Connecting node

Abstract

A connecting node, manufactured on a specific plastic material is described. Said connecting node comprises a cylindrical main body lodging inside two hollow cavities with convex semicircular flanges able to provide a tight-fit between the node and the element to be connected; and wherein said connecting node further comprises three connection arrangements disposed on its right-hand side, frontal and left-hand side walls. With said arrangements a rapid and safe union between two or three connecting nodes is attained. In addition, said arrangements permit the incorporation of elements working under stress into said connecting node. Said elements connected between nodes intend to provide higher rigidity between the elements forming the structure when assembled by said connecting nodes.

1 . A connecting node that permits a rapid and simple union of different structural elements integrating a structure, and that permits the union between two or three similar connecting nodes, comprising: 
 a cylindrical main body that lodges inside an upper cavity and a lower cavity, which are separated by a middle wall forming part of said cylindrical principal body, wherein said cavities are extended from each end edge of the cylindrical main body to the opposite end, and inside each of said cavities three inner semicircular convex tight-fit flanges are provided in order to firmly hold the structural element of the structure to be assembled inserted in them;    a first and second connection arrangements between said connecting nodes, wherein the first connection arrangement is aligned to the transverse axis of the cylindrical main body on its outer left-hand side wall, and the second connection arrangement is aligned to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical main body on its outer front wall; the first connection arrangement comprising an upper or male union element and a lower or female union element, and the second connection arrangement comprising an upper or female union element and a lower or male union element presenting the same features of the union elements of the first connection arrangement, but in reverse order, such that with that order and in combination with the first and second connection arrangements of other connecting nodes a male-female and female-male fitting can be made between connecting nodes; and    a third connection arrangement for structural elements working under stress, which is aligned to the transverse axis of the cylindrical main body on its outer right-hand side wall, and which comprises an upper hollow cylinder and a lower hollow cylinder extended from each end of the cylindrical main body of the connecting node up to a little more of the fourth part of the total length of said body.    
     
     
         2 . A connecting node according to  claim 1 , further characterized in that the semicircular convex tight-fit flanges, disposed in each of the cylindrical main body cavities and forming an integral part of the same, are angled 120° apart about their centers, taking as a reference the longitudinal central axis of the cylindrical main body.  
     
     
         3 . A connecting node according to  claim 1 , further characterized in that the upper and lower union elements integrating the first and second connection arrangements between connecting nodes, are extended from each end of the cylindrical main body up to about half the total length of the connecting node, thus achieving a separation between said elements in the central part of the connecting node.  
     
     
         4 . A connecting node according to  claim 1 , further characterized in that the upper union element of the first connection arrangement, which presents the same features than the lower union element of the second connection arrangement, is configured from a solid cylindrical body tangentially joined to the outer left-hand side and frontal wall of the cylindrical main body, depending on the arrangement in question, such that said union is resistant enough to support the efforts to which the upper union element will be subjected between connecting nodes.  
     
     
         5 . A connecting node according to  claim 1 , further characterized in that the lower union element of the first connection arrangement, which presents the same features than the upper union element of the second connection arrangement, is configured from two circular walls that start from the cylindrical main body, of which the arc length is defined by about one third of the diameter of a hollow cylinder able to lodge inside a solid cylindrical body, with the same diameter as the male element's, wherein the circular walls show along their extent three specific terminations of the same length on their terminal face such that the first and the last of these terminations are equal, and wherein the termination of the terminal wall on its middle section is formed from a recess comprised between the upper and lower sections, such that the union between the outer and inner faces of said walls in this section becomes defined by a straight wall presenting a slope converging into the center of said lower element.  
     
     
         6 . A connecting node according to  claim 5 , further characterized in that the first and last of the specific terminations of the terminal face of each circular walls integrating the lower union element of the first connection arrangement, which presents the same features than the upper union element of the second connection arrangement, are formed in the point where the outer face of said walls joins the terminal face, which presents a concave configuration, by a circular flange with a predetermined radius, and wherein said terminal face joins a first inner face of the walls, the first inner face extending up to find the point where said inner wall intercepts the circumference defined by a second inner wall of each of said walls, which starts from the cylindrical main body of the connecting node.  
     
     
         7 . A connecting node according to  claim 5 , further characterized in that the inner walls of the lower union element of the first connection arrangement, which presents the same features than the upper union element of the second connection arrangement, show a second special configuration from about half the arc length of said walls to the cylindrical main body, such that converging straight faces are obtained, disposed in an angle about 62° between each other with respect to the longitudinal central axis of said union element, achieving with this configuration that the inner walls can firmly hold the structural element lodged inside them.  
     
     
         8 . A connecting node according to  claim 1 , further characterized in that the connecting node dimensions, as well as the dimensions of each element integrating it, can vary according to the specific needs of the elements which integrate the structure to be assembled and of the structural elements which work under stress, in order to make the connecting nodes sufficiently resistant to support the traction, torsion and flexion efforts to which they will be subjected.  
     
     
         9 . A connecting node according to  claim 1 , further characterized in that the hollow cylinders of the third connection arrangement for structural elements working under stress have each, on its adjacent end with the middle part of the connecting node, an U-shaped groove on its front face, extending approximately one third of the total length of said cylinders, such that these grooves facilitate the insertion of the previously configured ends of the elements working under stress in the cylinders.