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US 12,760,548 B1Granted
Technologies for a fuse-brace frame
AssigneeSom Iw Holdings, LLC
InventorsMark Peter Sarkisian, Neville John Mathias, David Adam Shook
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A structural fuse-brace with a joint assembly may be incorporated into the frame of a building or other structure subject to seismic activity or extreme winds to protect the structure from damage. The joint assembly includes elastic members that are placed under tension when plates of a plate assembly are displaced. This tension biases the plates to return to their original positions.
Claims20
A joint assembly, comprising:
- a plate assembly comprising a first plate, a second plate, and a third plate, wherein the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate are oriented parallel to each other with the third plate positioned between the first plate and the second plate, wherein the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate have original relative positions;
- a fuse assembly comprising (a) at least one hole in the third plate, (b) a respective slot in each of the first plate and the second plate, wherein each respective slot is aligned with the at least one hole, and wherein each respective slot has a longitudinal extent parallel to a longitudinal extent of the third plate, and (c) a bolt extending through the respective slots and the at least one hole, wherein the bolt being torqued to clamp together the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate, wherein the fuse assembly has a friction force;
- a first end plate to which the first plate and the second plate are secured and from which the first plate and the second plate extend, wherein the first end plate is positioned at a first end of the joint assembly;
- a second end plate to which the third plate is secured and from which the third plate extends, wherein the second end plate is positioned at a second end of the joint assembly spaced from the first end of the joint assembly along a longitudinal direction of the third plate;
- and
- a restorative assembly comprising elastic members that are placed under tension when the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate are displaced along the longitudinal extent of the third plate with respect to the original relative positions of the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate to bias the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate to return to the original relative positions of the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate,
- wherein at least one of
- (a) the elastic members are pre-tensioned to a force greater than the friction force of the fuse assembly, and the plate assembly is configured to undergo a slip in which the first plate and the second plate move relative to the third plate along the longitudinal extent of the third plate, such that after the slip, the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate return to the original relative positions of the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate, or
- (b) the restorative assembly includes a first connection plate and a second connection plate, wherein the first connection plate having a first slot through which the first plate extends and a second slot through which the second plate extends, wherein the second connection plate having a third slot through which the third plate extends.
6 more elements
A structural frame comprising a diagonal brace, wherein the diagonal brace comprising:
- a diagonal brace member, an end connector, and a joint assembly configured to couple the diagonal brace member to the end connector, wherein the joint assembly comprising:
- a plate assembly comprising a first plate, a second plate, and a third plate, wherein the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate are oriented parallel to each other with the third plate positioned between the first plate and the second plate, wherein the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate have original relative positions;
- a fuse assembly comprising (a) at least one hole in the third plate, (b) a respective slot in each of the first plate and the second plate, wherein each respective slot is aligned with the at least one hole, and wherein each respective slot has a longitudinal extent parallel to a longitudinal extent of the third plate, and (c) a bolt extending through the respective slots and the at least one hole, wherein the bolt being torqued to clamp together the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate, wherein the fuse assembly has a friction force;
- a first end plate to which the first plate and the second plate are secured and from which the first plate and the second plate extend, wherein the first end plate is positioned at a first end of the joint assembly;
- a second end plate to which the third plate is secured and from which the third plate extends, wherein the second end plate is positioned at a second end of the joint assembly spaced from the first end of the joint assembly along a longitudinal direction of the third plate;
- and
- a restorative assembly comprising elastic members that are placed under tension when the first plate, second plate, and third plate are displaced along the longitudinal extent of the third plate with respect to the original relative positions of the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate to bias the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate to return to the original relative positions of the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate,
- wherein at least one of
- (a) the elastic members of the joint assembly are pre-tensioned to a force greater than the friction force of the fuse assembly, and the plate assembly is configured to undergo a slip in which the first plate and the second plate move relative to the third plate along the longitudinal extent of the third plate, such that after the slip, the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate return to the original relative positions of the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate, or
- (b) the restorative assembly includes a first connection plate and a second connection plate, wherein the first connection plate having a first slot through which the first plate extends and a second slot through which the second plate extends, wherein the second connection plate having a third slot through which the third plate extends.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.