Southampton manufacturer granted European patent

Published by

Sam Pither

Southampton-based Solardome Industries have been granted a patent by the European Patent Office.

The patent, for “Frame Assembly System for Geodesic Framed Structures”, was granted on 6 April and relates to the frame assembly system found on their Solardome Pro system, called the Geo-lok nodal clamping assembly.

The clamping assembly, exclusive to Solardome Industries, provides a scalable system for glass-clad aluminum geodesic domes from 6m up to 20m in diameter; a geodesic structure is a spherical structure made of interconnecting lines rather than curved surfaces.

This node makes it easier to erect the Solardome Pro over other permanent geodesic structures as it eliminates time-consuming and expensive welding or bolting on site. It is also incredibly strong with the ability to withstand extremely high winds and snow loadings.

Pippa Bailey, managing director of Solardome Industries, said: “We are thrilled that our patent application relating to our Solardome Pro frame and nodal assembly has been granted after 10 years. We view this as recognition of all the hard work and investment Solardome Industries puts into innovating our geodesic structures,”

“This patent sets our domes apart from our competitors, meaning we can produce long-lasting, flexible, and scalable structures that can be assembled much quicker than a traditional building.”

Hampshire’s Solardome Industries are world-leaders in the design and development of aluminum geodesic domes up to 20m in diameter. They have designed and manufactured Solardome glasshouses since 1995 after purchasing the Solardome design rights from Rosedale Engineers, who were based in Yorkshire from 1969.

Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset. A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise. Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.