Resilient slip friction joint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12359457-B2
Application number	US-202418806416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2024
Priority date	May 20, 2015
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

A slip connector to connect first and second members of a structure to allow relative but resisted movement, and to at least in part return any movement. In one embodiment, the connector includes a first and second components and a resilient fixing. The resilient fixing holds mutually slidable ramped surfaces of the first and second components contiguous so that the line(s) of action of the fixing(s) is/are oblique to the mutually slidable ramped surfaces held contiguous. In another embodiment the connector includes first, second and third components and a resilient fixing. The resilient fixing holds mutually slidable ramped surfaces of the first and third components contiguous and mutually slidable ramped surfaces of the second and third components contiguous so that the line(s) of action of the fixing(s) is/are oblique to the mutually slidable ramped surfaces held contiguous.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A connection configured to join an end of a first structural member to an end of a second structural member, the connection having an original connected position with a threshold slip force magnitude, and when a magnitude of an external force acting on the first and second structural members exceeds the threshold slip force magnitude, the connection enables the ends of the first and second structural members to displace from the original connected position to an axially displaced position, and when the magnitude of the external force is less than the threshold slip force magnitude, the connection returns to the original connected position, the connection comprising:
a first component at the end of the first structural member, the first component having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface having at least one first surface ramp, the second surface having at least one second surface ramp, each of the at least one first surface ramp and the at least one second surface ramp extending transverse to a longitudinal axis of the first structural member;
a second component at the end of the second structural member, the second component being separate from the first component, the second component having a third surface and a fourth surface, the third surface having at least one third surface ramp, the fourth surface having at least one fourth surface ramp, each of the at least one third surface ramp and the at least one fourth surface ramp extending transverse to a longitudinal axis of the second structural member, the longitudinal axis of the second structural member being generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the first structural member;
a third component having a first end and a second end, the first end of the third component having at least one fifth surface ramp complimentary to the at least one first surface ramp, the second end of the third component having at least one sixth surface ramp complimentary to the at least one third surface ramp;
a fourth component having a first and a second end, the first end of the fourth component having at least one seventh surface ramp complimentary to the at least one second surface ramp, the second end of the fourth component having at least one eighth surface ramp complimentary to the at least one fourth surface ramp;
wherein a portion of the first end of the third component and a portion of the first end of the fourth component overlap a portion of the first component, sandwiching the first component therebetween, and the at least one first surface ramp is complimentary engaged with the at least one fifth surface ramp, and the at least one second surface ramp is complimentary engaged with the at least one seventh surface ramp;
wherein a portion of the second end of the third component and a portion of the second end of the fourth component overlap a portion of the second component, sandwiching the second component therebetween, and the at least one third surface ramp is complimentary engaged with the at least one sixth surface ramp, and the at least one fourth surface ramp is complimentary engaged with the at least one eighth surface ramp;
at least one first resiliently expandable clamp having at least one first biasing member applying a first compression force to the portions of the the first end of the third fourth component overlapping with the first component, the first compression force being in a direction generally perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis; and
at least one second resiliently expandable clamp having at least one second biasing member applying a second compression force to the portions of the second end of the third and fourth component overlapping with the second component, the second compression force being in a direction generally perpendicular to the second longitudinal axis;
wherein, the original connected position is defined by the at least one first surface ramp complimentary engaged with the at least one fifth surface ramp, and the at least one second surface ramp complimentary engaged with the at least one seventh surface ramp, and the at least one third surface ramp complimentary engaged with the at least one sixth surface ramp, and the at least one fourth surface ramp complimentary engaged with the at least one eighth surface ramp; and
wherein the first and second compression forces with the connection in the original connected position defines the threshold slip force magnitude;
whereby, when the magnitude of the external force acting on the first and second structural members exceeds the threshold slip force magnitude, the ends of the first and second structural members are capable of displacing from the origin connected position to the axially displaced position in a direction generally parallel with the first and second longitudinal axis, and whereby the third and fourth connection members are capable of displacing from the original connected position to an expanded position in a direction generally perpendicular to the first and second longitudinal axis as the at least one first surface ramp displaces relative to the at least one fifth surface ramp in a direction generally parallel with the first longitudinal axis, the at least one second surface ramp displaces relative to the at least one seventh surface ramp in a direction generally parallel with the first longitudinal axis, the at least one third surface ramp displaces relative to the at least one fifth surface ramp in a direction generally parallel with the second longitudinal axis, and the at least one fourth surface ramp displaces relative to the at least one eighth surface ramp in a direction generally parallel with the second longitudinal axis; and
whereby, when the magnitude of the external force acting on the first and second structural members is less than the threshold slip force magnitude, the connection returns to the original connected position.

2. The connection of claim 1 , wherein the threshold slip force magnitude relates to a magnitude of the first compression force and a magnitude of the second compression force.

3. The connection of claim 2 , wherein the threshold slip force magnitude relates to a coefficient of static friction between the at least one first surface ramp complimentary engaged with the at least one fifth surface ramp, and a coefficient of static friction between the at least one second surface ramp complimentary engaged with the at least one seventh surface ramp, and a coefficient of static friction between the at least one third surface ramp complimentary engaged with the at least one sixth surface ramp, and a coefficient of static friction between the at least one fourth surface ramp complimentary engaged with the at least one eighth surface ramp.

4. The connection of claim 3 , wherein the coefficient of static friction is between 0.36 and 0.39 between the the at least one first surface ramp complimentary engaged with the at least one fifth surface ramp, and between the at least one second surface ramp complimentary engaged with the at least one seventh surface ramp, and between the at least one third surface ramp complimentary engaged with the at least one sixth surface ramp, and between the at least one fourth surface ramp complimentary engaged with the at least one eighth surface ramp.

5. The connection of claim 4 , wherein the at least one first surface ramp is at an acute angle between 25 and 45 relative to the first surface, and wherein the at least one second surface ramp is at an acute angle between 25 and 45 relative to the second surface, and wherein the at least one third surface ramp is at an acute angle between 25 and 45 relative to the third surface, and wherein the at least one fourth surface ramp is at an acute angle between 25 and 45 relative to the fourth surface, and wherein the at l

Assignees

• Auckland Uniservices Ltd

Inventors

• Zarnani Pouyan
• Quenneville Pierre Joseph Henri

Classifications

• E04B1/388

  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 title

• E04H9/0237

  Structural braces with damping devices · CPC title

• E04B2103/06

  of metal · CPC title

• F16B5/0072

  and using screw-thread · CPC title

• E04B1/98

  against vibrations or shocks (on foundations E02D31/08); against mechanical destruction, e.g. by air-raids (against incendiary damage only E04B1/94; finishing work therefor E04F; buildings withstanding earthquake or the like, shelters, arrangements of splintercatching walls E04H9/00) · CPC title