Truss Connector Cavity Structure for Stable Holder Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing truss connectors face issues with unstable connections due to loose holder designs, leading to misalignment and instability, especially at corners and when dealing with different bar sizes, which complicates stabilization and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring an inner core with projections and receiving plates forming cavities, along with holders that adjust to these cavities, using a fixing member and mating face to secure the holder in place, ensuring stability under axial forces without excessive enlargement or complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a loose connection design is used for the holder, then the connection is simple and easy to assemble, but the holder becomes unstable and prone to dislocation
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is nested within a cavity formed by the inner core and receiving plates of the connector. The cavity receives and retains the holder in a stable position, preventing dislocation while maintaining simple assembly. The holder is encased in the cavity like a nested structure, providing stability without complex external fixtures.
2Reliability
If adjacent bars are used to stabilize the holder, then the holder position is stabilized, but the connector design becomes more complex and costly for different bar configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The cavity-based stabilization system serves multiple functions: it stabilizes the holder, defines its position, and works with various bar configurations without requiring different connector designs. The same cavity structure provides stabilization whether adjacent bars are present or absent, making the connector universal for different truss configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cavity acts as an intermediary structure between the holder and the outer shell of the connector. Instead of directly connecting the holder to adjacent bars, the cavity provides an intermediate stabilization mechanism that works independently of the bar configuration, simplifying the overall design.
3Reliability
If the holder is enlarged to achieve stabilization, then the holder becomes more stable, but the connector size increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is nested within the cavity of the connector rather than enlarging the holder itself. The cavity provides the stabilization volume within the existing connector boundaries, avoiding unnecessary enlargement of the overall connector while achieving holder stability through the nested configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention is about a connector, connecting bars and components, like panels and braces, in a supporting framework. The connector has a holder, having a first and a second end, the first end, connected to the connector, the second end, connected to the framework component. The connector comprises a plurality of faces, each adapted to be connected to one bar, the faces located in a corresponding plurality of faces of an imaginary polyhedron.