EP1437072B1

EP1437072B1 - Pannel joining system for a display case

Info

Publication number: EP1437072B1
Application number: EP03425004A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alessandro Goppion
Original assignee: Goppion SpA
Current assignee: Goppion SpA
Priority date: 2003-01-08
Filing date: 2003-01-08
Publication date: 2007-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 2023-01-08
Also published as: DE60315788D1; EP1437072A1

Description

The present invention relates to a junction system between adjacent corners of two walls of a display case of the self-supporting type.
Display cases of the self-supporting type are cases wherein non-openable walls are welded to one another so as to form a monolithic and self-supporting structure without the aid of a bearing frame capable of absorbing and transferring onto the rest surface the mechanical strain caused both by the weight of the walls, and by any compression stresses that must be exerted on the seals for the openable walls.
The walls are typically made of a transparent material, such as glass and the like (optionally in layers for ensuring a high resistance to breaking), welded or in any case constrained to one another. A hinge is used for the walls that must be opened, a portion of which hinge is stuck to the corner of the openable wall, whereas the other is stuck to the adjacent corner of a fixed wall.
Known sticking methods allow realising small-sized display cases, or better cases with openable panels of limited size, up to some tens of centimetres a side. In this case, in fact, the unavoidable elastic deformation of the panels caused by their weight is limited, and it is therefore possible to ensure an effective closure between the fixed walls and the openable wall; if necessary, it is optionally possible to provide for an air seal between the walls. On the other hand, for larger apertures, of more than 100 - 150 cm, especially if the walls are thick and heavy, it is necessary to use a frame, giving up the self-supporting display case.
WO 02/26086 A1 discloses a joint arrangement for a demountable structure, that includes joiner elements that clamp the panels to be joined at their corners or side edges. The side edges of the panels are profiled so as to be clamped by the joiner elements.
The problem at the basis of the present invention is that of allowing the realisation of self-supporting display cases with large-sized apertures too.
Therefore, the present invention relates to a junction system according to claim 1; preferred features are given in dependent claims.
More in particular, according to the invention a junction system between adjacent corners of two walls of a display case of the self-supporting type, comprises:

a first coupling member, extended along the corner of a first of the two walls and integral with it, provided with a first longitudinally extended lip,
a second coupling member, extended along the corner of a second of the two walls and integral with it, provided with a second longitudinally extended lip,
a longitudinal removable closing section substantially having a "C" shaped section, with two sides adapted for enclosing the first and second lip and elastically holding the same lips bound to one another;

The extension of the closing section along the corner of the two walls allows keeping the walls perfectly bound to one another on the entire corner length, thereby preventing deformations of the walls that would make the closure unsatisfactory and inaccurate.
Moreover, if an air seal of the display case is desired, sealing means arranged and compressed between the first and the second coupling member are provided. The presence of the closing section allows suitably compressing in each of its points the seal arranged between the two walls, thereby ensuring an excellent air seal.
Typically, one of the two walls will be a mobile wall whereas the other will be a fixed wall adjacent to it.
However, with the system of the invention it is also possible either both openable or both fixed, orthogonal to one another or aligned, or tilted by any angle.
Preferably, at least one between the first lip, the second lip and the closing section is elastically deformable.
In this way, the closing section is easily applicable and removable, a particularly important feature if at least one of the walls is openable.
Preferably, the first and the second coupling member with the respective lips are substantially stiff, whereas the closing section is elastically deformable.
Imparting elasticity to the closing section rather than to one or both the coupling members allows having the latter relatively stiff, and therefore more easily and securely integrable with the walls.
To oppose a possible tendency to the spontaneous release of the closing section, preferably at least one between the first lip, the second lip and the closing section is elastically deformable.
The sealing means can be of various types. Preferably, the sealing means comprises a compression gasket housed in a longitudinal housing obtained in the second coupling member and adapted for abutting against an abutment seat obtained on the first coupling member.
This solution is preferred for the high constructive simplicity and for the effectiveness of the air seal, since thanks to the invention it is possible to apply considerable compression strain.
The gasket cross section may be of different shapes; a triangular section with rounded corners is particularly preferred.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description of some preferred embodiments, made with reference to the attached drawings. In such drawings,

figure 1 is a section view of a display case with an air-tight junction system according to the invention, used on an openable wall (shown in closed condition);
figure 2 is a section view of the same display case of figure 1, with the openable wall in partly open position;
figure 3 is a partial enlarged perspective section view of the junction system used in the display case of figures 1 and 2;
figure 4 is a perspective view in separate portions of the system of figure 3;
figure 5 is a partial enlarged perspective section view of the hinge used in the display case of figures 1 and 2;
figure 6 is a perspective view in separate portions of the hinge of figure 5;
figure 7 is a section plan view of a display case with a junction system according to the invention, used on both openable and non-openable walls.

In figures 1, 2 and 6, reference numeral 1 generally indicates a display case, of which only two fixed walls 2 and 3 and an openable wall 4 are (partly) shown. All walls 2 - 4 shown consist of anti-breakage glass panels, comprising two glass sheets 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b coupled and separate by a sheet made of polymeric material. Display case 1 is of the self-supporting type, in the meaning explained above, and therefore no frame is provided for supporting walls 2 - 4.
The openable wall 4 is supported and bound to wall 2 by a hinge junction system 10, mounted between adjacent corners 5 and 6, respectively of the fixed wall 2 and of the openable wall 4. The two walls 2 and 4, when the openable wall 4 is closed, are perpendicular to one another; the two corners 5 and 6 are therefore cut according to mutually parallel surfaces, each inclined by 45° with respect to the plane of the respective panel.
The hinge junction system 10 comprises two hinge members, 11 and 12, each comprising in turn an elongated bar 13, 14 to which tubular portions 15, 16 are integrally associated. Portions 15 of member 11, aligned according to a hinge axis X, have a predetermined length and are spaced by a predetermined distance. Correspondingly, portions 16 of member 12, also aligned according to the hinge axis X, have a predetermined length equal to the predetermined distance between portions 15 and are mutually spaced by a predetermined distance equal to the length of portions 15. Preferably, as in the example shown, lengths and distances of portions 15 and 16 are substantially equal to one another. A single pin member 17 is inserted into the aligned tubular portions 15 and 16.
Each bar 13, 14 comprises a flat surface 13a, 14a for fixing to corner 5, 6 of the respective wall 2, 4. The fixing of bars 13, 14 to the respective corners 5, 6 must of course be safe and firm; for example it is possible to use a structural adhesive layer (indicated in figure 6 with letter A), such as an ultraviolet light photo-polymerizable adhesive.
At the opposed side of the flat surface 13a, bar 13 comprises a longitudinal seat 18 for housing a gasket 20; correspondingly, at the opposed side of the flat surface 14a, bar 14 comprises a longitudinal seat for the abutment of gasket 20.
The corners of the openable wall 4 other than corner 6 associated by the hinge member 10 to wall 2, are associated to other walls (such as for example wall 3) by a junction system 30. The junction system 30 is mounted between adjacent corners 7 and 8, respectively of the openable wall 4 and of the fixed wall 3.
The two walls 3 and 4, when the openable wall 4 is closed, are perpendicular to one another; the two corners 7 and 8 are therefore cut according to mutually parallel surfaces, each inclined by 45° with respect to the plane of the respective panel.
The junction system 30 comprises two coupling members, a first coupling member 31 and a second coupling member 32. The first coupling member 31 comprises an elongated bar 33, which has a flat surface 33a for fixing to corner 7 of wall 4. Bar 33 is provided with a first longitudinally extended lip 35, protruding from bar 33 in a direction substantially parallel to the flat surface 33a, at a certain distance therefrom. Similarly, the second coupling member 32 comprises an elongated bar 34, which has a flat surface 34a for fixing to corner 8 of wall 3. Bar 34 is provided with a first longitudinally extended lip 36, protruding from bar 34 in a direction substantially parallel to the flat surface 34a, at a certain distance from it.
The fixing of bars 33, 34 to the respective corners 7, 8 is similar to that of bars 13 and 14; for example, it is possible to use a structural adhesive layer (not shown in the figures).
At the side opposed to the flat surface 34a, bar 34 comprises a longitudinal seat 38 for housing a gasket, preferably the same gasket 20, which is arranged in an annular manner along all of the four wall corners facing towards the openable wall 4; correspondingly, at the side opposed to the flat surface 33a, bar 33 comprises a longitudinal seat 39 for the abutment of gasket 20. Preferably, gasket 20 has a triangular cross section with rounded corners.
Lips 35 and 36 of the coupling members 31 and 32 are provided with respective edges 40 and 41, bent towards the respective flat surfaces 33a and 34a, so as to be diverging from one another when the two coupling members 31 and 32 are sided.
The junction system 30 further comprises a removable closing section 50. Such section 50 is longitudinally extended along the two coupling members 31 and 32, and has a substantially "C" shaped section, with a bottom 51 and two opposed sides 52 and 53, adapted for enclosing the first and second lips 35 and 36 and for elastically holding the same lips 35 and 36 bound to one another.
The elasticity of the hold is ensured by the elasticity of at least one between lip 35, lip 36 and section 50. For example, the two coupling members 31 and 32 are substantially stiff as a whole, including lips 35 and 36, whereas section 50 is elastic.
In order to maintain the correct coupling between section 50 and lips 34 and 35, section 50 comprises two grooves 54 and 55, at the base of sides 52 and 53, that in the coupling house the two edges 40 and 41 of lips 34 and 35. Moreover, the two grooves enhance the elasticity of section 50.
Figure 7 shows a display case 101 comprising eight vertical walls, of which two walls 111 and 112 can be hinge-opened and six walls 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118 are fixed, or better can be opened by removal. The hinge-openable walls 111 and 112 are bound to the adjacent fixed walls, respectively 118, 113 and 114, 115, in the same way as shown with reference to wall 4 of display case 1. In particular, a hinge junction system 10 and a junction system 30 according to the invention are used; in figure 7, such junction systems are not shown in detail, since their details have already been described and illustrated with reference to figures 1 - 6.
In the display case 101, also the fixed walls 113 - 118 are bound to one another by junction systems 30. It should be noted that some walls are at a relative position of 90° (for example walls 116 and 117), others of 180° (for example walls 117 and 118), others of 270° (walls 113 and 114). In any case it is possible to use the junction systems 30 by simply having the corners of the walls to be connected parallel to one another.
In figure 7, all junctions 30 have the closing section facing outwards the display case 101; it is evident that this configuration allows assembling and removing the display case from the outside. Optionally, one or more junctions 30 may be oriented in a reverse order, with the closing section towards the inside of the display case 101.
The use of junctions 30 according to the invention is very simple and effective, and will now be briefly described with reference to wall 4 of display case 1.
First, a coupling member 31 or 32 (or a hinge member 11 or 12, if it is the pivot corner of an openable wall) will be welded on each wall corner concerned; in particular, for wall 4, the hinge members 11 and 12 will be respectively welded into position on corners 5 of wall 2 and 6 of wall 4 and the coupling members 31 and 32 will be respectively welded on corners 7 of wall 4 and 8 of wall 3. To this purpose, as already said, it is advantageously possible to use structural adhesives suitable for the materials to be stuck, such as the adhesive layer A shown in figure 6.
Since it is an openable wall, at this point it will be suitable to complete the hinge junction 10 by inserting pin 17 into the tubular portions 15 and 16. The mobile wall 4 will consequently be hinged to the fixed wall 2.
At this point, if not already done before, gasket 20 will be installed in the respective housings 18 and 38.
The (removable) closure of wall 4 is finally obtained by moving the same wall 4 close to wall 3, exerting a certain pressure on it so as to sufficiently compress gasket 20, and finally applying the closing section 50. This application is substantially snap-wise, by a simple pressure, thanks to the elasticity of section 50.
The same procedure applies for mounting a fixed or openable by removal wall, such as one of walls 113 - 118 of the display case 101; in this case, the wall to be mounted will be kept into position until the assembly of the closing sections 50 is completed. Moreover, in a display case like the 101, it will be preferable to mount the fixed or openable by removal walls 113 - 118 first, so as to obtain an overall supporting structure to which the hinge-openable walls 111 and 112 will afterwards be bound.

Claims

Junction system (30) between adjacent corners (5 - 8) of two walls (3, 4; 111 - 118) of a display case (1; 101) of the self-supporting type, comprising:
- a first coupling member (31), extended along a corner (7) of a first (4; 111 - 118) of the two walls and integral with it, provided with a first longitudinally extended lip (35),

- a second coupling member (32), extended along the corner (8) of a second (3; 111 - 118) of the two walls and integral with it, provided with a second longitudinally extended lip (36),

- a longitudinal removable closing section (50) substantially having a "C" shaped section, with two sides (52, 53) adapted for enclosing the first (35) and second (36) lip and elastically holding the same lips bound to one another;
characterised in that each of the two coupling members (31, 32) is distinct from the corner (7, 8) of the wall and comprises an elongated bar (33, 34) provided with a flat surface (33a, 34a) fixed to the corner (7) of the wall (4, 3).
System according to claim 1, comprising sealing means (20) arranged and compressed between the first (31) and the second (32) coupling member.
System according to claim 1, wherein at least one between the first lip (35), the second lip (36) and the closing section (50) is elastically deformable.
System according to claim 2, wherein the first (31) and the second (32) coupling member with the respective lips (35, 36) are substantially stiff, whereas the closing section (50) is elastically deformable.
System according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the first (35) and second lips (36) have respective raised edges (40, 41), adapted for engaging with corresponding longitudinal grooves (54, 55) formed in the sides (52, 53) of the closing section (50).
System according to any one of claims from 2 to 5, wherein the sealing means comprises a compression gasket (20), housed into a longitudinal housing (38) obtained in the second coupling member (32) and adapted for abutting against an abutment seat (39) obtained on the first coupling member (31).
System according to claim 6, wherein the compression gasket (20) has a triangular section with rounded corners.
System according to any one of claims from 2 to 7, wherein the lip (35, 36) of the coupling member (31, 32) is protruding from the bar (33, 34) in a direction substantially parallel to the flat surface (33a, 34a) at a predetermined distance from it.