GB2503876A

GB2503876A - Assembly secured using elastic bands

Info

Publication number: GB2503876A
Application number: GB201212120A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter John Charles Spurgeon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-07-08
Filing date: 2012-07-08
Publication date: 2014-01-15
Also published as: GB201212120D0

Abstract

A demountable assembly comprises of a number of modular components of sheet material each having at least one tab 9a-b &10a-b, and at least one elastic band; wherein the elastic band may be stretched over two adjacent tabs thereby releasably securing the components together. The invention finds particular use as a model construction set. The invention may also be used in architectural and scenery assemblies or in packaging.

Description

A Demountable Assembly

Background

Mamy models are constructed of flat components that have edges bent to form tabs, such tabs then being used to secure another part of the model using glue. Other methods of fastening may include staples, rivets or screws and nuts. These all involve a degree of difficulty in assem- bly or dismantling for re-use. Sonic also involve small parts or substances that are inconven- ient and dangerous to children. Interlocking tabs are used in some assemblies such as card-board boxes but they present some difficulty in assembly because the bends and tabs have to be assembled in a particular order. Dismantling is more difficult because of access. The invention provides a method for assembly using elastic bands, after disassembly the components can be stored in their compact form for subsequent re-use. If the tabs are of the same size then com-ponents are interchangeable and can be assembled to make different models. The elastic band provides a tensile force that holds the edges of the tab together; if the parts are sufficiently stiff this force is also exerted over the rest of the joint and the joint can be glued, the elastic band holding it together during the curing of the adhesive.

Description

The edge of a sheet of material is very prone to bending and it provides little area for join-ing two edges. The invention provides tabs at the edges of sheets and areas around which an elastic band may be wrapped. Two such tabs on different components are aligned and an elastic band is then wrapped around them both. The two components are then joined together flexibly and they can easily be disassembled by removing the elastic band. Depending on the rigidity of the bends and the closeness of the end of the tab to the bend so the components achieve an accurate registration. The ends of the tab are preferably designed such that the elas-tic band fits in an area that matches with a similar fitted area in each component. The tabs may also be bent, thus providing a resistance to bending of the sheet when the elastic band is fitted.

According to the amount by which the elastic band is stretched, so the tension in the band is increased and this tension exerts a force holding the tabs together at the ends of the band but also has the effect of trying to buckle the tab by its Euler effect. If the tabs are to be joined with an adhesive the elastic band provides clamping and location for the tabs. In the event that a joint is inaccessible the elastic band may be fitted on one tab and the mating tab can be pushed into position between the tab and the band until it reaches a register position.

When used with 140 card (A thin card) a tab width of around 90mm was satisfactory for a number 8 rubber band (County Stationery). Even this small 25mm x 1mm band was found to withstand a stretching over 7kg force and it could be used with larger tabs of a stiffer material but it is usually niore convenient to have a selection of different sizes of band. Assemblies with an included angle of 60 degrees up to 360 degrees were easily achieved, making the assembly useful as a pivot or hinge. Components can be made of a material with rigid tabs at a pre-fornied angle to achieve a niore rigid corner.

Rubber bands ard plastic bands have different properties. It is best to bend the tab to a more acute angle than necessary. Card can be encapsulated to make it more durable and stiffir, a printed paper can then be used -easier for home printing than cards. A thermal bending method can be used where the component is of a thermoplastic material such as polythene, pvc etc. Where a long edge is being joined more than one tab can he used. Tab lengths may vary in order to effect interchangeability of coniponents, If double height and single height components are used then the double height component can have tabs to match the single height components and components can be joined at staggered heights.The tab may be at-tached to the back of the component insted of being part of the component, thus affording a means to repair a previously glued component or to use a part cut out without tabs or a part where a tab has become detached. The component may be preformed with one or more edges having formations that enable fastening to another component using an elastic band.. The tool for attaching or removing the band may have parts that attach to the fingers or maybe a plier type hand tool similar to circlip pliers. The tabs preferably have slots close to the bend to reg-ister the band in its proper position on assembly. A seniicircle of 1mm radius was used with the 1mm x 1mm section band. Elastic bands generally deteriorate after a few years. If the invention is to be used for permanent structures (a cathedral is being made from cardboard for example) then elastic shock cord as used for marine applications or bunjy jumping elastic could he used to make the bands according to the invention.

Detailed Description

The invention will be described with reference to the use of a thin card that is easily bent and most of the examples make the attachment adjacent to a bend ir order that the card does not buckle. In the event that the material is thicker or stiffer the attachment (eg elastic band) can be part way along a tab, enabling the force of the band to hold the tabs together along their width. Most assemblies have a side which is visible and the second side (such as the back or the inside of a model) can have the bends of the tabs.

figla shows two ends of card 1 each having a tab 2. The tabs may be bent along the fold lines 3 and the cut-outs 4 are of a size to locate an elastic hands. In figure lb the two cards 1 are aligned side by side and they could be joined in a lap fashion by stretching the band 5 over the ccut-outs 4 on one card and then pushing the other card into the space between the band and the first card. This joint has the disadvantages that the joint is not flush, the band is visible from both sides and the stress in the elastic band is liable to buclde the card: additional stiff-ening (not shown) can be placed between the elastic band and the tabs on the cwrong side to resist this buckling.

Figures lc shows the tabs 2 bent at ninety degrees, figure ld show the cards joined together using the band 5, such that one side of the joint is flush and the cards 1 are in line.

Figure le shows the tabs 2 bent to 45 degrees so that the assembly of the cards 1 results in a right angle.

In figure 2a the card 6 has a further fold line 7 that is bent at a right angle and the tabs 2 are bent at an obtuse angle of 135 degrees so that the assembly in fig 2b results when the band 5 is stretched into position. It may be noted that the tabs have been assumed to be folded to the wrong' side of the model and that if they were to be bent the other way the folds would be at acute angles. In general an acute angle of bend gives more resistance to buckling of the card than an obtuse angle.

Figure 3a shows an item of card 8 having tab 2 at one end and a longer tapered tab 2a at the other end. figure 3b shows the card 8 being bent into the shape of a cylinder after its tabs have been bent to 90 degrees and the band 5 has been fitted to tab 2. Its tab 2a is ready to push into the gap between tab 2 and the band 5. Figures 3c, 3d and 3e show the completed assembly.

A model of a tower as in figure 3g may be produced as shown in fig 3f, a card 8a making three quadrants of a cylinder whilst card 8b is the fourth quadrant. The flat tabs of cards la and lb fit between the other tabs to make two cards protruding radially from the cylinder and the band holds three thicknesses (three tabs) together. The wall 8c of the castle tower shown in fig 3g may be pre-finished or the model-maker may paint it. Tower-like structures may be made in a similar way having round or polygon form and having any number of walls ic.

Figure 4 shows a flat card that maybe formed to make a roof to a round tower (ie a cone).

Figure 5 shows a flat card with bend lines to make a pitched roof to a hexagonal tower (ie a pyramid) -its tabs being bent at right angles and forming a joint on the underside of the roof in the centre of one side -perhaps to coincide with a wall position.

Figure 6a shows an open box shaped model produced after assembly of the card shown in figure 6b: all the folds are made the same way and the tabs 9a and 9b join togethe and tabs iDa and lob join together to complete the assembly shown in figure 6a.

The cards shown in figures 7a, 7b and 7c have tabs attached to their sides that can be bent for joining to each other with elastic bands as well as strengthening their sides. Such components can form vertical, horizontal parts of models or can be joined together to make geodesic mod-els.

The figures 8a 8b and 8c show how components according to the invention maybe joined in three planes. Component 9 is a rectangular card having tabs to be bent at right angles but also has cutouts 10 in each corner, being of a width to accommodate the thickness of the two tabs on components 12 and 13. The depth of the slots 10 is approximately half the width of the tabs. Figure 8b shows slots 11 in each of the components 12 and 13, these slots 11 are of a width of the thickness of component 9 and the depth of half the twidth of the tabs. In figure 8c the components 12 and 13 have been joined together with their slots 11 aligned so that compo-nent 9 can be fitted -being located by the fitting together of the slots 10 and 11 insid the corner at the position 14. A rectangular box type structure may be fitted with a horizontal partition in this way, having the component 9 serving the purpose both of being a dividing partition and also making the box more rigid. When applied to models of buildings the components similar to 9 would form floors or ceilings.When used as a flat roof, or the lid to a box notches 15 could be used in the ends of the tabs of components 12 and 13.

Figure 9a shows a component 15 that represents part of the wall of a house containing a door-way 16 and a garage entrance 18. The tab 17 is bent and flexed for fixing a door.. The door 24 (fig 9b) also has a flexible tab for attaching it with an elastic band.. The garage entrance has flexible tabs 19 and 20 for attaching the doors 25 and 26. Components attached by a single tab according to the invention use the combination of the flexibility of the bends on the tabs and the elasticity of the elastic band to produce a hinged effect. The figure 9b also shows how the components 15,n 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 can be assembled to form the two walls of a modeln house and half of the roof The complete model would comprise the same sized components.

Such a model could be constructed in many ways using a selection of components.

Figure iDa shows a single height component 22a having one tab and two double height com-ponents 23a and 23b each having two tabs; the tabs are all of the same size. By assembling the single height and double height components as shown in figure lOb an assembly is produced that has vertical bonding without the need for joints on the horizontal edges of the cards.

The components could be supplied with realistic features or could he supplied as plain shapes for finishing by the user. The components could be supplied in standard sized sgeets for press- ing out after by the user. The components could be suitable for colour printing using a domes-tic printer eg of the inkjet printer type. A kit of components could be supplied with a user's manual and with coloured stickers for decorating the model.

Individual components used in the drawings are not limited to use in their drawings and they may be used in other drawings and in all aspects of the invention.

Claims

Claims 1. A demountable assembly constructed of a number of modular components of sheet material each having at least one tab and at least one elastic band that, when stretched over two su-perimposed tabs, secures them demountably and the modular components can be repeatedly assembled and dismantled.
2. A demountable assembly according to claim 1 in which the tab maybe bent to an angle rela-tive to the plane of the sheet.
3. A demountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims in which a line of weakness on the sheet component facilitates the accurate bending of the tab.
4. A demountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims in which the tab is bent to approximately a right angle.
5. A demountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims in which the tab is bent to approximately 45 degrees.
6. A demountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims in which the tab is bent to an angle of half the angle between two components that are to be joined.
7. A demountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims in which the tab is shaped such as to retain the elastic band accurately relative to another tab..
8. A demountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims in which the tab is identical in form to at least one other tab.
9. A demountable assembly according to any one oth the preceding claims having the tabs on the inside of the assembly.
A demountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims forniing a pivoted joint between two components.
11. A demountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims to produce a cylin-der or round tower.
12. A demountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims to produce a prism shape, pyramid or roof.
13. A deniountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims to produce a rectan-gular assembly, or building..
14. A demountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims having pre-printed parts.
15. A demountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims having at least one part with an aperture.
16. A demountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims supplied with self-adhesive labels.
17. A demountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims for use with assem-bly railway layouts.
18. A deniountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims for use as a con-struction toy.
19. A demountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims for use in architec-tural asseinblyling..
20. A demountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims for use in making stage and film scenery.
21. A deniountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims for use in packag-ing.
22. A demountable assembly according to any one of the preceding claims for clamping the components during a glueing operation.