Interlocking spatial components
AssigneeMicroth, Inc.
InventorYevgeniy Pavlovich Kuzmin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates generally to interlocking spatial components, and more particularly to spatial components having mating surfaces of uniform periodical structure comprising a regular array of interlocking connectors of the same shape allowing components to be arbitrarily interlocked along various relative directions, in various relative orientations, and upon various sides and to be assembled with one another to create spatial structures.
Claims26
A continuous connexing surface configured to be partitioned into a plurality of abutting spatial components, wherein the connexing surface is defined by a periodic planar lattice, wherein the connexing surface defines a mating plane and an orthogonal mating direction, and wherein the lattice is defined in a plane parallel to the mating plane, the connexing surface comprising:
- a plurality of substantially identical positive form sectored elements comprising nodes of the lattice;
- at least one connecting member extending between and connecting the positive form sectored elements;
- and
- a plurality of negative form sectored elements at least partially defined by at least one of (a) the adjacent positive form sectored elements or (b) the adjacent connecting members, wherein each negative form sectored element comprises an open space extending through the connexing surface in the orthogonal mating direction,
- wherein each spatial component comprises at least:
- a portion of at least one of the positive form sectored elements,
- a portion of at least one of the connecting members, and
- a portion of at least one of the negative form sectored elements,
- and wherein the connexing surface is configured to interlock with at least a portion of a substantially identical connexing surface with positive form sectored elements of one connexing surface configured to mate with negative form sectored elements of the other connexing surface.
A composition comprising a continuous connexing surface defined by a periodic planar lattice, wherein the composition is configured to be partitioned into a plurality of adjacent, abutting, and substantially identical spatial components, wherein the connexing surface defines a mating plane and an orthogonal mating direction, wherein the connexing surface comprises:
- a plurality of substantially identical positive form sectored elements comprising nodes of the lattice;
- at least one connecting member extending between and connecting the positive form sectored elements;
- and
- a plurality of negative form sectored elements at least partially defined by at least one of (a) the adjacent positive form sectored elements or (b) the adjacent connecting members, wherein each negative form sectored element comprises an open space extending through the connexing surface in the orthogonal mating direction, and
- wherein each spatial component comprises at least:
- a portion of at least one of the positive form sectored elements,
- a portion of at least one of the connecting members, and
- a portion of at least one of the negative form sectored elements,
- such that at least two abutting spatial components defining one connexing surface are configured to interlock with at least two additional abutting spatial components defining another connexing surface with at least some positive form sectored elements of the one connexing surface configured to mate with corresponding negative form sectored elements of the other connexing surface.
An assembly comprising at least two compositions of interlocking spatial components, wherein each composition comprises:
- a continuous connexing surface defined by a periodic planar lattice, wherein the composition is configured to be partitioned into a plurality of adjacent, abutting, and substantially identical spatial components,
- wherein the connexing surface comprises:
- a plurality of substantially identical positive form sectored elements comprising nodes of the lattice;
- at least one connecting member extending between and connecting the positive form sectored elements;
- and
- a plurality of negative form sectored elements at least partially defined by at least one of (a) the adjacent positive form sectored elements or (b) the adjacent connecting members,
- wherein each spatial component comprises at least:
- a portion of at least one of the positive form sectored elements,
- a portion of at least one of the connecting members, and
- a portion of at least one of the negative form sectored elements,
- wherein the assembly comprise one composition of interlocking spatial components defining one connexing surface interlocked with at least a portion of another substantially identical composition of interlocking spatial components defining another connexing surface, with at least some positive form sectored elements of the one connexing surface mated with corresponding negative form sectored elements of the other connexing surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.