Abstract: The present invention relates to an earthquake-resistant light tower with a tuned mass damper, in which a tuned mass damper is installed in a head part of a light apparatus installed on the top of a tower to absorb an earthquake or other vibration, thereby protecting a tower from vibration.

Abstract: A mixed-class service multiple-tier theater that allows different patrons attending the same movie to experience differing levels of service depending on how much they wish to pay. There are two tiers for seating. The upper tier would be for regular, stadium style seating, while the lower tier would be for VIP seating with fully reclining seats. The lower and upper tiers are completely separated, each offering its own ingress/egress access, with a balcony overhang from the upper tier cantilevered over the lower tier.

Abstract: A fab can be constructed as a round or rectangular annular tube with a primary cleanspace located in-between its inner and outer tubes. The fab can be encircled with levels upon which tools can be densely packed while preserving unidirectional air flow. If only tool ports are inside, and robotics are used, primary cleanspace size can be minimized. Highly simplified robotics can be used. Tools can be removed and repaired centrally. A secondary cleanspace can be added for tool bodies. Multilevel construction enhances use of prefabricated units for fab build or maintenance. Curves or folds, applied to a conventional planar cleanroom, can construct a wide range of fab geometries, including a tubular non-annular fab. A fab can also be constructed according to a curved or non-curved sectional cut of an annular tube. A novel fab, of a non-curved section, can include a nonsegmented cleanspace or have its tools vertically stacked.

Abstract: A panel assembly for mounting to the façade of a building which includes a panel member having a longitudinal axis, at least one opening through the panel member for receiving a fitting which is operatively engaged to a connection assembly, and an anchoring assembly receiving the connection assembly and securing the same to the façade.

Abstract: A building panel and a building formed therefrom, where the building includes a plurality of building panels arranged to form a cylindrical shape, where each panel comprises a single, or monolithic, glass piece, where each glass piece is substantially rectangular and includes two opposing long sides extending in a height direction and two opposing short sides extending substantially in a width direction, and where each glass piece forms an identical circular arc when viewed from either of the two opposing short sides.

Abstract: A sales and presentation area has an essentially annular region rotatably mounted in the horizontal direction, divided into ring segments able to be moved individually in the vertical direction, and set into horizontal rotational movement via drives during use of the ring segments by customers. A changing section along the path of the moving annular region is kept inaccessible for customers from the exterior of the annular region. A lifting and lowering device is provided beneath the changing section. The ring segments slide over the lifting and lowering device in the course of the rotational movement of the annular region and rest on the lifting and lowering device during a standstill of the annular region for moving the ring segments in the vertical direction. The ring segments may be pushed in the radial direction into rooms below the sales and presentation area.

Abstract: A method of mounting elements inside a wind generator tower which is made from various different sections of metal. Elements such as ladders, platforms, and electric cables are fixed to auxiliary supports such as beams or rings which are in turn fixed to the above-mentioned sections so as not to reduce the fatigue strength thereof.

Abstract: A method for designing a structure or the like is provided in which an arbitrary curve is approximately drawn using a circular segment. This method includes the steps of: setting a straight line which connects one end of a desired curve and the other end thereof; setting an intersection point of the curve and a perpendicular to the straight line at a middle point thereof; obtaining a distance between the intersection point and the middle point, and a length of a straight-line segment from each of the one end and the other end of the curve up to the middle point; setting a curvature radius of a circular segment which approximates the desired curve in association with these distance and length, and acquiring a radius center point of the circular segment; and setting a circular segment from the one end up to the other end of the curve by using this center point as the center thereof.

Abstract: A tall building provides thousands inhabitants with normal life and business conditions including autonomous sources of energy and water; shelters in the occurrence of natural or manmade disasters; and swift direct escape into the shelter from each office or apartment. The building consists of three coaxial towers, an external residence/business tower, a middle safety tower and a central energy tower. Two giant water basins are installed on top and under the building and the primary energy source is solar. There is a water and energy reserve in the form of basins with hydroelectric turbines in the central tower. The radial apartments and offices have external windows admitting daylight with internal armed doors. A spacious community shelter surrounds the internal and middle towers. The building is most effective at a height of about >200 m.

Abstract: To effectively utilize the living space whose width is different from the entrance to the back side thereof, to install the bath space and the toilet space separately, and to place multiple beds therein. In the living unit B that is located at the curved section of the collective lodging facility and has the width that is greater at the back side thereof than at the entrance, at the side of one dividing wall 2 of two dividing walls 2 and 2 separating the adjacent living units B, the toilet space 8 and the bath space 9 are arranged in that order in the depth direction of the living unit A from the entrance. The bed space 11 and the passage space 12 are located between the other dividing wall 2 and the toilet space 8 and the bath space 9. Two beds 18 are positioned in the bed space 11.

Abstract: One example embodiment disclosed herein includes a modular office furniture arrangement wherein the arrangement is circular with desks in each workstation area facing toward the outside circumference of the circle and fixed partition walls extend radially outward from a center of the circular arrangement to provide pie-shaped workstation areas. A sliding partition wall may be provided in some embodiments. The sliding partition may slide out of a pocket in the fixed partition wall to provide additional portioning of the workstation areas. The sliding portion may slide to extend vertically in some embodiments and may slide to extend horizontally in other embodiments.

Abstract: A method for designing an elliptical structure with an outline of an approximate elliptic curve, which is generated by connecting circular segments to one another, and an elliptical structure created on said method.

Abstract: This invention provides a construction method having at least one compression ring and its bracing and reinforcing tension plane installed at a targeted floor level, where the compression ring and the tension plane form a structural bracing system to protect a new building or a existing building from an external horizontal impact.

Abstract: A monolithic dome shaped building of a size suitable to receive at least one relatively large vehicle, such as an airplane, is formed with a generally rectangular shaped access opening of sufficient size to enable passage of an airplane or other large vehicle into and out of the building. A three-dimensional unitary door is supported at an upper marginal edge on a guide track for lateral movement of the door between a first position closing the access opening and a second open position enabling passage through the access opening. The door includes a rigid frame structure having spaced upstanding frame members having outer convex surfaces similar to the convex contour of the dome wall adjacent the access opening.

Abstract: A movable wall module is provided for installation into an opening formed in a building wall structure, such as a room divider wall in a commercial or residential building. The wall module comprises a frame sized and shaped for substantially nested placement into the wall opening, and to support different functional and/or aesthetic components on opposite sides thereof. The wall module is adapted for manual or power-driven displacement to selectively orient and changeably these components relative to the rooms. In one preferred form, the movable wall module may support audio and/or video components on one side and a work surface such as a desk on the opposite side. In another form, the wall module is a partial-height wall such as a kitchen countertop segment or island, and is rotatably movable to selectively and changeably position the partial-height wall relative to adjacent indoor and/or outdoor spaces.

Abstract: An architecture comprising an openwork of discrete, aerodynamic living units.

Abstract: This invention provides a foundation structure (10) cast from a settable material such as concrete and comprises a slab (12) having a particular generally annular non-rectangular circumferential outer profile. The foundation structure (10) is further provided with a plurality of intsecting primary beams (14) extending through a common central region of the slab (12); and a secondary annular circumferentially extending beam (16). The structure (10) is constructed by a method including the steps of forming a plurality of radially extending primary channels extending through a central foundation region of the building; forming a secondary annular circumferentially extending channel; providing a void former for defining a common central region of intersecting channels, through which the primary beams (14) extend after being cast; casting a settable material into the channels; and casting a slab of settable material integrally with the primary and secondary beams (14, 16).

Abstract: A modular system (10) for attaching planar panels (12) to a curved support structure (14). The system includes modules (20) that are defined between a transverse hook support panel (36) and a transverse plate support panel (38) and between a base member (78) and a pivot member (80). Each module (20) defines one or more cells (18) in accordance with the use of transverse cross-support members (30). Each panel (12) is secured on a respective cell (18).

Abstract: The invention comprises a system for constructing a finished convex or concave curved wall of any desired radius beyond a specified minimum. The wall is constructed of pre-finished rectangular panels retained on a sub-wall structure in horizontal rows and vertical columns. The panels are retained on the sub-wall structure with vertical rails at their vertical edges and retainer clips spaced along their horizontal edges. The panels are slotted at their rear face to provide rigidity in the vertical direction and flexibility in the horizontal direction. The horizontal edges of the panels are kerfed to receive the retainer clips and flexible splice strips that conform to the curvature of the wall and align and space a panel with the panel immediately above it. Clips attaching vertical edges of the panels to the rails allow the associated areas of the panels to align tangentially with the curvature of the wall.

Abstract: An in-fill panel arrangement is designed for post and beam furniture systems of the type having overhead beams supported on vertical posts. Each of the beams has a lowermost face with a horizontal slot extending therealong, and each of the posts includes outwardly extending flanges having an end face with a slot extending vertically therealong. Beam-to-post connectors are attached to the opposite ends of the beams, and are detachably retained in the slots in the posts to mount the beams on the posts. Rigid in-fill panels are shaped to be positioned directly below the beams and above the floor to partition the space into individual work areas. Panel mounting brackets are detachably retained in the slots in the posts and the beams, and are connected with the in-fill panels.

Abstract: A modular component shelter includes an adjacent side-by-side array of curved, interlocking, rigid panels. The panels curve upwardly and inwardly to a common vertex from a common base-level circumferential rim. The panels interlock between adjacent panels by means of raised interlocking ribs. The ribs extending in generally vertical planes along opposite side edges of each panel so as to form a first channel along a first side edge of each panel and second channel along an opposite second side edge of each panel. The first channel is shaped to snugly fit within the second channel along the length thereof. The first channel is releasably securable in the second channel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a circular building structure which comprises a plurality of columnar structures, each of which extends from a point below ground level to a desired height above ground level and wall structures positioned between the columnar structures and forming a substantially circular exterior wall with the columnar structures. The wall structures and the columnar structures enclose a substantially circular inner space. The building structure further includes a central hub positioned above the inner space. A plurality of trusses for supporting a roof are provided. Each of the trusses is joined to a respective one of the columnar structures and to the central hub. The inner space is divided into a perimetric space and an interior space by an interior wall which is concentric with the exterior wall. The perimetric space, in a preferred construction, is divided by walls into at least one passageway and a number of rooms.