FR2674550A1 - MEANS FOR SECURING A COVERING PIECE TO A ROAD PIECE FRAME. - Google Patents

Abstract

Means intended for securing, in a removable manner, a generally polygon-shaped covering part (2), which may be a plane or concave grating or a covering plate, to a frame (1) interacting with the said part, these means comprising at least one elastic member (26) positioned in an open housing (25) arranged in the central region of one of the lateral faces of the frame, at least one fastening catch (11) integral with that lateral face of the frame which is opposite the one where the elastic member is located, a finger (30), integral with the covering part, the lower end of which has an enlargement (31) adapted to be snap-locked by interacting with the said fastening member, and a strip (32), integral with the part, which, in the position in which the said covering part is closed over the frame, interacts with the elastic member, the fastening catch (11) then being located in the position in which it is snap-locked with the finger (30) of the covering part.

Description

i The present invention relates to road parts such as

  manholes or manholes for

  sidewalks, of the type comprising a removable cover resting, in the closed position, in a frame sealed in the ground or on a support structure.

  More particularly, the present invention relates to means for removably securing a covering piece of the flat or concave grid type, plate or other, of generally polygonal shape, to a frame cooperating with said piece. Preferably, the piece of covering according to the present invention will have in plan a general triangular, square, rectangular or trapezoidal shape. It is known, to removably lock a cover or cover plate of generally polygonal shape on a support frame, to use an attached mechanical part of the screw, clamp, hook or similar type. Such a locking device however requires the use of a particular tool for the implementation and risks, in certain cases, of being unlocked alone under the effect of the multiple vibrations generated by the passage of vehicles; on the other hand, the insert presents the risk of seizing up, thus becoming difficult to maneuver, or even of locking up, thus making it unlocked.

impossible.

  Devices are also known where the locking is achieved by the imprisonment of elastic fingers, integral with the grid or plate, in housings or under stops of the support frame. Such solutions however call upon the elasticity of the material.

constituting the grid or plate.

  Another drawback of known locking systems lies in the slamming of the grid or plate on its support during the passage of rolling loads,

  thus constituting a permanent source of noise.

  The present invention therefore aims to overcome these drawbacks.

  More particularly, the object of the present invention is, for this purpose, means intended to removably secure a covering part of generally polygonal shape, of the flat or concave grid type or covering plate, to a frame cooperating with said part. , these means comprising at least one elastic member positioned in an open housing arranged in the middle region of one of the side faces of the frame, at least one hooking spout secured to the side face of the frame opposite to that in which the elastic member, a finger, integral with the covering part, the lower end of which has a bead adapted to snap into place by cooperation with said hooking spout, and a bar, integral with the part, which, in the closed position of said covering part on the frame, cooperates with the elastic member, the hooking spout then being in the latched position

  with the finger of the cover piece.

  These combined means thus offer locking security which prevents the grid or plate, by virtue of its low weight, from being ejected from the frame during the passage of vehicles, while eliminating the clicking noises which may result from these passage of charges. rolling. The present invention also relates to a road part of the type comprising a covering part of generally polygonal shape cooperating with a support frame,

  said road part comprising the subject means

  weaving of the cover piece to the frame as defined above, namely at least one elastic member located in an open housing arranged in the middle region of one of the side faces of the frame, and a bar secured to the cover piece, which , in the closed position of

  said covering part on the frame, cooperates with the elastic member, at least one hooking spout secured to the side face opposite to that where said elastic member 35 is then in the snap-in position with a finger secured to the piece recovery.

  Other features and advantages will become apparent

  during the description which follows, given only to

  by way of nonlimiting example, made with reference to the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1 represents a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a road part of the type comprising a covering part supported by a frame, provided securing means according to the invention. Fig 2 is a sectional view along line II-II of the frame added with the elastic member according to Fig 1 which is superimposed an end view of the cover piece according to the embodiment of Fig 1 Fig 3 is a top view of the frame according

  the exemplary embodiment of FIG 1.

  Fig 4 is a sectional view along line IV-IV

in Fig 3.

  Fig 5 is a sectional view along line V-V of the frame according to Fig 3, added with the elastic member according to the embodiment of the

Fig 1.

  Fig 6 is a perspective view of the elastic member according to the embodiment of the

Fig 1.

  The road part shown in FIG. 1 consists of a frame 1 and a removable covering part forming a cover. For reasons of convenience, the covering part chosen for this particular embodiment is a hinged plane grid 2 Le frame 1 and grid 2 are both, in plan, of generally rectangular shape. The frame 1 (Fig 1 to 5) has a vertical skirt 3, provided at its periphery with a sole 4 intended to transmit

  loading and sealing the frame in the ground or on a support structure such as concrete for example.

  Two opposite lateral faces 5, 6 of the skirt 3, parallel to an axis XX located in the plane of the frame 1, each have, in close proximity to the top of a lateral face 7 of the skirt 3, perpendicular to the faces 6, 7 and parallel to an axis YY located in the plane of the frame 1, two enlargements 8 A, 8 B of the skirt 3, directed respectively

  inward and outward of frame 1, the widening

  the outer 8 B being longer than the internal enlargement 8 A. In each of these enlargements 8 A, 8 B is formed an opening 9 A, respectively 9 B, of longitudinal direction the axis YY, the opening 9 B of the enlargement 8 B being longer than the opening 9 A of the enlargement 8 A. These two openings 9 A, 9 B are opposite one another and have in section, as shown in FIG. 4 , a section having the general shape of a triangle with vertices

  rounded, thus revealing in its vertical part most internal to the frame 1 a substantially oblong vertical portion, and in its lowest part, a substantially oblong horizontal portion.

  The skirt 3 is terminated by a side face 10 opposite and parallel to the side face 7.

  The lateral face 10 comprises, at its ends, two hooking nozzles 11 projecting towards the inside of the frame 1, integral with the internal face of the top of the skirt 3 and having in section, considering FIG. 4, a double cam comprising an upper ramp 11 A inclined downwards, that is to say towards the base of the frame 1, and a lower ramp 11 B inclined upwards, that is to say towards the top of the frame 1 , the intersection of these two ramps 11 A and

  11 B defining a ridge line 12 parallel to the Y-Y axis.

  Each of the side faces 5, 6, 10 of the skirt 3 has in its central region, two support pads 13, in

  protruding towards the inside of the frame 1 and at higher reach 1435 parallel to the plane of the frame 1.

  Each of the side faces 5, 6 of the skirt 3 has, projecting towards the inside of the frame 1, two support studs with higher reach parallel to the plane of the frame, one of which is located near the end close to the lateral face 10, and therefore close to the spouts

  attachment 11, and the other 16 is located in the opposite corner.

  The support pads 16 are, at one end of their upper reach, secured to the lateral face 7 of the skirt 3, the upper face of their upper reach, parallel to the plane of the frame, being situated, considering FIG. 5, at a level lower than the openings 9 A, 9 B. The lateral face 7 has in its central region, and preferably centered, a support pad 17 with upper reach 18, the upper face 18 A and the lower face 18 B, considering Fig 5, are parallel to

frame plan 1.

  This upper reach 18 has, considering Figs 3 to 5, a centered recess 19, open towards the inside of the frame, of generally rectangular shape, thus dividing the upper reach 18 into two protuberances 20 A, 20 B connected together by a longitudinal branch 21, parallel to the YY axis, and integral

  with the lateral face 7 of the skirt 3.

  The lower face 18 B is extended at the inner ends of the protrusions 20 A, 20 B, parallel to the lateral face 7, by a lip 22 projecting vertically towards

the base of frame 1.

  The median region of the lateral face 7 is extended towards the inside of the frame 1 by a longitudinal protuberance 23, parallel to the plane of the frame, of generally rectangular shape secured to the inner face of the skirt 3 and coplanar with the sole 4 which, in considering Figs 3 to 5, is positioned between the protrusions 20 A and 20 B, that is to say under the recess 19, the ends inside the frame 1 and parallel to the face 7 of the protrusions 20 A, 20 B and outgrowth 23

  being located in the same vertical plane.

  The upper face of the protuberance 23 is extended in the median region of its end which is most internal to the frame 1, and parallel to the lateral face 7, by a lip 24 projecting vertically towards the top of the frame 1, this lip 24 being preferably centered with respect to the transverse ends 23 A and 23 B, parallel to the axis X-X, of the protrusion 23. The lips 22 and 24 are such that the upper face of the lip 24 is located at a more level lower than the face

lower lip 22.

  The underside of the support stud 17, the protrusions 20 A, 20 B of which are provided with a lip 22, and the upper face of the protuberance 23 provided with the lip 24, thus define, with the internal wall of the lateral face 7 of the skirt 3, an open housing 25 intended to receive, by cooperation, an elastic member 26 preferably constituted by an elastomer part In an alternative embodiment according to the invention, the member

  elastic 26 is constituted by a spring.

  Considering Fig 6, this elastic member 26 has the general shape of a rectangular parallelepiped having on the one hand, at its transverse ends, two upper notches 27 A, 27 B intended to cooperate respectively with the protrusions 20 A and 20 B each provided with their end lip 22, and on the other hand, at the base of a longitudinal end, a lower notch 27 C intended to cooperate with the lip 24 of the projection 23 When the elastic member 26 is positioned in its housing 25, its lower face rests partly on the upper face of the protrusion 23, and its upper face is placed in the recess 19, and this at a level between the lower face 18 B and the upper face 18 A of the upper staff 18; the vertical face of the elastic member 26 opposite to that where the lower notch 27 C is located is then positioned, by its apex, facing the longitudinal branch 21 of the support stud 17 The elastic member 26, by the particular arrangement of the lips 22 and 24 and of the parts supporting the said lips is thus trapped

  perfectly stable in its housing 25.

  The support pads 13, 15, 16 and 17, projecting towards the inside of the frame 1, are such that the upper faces of their upper bearing surfaces, parallel to the plane of the frame 1, are coplanar and thus constitute flat surfaces on which the grid 2, in the closed position, will come to bear. The grid 2, considering Figs 1 and 2, consists of a series of bars 28, parallel to the axis YY, and interconnected by at least two spacers 29, parallel to the axis XX, two of the spacers 29 resting in the closed position by their ends, on the flat upper surfaces of the support pads 13 and 17 of the side faces 10 and 7 of the frame 1 The bars 28, regularly spaced and ending in two bars 28 A, 28 B d end, are positioned in such a way that two of them rest, in the closed position, via their ends, on the flat upper surfaces of the support pads 13 of the faces

side 5 and 6 of frame 1.

  The end bar 28 A, located near the lateral face 10 of the frame 1, rests, in the closed position, by its ends, on the flat upper surfaces of the support pads 15 of the frame 1, each of its ends extending outwards from the grid,

  parallel to the axis X-X, by a finger 30 projecting downward, substantially perpendicular to the plane of the grid.

  Considering FIG. 2, the fingers 30 end, at their lower end, by a bead 31 comprising a ramp 31 A inclined downward, directed towards the outside of the grid 2, and a lower surface 31 B substantially parallel to the plane of the grid 2, the ramp 31 A being connected to the surface 31 B by means of a substantially rounded surface 31 C. The ramps 31 A of the fingers 30, whose inclination corresponds to that of the ramps 11 B of the attachment hooks 11 are located in the closed position opposite the attachment hooks 11 The end bar 28 B, located 8 near the side face 7 of the frame 1, rests, in the closed position, by its ends on the flat upper surface of the support studs 16 of the frame 1 and has, in its central region and preferably centered, a bar 32 of generally rectangular shape, parallel to the axis YY, projecting towards the bottom of the grid 2,

  substantially perpendicular to the plane of the latter.

  When the grid 2 rests on the frame 1, this bar 32 is positioned, in a centered manner, opposite the longitudinal end most internal to the frame 1 of the elastic member 26, its longitudinal dimension being less than the distance separating the two protrusions 20 A and 20 B, and its lower face 32 A lying above the upper face of the lip 24 of the protrusion 23 The ends of the bar 28 B project, parallel to the axis XX, towards the outside the grid 2, each of the two external faces of said bar 28 B, parallel to the axis XX, comprising a cylindrical pivot 33 A, respectively 33 B, projecting towards the outside of the grid, parallel to

the Y-Y axis.

  These two pivots 33 A and 33 B are coaxial, of different length, the pivot 33 A being shorter than the pivot 33 B, and are intended, when mounting the grid 2 on the frame 1, to be housed respectively in les25 openings 9 A and 9 B formed in the respective enlargements 8 A and 8 B of the frame 1, thus allowing the articulation of the grid 2 with respect to the frame 1; the length of the pivot 33 B is such that when it is fully inserted into the opening 9 B, the pivot 33 A is located outside the opening 9 A, and the diameter of these pivots 33 A, 33 B is such that these can undergo

  horizontal and vertical translational movements in the substantially oblong, respectively horizontal and vertical portions, of the respective openings 9 A and 9 B intended to receive them.

  With regard to the bar 28 B (FIG. 1), the end which is located, in the closed position of the grid 2, near the lateral face 6 of the frame 1 also extends in its part farthest from the lateral face 7 by a protrusion 34 directed towards the outside of the grid 2, parallel to the axis YY, which, in the closed position 5, is located opposite the internal face of the skirt 3, thus avoiding any possibility of accidental dislodging of pivot 33 A; this prominence 34 defines with the external cylindrical surface of the pivot 33 B a free space 35 in which can be accommodated the upper wall, of thickness E, of the widening 8 B. To mount the grid 2 in an articulated manner on the frame 1, the latter is presented perpendicularly to the plane of the frame and the pivot 33 B is introduced as far as possible into the opening 9 B, the latter being positioned in the upper part of the vertical oblong portion of the opening 9 B The pivot 33 A is then located opposite the upper part of the vertical oblong portion of the opening 9 A, that is to say, considering Fig 4, opposite the upper left space of the opening 9 A , the protuberance 34 then being situated above the widening 8 B, the thickness E of the upper wall of which is housed in the free space 35 comprised between the pivot 33 B and the protrusion 34. Then, maintaining the grid 2 in vertical position, we translate it horizontally so as to bring the pivot 33 A into the opening 9 A, the external face of the protrusion 34, parallel to the lateral face 6 of the frame 1, coming to be placed in a substantially vertical plane, adjacent to the plane containing the internal face of the side face 6 of the skirt 3 The grid 2 still maintained in a position perpendicular to the plane of the frame 1, the latter is then translated downwards, the pivots 33 A and 33 B thus being positioned in the lower part of the portion vertical oblong of the respective openings 9 A and 9 B, and the prominence 34 coming, by means of its external face parallel to the lateral face 6 of the frame 1, to be positioned opposite the upper wall of the enlargement 8 B. The grid 2 is thus in the open position, articulated relative to the frame 1 by means of the pivots 33 A and 33 B which constitute its axis of rotation. The locking of the grid 2 on its support frame consists firstly in lowering the latter, from the open position, by pivoting about its axis of rotation, and this until bringing the rounded surface 31 C of the bead 31 fingers 30 in contact with the upper ramp 11 A hooking spouts 11 of the frame 1, the strip 32 then being located opposite the member

elastic 26.

  To this end, by its rebate position of the skirt 3, the prominence 34 allows on the one hand to guide the grid 2 when it is positioned in the frame, preventing in particular any movement of the latter parallel to its axis of articulation. , and on the other hand allows, by its centering action, to properly maintain the bar 32 in

look of the elastic member 26.

  In a second step, to continue locking the grid 2, it then suffices to exert on the latter, a downward thrust, the bar 32 thus bearing on the elastic member 26 and gradually compressing the latter in its housing 25, and to maintain this thrust until the rounded surface 31 C of the bead 31, by sliding along the upper ramp 11 A of hooking nozzles 11, reaches then crosses the crest line 12 of the nozzles attachment 11, this crossing corresponding to the maximum compression rate of the elastic member 26 During this compression step, the pivots 33 A and 33 B move, towards the outside of the frame, by translation parallel to the plane of the frame 1 , along the substantially oblong horizontal portion of the respective openings 9 A and 9 B. Then, after having crossed the crest line 12, the bead 31, by progressive decompression of the elastic member 26, slides the lo ng of the lower ramp 11 B of the hooking spouts 11, and this until bringing the ramp 31 A of the fingers 30 in contact with said lower ramp 11 B, thus obtaining a snap-in position of the fingers 30 with the hanging spouts 11 which corresponds to the final locked position During this decompression step, the pivots 33 A and 33 B move, by translation parallel to the plane of the frame 1, in the opposite direction to that described in the previous compression step In the final position locking, that is to say in the closed position of the grid 2, the bar 32 bears on the elastic member 26 and thus maintains the latter under slight compression This preload of the elastic member 26 makes it possible to cushion and absorb any movement of the grid 2 in the rebate of the frame 1, in particular when passing rolling loads, and consequently avoids

  clicking or flapping noises that may result.

  To unlock the grid 2, it suffices to introduce a bar between two adjacent bars 28 and to exert a lever force. The bar 32 then compresses the elastic member 26, thus allowing the surface 31 C of the bead 31 to cross the crest line 12 of the attachment nozzles 11, the elastic member 26 then returning to its rest position, that is to say in the uncompressed state As can easily be understood, this disassembly cannot

not happen accidentally.

  Alternatively, to make unlocking the grid even more difficult, the attachment ramps 11 B and 31 A, intended to cooperate together, can be replaced by horizontal surfaces. The embodiment which has just been described relates to an articulated grid, but it is however possible to envisage a solution o a flat or concave grid, or a cover plate, rests in a non-articulated manner on a support frame In this case the pivots 33 A, 33 B can, for example, be replaced by a latching system of the type comprising fingers secured to the grid or plate, intended to come to be snapped by cooperation with attachment hooking spouts of the skirt of the frame, at least one elastic member, positioned in a housing of said frame provided for this purpose, offering advantages

  identical to those mentioned above.

Claims (8)

  1. Means intended to removably secure a covering part (2) of generally polygonal shape to a frame (1) cooperating with said part, characterized in that said means comprise at least one elastic member (26) positioned in a housing open (25) arranged in the middle region of one of the side faces of the frame, at least one hooking spout (11) secured to the side face of the frame opposite to that where the elastic member is located, a finger (30 ), integral with the covering part, the lower end of which has a bead (31) adapted to snap into place by cooperation with said hooking spout, and a bar (32), integral with the part, which, in position for closing said covering part on the frame, cooperates with the elastic member, the hooking beak (11) then being in the latched position with the finger (30) of the cover piece.   2. Means according to claim 1, characterized in that the hooking beak (11), integral with the internal face of the top of the skirt (3) of the frame (1), has a double cam comprising an upper ramp (11 A), inclined towards the base of the frame, and a lower ramp (11 B), inclined towards the top of the frame, the intersection of these two ramps defining a crest line (12). 3. Means according to claim 1, characterized in   that the elastic member (26) is an elastomer part.   4. Means according to claim 1, characterized in   that the elastic member (26) is a spring.   5. Means according to claim 1, characterized in that the bead (31) of the finger (30) comprises a ramp (31 A), inclined downwards, directed towards the outside of the covering part (2), and a lower surface (31 B) substantially parallel to the plane of said covering part (2), said inclined ramp being connected to said lower surface by means of a surface substantially rounded (31 C).   6. Means according to claims 1, 2 and 5,   characterized in that the inclination of the ramp (31 A) of the finger (30) corresponds to that of the ramp (11 B) of the spout attachment (11).   7 Means according to claim 1, characterized in that the bar (32) projects downwards from the covering part (2), substantially perpendicular to the plane of the latter. 8. Street part of the type comprising a covering part (2) of generally polygonal shape cooperating with a frame (1) support, characterized in that it comprises   securing means according to any one of claims 1 to 7, with at least one elastic member (26) located in an open housing (25) arranged in the middle region15 of one of the side faces of the frame, and a bar ( 32), integral with the covering part which, in   closed position of said covering part on the frame, cooperates with the elastic member, at least one hooking spout (11) secured to the side face opposite to that where said elastic member is then in the latched position with a finger (30) secured to the part of recovery.