Structural membrane panel formed from saddle shaped surface

Claim 2

A membrane panel structure comprising: an even number of contiguous saddle-shaped surfaces, said surfaces being anticlastic at any point thereon, having concave curvature in a first set of directions and convex curvature in a second set of directions from any such point, the outer edges of said surfaces forming the perimeter of said structure which is polygonal, a central structural element surrounded by said saddle-shaped surfaces, said central structural element joining the central portions of said saddle-shaped surfaces together to form a structural bridge therebetween.

Claim 3

The membrane panel structure of claim 1 where said central structure comprises a saddle-shaped surface and a bridge element rigidly bridging the vertices of said central saddle-shaped surface.

Claim 4

The membrane panel structure of claim 1 wherein said central structure comprises a valley and a bridge element bridging the vertices of said valley.

Claim 5

The membrane panel structure of claim 1 wherein said central structure comprises a cross-cap.

Claim 6

The membrane panel structure oF claim 2 wherein there are four outer saddle-shaped surfaces and a fifth central saddle-shaped surface forming each of the opposite sides of said membrane panel, the central surface on one of said sides being oriented normal to the central sur-face on the opposite side, said bridging elements comprising elongated bar members bridging each of said central saddle-shaped surfaces.

Claim 7

The membrane panel structure of claim 1 wherein the outer edges of said surfaces are co-planar.

Claim 8

A membrane panel structure comprising: an even number of contiguous outer saddle-shaped surfaces, said surfaces being anticlastic at any point thereon, being convex in a first set of directions and concave in a second set of directions from any such point, the outer edges of said surfaces forming the perimeter of said structure and being polygonal, a central saddle-shaped surface surrounded by said outer surfaces and joining the central portions of said outer surfaces together, and bridge means for bridging the vertices of said central saddle surface to rigidly tie said vertices together.

Claim 9

A membrane panel structure comprising: an even number of contiguous outer saddle-shaped surfaces, said surfaces being anticlastic at any point thereon, being convex in a first set of directions and concave in a second set of directions from any such point, the outer edges of said surfaces forming the perimeter of said structure and being polygonal, a central saddle-shaped surface surrounded by said outer surfaces and joining the central portions of said outer surfaces together, and bridge means for bridging the vertices of said central saddle surface to rigidly tie said vertices together.

Claim 10

The structure of claim 7 wherein the number of said outer saddle-shaped surfaces is six for each of the sides of said panel structure, the polygonal perimeter of said structure being triangular.

Claim 11

The panel structure of claim 8 wherein said central saddle-shaped surface is in the form of a monkey saddle having three vertices, said three vertices being joined together by said bridging means.

Claim 12

The membrane panel structure of claim 7 wherein the number of said outer saddle surfaces is four for each of the opposite sides of said structure, there being a central saddle for each of said sides, said central saddles each having two vertices, bridging means comprising a linear bar member interconnecting said vertices, the vertices and the bar member on one of the sides of said panel structure being oriented orthogonally to those on the opposite side thereof.

Claim 13

The structure of claim 7 wherein there are eight outer saddle-shaped surfaces on each of the sides of said panel structures, the outer edges of said outer surfaces forming a square, a central saddle-shaped surface on each of the panel structure sides, each of said central surfaces having two pairs of mutually orthogonal vertices, the saddle-shaped surfaces on the opposite sides of said panel structure being geometrically rotated 45 degrees with respect to each other.

Claim 14

A membrane panel structure comprising: an even number of contiguous outer saddle-shaped surfaces, said surfaces being anticlastic at any point thereon, having concave curvature in a first set of directions and convex curvature in a second set of directions from any such point, the outer edges of said surfaces forming the perimeter of said structure and being polygonal, a central valley-shaped surface surrounded by said outer surfaces and joining the central portions of said outer surfaces together, and bridge means for bridging the vertices of said central valley-shaped surface to rigidly tie said vertices together.

Claim 15

A membrane panel structure comprising: an even number of contiguous outer saddle-shaped surfaces, said surfaces being anticlastic at any point thereon, having concave curvature in a first set of directions and convex curvature in a second set of directions from any such point, the outer edges of said surfaces forming the perimeter of said structure and being polygonal, a central valley-shaped surface surrounded by said outer surfaces and joining the central portions of said outer surfaces together, and bridge means for bridging the vertices of said central valley-shaped surface to rigidly tie said vertices together.

Claim 16

The membrane panel structure of claim 12 wherein there are eight outer saddle-shaped surfaces, the outer edges of said surfaces forming a square, one of the sides of said structure including said central valley-shaped surface, the other of the sides of said structure having a pair of mutually orthogonal ridge portions formed therein, said ridge portions extending between the opposite edges of said structure and running through the center thereof, said ridge portions further being coplanar and in the same plane as the edges of said structure.

Claim 17

The structure of claim 13 wherein said coplanar ridge portions extend between opposite corners of the square formed by said structure to form diagonals thereof.

Claim 18

The structure of claim 13 wherein said ridge portions extend between points at the center of opposite edges of said membrane panel.

Claim 19

The structure of claim 14 and further including a second similar membrane paNel structure joined to the first membrane panel structure along the ridge portions and the edges thereof to form an integral structure.

Claim 20

The structure of claim 15 and further including a second membrane panel structure similar to said first mentioned membrane panel structure, said two membrane panel structures being joined together along the ridge portions and the edges thereof to form an integral structure.