EP0651097B1 - Balustrade bars and balustrade rail assembly - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a assembly of bars with a railing rail, allowing them to be joined directly to it without the intervention of intermediate parts or a particular tightening, following a simple interlocking snap-fastening of each bar into receiving openings provided in the arm, achieving a fast, secure and effective.

Known solutions implemented in the art to join the top and bottom rails of a railing using of a plurality of bars, spaced from one another by maximum distance determined, in order to form the front part such a railing supported over a balcony, a terrace, staircase or similar construction by stiffeners or vertical posts fixed to the ground, use usually a keying system which requires machining prior to these bars and these beams.

In particular, the latter include openings of reception for the upper or lower ends of the bars in the corresponding beam, these bars then being drilled transversely for the engagement of a locking key, the beams then being covered by a finishing profile, before being joined to the vertical support stiffeners.

Generally, the beams are horizontal and the bars vertical. However, to constitute for example a guardrail staircase, the rails can form with the direction vertical parallel bars suitably spaced, a given angle, usually around 30 ° or more, for follow the slope of the stairs. In this case, the canvas of each smooth is deformed appropriately to allow the passage of the corresponding end of the bars, the key link can be replaced by an appropriate deformation of the wall of the bar in its housing inside the smooth that it crosses, in order to immobilize it in the position adequate in relation to it according to the desired inclination for the latter.

Finally and in another classic variant, the connection between the rail and the bars can be obtained by means of a nozzle made of plastic, force-fitted at the end of the bar and secured to the arm by a through link pin an internal rib thereof, engaged in a groove open end, this assembly allowing relative rotation of the heald relative to the bar around the axis of the pin, to obtain the desired tilt.

All these solutions have drawbacks, because assembly requiring several parts and the need to implement a series of successive operations in order to install the bars in the beams, engage the keys or pins for fixing through the parts protruding from these bars and finally return the profiles finishing, which results in a significant time that strikes the cost price of the installation. They also penalize the mechanical strength of the assembly, the beams, made of open profiles for the passage of bars and the installation of the immobilization keys of the latter, requiring the addition of additional profiles for ensure their continuity; finally, they are unsatisfactory aesthetically, letting appear, if necessary, the connecting means, in particular in the case of parts made of plastic material.

The present invention relates to a connecting device direct between the bars and the top and bottom rails of a railing, which avoids these disadvantages.

To this end, the assembly of bars parallel and spaced with respect to a support rail of these bars, extending transversely to the direction longitudinal of these, is characterized in that the smooth has a plurality of neighboring openings, preferably equidistant, each capable of receiving the end of a bar, and a flexible internal tab embedded in the wall inside of the arm, extending over the entire length of this and having a flat surface inclined on the vertical, able to cooperate, for each bar, with a notch delimited by edges also inclined and similarly profile as the tongue, provided at the end of the bar which enters the corresponding opening of the boom, or formed in a support member carried by this end of the bar, the tongue having a transverse return, substantially perpendicular to its plane, able to engage gradually in an open housing provided in the bottom of the notch, until it clicks into this housing joining the boom and the bar.

By fitting any bar into the opening corresponding to the heald intended to receive it, the notch formed directly at the end of this bar or in the organ of support carried by the latter, thus engages on the tongue which slides on the inclined edges of this notch or of this organ as the bar engages in the stringer, until the return at the end of the race transverse of the tongue enters the open housing for come to rest there, thus joining the bar and the rail in a particularly effective way.

According to a particular characteristic of the device considered, the tongue comprises, at the end of its return transverse, a heel bearing against the bottom of the housing the indentation at the end of the latching stroke, suitable for work the tongue in tension, in case of folding of the bar under the effect of an accidental transverse shock.

Advantageously, the heddle comprises, in the vicinity of its connection with the tongue, an internal stop limiting the stroke of engagement of the bar inside the arm. In addition, inclined edges of the notch present, in the vicinity of the end of the bar, a lug preferably forming a support close to the tongue embedding area so that stiffen the boom and bar assembly in the event of an impact accidental transverse on it.

When the vertical bars are associated with two beams, respectively high and low, extending horizontally, the openings in these heddles, receiving the ends of the bars coming to be united inside these beams of the made the cooperation of their respective notches and the flat and transverse tongue provided inside each of these, have a profile that exactly matches in the straight section of these bars, apart from the only clearance, necessary for the engagement of these in the smooth.

In an alternative embodiment, where each of the two beams forms with the vertical direction of the bars a given angle, especially in a railing constituting the guardrail of a staircase, each of the openings made in the beams has a cross section much larger than that of the bar which engages in it, which is only maintained in the central part of the opening by an internal rib bearing on the external wall of this bar, ensuring its guiding during the engagement of its end in the opening and guaranteeing the spacing from one bar to another according to the length of the arm.

In this same alternative embodiment, the support member carried by each vertical bar, provided with the notch cooperating with the tongue of the heald, has the shape of a cylindrical pin, whose axis is arranged horizontally, this pin being pivotally mounted around this axis at inside the bar, to simplify mounting and in particular to authorize the relative deflections of the boom, secured to the pin by its tongue, opposite the bar.

According to a particular characteristic, the cylindrical pin has a front end whose cross section, with a diamond profile, is engaged in a groove or slot of the bar extending from its end, the pin coming at the most abutting against the sides of this slot, in tolerating the relative deflections of the integral beam of the pawn in relation to the bar.

• La Figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'un garde-corps dans lequel les lisses sont assemblées selon l'invention.
• La Figure 2 est une vue en coupe et en élévation, à plus grande échelle, des lisses haute et basse du garde-corps selon la Figure 1, permettant de mieux préciser le détail de la réalisation des moyens d'assemblage des barreaux verticaux avec ces lisses.
• La Figure 3 est une vue de dessus de la lisse basse du garde-corps, montrant le profil d'une des ouvertures de réception d'un barreau.
• La Figure 4 représente, selon quatre vues successives repérées respectivement de a à d, la lisse basse du garde-corps et le barreau qui s'engage dans l'une des ouvertures de celle-ci, en illustrant les diverses phases de la mise en place de ce barreau, jusqu'à son encliquetage final sur la lisse.
• La Figure 5 est une vue schématique en élévation du garde-corps, illustrant une variante pour la réalisation de la lisse haute de celui-ci.
• La Figure 6 illustre la disposition prise par un barreau du garde-corps en cas de choc frontal accidentel et le comportement du dispositif d'assemblage dans un tel cas.
• La Figure 7 est une vue analogue à la Figure 1, mais dans laquelle les lisses haute et basse du garde-corps forment un angle donné avec la direction verticale des barreaux, en particulier lorsque le garde-corps constitue une rambarde d'escalier.
• La Figure 8 est une vue en coupe longitudinale à plus grande échelle d'un barreau et des lisses du garde-corps selon la Figure 7.
• Les Figures 9, 10 et 11 sont des vues de détail, respectivement en coupe transversale, selon la ligne X-X de la Figure 9, et en coupe longitudinale d'une partie d'un barreau entrant dans la réalisation du garde-corps selon les Figures 7 et 8.
• La Figure 12 est une vue en coupe transversale d'un barreau selon la ligne XII-XII de la Figure 8, illustrant en vue de dessus l'ouverture ménagée dans la lisse basse du garde-corps, recevant le barreau considéré.
• La Figure 13 est une vue en coupe longitudinale de la partie inférieure d'un barreau, représenté engagé dans la lisse basse du garde-corps.

Other characteristics of the assembly of vertical bars of a railing with the top or bottom rails of the latter according to the invention will become more apparent from the following description of several exemplary embodiments, given by way of indication and not limiting, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a railing in which the beams are assembled according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a sectional view in elevation, on a larger scale, of the top and bottom rails of the railing according to Figure 1, to better specify the detail of the realization of the means of assembly of the vertical bars with these smooth.
• Figure 3 is a top view of the bottom rail of the railing, showing the profile of one of the receiving openings of a bar.
• Figure 4 shows, according to four successive views identified respectively from a to d, the bottom rail of the railing and the bar which engages in one of the openings thereof, illustrating the various phases of setting place of this bar, until its final snap on the rail.
• Figure 5 is a schematic elevational view of the railing, illustrating a variant for the realization of the top rail thereof.
• Figure 6 illustrates the arrangement of a railing bar in the event of accidental frontal impact and the behavior of the assembly device in such a case.
• Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 1, but in which the top and bottom rails of the railing form a given angle with the vertical direction of the bars, in particular when the railing constitutes a stair railing.
• FIG. 8 is a view in longitudinal section on a larger scale of a bar and of the rails of the railing according to FIG. 7.
• Figures 9, 10 and 11 are detailed views, respectively in cross section, along line XX of Figure 9, and in longitudinal section of a portion of a bar used in the production of the railing according to Figures 7 and 8.
• Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of a bar along the line XII-XII of Figure 8, illustrating a top view of the opening in the bottom rail of the railing, receiving the bar in question.
• Figure 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lower part of a bar, shown engaged in the bottom rail of the railing.

In Figures 1 and 2, the reference 1 denotes general a railing for balcony, terrace or other similar construction, comprising a plurality of posts or vertical stiffeners 2, each comprising support means and fixing, via a plate 4, on the ground 5.

These vertical stiffeners 2 are associated with beams horizontal exterior, respectively a low beam 6, arranged slightly above the ground plane 5 and a smooth high 7 which, in the example considered, also constitutes a handrail for the railing.

Between the bottom rail 6 and the handrail 7 at the top of the railing, are arranged parallel bars and vertical 8, which may be solid or tubular, as the case may be, partly or completely and each of which is equipped with ends of an assembly device with these healds, in accordance with the invention and the detail of which is discussed below.

In a classic way in this kind of railing, the smooth low 6 is held against the external surface of the stiffeners 2, by means of fixing members, the detail of which realization matters little to the invention but which, as illustrated in as an example in Figure 5, may have studs 9 for maintaining a blocking end piece 10 of the heald against the corresponding stiffener.

Note that in the variant schematically illustrated on this Figure 5, the railing 1 includes not only a low beam 6 as in the example in Figures 1 and 2, but also a high beam 11 which extends under the handrail 7, this high beam being also fixed against the stiffeners 2 by means of locking end pieces 12, similar to end caps 10 and immobilized like these by studs 9, the vertical bars 8 being in this example mounted between the parallel rails 6 and 11.

Figure 2 illustrates in detail the structure of the two rails and bars assembled therewith.

Each stringer 6 or 7 comprises in particular, at the right of the ends of each of the bars 8, an opening 13 allowing at these ends to get inside each of these smooth, the latter appearing for this purpose in the form of profiles, preferably metallic, these openings 13 being shaped, as shown in Figure 3 in particular, for substantially correspond to the cross section of the bars, themselves made of metallic elements. In the illustrated example in FIGS. 2 and 3, the section of the bars 8 has, substantially, the shape of a curved triangle with angles rounded; of course, such a profile is in itself indifferent to the invention and could be changed in the way the widest, depending on the aesthetics chosen for the realization of the guardrail and the various parts of it.

Each stringer 6 and 7 has a front wall 14 and, embedded in the bottom of the arm opposite the opening 13 correspondent receiving any bar, against the surface internal of the profile constituting this stringer, a flat tongue 15 which extends over the entire length of the heddle and which has a wall inclined to the vertical.

At its end opposite to its recessed area against the bottom of the arm, the tongue 15 has a transverse return 16, terminated by a heel 17, the role of which will be defined below. In addition, in its internal surface, the front wall 14 has one or more ribs 18 projecting inwards, arranged so that they come into contact with the external surface of the bar 8 when the latter engages in the corresponding beam, so as to guide its movement at during this movement of penetration.

The low beam 6, if necessary the high beam 7, moreover comprise, in their posterior surface 19, in look of the front wall 14, a support stop 20, making inward projection of the arm opposite the opening 13, in order to allow the movement of the bar 8 to stop in smooth it through this opening.

Each bar 8 also comprises, at each of its ends, a notch 21 whose edges 22 are inclined vertically, roughly the same angle as the tongue 15, this notch comprising an open terminal housing 23 and, in contrast, in the vicinity of the corresponding end of the bar, a protruding lug 24, forming a support stop for the tongue when the bar engages in the associated beam.

A support 25 is advantageously provided at the bottom of each rail behind the tongue 15. Finally, the bottom rail 6, if applicable if necessary the high beam 11 in the case where it is distinct of the handrail 7, have a hooking spout 26 for immobilization of these healds vis-à-vis the holding end pieces 10 and 12 against the stiffeners 2.

Figures 2 to 4 illustrate how works the assembly according to the invention, for secure the bars 8 vis-à-vis the beams 6 and 7 (or 6 and 11), Figure 4 in particular showing how this is done the cooperation of the inclined tongue 15 of each stringer with the notches 21 of the bars successively installed in smooth and snapped onto them.

In Figure 4a, any bar 8 is shown engaged by its lower end in the opening 13 of the low smooth 6, this opening having substantially the same profile as the bar with just enough clearance to allow the vertical sliding of the bar. In this movement, this one is guided, on the one hand by the ribs 18 provided in the internal surface of the front wall 14 of the heald and other leaves by the opposite side of the posterior wall

At some point during this movement, the tongue plane 15, which engages in the notch 21, meets the edges inclined 22 of this notch and, under the effect of displacement of the bar, slightly bend the tongue around its embedding point on the internal surface of the boom, the heel 17 provided at the end of the transverse return 16 of the tongue gradually sliding on the edges 22 (Figure 4b), until when this heel comes up to the open housing right 23 in the bottom of the notch 21 (Figure 4c).

The bar 8 continuing its movement, the tongue 15 of the made of its own elasticity, then snaps into the bottom of this housing (Figure 4d), with heel support 17, the tongue coming from itself carrying at its opposite end on the lug 24 in the vicinity of the end of the notch 21, this which improves the holding of the tongue thus immobilized. In this position, the extreme edge of the bar is substantially supported on the support rib 20 provided for this purpose in the face posterior 19 of the arm.

Figure 6 shows how the arrangements that above not only allow simple engagement and easy of the various bars in the rails of the railing with automatic snap-in at the end of the stroke, but achieve a effective anchoring of the ends of these bars, in particular in the event of a frontal impact applied to the center of gravity of the bar, such a shock can be particularly high since the current standards require bars to bear without rupture of their assembly with the beams a charge of the order of 600 joules.

In this figure, we have schematically designated by f the direction of the impact exerted on any bar 8 and the localized folding thereof resulting therefrom. However, we immediately notes that, due to the orientation of the tongue 15 and in particular the engagement of its return transverse end 16 in the open housing 23 of notch 21, this tongue works in traction, in bracing on the corresponding side of the housing, such so the bar cannot disengage from the assembly, also due to its support on the ribs internal 18 of the wall 14 and the lug 24 on the edges of the notch. Simultaneously, the ends of the tongue and in particular the transverse rim 16 and the heel 17, are working on shear.

Note that the limited pivoting of the tongue thus caused is easily collected by the corresponding beam, in particularly due to the reinforcement of the installation of the tongue by the support 25, provided for this purpose behind it.

Figures 7 to 13 relate to a variant of realization, more particularly adapted to the case where the railing is used to protect a staircase or the like, support stiffeners 2 and the bars 8 remaining vertical, but the low and high beams 6 and 7 having an inclination given on the horizontal, in particular to follow the slope of this staircase.

In these Figures, reference figures have been used identical to designate organs similar to those already described in the foregoing.

To allow the relative inclination of the rails 6 and 7 vis-à-vis the bars 8, provision is made to associate with the latter, at their ends which engage in the openings of these smooth, a pin 27, generally cylindrical in shape, preferably made of plastic, having on the one hand a stud 28, mounted in a vertical groove or slot 29, so that this pin can be forced into the bar but susceptible to undergo a limited relative rotation with respect thereto, allowing precisely the inclination of each beam vis-à-vis from the vertical direction of the bars, and on the other hand a bearing surface 30 against the internal surface of the bar 8.

Each of the pins 27 comprises, as before, a notch 21, able to cooperate with the flat and flexible tongue 15 provided transversely in each stringer, making strictly analogous to what has been described in relation with the first embodiment, the snap-fastening of these bars on the rails.

However, in order to limit the angular movement of the pin at the time of assembly, the stud 28 present, seen in cross section (Figure 10), a diamond profile with ends 31 and 32 are likely to come into contact with the faces of the groove or slot 29 where the stud engages.

In contrast, to the right of staff 30 of pawn 27, the bar 8 has in its corresponding surface 33 a groove 34, in which can come to engage, by the outside of the bar, a guide rib 35 formed in the top or bottom rail as the case may be, at the opening 36 where the bar considered enters it. As illustrated in the Figures 12 and 13, this opening has a transverse profile significantly larger than the clean section of the bar 8 which enters it, in order to authorize the relative travel of the boom secured to the counter vis-à-vis the bar carrying the latter.

This produces an assembly for vertical bars of a railing with high rails and bass of the latter, these smooth can be as well horizontal than having a relative inclination.

The set is particularly simple to set up, the bars automatically snap into the openings in the rails and whose dimensions are exactly adapted to the profile of these bars, if applicable to the necessary deflections of the beams relative to these last. Such mounting is safe and effective, requires no specific tools and leaves no visible parts, which improves the overall appearance and aesthetics of the mounting. In addition, the use to make the beams and bars of hollow metal profiles, ensures a maximum hold for minimum weight, arrangement of the device of assembly being itself designed so as to allow a reliable connection of bars and rails, even in the event of impact frontal corresponding to the value of the imposed standard.

Claims (8)

1. Assembly of parallel and spaced-apart balusters to a rail for supporting these balusters, extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the latter, characterized in that the rail (6, 7, 11) includes a plurality of adjacent openings (13, 36), preferably equally spaced and each suitable for accommodating the end of a baluster (8), and a flexible internal strip (15) embedded in the inner wall of the rail, extending over the entire length of the latter and having a plane surface inclined to the vertical, capable, for each baluster, of acting in conjunction with a recess (21) delimited by edges (22), these also being inclined and having the same profile as the strip, which are provided at the end of the baluster which enters the corresponding opening in the rail, or in the opening made in a support member (27) carried by this end of the baluster, the strip including a transverse return (16), substantially perpendicular to its plane, capable of being progressively engaged in an open housing (23) provided in the bottom of the recess until it snaps into this housing, fastening the rail and baluster together.
2. Assembly according to Claim 1, characterized in that the strip (15) includes, at the end of its transverse return (16), a foot (17) for bearing against the bottom of the housing (23) in the recess (21) at the end of snap-in travel, suitable for making the strip work in tension in the event of the baluster being bent due to the effect of an accidental transverse blow (Figure 6).
3. Assembly according to Claim 2, characterized in that the rail (6, 7, 11) includes, in the vicinity of its junction with the strip, an internal stop (20) limiting the extent of engagement of the baluster into the rail.
4. Assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the inclined edges (22) of the recess (21) have, in the vicinity of the end of the baluster (8), a projection (24) preferably forming a point of bearing close to the region of embedment of the strip (15) so as to stiffen the rail and baluster assembly in the event of an accidental transverse blow to the latter.
5. Assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which the vertical balusters (8) are linked to two rails (6 and 7, 11), respectively a top rail and bottom rail, extending horizontally, characterized in that the openings (13) made in these rails, accommodating the ends of the balusters, have a profile which corresponds exactly with the cross-section of these balusters, with only sufficient clearance for the engagement of these into the rail.
6. Assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which each of the two rails (6 and 7, 11) makes a given angle with the vertical direction of the balusters (8), characterized in that each of the openings (36) made in the rails has a cross-section significantly greater than that of the baluster which engages therein, the latter being solely retained in the central part of the opening by an internal rib (35) for bearing on the external wall of this baluster, guiding it as its end engages in the opening and guaranteeing the spacing of one baluster to another along the length of the rail.
7. Assembly according to Claim 6, characterized in that the support member carried by each vertical baluster (8), provided with the recess (21) acting in conjunction with the strip (15) of the rail (6, 7, 11), has the shape of a cylindrical stud (27), the axis of which lies horizontally, this stud being mounted so as to pivot to some extent about this axis inside the baluster.
8. Assembly according to Claim 7, characterized in that the cylindrical stud (27) includes a front end (28) whose cross-section, having a diamond-shaped profile, is engaged in a groove or slot (29) in the baluster (8) extending from its end, the stud coming at most into abutment against the sides of this slot and tolerating the relative excursions of the rail (6, 7, 11), fastened to the stud, with respect to the baluster.

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