Foldable steel structure frame

Abstract

A mechanically foldable frame can be used in a steel structure framing process. Since the framing process costs a lot of time in the house building process, a foldable steel structure can realize fast framing. The foldable frame structure includes beams and columns can be folded into flat frames for transportation. The foldable frame structure can save on-site operation time by replacing the framing process with factory-made mechanical equipment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A building frame comprising:
 at least two end frame structures, each end frame structure including:
 a side wall beam assembly including an upper side wall beam and a lower side wall beam; 
 first and second corner columns attached at respective ends of the side wall beam assembly, wherein the upper side wall beam attaches to an upper end of the first and second corner columns and the lower side wall beam attaches to a lower end of the first and second corner columns; 
 a front wall beam assembly including an upper front wall beam and a lower front wall beam, the front wall beam assembly pivotably attached, with a first pivot connection, at an attachment end thereof to the first corner column, wherein the upper front wall beam attaches to an upper end of the first corner column and the lower front wall beam attaches to a lower end of the first corner column; 
 a rear wall beam assembly including an upper rear wall beam and a lower rear wall beam, the rear wall beam assembly pivotably attached, with a second pivot connection, at an attachment end thereof to the second corner column, wherein the upper rear wall beam attaches to an upper end of the second corner column and the lower rear wall beam attaches to a lower end of the second corner column; and 
 first and second end studs, the first end stud spanning between the upper front wall beam and the lower front wall beam at an end opposite the attachment end thereof, the second end stud spanning between the upper rear wall beam and the lower rear wall beam at an end opposite the attachment end thereof, wherein 
   each of the at least two end frame structures are operable to attach to each other to form a building frame; and   each of the at least two end frame structures are movable between a flat, folded configuration, and an expanded configuration having a squared C-shape.   
     
     
         2 . The building frame of  claim 1 , wherein the upper side wall beam is fixed to an upper end of the first and second corner columns and the lower side wall beam is fixed to a lower end of the first and second corner columns. 
     
     
         3 . The building frame of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the upper side wall beam is formed from a first upper side wall beam and a second upper side wall beam, each first and second upper side wall beam having a corner column attachment end, pivotably attached, with a third pivot connection to respective first and second corner columns, and upper beam distal ends opposite the corner column attachment ends;   the lower side wall beam is formed from a first lower side wall beam and a second lower side wall beam, each first and second lower side wall beam having a corner column attachment end, pivotably attached, with a fourth pivot connection, to respective first and second corner columns, and lower beam distal ends opposite the corner column attachment ends; and   a central side wall column is pivotably attached, with a fifth pivot connection, at its upper end, to the upper beam distal ends and the central side wall column is pivotably attached, with a sixth pivot connection, at its lower end, to the lower beam distal ends.   
     
     
         4 . The building frame of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first corner column includes upper and lower spindles fitting into respective holes at the attachment ends of the upper and lower front wall beams; and   the second corner column includes upper and lower spindles fitting into respective holes at the attachment ends of the upper and lower rear wall beams.   
     
     
         5 . The building frame of  claim 1 , wherein the corner columns include at least one platform, extending at an angle from a longitudinal axis of the corner columns to provide a pivot axis for the upper front wall beam and the upper rear wall beam. 
     
     
         6 . The building frame of  claim 2 , wherein the central side wall column includes first and second platforms, at opposite upper sides thereof, extending at an angle from a longitudinal axis of the central side wall column to provide a pivot axis for the upper beam distal ends. 
     
     
         7 . The building frame of  claim 3 , wherein:
 at least one of first pivot connection, the second pivot connection, the third pivot connection and the fourth pivot connection includes a spindle on the column fitting into an opening on the beam;   the spindle includes a first cutout and the opening includes a second cutout;   a blocker operable to fit in the first cutout is resiliently movable into the second cutout when the building frame is in an expanded configuration.   
     
     
         8 . The building frame of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second cutouts are square cutouts. 
     
     
         9 . The building frame of  claim 7 , further comprising springs to resiliently urge the blocker into a locking position into the second cutout. 
     
     
         10 . The building frame of  claim 1 , further comprising a middle frame structure, the middle frame structure comprising:
 a front wall beam assembly including an upper front wall middle frame beam and a lower front wall middle frame beam, the upper front wall middle frame beam having a first upper wall middle frame beam portion and a second upper wall middle frame beam portion, the lower front wall middle frame beam having a first lower wall middle frame beam portion and a second lower wall middle frame beam portion;   a front wall column pivotably attached, with a seventh pivot connection, as its upper end, to first ends of the first and second upper wall middle frame portions, the front wall column further pivotably attached, with an eighth pivot connection, at its lower end, to first ends of the first and second lower wall middle frame portions;   a first wall stud spanning second ends of the first upper and lower middle frame beam portions;   a second wall stud spanning second ends of the second upper and lower middle frame beam portions;   upper and lower fixed beams attached, at a first fixed beam end, to the front wall column, wherein, in a folded configuration, the upper and lower fixed beams are substantially parallel with the upper and lower front wall middle frame beams, and, in an expanded configuration, the upper and lower fixed beams are substantially orthogonal with the upper and lower front wall middle frame beams;   a rear wall beam assembly including an upper rear wall middle frame beam and a lower rear wall middle frame beam, the upper rear wall middle frame beam having a first upper wall middle frame beam portion and a second upper wall middle frame beam portion, the lower rear wall middle frame beam having a first lower wall middle frame beam portion and a second lower wall middle frame beam portion;   a rear wall column pivotably attached, with a ninth pivot connection, at its upper end, to first ends of the first and second upper wall middle frame portions of the rear wall beam assembly, the rear wall column further pivotably attached, with a tenth pivot connection, at its lower end, to first ends of the first and second lower wall middle frame portions of the rear wall beam assembly;   a first rear wall stud spanning second ends of the first upper and lower middle frame beam portions;   a second rear wall stud spanning second ends of the second upper and lower middle frame beam portions;   upper and lower rear fixed beams attached, at a first fixed beam end, to the rear wall column, wherein, in a folded configuration, the upper and lower rear fixed beams are substantially parallel with the upper and lower rear wall middle frame beams, and, in an expanded configuration, the upper and lower rear fixed beams are substantially orthogonal with the upper and lower rear wall middle frame beams;   a central middle frame column pivotably connected, with an eleventh pivot connection, at its upper end, to the upper fixed beam and the upper rear fixed beam at respective second ends thereof, the central middle frame column further pivotably connected, with a twelfth pivot connection, at its lower end, to the lower fixed beam and the lower rear fixed beam at respective second ends thereof.   
     
     
         11 . The building frame of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the first and second end studs of one of the at least two end frame structures are operable to attach to respective ones of the first wall stud and the first rear wall stud; and   the first and second end studs of another one of the at least two end frame structures are operable to attach to respective ones of the second wall stud and the second rear wall stud.   
     
     
         12 . The building frame of  claim 10 , wherein:
 at least one of fifth pivot connection, the sixth pivot connection, the seventh pivot connection, the eighth pivot connection, the ninth pivot connection, the tenth pivot connection, the eleventh pivot connection and the twelfth pivot connection includes a spindle on the column fitting into an opening on the beam;   the spindle includes a first cutout and the opening includes a second cutout;   a blocker operable to fit in the first cutout is resiliently movable into the second cutout when the building frame is in an expanded configuration.   
     
     
         13 . The building frame of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second cutouts are square cutouts. 
     
     
         14 . The building frame of  claim 12 , further comprising springs to resiliently urge the blocker into a locking position into the second cutout. 
     
     
         15 . The building frame of  claim 1 , wherein the building frame is a steel building frame. 
     
     
         16 . A steel building frame comprising:
 at least two end frame structures, each end frame structure including:
 a side wall beam assembly including an upper side wall beam and a lower side wall beam; 
 first and second corner columns attached at respective ends of the side wall beam assembly, wherein the upper side wall beam attaches to an upper end of the first and second corner columns and the lower side wall beam attaches to a lower end of the first and second corner columns; 
 a front wall beam assembly including an upper front wall beam and a lower front wall beam, the front wall beam assembly pivotably attached, with a first pivot connection, at an attachment end thereof to the first corner column, wherein the upper front wall beam attaches to an upper end of the first corner column and the lower front wall beam attaches to a lower end of the first corner column; 
 a rear wall beam assembly including an upper rear wall beam and a lower rear wall beam, the rear wall beam assembly pivotably attached, with a second pivot connection, at an attachment end thereof to the second corner column, wherein the upper rear wall beam attaches to an upper end of the second corner column and the lower rear wall beam attaches to a lower end of the second corner column; and 
 first and second end studs, the first end stud spanning between the upper front wall beam and the lower front wall beam at an end opposite the attachment end thereof, the second end stud spanning between the upper rear wall beam and the lower rear wall beam at an end opposite the attachment end thereof, wherein each of the at least two end frame structures are movable between a flat, folded configuration, and an expanded configuration having a squared C-shape; and 
   a middle frame structure, the middle frame structure comprising:
 a front wall beam assembly including an upper front wall middle frame beam and a lower front wall middle frame beam, the upper front wall middle frame beam having a first upper wall middle frame beam portion and a second upper wall middle frame beam portion, the lower front wall middle frame beam having a first lower wall middle frame beam portion and a second lower wall middle frame beam portion; 
 a front wall column pivotably attached, with a seventh pivot connection, as its upper end, to first ends of the first and second upper wall middle frame portions, the front wall column further pivotably attached, with an eighth pivot connection, at its lower end, to first ends of the first and second lower wall middle frame portions; 
 a first wall stud spanning second ends of the first upper and lower middle frame beam portions; 
 a second wall stud spanning second ends of the second upper and lower middle frame beam portions; 
 upper and lower fixed beams attached, at a first fixed beam end, to the front wall column, wherein, in a folded configuration, the upper and lower fixed beams are substantially parallel with the upper and lower front wall middle frame beams, and, in an expanded configuration, the upper and lower fixed beams are substantially orthogonal with the upper and lower front wall middle frame beams; 
 a rear wall beam assembly including an upper rear wall middle frame beam and a lower rear wall middle frame beam, the upper rear wall middle frame beam having a first upper wall middle frame beam portion and a second upper wall middle frame beam portion, the lower rear wall middle frame beam having a first lower wall middle frame beam portion and a second lower wall middle frame beam portion; 
 a rear wall column pivotably attached, with a ninth pivot connection, at its upper end, to first ends of the first and second upper wall middle frame portions of the rear wall beam assembly, the rear wall column further pivotably attached, with a tenth pivot connection, at its lower end, to first ends of the first and second lower wall middle frame portions of the rear wall beam assembly; 
 a first rear wall stud spanning second ends of the first upper and lower middle frame beam portions; 
 a second rear wall stud spanning second ends of the second upper and lower middle frame beam portions; 
 upper and lower rear fixed beams attached, at a first fixed beam end, to the rear wall column, wherein, in a folded configuration, the upper and lower rear fixed beams are substantially parallel with the upper and lower rear wall middle frame beams, and, in an expanded configuration, the upper and lower rear fixed beams are substantially orthogonal with the upper and lower rear wall middle frame beams; and 
 a central middle frame column pivotably connected, with an eleventh pivot connection, at its upper end, to the upper fixed beam and the upper rear fixed beam at respective second ends thereof, the central middle frame column further pivotably connected, with a twelfth pivot connection, at its lower end, to the lower fixed beam and the lower rear fixed beam at respective second ends thereof. 
   
     
     
         17 . The steel building frame of  claim 16 , wherein the upper side wall beam is fixed to an upper end of the first and second corner columns and the lower side wall beam is fixed to a lower end of the first and second corner columns. 
     
     
         18 . The steel building frame of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the upper side wall beam is formed from a first upper side wall beam and a second upper side wall beam, each first and second upper side wall beam having a corner column attachment end, pivotably attached, with a third pivot connection to respective first and second corner columns, and upper beam distal ends opposite the corner column attachment ends;   the lower side wall beam is formed from a first lower side wall beam and a second lower side wall beam, each first and second lower side wall beam having a corner column attachment end, pivotably attached, with a fourth pivot connection, to respective first and second corner columns, and lower beam distal ends opposite the corner column attachment ends; and   a central side wall column is pivotably attached, with a fifth pivot connection, at its upper end, to the upper beam distal ends and the central side wall column is pivotably attached, with a sixth pivot connection, at its lower end, to the lower beam distal ends.   
     
     
         19 . The steel building frame of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the first corner column includes upper and lower spindles fitting into respective holes at the attachment ends of the upper and lower front wall beams; and   the second corner column includes upper and lower spindles fitting into respective holes at the attachment ends of the upper and lower rear wall beams.   
     
     
         20 . The steel building frame of  claim 16 , wherein the corner columns include at least one platform, extending at an angle from a longitudinal axis of the corner columns to provide a pivot axis for the upper front wall beam and the upper rear wall beam.