Modular Construction Elements With Spherical Joints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing modular construction elements lack strength, adaptability, and are costly and time-consuming to assemble, with limited tensile and compressive strength, and require complex designs.
Innovation Solution
Modular construction elements with a rhomboid, hexagonal, or triangular shape featuring connectors that allow two rotational degrees of freedom, enabling easy assembly into curved structures with identical elements that can be used for bracing and reinforcement, and accommodating movement with washers and spacers for varied angles and fluid passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If modular construction elements are designed with rigid connections, then structural strength is improved, but adaptability and ease of assembly are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The joint incorporates a spherical connector and spherical recess mechanism that enables dynamic adjustment. The spherical connector fits within the spherical recess, allowing relative movement and angular adjustment between connected elements while maintaining structural strength. This dynamic connection resolves the contradiction by providing both rigidity for strength and mobility for adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The joint design allows changing the angular parameters between connected elements through the spherical connection mechanism. The spherical connector and recess enable variation in connection angles while maintaining structural integrity, thus allowing parameter changes to achieve both strength and adaptability simultaneously.
2Adaptability or versatility
If complex connector mechanisms are used to enable movement, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The joint is segmented into distinct functional components: a spherical connector, a spherical recess, and a retaining feature. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function simply - the sphere provides rotation, the recess guides movement, and the retaining feature prevents disassembly - thereby achieving high adaptability without excessive overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using complex mechanisms to constrain movement, the design uses simple spherical geometry to naturally enable movement. The spherical connector and recess configuration inherently provides rotational degrees of freedom without requiring additional complex constraint mechanisms, thus achieving adaptability with minimal added complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If identical construction elements are used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but structural variety and curvature control are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical joint mechanism enables identical elements to be assembled into curved and spheroid structures by allowing angular adjustment during assembly. The dynamic adjustment capability permits the same standardized element to conform to various curved geometries, thus achieving shape variety without requiring non-identical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The identical construction elements with spherical joints serve multiple functions: they can form straight lines, curves, and spheroid surfaces depending on the assembly configuration. This universality allows a single element design to achieve diverse structural shapes, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while enabling geometric variety.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1d
Figure 1e~1h
Figure 2
AI summary
Various modular construction systems exist and these all have limitations of cost, adaptability and strength. Some were also complex and time consuming to assemble. The present invention overcomes these problems by providing a simple modular construction element (10), which can be assembled with one another to form a strong structure. The invention comprises sheet-like materials, has a V-shaped cross section and is adapted to receive a connector so that elements in use are connected, one to another. The element may be rhomboid shaped, hexagonal shaped or triangular shaped.