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US 12,716,442 B2Granted
Framing system including tubes joined with slots, hooks and wedges integrated into the tubes
OwnerGreg Hyde Hryniewiczinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A framing system and method of mechanically joining tubular elements to form frames without the need for welding technologies or connectors. The frames are two dimensional or, e.g., horizontal or vertical planes, or three-dimensional frames, e.g., cubes or rectangles. These joints between tubes are formed by fastening features cut into the tubes. The fastening features include hooks, slots, wedges and other shapes. The fastening features engage with each other to form joints between tubes that form a frame. The tubes can be metal or plastic or other material, and have cross sectional shapes of square, rectangular, rounded or other.
Claims25
A framing system comprising:
- a first hollow tube with a longitudinal end from which extends opposing hooks and a male member between the opposing hooks, and
- a second hollow tube having opposing slots arranged to receive the opposing hooks of the first hollow tube and a female member between the opposing slots, wherein the female member is configured to receive the male member,
- wherein the opposing hooks include a first hook and a second hook;
- wherein the opposing slots include an end slot formed by a cutout in a longitudinal end of the second hollow tube and a second slot, and
- wherein the end slot is configured to receive the first hook.
2 more elements
A framing system comprising:
- a first hollow tube having first opposing sidewalls and a first upper wall spanning the first opposing sidewalls, wherein an end of the first hollow tube includes a pair of opposing hooks each extending from a respective one of the opposing sidewalls and a first portion of an interlocking joint extending from the upper wall;
- a second hollow tube including second opposing sidewalls and a second upper wall spanning the second opposing sidewalls, the second hollow tube includes opposing slots each extending partially through the second upper wall and partially down through a first sidewall of the second opposing sidewalls,
- wherein the opposing slots are separated by a gap corresponding to a gap between the hooks in the pair of opposing hooks and the opposing slots are configured to receive the opposing hooks,
- wherein a second portion of the interlocking joint is in the second upper wall and extends to the first sidewall,
- wherein the first portion and the second portion of the interlocking joint are configured to interlock to secure the first hollow tube to the second hollow tube while the opposing hooks engage the opposing slots,
- wherein the opposing hooks include a first hook and a second hook;
- wherein the opposing slots include an end slot formed by a recess in an end of the second hollow tube and an interior slot spaced from the end slot and the end of the second hollow tube, and
- wherein the end slot is configured to receive the first hook.
5 more elements
A method to manufacture a framing system comprising:
- laser cutting an end of a first hollow tube to remove material from the end to form opposing hooks extending from opposite sidewalls of the first hollow tube and a male member extending from an upper wall of the first hollow tube, wherein the opposing hooks include a first hook and a second hook;
- laser cutting opposing slots into a second hollow tube, wherein the laser cuts each of the slots to extend partially through an upper wall of the second hollow tube and partially down through a sidewall of the second hollow tube, wherein the opposing slots include an end slot formed by a recess in an end of the second hollow tube and the end slot is configured to receive the first hook, and
- laser cutting a female member into the upper wall of the second hollow tube, wherein the female member is between the opposing slots and is configured to receive the male member to secure the first hollow tube to the second hollow tube while the hooks engage the opposing slots.
A framing system comprising:
- a first hollow tube with opposing first sidewalls, a first upper sidewall and a first lower sidewall;
- opposing hooks at a longitudinal end of the first hollow tube, the opposing hooks extending from the opposing first sidewalls of the first hollow tube, respectively;
- a second hollow tube having opposing second sidewalls, a second upper sidewall and a second lower sidewall;
- opposing slots each extending partially through one of the second sidewalls and partially through the second upper sidewall;
- wherein the opposing hooks include a first hook and a second hook;
- wherein the opposing slots include an end slot formed by a cutout in a longitudinal end of the second hollow tube and the cutout is partially in the one of the opposing second sidewalls and partially in the second upper sidewall, and
- wherein the end slot is configured to receive the first hook.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.