Geodesic dome

Claim 2

A geodesic dome formed from a plurality of structural triangles, each triangle having three apices, three struts joined together at the apices, and a panel member secured to the struts and covering the area within the struts, each strut having a hollow rectangular cross section and a flange portion positioned on the outside of the triangle, the flange portion of each strut of each triangle being secured to a flange portion of an adjacent strut, a generally V-shaped reinforcing member positioned within each strut, each triangle including three V-shaped connectors and a corner extension at each end of each strut, each corner extension being generally channel-shaped in cross section and having a pair of end portions, one of the end portions being received within one of the hollow struts and having a pair of inclined inner surfaces mating with the V-shaped reinforcing member, each connector having a pair of legs which are received by two adjacent struts of the triangle at one of the apices of the triangle, each leg including a downwardly extending tab, each connector including a transverse wall abutting the tab of the associated connector and restraining outward movement of the connector from the strut.

Claim 3

A geodesic dome formed from a plurality of structural triangles, each triangle having three apices, three elongated struts joined together at the apices, and a planar panel secured to the struts and covering the area within the struts, each strut having a longitudinally extending hollow body portion having a polygonal transverse cross section and a longitudinally extending flange portion on the outside of the triangle which extends from the body portion generally transversely to the plane of the panel, the flange portion of each strut of each triangle being secured to a flange portion of an adjacent strut of another triangle and a plurality of anchors around the periphery of the bottom of the dome, each anchor having a generally horizontally extending base portion secured to the surface which supports the dome and a pair of triangular riser portions which extend generally vertically upwardly from the base portion, each of the riser portions having a flat upper surface which is inclined upwardly from the base portion and which meets the flat upper surface of the other riser portion in the center of the anchor, each of the flat upper surfaces being secured to the flange of a strut of one of the triangles at the bottom of the dome whereby the dome is anchored to the supporting surface.

Claim 4

A geodesic dome formed from a plurality of structural triangles, each triangle having three apices, three elongated struts joined together at the apices, and a planar panel secured to the struts and covering the area within the struts, each strut having a longitudinally extending hollow body portion having a polygonal transverse cross section and a longitudinally extending flange portion on the outside of the triangle which extends from the body portion generally transversely to the plane of the panel, the flange portion of each strut of each triangle being secured to a flange portion of an adjacent strut of another triangle and a plurality of anchors around the periphery of the bottom of the dome, each anchor having a generally horizontally extending base portion secured to the surface which supports the dome and a pair of triangular riser portions which extend generally vertically upwardly from the base portion, each of the riser portions having a flat upper surface which is inclined upwardly from the base portion and which meets the flat upper surface of the other riser portion in the center of the anchor, each of the flat upper surfaces being secured to the flange of a strut of one of the triangles at the bottom of the dome whereby the dome is anchored to the supporting surface.

Claim 5

A geodesic dome formed from a plurality of structural triangles, each triangle having three apices, three elongated struts joined together at the apices, and a planar panel secured to the struts and covering the area within the struts, each strut having a longitudinally extending hollow body portion having a polygonal transverse cross section and a longitudinally extending flange portion on the outside of the triangle which extends from the body portion generally transversely to the plane of the panel, the flange portion of each strut of each triangle being secured to a flange portion of an adjacent strut of another triangle, the body portion of each strut being formed from a sheet of metal which is bent to form top, bottom, and opposite side walls which provide a rectangular transverse cross section, the flange portion of each strut being provided by a first edge portion of the sheet which extends downwardly from one of the side walls as a continuation thereof and a second edge portion of the sheet which extends downwardly from the bottom wall generally perpendicularly thereto, the first and second edge portions abutting each other and being secured together, each triangle including three V-shaped connectors, each connector having a pair of legs which are positioned within the hollow body portion of two adjacent struts of the triangle at one of the apices of the triangle and which are secured to the body portion.

Claim 6

A geodesic dome formed from a plurality of structural triangles, each triangle having three apices, three elongated struts joined together at the apices, and a planar panel secured to the struts and covering the area within the struts, each strut having a longitudinally extending hollow body portion having a polygonal transverse cross section and a longitudinally extending flange portion on the outside of the triangle which extends from the body portion generally transversely to the plane of the panel, the flange portion of each strut of each triangle being secured to a flange portion of an adjacent strut of another triangle, the body portion of each strut being formed from a sheet of metal which is bent to form top, bottom, and opposite side walls which provide a rectangular transverse cross section, the flange portion of each strut being provided by a first edge portion of the sheet which extends downwardly from one of the side walls as a continuation thereof and a second edge portion of the sheet which extends downwardly from the bottom wall generally perpendicularly thereto, the first and second edge portions abutting each other and being secured together, each triangle including three V-shaped connectors, each connector having a pair of legs which are positioned within the hollow body portion of two adjacent struts of the triangle at one of the apices of the triangle and which are secured to the body portion.