US 2011/0297199 A1 · HORIZONTAL FRAME TENSILE STRUCTURE AND CANTED CORNER ELEMENTS THEREFOR

Abstract

The present invention relates to horizontal frame tensile structures (“HFTS”) of the kind employing corner elements to interconnect beams and posts. The corner elements of the invention comprise 1) two arms that engage the ends of adjacent beams, and 2) a leg that engages the top of a post. The arms are splayed so as to produce canted corner angles. Optionally, or additionally, the leg angle of the corner element is canted. Canting the corner angle and/or the leg angle causes the beams to bow upwards and/or outwards, thereby effectively increasing the angle in the horizontal plane between adjacent beams. This bow in the beams is reduced or eliminated when the membrane is attached to the frame, thereby providing straight beams and an aesthetically pleasing profile and introducing beneficial increased tension into the frame.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A polygonal frame tensile structure, comprising:

a plurality of corner elements each having a first connector, a second connector and a leg connector, each of said corner elements having (i) a first beam connector removably coupled to a first beam of said each corner element;
(ii) a second beam connector removably coupled to a second beam of said each corner element;
and (iii) a leg removably coupled to a leg connector of said each corner element, said first beam and said second beam forming a corner angle and said leg removably coupled to a top of the post and forming a leg angle with one of said first beam and second beam, a membrane dimensioned to fit over said frame,
wherein at least one of said arm angle and said leg angle is canted, whereby at least one of said first beam and said second beam is bowed when the frame is assembled and prior to the attachment of a membrane to the frame.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Horizontal frame tensile structure and canted corner elements therefor

Life of this patent

Horizontal frame tensile structure and canted corner elements therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims3