Modular Hyperbolic Trapezoid Fabric Structure with Telescoping Legs
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for versatile, aesthetically appealing, and structurally sound modular fabric structures that can be easily erected and disassembled for various applications, including different sizes and challenging weather conditions, while maintaining tension in the fabric membranes.
Innovation Solution
A modular fabric structure comprising telescoping apex and base legs connected by rigid roof beams with keder rails for attaching and tensioning fabric membranes, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly, and enabling the formation of a tensioned hyperbolic trapezoid fabric roof, which can be adjusted to accommodate different sizes and conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a hyperbolic trapezoid fabric structure is designed to be modular and easily assembled/disassembled, then portability and ease of erection are improved, but structural integrity and tension maintenance in the fabric membrane may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The structure is divided into modular components including telescoping legs with locking mechanisms, separate beam assemblies, and detachable fabric membrane attachments. This segmentation enables easy assembly and disassembly while maintaining structural integrity through precise locking features and connection points designed to preserve tension in the fabric membrane during modular construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The structure incorporates adjustable and telescoping elements that allow dynamic adaptation during assembly and operation. The telescoping legs with locking mechanisms provide adjustable height and tension control, enabling the structure to maintain optimal structural integrity while being easily reconfigured for different assembly scenarios and transport requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the fabric structure is designed for various sizes and applications, then versatility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The structure employs universal connection points, standardized beam configurations, and interchangeable components that allow the same basic framework to be adapted for multiple sizes and applications. The modular design with standardized interfaces enables versatile configuration options without requiring entirely different structures for each application, thereby managing complexity while maximizing adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
Adjustable telescoping legs and reconfigurable beam arrangements provide dynamic adaptability, allowing the structure to be easily reconfigured for different sizes and applications using the same component set. This dynamic design enables versatility without permanently increasing structural complexity, as the same modular components can be arranged in multiple configurations.
3Ease of operation
If keder rails and keder strips are used for attaching fabric membranes, then ease of attachment and tensioning is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The keder rails are pre-attached to the beam structures during manufacturing, and the fabric membranes are designed with pre-positioned keder strips at attachment points. This preliminary preparation simplifies field assembly and tensioning operations, as components arrive ready for connection rather than requiring complex field fabrication or adjustment procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The keder rails and keder strips serve as intermediary components that facilitate the connection between the structural beams and the fabric membrane. These specialized attachment elements provide a standardized interface that simplifies the joining process and enables easy tensioning adjustments, while their standardized design manages manufacturing complexity through repetition and standardization.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to fabric structures and methods for erecting same. The structure of the invention includes two telescoping apex legs, two generally vertical base legs having a base adapted to resist upward force on the base leg, four roof beams and a fabric roof membrane connected to each of the roof beams along a substantial portion of its periphery. A moment is applied tending to bow the roof beams upward and outward and the roof membrane is held under tension counter to said moment when the apex legs are telescopically raised relative to the base legs and the apex and base legs are positioned vertically. The invention provides a structure with a hyperbolic trapezoid roof made from modular components that are readily transported and assembled.