Folded Dome Like Retractable Opening Structure And Method

• US 20170089093A1
• Filed: 09/12/2016
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: George Pul
• Original Assignee: George Pul
• Inventors: Pul, George
• Granted Patent: US 10,450,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 7/166 characterised by a translation movement of the movable roof part, with or without additional movements
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/14 Gymnasiums; Other sporting buildings

Abstract

A Folded Dome like Retractable Opening Structure and Method of the present invention is an hourglass in external appearance with a narrow waist and a mirrored double truncated flexible cone-like structure, with one primary truncated flexible cone-like structure on bottom intermediately supported and connected by one secondary truncated flexible cone-like structure on top. The retractable opening of the present invention is the truncated open end of the primary truncated flexible cone-like structure, where it is flexible to expand to open toward and contract to close away from its peripheral. In operation, the double truncated flexible cone-like structure is a slider crank mechanism, where, power is applied to the secondary truncated flexible cone-like structure, the slider, which moves vertically; the primary truncated flexible cone-like structure, the crank, is rotated; and rotation of the primary truncated flexible cone-like structure forces its truncated open end, same as the retractable opening of the present invention, to uniformly move inward to close and outward to open. A Folded Dome like Retractable Opening Structure is especially suitable for expansive retractable roofs on domed structures often found on a sports stadium.

Claims

1. A Folded Dome Like Retractable Opening Structure and Method of the present invention opens and closes a retractable opening by:

a) Utilizing a primary truncated flexible cone-like structure, been made of flexible corrugated shell, and having two open ends, with one pinned support base end to remain stationary relative to its support, and one free flexible truncated end, same as the retractable opening, to contract inward to close and expand outward to open; and

b) Utilizing means to provide intermediate support for the primary truncated flexible cone-like structure, and to power and control the closing and opening of the retractable opening; and

one such mean to accomplish them is through the use of a double truncated flexible cone-like structure in a slider crank mechanism, where,

i. a double truncated flexible cone-like structure comprises a primary truncated flexible cone-like structure, the crank, which is intermediately supported and connected by a secondary truncated flexible cone-like structure, the slider;

ii. power is applied to the secondary truncated flexible cone-like structure, the slider, to move it vertically;

iii. the connected primary truncated flexible cone-like structure, the crank, is rotated; and

iv. rotation of the primary truncated flexible cone-like structure forces its free flexible truncated end, same as the retractable opening, to move uniformly inward to close and outward to open;

2. A Folded Dome like Retractable Opening Structure of the present invention, comprises:

a) a double truncated flexible cone-like structure made of a primary truncated flexible cone-like structure, on bottom, intermediately supported and connected by a secondary truncated flexible cone-like structure, on top, where,

i. a secondary truncated flexible cone-like structure, except having a greater amount or degree of truncation, is identical to a primary truncated flexible cone-like structure;

ii. a primary and secondary truncated flexible cone-like structures are mirror images, externally, about a narrow waist line where they are connected, and at the waist the primary is fitted within the secondary truncated flexible cone-like structures;

iii. a truncated flexible cone-like structure is a truncated cone, sphere, pyramid, or other shell shaped objects;

iv. a truncated flexible cone-like structure has two open ends, a pinned base support end to remain stationary relative to its support, and a free flexible truncated end to move vertically and change in opening size;

v. a truncated flexible cone-like structure is made of a flexible foldable corrugated shell with alternate and reciprocal inner and outer corrugates equally spaced around perimeters of the two open ends;

vi. a flexible foldable corrugated shell is flexible across and stiff along the corrugates when subjected to in-plane axial forces and bending moments, and it is stiff for in-plane shears; and

vii. a free flexible truncated end of a primary truncated flexible cone-like structure is the retractable opening of the present invention;

b) a stiff support base frame, matched in shape and size, supports through pin connections to a pinned support base end of a truncated flexible cone-like structure;

c) rotational hinges connecting a secondary to a primary truncated flexible cone-like structures at the waist line of a double truncated flexible cone-like structure, and rotational hinges connecting each of the primary and secondary truncated flexible cone-like structures at its pinned support base end to its support base frame; and

d) guided sliding joints connected to the support base frame of the secondary truncated flexible cone-like structure is constrained to move vertically;

but no guided sliding joints for the support base frame of a primary truncated flexible cone-like structure, which is directly grounded;

3. A Folded Dome like Retractable Opening Structure of the present invention as recited in claim 2, wherein it further comprises:

a) a highly elastic and compressible sealing gasket applied to the free flexible truncated end of the primary truncated flexible cone-like structure to form an air and water tight seal, and to help prevent its attached free flexible truncated end in operation from permanent deformation damages;

b) an internal stress and strain relief provision to ensure elastic deformation of the primary truncated flexible cone-like structure, including;

(1) in conjunction with the highly elastic and compressible flexible free end sealing gasket, strain relief sealed slots are cut into corrugates side walls at the free flexible truncated end to allow for corrugate side walls to be pressed into contact without yielding; and

(2) the internal stress and strain is relieved from the primary and secondary truncated flexible cone-like structure when the retractable opening is about midway between been fully opened and fully closed;

4. A Folded Dome like Retractable Opening Structure of the present invention as recited in claim 2, wherein the double truncated flexible cone-like structure has the external shape of an hour glass with a narrow waist, and visible externally are portions of the primary truncated flexible cone-like structure on bottom and the entirety of the secondary truncated flexible cone-like structure on top;

and internally, the double truncated flexible cone-like structure has the visible shape of just one truncated cone-like structure, and only visible is the entirety of the primary truncated flexible cone-like structure.