Truss structure with inclined surface and tetramodule used therein

Abstract

To provide a truss structure having a slope, which can form a slope, and a tetramodule used for the same.SOLUTION: The truss structure formed by connecting tetramodules to each other by joining frames having slender joint surface equal in length, the tetramnodules having the frames positioned on a diagonal line of an assumed place of a virtual hexahedron block including the tetramodules being unit modules is configured such that in each tetramodule, the hexahedron block forms a rhombic side surface, a rectangular sloping vertical surface, and a rectangular perpendicular back and forth surface, two sets of four frames of three sets of six frames facing each other in the hexahedron block are equal in length to a frame when a regular tetrahedron is formed, one of remaining one set of two frames is shorter, remaining one frame is longer, to form not a regular tetrahedron but a deformed tetrahedron, and the upper floor surface of the truss structure is formed as a slope 13 by combining the tetramodules of the deformed tetrahedron.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a truss structure in cases where an inclined surface is required, such as the roof of a building, the installation stand for solar cells, the installation stand for other monorails in forestry, and a cableway.

Background Art

[0002] A truss structure is a structural form in which members are connected to each other in a triangular shape. Since both ends of the members are pin-jointed and in a triangular shape, only axial force is generated even when an external force is applied.

[0003] For example, when a force is applied to a quadrilateral, the quadrilateral will bend under the force. On the other hand, a triangle does not "bend" under the force but undergoes deformation such as "shrinking" or "stretching". A bending moment acts on the member where the "bending" deformation occurs, but only axial force acts on the "shrinking, stretching" deformation.

[0004] Even for members of the same size, the member on which only axial force acts is overwhelmingly advantageous compared to the member on which a bending moment acts. That is, an efficient cross-section can be selected for the member on which only axial force acts.

[0005] Thus, when the advantages of the truss structure are shown as follows, · Only axial force acts between members. · Therefore, it is possible to construct a structure with thin members. · It is a structural form suitable for roof structures of large-scale spaces, etc. · A building can be created with light and thin members, which is also attractive in terms of design. · And so on.

[0006] The inventor previously filed a patent application for a modular framework structure for a structure using a three-dimensional truss, and for the unit modules used therein, he created unit modules that serve as the unit frame of a three-dimensional truss structure as shown in Figure 11, and constructed a three-dimensional truss structure by joining these unit modules together. The unit modules are formed by creating frames 3 with elongated joint surfaces 2 at the edges of a regular tetrahedron, and assembling them into a tetramodule 1 which is a regular tetrahedron-shaped frame by connecting the ends of these frames 3 with elongated joint surfaces 2, and then joining the elongated joint surfaces 2 of the frames 3 together to connect the tetramodules 1 which are the unit modules and form a three-dimensional truss structure. [Patent Document 1] Patent application No. 2021-188771

[0007] In this Patent Document 1, the Tetra Module 1 allows the frame 3 to be made of various cross-sectional shapes as long as it has an elongated joint surface. It is possible to select from flat plates, hollow tubes, H-shaped or other structural steel, angle materials, or channel materials, and the material can be made of a material with strength appropriate to its application.

[0008] According to the above invention, the unit module can be used in a block-like manner, making it possible to prefabricate the construction of a three-dimensional truss structure.

[0009] In order to combine the unit modules to construct a three-dimensional truss structure, the frames that form the edges of a regular tetrahedron can be joined by connecting the elongated joint surfaces of members that have elongated joint surfaces. In particular, it is possible to construct a three-dimensional truss structure by combining only unit modules without using members other than the unit modules as connecting members, and assembly can be carried out simply and quickly with fewer steps.

[0010] Furthermore, when combining the unit modules, the frames that form the edges of the regular tetrahedron overlap each other, becoming double-layered, which increases their strength. This then acts as the diagonal members of the three-dimensional truss structure, making the three-dimensional truss structure itself more robust.

[0011] Alternatively, by overlapping frames that form the edges of a regular tetrahedron, the strength of the diagonal members can be obtained, allowing for the formation of unit modules with thin frames and thus reducing the weight of the unit modules themselves. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0012] The three-dimensional truss structure assembled with the aforementioned tetramodule 1 can be constructed with the horizontal and vertical directions perpendicular to each other.

[0013] For example, if a horizontal, plate-shaped three-dimensional truss structure is used as a floor or roof, and a vertical, plate-shaped three-dimensional truss structure is used as a wall, then by deploying combinations of tetramodules horizontally or vertically as floors and walls, the connection between the floor and wall sections will be the joining of frames of tetramodules arranged horizontally or vertically and orthogonally in the aforementioned plate-shaped three-dimensional truss structure. This allows for the assembly of three-dimensional truss structures as floors and walls at right angles, and enables the formation of walls that rise (or fall) perpendicular to the floor.

[0014] However, it was not possible to assemble truss structures requiring inclined surfaces, such as building roofs, solar panel mounting frames, monorail mounting frames for forestry and other applications, and cableways, using only tetra modules.

[0015] The object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the conventional example and to provide a truss structure having an inclined surface that can form an inclined surface when the truss structure is assembled using tetra modules, and a tetra module used therefor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a truss structure having an inclined surface, in which the edges of a tetrahedron are formed by frames having elongated joint surfaces, and the ends of these frames having elongated joint surfaces are connected, with a tetramodule as the unit module, which can virtually form a hexahedron block by the inscribed surfaces of the frames, and a truss structure formed by joining and connecting these tetramodules together with frames having elongated joint surfaces of the same length, in which one pair of opposing faces of the hexahedron block is a parallelogram and the remaining two pairs are rectangles, four of the six frames constituting the tetramodule are the same length as the frames that form a regular tetrahedron, one other frame is shorter and the remaining frame is longer, forming a deformed tetrahedron that is not a regular tetrahedron, and the gist of the present invention is that the upper floor surface of the truss structure is an inclined surface by a combination of these deformed tetramodules.

[0017] The tetramodule used in truss structures is one in which a hexahedron block can be virtually formed by the inscribed faces of the frame. Of the opposing faces of the hexahedron block, one pair is a parallelogram, and the remaining two pairs are rectangles. Of the six frames that make up the tetramodule, four are the same length as the frames that form a regular tetrahedron, one is shorter, and the remaining one is longer, resulting in a deformed tetrahedron that is not a regular tetrahedron.

[0018] According to the present invention, when a hexahedral block is imagined by the inscribed surfaces of the frame, the hexahedral block is flatter than the cubic hexahedral block imagined by the inscribed surfaces of the frame of the Tetra Module 1 in Patent Document 1. Since one pair of opposing faces of the flattened hexahedral block becomes a parallelogram, an inclined surface can be secured. If a truss structure is formed by assembling a deformed tetrahedron Tetra Module 1' assuming that such hexahedral blocks are arranged, the upper floor surface of the truss structure will be an inclined surface.

[0019] In addition, since the truss module of the present invention forms a truss structure and the edge line portion of the tetrahedron is formed by a frame having an elongated joint surface, the frames can be joined at the elongated joint surfaces to combine the tetramodules with each other.

[0020] Furthermore, in order to combine the tetramodules, the frames forming the edge line portions of the tetrahedron overlap each other and become double, so the strength is increased, and this serves as the diagonal member portion of the truss structure, making the truss structure itself robust.

[0021] Also, it becomes possible to construct a truss structure only by combining the modules without using connecting members other than the modules, and the assembly can be performed simply and quickly with a small number of man-hours, improving the prefabrication.

[0022] In the case of the floor, in order to combine the modules, the frames forming the edge line portions of the regular tetrahedron overlap each other and become double, so the strength is increased, and this serves as the diagonal member portion of the disk-shaped three-dimensional truss structure composed of the upper chord member, the lower chord member by the horizontal member, and the diagonal members connecting these, making the truss structure itself robust.

[0023] On the other hand, the component called the tetramodule produces a block of the truss structure by docking the technical idea of building blocks such as LEGO (registered trademark) blocks and the structural technology of the truss structure, and the tetramodules can be combined in the sense of stacking building blocks to develop a three-dimensional truss structure.

[0024] The present invention produces a virtual block of a hexahedron forming a truss structure by docking the technical idea of building blocks such as LEGO (registered trademark) blocks and the structural technology of the truss structure.

Effect of the Invention

[0025] As described above, the truss structure having an inclined surface of the present invention and the tetramodule used therefor can form an inclined surface when assembling the truss structure with the tetramodules.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1] It is a side view showing one embodiment of a truss structure having an inclined surface of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a truss structure having an inclined surface of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a plan view showing one embodiment of a truss structure having an inclined surface of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory view when the truss structure having an inclined surface of the present invention is applied to the roof of a building. [Figure 5] It is a plan view of a truss structure having an inclined surface of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory view of a tetra-module of a deformed tetrahedron used for a truss structure having an inclined surface of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view showing the joined state of a tetra-module of a deformed tetrahedron and a regular tetrahedron tetra-module. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view showing a tetra-module of a deformed tetrahedron. [Figure 9] It is a side view showing a tetra-module of a deformed tetrahedron. [Figure 10] It is a perspective view of a tetra-module of a deformed tetrahedron from another angle. [Figure 11] It is a perspective view of a regular tetrahedron tetra-module.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing one embodiment of a truss structure having an inclined surface of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same, in the figure, 13 is an inclined surface, and 14 is a flat surface.

[0028] The truss structure having the inclined surface 13 is formed by a combination of tetramodules 1', but first, the tetramodule 1' of the present invention will be described. The left side of Figure 6 shows the deformed tetrahedron tetramodule 1' of the present invention, and the right side shows the regular tetrahedron tetramodule 1.

[0029] As shown in Figure 11, the tetrahedron-shaped Tetra Module 1 is precisely designed to resemble a regular tetrahedron. The frames that form the edges of the tetrahedron are made of frames 3 with elongated joint surfaces 2, and the ends of these frames 3 with elongated joint surfaces 2 are connected with joint members 4 to assemble a tetrahedron-shaped structure. The equilateral triangles of the tetrahedron form the openings. All frames 3 are of the same length.

[0030] The frame 3 having the elongated joint surface 2 serves as the axial member of the tetrahedron-shaped frame, and a total of six of them are assembled together with joint members 4. The term "tetrahedron-shaped frame" refers to the fact that in the tetramodule 1, there are a total of six elongated joint surfaces 2, and there are equilateral triangular planes 7 at the four vertices, which are the ceiling parts of the joint members 4, making a total of 14 faces, but it is roughly tetrahedron-shaped.

[0031] The frame 3 having the elongated joint surface 2 is shown in the figure as a rectangular elongated plate which is a strip-shaped timber, but as long as the surface facing outward when assembled as a regular tetrahedron frame is the elongated joint surface 2, the shape of the axial member is not particularly limited, such as having a semicircular cross-section, a triangle or other angular shape, or a hollow pipe shape. Frame 3 can be made of various cross-sectional shapes as long as it has an elongated joint surface 2, and it is possible to select from flat plates, hollow pipes, H-shaped or other structural steel, angle members, or channel members. The same selection of frame 3 applies to the tetramodule 1' described later.

[0032] Furthermore, the material of the frame 3 having the elongated joint surface 2 can be selected from a variety of materials depending on the intended use of the completed three-dimensional truss structure, including metals such as steel and aluminum, wood, and synthetic resin. In the case of wood, using thinned timber can be expected to reduce construction costs.

[0033] The material of the joint member 4 is also similar and can be selected from various options depending on the application, such as metals like steel and aluminum, wood, or synthetic resin.

[0034] The joint member 4 for assembling the frame 3 having the elongated joint surface 2 does not have a particular shape as long as it can be assembled into a regular tetrahedron frame using the frame 3 having the elongated joint surface 2. However, it is preferable that it has connecting pieces 5 to the frame 3 having the elongated joint surface 2, and that these connecting pieces 5 are connected to each other by a top plate 7 or side plate 6. In the illustrated example, they are connected to each other by side plates 6. Side plates 6 are not required.

[0035] Regarding the connection between the frame 3 having the elongated joint surface 2 and the joint member 4, although not shown in the illustration, at the connection point between the joint piece 5 of the joint member 4 and the rectangular elongated flat plate 2, both are overlapped and then fixed, or a slit is formed in the frame 3 having the elongated joint surface 2, and the joint piece 5 is inserted into this slit and sandwiched. Both the joint piece 5 and the frame 3 are fixed by fastening with bolts and nuts or by welding.

[0036] The Tetra Module 1 and 1' of this invention combine the technical concept of building blocks similar to LEGO® blocks with the structural technology of truss structures to create truss-structure blocks, and the surfaces inscribed in the frame 3 allow for the virtualization of a hexahedron block.

[0037] As shown in Figure 6, when the tetrahedron tetramodule 1 is considered as a hexahedron block by the faces inscribed within the frame 3, it becomes a cubic hexahedron block (H) where all faces are square faces R.

[0038] On the other hand, Tetra Module 1' deforms the cubic hexahedron block (H) into a flattened shape, so that one pair of opposing faces (X,X) of the hexahedron block (I) is a parallelogram (rhombus), and the remaining pair (Y,Y, Z,Z) is a rectangle (square). One example of the parallelogram (rhombus) is angles of 120° and 60°.

[0039] Tetra Module 1' allows for the virtual formation of a hexahedron block through the inscribed faces of the frame. Of the opposing faces of the hexahedron block, one pair is a parallelogram, and the remaining two pairs are rectangles. Of the six frames that make up the Tetra Module, four frames 3(a) are the same length as frame 3 when forming a regular tetrahedron, one frame 3(c) is shorter, and the remaining frame 3(b) is longer, forming a deformed tetrahedron that is not a regular tetrahedron.

[0040] For example, when comparing Tetra Module 1' with a regular tetrahedron Tetra Module 1, frame 3(a) is 1.0 (the same length as frame 3 of Tetra Module 1), frame 3(b) is 1.23, and frame 3(c) is 0.71, but it is not limited to this.

[0041] The deformed tetrahedron Tetramodule 1' has a long frame (b) inscribed within a parallelogram (rhombuse) X so as to span between corners at a 60° angle, and a short frame 3(c) inscribed within an opposing parallelogram (rhombuse) X so as to span between corners at a 120° angle. As a result, frame 3(a) forms an inclined surface, and by continuing these, a truss structure with an inclined surface 13 can be formed.

[0042] Figure 4 shows an example of a building in which the roof 11 is formed by an inclined surface 13. In this example, the floor 12 is formed by a horizontal plate-shaped three-dimensional truss structure, and the walls 10 are formed by a vertical plate-shaped three-dimensional truss structure. The floor 12 is formed by tetramodule 1, and the walls 10 and roof 11 are formed by tetramodule 1', which is a deformed tetrahedron.

[0043] Although the roof 11 has a slope, the tetra module 1' is a deformed tetrahedron as described above. When viewed as a hexahedron block, the frame 3 is inscribed within a hexahedron with a rhombic side X, rectangular inclined upper and lower surfaces Y, and rectangular vertical front and rear surfaces Z. The upper end surface of the plate-shaped three-dimensional truss structure of the wall 10, which is made up of stacked tetra modules 1', is also an inclined surface, making it possible to join the inclined roof 11.

[0044] Furthermore, by combining Tetra Modules 1' and stacking them horizontally and vertically, they can also be formed as a wall 10.

[0045] Furthermore, in order to join and fix these tetra modules to each other, there are several methods: fixing the frames 3, 3(a), frame 3(b), and frame 3(c), which have elongated joint surfaces 2, to each other at the frame portion; connecting the joint members 4 to each other without fixing the frames having elongated joint surfaces 2 to each other; or employing a combination of both methods.

[0046] Furthermore, to fasten the overlapping frames 3, each having an elongated joint surface 2, to each other at this portion of the frame 3, they can be joined by means such as fastening with bolts and nuts, welding, interlocking, or crimping with bands. The walls 10, roof 11, and floor 12 are assembled as an inclined, plate-shaped three-dimensional truss structure by combining a plate-shaped three-dimensional truss structure composed of the tetramodule 1 and a plate-shaped three-dimensional truss structure composed of the tetramodule 1'.

[0047] In a truss structure having an inclined surface 13, a complementary (interpolative) square pyramidal truss frame region B is formed inside the three-dimensional truss structure, as shown in Figure 5, as a result of joining frames 3 of the same length, each having an elongated joint surface 2 between tetramodules 1'.

[0048] The term "complementary" in this complementary (interpolative) square pyramidal truss frame region, specifically the square pyramidal truss B, means that the square pyramidal truss is not directly formed using members, but rather automatically generated between the tetramodules 1' as a result of assembling the tetramodules 1'. When two tetramodules 1', which are unit modules of a tetrahedral frame, are joined at the edges of frames 3 of the same length, the frames 3 where these elongated joint surfaces 2 overlap become diagonal members, while the other frames 3 are arranged horizontally or vertically and orthogonally with their elongated joint surfaces 2 facing outwards. This is an example of how, when these are combined, a square frame is formed on the base surface of the complementary square pyramidal truss frame region B.

[0049] Incidentally, the volume of the complementary square pyramidal truss frame region B is the same as the combined volume of two Tetra Module 1' units.

[0050] When these interconnected tetra modules 1' are assembled front-to-back and left-to-right, a complementary square pyramidal truss frame region B can be formed between the sides of the unit modules, allowing a stable truss structure to be assembled using only tetra modules.

[0051] Furthermore, when combining the Tetra Module 1', the frames 3, which form the edges of the tetrahedrons, overlap each other, becoming double-layered, thus increasing their strength. If this is the case for the diagonal members, the diagonal members of the three-dimensional truss structure become more robust. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] 1, 1'... Tetramodule 2... Elongated joint surface 3...Frame 4...Joint component 5...Connection piece part 6...Side plate 7…Tabletop 10...Wall 11...Roof 12...Floor 13...Slope 14...Flat surface

Claims

1. In a truss structure characterized by forming the edges of a tetrahedron with frames having elongated joint surfaces, connecting the ends of these frames with elongated joint surfaces, using a tetramodule as the unit module, which can virtually form a hexahedron block with the inscribed surfaces of the frames, and connecting these tetramodules by joining and connecting frames having elongated joint surfaces of the same length, one pair of opposing faces of the hexahedron block is a parallelogram and the remaining two pairs are rectangles, four of the six frames constituting the tetramodule are the same length as the frames that form a regular tetrahedron, one frame is shorter and the remaining frame is longer, forming a deformed tetrahedron that is not a regular tetrahedron, and the combination of these deformed tetramodules forms the upper floor surface of the truss structure, resulting in a truss structure with an inclined surface.

2. The Tetra Module is a structure in which a hexahedron can be virtually formed by the inscribed faces of the frame. In this hexahedron, one pair of opposing faces is a parallelogram, and the remaining two pairs are rectangles. Of the six frames that make up the Tetra Module, four are the same length as the frames that form a regular tetrahedron, one is shorter, and the remaining one is longer, resulting in a deformed tetrahedron that is not a regular tetrahedron. The Tetra Module is used in truss structures with inclined faces.

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