Construction system with inflated members

Abstract

Self-supporting structures are assembled from hollow construction members, particularly inflatable balls made of a durable resilient material.

1 . A structure comprising plural hollow members that are coupled together and that together form a self-supporting structure. 
   
   
       2 . A structure of according to  claim 1  wherein at least some of the members are generally spherical. 
   
   
       3 . A structure of according to  claim 1  wherein at least some of the members are made of rotomolded thermoplastic material. 
   
   
       4 . (canceled) 
   
   
       5 . A structure according to  claim 1  wherein at least some of the members are arranged such that at least a portion of the structure has the shape of a building that defines an interior region that is hollow and of sufficient size to receive a person. 
   
   
       6 . (canceled) 
   
   
       7 . A structure according to  claim 1  wherein at least some of the members are arranged to form interlocking polygons and such that at least a portion of the structure has the shape of a dome. 
   
   
       8 . A structure according to  claim 1  wherein:
 at least some of the members are arranged to provide a perimeter wall structure; and   the structure further comprised an expanse of waterproof material that extends to the perimeter wall structure and that is shaped to form a basin to receive and hold a body of water.   
   
   
       9 . (canceled) 
   
   
       10 . (canceled) 
   
   
       11 . (canceled) 
   
   
       12 . (canceled) 
   
   
       13 . (canceled) 
   
   
       14 . (canceled) 
   
   
       15 . (canceled) 
   
   
       16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . (canceled) 
   
   
       19 . (canceled) 
   
   
       20 . (canceled) 
   
   
       21 . (canceled) 
   
   
       22 . A structure according to  claim 1  wherein all of the members are of the same size and shape. 
   
   
       23 . A structure according to  claim 1  wherein:
 at least some of the members are of a first size; and   at least some of the members are of a second size that is different than the first size.   
   
   
       24 . A structure according to  claim 1  wherein at least some of the members are arranged in a lattice having a pattern selected from the group consisting of simple cubic, body-centered cubic, face-centered cubic, triclinic, simple monoclinic, base-centered monoclinic, simple orthorhombic, base-centered orthorhombic, body-centered orthorhombic, face centered orthorhombic, hexagonal, rhombohedral, simple tetragonal, and body-centered tetragonal. 
   
   
       25 . A structure according to  claim 1  wherein:
 at least some of the members are of a first load capacity; and   at least some of the members are of a second load capacity that is different than the first.   
   
   
       26 . A structure according to  claim 25  wherein at least some of the members at the base of the structure have a greater net load capacity than members at a higher elevation in the structure. 
   
   
       27 . A structure according to  claim 26  wherein at least some of the members at the base of the structure have walls that are thicker than the walls of members at a higher elevation in the structure. 
   
   
       28 . A structure according to  claim 26  wherein at least some of the members at the base of the structure have walls that are more rigid than the walls of members at a higher elevation in the structure. 
   
   
       29 . A coupling system for joining two construction members together, the system comprising:
 a first hollow construction member having a protrusion; and   a second hollow construction member having a connector for securing the protrusion to the second hollow construction member, the connector comprising a wall that at least partially defines an opening that is positioned and sized to receive the projection and a cam member positioned opposite the wall to prevent the projection from pulling out of the opening when the projection is located between the wall and the cam member.   
   
   
       30 . (canceled) 
   
   
       31 . A construction system comprising:
 a first hollow construction member having a protruding stud that has a neck portion and a head portion outwardly of the neck portion; and   a second hollow construction member having a socket sized and shaped to receive the stud, the socket having a collar that defines an opening that is smaller than the head so that removal of the stud from the socket is inhibited when a stud is positioned with the neck in the opening, such that the stud and socket together serve as a snap fastener system.   
   
   
       32 . (canceled) 
   
   
       33 . (canceled) 
   
   
       34 . (canceled) 
   
   
       35 . A construction system comprising:
 a connector element;   a first hollow construction member having a socket sized and shaped to receive and connect to a portion of the connecter element; and   a second hollow construction member having a socket sized and shaped to receive and connect a portion of the connecter element.   
   
   
       36 . (canceled) 
   
   
       37 . (canceled) 
   
   
       38 . (canceled) 
   
   
       39 . (canceled) 
   
   
       40 . (canceled) 
   
   
       41 . A construction system comprising:
 plural hollow construction members;   at least one harness containing at least one of the construction members; and   at least one fastener element on each harness.   
   
   
       42 . A construction system comprising:
 plural hollow construction members that are capable of being coupled together to form a full-sized, self-supporting structure; and   plural modeling members that are proportionally smaller than corresponding ones of the construction members and that are capable of being coupled together to form a self-supporting structure that is a reduced scale model of a full-sized structure capable of being built from the construction members.   
   
   
       43 . (canceled) 
   
   
       44 . (canceled) 
   
   
       45 . (canceled) 
   
   
       46 . A construction method comprising:
 providing plural hollow construction members that are capable of being coupled together to form a full-sized, self-supporting structure;   providing plural modeling members that are proportionally smaller than corresponding ones of the construction members and that are capable of being coupled together to form a self-supporting structure that is a reduced scale model of a full-sized structure capable of being built from the construction members;   building a model structure from the modeling members; and   building a full-sized structure corresponding to the model structure from the construction members.   
   
   
       47 . A hollow construction member comprising:
 a wall that has an outer surface; and   plural loop connectors at spaced-apart locations on the outer surface.   
   
   
       48 . (canceled) 
   
   
       49 . (canceled) 
   
   
       50 . (canceled)