EP4786699A1

EP4786699A1 - Connector

Info

Publication number: EP4786699A1
Application number: EP25155543.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marco Sanchez Lopez; Lukas Reumschuessel
Original assignee: Hilti AG
Current assignee: Hilti AG
Priority date: 2025-02-03
Filing date: 2025-02-03
Publication date: 2026-08-05

Abstract

A connector for connecting a first structural element to a second structural element, comprising:
a hanger having a mounting plate and a blade that projects from the mounting plate, wherein
the mounting plate is intended to be fastened by means of hanger screws to the first structural element, and
a receptor having a slit for receiving the blade, and an upwardly facing bearing surface for bearing the blade when the blade is arranged within the slit, wherein the receptor is intended to be fastened by means of receptor screws to the second structural element,
characterized in that
the receptor is L-shaped and comprises a first leg and a second leg, wherein the first leg projects perpendicularly from the second leg, wherein the slit is provided in the first leg.

Description

Mass timber structures are used in construction as major structural elements. These structures can include cross-laminated timber (CLT), glue laminated timber (glulam), and laminated veneer lumber (LVL). These products have significant advantages over more traditional building elements such as steel or concrete as they exhibit similar strength properties, but are lighter, more environmentally sustainable and can be precision cut, which enables them to be prefabricated. This, in term, can and allow for improved construction timelines.
While mass timber constructions can provide significant benefits, their widespread use has been limited due to the cost of mass timber products as compared to steel or concrete, difficulties in scaling mass timber building techniques to allow for multistorey or larger scale construction and in accommodating the behaviour of the mass timber under certain conditions, for example dynamic loading such as in seismic conditions.
Connectors for timber structures are described in WO23239752 A1 , WO 2022094677 A1 and US5253945 A .
The invention is described in claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.
The proposed L-shaped layout of the receptor can provide particularly efficient gravitational force transfer into the second structural element at particularly low manufacturing effort and/or material expenditure.
The present invention can be a connector used for connecting a first structural element and a second structural element to one another. The second structural element can be carrying the weight of the first structural element. The first structural element can be a horizontally orientated structural element like a beam or a slab. The second structural element can be a post, a column or another vertically orientated structural element. The first structural element and/or the second structural element can be timber elements. In particular, the first structural element can be a cross laminated timber slab, and/or the second structural element can be a glulam column.
A connector according to claim 2 can provide particularly good load transfer at particularly little manufacturing effort and/or material effort.
A connector according to claim 3 can provide particularly good load transfer at particularly little manufacturing effort and/or material effort.
A connector according to claim 4 can provide particularly good load transfer.
A building structure according to claim 5 can be considered to be the intended application of the connector.
The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to preferred exemplary embodiments, which are depicted schematically in the accompanying drawings. Individual features of the exemplary embodiments presented below can be implemented either individually or in any combination within the scope of the present invention.

Figure 1 is an exploded view of a first connector.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the connector of figure 1 in an engaged state, with the blade inserted into the slit of the receptor, including screws intended for connecting the connector to the respective structural elements.
Figure 3 is a side view of a building structure including the connector of figure 1 and two structural elements connected by said connector as intended.
Figure 4 is a perspective view, similar to that of figure 2, of a second connector.
Figure 5 is a perspective view, similar to that of figure 2, of a third connector.

The figures 1 to 3 show a first connector for connecting a first structural element 1, for example a timber beam or preferably a timber slab, to a second structural element 3, for example a timber column.
The connector comprises a hanger 10 associated with the first structural element 1 and a receptor 30 associated with the second structural element 3.
The hanger 10 comprises a mounting plate 11 and a blade 15 that projects from the mounting plate 11. The mounting plate 11 is intended to be fastened by means of hanger screws 79, 78 to the first structural element 1. For this purpose, the mounting plate comprises hanger screw holes 18 for receiving horizontally aligned hanger screws 78, as well as hanger screw holes 19 for receiving slantly downwardly pointing hanger screws 79. The number of hanger screw holes 18 and/or 19 can vary. Alternative embodiments might not have hanger screw holes 18 for receiving horizontally aligned hanger screws. Other alternative embodiments might not have hanger screw holes 19 for slantly downwardly pointing hanger screws.
The mounting plate 11 and the blade 15 are metal parts, in particular aluminium parts. In the shown embodiment, the mounting plate 11 and the blade 15 are separate parts, but this exemplarily only, and they can as well be monolithic, as e.g. shown in the embodiments of figures 4 and 5.
The receptor 30 is L-shaped and, as such, comprises a first leg 31 and a second leg 32, wherein the first leg 31 projects perpendicularly and upwardly from the second leg 32.
The connector comprises a slit 35 for receiving the blade 15 when the connector is engaged as intended. In the present embodiment, the slit 35 is a T-slit and the blade has a corresponding T-head for engaging behind the T-slit. This, however, is an example only. Moreover, in the present embodiment, the T-head is provided with downwards offset on the blade 15. However, this offset is purely exemplary only, and other embodiments without downwards offset are also feasible. Examples of such embodiments are shown in figures 4 and 5.
The receptor 30 is intended to be fastened by means of receptor screws 89 to the second structural element 3. For this purpose, the receptor 30 comprises, namely in its first leg 31, receptor screw holes 39 for receiving slantly upwardly pointing receptor screws 89. In this context, slantly upwardly can imply that the receptor screws 89 project from the receptor 30 in such a way that they reach further upwards as their distance from the respective receptor screw hole 39 increases. The receptor screw holes 39 are arranged on both sides of the slit 35. In the present embodiment, a number of six receptor screw holes 39 for receiving a number of six slantly upwardly pointing receptor screws 89 are provide. However, the number of receptor screw holes 39 can vary. In alternative embodiments, the receptor 30 might have additional receptor screw holes for receiving horizontally aligned receptor screws. Examples of such embodiments are shown in figures 4 and 5. In those examples the additional receptor screw holes for receiving horizontally aligned receptor screws penetrate through the respective second legs 32.
The slit 35 is provided in the first leg 31 and extends generally vertically, alongside the first leg 31. The receptor 30 has an upwardly facing, horizontally aligned, generally planar bearing surface 49 for bearing the blade 15 when the blade 15 is arranged within the slit 35. The second leg 32 has a generally planar, horizontally aligned, upwardly facing top surface 40, wherein the upwardly facing bearing surface 49 is flush with the upwardly facing top surface 40. In particular, the upwardly facing bearing surface 49 is provided on the top surface 40. The slit 35 originates at the upwardly facing bearing surface 49 and projects upwardly from the upwardly facing bearing surface 49.
The second leg 32 protrudes from the first leg 31 on a backside of the first leg 31, wherein said backside of the first leg 31 is that side of the first leg 31 that is opposite the slit 35. The backside of the first leg 31 faces away from the hanger 10 when the connector is connected as intended. The first leg 31 and the second leg 32 are flush on the frontside of the first leg 31. This frontside of the first leg 31 is located opposite the backside of the first leg 31. The frontside of the first leg 31 is that side of the first leg 31 which faces the first structural element 1 when the connector is connected as intended.
The first leg 31 and the second leg 32 are metal parts, in particular aluminium parts. In the shown embodiment, the first leg 31 and the second leg 32 are separate parts, but this exemplarily only, and the can as well be monolithic, as e.g. shown in the embodiments of figures 4 and 5.
A building structure comprises the first structural element 1, the second structural element 3, and the connector connecting the first structural element 1 and the second structural element 3 to one another. The mounting plate 11 is embedded within the face of the first structural element 1 and screwingly connected to the first structural element 1 by means of the hanger screws 78, 79 extending from the mounting plate 11 into the first structural element 1.
The receptor 30 is embedded within the second structural element 3, namely within a flank (i.e. within a side wall) of the column-like second structural element 3. The receptor 30 is screwingly connected to the second structural element 3 by means of the receptor screws 89 extending from the receptor 30, namely form the first leg 31 thereof, into the second structural element 3. The receptor screws 89 are arranged in an angled position and project slantly upwardly from the from the receptor 30, namely form the first leg 31 thereof. When the receptor 30 is embedded within the second structural element 3, the frontside of the first leg 31 is accessible, whereas the backside of the first leg 31 is buried within the second structural element 3. The frontside of the of the first leg 31 is in particular flush with the surrounding surface of the second structural element 3. The backside of the first leg 31, which faces to the left in figure 2, is generally planar.
Gravitational loads from the first structural element 1 are transferred via the blade 15 that rests on the bearing surface 49 onto the receptor 30 and particularly onto the second leg 32 thereof, from where the loads are transferred compressively into the second structural element 3, in which the second leg 32 is embedded. Supplemental vertical load transfer into the second structural element 3 is achieved by the slanted upwards orientation of the at least one receptor screw 89, which can transfer gravitational forces via a tensional route. The combined compression-tension mechanism can allow particularly efficient vertical load transfer at particularly low effort.
The first leg 31 has greater leg length than has the second leg 32. The second leg 32 projects deeper into the second structural element 3 than does the first leg 31. All this can reduce effort whilst providing good load transfer.
In modifications of the embodiment of figures 1 to 3, the hanger 10 might be monolithic, in particular the mounting plate 11 and the blade 15 can be monolithic, and/or the receptor 30 might be monolithic, in particular the first leg 31 and the second leg 32 can be monolithic. An example of such a modification is shown in figure 4. Another example of such a modification is shown in figure 5. In the embodiments of figures 4 and 5, respectively both the hanger 10 and the receptor are preferably extruded parts, in particular extruded aluminium parts.
In alternative embodiments, the hanger 10 might have additional blades, and the receptor 30 might have additional slits for receiving these additional blades. Such an embodiment is shown in figure 5. In the embodiment of figure 5, a total of two blades and a total of two slits are provided.
In a further modification of the embodiment of figure 5, the mounting plate 11 can consist of two separate plate parts, each carrying one of the two blades. Assembling the hanger of separate parts can be advantageous in view of easy scalability.

Claims

A connector for connecting a first structural element (1) to a second structural element (3), comprising:
a hanger (10) having a mounting plate (11) and a blade (15) that projects from the mounting plate (11), wherein the mounting plate (11) is intended to be fastened by means of hanger screws (78, 79) to the first structural element (1), and

a receptor (30) having a slit (35) for receiving the blade (15), and an upwardly facing bearing surface (49) for bearing the blade (15) when the blade (15) is arranged within the slit (35), wherein the receptor (30) is intended to be fastened by means of receptor screws (89) to the second structural element (3),

characterized in that

the receptor (30) is L-shaped and comprises a first leg (31) and a second leg (32),

wherein the first leg (31) projects perpendicularly from the second leg (32), wherein

the slit (35) is provided in the first leg (31).
Connector according to claim 1,
characterized in that
the first leg (31) has greater leg length than has the second leg (32).
Connector according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the second leg (32) has an upwardly facing top surface (40), wherein the upwardly facing bearing surface (49) is flush with the top surface (40).
Connector according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the receptor (30) has a receptor screw hole (39) for receiving a receptor screw (89) for fastening the receptor (30) to the second structural element (3), wherein the receptor screw hole (39) is provided for receiving the receptor screw (89) in an angled position in which is points slantly upwardly from the receptor (30).
A building structure comprising
a first structural element (1) made of timber, a second structural element (3) made of timber, and a connector according to one of the proceeding claims, which connects the first structural element (1) and the second structural element (3) to one another.