# US 11,028,878 B2 · Bearing structural member, support, joint assembly and tube section assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,028,878 B2 - Document ID: US11028878B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/870,616 - Filed: 2018-01-12 - Published: 2019-03-14 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-08 - Assignees: China Communications Construction Co., Ltd.; CCCC Highway Consultants Co. Ltd.; CCCC Wuhan Harbour Engineering Design & Research Co., Ltd.; Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. - Applicants: China Communications Construction Company Limited; CCCC Highway Consultants Co., Ltd.; CCCC Wuhan Harbour Engineering Design & Research Co., Ltd.; Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Ming Lin; Wei Lin; Xiaodong Liu; Kexin Liu; Haiqing Yin; Liuqing Tu; Jibing Gao; Yaping Liu; Weibin Chen; Yiyuan Wu; Huawen Wang; Yu Liu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11028878B2 ## CPC - F16C 33/121: {Use of special materials} - E04H 9/024: {Structures with steel columns and beams} - F16C 29/002: {Elastic or yielding linear bearings or bearing supports} - F16C 33/14: Special methods of manufacture; Running-in - F16C 33/208: {Methods of manufacture, e.g. shaping, applying coatings} - F16C 33/3831: {with hybrid structure, i.e. with parts made of distinct materials} - F16C 35/02: in the case of sliding-contact bearings - F16C 41/02: Arrangements for equalising the load on a plurality of bearings or their elements - F16C 2350/00: Machines or articles related to building - F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS - E04H: BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL (foundations E02D) ## Abstract The present application discloses a bearing structural member, a support, a joint assembly and a tube section assembly, wherein the maximum counter force provided by the bearing structural member under an external load is an own designed threshold value, namely when the external load is greater than the designed threshold value of the bearing structural member, the bearing structural member deforms, and provides a counter force equal to the designed threshold value; the support includes at least one bearing structural member; and the joint assembly and the tube section assembly are both equipped with the support. When the external load is not high and is less than the designed threshold value, the bearing structural member may effectively suppress the deformation just like a rigid structural member; when the external load exceeds the designed threshold value, the bearing structural member may deform, and provide a stable counter supporting force less than the external load. The bearing structural member may be applied to the support, the joint assembly and the tube section assembly, plays a role in protecting the structures or key structural components, and may be widely applied to the fields of design of bridges, design of building structures, design of tunnels and the like. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of designing a bearing structural member, comprising providing the bearing structural member with a maximum counter force that is an own designed threshold value under an external load, such that when the external load is greater than the designed threshold value of the bearing structural member, the bearing structural member deforms and provides a counter force equal to the designed threshold value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein when the external load is less than or equal to the designed threshold value of the bearing structural member, the counter force is not greater than the external load. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein when the external load is less than or equal to the designed threshold value of the bearing structural member, the bearing structural member generates an elastic deformation or a plastic deformation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the external load is a pressure on the bearing structural member. ### Claim 5 A bearing structural member, provides a maximum counter force that is an own designed threshold value under an external load, and but when the external load is greater than the designed threshold value of the bearing structural member, the bearing structural member deforms and provides a counter force equal to the designed threshold value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The bearing structural member according to claim 5, wherein when the external load is less than or equal to the designed threshold value of the bearing structural member, the bearing structural member generates an elastic deformation or a plastic deformation, and the counter force is not greater than the external load. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The bearing structural member according to claim 5, wherein the bearing structural member comprises a metal or a metal alloy. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The bearing structural member according to claim 7, wherein the bearing structural member comprises a zinc structural member or a zinc alloy structural member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The bearing structural member according to claim 7, wherein the bearing structural member comprises an aluminum structural member or an aluminum alloy structural member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The bearing structural member according to claim 5, wherein the bearing structural member comprises a columnar body or a rotator structure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The bearing structural member according to claim 10, wherein the bearing structural member comprises a reducing section having a cross section with a size that changes along an axial direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The bearing structural member according to claim 11, wherein the size of the cross section gradually increases along the axial direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The bearing structural member according to claim 12, wherein the reducing section has a side surface that sinks inwards and has a horn shape. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The bearing structural member according to claim 11, wherein the bearing structural member further comprises a sizing section connected to the reducing section, and the sizing section comprises a second structural part having a cross section with a size that is equal along the axial direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The bearing structural member according to claim 14, wherein the reducing section has a first end with a cross-sectional size that is larger than that of a second end of the reducing section that is connected with the sizing section. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The bearing structural member according to claim 14, wherein the sizing section and the reducing section are in smooth transition, and the bearing structural member is an integrated structural member. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The bearing structural member according to claim 14, further comprising an assembling section for installing the bearing structural member at a lower end of the reducing section, and a structural size of an end of the assembling section that is connected with the reducing section is smaller than a size of an end portion structure of the reducing section. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The bearing structural member according to claim 17, wherein the assembling section comprises a rotator structure, and the assembling section, the sizing section and the reducing section are integrated structural members. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The bearing structural member according to claim 18, wherein the sizing section, the reducing section and the assembling section of the bearing structural member have respective cross-sectional diameters of d3, d3 to d2, and d1, wherein d2 is greater than d3, d3 is greater than d1, and the cross-sectional diameter of the reducing section is d3 at minimum and d2 at maximum. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The bearing structural member according to claim 19, comprising a shoulder that connects the reducing section with the assembling section, and the shoulder has a width of (d2−d1)/2, wherein (d2−d1)/2 ranges from 3 to 4 mm. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The bearing structural member according to claim 19, wherein the sizing section has a length of 22 to 28 mm, and d3 is 45 to 50 mm; the reducing section has a length of 18 to 22 mm, and d2 is 48 to 55 mm; and the assembling section has a length of 13 to 16 mm, and d1 is 42 to 45 mm. ### Claim 22 (depends on 5) A support, comprising said bearing structural member according to claim 5. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The support according to claim 22, comprising a plurality of the bearing structural members, wherein each of the bearing structural members has an equal height. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The support according to claim 23, wherein each of the bearing structural members has an identical shape, size and material. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The support according to claim 23, further comprising a pressure bearing plate, wherein each of the bearing structural members has a bottom on a surface of the pressure bearing plate, and the pressure bearing plate is harder than the bearing structural members. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The support according to claim 25, further comprising a limiting structure for transversely limiting each bearing structural member on the pressure bearing plate. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The support according to claim 26, wherein the limiting structure includes an assembling hole matched with a structure of an assembling section on each bearing structural member. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The support according to claim 27, wherein the assembling hole comprises an upper hole with a relatively small diameter and a lower hole with a relatively large diameter; the upper hole and the lower hole communicate with each other; and the upper hole has a diameter that matches with a diameter of the assembling section on the bearing structural member. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The support according to claim 28, wherein the upper hole is in interference fit with the assembling section on the bearing structural member. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The support according to claim 29, wherein the diameter of the upper hole is 10 to 20 microns less than that of the assembling section on the bearing structural member. ### Claim 31 (depends on 25) The support according to claim 25, wherein the support further comprises a loading plate; the loading plate is at a top end of the bearing structural members; each of the bearing structural members is between the loading plate and the pressure bearing plate; and the loading plate is harder than the bearing structural members. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The support according to claim 31, further comprising at least one shear-resistant column for preventing transverse movement of the bearing structural members between the pressure bearing plate and the loading plate, limiting holes in the pressure bearing plate, and blind holes in the loading plate; wherein the at least one shear-resistant column has a lower end matched with the limiting holes of the pressure bearing plate and an upper end matched with the blind holes of the loading plate; in an initial state, the at least one shear-resistant column is not in contact with bottoms of the blind holes, thus forming clearances; and the at least one shear-resistant column is harder than the bearing structural members. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The support according to claim 32, comprising a plurality of the shear-resistant columns having a same shape, structure and size, uniformly disposed among the bearing structural members. ### Claim 34 (depends on 32) The support according to claim 32, further comprising an antiskid base plate disposed at a bottom of the pressure bearing plate. ### Claim 35 (depends on 32) The support according to claim 32, further comprising a wedge-shaped jointing pad plate above the loading plate, capable of adjusting a height of the support. ### Claim 36 (depends on 32) The support according to claim 32, further comprising side baffles at peripheries between the loading plate and the pressure bearing plate. ### Claim 37 (depends on 23) A joint assembly, comprising a joint I, a joint II; at least one shear key I and at least one shear key II at mutually connected end portions of the joint I and the joint II; and the support according to claim 23, wherein the at least one shear key I and the at least one shear key II are on end surfaces of the corresponding joint I and joint II in a staggered manner; and the support according to claim 23 is in a clearance between adjacent ones of the at least one shear key I and the at least one shear key II. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The joint assembly according to claim 37, wherein first and second end portions of the joint I and the joint II are matched with each other, and the at least one shear key I and the at least one shear key II are matched in a staggered manner along a vertical direction. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The joint assembly according to claim 38, comprising two parallel shear keys I along a horizontal direction at one end portion of the joint I along the vertical direction; and one shear key II at an end of the joint II connected with the joint I; wherein the one shear key II is in clearance fit with the two shear keys I; and the support is in the clearance between the adjacent shear key I and shear key II. ### Claim 40 (depends on 37) The joint assembly according to claim 37, wherein the joint I and the joint II each comprise reinforced concrete structural tube fittings; the at least one shear key I comprises a plurality of steel shear keys fixed at an end portion of the joint I through embedded parts; and the at least one shear key II comprises a steel shear key fixed at an end portion of the joint II through an embedded part.