CUBE COUPLING JOINT

• US 20190257070A1
• Filed: 02/15/2019
• Published: 08/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Buildxgroup Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Buildxgroup Incorporated
• Inventors: Grosch, Gregory E., Mokhtar, Tarek M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,640,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/1912 with central cubical connecting element
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/2403 Connection details of the elongated load-supporting parts
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/3483 the supporting structure consisting of metal
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/388 Separate connecting elements Connecting devices specially adapted for embedding in concrete E04B1/41; Dowels, i.e. members adapted to penetrate the surfaces of two parts and to take the shear stresses E04B1/48
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/5831 of substantially rectangular form
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/1972 Welded or glued connection
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/2406 Connection nodes
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/2415 Brackets, gussets, joining plates
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/2418 Details of bolting
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/2451 Connections between closed section profiles
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/2463 Connections to foundations
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 7/182 for coaxial connections of two rods or tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 7/185 with a node element

Abstract

A joint assembly for joining structural members in a building frame can comprise: a marriage strap including one or more through-holes; one or more fasteners configured to be inserted through the one or more through-holes of the marriage strap; and a cube coupling joint including one or more recessed channels sized and shaped to receive a portion of the marriage strap, one or more fastener holes located within the one or more recessed channels and configured to receive and secure to the one or more fasteners. In some embodiments, the marriage strap is configured to be inserted into the one or more recessed channels of the cube coupling joint and the one or more fasteners are further configured to be inserted into and secured to the one or more fastener holes of the cube coupling joint.

Claims

1. A joint assembly for joining structural members in a building frame, comprising:

a marriage strap comprising one or more through-holes;

one or more fasteners configured to be inserted through the one or more through-holes of the marriage strap; and

a cube coupling joint comprising;

one or more recessed channels sized and shaped to receive a portion of the marriage strap; and

one or more fastener holes located within the one or more recessed channels and configured to receive and secure to the one or more fasteners;

wherein the marriage strap is configured to be inserted into the one or more recessed channels of the cube coupling joint and wherein the one or more fasteners are further configured to be inserted into and secured to the one or more fastener holes of the cube coupling joint.

2. The joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the cube coupling joint is substantially solid.

3. The joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the marriage strap, when inserted into the one or more recessed channels, sits flush with an outer surface of the cube coupling joint.

4. The joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more recessed channels in the cube coupling joint are L-shaped.

5. The joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more recessed channels in the cube coupling joint are C-shaped.

6. The joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more recessed channels in the cube coupling joint are G-shaped.

7. The joint assembly of claim 1, wherein a portion of the marriage strap has the same shape as the one or more recessed channels.

8. The joint assembly of claim 1, wherein the cube coupling joint further comprises an alignment hole configured to receive an alignment pin, and wherein the alignment pin is configured to permit alignment of a second cube coupling joint.

9. The joint assembly of claim 8, further comprising the alignment pin.

10. The joint assembly of claim 9, wherein the alignment pin is a shear pin.

11. The joint assembly of claim 10, wherein the shear pin comprises:

a first end and a second end, the first end and the second end having an outer diameter; and

a middle region having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter.

12. The joint assembly of claim 11, wherein the outer diameter at the first and second ends gradually transitions to the inner diameter in the middle region.

13. A cube coupling joint for joining structural members in a building frame comprising a substantially solid body.

14. The cube coupling joint of claim 13, further comprising an anchor portion extending outward from a bottom face of the cube coupling joint and configured to secure to a concrete structural foundation with an adhesive material, wherein the anchor portion comprises protrusions for engaging with the adhesive material.

15. The cube coupling joint of claim 13, wherein a total volume of hollow portions and reduced cross-section areas of the cube coupling joint comprises less than 50% of a volume of the cube coupling joint.

16. The cube coupling joint of claim 13, wherein a total volume of hollow portions and reduced cross-section areas of the cube coupling joint comprises less than 20% of a volume of the cube coupling joint.

17. The cube coupling joint of claim 13, further comprising:

one or more recesses sized and shaped to receive a portion of a marriage strap;

one or more fastener holes located within the one or more recesses configured to receive and secure to one or more fastener stems; and

one or more alignment holes configured to receive one or more alignment pins to permit alignment of a second cube coupling joint.

18. The cube coupling joint of claim 17, wherein a total volume of the one or more recesses, one or more fastener holes, and one or more alignment holes is less than or equal to 40% of a volume of the cube coupling joint.

19. The cube coupling joint of claim 17, wherein a total volume of the one or more recesses, one or more fastener holes, and one or more alignment holes is less than or equal to 25% of a volume of the cube coupling joint.

20. The cube coupling joint of claim 13, further comprising a recessed channel sized and shaped to receive a portion of a marriage strap and a fastener hole located within the recessed channel configured to receive and secure to a fastener stem.

21. The cube coupling joint of claim 20, wherein a thickness of the marriage strap is within 5% of a depth of the recessed channel.

22. The cube coupling joint of claim 20, wherein the recessed channel in the cube coupling joint comprises an L-shape.

23. The cube coupling joint of claim 20, wherein the fastener hole is configured to align with a through-hole in the marriage strap, and wherein the marriage strap comprises a tapered perimeter around the through-hole, the tapered perimeter configured to allow a fastener head to rest within the tapered perimeter to create a flush plane between the fastener head and an outer surface of the marriage strap when the fastener stem is fully inserted through the through-hole of the marriage strap.

24. The cube coupling joint of claim 13, further comprising an alignment hole configured to receive an alignment pin to permit alignment of a second cube coupling joint.

25. The cube coupling joint of claim 24, wherein the alignment pin comprises a first portion extending from an outer end of the alignment pin to a middle region of the alignment pin, wherein the outer end has a first diameter and the middle region has a second diameter greater than the first diameter, and wherein the alignment hole of the second cube coupling joint is sized and shaped to accommodate the first portion of the alignment pin.

26. A method of connecting two modular frames, comprising:

providing a first corner of a first modular frame including a first cube coupling joint and at least one structural member secured to a first face of the first cube coupling joint;

providing a second corner of a second modular frame including a second cube coupling joint and at least one structural member secured to a second face of the second cube coupling joint;

aligning said first corner of said first modular frame with said second corner of said second modular frame with an alignment pin configured for insertion into a first alignment hole located on an alignment face of the first cube coupling joint and a second alignment hole located on an alignment face of the second cube coupling joint;

inserting a first portion of a marriage strap within a first recessed channel located on a recessed face of the first cube coupling joint and inserting a second portion of the marriage strap within a second recessed channel located on a recessed face of the second cube coupling joint, wherein the marriage strap comprises one or more through-holes configured to align with one or more fastener holes within the first and second recessed channels;

securing the first cube coupling joint and second cube coupling joint together by inserting one or more fasteners through the one or more through-holes in the marriage strap and threading the one or more fasteners into the one or more fastener holes in the first and second cube coupling joints.

27. The method of claim 26, the marriage strap further comprising tapered perimeters surrounding the one or more through-holes, wherein a thickness of the marriage strap is substantially equal to a depth of the first and second recessed channels, and wherein, when the one or more fasteners are threaded into the one or more fastener holes in the first and second cube coupling joints, a head of the one or more fasteners is substantially flush with a surface of the marriage strap and wherein, when the first and second portions of the marriage strap are inserted within the first and second recessed channels, the surface of the marriage strap is substantially flush with the recessed faces of the first and second cube coupling joints.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one structural members are secured to the first and second faces of the first and second cube coupling joints by welding prior to delivery to a construction site.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the marriage strap comprises an L-shape.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the marriage strap comprises a C-shape.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the marriage strap is sized and shaped to fit entirely within the first and second recessed channels of the first and second cube coupling joints.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the first recessed channel comprises an L-shape.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the first and second cube coupling joints are substantially solid.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein a total volume of hollow portions and reduced cross-section areas of each of the first and second cube coupling joints is less than 20% of a volume of each of the first and second cube coupling joints.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein a total volume of hollow portions and reduced cross-section areas of each of the first and second cube coupling joints is less than 20% of a volume of each of the first and second cube coupling joints.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein a total volume of the first alignment hole, first recessed channel, and one or more fastener holes of the first cube coupling joint is less than or equal to 20% of a volume of the first cube coupling joint.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein a total volume of the first alignment hole, first recessed channel, and one or more fastener holes of the first cube coupling joint is less than or equal to 25% of a volume of the first cube coupling joint.

38. A modular structure comprising one or more structural frames, each of the structural frames having one or more structural members which are coupled to substantially solid cube coupling joints, wherein the cube coupling joints are connected to each other with one or more marriage straps extending within and securing to recesses of the cube coupling joints.

39. The modular structure of claim 38, wherein the marriage straps comprise through-holes configured to permit fasteners to pass therethrough and secure to the cube coupling joints.

40. The modular structure of claim 38, wherein the marriage straps have thicknesses within 5% of depths of the recesses of the cube coupling joints.

41. The modular structure of claim 38, wherein the marriage straps have thicknesses within 2% of depths of the recesses of the cube coupling joints.

42. The modular structure of claim 38, wherein the fasteners have threaded surfaces and wherein the recesses of the cube coupling joints have threaded fastener holes configured to align with the through-holes of the marriage straps and secure to the threaded surfaces of the fasteners.

43. The modular structure of claim 38, wherein the structural members are hollow.

44. A building system comprising:

a plurality of structural members, the plurality of structural members coupled to substantially solid cube coupling joints, wherein the cube coupling joints have one or more recessed channels; and

one or more marriage straps configured to fit within and extend between the one or more recessed channels of the substantially solid cube coupling joints, wherein the one or more marriage straps are configured to secure the cube coupling joints to each other.

45. The building system of claim 44, wherein a total volume of hollow portions and reduced cross-section areas of each of the cube coupling joints is less than 50% of a volume of each of the cube coupling joints.

46. The building system of claim 44, wherein each of the cube coupling joints are 50% solid or greater.

47. The building system of claim 44, wherein each of the cube coupling joints are 90% solid or greater.

48. The building system of claim 44, wherein at least one of the one or more marriage straps comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being angled with respect to the first portion.

49. The building system of claim 48, wherein the first portion is perpendicular to the second portion.

50. The building system of claim 44, wherein the one or more recessed channels of the cube coupling joints are L-shaped.

51. The building system of claim 44, wherein a portion of each of the one or more marriage straps has the same shape as the one or more recessed channels.

52. The building system of claim 44, wherein each of the one or more marriage straps, when inserted into the one or more recessed channels of the cube coupling joints, sits substantially flush with an outer surface of the cube coupling joints.

53. The building system of claim 52, wherein each of the one or more marriage straps have a thickness that is within 10% of a depth of the one or more recessed channels of the cube coupling joints.

54. The building system of claim 52, wherein each of the one or more marriage straps have a thickness that is within 5% of a depth of the one or more recessed channels of the cube coupling joints.

55. The building system of claim 44, wherein the one or more marriage straps comprise one or more through-holes configured to align with one or more holes located within the one or more recessed channels of the cube coupling joints, and wherein the one or more through-holes of the marriage straps are configured to allow one or more fasteners to pass therethrough and secure to the one or more holes of the cube coupling joints.