Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16B—DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING
  • F16B7/00—Connections of rods or tubes, e.g. of non-circular section, mutually, including resilient connections
  • F16B7/04—Clamping or clipping connections
  • F16B7/044—Clamping or clipping connections for rods or tubes being in angled relationship
  • F16B7/0446—Clamping or clipping connections for rods or tubes being in angled relationship for tubes using the innerside thereof
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
  • A47B47/00—Cabinets, racks or shelf units, characterised by features related to dismountability or building-up from elements
  • A47B47/0008—Three-dimensional corner connectors, the legs thereof being received within hollow, elongated frame members

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the technical field concerning light, load-bearing modular structures.
• the invention relates to a system for quick press-fit connection between structure long elements (rods) and the interconnection elements (connectors) .
• a first type includes structures formed by main long elements, usually arranged vertical or horizontal, fastened by joints obtained by external fixing elements, or by particular conformations of the main elements .
• Another type includes structures formed by multidirectional connectors and connecting rods, joined together by fastening screws, magnetic devices or interference fit.
• Another drawback, featured mainly by interference fit fastening systems, derives from the fact that the force which must be applied to obtain a correct connection, is not constant, as it can depend on the tolerances of the elements to be coupled.
• connection devices short life and in the not perfect repeatability of assembling and disassembling operations.
• Tje main object of the present invention is to propose a connection system for light load-bearing modular structures, including rods and multi-directional connectors, which outweighs the above described drawbacks .
• Another object of the present invention is to propose a connection system which works without need of additional elements and which connects rods and multidirectional connectors in an immediate, stable and easily reversible way .
• a further object of the present invention is to propose a connection system, which is cheap, simple to manufacture and very reliable.
• connection system which includes connectors having a group of connector arms extending in predetermined directions. Each connector arm is aimed at being introduced in a corresponding recess made in a rod to be connected.
• a connector arm includes a body and a head.
• the head has a lateral aperture opening outwards .
• the body features a longitudinal cavity, communicating with the lateral aperture, and a group of lateral through holes, communicating with the longitudinal cavity.
• Corresponding gudgeons slide inside the through holes, between a non-working position and a working position.
• the gudgeons When in the working position, the gudgeons protrude from the connector arm, so as to engage with the recess inner walls .
• a shaped shaft, situated inside the cavity, is operated by the above described aperture, so as to bring the gudgeons from the non-working position to the working position and vice-versa.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of the basic elements of a structure made in accordance with the present invention.
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of a connector arm shown in Figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of an inner element of the connector arm shown in Figure 2;
• Figure 4 is plan view of the connector shown in Figure 1;
• - Figure 5 is a side view of the connector arm shown in Figure 3 ;
• Figure 6 is a different side, partially sectional view of the connector arm shown in Figure 3;
• Figure 7 is a front view of the connector arm shown in Figure 3 ;
• Figure 8 is a section view taken along VIII-VIII in Figure 5 ;
• Figure 9 is a section view taken along IX-IX in Figure 5.
• reference numeral 1 indicates a multidirectional connector, which is a basic element of a modular load-bearing structure.
• the structure which can include a plurality of the above mentioned connectors 1, includes also a plurality of rods 2, each of which is aimed at being connected with at least two different multidirectional connectors 1, so as to form the modular structure.
• the connector 1 is obtained by assembling a plurality of straight and substantially square section connector arms 10, oriented in predetermined directions.
• the connector arms 10 are oriented along the orthogonal axes .
• the illustrated connector 1 is equipped with six connector arms 10, which extend on both sides of the connector 3 along three orthogonal axes . It is obvious that both connector 1 and rod 2 can have different shapes, according to their actual use, and still remain within the protective scope of the present invention.
• the number of arms 10 in a connector 1, as well as the arms orientation, can be different from the shown one, according to the structure conformation to be obtained and to the position that the connector 10 must assume inside the structure.
• the rod 2 can have a different conformation, other than straight, as shown in Figure 1.
• section of the connector arms 10 and of the relative recess 20 of the rods 2 can be different from a substantially square one, as shown in the above mentioned figures, e.g. they can be circular, polygonal, ovoid- like, helical or other.
• the section of the rod 2 does not necessarily have to be identical as the section of the relative recess 20, e.g. the structure can have a rod 2 with circular section and recesses 20 having square section.
• Each connector arm 10 (see also Figure 2) includes a body 11 and a head 12, situated at the end of the body 11.
• the body 11 has a substantially cylindrical, longitudinal cavity 13, which extends along the whole length thereof.
• the head 12 features a lateral aperture 14, opening outside and communicating with the longitudinal cavity 13.
• the lateral aperture 14 is countersunk, so as to allow the introduction of a suitable tool, not shown, whose function will be explained later.
• a plurality of through holes 15, communicating with the longitudinal cavity 13, are made in the lateral walls of the body 11 in predetermined positions.
• the through holes 15 are made in the corners of the body 11.
• a pair of the through holes 15, aligned with each other, are made on the opposite corners, near the head 12, while another pair of through holes 15, aligned with each other, are made on the remaining opposite corners near the opposite end of the body 11.
• the holes section is rectangular, but it can be different, e.g. circular or polygonal.
• connection system includes also, for each connector arm 10, a shaft 30 (Figure 3), situated inside the longitudinal cavity 13, so that it can rotate thereinside.
• the section of the shaft 30 is polygonal with rounded corners and its maximum dimension is slightly smaller than the dimension of the longitudinal cavity 13 of the body 11.
• the length of the shaft 30 is such that it extends along the whole longitudinal cavity 13 and innermost portion of the lateral aperture 14 of the head 12 ( Figures from 4 to 9) .
• a notch 33 of a predetermined depth is made at one end of the shaft 30.
• the shaft 30 has a perimeter profile 32 including four cams having gradually increasing radius.
• the structure has one gudgeon 16 for each through hole 15 ( Figures 2, 8) .
• the shape of the gudgeon 16 allows it to be housed in the hole 15.
• the external end 16a of the gudgeon 16 is wedgelike shaped.
• the gudgeon 16 features, made along its side, a step 17, which abuts against a corresponding stop 18 made in the through hole 15, so as to prevent the gudgeon 16 from leaving the hole.
• the stop 18 is also aimed at blocking the gudgeon in the working position ( Figure 8), in which the wedge-like end 16a of the gudgeon slightly protrudes from the body 11.
• connection system includes a closing element 19 ( Figure 2) , made of metal, gum or other suitable material, which tightly closes the longitudinal cavity 13.
• connection system Operation of the connection system will be described in the following, beginning from the condition, in which the rod 2 is not fastened to the connector 1 and the perimetral regions of the shaft 30 having the minimum diameter touch the base of the gudgeons 16, i.e. non- working position of the latter.
• the notch 33 of the shaft 30 is aligned with the mouth of the lateral aperture 14.
• a connector arm 10 can be introduced into the recess 20 of a rod 2 ( Figure 4) , so that the end of the rod abuts against the head 14.
• a suitable tool long and narrow, e.g. a common screw-driver, is introduced into the aperture 14, until its tip engages with the notch 33.
• the long and narrow tool rotates the shaft 30 by about 90°, so that the shaft corners having maximum diameter touches the base of the gudgeons 16.
• the shaft moves the gudgeons toward their working position and brings their wedge-like ends 16a to press- touch the walls of the rod 2 recess 20.
• a friction coupling between the connector 1 and the rod 2 is obtained, which is made particularly stable because of the number and positioning of the gudgeons 16.
• connection system allows to obtain a particularly stable coupling, which is immediately reversible and indefinitely repeatable.
• Another advantage of the present invention derives from the fact that the elements necessary to obtain the structure connectors and rods are simple to manufacture.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Mutual Connection Of Rods And Tubes (AREA)
• Joints Allowing Movement (AREA)
• Branch Pipes, Bends, And The Like (AREA)
• Endoscopes (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11407387

Family Applications (1)

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Families Citing this family (15)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1999
  • 1999-05-04 IT IT000001 patent/IT1313512B1/it active
• 2000
  • 2000-05-03 WO PCT/IB2000/000567 patent/WO2000066896A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2000-05-03 AU AU43084/00A patent/AU4308400A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-05-03 EP EP00922805A patent/EP1183473A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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