Claims
- 1. A customizable enclosable frame assembly for providing a housing structure comprising:
an arrangement of elongated members connected by a plurality of connectors to define said frame assembly, said connectors including a plurality of knuckle joint assemblies for articulably connecting said elongated members, said connectors also including a plurality of slip-T members for connecting said elongated members to define a base of said frame assembly.
- 2. The frame assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said slip-T members comprise a unitary connector housing arranged at a mid-point of an adaptor ring, wherein said adaptor ring has an open bore therethrough and said connector housing has a bore therein with a closed end for securably engaging an end of said elongated members.
- 3. The frame assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said knuckle joint comprises a connector housing having a bore therein with a closed end, and an adaptor ring unitary with said connector housing, said adaptor ring having a bore therein, each or said bores having a longitudinal axis which are transverse with respect to one another.
- 4. The frame assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said knuckle joint assemblies partially enclose a curved elongated member, to define an annular ring of support of said frame assembly.
- 5. The frame assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said elongated members are tubular and hollow.
- 6. The frame assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said connectors comprises a housing saddle having an adaptor ring with a saddle thereon for a snap receipt of a carried elongated member, to permit sliding adjustment of elongated members in said frame assembly.
- 7. The frame assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein said saddle comprises a channel shaped member for providing about a 180 to about a 240 degree encirclement of said carried elongated member.
- 8. The frame assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein said ring comprises an elongated member heated to permit arcuate bending thereof.
- 9. A frame assembly to provide temporary housing structure for an article, comprising:
a pair of parallel, elongated side members and a pair of elongated, parallel end members, said end members connected to said side members by an arrangement of slip-T connectors slidably arranged on said elongated side members; and an inverted U-shaped roofing framework of a plurality of elongated members each having lower ends attached to a further plurality of slip-T connectors slidably arranged on said elongated, parallel side members to define a roof structure for said temporary housing structure.
- 10. The frame assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein said inverted U-shaped framework comprises a plurality of arcuately shaped tubular members connected by an insert connected between adjacent ends of said arcuately shaped elongated members.
- 11. The frame assembly as recited in claim 10, wherein an enclosure cover is attached to the outside of said frame assembly to provide an enclosed housing for said article therewithin.
- 12. A method of constructing a temporary tubular frame assembly for the customizable enclosure of an article, said assembly comprising:
arranging a plurality of parallel, elongated tubular side members and a plurality of parallel, elongated tubular end members as a rectilinear base; connecting said side members with an end of said end members by a connector housing, said connector housing having a first bore therethrough and a second bore therein with a closed inner end; connecting a plurality of vertical, elongated members to said second bore in said connector housing on said rectilinear; attaching a first end of a knuckle assembly at an upper end of each of said vertical members, and mounting a 5-way hub onto a second end of said knuckle assembly on said elongated members to define a roofed frame structure for customizable construction of an enclosure for said article.
- 13. The method as recited in claim 12, including:
pushing an elongated member through a bore in each of said knuckle assemblies.
- 14. The method as recited in claim 12, including:
heating said elongated member to permit it to be bent into a curve of arcuate shape.
- 15. The method as recited in claim 12, including:
attaching a housing saddle onto said elongated member to permit a further elongated member to be adjustably supported therefrom.
- 16. A frame assembly for temporarily housing an article, comprising:
a plurality of elongated members to define a rectilinear base, connected at a corner of adjacent elongated members by a slip-T connector slidably connected therebetween; a plurality of generally vertically disposed elongated members to define vertical posts, having lower ends inserted into further slip-T connectors slidably disposed on a pair of said elongated members of said rectilinear base; a first knuckle joint assembly attached to an upper end of said vertically disposed elongated members, to permit articulation of further elongate members attached thereto; a lower end of a further elongated member attached to an upper end of said first knuckle joint assembly; and a 5-way hub connectively attached to an upper end of said further elongated member to define a roof frame to said housing structure.
- 17. The frame assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein said 5-way hub is connected to an upper end of a second knuckle joint assembly, and said second knuckle joint assembly has a lower end which is connected to an elongated member, which elongated member is connected to an upper end of said first knuckle joint assembly, thus defining a multiple slope to said roof frame.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This invention relates to tubular frame structures and more particularly to a multi-component assembly for the manufacture of a customized structure, and is a continuation-in-part application of our co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/301,403, filed Apr. 28, 1999, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09301403 |
Apr 1999 |
US |
Child |
10171813 |
Jun 2002 |
US |