. Interconnection of such structural units thus creates a mode of attractor polygons by which domic and large, load bearing structures are creatable by interlapping configuration of a plurality of elongate members. No additional tensioning elements are necessarily required. The attractor polygons may be regular, comprising equal length sides and equal angles, or irregular, comprising unequal length sides and/or unequal angles.
The invention set forth herein thus renders a useful improvement over the teaching of R. B. Fuller, enabling erection of large spanning structures with a repeating single element. Moreover, variances in this repeating element—such as length of the elongate member, position of each of a first and a second seat endwise disposed upon said elongate member, or position of each of a corresponding first and second interconnection member upon said elongate member, for example, enable various iterations and combinations of structural units, whereby attractor polygons formed at one vertex of the structure transition into a secondary attractor polygon which secondary attractor polygon may likewise transition back to an attractor polygon or into a tertiary attractor polygon, whereby regular and irregular polyhedrons are creatable in almost innumerable compositions adaptable for structural assembly according to the dictates of the inventive step contemplated herein.
The present invention relates to a tension compression structural unit and method of assembling structures by interaction of tensioned elements disposed in interlapping configuration whereby tension integrity is maintainable and large, spanning structures with an open understory are creatable by repeating interlapping configuration of identical or alike elongate members.
Tension integrity is enabled by use of flexible elongate members individually capable of exerting tension when configured in endwise interlapped array whereby each of the elongate members exerts an elastic force tensioned against a neighboring and interlapped elongate member. Thus, creation of tension integrity is enabled at structural units formable by endwise interlapped configuration of at least three elongate members into innumerable large, spanning, domic and polyhedral structures, formable without the need of additional tensioning elements, such as wires or cables, or specific supporting structures disposed interior to the understory.
The present tension compression structural unit is comprehended to engender stable polyhedral and domic structures of various sizes, suited for human habitation as well as for other purposes wherein erection of a spanning structure in desirable. The present tension compression structural unit is erectable as a self-supporting structure independent of scale, and is therefore usable at small scales (for example as children's toys and erection sets as well as for furnishings, such as chandeliers, for example) as in addition to large, self-supporting load bearing structures usable as coverings and habitations. The present tension compression structural unit positions at least three elongate members bowed in interlapped endwise configuration, whereby elastic forces of said elongate members compress and tension against each other in stable array. Anchoring of each other end of each of said a least three elongate members enables stability of an arced structure comprising bowed elongate members maintaining tension integrity against each other, at each interlapped end. Anchoring of each other end of each of said at least three elongate members into additional interlapped configuration with additional elongate members enables increased size and complexity of the associated structure erectable by employing the principles and comprehensions herein set forth, as will be described subsequently below.
Interlap of at least three elongate members enables tension and compression of each elongate member in endwise interlapped configuration. The term “interlap”, and its derivative forms as used herein throughout, is taken to mean the overlapping and underlapping configuration of each end of each elongate member relative at least two other neighboring elongate members, whereby an associated end of each elongate member is disposed overlapping at least one other elongate member and underlapping at least another elongate member into a tensioned engagement.
At least three elongate members in interlapped configuration is required to maintain tensegrity. Three elongate members interlapped at each respective first end delimit a triangular polygon (triangle). An attractor polygon (in the case of three elongate members interlapped together, a triangle) is thereby formative of the repeating structural unit replicated in like interlapped configuration at each of the three elongate member second ends. An icosahedron is thus formable having 20 triangular faces (said faces actually empty space between the elongate member interlapped ends), 30 edges (marked in curved lines along the length of each elongate member bowed in tension and compression) and 12 axes. An icosidodecahedron is likewise formable, for example, with triangular attractor polygons delimited at each end of each interlapped configuration of elongate members, and pentagonal secondary polygons formed by the length of each of five elongate members disposed in perimetric relationship around said pentagonal secondary attractor polygon.
Innumerable polyhedrons are formable by employment of the present method, whereby interlappping configuration of structural units devised of at least three interlapped elongate members maintains tensegrity throughout the entire structure. Domic structures are readily creatable by anchoring lowermost ends of elongate members to a ground surface or foundation to maintain tension along such elongate members endwise projected into said ground surface.
Thus has been broadly outlined the more important features of the present tension compression structural unit and method of assembling structures so 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.
Objects of the present tension compression structural unit and method of assembling structures, along with various novel features that characterize the invention are particularly pointed out in the claims forming a part of this disclosure. For better understanding of the tension compression structural unit and method of assembling structures, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, refer to the accompanying drawings and description.
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular
Referring to
The present tension and compression structural unit and method of assembling structures 10, then, includes a plurality of elongate members 20. Each of the plurality of elongate members 20 is substantially similar the example embodiment illustrated in
The method of structural assembly of a simplest tensegrity structure is illustrated in
The base structural units 100 may be employed in repeating iterations of like units, and interconnected together, or may be used in multiple combinations, constrained only by necessary geometric relationships definitive of attractor polygons formable between the elongate members. The base structural units 100 illustrated in
As shown in
Polyhedral and domic structures are thus creatable with numerous configurations wherein interlap of elongate members 20 is effected at each elongate member 20 first and second end 22, 24, with at least three elongate members together in geometric arrays formative of polyhedrons.
Additional complexity is enabled by incorporation of tertiary attractor polygons 54 formable between secondary and primary attractor polygons (see for example
Moreover, situating at least one of the first and second medial interconnection members on opposing sides of an elongate member enables transitions between species of polyhedrons and the creation of composite polyhedrons, connected by dissimilar structural units, is thus enabled.
A great variety of self-supporting tensegrity structures are thus envisioned as creatable by employment of the present invention.
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Number | Date | Country |
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1564111 | Apr 1980 | GB |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20180058059 A1 | Mar 2018 | US |