Tubular folded structure having a diagonal inner portion and construction system composed thereof

Abstract

A tubular structural profile is provided that is produced by cutting and folding a semi-rigid and foldable sheet, having four orthogonal layers joined at fold lines and two internal diagonal layers joining two opposing fold lines. The sheet has six rectangular sections. The structural profile creates a rigid and lightweight structure through folds of the sheet, and applicable in various fields, especially in the manufacture of composite structures. A system is further provided based on the tubular structural profile.

Description

TUBULAR FOLDED STRUCTURE HAVING A DIAGONAL INNER PORTION AND CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM COMPOSED THEREOF Technical Field The present disclosure relates to a structural profile and a composite structure or construction system using this profile. The profile is made of semi-rigid and foldable material, such as cardboard, to create a rigid and lightweight structure through folds of a sheet, applicable in various fields, especially in the manufacture of composite structures for the packaging industry, furniture, the display of products for sale, as for example. Background The specific case of short time structures, which are preferably composed of recyclable materials such as cardboard and some kinds of plastics, is becoming increasingly relevant, both due to environmental regulations and to the cost efficiency of the recycling process, which makes it necessary to innovate in structural elements, and composite structures with a technical advantage in their conception, and to avoid the incorporation of other materials, different from the main material. In the case of cardboard, a material especially suitable for recycling after use, for displaying furniture, it is usually necessary to incorporate fastening and reinforcing elements made of other materials, such as metal bolting, and plastic or metal clips, and for packaging, reinforcing elements, such as polystyrene and polyethylene foams or rigid profiles containing resins binders are difficult and expensive to recycle. There is also the growing need, in the retail market, to find an optimization of operating costs and minimization of environmental impacts, from the transport of products from factories to the retail sale point, through the use of product container furniture, which has the structural strength to contain the products for transport, in addition to having design characteristics that allow buyers to easily view the products and remove them from the cabinet for purchase. In this particular application, due to existing technologies, several operational and environmental problems currently arise both at the place where the structure is loaded and at the point where the furniture is emptied and must be arranged as residue. These problems arise firstly because the frames of the furniture currently used do not allow the strengths and structural stiffnesses necessary to fulfill the multiplicity of functions without the use of other elements and especially additional fixing elements for assembly, and in most cases also specialized tools to insert these elements. Another problem is related to the logistical difficulties within the factories, as it is necessary to transport furniture from an assembly area to a product loading area. Additionally, in the selling place, it is necessary to apply specialized techniques and tools for the dismantling of the furniture already used, prior to its disposal. In view of the needs related to the different facets of this technical problem, a need exists for a new structural profile and a composite structure or construction system based on this profile. Summary A tubular structural profile is disclosed, manufactured from the folding and cutting of a sheet of semi-rigid and foldable material, with high bending, compressive and torsion stiffness, whose outer contour comprises substantially orthogonal sheets joined in folding lines, and an inner portion, located diagonally joining two opposite folding lines, and a constructive system or structure composed of the aforementioned profile, where the sheet of semi-rigid material has 6 rectangular, adjacent and parallel portions, separated from each other by folding lines, where the two central portions correspond to two first outer sheets, separated by a first folding line, followed towards the ends of two second outer sheets, separated from the first outer sheets by two second folding lines, and then symmetrically two inner diagonal sheets, separated from the second outer sheets by two third folding lines; each fold is made in a single direction of rotation, where the fold of the sheet on the third folding lines is made at a rotation angle greater than 90° to position the two diagonal sheets, and then fold the sheet on the second fold lines at a substantially right angle, followed by the fold on the first fold line at a substantially right angle; on one of the third folding lines, cut lines of at least one tab are positioned, which coincides with at least one slot located on the third opposite folding line, allowing that during the fold, the tubular structural profile is closed by the coincidence of both third folding lines and both internal diagonal sheets, and the insertion of the at least one tab in its corresponding slot, preventing the profile from opening during its structural performance. The tubular structural profile can have at least one interruption in the second outer sheets and in the two inner diagonal sheets, in a symmetrical way, which allow to create a fitting area for transversal structural profiles that make up a set of elements of the construction system or composite structure. State of the Art Document US2011271623 (A1) discloses a construction element for buildings that has a hollow body, which extends along a longitudinal axis and has a substantially rectangular cross section, in which the corners can be rounded, and at least one first and a second strut extending between diagonally opposite edges on the hollow body. The braces can absorb compressive loads, but not tensile. Different pre-fabricated elements can be positioned in the place of the braces. Although the innovation contains elements in common with the present disclosure, it does not contemplate the elements necessary for an assembly of the structural element from a sheet of material, but rather requires a closed tube as base material, plus the braces. Document FR2951705 (A1) discloses a pallet beam that is made from the fold of a rectangular cardboard sheet that comprises parallel folding lines that divide the sheet into 8 rectangular sectors, to obtain a solid piece. The innovation comprises elements in common with the present disclosure, such as a diagonal portion and faces and 4 substantially orthogonal sheets, but its folding shape is different and does not contemplate other necessary elements for closing the profile, such as the tabs and grooves where these are inserted. Document US4563377 (A) discloses a high-strength tubular beam of corrugated cardboard, for example, for the construction of disposable pallets, comprising a single cardboard sheet that is folded several times on itself to form a rectangular or rectangular or isosceles trapezoid outer section, divided into two adjacent rectangular or trapezoidal sections, each comprising two mutually inverted triangular sections that have a diagonal in common. The innovation has elements in common with the present disclosure, however, it differs in its way of folding and tracing the sheet, in addition to contemplating simple diagonal sections not formed by two sheets as in the present disclosure, and further more, it does not contemplate closing means for the profile, which can only achieve closure and structural resistance when adhered to an external element by its open face. Document US4333622 (A) discloses a knockdown spacer for bookshelves and the like which is made from a single elongated rectangular blank of sheet material, creased at spaced intervals to fold into an open-ended box-like block with internal diagonal bracing walls. The outer walls of the box structure wrap around the diagonal braces and one end of the blank has a retaining flap which overlaps one of the walls and is secured by releasable fasteners. The has presents elements in common with the present disclosure, however, it differs in its way of folding and tracing the sheet, in addition to contemplating, and additionally, it does not contemplate closing means generated in the sheet of material, but rather requires of external elements. Brief Description of the Drawings FIG. 1 illustrates a layout of the sheet from which the tubular structure profile is made; FIG. 2 illustrates a first folding stage of the tubular structural profile; FIG. 3 illustrates a second folding stage of the structural profile; FIG. 4 illustrates a third folding stage of the tubular structural profile; FIG. 5 illustrated the tubular structural profile in a folded and closed state; FIG. 6 illustrates the detail of the assembly of the tubular structural profile around an angle profile; FIG. 7 illustrates a layout of the sheet from which the tubular structural profile is made; FIG. 8 illustrates an example of symmetrical interruption in the second outer sheets and in the two inner diagonal sheets; and FIGS. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 illustrate a sequence of execution of one of the ways of application of the composite structure using the tubular structural profile and its inserts. Detailed Description The present disclosurehas various fields of application, especially in the manufacture of composite structures for the packaging industry, furniture, the display of consumer products for sale, as for example. A tubular structural profile is disclosed, manufactured from the folding and cutting of a sheet of semi-rigid and foldable material, with high vending, compressive and torsion stiffness, whose outer contour comprises 4 substantially orthogonal sheets joined in folding lines, and an inner portion, located diagonally joining two opposite folding lines, and a constructive system or structure composed of the aforementioned profile, where the sheet of semi-rigid material has 6 rectangular, adjacent and parallel portions, separated from each other by folding lines, where the two central portions correspond to two first outer sheets (1, 2), separated by a first folding line (10), followed towards the ends of two second outer sheets (3, 4), separated from the first outer sheets by two second folding lines (11, 12), and then symmetrically two inner diagonal sheets (5, 6), separated from the second outer sheets by two third folding lines (13, 14); each fold is made in a single direction of rotation, where the fold of the sheet on the third folding lines is made at a rotation angle greater than 90° to position the two diagonal sheets, and then fold the sheet on the second fold lines at a substantially right angle, followed by the fold on the first fold line at a substantially right angle; on one of the third folding lines, cut lines of at least one tab (7) are positioned, which coincides with at least one slot (8) located on the third opposite folding line, allowing that during the fold, the tubular structural profile is closed by the coincidence of both third folding lines and both internal diagonal sheets (5, 6), and the insertion of the at least one tab (7) in its corresponding slot (8), preventing the profile from opening during its structural performance. The tubular structural profile can have at least one interruption in the second outer sheets (3, 4) and in the two inner diagonal sheets (5, 6), in a symmetrical way, which allow to create a fitting area (15) for transversal structural profiles that make up a set of elements of the construction system or composite structure. The first folding line (10) of the tubular profile can be divided into two parallel rectilinear paths, separated from each other by a distance similar to twice the thickness of the material sheet, so that during the vending, a surface between both paths contacts in an integral manner the outer edges of the two inner diagonal sheets (5, 6), in order to produce an increase in the strength and structural stability of the profile. The width of the two inner diagonal sheets (5, 6) of at least one of the tubular structural profiles that make up the composite structure can be less than the inner diagonal distance between two opposite fold lines, to generate a tight space for folding the profile around an angle profile, preferably coming from the folding of another sheet of semi-rigid material, thus allowing the structural solidarity of the collinear structural profiles with each other. The tubular structural profile of the construction system has at least one interruption (15) in the second outer sheets (3, 4) and in the two inner diagonal sheets (5, 6), in a symmetrical way, which create an insertion zone for cross- sectional structural profiles that make up a set of elements of a composite structure. The angle profile (9) may contain transverse extensions to its longitudinal axis, which can join it with at least one other angle profile substantially parallel to the first, preferably included in the fold of the same sheet of material, and also the interruptions in the second outer sheets (3, 4) and on the two inner diagonal sheets (5, 6), preferably coincide with these extensions. Description of the Preferred Embodiments A first preferred application of the tubular structural profile of the present disclosure corresponds to the generation of linear reinforcements, resistant to external bending and compression forces, for the reinforcement of packaging, preferably for closed or semi-closed cardboard boxes, to be installed internally to them and preferably along their edges, thus avoiding their collapse due to stacking loads and impacts. Additionally, the profile can be installed in the form of a parallel, for the reinforcement of container bases, to increase their weight- bearing capacity, generating a high-resistance base against compressive and bending loads without the need to incorporate other materials. A second preferred application of the tubular structural profile and of the composite structure of the profile, corresponds to the manufacture of pallets for the stacking, transport and storage of products, where a resistant frame, generated from a contour of profiles in horizontal parallelepiped arrangement is reinforced by inserting horizontal tubular profiles, with the application of at least 4 short sections of tubular profiles under the resistant frame to generate supports towards the floor. A third preferred application consists in the manufacture of furniture for display and sale of products in the retail trade, which have structural strength and external dimensions suitable for transport and storage on pallets, and assembly and disassembly on site, without the need for specialized tools or additional materials, which includes the generation of composite structures, from plastic or cardboard sheets, of at least 3 pillars formed with the tubular structural profile, assembled together by folding a sheet around another, where the internal diagonal sheets (5, 6) of the profiles present interruptions, coincident in height between the pillars, for the insertion of transverse profiles that are conveniently joined to contained horizontal surfaces between the pillars, those that allow the maintenance of the products in storage, transport, exhibition and sale. In the drawings, the symbols used are as follows: (1, 2) First outer sheets (3, 4) Second outer sheets (5, 6) Diagonal inner sheets (9) Angle profile (10) First folding line (11, 12) Second folding lines (13, 14) Third folding lines (15) Fitting area Figure 1 shows a layout of the sheet from which the tubular structural profile is made, indicating its folding lines (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) and also its first outer sheets (1, 2), second outer sheets (3, 4), inner diagonal sheets (5, 6), at least one tab (7) and correspondingly at least one slot (8). Figure 2 shows a first folding stage of the tubular structural profile, in which the inner diagonal sheets (5, 6) are bent at an angle greater than 90° in a symmetrical manner. Figure 3 shows a second folding stage of the tubular structural profile, in which the second outer sheets (3, 4) are folded at right angles in a symmetrical way. Figure 4 shows a third folding stage of the tubular structural profile, in which the first outer sheets (1, 2) are folded on the first folding line and in which at least one tab (7) is folded and inserted inside of at least one slot (8), allowing the final closure of the profile. Figure 5 shows the tubular structural profile in a folded and closed state, indicating the corresponding position to its different elements, such as the first outer sheets (1, 2), the second outer sheets (3 and 4), the inner diagonal sheets (5, 6) located joining diagonally opposite folding lines in the profile, and the tab (7) inserted into the slot (8). Figure 6 shows a detail of the assembly of the tubular structural profile around an angle profile (9), for the solidarity of the structure formed from the profile, allowing a firm union of collinear profiles with each other, in which the inner diagonal sheets (7, 8) are shorter, in order to create the space required for the angle profile (9). Figure 7 shows a layout of the sheet from which the tubular structural profile is made, in which its first folding line (10) is made up of two parallel paths, separated from each other by a distance similar to twice the thickness of the sheet material. Figure 8 shows an example of symmetrical interruption (15) in the second outer sheets (3, 4) and in the two inner diagonal sheets (5, 6), to create an insert zone (15) for transverse structural profile elements that compose a set of elements of a composite structure and / or to allow a collinear assembly of the tubular structural profile with an angle profile (9) that presents transversal extensions. Figures 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 show a sequence of execution of one of the ways of application of the composite structure using the tubular structural profile and its inserts, corresponding to a piece of furniture, where figure 9 shows two structural frames formed from folded sheets, which end on their sides in angle profiles (9), both frames being parallel to each other, and where there is also a first sheet with cuts and traces of folds of the structural profile, with reliefs for inserts of transverse profiles, which is located behind the two frames. Figure 10 shows a first fit between both frames, in which one of the first outer sheets (1,2) of each tubular structural profile is positioned wedging against one of the wings of the angle profile (9) of one of the sides of each frame. Figure 11 shows a next stage of execution, in which a second sheet has been added with cuts and folding lines of the structural profile, with reliefs for inserts of transverse profiles, similar to the first, both paved with the two frames, where a first structural tray has also been installed in the area of the base of the composite structure, which in at least two of its opposite edges contains folds that make up tubular profiles, after which the lower parts of the sheets with cuts and pleat traces of the structural profile have been folded and closed around the angle profile wings of the frames, generating a blockage of the first tray and generating a 4-corner fitting area for a second tray. Figure 12 shows the entry of the second structural tray to rest on the 4-corner fitting, after which tubular structural profiles will be folded and closed around the angle profile wings of the frames on a second level. Figure 13 shows the final stage of the execution, in which the different levels of structural profiles have been folded and closed around the frames and the trays have been installed, remaining blocked, culminating in the installation of a last tray on top.

Claims

1. A tubular structural profile for a construction system, manufactured starting from the folding and cutting of a sheet of semi-rigid and foldable material, with high rigidity against bending, compression and torsion, the tubular structural profile comprising an outer contour which comprises 4 substantially orthogonal sections joined at fold lines, and the tubular structural profile comprising an inner section located diagonally joining two opposing fold lines in a folded position, wherein: a) the sheet of semi-rigid material has 6 rectangular, adjacent and parallel sections, separated from each other by fold lines, wherein the two central sections correspond to two first outer sections of the outer contour, separated by a first fold line, followed by two sections corresponding to two second outer sections of the outer contour, separated from the respective first outer sections by two second fold lines, and followed, in a symmetrical manner, by two sections corresponding to two inner diagonal sections of the tubular structural profile, separated from the respective second outer sections by two third fold lines; b) the sheet of semi-rigid material is configured to be folded in a single rotation direction in each fold line, with the diagonal sections forming an angle greater than 90° in the third fold lines in the folded position, and the second fold lines and the first fold line forming a substantially right angle; characterized in that c) the tubular structural profile comprises at least one tab in one of the third fold lines inserted in at least one slot located on the corresponding opposing third fold line in the folded position to close the tubular structural profile, preventing the profile from opening during the structural performance thereof; wherein the width of the two inner diagonal sections of the tubular structural profile is less than the inner diagonal distance between the opposing first and third fold lines in the folded position to generate a tight space, such that when the tubular structural profile is folded around an angle profile of the construction system having two wings positionable against the respective two first outer sections, the angle profile fits into the tight space.

2. The tubular structural profile of claim 1, wherein the first fold line is divided into two parallel rectilinear trajectories, separated from each other by a distance similar to twice the thickness of the material of the sheet.

3. A construction system, based on a tubular structural profile which is manufactured starting from the folding and cutting of a sheet of semi-rigid and foldable material, with high rigidity against bending, compression and torsion, the tubular structural profile comprising an outer contour which comprises 4 substantially orthogonal sections joined at fold lines, and the tubular structural profile comprising an inner section located diagonally joining two opposing fold lines in a folded position, wherein: a) the sheet of semi-rigid material has 6 rectangular, adjacent and parallel sections, separated from each other by fold lines, wherein the two central sections correspond to two first outer sections of the outer contour, separated by a first fold line, followed by two sections corresponding to two second outer sections of the outer contour, separated from the respective first outer sections by two second fold lines, and followed, in a symmetrical manner, by two sections corresponding to two inner diagonal sections of the tubular structural profile, separated from the respective second outer sections by two third fold lines; b) the sheet of semi-rigid material is configured to be folded in a single rotation direction in each fold line, with the diagonal sections forming an angle greater than 90° in the third fold lines in the folded position, and the second fold lines and the first fold line forming a substantially right angle; characterized in that c) the tubular structural profile comprises at least one tab in one of the third fold lines inserted in at least one slot located on the corresponding opposing third fold line in the folded position to close the tubular structural profile, preventing the profile from opening during the structural performance thereof; d) the tubular structural profile has at least one break of continuity of the sheet of semi-rigid material in the second outer sections and in the two inner diagonal sections, in a symmetrical manner, which permits the creation of an engaging area for transverse structural profiles which make up a set of elements of a composite structure; wherein the width of the two inner diagonal sections of the tubular structural profile is less than the inner diagonal distance between the opposing first and third fold lines in the folded position, to generate a tight space for folding the profile around an angle profile having two wings positioned against the respective two first outer sections, thus permitting the structural solidarity of structural profiles collinear with each other.

4. The construction system of claim 3, wherein the first fold line is divided into two parallel rectilinear trajectories, separated from each other by a distance similar to twice the thickness of the material of the sheet.

5. The construction system of any one of claims 3 to 4, wherein the angle profile contains extensions transverse to the longitudinal axis thereof formed by the two wings wedged against the respective two first outer sections, wherein the extensions are adapted to join to at least one other angle profile substantially parallel to the first one, and wherein the breaks in the second outer sections and in the two inner diagonal sections coincide with the extensions.