Component based system for assembling geometric structures
View Patent ↗An assembly structured to form a customizable, variably configured geometric structure, which includes a plurality of hubs each having an interior chamber and a plurality of housings. Each housing includes an open ended interior channel communicating with the interior chamber of a common hub. A plurality of elastic links are each retained within and extend outwardly from a different one of said interior channels, wherein at least one elastic link of each hub is retained within a housing and connected to one other of said plurality of hubs. A predetermined number of the plurality of hubs may be disposed in interconnected relation to one another to define a closed, continuously configured array of hubs. A plurality of the closed, continuously configured array of hubs may be disposed in interconnected relation to one another to define one of a possible plurality of the customizable, variably configured geometric structures.
1. An assembly structured to assume a customizable, variably-configured geometric structure, said assembly comprising:
a plurality of elastically interconnected hubs disposed in an initial orientation,
each one of said plurality of hubs including an interior chamber and a plurality of housings, said plurality of housings fixedly interconnected at correspondingly disposed proximal ends thereof, each one of said plurality of housings including an interior channel having open inner and outer ends, thereby establishing a plurality of interior channels within each one of said plurality of hubs, and for each one of said plurality of hubs, each of said plurality of interior channels being concurrently disposed in communicating relation with said interior chamber;
each of said plurality of hubs further including an aperture disposed therethrough in communicating relation with said interior chamber;
a plurality of elastic links each disposed in a different one of said interior channels,
each of said elastic links including opposite ends terminating in a loop configuration;
each of said loop configurations disposed within said interior chamber;
a single connector structure disposed through said aperture into retaining relation with each of said plurality of loop configurations; and
each of said elastic links further including an inherent bias for the return of said plurality of hubs from an elastically expanded orientation to said initial orientation.
2. The assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said elastic links is dimensioned to extend from said interior chamber along a length of a respective one of said interior channels and out of said open outer end thereof.
3. The assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein said one opposite end of each of said elastic links is disposed within said interior chamber in retained relation to said hub.
4. The assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said interior chamber and said fixedly connected proximal ends are substantially centrally disposed on said at least one hub.
5. The assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising a single connector structure disposed within said interior chamber; said one opposite end of each of said elastic links attached in retaining relation to said single connector structure, within said interior chamber.
6. The assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of housings extend radially outward from a central portion of said at least one hub in spaced relation to one another.
7. The assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein said plurality of housings are disposed on said at least one hub in substantially equally spaced relation to one another.
8. The assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein said plurality of housings are three in number and disposed in a spaced relation of about 120° from one another.
9. The assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said elastic links includes a flexible spring member variably deformable and inherently biased into an original orientation.