EP0698158B1

EP0698158B1 - Profile for drainage from a balcony

Info

Publication number: EP0698158B1
Application number: EP94915304A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Helge Schjaerve
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-05-04
Filing date: 1994-05-04
Publication date: 1999-08-11
Anticipated expiration: 2014-05-04
Also published as: ATE183272T1; DE69420032D1; NO931617L; WO1994025696A1; NO177800C; NO931617D0; AU6659594A; DE69420032T2; EP0698158A1; NO177800B

Abstract

Balcony floor with water drainage, comprising an aluminium profile having an upwardly open channel, where the channel profile (2) comprising an inwardly and downwardly directed attachment flange adapted to be moulded into the concrete, the profile (2) creating the upper level of the balcony floors along the entire circumference of the balcony, and the profile (2) being moulded into the balcony floor whereby the profile provides a duct for water drainage from the balcony as well as attachment for objects to be secured on the balcony, near the circumference.

Description

The present invention relates to a balcony floor of the kind defined in the preamble of Claim 1.
A balcony floor of the above type is known from DE-A-1264727.
Balcony floors of concrete are usually premanufactured in two different shapes. In one embodiment the floor is flat and detached to the building with a slope outwardly from the building in such a way that rainwater etc. flows from the floor along the front. In the other embodiment the floor is made with a slope towards a drain in the floor which means that the floor consists of up to four normally triangular planes where the water flows towards a collection point. In this connection point is mounted a drainage from where the water is guided through pipes to a collection system.
The first design normally cannot be used where people are walking under the balcony, such as above gardens, pavements and such as the water in such a case will drop without any control along the front edge. In cases where balconies are arranged in several levels, water often will blow into the balcony below, which is not desirable.
The second design is a good solution for water drainage. Frequently, however, chairs and tables with four legs will not have all legs arranged on the same triangular plane, resulting in the chair or the table tilting on two of the legs. The design furthermore is expensive as the mould used has to be prepared to incorporate four sloping directions. To ensure that water is not flowing towards the wall of the house, a wedge is made along at least one edge which also is an expensive effort.
Securement of rails on a balcony of concrete frequently is made by moulding hollow bolt connections of stainless steal in the concrete. These must be secured in the mould in such a way that they are not displaced, resulting in the need to drill holes in the mould. Furthermore the reinforcement must be made in such a way that the threaded connection is ensured good securement as large loads will be transferred from the banister.
The balcony floor according to the present invention may be produced as a flat plate having many advantages as to the use and also large savings in the manufacturing as compared to prior art balcony floors.
The balcony floor according to the present invention comprises the features defined in Claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the balcony floor according to the invention are defined in Claims 2-4.
The water is collected by a profile, preferably made of aluminium, which is moulded into the edge of the concrete floor, the water is guided along this profile to the point where it is desired to take the water out. The profile is deep enough to maintain the floor substantially horizontally. The reason to produce floors with slope in fact is the desire that water should flow away from the floor.
As the entire concrete floor may be delimited by the aluminium profile, the water may be taken out any place, depending on the specific arrangement. No wedge is for example necessary towards the wall of the house as the profile provides the same function.
Securement of the balusters on to the concrete floor is achieved with the present invention in that the water drainage profile allows securement of a special attachment profile of aluminium into the drainage profile whereafter the corresponding hollow post profile of aluminium may be secured to the same. The post profile is attached to the attachment profile with a standard clamping pin. Thereby the attachment profile is locked to the drainage profile. Simultaneously the post is locked to the attachment profile and the assembly as such is locked to the concrete floor.
Alternatively an attachment piece is arranged in the drainage profile, to which the banister is secured by screws.
Floors made of concrete normally are moulded upside down in the mould. Thereby a tight and smooth concrete surface is achieved, being durable and resistance to environmental effects, such as acidic precipitation. Simultaneously it easily is kept clean.
By moulding the water drainage profile according to the present invention into the concrete floor the drainage profile may be placed upside down along the edge of the mould. The drainage profile thereby is pressed downwardly such as by means of straight steel pipes during moulding of the concrete and vibration of the concrete around the profile, whereafter the clamping of the profiles may be withdrawn and the corresponding holes after the steel pipes may be filled up. There exists no necessity in drilling holes the mould for attachment of the drainage profile as the case is with hollow threaded connections. This solution enables easy manufacturing of balconies in small series as the moulds are not damaged by drilling holes. Costs for moulds therefore are small.
On the other hand the profile also may be placed directly on the reinforcement steel structure when the balcony floor mould is placed in the right position.
Use of a flat upper as well as lower surface of the balcony floor means a substantially simpler and cheaper mould structure.
The balcony floor according to the present invention may take many different shapes. If desired, it may be provided with a front sheet covering the front face of the balcony. When using an aluminium profile with a powder varnish, a perfect and not wearable front on the balcony floor is achieved. Furthermore the profile underside may be extended in such a way that a wall and window system may be attached.
In the drawing fig. 1 discloses a ground view of a balcony having the balcony floor according to the present invention moulded into the entire balcony circumference, fig. 2 discloses a cross section with a water outlet pipe from the profile, fig. 3 discloses a section corresponding to fig. 2 as arranged along the entire balcony circumference, fig. 4 discloses a modification of the profile with a banister secured to the profile, fig 5 discloses the profile of fig. 4 with a glass wall secured to the profile, and fig. 6 discloses glass walls above and below the profiles, thereby providing a build-in balcony system.
An outlet 1 for water may be arranged anywhere wanted on the balcony floor. If the balcony floor slopes towards the wall of the house, profile 2 will be open. Securement of the banister 3 to the profile may be as disclosed in fig. 4. Between the attachments 4 for the banister the profile channel preferably is closed by a cover or list 7 of practical as well as aesthetical reasons. Between the cover portions and the attachments 4, however, apertures are provided sufficiently to create paths for the water to flow from the surface of the balcony into the profile channel in which a water level 10, as disclosed in fig. 3, may be accepted.
If chosen to let the balcony floor slope outwardly, the attachments 4 may be open and the open parts of the profiles 2 may be closed with covers or lists 7. Due to the depth in the profile water in any case may be taken out near the wall.
Fig. 4 discloses an example for securement of banister in the profile 2, where the banister is attached by means of a disc which is guided into opposite grooves in the profile and is clamped to the profile. Fig. 3 discloses the principle arrangement of the profile in the concrete floor. Further details, including the outlet 1, is schematically disclosed in fig. 2. The open upper side of the profile is covered by a list 7 or cover, the legs of the list thereby snapping into the grooves in the profile.
As disclosed in fig. 2 the lower part of the profile comprises a flange 12 for attachment into the concrete. The underside of the flange 12 is provided with a slot 11 into which a plate may be clued in place in the two profiles of a corner, thereby to maintain the shape of the profile assembly and keep the assembly in place when pouring the mould.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 disclose examples for attachment of glass walls, such as for making a winter garden. The glass window comprises a lower profile secured to the grooves in the profile 2 and therefore may be displaced from the side to establish a stable attachment of the glass wall.
To completely build-in several stocks with glass walls, a modified profile 8 may be used, where an upper glass wall 5 may be secured to the floor profile of the balcony and a lower wall with glass 6 may be secured to the underside of the profile by means of screws and to the balcony below, cf. fig. 6.
With the build-in profile of the balcony floor according to the present invention is ensured an excellent drainage from the concrete balcony and simultaneously excellent possibilities for simple and secure attachment of banisters, walls, glass walls etc.

Claims

Balcony floor comprising a profile (2) having an inwardly and downwardly directed attachment flange (12) adapted to be moulded into the concrete of the balcony floor, the profile thereby providing a duct for water drainage from the balcony and having attachment means for objects of different kinds to be secured on the balcony, near the circumference, characterized in the profile being an aluminum profile (2) creating the upper level of the balcony floor along the entire circumference of the balcony along all sides thereof and having an upwardly open channel, the balcony floor being prefabricated, preferably as a flat concrete unit including drainage profiles and being adapted to be secured to a wall.
Balcony floor according to Claim 1, characterized in the attachment means being constituted by ribs provided along the entire length of the profile (2) and providing securement for attachment of objects.
Balcony floor according to Claim 2, characterized in the ribs being adapted for securement of glassing, windows, glass walls (5) etc.
Balcony floor according to Claims 2-3, characterized in the ribs being adapted for attachment of banister posts (3) by means of discs clamped to the underside of the ribs.