GB2119054A

GB2119054A - Profile-bar clamping connector

Info

Publication number: GB2119054A
Application number: GB08310229A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Siegfried Zoller
Original assignee: Exibelco GmbH
Current assignee: Exibelco GmbH
Priority date: 1982-04-26
Filing date: 1983-04-15
Publication date: 1983-11-09
Also published as: IT8367451A0; ES271660U; GB8310229D0; DE3312757A1; FR2527278A1; IT8353251V0

Abstract

The clamping connector is designed for making frictional connections which can be made and removed quickly between hollow profiles of columns (30) and crossmembers (2) and consists of a connector lock (1) which can be pushed into the receiving space of the crossmember profile (2) and anchored therein. The connector lock (1) consists essentially of a lock housing (3) which is bent in the form of a U from flat steel and the legs of which can be spread resiliently and are provided at their free ends with an engagement fork (7) which is intended to engage through a longitudinal groove into the interior (34) of the hollow profile (30) of the column and to make a hook-in connection there. The free end of the housing is spread by means of a spreader element (8), the front end (9) of which is driven in the form of a wedge into the engagement fork (7) on the lock housing (3). The hollow profile (2) of the crossmember is tightened against the column profile (30) by means of a cam member (11), the axis of rotation (A-A) of which is fixed locally by a reference hub (24) mounted rotatably in a side wall (2') of the crossmember profile (2). The cam member (11) also contains a pair of first cam hubs (27) by means of which the crossmember (2) can be engaged frictionally with the column profile (30), and a second cam hub (28) by means of which the spreader element (8) is driven into the engagement fork (7) at the front end of the lock housing (3) and is retained firmly therein. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Profile-bar clamping connector The present invention relates to a profile-bar clamping connector according to the pre-characterizing clause of patent claim 1, especially a clamping connector clampable as a result of a cam effect for connecting crossmember elements at right angles to column profiles with longitudinal slits preferably extending over at least some of the length of the column profile and undercut in the column interior.

German Offenlegungsschrift 2,941,008 describes a device for the rectangular connection of profile bars of the type mentioned, in which there are coupling parts which project from the end faces of crossmember elements and which can be brought by means of a cam disk out of a forward position of rest ready for assembly into a working position in which the coupling parts are engaged frictionally as a result of spreading with an undercut receiving groove in a mating profile bar, for example a column profile having longitudinal slits.Although such a clamping connector permits rapid connection and release of two profile bars as a result of simple rotation of the cam disc by means of a tool, nevertheless a disadvantage is that to secure a flush clamping engagement the cam disc may not be rotated into the locking dead-center position, and spreading is achieved by means of a wedge member which is connected firmly to the crossmember and on the sloping face of which are supported the coupling parts in the blocking position. As a result, the clamping connectionis not vibration-proof, that is to say it can loosen by itself when knocks or vibrations occur at the clamping point.

The object of the present invention is to provide a profile-bar clamping connector of the type in question, in which, by the use of a rapidly blocking cam member, on the one hand a pair of hooked plates making the frictional connection between the profile bars to be connected is brought into its clamping position, and on the other hand a spreader element movable under control by the cam member is introduced as a blocking member between the pair of hooked plates, the blocking member fixing both the cam member and the pair of hooked plates in their working position. Moreover, it will be possible to produce the clamping connector predominantly from components which can be shaped by stamping and bending.

This object is achieved according to the invention in the way designed by the characterizing features of patent claim 1. Preferred embodiments emerge from the dependent claims.

An exemplary embodiment of the profile-bar clamping connector according to the invention is described below with reference to the drawing in which: Figure 1 shows, in perspective and partially in section, a lock of a profile-bar clamping connector designed according to the invention, Figures 2a, b and c show the hooked-plate housing of the connector lock according to Figure 1 respectively in a side view (a), a plan view (b) and a section (c) along the line c-c in Figure 2a, Figure 3a, b and c show the spreader element of the connector lock according to Figure 1 respectively in a side view (a), a plan view (b) and a section (c) along the line c-c in Figure 3a, Figure 4 shows the cam member of the connector lock according to Figure 1 in a front and side view, approximately on the same scale as the components in Figures 2a-c and 3a-c, Figure 5 shows the cam member according to Figure 4 on a larger scale, in a front view and a sectional representation, and Figures 6a, b and c show the connector lock according to Figure 1, built into the connection end of a crossmember connector in three stages of assembly during connection to a profile column.

In the drawing, 1 denotes, in general, a connector lock which is intended to be pushed into the end portion of a crossmember support 2 according to Figures 6a-c and is to be anchored there. The crossmember support 2 is appropriately a hollow profile with a rectangular or square cavity portion 2.1 for guiding and centering the connector lock 1.

According to Figures 1 to 5, the connector lock 1 consists essentially of a housing 3 which is bent from a flat metal strip and contains two elongate hooked plates 4, 5, the rearward ends of which are connected to one another by means of a spring web 6 and which have an engagement fork 7 at the front ends; it also consists of a spreader element, for example made of steel strip, retained displaceably between the hooked plates 4, 5 and designated below as a spreader plate 8, with a forward forked toothing 9 and a rearward guide member in the form of a guide web 10; itfurtherconsists of a cam part 11 which is intended to produce a relative displacement between the connector lock 1 and the crossmember support 2, on the one hand, and between the lock housing 3 and the spreader plate 8, on the other hand.For reasons which will become clear in the explanation of assembly and operation, the hooked plate 4 is also provided with an offset 4.1, resulting in a rearward wider housing portion 3.1 and a front narrower housing portion 3.2.

The two hooked plates 4,5 each contain in their side face a slot orifice 12 which are both aligned exactly with one another and are designed as cam engagement zones, as explained in more detail below. The spring web 6 is provided with a throughorifice 13 for the guide web 10 at the rearward end of the spreader plate 8, the front end of which is retained in the engagement fork 7.

It is to be understood that another form of guide member 10 on the spreader element 8 will require a different guide means on spring web 6.

In its form shown in Figures 1 and 2, the engagement fork 7 has, at the two front ends of the hooked plates 4, 5, first a pincer portion 14, 14' bent inwards at approximately 45 , then a clamping portion 15 extending approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis, and finally a hooked portion 16 directed outwards. The engagement fork 7 is also designed so that the hooked plate 4 is provided with a central recess 17 which extends inwards in the longitudinal direction of the plate 4 approximately up to the start of the bend of the pincer portion 14, so that two outer claws 19 are obtained on the hooked plate 4.

On the other hand, the hooked plate 5 possesses a complementary pincer portion 14' which is provided with notches 20 instead of the outer claws 19 and with an inner claw 21 instead of the center recess 17.

The recess 17 and the inner claw 21 have movement play. The clamping portion 15 and the hooked portion 16 on the pincer portion 14' are made symmetrical to the respective parts of the pincer portion 14.

The toothing 9 of the spreader plate 8 mounted displaceably between the hooked plates 4, 5 is provided, in a similar way to the design of the engagement fork 7, with two outer teeth 9.1 and an inner tooth 9.2 which are spaced from one another by slits 18. The outer teeth 9.1 lie in the physical plane of the spreader plate 8, and the inner tooth 9.2 is deflected out of the body axis approximately by the amount of the material thickness over a moderately long spreading region so as to run parallel, in such a way that bearing faces 9.1 9.2' on the inner side of the tooth are formed and, in a way explained later, make it possible to provide, together with the clamping portion 15 of the engagement fork 7, a safeguard against slipping between the lock housing 3 and the spreader plate 8.Both the outer teeth 9.1 and the inner tooth 9.2 are provided respectively with 30 bevels 22 which face one another. Like the hooked plates 4, 5, the spreader plate 8 also contains a slot orifice 23 designed as a cam engagement zone.

If the spreading jaws 9 are structurally differing from the shown forked teeth 9.1 and 9.2, then round contours may be used instead of the 30 bevels.

The cam part 11 shown in various forms of representation in Figures 1,4, 5, and 6 has three characteristic zones, namely 1) a reference hub 25 which fixes the cam part 11 in a reference bore 24 in one side wall 2' of the crossmember support 2 (Figure 6a-c) in respect of its axis of rotation equal to the center axis A-A and with which a hexagonal spanner bore 26 is aligned centrally; 2) two cam hubs 27 which fix the longitudinal displacement of the connector lock 1 or the lock housing 3 relative to the crossmember support 2 as a function of the rotary position of the cam part 11 and are aligned exactly with one another and which engage into the slot orifices 12 in the hooked plates 4,5; and 3) a central cam hub 28 which fixes the longitudinal displacement of the spreader plate 8 both relative to the crossmember support 2 and relative to the lock housing 3 as a function of the rotary position of the cam part 11 and which engages into the slot orifice 23 in the spreader plate 8.

The eccentricity of the hub 28 is displaced 1800 relative to that of the hubs 27. The cam hubs 27 and 28 are cylindrical bodies with the same diameter as the reference hub 25, their axes extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the reference hub 25. In addition, the axes of ali three hubs lie in the same plane.

As a result of this design of the cam part and the dimensions adopted for the slot orifices 12 and 23 so that the cam hubs 27 and 28 can be inserted freely through them, it is possible to prefabricate the lock housing 3, the spreader plate 8 and the cam part 11 as a push-in unit. Whereas because of the offset 4.1 of the hooked plate 4 only the rear housing portion 3.1 engages into the cavity 2.1 of the crossmember support 2 so as to fill the cross-section of the latter to its full extent, when the pre-assembled connector lock 1 is pushed in the cam part 11 can be pressed inwards counter to a flat spring 29 until the reference hub 25 is approximately flush with the surface of the hooked plate 5. This is possible in the position of the components according to Figure 6a.Because the flat spring 29 is applied against the opposing wall of the cross member cavity, sufficient space remains to allow the completed connector lock to be introduced perfectly. As soon as the reference hub 25 reaches the reference bore 24 when pushed in, it snaps into the bore under spring pressure, and the connector lock is anchored in the crossmember support 2.

pressing the reference hub 25 inwards in the position of the cam part according to Figure 6a it can be removed again.

So as to have practical definitions availableforthe cam hubs 27 and 28 in the following functional description, these are designated below by housing hub 27 and spreader-plate hug 28.

Figures 6a-c illustrate three stages in the connection of the end, provided with a connector lock according to Figure 1, of a horizontal crossmember support 2 to a tubular supporting column 30, at least one vertical longitudinal face 31 of which can be used as a contact face for frictional engagement with the end face 32 of the crossmember support 2. The longitudinal face 31 is provided with a vertical longitudinal groove 33 through which the engagement fork 7 at the front end of the connector lock 1 can be introduced into the cavity portion 34.

In all the Figures 6a-c, the position of the cam hubs is indicated above the main figure, in each case Z denoting the center of rotation of the reference hub 25, Z' denoting the center of the housing hub 27 and Z" denoting the center of the spreader-plate hub 28.

The cam diagrams show that the radius of movement of the spreader-plate hub 28 relative to the center of rotation Z of the reference hub 25 is less than the radius of movement of the housing hub 27.

This means, among other things, that the forward and backward displacement of the spreader plate 8 during rotation of the cam part 11 is less than the particular associated path of movement of the lock housing 3. In the assembly stage shown in Figure 6a, the cam hubs 27,28 are in their "neutral" position, that is to say they are located above one another displaced 1800 relative to one another as regards the sheet plane. The engagement fork 7 on the connector lock 1 is inserted into the longitudinal groove 33 of the supporting column 30, and the end face 32 of the cross-member support 2 rests next to the longitudinal face 31 or against this. There is essentially approximate alignment between the supporting column 30 and the cross-member support 2.

Now when the cam part 11 is brought into an approximately 450 middle position according to Figure 6b as a result of rotation to the right (Arrow B) by means of a hexagonal turning tool 35 (spanner, ratchet, etc.), then, on the one hand, the lock housing 3 moves to the right in relation to the end 32 of the crossmember support as a result of the engagement of the housing hubs 27 on the slots 12 in the side walls of the housing, as a result of which the hooked portions 16 move nearertothe inner wall ofthe profile in the cavity portion 34 of the supporting column 30. On the other hand, and at the same time, the spreader plate 8 also moves to the left relative to the lock housing 3 and to the end 32 of the crossmember support as a result of the engagement of the spreader-plate hub 28 on the slot 23.During this time, the 30"C bevels 22 of the fork toothing 9 come in contact with the respective inner wall faces of the pincer portions 14, 14' and force the claws 19, 21 of the engagement fork 7 apart from one another as a result of the opposing movements of the lock housing 3 and the spreader plate 8. Thus, the hooked portions 16 begin to engage behind the inner wall of the supporting-column profile, so that the engagement fork 7 and consequently the crossmember support 2 can now no longer be removed from the supporting column 30. The momentforfinal alignment of the crossmember support 2 on the supporting column 30 has arrived.

As a result of further rotation of the cam part 11 to the right (arrow C) by means of the hexagonal turning tool 35 into a maximum 900 end position according to Figure 6c, the positive and frictional engagement between the supporting column 30 and the crossmember support 2 is achieved. During this time, the lock housing 3 has been drawn to the right by the cam hubs 27 until the end 32 of the crossmember support is tightened flush against the surface 31 of the supporting column by means of the hooked portions 16. At the same time, the spreader plate 8 has been pushed to the left until its spreading jaws 9 has now penetrated into the groove 33 in the supporting column.The inner faces 9.1', 9.2' (Figure 3c) facing one another and lying practically in the same plane now form a frictional lock together with the rearfaces 15' in the clamping portion 15 (Figures 2a and 2b) of the engagement fork 7. This frictional lock guarantees automatically that even when the cam part 11 is not rotated completely into the 90 dead-center position no loosening of the clamping engagement can arise as a result of knocks or vibrations between the supporting column 30 and the crossmember support 2.

When the spreading jaws 9 on the spreader plate 8 penetrates into the groove 33 in the supporting column, this causes approximate centering of the engagement fork 7 in this groove. Since an increase in width also occurs at the front part of the lock housing 3 during spreading of the engagement fork 7, as a result of which approximately the same width preferably results in the bending region 14.1 (Figure 6c) of the pincer portions 14, 14' as on the side of the spring web 6, there also arises between the connector lock 1 and the inner wall of the crossmember support 2 a centering effect which is fully sufficient for profile connections of the type illustrated. In this way, rapid and secure assembly can be achieved without substantial lateral alignment of the crossmember support 2 relative to the longitudinal face 3 of the column.

Whilst the exempiary embodiment described above shows the clamping connector or the connector lock 1 applied to a polygonal supporting column 30 with a plane connection face 31 and a crossmember support 2 also with a plane end face 32, it goes without saying that the clamping connector according to the invention can also be used for connections of round columns to the end faces of crossmember supports having an appropriately concave profile. It is essential that the column profile should have a groove 33 suitable for the passage of the engagement fork 7, and a sufficiently large receiving space 34 for receiving the engagement fork, and that the crossmember profile should have a cavity 2.1 for pushing in and retaining in a rotation-proof manner the connector lock 1 and a side wall in which the reference hub 25 can be arranged so as to be accessible from outside.

Claims

1. Profile-bar clamping connector for making a clamping connection between two hollow profiles (2,30) which are essentially at right angles to one another and one hollow profile (30) of which is provided with a surface portion (21) of regular shape and with a longitudinal groove (33) leading radially from this into the profile interior, whilst the other hollow profile (2) has a longitudinally oriented cavity (2.1) of at least approximately rectangular crosssection for receiving a connector lock (1), has a side wall for attaching an anchoring device (24) and has an access orifice for actuating the connector lock (1), wherein the connector lock (1) consists essentially of the following components:: - a lock housing (3) composed of two approximately parallel elongate plates (4,5) which are connected to one another in the form of a U at one end via a spring web (6) and from the side walls of the housing and the other end of which is designed as a clamping region (7) with spreadable claw members (19,21) engaging in one another in the manner of a fork, - a plate-shaped elongate spreader element (8) which extends between the housing plates (4, 5) and can be introduced under control between the spreadable claw members (19,21) and one end (10) of which is mounted displaceably in the spring web (6) of the lock housing (3) and the other end (9) of which is designed as specifically arranged spreading jaws (9.1,9.2) to be engaged on the claw members (19,21), and - a cam part (11) with a specific reference hub (24) to be engaged into the anchoring device (24) in the side wall of the second hollow profile (2) and fixing the axis of rotation (A-A) of the cam part (11), a pair of first cam hubs (27) engaging into cam guide orifices (12) in the plates (4, 5) forming the side walls of the housing, for producing a relative axial movement of the lock housing (3) within the second hollow profile (2), and a second cam hub (28) engaging into a cam orifice (23) in the spreader element (8), for producing a relative axial movement between the lock housing (3) and the spreader element (8).

2. Profile-bar clamping connector according to claim 1, wherein the reference hub (25) and the first and second cam hubs (27, 28) possess a cylindrical shape, the reference hub (25) is provided with an actuating device (26), and the centers (Z', Z") of the first and second cam hubs (27, 28) are located on opposite sides of the center of the reference hub (25) and are displaced 180 relative to one another.

3. Profile-bar clamping connector according to claim 2, wherein the distances between the centers of the first and second cam hubs (27, 28) are of unequal size in relation to the center of the reference hub (25).

4. Profile-bar clamping connector according to claim 1, wherein the claw members (19,21) of the clamping region (7) have a sheet-like clamping portion (15) which is aligned essentially with the longitudinal axis of the lock housing and with which the spreading jaws (9.1,9.2) of the spreader element (8) can be engaged with a blocking effect (Figure 6c).

5. Profile-bar clamping connector substantially as hereinbefore described, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.