# US 11,306,751 B2 · Apparatus and methods for connecting tubes in transport structures

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- Number: US 11,306,751 B2
- Document ID: US11306751B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/692,729
- Filed: 2017-08-31
- Published: 2019-02-28
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-08-31
- Assignees: Divergent Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Divergent Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Brian Md Barham; Richard Winston Hoyle; Antonio Bernerd Martinez
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306751B2

## CPC

- F16B 2/14: using wedges
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- F16B 7/044: {for rods or tubes being in angled relationship}
- F16B 7/048: {for rods or for tubes without using the innerside thereof}
- F16B 11/006: {by gluing (gluing of plastics material B29C65/48)}
- F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D)
- B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING

## Abstract

Apparatus and methods for joining tubes in transport structures are presented herein. A part having an attached node with a socket can be joined with tubes. The tubes can be placed along nonparallel axes within the socket; and a wedge can be used to secure the tubes to the socket. The wedge can be secured between the tubes by using a fastener, such as a blind fastener; alternatively, or additionally, the wedge can be secured between the tubes using an adhesive.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus, comprising:
a part;
a node comprising a first portion attached to the part and a second portion having a socket;
first and second tubes extending from the socket along non-parallel axes; and
a wedge between the first and second tubes to secure the first and second tubes to the socket.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the part is additively manufactured.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the part is an extrusion.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the extrusion is hollow.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the node is additively manufactured.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second tubes are additively manufactured.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wedge is removable.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wedge is additively manufactured.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wedge is tapered.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wedge comprises opposing concave surfaces, each of the concave surfaces being engaged with a different one of the first and second tubes.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one spacer is inserted between the first and second tubes and the socket, the at least one spacer separating a surface of the first and second tubes and a surface of the socket.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the surface of the first and second tubes is separated from the surface of the socket so as to reduce galvanic corrosion.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wedge is attached to the socket via an adhesive.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising at least one seal, wherein the at least one seal is configured to reduce galvanic corrosion.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wedge is attached to the socket via a fastener.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the fastener is a blind fastener.

### Claim 17

A method of securing tubes to a part using a node having a socket, comprising:
attaching the node to the part;
inserting first and second tubes into the socket along nonparallel axis; and
inserting a wedge between the first and second tubes to secure the first and second tubes to the socket.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the part is additively manufactured.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the part is an extrusion.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the extrusion is hollow.

### Claim 21 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first and second tubes are additively manufactured.

### Claim 22 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the node is additively manufactured to extend from a surface of the part.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the surface is flat.

### Claim 24 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the wedge is removable.

### Claim 25 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the wedge is additively manufactured.

### Claim 26 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the wedge is tapered.

### Claim 27 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising inserting at least one spacer between the first and second tubes and the socket, the spacer forming a gap between a surface of the first and second tubes and a surface of the socket.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one spacer forms the gap between the surface of the first and second tubes and the surface of the socket so as to reduce galvanic corrosion.

### Claim 29 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the wedge comprises concave surfaces, and wherein the inserting the first and second tubes into socket comprises:
inserting the first tube between one of the concave surfaces and the socket; and
inserting the second tube between another one of the concave surfaces and the socket.

### Claim 30 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the inserting the wedge comprises securing the first and second tubes to the socket using an adhesive.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The method of claim 30, wherein securing the first and second tubes to the socket using an adhesive comprises forming at least one seal.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31, wherein the at least one seal reduces galvanic corrosion.

### Claim 33 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the inserting the wedge comprises securing the first and second tubes to the socket using a fastener.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The method of claim 33, wherein the fastener is a blind fastener.