Patent ID: 7578109

Claim:
A node connector useful at one of plural spaced apart nodes in a double layer grid-type of space frame for interconnecting at one of the nodes plural framing members of the frame, the frame having spaced major surfaces in which the nodes are located, the framing members including chord members which define the major surfaces and which extend between spaced apart node connectors and diagonal struts spacing the major surfaces from each other and optional torsion braces, each node having associated with it plural struts which extend to respective different nodes in the other surface of the frame, the node connector comprising a cylindrical base portion defining a passage having an axis and which is sized and shaped for snug slidable substantially axial insertion thereinto of an elongate chord framing member of the frame and which chord framing member has along its length an axis substantially alignable with the passage axis upon said insertion, the passage being configured to substantially enclose the chord framing member sufficiently to hold its axis in alignment with the passage axis upon such insertion, the node connector carrying substantially along the length of and externally of the base portion plural fixed-structural elements defining at least two pairs of parallel spaced substantially flat connection surfaces, the surfaces of each pair being spaced equidistantly from a center plane between them which is parallel to and substantially includes the passage axis, at least one pair of the surfaces having sufficient length along the connector to enable two diagonal struts to be connected to the connector via those surfaces, and at least one pair of holes through the elements which define each pair of surfaces for each framing member which is connectible to that node via the elements defining that pair of surfaces, the holes in each pair thereof being aligned on a respective line which is normal to the corresponding surfaces.