Space enclosing structure

Claim 2

A space enclosing structure comprising: a plurality of trapezoidal structural elements having equal base angles not greater than 58* or less than 54* and assembled in groups of five each to form a plurality of outwardly extending, pentagonal based, truncated pyramidal modules, said modules being assembled in abutting base edge-to-base edge relationship to form at least a portion of a spheroid.

Claim 3

The structure of claim 1 wherein 12 of said pyramidal modules are assembled to form a complete spheroid.

Claim 4

The structure of claim 1 further comprising at least one pentagonal structural element positioned within the truncated portion of one of said pyramidal modules and secured with respect to the shorter parallel portion of each one of the five trapezoidal structural elements which form said pyramidal module with the longer parallel portion of each trapezoidal structural element abutting the longer parallel portion of another trapezoidal structural element.

Claim 5

The structure of claim 1 wherein said trapezoidal structural elements have equal length non-parallel sides.

Claim 6

The structure of claim 1 wherein the truncation plane intersects the truncated pyramidal module to form a pentagonal area.

Claim 7

The structure of claim 1 wherein the four sides of said trapezoidal structural element are of unequal lengths.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the abutting base edge-to-base edge trapezoidal structural elements of the pyramidal modules define hexagonal portions of the structure and wherein the truncation plane intersects the truncated pyramidal module to form a pentagonal area, a pentagonal structural element positioned within said pentagonal area and fixed with respect to the trapezoidal structural elements, said pentagonal elements having a first color and the hexagonal portions surrounding said pentagonal elements having three other colors with said four colors all being different from each other and with no hexagonal portion of one color abutting another hexagonal portion of the same color.

Claim 9

The structure of claim 1 wherein the abutting base edge-to-base edge trapezoidal structural elements of two pyramidal modules define a hexagonal portion of the structure with said hexagonal portion being convex outwardly from the center of the spheroid.

Claim 10

A space enclosing structure comprising: a plurality of trapezoidal structural elements having equal base angles and assembled in groups of five each to form a plurality of pentagonal based, truncated pyramidal modules, said modules being assembled in abutting base edge-to-base edge relationship to form at least a portion of a spheroid with the abutting base edge-to-base edge trapezoidal structural elements of two of said pyramidal modules defining a planar hexagonal portion of the structure.

Claim 11

A space enclosing structure comprising: a plurality of trapezoidal structural elements having equal base angles and assembled in groups of five each to form a plurality of pentagonal based, truncated pyramidal modules, said modules being assembled in abutting base edge-to-base edge relationship to form at least a portion of a spheroid with the abutting base edge-to-base edge trapezoidal structural elements of two of said pyramidal modules defining a planar hexagonal portion of the structure.