U.S. patent application number 11/710797 was filed with the patent office on 2008-08-28 for support member systems and methods.
Invention is credited to Douglas M. Sparks.
Application Number | 20080203262 11/710797 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39714797 |
Filed Date | 2008-08-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080203262 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sparks; Douglas M. |
August 28, 2008 |
Support member systems and methods
Abstract
The present disclosure includes a number of system and method
embodiments. One such system embodiment includes a first support
member, a second support member and a third support member
including a plurality of longitudinally spaced aligning holes
extending therethrough. The first support member extends in a z
direction of a (x, y, z) Cartesian coordinate system, the second
support member extends in an x direction and the third support
member extends in the y direction. Also, the first support member,
the second support member, and the third support member are rigidly
fastened together via three removable fastening members.
Inventors: |
Sparks; Douglas M.;
(Wabasha, MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BROOKS, CAMERON & HUEBSCH , PLLC
1221 NICOLLET AVENUE , SUITE 500
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55403
US
|
Family ID: |
39714797 |
Appl. No.: |
11/710797 |
Filed: |
February 26, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/346.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16B 12/44 20130101;
F16B 7/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/346.01 |
International
Class: |
A47B 47/00 20060101
A47B047/00 |
Claims
1. A system, comprising: a first support member having a plurality
of longitudinally spaced aligning holes extending therethrough
extending in a z direction of a (x, y, z) Cartesian coordinate
system; a second support member having a plurality of
longitudinally spaced aligning holes extending therethrough
positioned perpendicular to and in contact with the first support
member, where the second support member extends in an x direction;
and a third support member having a plurality of longitudinally
spaced aligning holes extending therethrough positioned
perpendicular to and in contact with the first support member and
the second support member, where the third support member extends
in a y direction, and where the first support member, the second
support member, and the third support member are rigidly fastened
together via three removable fastening members.
2. The system of claim 1, where the first support member is
fastened to the second support member via a first fastening member
and the first support member is fastened to the third support
member via a second fastening member.
3. The system of claim 2, where the second support member is
fastened to the third support member via a third fastening
member.
4. The system of claim 1, where the first support member, the
second support member, and the third support member each have a
first set of holes positioned proximate a first end of the first
support member, the second support member, and the third support
member, and the first support member is fastened to the second
support member through at least two of a second set of holes
positioned longitudinally next to the first set of holes.
5. The system of claim 4, where the first support member is
positioned adjacent the third support member such that the first
support member is fastened to the third support member through at
least two of the first set of holes positioned proximate the first
end of the first support member and the third support member.
6. The system of claim 5, where the second support member is
positioned adjacent the third support member such that the second
support member is fastened to the third support member at the first
set of holes positioned proximate the first end of the second
support member and the second, set of holes positioned
longitudinally next to the first set of holes on the third support
member.
7. The system of claim 1, where the first support member, the
second support member, and the third support member have a square
cross-sectional shape and include the plurality of longitudinally
spaced aligning holes extending therethrough on each side of the
first support member, the second support member, and the third
support member.
8. A method of assembly, comprising: positioning a first support
member and a second support member such that the first support
member extends in a z direction of a (x, y, z) Cartesian coordinate
system and the second support member extends in an x direction,
where the first support member is adjacent and in contact with the
second support member; fastening the first support member to the
second support member; positioning a third support member adjacent
the first and second support member such that the third support
member is in a y direction of a (x, y, z) Cartesian coordinate
system and in contact with the first and second support member; and
fastening the third support member to the second support member and
the first support member to rigidly fix the first, second, and
third support members with respect to each other.
9. The method of claim 8, where the first, second, and third
support members each have a first set of holes and a second set of
holes positioned longitudinally next to the first set of holes
extending through the first, second, and third support members, and
where fastening the first support member to the second support
member includes fastening the first support member to the second
support member at the second set of holes extending though the
first support member and the second support member.
10. The method of claim 9, where positioning the first support
member adjacent the second support member includes positioning the
first support member and second support member such that the second
set of holes are positioned approximately in the center of a
plurality of longitudinally spaced aligning holes extending
therethrough the first support member and the second support
member.
11. The method of claim 9, where positioning the first support
member adjacent the second support member includes positioning the
first support member and second support member such that the second
set of holes is positioned second among a plurality of
longitudinally spaced aligning holes extending therethrough the
first support member and the second support member.
12. The method of claim 8, where fastening the third support member
to the first support member includes fastening the third support
member to the first support member at a first set of holes
extending through the third support member and the first support
member.
13. The method of claim 12, where positioning the third support
member adjacent the first support member includes positioning the
first support member and the third support member such that the
first set of holes is positioned approximately in the center of a
plurality of longitudinally spaced aligning holes extending
therethrough the third support member and the first support
member.
14. The method of claim 12, where positioning the third support
member adjacent the first support member includes positioning the
third support member and first support member such that the first
set of holes is positioned first among a plurality of
longitudinally spaced aligning holes extending therethrough the
third support member and the first support member.
15. The method of claim 8, where fastening the third support member
to the second support member includes fastening the third support
member to the second support member at a first set of holes
extending through the second support member and a second set of
holes extending through the third support member.
16. The method of claim 15, where positioning the third support
member adjacent the second support member includes positioning the
third support member and the second support member such that the
first set of holes and the second set of holes are positioned
approximately in the center of a plurality of longitudinally spaced
aligning holes extending therethrough the third support member and
the second support member.
17. The method of claim 15, where positioning the third support
member adjacent the second support member includes positioning the
third support member and second support member such that the first
set of holes is positioned first among a plurality of
longitudinally spaced aligning holes extending therethrough the
second support member and the second set of holes is positioned
second among a plurality of longitudinally spaced aligning holes
extending therethrough the third support member.
18. A system, comprising: a first support member having a plurality
of longitudinally spaced aligning holes extending therethrough
extending in a z direction of a (x, y, z) Cartesian coordinate
system, a second support member having a plurality of
longitudinally spaced aligning holes extending therethrough
positioned adjacent the first support member extending in an x
direction, where the second support member is fastened to the first
support member at a second set of holes extending through the first
support member and the second support member; a third support
member having a plurality of longitudinally spaced aligning holes
extending therethrough positioned adjacent the first support member
and the second support member extending in a y direction, where the
third support member is fastened to the first support member at a
first set of holes extending through the third support member and
the second first support member, and where the third support member
is fastened to the second support member at a first set of holes
extending through the second support member and a second set of
holes extending through the third support member.
19. The system of claim 18, where the first support member, the
second support member, and the third support member have a square
cross-sectional shape and include a plurality of longitudinally
spaced aligning holes extending therethrough on each side of the
first support member, the second support member, and the third
support member.
20. The system of claim 19, where the first set of holes on each of
the first support member, the second support member, and the third
support member are positioned first among the plurality of
longitudinally space aligning holes extending therethrough, and the
second set of holes on each of the first support member, the second
support member, and the third support member are positioned second
among the plurality of longitudinally spaced aligning holes
extending therethrough.
21. The system of claim 18, where the first support member, the
second support member, and the third support member are
approximately identical.
22. The system of claim 18, where the first support member, the
second support member, and the third support member are fastened
together with three approximately identical fastening members.
Description
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to support member
systems and methods; and more particularly to systems and methods
for fastening support members to each other.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Frame structures that are used for supports, stands, display
apparatus, racks, carts, or workstations often utilize a plurality
of differently shaped support members which are attached together
to form the body of a structure. In some structures, the support
members are attached together perpendicularly where certain frame
members constitute vertical frame portions and other frame members
constitute horizontal frame portions.
[0003] Oftentimes differently shaped diagonally oriented cross
members and/or brackets are used to provide rigidity to the
structure. For instance, the diagonal members are typically longer
than the other support members in order to span the distance across
the diagonal, and the attachment points are at the ends of the
member, making them suitable only as diagonal members. Such
different shaped members increase cost in creating such systems and
in having the correct parts and expertise on hand to fabricate a
particular structure.
[0004] Where permanent structures are envisioned, permanent
techniques of fastening are used such as welding, gluing, or
nailing. In structures which are not intended to be permanent,
techniques such as bolting, interfitting projections and slots,
bendable metal tabs, and the like have been used. In such
non-permanent structures, the way in which the support members are
affixed at their junction points may be different from one junction
to the next. Further, in some non-permanent structures, the
attachment components may be hard to access, making assembly and/or
disassembly difficult.
[0005] Non-permanent structure systems may also be limited in that
the number of points of attachment is restricted, and therefore,
such systems are oftentimes predetermined for one configuration and
cannot be used for multiple configurations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1A illustrates an embodiment of a system according to
the present disclosure.
[0007] FIG. 1B is an exploded illustration of the embodiment shown
in FIG. 1A.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0008] Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to
systems and methods for fastening a number of support members
together to form entire structures or portions thereof. As used
herein, structures can include shelves, racks, carts, workstations,
containers, benches, and any other structure that can be
constructed using embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0009] According to the present disclosure, there are several
applications that may benefit from the systems and methods as
described herein. Such applications include constructing structures
without tools or through use of a minimal number of tools. Such
embodiments may provide individuals that are not handy with tools
the ability to create structures or portions thereof.
[0010] In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure may be
useful to make structures that can be assembled and disassembled
without damaging the support members of the structure. Such
embodiments allow the support members to be reused and/or
reconfigured into different structures or portions thereof.
[0011] Further, embodiments of the present disclosure may be useful
when constructing a structure for a specific purpose, such that the
structure can be designed and constructed to fit the purpose. Such
embodiments can be designed to have a number of similar parts
thereby allowing the parts to be used in a variety of
configurations.
[0012] Additionally, various embodiments may use support members
that have all the same sized members, including cross-sectional
shapes, lengths, numbers of attachment points, and/or positions of
attachment points. In some embodiments, the attachment components
may be the same type and/or may be identical. Such similarity of
components and/or members can allow for these parts to be used in
more configurations and can create an easy building process, among
other benefits.
[0013] FIG. 1A illustrates an embodiment of a system according to
the present disclosure. In addition, FIG. 1B illustrates an
exploded view of the embodiment of the system shown in FIG. 1A.
[0014] The figures herein follow a numbering convention in which
the first digit or digits correspond to the drawing figure number
and the remaining digits identify an element or component in the
drawing. Similar elements or components between different figures
may be identified by the use of similar digits. For example, 110
may reference element "10" in FIG. 1, and a similar element may be
referenced as 210 in FIG. 2.
[0015] As will be appreciated, elements shown in the various
embodiments herein can be added, exchanged, and/or eliminated so as
to provide a number of additional embodiments of value. In
addition, discussion of features and/or attributes for an element
with respect to one figure can also apply to the element shown in
one or more additional figures. Additionally, embodiments of the
devices and systems may have different dimensions than those
illustrated in the figures.
[0016] As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1A, the system 100
includes a first support member 102, a second support member 104,
and a third support member 106. The first support member 102 can
include a plurality of longitudinally spaced aligning holes 108
extending therethrough the first support member 102. As used
herein, "longitudinally spaced aligning holes" refers to holes 108
along a face 110 of a support member (e.g., the first support
member 102) that align with holes 108 along a parallel face 112 of
a support member.
[0017] In some embodiments, the holes 108 can be placed on the
support member 102, 104, and 106 with a predetermined distance 109
between the holes 108 that is equal on each face 110, 112 of the
support member 102, 104, and 106. Embodiments of the present
disclosure are not limited to a particular shape of the holes 108.
In various embodiments, the holes 108 can have a circular shape, as
shown in FIGS. 1A-1B, however, the holes 108 can have other shapes
including elliptical and/or polygonal. In addition, embodiments of
the present disclosure are not limited to single holes 108 but can
include holes 108 that are a series of overlapping openings (e.g.,
circular openings). The holes 108 can be formed on the support
members 102, 104, and 106 by stamping, laser cutting, or drilling,
among other manners.
[0018] The second support member 104 and the third support member
106 can also include a plurality of longitudinally spaced aligning
holes 108 extending therethrough, as discussed herein. As shown in
FIGS. 1A-1B, the support members 102, 104, and 106 can be formed as
a hollow structure. Embodiments of the present disclosure can also
include solid support members 102, 104, and 106 where the
longitudinally spaced aligning holes 108 extend through the support
members 102, 104, and 106 and may intersect with longitudinally
spaced aligning holes 108 on an orthogonal face 111 relative the
face 110 and/or the parallel face 112.
[0019] In some embodiments, the first support member 102, the
second support member 104, and the third support member 106 can be
made of a metal. Examples of such metals include, but are not
limited to, platinum, titanium, stainless steel (e.g., 316L
stainless steel), aluminum, copper, and/or gold.
[0020] In some embodiments, the support members 102, 104, and 106
can be made of a polymer. For example, suitable polymers include
polyvinyl chloride (PVC), high density polyethylene (HDPE), low
density polyethylene (LDPE), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS),
or the like. The support members 102, 104, and 106 can also be made
of wood, and/or fiberglass. Embodiments can also be made of other
suitable materials for forming the devices or systems discussed
herein.
[0021] In addition, as discussed herein, in some embodiments, the
first support member 102, the second support member 104, and the
third support member 106 can have approximately identical
dimensions including, but not limited to, length, width,
cross-sectional shape (e.g., square as shown in FIG. 1A), height,
hole diameter, and distance between holes, among others. In some
such embodiments, the first support member 102, the second support
member 104, and the third support member 106 can have approximately
identical dimensions excepting the length of the support members
102, 104, and/or 106.
[0022] As illustrated in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the first
support member 102 can extend in a z direction 114 of a (x, y, z)
Cartesian coordinate system. In addition, the second support member
104 can extend in an x direction 116 and the third support member
106 can extend in a y direction 118.
[0023] In some embodiments, the first support member 102, the
second support member 104, and the third support member 106 can
have a square cross-sectional shape and can include the plurality
of longitudinally spaced aligning holes 108 extending therethrough
on each side of the support members 102, 104, and 106. Such
embodiments can be beneficial because of the symmetrical shape of
the support members 102, 104, and 106. Also, the square
cross-sectional shape can provide more structural strength as
compared to other cross-sectional shapes, for example, a
rectangular cross-sectional shape.
[0024] Embodiments, however, are not limited to a square
cross-sectional shape. In various embodiments, the support members
102, 104, and 106 can have circular, oval, triangular, rectangular,
and/or other polygonal cross-sectional shapes. Other
cross-sectional shapes may also be suitable. In addition, in some
embodiments, the first support member 102, the second support
member 104, and the third support member 106 can have different
cross-sectional shapes. In various embodiments, two of the support
members 102, 104 can have the same cross-sectional shapes while the
third support member 106 has a different cross-sectional shape.
[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1A-1B, the second support member 104 can
be positioned perpendicular to the first support member 102 and the
third support member 106 can be positioned perpendicular to both
the first support member 102 and the second support member 104. In
addition, the first support member 102, the second support member
104, and the third support member can be rigidly fastened via three
removable fastening members 120. Such embodiments can be beneficial
because they utilize a minimum number of fastening members 120 to
make the attachment.
[0026] In some embodiments, the first support member 102, the
second support member 104, and the third support member 106 can
each have a first set of holes 122 positioned proximate a first end
124 of the first support member 102, the second support member 104,
and the third support member 106. The first support member 102, the
second support member 104, and the third support member 106 can
also include a second set of holes 126 positioned longitudinally
next to the first set of holes 122.
[0027] In some embodiments, the first support member 102 can be
fastened to the second support member via a first fastening member
128. The first fastening member 128 can extend through the second
set of holes 126 on both the first support member 102 and the
second support member 104 to fasten the first support member 102 to
the second support member 104. In addition, the first support
member 102 can be fastened to the third support member via a second
fastening member 130. The second fastening member 130 can extend
through the first set of holes 122 on both the first support member
102 and the third support member 106 to fasten the first support
member 102 to the third support member 106.
[0028] In various embodiments, the second support member 104 can be
fastened to the third support member via a third fastening member
132. The third fastening member 132 can extend through the first
set of holes 122 on the second support member 104 and the second
set of holes 126 on the third support member to fasten the second
support member 104 to the third support member 106.
[0029] In embodiments where three fastening members are utilized,
as discussed with respect to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the use of three
fastening members can be beneficial because the support members
102, 104, and 106 can be rigidly fixed to each other with a minimum
number of fastening members 120. Additionally, in embodiments as
shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the fastening members 120 can be the
same, which reduces the amount of parts to be manufactured and
provided to a user and also may take less skill to build a
structure, among other benefits, as discussed herein.
[0030] In some embodiments, the first set of holes 122 can be
positioned approximately in the center of a plurality of
longitudinally spaced aligning holes extending therethrough the
first support member 102, the second support member 104, and the
third support member 106. In such embodiments, the second set of
holes 126 can be positioned longitudinally next to the first set of
holes 122. Also, the first support member 102, the second support
member 104, and the third support member 106 can be fastened
together using three fastening members 120, as discussed herein. In
such embodiments, the system 100 can be used as a junction between
two sections of a structure such as a desk or set of shelves, for
example.
[0031] As illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1B, in some embodiments, the
fastening members 120 can be a bolt and a nut (e.g., hex nut, wing
nut, etc.), among other suitable fastening mechanisms. Other
suitable fastening mechanisms can include, but are not limited to,
pins, including detent pins and other spring loaded devices,
screws, ties, wires, adhesives, welding, and other types of
fastening mechanisms. As some of the above would not be utilized
with a hole 108, it is understood that some embodiments may not
have a hole 108 for placement of a support member 102, 104, or
106.
[0032] In some embodiments, the fastening members 120 can have
similar or identical profiles. In such embodiments, the fastening
members 120 can be interchangeable when being used to attach
support members 102, 104, and/or 106 to form the system 100.
[0033] In addition, in some embodiments, the fastening members 120
can be formed with a sufficient length to extend through two
support members 102, 104, or 106. Additionally, the fastening
members 120 can be formed with a length sufficient to extend
through two specific support members having a square
cross-sectional shape, but perhaps not enough length to extend
through a square support member and a circular support member, for
example. In some embodiments the fastening members 120 can be
formed to accommodate the fastening of more than two support
members 102, 104, or 106.
[0034] In addition, the fastening members 120 can be made of
several different materials. In some embodiments, the fastening
members 120 can be made of a metal, such as steel, iron, aluminum,
titanium, copper, and/or the like. The fastening members 120 can
also be made of synthetic materials, such as polyvinyl chloride,
high density polyethylene, polyethylene, and/or butadiene-polyamide
copolymer, among others. The fastening members 120 can also be made
of other natural or synthetic materials such as wood and/or
fiberglass, among others.
[0035] Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and
described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will
appreciate that an arrangement calculated to achieve the same
techniques can be substituted for the specific embodiments shown.
As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate upon reading
this disclosure, various embodiments of the invention can be
performed in one or more devices, device types, and system
environments including networked environments.
[0036] Combination of the above embodiments, and other embodiments
not specifically described herein will be apparent to those of
skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of
the various embodiments of the disclosure includes other
applications in which the above structures and methods can be used.
Therefore, the scope of various embodiments of the disclosure
should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along
with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are
entitled.
[0037] In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features may
have been grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose
of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to
be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the embodiments of
the invention require more features than are expressly recited in
each claim.
[0038] Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject
matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed
embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into
the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a
separate embodiment.
* * * * *