EP1134329A1

EP1134329A1 - Main frame of grid structures used for constructing false ceilings and/or walls

Info

Publication number: EP1134329A1
Application number: EP01106282A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gian Franco Panzera
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-03-16
Filing date: 2001-03-15
Publication date: 2001-09-19
Also published as: ITMS20000004A0; ITMS20000004A1

Abstract

A grid structure for supporting panels made of plasterboard or similar materials, to be used in the construction of false ceiling or false walls, comprises main frame sections, to be suspended to the ceiling or wall to be covered, and auxiliary frame sections (5), substantially C-shaped, to be connected coplanarly to said main frame, in order to form a orthogonal crossing arrangement therewith. The main frame section is characterized by the fact of being substantially C-shaped too, comprising a base (1) and a couple of flanks (2) standing orthogonally from opposite sides of the base (1), slots (4) being formed in pairs in the base (1) and said flanks (2), each pair being fit for snap-engagement with a corresponding auxiliary frame section (5), as a result of a locking operation carried out along a direction orthogonal to the plane of the structure, said flanks (2) being substantially higher than flanks (5b) of the auxiliary frame section (5).

Description

The present invention relates to the field of indoor building structures, and namely it concerns a light section for forming the main frame of net structures used for constructing false ceilings and/or walls.
When constructing false ceiling and/or walls, in order to support the relevant panels made of plasterboard and similar materials, the need often arises for coplanar net structures, instead of simple parallel beams. In fact, with such structures, a higher overall strength is achieved, and the number of spots available for fixing the panels is increased. Such a structure comprises a main frame consisting of parallel metal sections, said frame being suspended to the ceiling or wall to be covered, and an auxiliary frame made of sections which are connected to those of the main frame, coplanarly thereto, and so as to accomplish an orthogonal crossing arrangement. The panels are fixed to the structure so arranged, via screws which are plunged on external flat surfaces provided by the same structure.
In further detail, at present such a coplanar support structure is arranged using some different practical solutions, all of which are in many ways unsatisfactory, and therefore scarcely used. In a first of these solutions, hooking members are used, projecting externally from the sections of the main frame, for bearing section segments of the auxiliary frame, each segment extending between two adjacent main sections. With this system, the operations for mounting the structure are lengthy, due to the need for the worker to calculate precisely the length of the auxiliary section segments.
The quickness and accuracy of the operations are also remarkably effected by the preliminary step of cutting the segments, which must be carried out manually in the building yard. Such step also involves a large amount of off-cuts, i.e. section scrubs which are wasted because they are off side with respect to the segments to be used. Finally, the cutting operation easily causes burrs to be formed in the section, right in the area in which the outline thereof should be utterly neat, that is to say the area where the main frame hook engages, and consequently where the stresses brought about by the arrangement of the panels are higher.
A different system uses for the main frame upside-down omega sections, providing slots formed in the base and flank walls thereof, for engagement with the auxiliary frame sections. The auxiliary sections have a continuous extension, and then each of them crosses the succession of main sections normally, and is fastened in the relevant slots.
The slots in the main section are mutually spaced by 10 cm, so that the worker can choose the most appropriate arrangement for the auxiliary sections, as a function of the specific requirements. However, such a main section, due to its omega shape, has a rather poor resistance to bending stresses, thereby a large number of ceiling (or wall) suspension elements must be used.
Furthermore, the large number of slots, besides weakening the section further, entails the circumstance that, when panels are screwed, it is hard to locate the "full" areas, in which the fixing screws can be plunged. Finally, the omega shape requires the use of peculiar suspension members, out of standard with respect to those which are commonly available for suspending simple beams, and that, due to the infrequent use, are particularly expensive.
According to a third solution, main frame sections are used having a double-T shape instead of an omega one. In this way, the strength of the section is remarkably improved. However, special suspension members are required in this case too. Besides, the section is particularly expensive due to the outstanding amount of sheet-like material which is needed for its production, and also to the length of the relevant manufacturing process. Finally, the double T shape, and that of the locking slot formed therein, are such that, when mounted, the auxiliary section may accomplish minor rotations around its own transversal axis passing through the locking spot, and consequently the coplanar and orthogonal arrangement of the two frames may be affected.
The object of the present invention is to provide a new type of main frame section for net structures like the above mentioned ones, which complies in a fully satisfactory way with the following requirements:

assuring a perfect coplanar arrangement of the structure, in order to provide a really appropriate support to the panels forming the false ceiling, thanks to a larger useful surface for plunging the relevant screws;
having a remarkable strength, so as to permit the use of fewer members for the suspension thereof to the ceiling or wall to be covered, with consequent reduction of installation times and cost; and
being absolutely compatible with the common suspension members, already widely used in basic parallel-beam structures, so as to avoid the use of specifically designed members.

Such object is accomplished with the light section for forming the main frame of net structures used for constructing false ceilings and/or walls according to the present invention, the essential features of which are defined in the first of the appended claims.
Features and advantages of the light section for forming the main frame of net structures used for constructing false ceilings and/or walls according to the present invention, will be apparent for the following description of an embodiment thereof, given as an example and not limitative with reference to the attached drawings in which:

figure 1 is a side view of a section according to the present invention;
figure 2 is a perspective view of a segment of the section of figure 1, in an area in which slots are formed for locking a section of the auxiliary frame; and
figure 3 shows the segment of figure 2, again in a side view, an auxiliary frame section being locked thereto.

With reference to the above figures, a section according to the invention is used as a main frame component of a support structure, not shown as a whole, for constructing a false ceiling or a false wall. The section is C shaped, comprising a base 1 and flanks 2 standing orthogonally from opposite sides of base 1. The free edges of flanks 2 are bent inwards, so as to form lips 3 facing each other. Slots 4 are formed in flanks 2 and base 1, in equally spaced pairs, each pair for the engagement of a section 5 belonging to an auxiliary frame.
The auxiliary section 5, shown in figure 3, is C-shaped according to the prior art, comprising a base 5a and flanks 5b ending with lips 5c bent inwards. Slots 4 are fit for allowing the auxiliary section 5 to be supported with base 5a substantially coplanar to base 1 of the main section. Flanks 2 of the latter, to avoid that the provision of the slots may affect the strength of the section, are suitably high, significantly higher, preferably about twice higher, than the flanks of auxiliary section 5.
In greater detail, and referring in particular to figures 2 and 3, each slot 4 comprises a belt shaped central portion 6, transversally extending across base 1, and contoured flank portions 7 which evolve from belt portion 6 on both flanks 2. Flank portions 7 gradually taper, moving away from base 1, according to respective contours, mirrored to each other with respect to the central axis of the pair.
Each of said contours provides on the inside, i.e. adjacently to the axis of the pair, a first segment 7a substantially normal to the corner formed with base 1, and a second segment 7b obliquely departing from the above mentioned axis, to a sharp encut 7c pointing towards the same axis. Then, the contour continues over encut 7c, with a rounded tip 7d and, on the outside, with a departing segment 7e which joins the edge of belt portion 6 of base 1.
In use, the sections according to the invention, thank to their C shape and to lips 3 bent inwards, are connected to the wall or ceiling to be covered via the common suspension elements which the prior art makes available, in a wide range of kinds, for beams having such a shape. Then, as clearly shown in figure 3, being the main frame sections placed with pairs of slots 4 in mutual correspondence, auxiliary sections 5 are arranged into the slots, by simply pushing them orthogonally to the plane of the main frame.
In fact, as a result of such operation, due to the fact that the two slots 4 of the pair are suitably spaced according the size of the auxiliary section 5, inwards lips 5c thereof slide on oblique inside segments 7b of flank portions 7. Thus, an outwards flexion of flanks 5b of auxiliary section 5 is urged, until lips 5c snap in encuts 7c, consequently locking therein. The deformation of auxiliary section 5 during such procedure is allowed by the contour of pins 7d and of outside segments 7e. When auxiliary section 5 is locked, as in figure 3, base 5a thereof abuts on base 1 of the main frame, in the area between the two belt portions 6 of the pair of slots 4.
The section according to the invention, when compared to the prior art solutions, provides the fundamental advantage of being remarkably stronger, due to the C shape with higher flanks. This results in a outstanding reduction in the number of suspension elements which are necessary, and consequently in a dramatic saving in the time required for arranging the structure. Besides, as mentioned, specifically designed suspension elements are not needed, since one can exploit the elements which are already used for analogous purposes, and thus commonly available.
Reducing the number of slots, as allowed by the strength of the main frame and of the locking thereof with the auxiliary one, the area of base 1 on which the screws for fixing the panels can be plunged is much larger. In other words, when fixing the panels with the screws, the worker will always easily find faces to operate on. The above, being constantly sure that the auxiliary sections are coplanar and normal with respect to the main ones. Finally, as far as the quickness and reliability of the locking of the auxiliary sections are concerned, the effectiveness of the result is remarkably supported also by the particular contour chosen for the flank portions 7 of slots 4.
Obviously, according to the specific needs, and namely of the size of auxiliary sections 5, the size of slots 4 and their mutual distance in the relevant pair will vary. Other variations and/or modifications can be brought to the light section for forming the main frame of net structures used for constructing false ceilings and/or walls according to the present invention without departing from the scope of protection of the invention itself.

Claims

A main frame section for a net structure for supporting panels made of plasterboard or similar materials, to be used in the construction of false ceiling or false walls, said structure also comprising auxiliary frame sections (5), substantially C-shaped, to be connected coplanarly to said main frame, in order to form a orthogonal crossing arrangement therewith, said main frame being suspended to the ceiling or wall to be covered, said main frame section being characterized by the fact of being substantially C-shaped too, comprising a base (1) and a couple of flanks (2) standing orthogonally from opposite sides of said base (1), slots (4) being formed in pairs in said base (1) and said flanks (2), each pair being fit for snap-engagement with a corresponding auxiliary frame section (5), as a result of a locking operation carried out along a direction orthogonal to the plane of the structure, said flanks (2) being substantially higher than flanks (5b) of said auxiliary frame section (5).
The section according to claim 1, wherein said flanks (2) of said main frame are about twice higher than said flanks (5b) of said auxiliary frame section (5).
The section according to claims 1 or 2, wherein said base (1) provides an abutment to a base (5a) of said auxiliary frame section (5), in the locked position, thereby said structure provides substantially coplanar external faces on said main frame and on said auxiliary frame, for plunging the screws for fixing said panels.
The section according to any of the previous claims, wherein the free edges of said flanks (2) are bent inwards so as to form lips (3) facing each other, for assisting the employment of elements for suspending the section to the ceiling or wall to be covered.
The action according to any of the previous claims, wherein each of said slots (4) comprises a central belt shaped portion (6), transversally crossing said base (1), and contoured flank portions (7) which evolve on said flanks (2) from said belt portion (6), said flank portions (7) gradually tapering, when moving away from said base (1), according to respective contours mutually mirrored to each other, with respect to the central axis of the pair to which said slot (4) belongs.
The section according to claim 5, wherein each of said contours provide on the inside, i.e. adjacently to the axis of the pair, a first segment (7a) substantially orthogonal to the corner formed by the flank (2) and the base (1), a second segment (7b) obliquely departing from the above mentioned axis, to a sharp encut (7c) pointing towards the same axis, said second segment (7b) and said encut (7c) assisting, respectively, the sliding and the locking of one of said flanks (5b) of the auxiliary frame section (5) in the locking operation thereof in the corresponding pair of slots (4).
The section according to claim 6, wherein said contour continues over said encut (7c) with a rounded tip (7d) and, on the outside, with a departing segment (7e) joining the edge of said belt portion (6) of the base (1), thereby the deformation of flanks (5b) of auxiliary frame section (5) in the coupling thereof is assisted.