FR2818677A1 - Fastener e.g. for grooved decking boards has central cylinder for board edges to fit against and radial arms to engage with grooves - Google Patents

Abstract

The fastener, designed to fit into a gap between two adjacent decking boards (L1, L2) with grooved edges (B1, B2) and fix them to a supporting structure, has a central cylindrical portion (5) with a hole for a fixing screw (V) that fits between the boards, and two radial arms (3, 4) that engage with the grooves and can be rotated to align with the gap. The shape of the board grooves and fastening arms are such that the tips of the arms reach the inner walls of the grooves in the fixing position, but the thickness of the arms is slightly less than the height (W) of the grooves.

Description

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System for fixing boards, in particular terrace boards, fixing part used in this system, and board adapted to this system
The present invention relates to a system for fixing boards, in particular deck boards. It also relates to a fixing part used in this system, as well as a blade adapted to this system.

 To make a terrace from wooden slats, a support structure is generally made by means of a set of joists placed on the ground and regularly spaced using transverse elements. We then place on these joists a set of blades made of materials such as wood and arranged parallel to each other, each blade being separated from the adjacent blades by an interstitial space which is generally sought to minimize especially for aesthetic reasons.

 There are already several blade fastening systems for making terraces, which use fastening pieces arranged in interstitial spaces to connect two adjacent slats and themselves fixed by screwing to support joists.

 Document FR2747409 thus discloses a device for fixing wooden floors to the exterior, comprising a main anchoring part in the shape of a U, the ends of which are oriented towards the outside in the form of tongues. This anchor has at its base a group of four perforations distributed in two rectangular perforations at its ends and two circular perforations at its center.

 There are also devices for fixing floorboards using fixing wedges inserted between two adjacent boards and provided with a hole to receive a fixing screw to a

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 support beam or support slat. These fixing blocks also provide a function of maintaining a regular spacing between the blades.

 These aforementioned fixing devices have the disadvantage of not allowing easy replacement of a blade within an already installed floor.

lames et des languettes étant fixées à une paroi ou à un plafond par des lattes. Ces lattes sont pourvues de supports auxquels des plaques de verrouillage comportant deux bras sont fixées par des vis. En dévissant ces vis et en effectuant une rotation de 90 degrés des plaques de verrouillage, il est possible d'engager les bras de chaque plaque dans les rainures des lames. Les plaques de verrouillage sont situées derrière les languettes qui sont pourvues de trous pour permettre le passage d'un tournevis pour visser ou dévisser les vis de fixation des plaques de verrouillage, à des fins d'assemblage ou de désassemblage de lames. Document DE3534987 discloses a blade fastening system comprising grooves on their two edges, these blades being assembled to the adjacent blades by tabs, all of the

slats and tongues being fixed to a wall or a ceiling by slats. These slats are provided with supports to which locking plates comprising two arms are fixed by screws. By unscrewing these screws and rotating the locking plates 90 degrees, it is possible to engage the arms of each plate in the grooves of the blades. The locking plates are located behind the tabs which are provided with holes to allow the passage of a screwdriver to screw or unscrew the fixing screws of the locking plates, for assembly or disassembly of the blades.

 However, in order to be able to rotate the locking plates and possibly disassemble blades, it is necessary to provide sufficient space between said blades. This space is filled by the tongue which at the same time serves as a spacer between two adjacent blades. The disassembly of a blade is therefore hampered by the presence of this tongue which constitutes a continuous connection between the two blades.

 The object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a system for fixing blades allowing easy assembly and disassembly of blades from a floor, which is simpler in design than the above system and does not require the use of tabs to adjust adjacent blades. Another object of the invention is to minimize the interstitial space between adjacent blades.

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 This objective is achieved with a system for fixing blades on a support structure, these blades having on their two longitudinal edges a groove, this system comprising fixing parts intended to be arranged in the interstitial spaces between two adjacent blades, each part fixing comprising a central part designed to receive a screw for fixing to the base structure and two arms extending perpendicularly to the central part, so that, in a first angular position of fixing, said arms are engaged respectively in two grooves of two adjacent blades, and in a second angular disassembly position, said arms are substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges of the two adjacent blades.

 According to the invention, the edges of two adjacent blades come into abutment against the central part of cylindrical outer shape of each fastener whatever the angular position of said fastener, and in that the grooves of said blades and the arms said fasteners respectively have a depth and a length adapted so that, in the angular fastening position, the ends of said arms of said fastener extend substantially to the bottom of said grooves.

 The proposed fastening system also has the advantage of allowing the disassembly of one or more floorboards in a completely isolated and independent manner without having to disassemble neighboring boards. Thus, it can be more easily replaced or maintenance of said blade.

 Preferably, the arms of each fastener have a thickness substantially less than the height of each groove.

 The arms of each fastening piece may advantageously have a width substantially equal to or less than the outside diameter of the cylindrical central part.

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When this system is implemented for a set of blades bordered by banks, each bank then comprises, on an edge intended to be disposed opposite a grooved edge of a blade, a longitudinal groove adapted to receive linkage arms.

 According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a fixing piece between two blades arranged on a support structure, implemented in a fixing system according to the invention, comprising a hollow central part designed to receive a screw. fixing of said fixing piece at a point of said support structure, and two arms extending from said central part, this fixing piece being able to be placed in a first angular fixing position in which said arms are engaged in grooves provided in the edges of two longitudinal blades or in a second angular disassembly position in which said arms are arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges of said blades, characterized in that the central part has a cylindrical outer shape whose outer diameter determines the distance between two adjacent blades, and in that the arms have a width significantly smaller than said outside diameter.

 This fixing piece advantageously comprises on its upper part at least one slot arranged diametrically and adapted to receive a tool for rotating.

à la face supérieure de ladite pièce de fixation. Ce logement central présente par exemple une forme intérieure sensiblement tronconique. Par ailleurs, les bras présentent de préférence une extrémité de forme arrondie. In a preferred embodiment, the central part comprises a central housing arranged to receive the head of a fixing screw so that the upper face of said head is set back relative to

to the upper face of said fixing piece. This central housing has for example a substantially frustoconical interior shape. Furthermore, the arms preferably have a rounded end.

 The fasteners according to the invention are advantageously made of a plastic material, for example of copolymer acetal.

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 According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a blade intended to be fixed to a support structure so as to produce a floor with use of the fixing system according to the invention, characterized in that it comprises on each of its edges a groove configured to receive an arm of a fixing piece comprising a central part fixed at a point of the support structure located between two adjacent blades.

 Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description of a mode of implementation in no way limiting, and the appended drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a wooden plank floor in which the fixing system according to the invention is implemented; - Figure 2 is a top view of a fastener according to the invention; - Figure 3 illustrates the two characteristic angular positions for fasteners according to the invention; - Figure 4 illustrates the rotation action exerted on a fastener according to the invention; - Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of an edge and an adjacent blade according to the invention; and, - Figure 6 is a sectional view and a top view of another embodiment of a fastener.

 We will now describe, with reference to the aforementioned figures, an example of implementation of the fixing system according to the invention, together with fixing parts and wooden blades adapted for this system.

 The floor shown in the figures mainly consists of wooden slats L1, L2 resting on the wooden joists S. The role of the joists is to provide support for the floorboards, separated from the surface to be dressed, here a floor of a terrace. So the

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 joists allow to absorb any irregularities in the floor, avoid fixing the boards in the floor at the risk of damaging them or offer a fixing that too loose soil does not always allow and also provide space between the boards and the floor for the drainage of rainwater.

 Each floorboard has a substantially rectangular section. It includes an underside of supports on the joists, a surface for walking on, two longitudinal edges B, and ends defining the useful length of the blade.

 Two adjacent blades L1 and L2 respectively comprise longitudinal edges B1 and B2 facing each other. These edges are arranged substantially parallel, mainly for aesthetic reasons. The edges B1 and B2 are spaced by a distance d which is substantially constant.

permet l'écoulement des eaux de pluie entre les lames puis sous les lames du plancher. In the case of an outdoor terrace space E between edges B1 and B2

allows rainwater to flow between the boards and then under the floor boards.

 Besides the geometrical characteristics already mentioned, the blades also include, in their longitudinal edges B, grooves R. These grooves extend over the entire length of each of the edges of a blade; they have a rectangular section of height W, depth P and at an elevation H from the underside of a blade. For the same floor, the slats are made so that the values of height W, depth P and elevation H are substantially constant for all the slats.

 The blades are thus fixed to the joists by fixing pieces F. Such a piece has the general shape of the lette T and comprises a central part 5 and two arms 4 and 3 extending in opposite directions from one end of the central part, perpendicular to the latter. The central part is cylindrical with a diameter equal to the desired distance d between the floorboards. The part is pierced, along the axis X of the central part, with a housing 1 designed to receive

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une vis de fixation V. Ce logement comprend un épaulement 6 pour l'appui de la tête de la vis V. Dans l'exemple représenté à la figure 1, la vis étant du type dit"à tête fraisée" !'épaulement est tronconique. Une extrémité de la partie centrale, appelée base est axialement opposée à l'extrémité où prennent naissance les bras 3,4, appelée face supérieure. Une pièce de fixation peut être disposée à chaque intersection entre une lambourde avec l'espace E entre deux lames adjacentes.

a fixing screw V. This housing includes a shoulder 6 for the support of the head of the screw V. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the screw being of the so-called "countersunk head" type! the shoulder is frustoconical . One end of the central part, called the base, is axially opposite the end where the arms 3,4 arise, called the upper face. A fixing piece can be placed at each intersection between a joist with the space E between two adjacent boards.

que la distance de la base à la sous-face des bras est au moins égale à l'élévation H de la rainure. Les bras 3,4 sont conçus pour pénétrer le plus profondément possible à l'intérieur des rainures afin d'assurer un bon maintien des lames. When the part is in the fixing position (see FIG. 1) it is arranged between 2 adjacent blades 11, L2 so that the facing edges B1, B2 are in contact with the central part of the part, which serves as spacer to the blades, the arms 3, 4 are oriented perpendicular to said longitudinal edges and penetrate respectively into the grooves R12 and R21 respective of the edges B1 and B2. The thickness of the arms is thus provided at most equal to the height W of the grooves and the length of each arm at most equal to the depth P of said grooves. The base 7 is designed to rest on the support, here a joist S, that is to say

that the distance from the base to the underside of the arms is at least equal to the elevation H of the groove. The arms 3, 4 are designed to penetrate as deeply as possible inside the grooves in order to ensure good support of the blades.

 In order to allow the expansion of a blade, the dimensional characteristics of the blades and of the fastening parts are defined to leave sufficient play around an arm 3, 4 in a groove. Avoid for example the pinching of a blade between the underside of an arm and a joist. In order to allow the rotation of the part F around the axis X, for example from an angular position of fixing towards an angular position of dismantling, the ends of the arms have a rounded shape such that no point of said end is distant by a distance greater than P + 1 / 2d from said X axis.

 The disassembly position is a position for a fixing piece F01, F12, F23 in which the arms are arranged in parallel

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at the longitudinal edges of the adjacent boards (see Figure 3). The width Z of the arms of a fastener being at most equal to the distance d between two adjacent blades L1, L2, the arms of a part in the disassembly position do not enter a groove and do not prevent disassembly or the reassembly of one of the blades L1, L2.

A slot (2) is arranged on the upper face of the central part of the fixing piece F. This slot extends diametrically on either side of the housing for the screw V. It is adapted to receive a setting tool in rotation of the part, for example a screwdriver T (see Figure 4). The shoulder 6 for the head of the screw V is arranged so that the head of the fixing screw is set back from the upper face of the part and does not hinder the introduction of the screwdriver T into the slot (2). A part being fixed but not blocked by a screw V on a joist S, it can be rotated around its axis X using the screwdriver T. It can in particular be rotated from an angular position of fixation to an angular position disassembly, or vice versa.

 We will now describe a bank with reference to Figure 5 only in that it differs from a blade.

 The fixing part illustrated in FIG. 6 has recesses 9 in the arms 3 and 4 which have the advantage of reducing the volume of material necessary for the manufacture of said part as well as its unit weight.

 As an edge LR is generally adjacent to only one blade, it has only one longitudinal grooved edge B3. An opposite longitudinal edge B4 includes a heel 8 whose thickness is equal to the thickness of a joist.

 Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples which have just been described and numerous modifications can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention.

 Also, the boards and the joists can be in a material other than wood. They can also be fixed against a support to

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 dress, for example a floor, a wall or a ceiling, with or without joists.

Claims (14)

 1. System for fixing blades (L1, L2) on a support structure (S), these blades comprising on two longitudinal edges (B, B1, B2, B3) a longitudinal groove (R, R12, R21), this system comprising fixing parts (F) intended to be arranged in the interstitial spaces (E) between two adjacent blades, each fixing part comprising a central part (5) intended to receive a fixing screw (V) to the basic structure (S) and two arms (3,4) extending perpendicularly to the central part, so that, in a first angular fixing position, said arms are engaged respectively in two grooves of two adjacent blades, and in a second angular disassembly position, said arms are substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges of the two adjacent blades, characterized in that the edges of two adjacent blades abut against the central part of cylindrical outer shape of each pi this fixing whatever the angular position of said fixing piece, and in that the grooves of said blades and the arms of said fixing pieces have respectively a depth and a length adapted so that, in the angular fixing position, the ends of said arms of said fastener extend substantially to the bottom of said grooves. 2. Fastening system according to claim 1, characterized in that the arms (3,4) of each fixing part (F) have a thickness substantially less than the height (W) of each groove. 3. Fastening system according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the arms (3,4) of each fastening part have a <Desc / Clms Page number 11>  width (Z) substantially less than the outside diameter of the cylindrical central part (5). 4. Fastening system according to any one of the preceding claims, implemented for a set of blades bordered by banks (R), characterized in that each bank comprises, on an edge (B3) provided to be arranged in screws with respect to a grooved edge (B) of a blade, a longitudinal groove adapted to receive arms (3) of connecting pieces (F). 5. Fastening piece (F) between two blades arranged on a support structure (S), used in a fastening system according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a hollow central part (5) designed to receive a fixing screw (V) of said fixing piece at a point of said support structure, and two arms (3,4) extending from said central part, this fixing piece being able to be placed in a first angular position fixing in which said arms are engaged in grooves (R) provided in the longitudinal edges (B) of two blades (L1, L2) or in a second angular disassembly position in which said arms are arranged substantially parallel to the edges of said blades , characterized in

 that the central part has a cylindrical outer shape whose outer diameter (d) determines the distance between two adjacent blades, and that the arms have a width (Z) substantially equal to or less than said outer diameter. 6. Fastening piece (F) according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises on its upper part at least one slot (2) arranged diametrically and adapted to receive a tool for rotating (T). <Desc / Clms Page number 12>

7. Fastening piece according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the central part comprises a central housing (1) arranged to receive the head of a fixing screw (V) so that the upper face of said head is set back relative to the upper face of said fixing piece. 8. Fastening piece according to claim 7, characterized in that the central housing (1) has an interior shape (6) substantially frustoconical. 9. Fastening piece according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the arms have a rounded end. 10. Fastening piece according to any one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that it is made of a plastic material. 11. Fastening piece according to claim 10, characterized in that it is made of acetal copolymer. 12. Blade (L1, L2) intended to be fixed to a support structure (S) so as to produce a floor with use of the fixing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises on each of its longitudinal edges (B) a groove (R) configured to receive an arm (3,4) of a fixing piece comprising a central part (5) fixed at a point of the support structure located between two adjacent blades (L1, L2). 13. Application of the fixing system according to one of claims 1 to 4, for the production of a floor for a terrace. <Desc / Clms Page number 13>  14. Application of the fixing system according to one of claims 1 to 4, for the production of a wall.