Method of constructing curved structures as part of a habitable building

Abstract

The invention uses flat, transparent or opaque plastic sheets to build curved structures that are used in constructing habitable buildings. The curved structure is divided into sections using a Computer Assisted Drafting program. The plastic sheets are cut into sides and top and bottom panels by a Computer Assisted Manufacturing program. The sides are joined to form a frame. The sides have curved upper and lower edges that match the curvature of the structure. The top and bottom panels are placed on the frame formed from the sides and bent to match the curvature of the sides. The panels are joined to the sides. The sections are joined together to form the curved surface. The curvature can be either outwardly curved or inwardly curved. The curvature can change in different portions of the structure.

I claim as my invention:  
     
         1  The method of providing a composite curved plastic structure as part of a habitable building comprising the steps of, 
 creating a drawing of the curved structure, said curved structure having plastic sides and a plastic top surface,  
 selecting the desired curvature of the curved structure from either inward curves or outward curves,  
 forming the top edge of the sides to match the desired curvature of the curved structure thereby creating a curved top edge,  
 forming the top surface from a flat plastic panel,  
 assembling the sides and the top surface together to form the composite plastic curved structure by  
 joining the plastic sides to each other,  
 placing the top panel on the curved top edges of the sides,  
 then elastically bending the top panel on to the curved edges of the sides and  
 joining the panel to the curved edges of the sides thereby creating a self-supporting composite curved structure.  
 
     
     
         2  The method of  claim 1  wherein, 
 the step of creating the drawing is performed with the aid of a computer by using a computer assisted drafting program.  
 
     
     
         3  The method of  claim 2  wherein, 
 the steps of forming are performed by a computer assisted cutting machine that receives data from the computer assisted drafting program to guide the machine in forming steps.  
 
     
     
         4  The method of  claim 1  wherein, 
 the step of creating the drawing of the structure divides a total structure into sections,  
 choosing the desired curvature of the total structure by choosing a curvature for adjacent sections from inward curves or outward curves,  
 assembling each section and  
 then joining the sections to form the total structure.  
 
     
     
         5  The method of  claim 4  wherein, 
 the sections are created from multi-sided forms.  
 
     
     
         6  The method of  claim 1  including the steps of, 
 forming the bottom edges of the sides to match the curvature of the curved structure thereby creating a curved bottom edge,  
 forming the bottom surface from a flat panel,  
 assembling the sides and the bottom surface together to form the composite curved structure by  
 joining the sides to each other,  
 placing the bottom panel on the curved bottom edges of the sides,  
 then elastically bending the bottom panel on to the curved edges of the sides and  
 joining the bottom panel to the curved edges of the sides.  
 
     
     
         7  The method of  claim 1  wherein, 
 the desired curvature changes in portions of the curved structure.  
 
     
     
         8  The method of  claim 7  wherein, 
 the desired curvature is outward in one section and inward in an adjacent section.  
 
     
     
         9  The method of  claim 1  including the steps of, 
 forming the bottom edges of the sides to match a plane,  
 placing a flat panel on the bottom edges and  
 joining the flat panel to the bottom edges of the sides.