DK171874B1 - Sealing strip - Google Patents

Description

DK 171874 B1

Sealing strip

The present invention relates to a sealing step needle intended for sealing the longitudinal spaces between two parallel boards or planks, and particularly for sealing between planks or boards in a decking.

In designing wooden terraces for various purposes, planks, usually of pressure-impregnated type, 10 are placed across all supporting beams at appropriate intervals. One of the reasons that boards are placed at certain intervals is that boards must be able to move slightly at extensions and contractions caused by moisture changes, and boards must also be able to move slightly at changing load and temperature conditions. Finally, it should be mentioned that the boards are spaced apart so that water and snow can find drainage and thereby prevent the formation of puddles in the middle of the terrace, which would lead to an increasing degradation of the materials in the 20 patio boards.

In practice, such wooden terraces have several shortcomings. The following disadvantages can be mentioned.

25 Dirt, such as fallen leaves and other particles, will collect between the patio boards and lead to unsanitary conditions under the patio. This is particularly a disadvantage when the terrace is located close to the ground, which makes it difficult or impossible to clean the area under the terrace, as well as 30 in places where people move or stay under the terrace.

Water and light passing through the slots in the terrace lead to the growth of weeds, which after some time grow up 35 through the slits in the patio boards. It is very difficult to get rid of this kind of weed, a problem that is most pronounced when the terrace is located close to the ground.

Coins, jewelery, such as rings, etc., can easily fall between the deck boards, and the acquisition of such objects is very difficult or impossible. This problem is also more difficult when the terrace is built near the ground or stands on short piles.

Animals, such as cats, can find refuge under such terraces, which can cause unpleasant odors, thereby causing discomfort to the users of the terrace. Especially for terraces used for social gatherings, such conditions are not acceptable.

15 A further problem with existing patio structures is that the boards will bend concave upwards so that nails and other fasteners are forced up from the boards as they move due to changes in humidity and load conditions.

20

The latter problem will evolve as the boards of traditional patio structures eventually contract more on their upper surface than on the lower surface. After some time, the result is that the seams are forced up from the supporting structure, which leads to corresponding disadvantages.

The latter problem is also remedied by the present invention. Since the bottom surface of the boards is kept dry, it has been found that the boards remain flat or only slightly bend convex upwards. This is probably due to the fact that a compact terrace will increase the air flow below the terrace, which will result in a correspondingly rapid drying process on terraces which are laid both on a flat surface and on the outside. These conditions contribute to a more durable terrace, which will also retain a better appearance after use.

Water that accumulates on the patio boards on a traditional patio will penetrate to the support beams under the terraces. After some time, moisture will damage the beams that can dissolve, and the moisture can also follow the beams back and into adjacent plants, such as buildings, etc. This is a disadvantage which can lead to high maintenance costs and also to accidents, since the damage 10 is often not detected until it is very severe.

In order to at least avoid the latter problem, an impervious layer, for example of metal or weldable roofing, is placed under the terrace construction. So-forming solutions increase costs and lead to a heavier construction, which is disadvantageous in various respects.

The use of various types of sealing elements between 20 floor boards and patio boards is known. In this connection, reference is made to DE Patent No. 102,394, GB Patent No. 1,311,487 and SE Patent Laid-Open No. 462,809.

German Patent No. DE 102,394 relates to a sealing rod which is intended for use in connection with completely compact flooring within buildings. The sealing element shown is apparently quite rigid and is penetrated by openings for fastening screws. Therefore, an element of this patent would not prevent leakage if used outdoors.

U.K. Patent No. 1,311,487 relates to a sealing element which is also designed to achieve a tight seal between floorboards. However, this element is made of two parts, 35 each of which consists of a hard part and a soft part. Such an element would not provide a durable seal between DK 171874 B1 4 patio boards for outdoor use and under high temperatures, very low temperatures and prolonged rainfall.

5 Swedish Patent Specification No. 462,809 relates to a rigid sealing rod which, in effect, allows the adjacent planks to be broken along pre-made weakening lines in the boards. Therefore, it seems impossible to obtain a completely impervious seal when the boards subsequently contract, for example during a dry period.

The sealing strip of the present invention is especially designed for use with pressure-impregnated wood. The sealing strip is therefore designed in such a way that contraction of the wood material will increase the sealing effect of the sealing strip, with barbed sections being pressed into the wooden boards during the contraction process.

Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment, the sealing strip is shaped in such a way that the strip is squeezed and deformed as the wood material expands, so that the lateral edge of said strip is pressed harder into the wood material the more the wood material expands. Due to these two characteristics, complete sealing will be achieved under all conditions.

The sealing strip of the present invention also leads to minimal bending of the boards.

30

The object of the present invention is to provide a sealing strip adapted for use between patio boards so as to avoid all of the disadvantages mentioned above. In other words, the object is to provide a 35 waterproof and flat wooden terrace, and especially of impregnated wood, in a simple and affordable way.

DK 171874 B1 5

All of these objects are accomplished by designing the sealing strip according to the claims below.

For a clearer and more unambiguous understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of some preferred embodiments of such a sealing strip as well as to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a sealing strip according to the present invention, mounted between two patio boards which have milled grooves; FIG. 2 shows in more detail a sealing strip of the type shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 shows a sealing strip in a somewhat different embodiment; FIG. 4 shows a sealing strip of yet another embodiment, however, which is also in accordance with the present invention, and FIG. 5 shows an additional accessory for transporting water away from the terrace of the type described above.

It should be noted that the same reference numbers 30 are used in all drawings where this is appropriate. Furthermore, it should be noted that details of the plant which are not absolutely necessary for the understanding of the present invention may be omitted from the drawings for simplification purposes. Finally, it should be noted that the scale of the various drawings is not necessarily the same.

DK 171874 B1 6

FIG. 1 shows a part of a terrace 1, which is built of parallel boards 2, of which only two parallel boards are shown in the figure. The boards shown have slanted grooves 4,5 which are designed so that the two grooves 4,5 will form symmetrical recesses at the same level in the two adjacent boards 2 when the two boards 2 are arranged side by side .

There is shown a prefabricated strip 8 inserted in the interspace 6 between the two boards 2 so that the lateral edges 3 of the strip 8 are pressed into the grooves 4,5 in the adjacent boards 2, while a channel-shaped portion 15 in the middle of said strip or paragraph 8 defines a downwardly rounded flow channel between the two boards. It should be noted that the strip 8 preferably has approximately the same length as the boards 2 and thus extends from one end of the board to the opposite end without interruption. By using a terrace 1 of such a construction, all the above-mentioned objects and advantageous features are met. Thus, neither jewelry nor rings can fall between the boards of the terrace, as they will be caught by the strip and can easily be picked up. Fallen leaves and debris that fall into the spaces between the boards can be easily flushed out and swept away or out to one of the 25 sides. Water falling on terrace 1 will flow into channels 15 and can be easily removed. In this connection, it should be mentioned that the terrace as a whole can preferably be constructed so as to incline slightly in one direction or both directions. Such a construction will provide a natural flow away from the terrace. It should also be mentioned that neither light nor water will flow under the terrace, and as a result, the soil under the terrace receives neither water nor light, and weed growth under the terrace is therefore significantly reduced.

Despite these advantages, the lateral elasticity of the channel of said strip will adapt to the small natural movements that all biological materials make under normal use.

5 In FIG. 2 shows the cross section of the sealing strip 8 in more detail.

It is found to be advantageous to provide the strip or piece 8 with a pointed angle break along its longitudinal side edges 3, which are sharply folded so that the strip 8 receives a portion of a pointed angle α, preferably approx. 15 °, along both sides. The folded portion of the side edge, which in the figure extends from point 3 to point 14, has a width slightly larger than the width of the grooves 4,5.

15 This brings several benefits, which are described below.

The outer sharp edges along the outer side edges 3 of the strip 8 will serve as barbs, which can be easily pushed from the side into the grooves 4,5, but cannot be pulled out without special precautions. It should again be noted that the folded edge is of such a dimension that it must be pressed into the corresponding groove 4,5. Accordingly, the side edges 3 will not be pulled out of the corresponding grooves 4 and 5 as the patio boards 2 contract, for example 25 because they are drying. Instead, the folded edge 14 will be subjected to a force which will result in a smaller extension of the angle α, while the side edge 3 is pressed even tighter and closer to the inner surface of the grooves 4 and 5. Instead, the strip 8 will be deformed at the bottom of the channel 15. Here, the elasticity of the strip will allow the profile to open to a certain extent, so that the boards 2 can move slightly apart, while the channel 15 is actually tightened even further along its top edge.

35 When the sealing strip is in the form shown in FIG. 2, the seal between the strip 8 and the grooves 4 and 5 of the boards 2 will actually also increase, even when the boards 2 are pressed sideways against each other, for example by increased moisture. This can be explained as follows: 5 As the boards 2,2 move toward each other, the corners 16 (Fig. 1) are forced inward toward the folded lines 17 of the strip 8, which lines are located in the upper part of the channel-shaped part 15. As a result, the sidewall of the strip 8 will curl, and the result is that the edge 3 will be pressed even harder against the wood in the boards 2. Consequently, the sealing between the groove and the strip will increase both as the boards 2 move toward each other and when the boards 2 moves away from each other. It should be emphasized that this seal is so effective from the outset that it will prevent water flow, with the folded rim 3-14 having dimensions such that it is wider than the width of the groove 4 and 5, while the material of the strip is elastic and pressed. outward toward the edge of the grooves in a pre-influenced manner.

Preferably, the sealing strip 8 can be formed exactly as shown in FIG. 2. It will thus be seen that the angle a = 15 ° is repeated in many places in the cross-section. The outer folded rim has an angle α relative to the flat area of the projection 9,10. The side walls of the channel 15, in turn, also constitute an angle α with respect to the vertical plane. Furthermore, the bottom of the channel 15 forms an angle α with respect to the horizontal plane.

30 Using the form shown, the boards will be retained at a distance 18 from each other when no external influence occurs. As the boards expand, this distance can be reduced to the width 19 at the bottom of the channel 15. And when this bottom has a rounded portion as shown at point 20, the distance between the boards can be reduced even further. Similarly, the distance between the boards can also be increased, thus exceeding the distance 18 as the boards 2 contract.

The elastic strip will constantly follow the movements and close in a form-fitting manner to the adjacent boards without making any openings. Water falling on the terrace 5 will flow along all channels 15.

However, various types of cross-sections can be used for the strip 8. As possible variations, it can be mentioned that the bottom of the channel 15 may be flat or corrugated and the side edges 3 may be folded down instead of upward. The strip 8 may be extruded to have a portion folded up at 3 and a portion folded down at 3 ', and some of the fold lines, such as 17 and / or 20, may be completely omitted.

When the terrace 1 is loaded, any bending and movement of the strip 8 will result in a better seal against the surrounding tree. This is perhaps best understood if one considers the situation without such a folded or sharply bent edge 3. In such a case, a movement of the 20 boards relative to each other will cause the protrusion of the strip 8 to move out of the grooves 4,5, resulting in a poor seal which in turn will cause water to flow over the channel of the strip and make contact with the tree in grooves 4 and 5 and then also the underside of the boards 2 25. With a folded side edge 3 which is shaped to be pressed into the grooves 4,5 in the patio boards 2, this situation will be avoided under all load conditions.

It should also be noted that a channel-shaped portion 15 having a substantially rectangular cross-section as assumed in FIG. 1 and 2 must necessarily be the best embodiment. This shape will provide good flow conditions and it will also give the strip a great deal of lateral flexibility when the boards are loaded so that they will move away from each other. Therefore, the shown cross-sectional design of the strip 8 will give very great freedom of movement, even if the strip is attached to both the folded edges 3 in the material of the board 2. It is preferred that the channel 15 is somewhat narrower in the vicinity of the bottom than in its upper parts, such a configuration will enhance the above-described effects. The sealing strip according to the invention is advantageous in that a strip of this kind represents a very useful means of building terraces, ensuring a constant distance between all the patio boards along their entire length. A terrace built using such channel-shaped pieces will therefore have a better aesthetic appearance than a terrace built without such pieces. However, such a seal can also be mounted on pre-existing terraces that were originally built without such sealing strips. In such cases, a profile cutter can be inserted between two adjacent boards and steered along these boards, while grooves are cut at both board edges simultaneously. After milling such grooves, a strip can be pushed down and into the opening from above. Due to the true elasticity of the strip, the sealing strip will expand as it is pressed down and a correct position will be obtained in said milled grooves.

Many different cross-sectional designs 25 may be used for the grooves and for the strip or piece. Some variations are shown in FIG. 2-4. FIG. 3 shows a strip having a wavy bottom, and FIG. 4 shows a strip with an evenly sloping bottom. Further cross-sections can be designed within the scope of the present invention. For example, the strip may be flat along its entire width, and such a design will allow some lateral movement between the patio boards, especially when the channel 15 is wider at the top than the bottom.

Finally, it may be mentioned that the terrace may be completed in accordance with the design shown in FIG. 5. Here an end piece of 16 water flows to the edge of the terrace.

In said figure, an end duct 16 is shown which is formed across all the sealing strips 8.

The seal or strip of the present invention may be made of various materials. A possible and suitable material is an iron plate with plastic protection, possibly with a textured surface and for example 0.5 mm thick. Galvanized metal sheets 0.5 - 1 mm thick are also suitable. Additional materials may be plastic materials 10 and laminates. Extruded low weight metal strips, for example aluminum, can also be used. It is preferred that the material has a smooth surface which can be easily cleaned, and it should preferably be selected from materials that can withstand the necessary stresses and temperature loads which are normal in buildings. Also, the elasticity of the strip is important as it must be able to be pushed back against the grooves 4,5 when mounted.

The grooves disposed on the side edges of the patio boards may also have different designs. For example, the grooves may be inclined upwardly as shown in the examples, or they may be arranged horizontally. The grooves may also have a smaller depth or a more open shape. Combinations of the various shown forms of the said grooves and the said strips may also be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Further, more than a single groove 4.5 may be placed in each board. In that case, the strip 8 may have more than one projection 9,10 on each side.

Claims (10)

A sealing strip (8) arranged for mounting 5 between boards (2) arranged parallel to, but at a certain distance (6) from each other, such that the boards (2) form a flat surface (1), and wherein in each board (2) at least one longitudinal groove (4,5) is formed along the entire length of the side edges, which grooves are arranged to receive protruding extensions (9,10) on the sealing strip (8) made as one impermeable unit, characterized in that the sealing strip (8) comprises a laterally elastic central portion (11) of a width which can be both expanded and contracted due to elastic deformation when subjected to external mechanical loads, and that the central portion (11) is formed with at least two protruding elastic extensions (9,10) adapted to fit in a conclusive manner into corresponding 20 grooves (4,5) in two adjacent boards (2), the said protruding extensions (9.10) in the unstressed state, have dimensions slightly larger than the dimensions of the corresponding grooves (4,5), so that the elastic extensions will be biased against the inner surfaces of the corresponding grooves 25 after mounting. Sealing strip (8) according to claim 1, characterized in that the projections (9, 10) have resilient compressible and expanding side edges (3) which are folded at a 30-point angle (a) and which are unloaded by a width which is somewhat greater than the width of the grooves (4,5) with which the projections (9,10) are arranged to cooperate. 35 Sealing strip (8) according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a thin, longitudinally folded, elastic member, the central part of which is W-shaped, while the projections are V-shaped and of a width which is greater than the width of the grooves (4,5) in the boards (2). 5 Sealing strip (8) according to claim 1,2 or 3, characterized in that the central elastic part (11) has a central, impermeable channel (15) whose depth extends from the grooves (4,5) to the boards. (2) bottom surface. 10 Sealing strip (8) according to claim 4, characterized in that the width of the channel (15) is larger at the top than the bottom. 15 Sealing strip according to one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the projections (9,10) have elastically folded, angularly shaped = a) edges (3-14) with sharp side edges (3) adapted to fit in pressing into the corresponding groove (4.5) surface as a result of the true elasticity of the strip. Sealing strip (8) according to claim 6, characterized in that the groove (4,5) has a width of 2-4 mm smaller than the width of the angled folded edge (3-14). in unloaded condition. Sealing strip (8) according to one of claims 6-7, characterized in that the folded rim (3-14) is bent upwards. 30 Sealing strip (8) according to one of claims 1-8, characterized in that the projections (9,10) and the grooves (4,5) are inclined upwards from the horizontal plane at an acute angle (t * = α). 35 Sealing strip (8) according to one of Claims 6 or 8, characterized in that the acute angle (? = A) is approx. 15 °.