INTERCONNECTABLE HINGED STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS
A hinged structural building element and collapsible system of building elements is disclosed. The core element is a relatively flat structural piece having a hinge section extending from one edge of the element to an opposite edge of the element. The hinge section allows the building element or structural piece to be essentially folded upon itself A preferred embodiment of the hinge section extending the length of each of the building elements is a living hinge. The living hinge may be fabricated from any of a large variety of materials including a flexible or pliable material, such as plastic or rubber, tape, string, wire, rubberized O-rings, and/or any of a wide variety of textile materials. The system of building elements may be easily interconnected to construct and build various structures, in various scales and sizes, including box shapes, cube shapes, or structures as complex as towers, bridges, and geo-domes.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/988,503, filed on Nov. 16, 2007, the text and figures of which are incorporated into this application by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to structural building elements. More particularly, the disclosed invention relates to a type of interconnectable structural building element, and a plurality of those building elements which may be interconnected into a system of building elements that, in a collapsed and disassembled state, are very compact for ease of storage and transport, and which can be easily combined to form a variety of different, and varied complexity, three-dimensional structures. In one preferred embodiment, the system of building elements can be a toy or play-object used to create different shapes and structures. In another preferred embodiment, the system of building elements, using larger sized building elements, can be used to form the core or frame sections of models, buildings, bridges or other larger structures.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe ability to quickly and easily construct a variety of three-dimensional structures using a series of elemental substructures is known in the prior art. Some examples include simple wooden blocks, or K'NEX® for toys, and prefabricated walls or platforms for housing construction. In the toy or play set area, the ability to provide a creative base from which to build and construct different structures is a valued learning tool. For larger structure construction, the ability to have a compact storage, and ease of transportation for building elements that can then be easily assembled into a variety of structures would be a highly valued feature for use in temporary housing, disaster recovery, or even camping and sporting events.
While there are examples of using building elements to construct larger and more complex structures, each have various deficiencies or problems associated with their usage. What is needed is a building element that has features such that it may be sized and fabricated to be used as a toy or play construction set, and which, by making the element pieces larger, can also be used as a means to construct larger structures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe above noted problems, which are inadequately or incompletely resolved by the prior art are completely addressed and resolved by the present invention.
A preferred aspect of the present invention is a system of structural elements, comprising a plurality of structural elements, with each structural element having a front side and back side, a first pair of substantially parallel and opposing edges, a second pair of substantially parallel and opposing edges, and a flexible hinge section located between said first pair of opposing edges, said flexible hinge extending between said second pair of opposing edges; and interconnecting means formed along each of said two pair of opposing edges, whereby the structural elements may be interconnected with other structural elements to construct three dimensional forms and structures.
Another preferred aspect of the present invention is a collapsible system of structural elements, comprising a plurality of structural elements each said structural element having two sides and four edges; a flexible, living hinge means along one of the four edges of each of the plurality of structural elements whereby said living hinge means connects one of a plurality of structural elements to another one of a plurality of structural elements; and interconnecting means formed along each of the three other edges of each of the plurality of structural elements, whereby the structural elements may be interconnected with other structural elements to construct three dimensional forms and structures.
Still another preferred aspect of the present invention is a system of structural elements, comprising a plurality of structural elements having four edges, and further having a flexible, living hinge means that allows each structural element to fold, and further having interconnecting means along each of the four edges of each of the plurality of structural elements, whereby the structural elements may be interconnected with other structural elements to construct three dimensional forms and structures.
The invention will be best understood by reading the following detailed description of the several disclosed embodiments in conjunction with the attached drawings that briefly described below.
The invention is best understood from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, the various features of the several drawings are not to scale, and the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement as may be shown in the accompanying drawings. On the contrary, the dimensions and locations of the various features are arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity, unless specifically noted in the attached claims.
The present invention is a type of basic building or structural element and a plurality of these structural elements that can be easily interconnected to create a system of structural elements and more complex structure. The interconnected structural elements can be connected and configured to make a wide variety of three-dimensional structures, including from a simple triangle, or cube, to a much more complex lattice/bridge structure, or geodome structure.
As shown in
A preferred embodiment of the hinge section 3 has the section configured with high flexibility, often called a “living hinge.” A living hinge 3 can be opened and then closed so that side by side surfaces 2a, 2b in an open position can be folded to be adjacent to each other and touching in both directions.
The structural elements 10 can be manufactured from a wide variety of materials. Examples include, without limitation, paper, card board, plastic, wood, concrete, masonry, metal, paneling, drywall, ceramics. The hinge sections can similarly be manufactured from many different materials, including paper, tape, plastic, vinyl, metal, wire, rebar, chain, string, rope, or cable.
Each structural element 10 also has connecting means along each of the sides of the elements 10. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in
By interconnecting a plurality of structural elements 10, along both the sides using interconnecting male 7 and female 8 sections, and end to end using male 4 and female 5, 6 sections, a wide variety of three dimensional shapes 100 may be quickly configured.
Another basic example of a structure created from a system of the core building elements is a cube shape formed by connecting of twelve rectangular or quadrilateral elements. As shown in
By adding further structural elements, more complex shapes can be easily constructed. More particularly, and as shown in
Another preferred embodiment of a structural element 10 is shown in
As also shown in
By partially folding the structural elements 10, and connecting the end sections of the structural elements together, various frame structures can be easily assembled.
Using the
As described above, the collapsible building structure system, using larger size structural elements, could be used to create more utilitarian structures. For example,
More complex structures and shapes can be easily created by adding more structural elements.
Another spherical shape is shown in
The series of drawings shown in
As described, the inventive collapsible hinged building structural system provides a system for disassembling and collapsing a system of elements into a substantially flat structure, and then, in an un-folded and assembled configuration, having a full three-dimensional structure that can be a toy object, a decorative piece, or a full structure which can be used for buildings, housing, or bridge sections.
The above detailed description teaches certain preferred embodiments of the present inventive building element device and system of interconnectable building elements. The building element device, including the hinge section and interconnecting elements, allows for the construction of various three-dimensional structures using a plurality of the element devices. The building element devices can be easily transported in their flat and compact configuration. Once constructed into a variety of structures, the system of element devices can be easily collapsed into a relatively flat and compact configuration, again for ease of transportation or storage. While preferred embodiments of the building elements have been described and disclosed, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that modifications and/or substitutions are possible and such modifications and substitutions are within the true scope and spirit of the present invention. It is likewise understood that the attached claims are intended to cover all such modifications and/or substitutions.
Claims
1. A system of structural elements, comprising:
- a plurality of structural elements each said structural element having a front side and back side, a first pair of substantially parallel and opposing edges, a second pair of substantially parallel and opposing edges, and a flexible hinge section located between said first pair of opposing edges, said flexible hinge extending between said second pair of opposing edges; and
- interconnecting means formed along each of said two pair of opposing edges, whereby the structural elements may be interconnected with other structural elements to construct three dimensional forms and structures.
2. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 1, wherein the hinge section is a living hinge.
3. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 1, wherein the hinge section is tape.
4. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 1, wherein the hinge section is a plurality of rubberized O-rings.
5. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 1, wherein the hinge section is a textile material.
6. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 1, wherein the interconnecting means at least one male connecting element and female connecting element along each of the two pair of opposing edges.
7. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 1, wherein the interconnecting means comprise at least one slot along each of the first pair of opposing edges, and at least one male connecting element and female connecting element along each of the second pair of opposing edges.
8. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 1, wherein the interconnecting means comprise more than three slots formed along each of the first pair of opposing edges, and one male connecting element and one female connecting element formed along each of the second pair of opposing edges.
9. A collapsible system of structural elements, comprising:
- a plurality of structural elements each said structural element having two sides and four edges;
- a flexible, living hinge means along one of the four edges of each of the plurality of structural elements whereby said living hinge means connects one of a plurality of structural elements to another one of a plurality of structural elements; and
- interconnecting means formed along each of the three other edges of each of the plurality of structural elements, whereby the structural elements may be interconnected with other structural elements to construct three dimensional forms and structures.
10. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 9, wherein the living hinge means is a pliable plastic material.
11. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 9, wherein the living hinge means is a textile material.
12. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 9, wherein the living hinge means is tape.
13. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 9, wherein the interconnecting means at least one male connecting element and female connecting element along each of the two pair of opposing edges.
14. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 9, wherein the interconnecting means comprise at least one slot along each of the first pair of opposing edges, and at least one male connecting element and female connecting element along each of the second pair of opposing edges.
15. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 9, wherein the interconnecting means comprise more than three slots formed along each of the first pair of opposing edges, and one male connecting element and one female connecting element formed along each of the second pair of opposing edges.
16. A system of structural elements, comprising a plurality of structural elements having four edges, and further having a flexible, living hinge means that allows each structural element to fold, and further having interconnecting means along each of the four edges of each of the plurality of structural elements, whereby the structural elements may be interconnected with other structural elements to construct three dimensional forms and structures.
17. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 16, wherein the living hinge means is a pliable plastic material.
18. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 16, wherein the living hinge means is a textile material.
19. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 16, wherein the living hinge means is tape.
20. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 16, wherein the interconnecting means at least one male connecting element and female connecting element along each of the two pair of opposing edges.
21. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 16, wherein the interconnecting means comprise at least one slot along each of the first pair of opposing edges, and at least one male connecting element and female connecting element along each of the second pair of opposing edges.
22. The system of structural elements, as provided in claim 16, wherein the interconnecting means comprise more than three slots formed along each of the first pair of opposing edges, and one male connecting element and one female connecting element formed along each of the second pair of opposing edges.
23. A collapsible system of structural elements, comprising:
- a plurality of structural elements having at least three edges;
- a plurality of hinge elements connecting one of the at least three edges of each plurality of structural elements to another one of the at least three edges of another structural element; and
- at least two connecting sections along each of the remaining at least three edges of the plurality of structural elements, wherein each of said plurality of structural elements may be connected to another of said plurality of structural elements, and further wherein the collapsible system of connected plurality of structural elements is collapsible to an approximate flat configuration when collapsed, and the collapsible system of connected plurality of structural elements forms a three-dimensional geometric structure when fully unfolded.
24. The collapsible system, as provided in claim 23, wherein the plurality of hinge elements are living hinges.
25. The collapsible system, as provided in claim 23, wherein the plurality of hinge elements are tape.
26. The collapsible system, as provided in claim 23, wherein the plurality of hinge elements are rubberized O-rings.
27. The collapsible system, as provided in claim 23, wherein the plurality of hinge elements are a textile material.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 17, 2008
Publication Date: Feb 17, 2011
Inventor: David L. Child (Wayne, PA)
Application Number: 12/272,723
International Classification: E04C 2/40 (20060101); E04H 12/02 (20060101); E04B 1/38 (20060101); A63H 33/04 (20060101);