GB2312694A

GB2312694A - Interconnecting framework members in e.g. building facades

Info

Publication number: GB2312694A
Application number: GB9708862A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Josef Schneider; Martin Schmuck
Original assignee: Rehau AG and Co
Current assignee: Rehau Automotive SE and Co KG
Priority date: 1996-05-02
Filing date: 1997-04-30
Publication date: 1997-11-05
Anticipated expiration: 2017-04-30
Also published as: GB9708862D0; FR2748287B1; GB2312694B; DE29607883U1; FR2748287A1

Abstract

A connector for connecting hollow upright and cross piece profiles 8,2 used in building construction. The profiles have metal reinforcing profiles fitted in their interiors; in the case of the cross piece profile 2 the length of the profile is less than that of the respective reinforcing profile 3 in order to cater for thermal expansion. The connector 1 comprises flange-type connecting plates 12,13 by which the cross piece profile 2 is connected to the upright profile 8. A projection 11 is attached to the plates 12,13 and is inserted into the interior of the reinforcing profile 3 and attached thereto by screws 4,5. A seal in the form of a frame (not shown) surrounds the projection 11 near its base, and is seated in a slot which receives the ends of the cross piece profile 2 and its reinforcing profile 3, thus sealing the ends, and acting as a cushion against thermal movement.

Description

"CONNECTOR FOR CONNECTING PROFILES" The invention relates to a connector for connecting profiles used, for example, in building construction. The invention is particularly directed to a connector for connecting upright and cross piece profiles, being cavity profiles of polyvinyl chloride having metal reinforcing profiles inserted into the cavities.

In such upright and cross piece structures consisting of PVC profiles, the temperature-determined linear expansion and the shrinkage of the PVC profiles makes particular structural demands. Since a building facing constitutes a structure connected firmly over several metres, known connections with maximum length limits originating from the field of PVC windows cannot be used in facing structures. In window construction the practicable maximum length for white profiles is 4 metres, while in the case of coloured profiles a limit of 2.5 metres is necessary. This limit is not acceptable for the facing of building frontages, which extend over lengths of 20 metres or more, for example.

The present invention seeks therefore to find a solution to the problem of expansion in facing structures, by means of which solution in the temperature-determined linear variations are absorbed in such a way that, even over the large dimensions common in facings, gap formation and similar problems are ruled out.

According to the invention, there is provided a connector for connecting together cavity profiles, said profiles comprising upright and cross piece profiles in the form of cavity profiles of polyvinyl chloride with metal reinforcing profiles inserted into the cavities, wherein the cross piece profiles are shorter in length than the associated reinforcing profiles, said connector comprising a projection for insertion into the cavity of each reinforcing profile so as to be fixed immovably therein, a surrounding flange projection which overlaps the end faces of the reinforcing profile and the cross piece profile and defines, in the area of overlap, a groove-type receiving space in which is seated a surrounding sealing member which seals off the end faces of the associated cross piece profile and reinforcing profile from the flange projection, and flange-type connecting plates which extend the surrounding flange projection and are provided to fix the cross piece profile to the upright profile.

The reinforcing profile is firstly inserted into the cross piece profile of PVC. Since the cross piece profile is shorter in length than the reinforcing profile, the reinforcing profile projects beyond the free ends of the cross piece profile by the difference in length. By way of example, the difference in length at each of the two free ends of the upright profile amounts to at least 2 mm. Thereafter, the connector, for example of diecast aluminium, is inserted into the cavity in the reinforcing profile and fixed immovably therein, for example by mechanical connecting means such as metal screws or the like.

The connector comprises a groove-type receiving space in the area of overlap over the end faces of the reinforcing profile and the upright profile, into which receiving space a surrounding sealing member is inserted. This surrounding sealing member comprises a sealing frame with a compact, rectangular part with a sealing lug formed thereon in one piece and on one side. The compact, rectangular part of the sealing member extends to the free end of the associated cross piece profile from below, while the sealing lug formed thereon in one piece and on one side extends to the end face of the reinforcing profile from below. The groovetype receiving space in the connector surrounds the contour of the cavity in the cross piece profile with inserted reinforcing profile and thus covers the expansion joint between the cross piece profile and the upright profile attached thereto.

Adjoining the groove-type receiving space for the sealing member, the connector has holding flanges formed on it in one piece, which are inserted into the associated cross piece profiles on assembly and fixed immovably therein, for example by metal screws.

The temperature-determined linear variations in PVC facing cross piece profiles are described with the aid of the following example.

The average coefficient of linear expansion for PVC profiles which are white in colour amounts to 80 x 1 06/K', while that for steel, on the other hand, is set at 12 x 106/K'. The temperature difference is taken in the example to be T = 400 K.

On this basis, the expansion of the PVC profiles is calculated to be 80 x 100 x 40 x 1 million = 0.32 cm/m, while the expansion of the steel profiles amounts to 12 x 100 x 40 x 1 million = 0.048 cm/m.

This calculation results in a difference between the two profiles of 0.272 cm/m, which means that, at a temperature difference of 400 K, the PVC profile expands on the inserted steel reinforcing profile by 0.272 cm per metre more in length than the steel profile.

This phenomenon is compensated for by the invention, since the PVC may expand on the steel profile, as it is kept shorter, according to the invention, than the steel profile. In the example, a gap of 0.2 cm is provided on each side of the PVC profile/steel profile combination, a difference in length which is wholly adequate for a 1 m facing module. In the case of larger facing modules, the gap according to the invention must be increased accordingly.

Through this solution to the problem in hand, the expansion of the PVC profiles on the reinforcing steel profiles cannot accumulate, such that unlimited numbers of facing modules may be assembled together to obtain unlimited facing lengths.

In order that the invention may be better understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows the connector with the projection inserted into the cavity in the reinforcing profile and with the cross piece profile; Figure 2 shows a section through the connector; Figure 3 is a partially sectional view of the connector with the projection inserted into the cavity in the reinforcing profile and seal; Figure 4 shows the uprighticross piece connection when assembled.

Figure 1 shows a connector 1 combined with a cross piece profile 2. The cross piece profile 2 is a hollow PVC profile having a main cavity 21 and secondary v cavities 22, 23, 24, 25. The main cavity v 21 has inserted in it a reinforcing profile 3, which is likewise constructed as a hollow profile. A projection 11 forming part of the connector 1 is inserted into the cavity in the reinforcing profile 3 and is fixed immovably therein by mechanical connecting means in the form of metal screws 4,5.

The connector 1 comprises flange-type connecting plates 12,13 by means of which the cross piece profile 2 is connected firmly to a hollow upright profile 8 by mechanical connectors, e.g. metal screws (see Figure 4).

Figure 2 shows the connector 1 with the projection 11 and the flange-type connecting plates 12,13. The connector 1 has at its lower free end 10, in the area of attachment of the flange-type connecting plates 12,13 a groove-type receiving space 14 which is constructed so as to surround the dimensions of the connector 1. This groove-type receiving space 14 is defined by the associated outer face 111 of the projection 11, base 101 and a flange projection 102. A surrounding sealing member 6 fits into the groove-type receiving space 14.

Figure 3 is an enlarged, partially sectional view of the connector 1 with the projection 11 inserted into the cavity in the reinforcing profile 3 and showing the sealing member 6. The sealing member 6 consists of a surrounding seal in the form of a frame, which is inserted into the groove-type receiving space 14. In section, the sealing member 6 comprises a compact, rectangular part 61, which is arranged under the end face of the shorter cross piece profile 2. On one side of and integral with the compact rectangular part 61 of the sealing member 6 there is formed a sealing lug 62 which extends inwards beneath the end face of the reinforcing profile 3. In this way, complete sealing of the inside of the profile with respect to the external atmosphere is achieved and the cross piece profile 2 may compress the rectangular part 61 of the sealing member 6 if linear expansion occurs.

Figure 4 is an overall view of the assembly comprising the cross piece profile 2, upright profile 8 and two connectors 1. Assembly of the cross piece profile 2 with the connector 1 was described with respect to Figure 1. The flange-type connecting plates 12,13 of the two connectors 1 are fixed to the upright profile 8 in the illustration by mechanical connectors in the form of screws 71, 72, 81, 82. Towards the outside, the combination may be covered by a covering profile 9.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A connector for connecting together cavity profiles, said profiles comprising upright and cross piece profiles in the form of cavity profiles of polyvinyl chloride with metal reinforcing profiles inserted into the cavities, wherein the cross piece profiles (2) are shorter in length than the associated reinforcing profiles (3), said connector comprising a projection (11) for insertion into the cavity of each reinforcing profile (3) so as to be fixed immovably therein, a surrounding fiange projection (101) which overlaps the end faces of the reinforcing profile (3) and the cross piece profile (2) and defines, in the area of overlap, a groove-type receiving space (14) in which is seated a surrounding sealing member (6) which seals off the end faces of the associated cross piece profile (2) and reinforcing profile (3) from the flange projection (101), and flange-type connecting plates (12,13) which extend the surrounding flange projection (101) and are provided to fix the cross piece profile (2) to the upright profile (8).
2. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing profile (3) is at least 2 mm longer at both free ends than the associated cross piece profile (2).
3. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the immovable fixing of the projection (11) of the connector (1) in the cavity in the reinforcing profile (3) is effected by mechanical connecting means (4,5).
4. A connector according to claim 3, wherein the mechanical connecting means (4,5) are metal screws.
5. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member (6) comprises a sealing frame with a compact, rectangular part (61) and a sealing lug (62) formed thereon in one piece and on one side.
6. A connector according to claim 5, wherein the sealing lug (62) extends to the end face of the reinforcing profile (3) and the compact, rectangular part (61) of the sealing member (6) is associated with the end face of the cross piece profile (2).
7. A connector according to claims 1 and 6, wherein the outer flange (102) of the groove-type receiving space (14) extends beyond the height of the compact rectangular part (61) and with its extended portion surrounds and overlaps the outer wall of the cross piece profile (2) in the area of its end face.