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US 6,604,640 B1Granted
Storage system
AssigneeStow International N.V.
InventorDenis Jehin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The storage system comprises a metal structure in which vertical column are connected by means of diagonal members and linking members, whereby at least two diagonal members are provided with at least one dissipative zone, while the linking members are adapted for undergoing elastic deformation when at least one dissipative zone is undergoing a plastic stretching.
Claims26
Storage system comprising a metal structure, said metal structure comprising a plurality of vertical columns including first and second vertical columns linked one to the other by a plurality of horizontal members, and a plurality of diagonal members directly connected to respective ones of the vertical columns,
- whereby a first diagonal member and a second diagonal member of said plurality of diagonal members each include a first end, a second end and a central part, said central part including at least one dissipative zone capable of undergoing plastic stretching and functioning as a means for providing resistance to seismic vibrations, the first end of said first diagonal member being attached to said first vertical column and the second end of said first diagonal member being attached to the second vertical column, the first end of said second diagonal member being attached to said second vertical column and said second end of said second diagonal member being attached to said first vertical column,
- said storage system further comprising a first linking means and a second linking means, whereby the first linking means connects a portion of the first vertical column adjacent to the first end of the first diagonal member to a portion of the second vertical column adjacent to the first end of the second diagonal member, while said second linking means connects a portion of the second vertical column adjacent to the second end of the first diagonal to a portion of the first vertical column adjacent to the second end of the second diagonal,
- whereby said first and second ends of each of said first and second diagonal members are reinforced so that when a dissipative zone of a central part of a diagonal member undergoes plastic deformation, the first and second ends of said diagonal are only elastically deformed and are not detached from the respective first and second vertical columns, and
- whereby the first and second linking means are adapted for undergoing elastic deformation when at least one of said dissipative zones is undergoing plastic deformation.
1 more element
A process for storing products in a storage system, comprising the steps of:
- providing a metal structure having a plurality of vertical columns linked one to the other by a plurality of horizontal members, and a plurality of diagonal members directly connected to respective ones of said vertical columns,
- whereby a first diagonal member and a second diagonal member of said plurality of diagonal members each include a first end, a second end and a central part, said central part including at least one dissipative zone capable of undergoing plastic stretching and functioning as a means for providing resistance to seismic vibrations, the first end of said first diagonal member being attached to said first vertical column and the second end of said first diagonal member being attached to the second vertical column, the first end of said second diagonal member being attached to said second vertical column and said second end of said second diagonal member being attached to said first vertical column,
- said storage system further comprising a first linking means and a second linking means, whereby the first linking means connects a portion of the first vertical column adjacent to the first end of the first diagonal member to a portion of the second vertical column adjacent to the first end of the second diagonal member, while said second linking means connects a portion of the second vertical column adjacent to the second end of the first diagonal to a portion of the first vertical column adjacent to the second end of the second diagonal,
- whereby said first and second ends of each of said first and second diagonal members are reinforced so that when a dissipative zone of a central part of a diagonal member undergoes plastic deformation, the first and second ends of said diagonal are only elastically deformed and are not detached from the respective first and second vertical columns, and
- whereby the first and second linking means are adapted for undergoing elastic deformation when at least one of said dissipative zones is undergoing plastic deformation;
- and
- replacing those diagonal members which have undergone a plastic deformation in response to a seismic vibration with new diagonal members provided with at least one dissipative zone.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.