EP1342858A1

EP1342858A1 - Main beam for partitions and partition comprising such a beam

Info

Publication number: EP1342858A1
Application number: EP02425127A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Krzysztof Miksza
Original assignee: International Office Concept Srl
Current assignee: International Office Concept Srl
Priority date: 2002-03-05
Filing date: 2002-03-05
Publication date: 2003-09-10

Abstract

A main beam for partitions comprises a main section member (10) and means (11) for connecting the main section member (10) to the panels (4) and upright posts (3a) of a partition (1). The main section member (10) in cross section (12) has a pair of engagement portions (16) formed along an outer wall (13a) of the section (12), and the connecting means (11) comprises at least one pair of locking elements (23) to be removably engaged in the engagement portions (16); the locking elements (23) have respective locking tailpieces (26) extending from the main section member (10) and facing each other so as to clamp one of the panels (4) of the partition (1) therebetween.

Description

The present invention relates to a main beam for partitions of the type described in the preamble of claim 1 and to a partition of the type described in the preamble of claim 13.
It is known that in the building field and in that of interior decorations, partitions are often used that are intended to separate interior environments. Generally these partitions are employed for the purpose of dividing rooms into several regions to differentiate utilisation of same or isolate them from each other from an acoustic or visual point of view. In particular, partitions are used in office premises to divide big environments where arrangement of spaces is to be varied depending on fortuitous working requirements.
In many cases, on the contrary, taking into account the presently widespread new fashions in the furnishing field, these partitions are used as an element to create modern interior architectures. This is due to the valuable aesthetic effect of these partitions often made of glass or materials of a particularly agreeable visual appearance.
Partitions are known that are made of a grid framework to which panes or plates of glass and/or panels of wood or other appropriate material are applied. The framework is formed of a plurality of upright posts joined together by means of horizontal crosspieces. The upper ends of the posts are connected with each other by a main beam, usually consisting of a section member of constant section giving the structure a sufficient stiffness without further fastening of same to the ceiling being required. Crosspieces, posts and main or top beam are mutually joined by conventional connecting means such as pegs, screws or bolts.
In addition, at the partition portions where sliding doors are to be formed, additional elements are mounted to the beam that will constitute the slide rails for the door carriages or runners.
The partitions in accordance with the known art briefly described above involve long times for setting up and furthermore the operators assigned to installation must have a good manual ability.
In fact, use of conventional connecting means between the top beams and posts and/or panels requires appropriate housings to be formed on assembling and attention must be paid to positioning of said housings to avoid the risk of having to discard unsuccessful elements.
If on the contrary these housings are formed while the partitions are being constructed, a diversified production is required based on the exact structure type for which the elements are to be employed.
In addition, fastening by conventional means is not very easy because each component, in particular in case of glass plates that are brittle, must be positioned and held in place during fastening, for which operation the presence of several workers is required.
Finally, connection between posts and top beam is usually made at the centre line of the beam cross section and this does not ensure a sufficient torsional stiffness on coupling.
Under this situation, the technical task underlying the present invention is to devise a main beam for partitions capable of obviating the mentioned drawbacks.
In particular, it is an aim of the present invention to devise a main beam for partitions of easy and quick setting up.
In addition, it is another aim of the invention to devise a beam that can be easily connected to the remaining elements of the partition.
A further aim of the invention is to provide a main beam for partitions ensuring a stiff and safe connection with the underlying elements, glass plates, panels or posts.
A still further aim of the invention is to devise a main beam for partitions which looks aesthetically agreeable.
Finally, the present invention aims at providing a partition that can be easily and quickly assembled.
The technical task mentioned and the aims specified are substantially achieved by a main beam for partitions and by a partition comprising such a beam having the features set out in one or more of the appended claims.
Description of a preferred, but not exclusive embodiment of a main beam in accordance with the invention and of a partition comprising such a beam is now given hereinafter, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a partition provided with a main beam in accordance with the invention, with some elements removed;
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main section member of the main beam shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 shows a first element to be engaged with the section member in Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 shows a second element to be engaged with the section member in Fig. 2;
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the section member shown in Fig. 2 associated with a glass plate;
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the section member in Fig. 2 associated with an upright post and two panels;
Fig 7 is a cross-sectional view of the section member shown in Fig. 2 associated with two types of sliding door.

Partition 1 is made up of a grid support structure 2 substantially extending in a plane and formed of a plurality of beams 3, made of an aluminium alloy for example, to which panels 4 are fastened; said panels consist of glass plates 4a and/or are covering panels 4b made of wood or other suitable material, depending on the function to be performed by partition 1.
In particular, the support structure 2 comprises a first plurality of beams 3a and a second plurality of beams 3b joined to the beams 3 of the first plurality 3a by junction members 5 operatively active therebetween.
According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the beams 3 of the second plurality 3b, or crosspieces, are horizontally disposed between the beams 3 of the first plurality 3a, referred to as posts, vertically extending over the whole height of partition 1 in a continuous manner.
Each crosspiece 3b is connected, at its opposite ends 6a, 6b, to the two posts 3a disposed at the sides thereof.
The support structure 2 further comprises a top main beam 7 joining the ends 8 of several posts 3a, and support means 9 resting on the ground or floor to ensure the necessary solidity to the whole partition 1.
The main beam 7 is made up of a main section member 10 and comprises appropriate connecting means 11 to join it to the posts 3b and the glass plates 4a.
Advantageously, the main section member 10 has a cross section 12 of substantially rectangular shape defined by two major outer walls 13a, two minor outer walls 13b and a plurality of inner reinforcing walls 14. The inner walls 14 delimit a plurality of chambers 15 forming a corresponding number of ducts along the longitudinal extension of the main section member 10.
In particular, section 12 has a symmetry axis Y perpendicular to the major outer walls 13a, to the sides of which two engagement portions 16 are present that are disposed symmetrically with respect to the symmetry axis Y.
The pair of engagement portions 16 is shaped on one of the major outer walls 13a of section 12 of the main section member 10.
Each portion 16 is defined by a first tailpiece 17 and a second tailpiece 18 extending from the major outer wall 13a of section 12 and moving close to each other so as to define an engagement space 19.
In particular, according to the embodiment shown, the major outer wall 13a has a recess 20 disposed on either side of the symmetry axis Y and provided with a bottom wall 21 and two side walls 22.
As clearly shown in Fig. 2, the first tailpieces 17 of the engagement portion 16 extend from the opposite ends of the recess 20 moving close to the symmetry axis Y, in an extension direction substantially parallel to the outer wall 13a.
In addition, each second tailpiece 18 is placed close to the symmetry axis Y and extends away from the bottom wall 21 with a hook-shaped conformation having its end turned towards the first tailpiece 17. Recess 20 therefore delimits two engagement spaces 19.
The connecting means 11 comprises at least one pair of locking elements 23 each being susceptible of removable engagement with one of the engagement portions 16.
Preferably, the locking elements 23 consist of lengths of a metal section members that in cross section show a first wing 24 and a second wing 25 suitable for engagement with the first tailpiece 17 and the second tailpiece 18 respectively of the engagement portion 16 of the main section member 10.
In particular, the wings 24, 25 of the locking element 23 extend away from each other by a smaller distance than the dimension of the engagement space 19 parallel to the major outer wall 13a. In addition, the shape of the second wing 25 matches that of the second tailpiece 18 with which it is engaged. Due to the particular conformation and size of wings 24, 25 with respect to the shape and sizes of the engagement portion 16, the locking element 23 can be easily hooked to and unhooked from the main section member 10, as described in the following.
Each locking element 23 further has means 23a for fastening it to the main section member 10; in the accompanying drawings this means 23a consists of a grub-screw previously mounted in the locking element 23 and operatively active against the bottom wall 21 of recess 20. In more detail, the grub-screw 23a is housed in a threaded through hole within the locking element 23 so that its head, of the hexagonal socket screw type for example, is accessible from below, with respect to the beam 7 positioned on partition 1, for adjustment of same by means of conventional tools, and the end opposite to the head emerges from the hole and abuts against the bottom wall 21 of recess 20 (Fig. 5).
Advantageously, the locking elements 23 have respective locking tailpieces 26 extending from the section member 10 itself and facing each other so as to clamp a panel 4, preferably a glass plate 4a, of partition 1 therebetween.
The mutual distance between the ends of the locking tailpieces 26 set in position is therefore substantially the same as the thickness of the glass plate 4a.
Since, as shown in Fig. 5, plate 4a at the upper part thereof, bears against the main section member 10, advantageously beam 7 further comprises a protection element 27, made of rubber for example, interposed between the section member 10 and plate 4a.
For covering the connecting region between the panel 4 and main section member 10, a covering section member 28 is used the cross-section of which defines a cavity 29.
In addition, each locking element 23 has a third wing 30 extending away from the locking tailpiece 26 and on which the covering section member 28 is snap-fitted, at the cavity 29.
The covering section member 28 is in contact both with the main section member 10 and with plate 4a, preferably through appropriate sealing elements 31, for better isolation of the environment delimited by partition 1.
Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 6, the connecting means 11 comprises at least one auxiliary section member 32 to be linked to conventional junction members 34 at a position parallel to the main section member 10, over the engagement portions 16. The auxiliary section member 32 is provided with hooking elements 33 to fasten the beam 7 to a post 3a of partition 1.
In particular, as shown in Fig. 5, the auxiliary section member 32 comprises a first and a second engagement wings 32a, 32b spaced apart from each other and extending in opposite ways away from each other so that they can be simultaneously coupled with a junction member 8a mounted on the end 8 of each post 3a. Preferably, the auxiliary section member 32 consists of lengths exclusively disposed at the junction points with posts 3a. Fastened to posts 3a are the covering panels 4a for construction of a blind partition.
Advantageously, the major wall 13a of section 12 on which the engagement portions 16 are disposed further has at least one weakened portion 35 susceptible of removal, associated with one inner chamber 15a being part of the inner chambers 15.
Preferably, the main section member 10 seen in section has two weakened portions 35 disposed symmetrically in side by side relationship with the recess 20. Each of the weakened portions 35 is connected to the rest of section 12 through regions of reduced thickness 36 enabling easy elimination of same by means of tools of common use.
Once the weakened portion 35 has been removed, chamber 15a having a substantially square shape in section defines a guide extending along the longitudinal extension of the main section member 10 which is adapted to house a carriage 37 of a sliding blind door 38a or glazed door 38b (Fig. 6).
The width of the weakened portion 35 is less than the width of the chamber 15a associated therewith and at the sides thereof defines support surfaces 39 for the wheels 40 of carriage 37.
After disclosing the invention from a merely structural point of view, assembling of the main beam in accordance with the invention during setting up of the partition is now described.
After vertical positioning of posts 3a and fastening of crosspieces 3b thereto, the main section member 10 is disposed at the ends 8 of posts 3a. The auxiliary section member 32 lengths are mounted on the main section member 10 so as to fasten a post 3a of partition 1 to each of them, through the hooking elements 33.
At the regions where placement of a glass plate 4a is provided, a locking element 23 is installed on the beam 7 already in place and at one alone of the engagement portions 16.
In particular, the locking element 23 is mounted by inserting the first wing 24 in the engagement space 19 over the second tailpiece 17 and subsequently rotating the locking means 23 to bring the second wing 25 too into the engagement space. Afterwards, the locking element 23 is moved towards the first tailpiece 18 so that the first 24 and second 25 wings are respectively over the first 17 and second 18 tailpieces. Finally, by lowering the locking element 23, the two wings engage against the two tailpieces 17, 18.
The locking element 23 is then fastened by tightening the grub-screw 23c until pushing it against the bottom surface 21.
Then the glass plate 4a is laid against the locking tailpiece 26 of the locking element 23 already in place and against the main section member 10, possibly with interposition of the protection element 27 between the section member 10 and plate 4a.
Following the above described procedure, mounting of a second locking element 23 at the still free engagement portion 16 is carried out, so that plate 4a is clamped between the two locking tailpieces 26.
Finally, for concealment of the connecting region, the covering section member 28 is snap-fitted on the third wings 30 of several locking elements 23 mounted on the same engagement portion 16.
When a sliding door 38a, 38b is to be mounted, it is sufficient to eliminate the weakened portion 35 from the main section member 10 over a length corresponding to about twice the width of the door 38a, 38b so that a rail to enable sliding of carriages 37 present on the door itself is obtained.
The invention achieves important advantages.
It will be recognized first of all that the main beam in accordance with the present invention enables easy and quick assembling/disassembling of the connected parts, so that a lot of time is saved during the installation and the presence of operators of great manual ability is not required. In fact, modifications to the parts during assembling, such as piercing of holes, are almost completely avoided as well as use of conventional connecting elements such as screws and bolts that are of difficult handling and can easily get lost. In fact the beam in accordance with the present invention enables the glass plates to be locked to any position, by mere slide of the locking elements on the engagement portions also acting as guides. In addition, the beam in accordance with the present invention enables the glass plates and panels to be mounted at the end of the procedure, after the whole support structure formed of posts, crosspieces and top beam has been safely fastened.
Furthermore, the beam in accordance with the present invention does not require additional elements for installation of sliding doors because it is already provided with the rails for said doors.
It should be also appreciated that, due to the fact that the tailpieces of the auxiliary section member or of the auxiliary section member lengths with which the ends of the junction elements are engaged are spaced apart from each other, transmission of high torques between post and beam is allowed, which will make the connection very stiff. Specifically, this advantageous feature is particularly important at the beam portion on which the sliding doors are mounted; in fact, said doors due to their offset weight with respect to the longitudinal extension of the posts, generate twisting moments of great importance.
Finally, since the regions of connection with glass plates are covered with the auxiliary section members, the beam appears to be aesthetically agreeable.
As a result of the above described advantageous aspects, also the partition in accordance with the present invention can be easily and readily set up.

Claims

A main beam for partitions comprising:
- a main section member (10);

- means (11) for connecting the main section member (10) to the panels (4) and upright posts (3a) of a partition (1);
characterized in that said main section member (10) in cross section (12) has a pair of engagement portions (16) formed along an outer wall (13a) of the section (12); said connecting means (11) comprising at least one pair of locking elements (23) to be removably engaged in said engagement portions (16); said locking elements (23) having respective locking tailpieces (26) extending from the main section member (10) and facing each other so as to clamp one of said panels (4) of the partition (1) therebetween.
A main beam as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each engagement portion (16) of said at least one pair of engagement portions (16) comprises a first (17) and a second (18) tailpieces moving close to each other along their extension and defining an engagement space (19).
A main beam as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the engagement portions (16) are disposed symmetrically with respect to a symmetry axis (Y) of the transverse section (12) of the main section member (10).
A main beam as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that each locking element (23) of said pair of locking elements comprises a first wing (24) and a second wing (25) susceptible of engagement with the first tailpiece (17) and the second tailpiece (18) respectively, of the engagement portion (16).
A main beam as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that each locking element (23) of said pair of locking elements further comprises a third wing (30) extending away from the locking tailpiece (26), and in that the main beam (7) further comprises a covering section member (28) to be fitted on said third wing (30).
A main beam as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that each locking element (23) of said pair of locking elements further comprises means (23a) for fastening said locking element (23) to the main section member (10).
A main beam as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the main section member (10) in cross section (12) has a substantially rectangular shape defined by two major outer walls (13a), two minor outer walls (13b) and a plurality of inner reinforcing walls (14) delimiting a plurality of chambers (15).
A main beam as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the engagement portions (16) are disposed along one of said major outer walls (13a) of the rectangular section (12).
A main beam as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the major outer wall (13a) on which the engagement portions (16) are disposed has a weakened portion (35) associated with one chamber (15a) of said plurality of chambers (15).
A main beam as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the weakened portion (35) can be removed and the chamber (15a) defines a guide extending along the longitudinal extension of said main section member (10) and adapted to house a carriage or runner (37) of a sliding door (38a, 38b).
A main beam as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises at least one auxiliary section member (32) to be linked to at least one post (8) of the partition (1), which auxiliary section member is parallel to the main section member (10) and is provided with hooking elements (32a, 32b).
A main beam as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the auxiliary section member (32) comprises a first and a second engagement wings (32a, 32b) spaced apart from each other and extending away from each other, so that they can be simultaneously coupled with a junction member (8a) mounted to the end (8) of each post (3a).
A partition comprising:
- a plurality of upright posts (3a);

- a plurality of horizontal crosspieces (3b) connected to the posts (3a);

- at least one main beam (7) fastened to the upper ends (8) of the posts (3a) to form a support structure (2) together with the posts (3a) and the crosspieces (3b);

- a plurality of glass plates (4a) in engagement with said support structure (2);

- a plurality of covering panels (4b) secured to said support structure (2);

- means (9) for support of the structure (2) on the ground;
characterized in that said at least one main beam (7) is made in accordance with anyone of claims 1 to 12.