EP2029828B1

EP2029828B1 - Retaining element with a detachable connection between connecting member and mounting element

Info

Publication number: EP2029828B1
Application number: EP07764542A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hans-Jürgen Döhren
Original assignee: Corus Bausysteme GmbH
Current assignee: Kalzip GmbH
Priority date: 2006-05-24
Filing date: 2007-05-22
Publication date: 2009-08-12
Anticipated expiration: 2027-05-22
Also published as: WO2007134831A1; ATE439485T1; EP2029828A1; DE602007001976D1

Abstract

The invention relates to a retaining element (1) for building sheet having a head part (2) for engaging at least one building sheet, a mounting element (4) and a connecting member (3) to connect the head part (2) to the mounting element (4), wherein the connecting member (3) is detachably connected to the mounting element (4). The mounting element (4) comprises a first and a second mounting part (5,6), the connecting member (3) and one of said mounting parts (5,6) of the mounting element (4) being provided with connecting means to connect to each other and the first and/or second mounting part (5,6) being provided with securing means to secure a connection between the connecting member (3) and one of said mounting parts (5,6) of the mounting element (4).

Description

The invention relates to a retaining element for building sheet having a head part for engaging at least one building sheet, a mounting element and a connecting member to connect the head part to the mounting element.
Such a retaining element is known for example from the International application WO 00/40823 and from GB 2167101 . These retaining elements are used to secure a building sheet, for instance a roofmg sheet, to a structure, the head part of the retaining element having such a shape that the sheets may slide over the retaining elements in order to be able to accommodate thermal expansion of the sheets.
The connection between the connecting member and the mounting part of the retaining element should be strong enough to be able to withstand the forces acting thereon. However, it will not always be possible to provide such a rigid connection in the usual manner. Such could be the case, if for instance there is not enough space to provide a sufficiently rigid connection or when different materials are to be used for the connecting member and mounting part. Different materials may be used, for example plastic material for the connecting member and metal for the mounting part, to prevent that the retaining element forms a thermal bridge between the building sheet and the structure whereto the retaining element is fixed. Furthermore, the known connection between connecting member and mounting part is a fixed connection which prevents that a different connecting member and head part is attached to a mounting part, for instance because of damage to connecting member or head part or that a connecting member or head part of a different length is needed at a specific location.
The aim of the invention is to provide a retaining element with a detachable, yet rigid connection between connecting member and mounting element of the retaining element. Thereto a retaining element for building sheet is provided having a head part for engaging at least one building sheet, a mounting element having a first and second mounting part and a connecting member to connect the head part to one of the mounting parts of the mounting element, and wherein the connecting member and one of the mounting parts of the mounting element are provided with connecting means to detachably connect the connecting member to a mounting part of the mounting element the first mounting part being provided with a recess at one side for taking up the second mounting part and a through opening connecting the recess with the opposite side of the first mounting part, said through opening offering a passageway for the connecting member to connect to the second mounting part, the second mounting part and the connecting member being provided with the connecting means to detachably connect the connecting member and the mounting element to each other.
According to a further embodiment the first and/or second mounting part are provided with securing means to secure a connection between the connecting member and one of the mounting parts of the mounting element.
The connecting means between the connecting member and a mounting part preferably comprise complementary connecting means that are brought in engagement by sliding the connecting member and one of the mounting parts of the mounting element into each other. In that position movement of said mounting part and connecting member in a direction other than the sliding direction is impossible, after which first and second mounting part are brought into position in which the securing means act on the connection between connecting member and said mounting part, therewith preventing movement in said sliding direction.
A further elaboration of the invention provides that the connecting means comprise complementary connecting parts provided on connecting member and second mounting part of the mounting element, the complementary connecting parts engaging each other by sliding the complementary connecting parts of connecting member and second mounting part of the mounting element into each other. To connect the connecting member to the mounting element, the connecting member is first connected to the second mounting part after which the second mounting part is brought into the recess in the first mounting part, therewith securing the connection between connecting member and second mounting part. By fixing the mounting element to a support structure or a support element that is fixed to the support structure the second mounting part is kept in the recess in the first mounting part therewith securing the connection between the connecting member and respectively second mounting part and mounting element.
Therewith it is further provided that the connecting part provided on the second mounting part of the mounting element comprises a slot with one or more recesses and/or protrusions in at least one side of the slot, the connecting part on the connecting member being complementary thereto. Such complementary connecting parts may have any shape, for instance a dovetail, as long as the connecting parts can be slid in to each other in one direction and sliding movement in a direction transverse or at an angle to that sliding direction is prevented. These complementary connecting parts are arranged such that the direction of sliding lies in the plane of the connecting member and is transverse or inclined to the axis of the connecting member running through head part and complementary connecting part at the opposite side of the connecting member. With these measures it is achieved that the connecting member cannot be lifted from the second mounting part in an upward direction and with the second mounting part brought into the recess in the first mounting part no movement of the connecting member with respect to the mounting element is possible at all.
Since the length of the head part and therewith also the width of the connecting member, at least directly near the head part, in most cases will be considerably wider than the width necessary or possible for the mounting element, it is provided that the width of the connecting member at the end with the complementary connecting part is smaller than the width at or near the head part. However, to be able to connect the connecting member to the second mounting part in such cases, it is provided that the smaller width of the connecting member extends over a length of the connecting member such that the complementary connecting part at or near the end of the connecting member, when inserting the connecting member through the first mounting part, may be brought far enough beyond the side provided with the recess of the first mounting part to be able to connect the connecting member to the second mounting part by sliding these into each other.
By providing that the width of the slot at a location other than at the recesses and/or protrusions corresponds to the thickness of the connecting member, the complementary connecting parts provide for a tight connection between connecting member and second mounting part.
According to a second embodiment it is provided that the first mounting part is provided with a recess at one side for taking up the second mounting part, the first mounting part and the connecting member being provided with the connecting means to detachably connect the connecting member and the mounting element to each other and the first mounting part, second mounting part and the connecting member being provided with securing means to secure the connection between the connecting member and the first mounting part. With this embodiment the connecting means comprise complementary connecting parts provided on connecting member and the first mounting part of the mounting element, the complementary connecting parts engaging each other also by sliding the complementary connecting parts of connecting member and first mounting part of the mounting element into each other.
According to a further elaboration the connecting part provided on the first mounting part of the mounting element comprises a slot with an opening at another side of that with the recess for the second mounting part, the slot being provided with one or more recesses and/or protrusions in at least one side of the slot and the connecting part on the connecting member being complementary thereto. The direction in which the complementary connection parts slide into each other is the same as for the first embodiment and is such as to prevent that the connecting member could be pulled out of the first mounting part in upward direction.
As securing means, to prevent that the connecting member could be slid out of the slot in the first mounting part, the connecting member is provided with a recess and/or protrusion and the second mounting part with a protrusion and/or recess being at least partly complementary thereto. Relatively simple embodiments could be used such as a slot in the connecting member transverse to the plane of the connecting member and a securing plane of the second mounting part fitting in that slot. Another embodiment could be a recess in the complementary connecting parts on the connecting member at one or both sides thereof and protrusions on the second mounting part complementary thereto. With this second embodiment of the retaining element the first and second mounting part could be configured like in the first embodiment as far as the recess in the bottom of the first mounting part to take up the second mounting part is concerned.
A very basic form could be a pin and corresponding holes in first mounting part and connecting member, with the holes in a direction transverse to the plane of the connecting member. To keep said pin in said holes, pin and holes should be such that the pin is clamped in the holes, for instance by giving pin and holes a tapered shape.
With the retaining element according to the invention it is very well possible to make at least part of the retaining element of plastic material as to prevent that the element act as a thermal bridge between the building sheet and the structure to which the retaining element is mounted. The two different embodiments according to the invention are very well suited to connect a connecting member with head part thereto, that is made at least partly of plastic material. Such a connecting member and head part of plastic material could be reinforced at least partially if needed.
According to the invention it is further provided that the mounting element or first mounting part is provided with means to fix the mounting part to a support, such as for instance an edge portion at the first mounting part. The edge portion can be used to fix the retaining element to a mounting structure, e.g. with mounting screws or bolts.
The edge portion of the first mounting part can also be used to slide the retaining element in a supporting element with an elongated recess bounded by opposite overhanging flanges to receive said edge portion of the mounting element. In order to be able to insert the retaining element in such a supporting element at a specific position and also to detach the retaining element from the supporting element at a location other than one of the ends of the supporting element it is provided that the edge portion has an annular shape and is provided with at least one cut-off. This feature enables to insert or detach the retaining element in the supporting element in an insert or detach position and to hold the retaining element in the supporting element after rotating the retaining element to another position.
The invention will be elucidated on hand of the example given in the drawing, in which:

fig. 1 shows a first side view and cross-section of an assembled retaining element,
fig.2 shows a second side view and cross-section of an assembled retaining element, and
fig.3 shows a top view and cross-section of an assembled retaining element.

element

fig.1

head part

member

head part

first mounting part

tapered recess

first mounting part

recess

first mounting part

The second mounting part 6 is provided with a slot 8 having staggered flanges 9,10 symmetrical at both sides of the slot, forming recesses and protrusions. The connecting member 3 is provided with connecting parts 11,12 at the bottom end thereof, said connecting parts 11,12 being complementary to the staggered flanges 9,10 in slot 8 of the second mounting part 6. Together staggered flanges 9,10 and complementary connecting parts 11,12 form more or less a dovetail connection. The slot 8 has a bottom part 15 at a distance from the bottom side of second mounting part 6, the bottom part 15 extending at least along part of the diameter of said second mounting part 6.
The first mounting part 5 is provided with a through opening 13 connecting the top side of said mounting part 5 with recess 7. The length of the through opening 13 corresponds to the width of the connecting member 3 and the width of through opening 13 corresponds to the largest thickness of the connecting member, which is the largest thickness of the connecting parts 11,12 in the shown example. It would also be possible, preferably with a greater thickness of the connecting member 3 than in the present example, that the complementary connecting parts of connecting member 3 only consists of recesses in the connecting member 3. In that case the width of through opening 13 would correspond to the thickness of connecting member 3. However, in the shown example connecting part 12 is provided with an upward extension 14, extending into through opening 13 and having a thickness corresponding to the width of said through opening 13, giving more stability to the connection between connecting member 3 and mounting part 4.
The width of connecting member 3 as can be seen in fig.2, varies over its length from a first width 16 at the bottom side to a second width 17 at the head part 2. The length over which the first width 16 extends is sufficient to be able to have the bottom part of connecting member 3 protrude past the bottom part of the first mounting part 5 over such a length that the second mounting part 6 can be connected to the connecting member 3 by sliding said second mounting part 6 over complementary connecting parts 11,12 of connecting member 3. After connecting second mounting part 6 to connecting member 3, the second mounting part 6 is brought into recess 7 and because mounting part 6 and recess 7 are tapered the second mounting part 6 can be brought in clamping engagement with said tapered recess 7.
The first width 16 and the length of the through opening 13 may be made slightly larger than the largest diameter of the second mounting part 6, with a slot 18,19 , see fig.3, at one or both sides of through opening 13 to accommodate said larger width. This feature contributes to the stability and rigidity of the connection between connecting member 3 and mounting element 4.
The first mounting part 5 is provided with an edge portion 20 extending along the circumference of first mounting part 5. The edge portion 20 can be used to fix the mounting element 4 and therewith the retaining element 1 to a support structure, e.g. by means of screws or bolts.
To be able to use the retaining element according to the invention with a known support element, that basically consists of an elongated element with a recess in the length direction bounded by opposite overhanging flanges to receive the edge portion of the first mounting part, the edge portion 20 is basically of annular shape with two parallel straight sides 21,22. The distance between the parallel sides 21,22 is such that the edge portion 20 will fit between the overhanging flanges of the support element and can be fixed to the support element by rotating the retaining element over an angle less than 90°.

Claims

Retaining element (1) for building sheet having a head part (2) for engaging at least one building sheet, a mounting element (4) (having a first and second mounting part (5,6) and a connecting member (3) to connect the head part (2) to one of the mounting parts (5,6) of the mounting element (4), and wherein the connecting member (3) and one of the mounting parts (5,6) of the mounting element (4) are provided with connecting means (8,9,10;11,12) to detachably connect the connecting member (3) to a mounting part (5,6) of the mounting element (4) wherein the first mounting part (5) is provided with a recess (7) at one side for taking up the second mounting part (6) and a through opening (13) connecting the recess (7) with the opposite side of the first mounting part (5), the second mounting part (6) and the connecting member (3) being provided with the connecting means (8,9,10;11,12) to detachably connect the connecting member (3) and the mounting element (4) to each other, characterized in that said through opening (13) offers a passageway for the connecting member (3) to connect to the second mounting part (6).
Retaining element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first and/or second mounting part (5,6) are provided with securing means to secure a connection between the securing means to secure a connection between the connecting member (3) and one of the mounting parts (5,6) of the mounting element (4).
Retaining element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connecting means comprise complementary connecting parts (9,10;11,12) provided on connecting member (3) and second mounting part (6) of the mounting element (4), the complementary connecting parts (9,10;11,12) engaging each other by sliding the complementary connecting parts (9,10;11,12) of connecting member (3) and second mounting part (6) of the mounting element (4) into each other.
Retaining element (1) according to claim 3, wherein the connecting part provided on the second mounting part (6) of the mounting element (4) comprises a slot (8) with one or more recesses and/or protrusions in at least one side of the slot (8), the connecting part (11,12) on the connecting member (3) being complementary thereto.
Retaining element (1) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the width (16) of the connecting member (3) at the end with the complementary connecting part (11,12) is smaller than the width (17) at or near the head part (3).
Retaining element (1) recording to one or more of claims 3-5, wherein the direction of sliding lies in the plane of the connecting member (3) and is transverse or inclined to the axis of the connecting member (3) through head part (2) and complementary connecting part (11,12) at the opposite side of the connecting member (3).
Retaining element (1) according to one or more claim 4-6, wherein the width of the slot (8) in the first or second mounting part (5,6) of the mounting element (4) at a location other than at the recesses and/or protrusion corresponds to the thickness of the connecting member (3).
Retaining element (1) according to one or more of claims 1-7, wherein at least part of the retaining element (1) is made of plastic material.
Retaining element (1) according to one or more of claims 1-8, wherein at least part of the connecting member (3) is made of plastic material.
Assembly comprising a retaining element (1) according to one or more of claims 1-9 and a supporting element, wherein retaining element (1) and supporting element are provided with means in order that the support element can detachably receive the retaining element (1).
Assembly comprising at least one retaining element (1) according to one or more of claims 1-10 and at least one building sheet, the retaining element (1) engaging the building sheet to hold it on a building structure.