EP0770832B1 - Modular grid - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a ventilation grille made from modular elements and intended to be mounted on an opening formed in one or more walls usually a wall. This kind of grid is generally used ventilation grille.

Many ventilation grilles are known to date. The most classic ventilation grilles are made by blades fixed to a frame by stapling by means of legs that are folded. It is also known, by the patent FR-A-2 328 164, a ventilation grille composed modular elements fixed on uprights, each element modular consisting of a blade secured to a blade contiguous by a blade support, each blade having, in this case, on its rear side, a gutter to the interior of which the blade support is susceptible to snap so as to stiffen the assembly. The Patent FR-A-2,669,408 describes, for its part, a grid in wood made from blades kept spaced between them, two by two, by means of pairs of pieces bracing, the bracing parts being formed by a cylinder, each end of which is extended by a stud capable of being housed inside a recess in said blades. All the ventilation grilles described above have the same disadvantages, namely reduced modularity and inability to adapt to any format using identical standard items.

The purpose of the present invention is to overcome these disadvantages by proposing a ventilation grille made at from modular elements all identical independently the format of the grid frame to be attached to the building framework.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a ventilation grille capable of being mounted so very fast without requiring the use of tools specific, all the connections of the constituent elements between them by snap-fitting or interlocking.

On the other hand, document FR-A-2 713 319 discloses a ventilation grille comprising a frame made up of uprights side with an internal groove and connected by sleepers, and modular elements composed of blades kept assembled in skeleton inside said frame. The chassis is lined internally with a successive stacking of the blades held inside the frame by spacers fixed by snap to ends of each blade. The stackable spacers are maintained between the anterior edge and the posterior edge of the grooves in the side uprights of the chassis. In this ventilation grille, it is necessary to stack alternatively a blade and a spacer, because the spacers rest on the blades. It is therefore not it is possible to stack two spacers successively. In in addition, it is possible to extract the spacers from their grooves simply by sliding along the blades. Since each spacer is only held between the anterior and posterior edges of the grooves formed in the frame, once the spacer has been extracted from these grooves, it is possible to remove it so that the grid can be literally disassembled. From a security point of view, this ventilation grille design does not provide all guarantees. Since it is extremely easy to disassemble, and this without the use of any tool, which malicious person could break into the room equipped with such a grid. In addition, modularity of such a grid is limited only to the number of blades that you have to have in the frame.

GB-2 178 159 describes a grid of ventilation in which the ends of each blade are nested in individual blade supports. Each blade holder has only one receiving housing for one blade end. Blade supports are mounted sliding in grooves formed in the uprights of the grid frame. The blade supports are thus stacked in the grooves of the uprights. The blade supports are made by injecting plastic and not metal.

On the other hand, we know from document FR-2 355 238 a grid in which the blades are kept spaced apart by a spring wire which forms the loops in which the coverslips are introduced. The spring wire is mounted in a stirrup which is then screwed onto a frame. The extremities blades can be received in finishing boxes which are also screwed to the frame. The spring wire is not not intended to be mounted at the ends of the blades to which the boxes are placed. This grid presents therefore the following disadvantages. On the one hand, the thread to spring offers no solidity, from which it follows that the grid is not inviolable, and on the other hand, the length defined bracket eliminates any possibility of modularity.

The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the aforementioned prior art by defining a grid which offers great modularity both in terms of of its size than of the type of blades used, a large ease of assembly, as well as maximum safety, sense that it cannot be disassembled once installed, except by destruction.

• un cadre constitué de montants latéraux reliés par des traverses, au moins lesdits montants latéraux formant des rainures intérieures,
• des lames s'étendant entre les montants latéraux,
• des moyens de support de lame disposés dans les rainures intérieures pour maintenir les lames à claire-voie, les rainures intérieures étant pourvues de moyens de maintien pour maintenir les moyens de support de lame dans les rainures intérieures, lorsque le cadre est formé,

les moyens de support de lame, dans chaque rainure intérieure, comprenant une échelle montée coulissante dans ladite rainure et pourvue d'une pluralité de logements de réception pour recevoir les extrémités des lames.To do this, the present invention relates to a metal grid comprising:

• a frame made up of lateral uprights connected by crosspieces, at least said lateral uprights forming internal grooves,
• blades extending between the lateral uprights,
• blade support means arranged in the interior grooves to hold the slatted blades, the interior grooves being provided with holding means for holding the blade support means in the interior grooves, when the frame is formed,

the blade support means, in each interior groove, comprising a ladder slidingly mounted in said groove and provided with a plurality of receiving housings for receiving the ends of the blades.

A ladder is therefore introduced by sliding into each interior groove. Once the sleepers subject to the amounts, the scales are definitively trapped in the grooves.

According to a practical embodiment, each scale includes one or more support modules including each a plurality of reception housings.

Advantageously, each support module comprises three reception accommodation.

The scales are therefore formed by a number of support modules inserted by sliding into each internal groove of the uprights. Depending on the size of the grid to be produced, a determined number of modules support must be introduced into the grooves of the uprights. It should also be noted that the skeleton positioning blades do not require successive stacking of the blades and scales. Indeed, the scales have receiving housings in which the blades are received by engagement.

According to one embodiment, the holding means include flaps that partially close the interior grooves to form sliding rails for the blade support means. Support means blade are therefore trapped in the interior grooves by the flaps and therefore cannot be removed once that the frame is formed. This provides added security to the wire rack.

According to another interesting characteristic of the invention, the blade support means comprise axis housings to receive axes on which swivel blades are mounted.

Thus, as a variant, fixed blades introduced by nesting in the housing for receiving ladders, it is possible to mount swivel blades on axes of rotation mounted in the axis housings formed in the blade support means. This kind of swivel blades acts like a flap or a flap depending on the air flow which passes through the grid.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the sleepers also form internal grooves provided with flaps, a basic element being slidably mounted in the lower cross member, said basic element including a receiving housing for receiving the edge lower of a lower blade and support means for receive the lower edge of a lower pivoting blade.

This basic element is therefore common to the two modes of implementation of the grid, that is to say with blades fixed received by socket or mounted swivel blades on the pivot axes.

In addition, the blades are reversible by rotation of a turn around along their longitudinal direction. Although the blades are not symmetrical about their axis longitudinal, they are however reversible. So with one and the same blade, it is possible to build two different grids by simply inverting the blades.

The invention will now be described more fully in reference to the accompanying drawings giving by way of example no limiting, several embodiments of the present invention.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective montrant un tronçon de montant d'un cadre d'une grille selon la présente invention,
• la figure 2 est une vue en coupe à travers un montant équipé d'une échelle et de lames selon une variante de réalisation de la présente invention,
• la figure 3 est une vue en section d'une échelle selon l'invention, et
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe à travers un montant équipé d'une échelle et de lames pivotantes.

In the drawings:

• FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an upright section of a frame of a grid according to the present invention,
• FIG. 2 is a sectional view through an upright equipped with a ladder and blades according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention,
• FIG. 3 is a section view of a ladder according to the invention, and
• Figure 4 is a sectional view through an upright equipped with a ladder and pivoting blades.

Reference will now be made to FIGS. 1 to 3 for describe in detail the design of a the present invention according to a first form of production.

Figure 4 illustrates a second embodiment of a grid according to the invention.

In the perspective view of Figure 1, we see a lateral upright section designated by the reference digital 1, preferably part of a frame rectangular or square made up of two lateral uprights 1, preferably vertical, and two crosspieces, preferably horizontal, designated by the reference digital 4 in Figures 2 and 4. In order to save and simplicity, the side uprights and the crosspieces horizontal 4 are formed from the same profile, preferably aluminum. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, this profile comprises a core 10 at the ends longitudinal of which extend perpendicularly two branches 11. One of the two branches 11 is extended by a listel 13 which forms a frame for the grid intended to hide the masonry fixing the grid. The branch 11 extended by the listel 13 therefore constitutes the visible external side of the grid. Soul 10 and the two lateral branches 11 form an internal groove which extends around the entire inner perimeter of the frame of the wire rack. According to the invention, the lateral branches 11 are provided with side flaps 12 which partially close the inner groove formed by the core 10 and the branches side 11. In the figures, the longitudinal flaps 12 extend over the entire length of the lateral branches 11, but we can also imagine flaps located at distance from each other. The function of the flaps or all other similar means is to partially close the inner groove formed by the core 10 and the branches side 11 so as to produce a rail for holding and sliding.

Blade support means designated by the reference digital 2 to arrange and maintain the louvres are in the form of an introduced scale by sliding in the internal groove of the upright lateral 1. The scale 2, more visible in Figure 3, is therefore trapped in the inner groove of the lateral upright 1. We can easily understand by referring to FIG. 1, that ladder 2 can slide freely in the groove interior 14 of the amount 1, without it being possible to extract it directly. Therefore, once the framework assembled, ladder 2 is definitely trapped in the inner groove 14 of the upright 1. A method of mounting a grid according to the invention will be given below.

Scale 2 includes several reception rooms to receive the ends of the blades 3 or engagement lateral by socket, the number of reception housings being dependent on the height of the grid to be produced. The scales of Figures 1 and 3, although presenting some design differences, both include a longitudinal side bar 20 from which extend at regular intervals from the supporting branches 24. The longitudinal bar 20 and the support branches 24 form at their connection a first series of housing 22 which is used to receive the end of a longitudinal edge of a blade 3. Each support branch 24 is also provided with an axis 23 housing which is used for receiving a receiving axis for pivoting blades which constitutes a second embodiment illustrated on the Figure 4. Each support branch 24 comprises a part end 27 which extends parallel to the bar longitudinal 20. The spacing between the parts 27 and the longitudinal bar 20 corresponds approximately to the dimension inner groove 14, corresponding to the distance separating the two lateral branches 11. In addition, the thickness of the scale 2 corresponds approximately to the distance separating the flap 12 from the core 10. Thus, the scale 2 can perfectly slide substantially without play in the groove interior 14 of the upright 1. The end portions 27 parallel to the longitudinal bar 20 end with hooks 25 which form a second series of housings receiving for the end of the lower edge 31 of a bar 30. Figures 1 and 3 show scales with second design receiving housings 25 different. Indeed, the scale of figure 1 is provided a hook 25 in the form of a bent part in the extension of the end portion 27 parallel to the bar 20. On the other hand, the scale of FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, is provided with a hook 25 cooperating with the flap 12 for forming said second receiving housing. As we can see in Figure 2, a blade 3 is received by interlocking in ladder 2 with its ends, the upper edge 31 of the blade 3 being received in a receiving housing 22 formed at the junction of the bar 20 and a branch of support 24, while the lower end 1 of the blade 3 is received in the receiving housing 25 formed by the support branch 24 directly lower, in the case of a ladder made according to Figures 2, 3 and 4. In the case of a ladder made according to Figure 1, the housing receiving 22 and 25 for a blade 3 are formed by the same support branch 24. Apart from this small variant, the embodiments of Figures 1 and 3 are completely equivalent.

Referring to Figure 2, we see a scale 2 fitted with 3 blades arranged in a lateral upright (not visible) at the ends of which are fixed two crosspieces horizontal 4. Although the side upright is not visible, we must imagine that the scale 2 equipped with these blades 3 is mounted captive on the upright 1 as shown in Figure 1. We see in Figure 2 that the scale 2 is locked in position by the horizontal crosspieces 4. As previously mentioned, the horizontal crosspieces 4 are formed with the same profile as the side uprights 2. Their structure is therefore completely identical and includes flaps 12 which partially close the inner groove 14. The grid illustrated in Figure 2 includes three blades 3, therefore, the ladder should have three pairs of reception housings 22, 25. Since with the model scale of Figures 2, 3 and 4, the second housing of reception 25 is planned in cooperation with the first receiving housing 22 formed by the support branch 24 directly higher, scale 2 has no receiving housing means 25 for the end lower 31 of the blade 3 located at the bottom. Through Therefore, according to the invention, there is provided an element of base 5 which is inserted by sliding into the groove interior 14 of the horizontal cross member 4 located at the bottom. Like scale 2, basic element 5 has dimensions that allow it to slide substantially without play in the inner groove 14. For receiving the lower end of the blade 3, the basic element 5 comprises a reception housing 51 which fulfills the same role as a reception housing 25 of the scale. In addition, the basic element 5 comprises a tongue 53, the function will be explained below with reference to the figure 4.

The scale of the grid shown in Figure 2 includes three support arms 24 and is therefore intended to the support of three blades 3. For a grid of dimensions higher, a scale with more support branches 24. Thus, one can imagine producing ladders with a defined number of support branches 24 which will then be cut to the desired length depending the number of blades in the grid to be produced. according to a practical embodiment, a scale can be divided into a number of support modules each comprising a plurality of support branches 24 and therefore reception housing 22, 25. For example, each support module can have three support legs 24 as shown in Figure 3. So for example, for the realization of a grid comprising ten blades, it will be necessary arrange in each lateral upright three modules of support for the first nine blades. For the tenth blade, it will be necessary to cut or section a module element of support corresponding to a support branch 24. For facilitate this section, the longitudinal bar 20 has break lines 28. So with modules support for three blades, it is possible to make a scale for any number of blades.

The blades 3 can have an S-profile as on Figure 1, or rather in Z as in Figure 2 with a rounded angle 33 and a broken angle 32. Although this blade is not fully symmetrical due to the difference which exists at the angles 32 and 33, it should be noted that they are perfectly reversible by rotation of a turn around along their longitudinal direction. On the one on the one hand, it greatly facilitates assembly, and on the other hand, this allows you to vary the aesthetics of the grid simply turning the blades.

There will now be described a complete operation of mounting of a grid according to the invention. We start with measure the dimensions of the rack that we want to equip of a grid according to the invention. We then cut the profiled to the dimensions collected to form the uprights lateral and horizontal crosspieces. If this is necessary, we introduce in the horizontal crosspiece lower a base element 5 cut to the length of the crosses. The two lateral uprights 1 are then assembled on the lower crossmember using brackets not shown. By mounting two lateral uprights, basic element 5 is definitely a prisoner of the inner groove 14 of the crosspiece. It is no longer possible to extract the basic element that is kept in the groove thanks to the flap 12.

Suppose that the grid adapted to the bay in question has seven blades. Seven blades are therefore cut with a length substantially equal to the distance between the cores 10 of the two lateral uprights 1. Once the blades finished, we start by mounting three blades on two support modules. The blades can be nested by their ends, but preferably, thanks to the support module configuration, the blades can be engaged laterally in their respective housings. In indeed, referring to Figure 2 for example, we see that the blade 3 can be mounted in its housing by introducing the blade laterally, that is to say by bringing it by an edge longitudinal in the housing. This possibility lateral engagement of the blades is very advantageous, because it is often difficult to fit the end of a blade in aluminum previously cut in a housing matching due to the presence of beards from cutting the blades. By engaging them laterally by an uncut edge, these difficulties are avoided. Once, the three blades thus mounted on their respective modules, we introduces the assembly into the grooves of the frame. He is at note that the assembly already has good rigidity, this which ensures that the blades are already perfectly arranged to square to the modules. This greatly facilitates the introduction and sliding of the modules in their respective grooves. Once this set of three blades and two modules in place in the still incomplete framework, we repeat the same operation with three other blades. We then introduce this new set into the frame. Six blades are already in place.

For mounting the seventh blade, just cut at the breaking line 28 of a support module an element comprising a single support branch 24. A times this module element for a single blade introduced in the interior grooves 14 with its blade corresponding, all the slats are arranged with skeleton in the grid. The last operation consists in join the upper horizontal crossbar 4 to both lateral uprights 1 using brackets as before described. The assembly of the upper horizontal cross member 4 allows to permanently block the introduced scales by sliding in the internal grooves 14 of the uprights side 1.

We thus obtain a fully modular grid and perfectly inviolable, since it is impossible to disassemble the blades or extract the support scales from internal grooves 14 of the uprights without destroying at least partially the grid. Increased protection is thus obtained thanks to the grid according to the present invention.

Referring now to Figure 4, it will be described a second embodiment in which the blades classics used in the first embodiment Figures 1 to 3 have been replaced by blades pivoting 6 mounted on axes 63 received in the axis 23 housings provided on the support legs 24 of scale 2. The blades extend vertically in the same plane as that defined by the longitudinal bars 20 of scale 2 and rest with their lower ends 60 against a sealing strip 61 secured to the blade lower. As for the lower blade, its end lower 60 rests against the tongue 53 formed by the basic element 5 trapped in the lower cross member 4. In addition, preferably, a basic element 5 is also inserted into the upper cross member so that its tongue 53 extends downward to complete the wall formed by the vertically extending blades 6. Like the blades 6 can pivot around their axis 60, at the slightest draft passing through the grid, they will pivot around of their axis with an angle proportional to the speed of the flow air. Due to their arrangement on the outside of the grid, the blades only act as a valve for the air flows leaving the grid.

The mounting of this grid is done completely similar to that of the grid according to the first form of embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3. Safety of this grid is also total, since all the blade support elements are trapped in the uprights lateral 1 and horizontal crosspieces 4.

Claims (8)

1. A metal grille comprising:

   · a frame constituted by side uprights (1) interconnected by cross-members (4), at least said side uprights (1) forming inside channels (14);

   · slats (3) extending between the side uprights (1); and

   · slat support means (2) disposed in the inside channels (14) to hold the slats (3) in an open configuration, the inside channels (14) being provided with holding means (12) for holding the slat support means (2) in the inside channels (14) when the frame is made;

   the grille being characterized in that the slat support means in each inside channel (14) comprise a ladder (2) slidably mounted in said channel (14) and provided with a plurality of reception housings (22, 25) for receiving the ends of the slats (3).
2. A grille according to claim 1, in which each ladder (2) comprises one or more stacked support modules each including a plurality of reception housings.
3. A grille according to claim 2, in which each support module includes three reception housings.
4. A grille according to claim 2 or claim 3, in which the support modules include lines of weakness (28) to enable the module to be sectioned to a desired length.
5. A grille according to claim 1, in which the support means comprise rims (12) partially overlying the inside channels (14) to form sliding rails for the slat support means (2).
6. A grille according to any preceding claim, in which the slat support means (3) include pin-receiving housings (23) for receiving pins on which pivoting slats (6) are mounted.
7. A grille according to any preceding claim, in which the cross-members (4) also form inside channels (14) provided with rims (12), a base element (5) being slidably mounted in the bottom cross-member (4), said base element (5) having a reception housing (51) for receiving the bottom edge (31) of a bottom slat (3) and stop means (53) for receiving the bottom edge (60) of a bottom pivoting slat (6).
8. A grille according to any preceding claim, in which the slats (3) are reversible by being turned through half a turn about their longitudinal direction.

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