GB2597967A

GB2597967A - A bracket for mounting a balcony on a wall

Info

Publication number: GB2597967A
Application number: GB2012552.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles John Mucklow Stuart; Raymond Steven Farr Gary
Original assignee: Orbis Design Ltd
Current assignee: Orbis Design Ltd
Priority date: 2020-08-12
Filing date: 2020-08-12
Publication date: 2022-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 2040-08-12
Also published as: GB2597967B; GB202012552D0

Abstract

The bracket 10 comprises an elongate facia plate 16, an elongate tenon plate 18 and a number of rebars connected to a first side of the facia plate, and a number of stub plates 20 connected to a second, opposite side of the facia plate. The tenon plate is preferably perpendicular to the facia plate. The facia plate is preferably provided with a number of slots and the tenon plate with a number of abutments, each located in a respective slot 24. The tenon plate preferably comprises a flat body of varying width with a plurality of holes formed therethrough. The facia plate preferably comprises a flat body with a number of pairs of extensions connected to its first side which extend away from the plate, each pair of extensions being connected to a rebar located therein. Also claimed is a system for mounting a balcony.

Description

DESCRIPTION

A BRACKET FOR MOUNTING A BALCONY ON A WALL

This invention relates to a bracket for mounting a balcony on a wall and to a balcony system including the bracket.

When a high-rise block of flats is being constructed, it is common to to provide balconies for the flats. In many countries this is a legal requirement, in order that the occupant(s) of a flat have access to the open air and have external access once they are in their flat. In many urban areas, where building space is at a premium, such flats and their associated balconies are provided as defined by local minimum standards. A typical balcony size is 2.5m (length along the building) by 1.25m (extension from the building). In order to mount the balcony, as the building is being constructed, three rebars with external stubs are located in a line with lm spacing between them as the wet concrete is filled over the rebars.

There are a number of issues with this type of balcony mounting. Firstly, the three rebars are very frequently misaligned, even if only by a few millimetres. When a chassis for the balcony is to be mounted on the external stubs, either the chassis cannot be fitted as the stubs are misaligned, or the chassis can be fitted, but with small errors that over time causes problems with the balcony and/or the stubs and rebars. The weight of the chassis and balcony and anything placed on the balcony tend to apply a pressure on the rebars that forces them upwards in their concrete setting which can cause issues with the internal floor of the associated flat. Small misalignments in the rebar stubs also tends to lead to the balcony load being spread unevenly over the rebars, exacerbating these issues.

It is therefore an object of the invention to improve upon the known art.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bracket for mounting a balcony on a wall, the bracket comprising an elongate facia plate, an elongate tenon plate connected to a first side of the facia plate, a plurality of stub plates connected to a second side of the facia plate such that the stub plates are located on the opposite side of the facia plate to the tenon plate, and a plurality of rebars connected to the first side of the facia plate and extending away from the facia plate.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system comprising a bracket according to the first aspect of the invention, 10 with one or more additional components such as a plurality of stubs and a chassis for a balcony.

Owing to the invention, it is possible to provide a single bracket for mounting a balcony on a building that is easier to install and also far less likely to suffer the problems associated with existing balcony installation systems.

The load of the balcony will be spread evenly across the stub plates of the bracket and the rebars present in the concrete floor of the associated flat. A lightweight system of components can be built onto the bracket to provide a cantilevered balcony that is strong and robust without having the fixing problems that are associated with existing such balconies.

Preferably, the tenon plate is perpendicular to the facia plate and the facia plate is provided with a plurality of slots and the tenon plate is provided with a plurality of abutments, each located in a respective slot. The two plates are preferably each formed by being laser cut from a single sheet of metal and then joined together by tenon joints that can be welded to fix the two parts together. The facia plate is provided principally to mount the stub plates and the tenon plate is present to provide support to the facia plate and to the bracket in general. The use of slots in the facia plate and abutments on the tenon plate ensure that a very precise connection between the two plates can be achieved, with a very low tolerance, which ensures that the required strength of the bracket is maintained while ensuring an even distribution of the weight of the eventual balcony mounted by the bracket back onto the wall and floor of the building that are supporting the bracket.

Advantageously, the facia plate comprises a flat body with a plurality of pairs of extensions connected to the first side of the facia plate and extending away from the facia plate, each pair of extensions connected to a rebar located therein. The facia plate is preferably provided with pairs of extensions on the opposite side to the stub plates which are short metal extensions that are used to locate and connect to the rebars that extend away from the facia plate. These pairs of extensions are welded to the rebars that are located therein. This structure provides strength and rigidity while ensuring that the bracket, once constructed, can be handled as a single component, with a very high level of tolerance in the physical relationship between the different parts of the bracket.

Ideally, the balcony system includes a balcony chassis comprising an external frame and a plurality of cross-beams running from one side of the frame to the opposite side of the frame, wherein the number and position of the cross-beams in the balcony chassis matches the number and position of the stub plates on the facia plate of the bracket. The cross-beams are arranged within the chassis to ensure that the final balcony load is directed through the chassis and onto the cross-beams of the chassis. This load is then delivered through the cross-beams and onto the stub plates. This arrangement provides an efficient transfer of the weight on the balcony to the cantilevered support provided by the bracket, the stubs and the chassis. The chassis is preferably formed from galvanised steel and is relatively lighter than a conventional balcony chassis for the same size of balcony.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figure 1 is a section through a balcony mounted on a wall, Figure 2 is a top view of a bracket for mounting the balcony, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the bracket for mounting the balcony, Figure 4 is a side view of the bracket for mounting the balcony, Figure 5 is a perspective view of a stub, Figure 6 is a partial cut-away perspective view of the bracket and stubs, Figure 7 is a perspective view of a chassis for a balcony, Figure 8 is a perspective view of a three-part facia plate for the chassis, and Figure 9 is a perspective view of a railing system for a balcony.

Figure 1 shows a simplified cross-section of a bracket 10 for mounting a balcony 12 onto a wall 14. The bracket 10 is designed to connect the balcony 12 to the wall 14 and ensure that the balcony 12 is securely held in position on the wall 14. In a new-build block of flats, for example, each flat will have an external balcony 12 that extends 1.25m from the wall 14 of the block of flats.

The bracket 10 is secured in place as the block of flats is being constructed and is set into the concrete used to create a floor 8 within the block of flats. A chassis of the balcony 12 is then connected to the bracket 10 and the balcony 12 is built up on the chassis. Also visible in the Figure is a rebar 22 which forms part of the bracket 10 and extends into the concrete floor 8 of the building.

Figure 2 shows a more detailed top view of the bracket 10. The bracket 10 comprises an elongate facia plate 16, an elongate tenon plate 18 connected to a first side of the facia plate 16, a plurality of stub plates 20 connected to a second side of the facia plate 16 such that the stub plates 20 are located on the opposite side of the facia plate 16 to the tenon plate 18, and a plurality of rebars 22 connected to the first side of the facia plate 16 and extending away from the facia plate 16. The tenon plate 18 is perpendicular to the facia plate 16. The facia plate 16 and the tenon plate 18 are each laser cut from a single sheet of steel.

The facia plate 16 is provided with a plurality of slots and the tenon plate 18 is provided with a plurality of abutments, each located in a respective slot of the facia plate 16. The two plates 16 and 18 are welded together. The tenon plate 18 comprises a flat body 28 of varying width, with a plurality of holes 30 formed therethrough. The facia plate 16 comprises a flat body with a plurality of pairs of extensions connected to the first side of the facia plate 16 and extending away from the facia plate 16, each pair of extensions connected to a rebar 22 located therein (seen more clearly in Figure 4).

The rebars 22 are welded into their connections with the facia plate 16 of the bracket 10. The stub plates 20 are also welded onto the facia plate 16.

s Once the different parts of the bracket 10 are connected together, then the bracket 10 can be installed in the new building as a single component. The installation is carried out by locating the bracket 10 at the correct location in the building wall 14 and then wet filling concrete onto the rebars 22 and the two plates 16 and 18 and over the bodies of the stub plates 20. The ends of the stub plates 20 are left exposed on the exterior wall of the building.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the bracket 10. The front faces of the stub plates 20 can be seen more clearly in this Figure, as can the slots 24 in the facia plate 16 into which the abutments of the tenon plate 18 are located when the bracket 10 is first formed. The end holes in the facia plate 16 are is where the rebars 22 are connected to the facia plate 16. Figure 4 shows a side view of the bracket 10, showing more clearly the flat body 32 and the pairs of extensions 34 of the facia plate 16 into which the rebars 22 are welded. Figure 4 shows the tenon plate 18 perpendicular to the fascia plate 16, both of which are formed from flat sheets of metal. The abutment 26 of the tenon plate 18 can be seen located in the slot 24 of the facia plate.

The bracket 10 has numerous advantages over existing systems of mounting balconies 12 on walls 14. Since the plates 16 and 18 in the bracket 10 are laser cut as single components that are fitted together using tenon joints and then welded there is a very high degree of accuracy in the measurements and tolerances of the bracket 10. This also means that the stub plates 20 are located on the bracket 10 to high degree of accuracy, removing the possibility that they will be misaligned when the bracket 10 is installed. This means that a balcony or its chassis mounted on the stub plates 20 will have a very good fit with the stub plates 20.

Since the stub plates 20 are mounted directly onto the fascia plate 16, a relatively high number of them can be provided. In the preferred embodiment of the bracket 10, as shown in the Figures, there are five stub plates 20 evenly spaced along the front of the fascia plate 16. Since there is a high degree of accuracy in the positioning of the stub plates 20 on the fascia plate 16, the weight of the balcony 12 will be even distributed over the different stub plates 20, ensuring that there is a balance of the weight and support from the rebars 22, reducing the risk of the rebars 22 being forced upwards.

Once the bracket 10 is fixed in position in a building wall, ready for a balcony 12 to be installed, then stubs 36, as shown in Figure 5, can be installed onto the stub plates 20 of the bracket 10. The lightweight galvanised second fix stubs 36 each use two thermal breaks, one at each end, to provide fo optimal thermal insultation thus reducing heat loss. Each stub 36 is connected to a respective stub plate 20 of the bracket 10 and each stub 36 comprises a pair of parallel plates 38 connected together by one or more linking plates 40. The stubs 36 connect the bracket 10 to a chassis for the balcony 12 that is to be installed.

Figure 6 shows more detail of how the stubs 36 are connected to the bracket 10. This Figure shows a partial cut-away perspective view of an installed bracket 10, with four stubs 36 each fixed to a respective stub plate 20 and with one additional stub 36 being installed onto its stub plate 20. The bracket 10 can be seen installed in the concrete floor 8 of the building in 20 question, with the rebars 22 being embedded in the now solid concrete. The wall 14 of the building can also be seen in the Figure. Each stub 36 has an insulation plate 41 lying between the stub 36 and the respective stub plate 20. Figure 7 shows a perspective view of a chassis 42. The balcony chassis 42 comprising an external frame 44 and a plurality of cross-beams 46 running from one side of the frame 44 to the opposite side of the frame 44.

The number and position of the cross-beams 46 in the balcony chassis 42 matches the number and position of the stub plates 20 on the facia plate 16 of the bracket 10. Since there are five stub plates 20 on the facia plate, there are five cross-beams 46 inside the chassis 42, with the spacing between the five cross-beams 46 being the same as the spacing between the five stub plates 20 on the bracket 10.

This arrangement of the cross-beams 46 within the chassis 42 is to ensure that the load on the final balcony 12 acts through the chassis 42 and onto the cross-beams 42 and into the stub plates 42 providing the most efficient transfer of the forces on the balcony 12 to the cantilevered support provided by the bracket 10, the stubs 36 and the chassis 42. As with the bracket 10, the components of the chassis 42 are laser cut and then interlocked together in a tenon joint system. The galvanised chassis 42 is relatively lighter than a conventional balcony chassis for the same size of balcony 12.

The chassis design allows for multiple different configurations of the final balcony 12, for example with railings and a top rail with hidden or discrete fixings and no visible welds. The railings and rail can either be polyester powder coated steel or aluminium, powder coated or anodised in an array of colours. Bespoke applications can also be used with the chassis 42 such as aluminium or steel posts and a handrail with glass panels or laser cut or composite panels.

Figure 8 shows a three-part facia plate 48 that, in a preferred embodiment of the balcony system, is connected to the chassis 42, once the chassis 42 has been fixed into position on the stubs 36. The three parts of the facia plate 48 are each formed from aluminium and are welded together to form three sides of a square as shown in the Figure. The facia plate 48 comprises a first elongate plate 48a and second and third elongate plates 48b and 48c each connected at one end to an end of the first elongate plate 48a and being perpendicular to the first elongate plate 48a. The facia plate 48 is for fitting to the outside of the chassis 42.

The completed facia plate 48 is for fixing to the external three sides of the chassis 42 that face outwards from the wall 14 to which the balcony 12 extends. The facia plate 48 is provided with holes 50 that are provided in two parallel rows that run around all three sides of the facia plate 48. These holes 50 are provided so that, as the balcony 12 is being constructed, further structural elements can be added to the balcony 12 and fixed to the facia plate 48 from the inside, thereby keeping any fixing elements out of sight. For example, any rails that are to be used in the balcony 12 can be connected to the facia plate 48 through the holes 50, from the inside.

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of a rail system 52, shown here mounted on the facia plate 48. The rail system 52 comprises a plurality of rails 54 and a top rail 56 (which may be constructed from multiple individual components). The top rail 56 is connected to one end of each of the plurality of rails 54. In this arrangement of the rail system 52, there is a rail 54 provided for each pair of holes 50 provided in the facia plate 48. The rails 54 are connected to the facia plate 48 from the inside, with screws or bolts passing through the holes 50 and into the rails 54 to secure the rails 54 to the facia plate 48.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A bracket (10) for mounting a balcony (12) on a wall (14), the bracket (10) comprising: * an elongate facia plate (16), * an elongate tenon plate (18) connected to a first side of the facia plate (16), * a plurality of stub plates (20) connected to a second side of the facia plate (16) such that the stub plates (20) are located on the opposite side of the facia plate (16) to the tenon plate (18), and * a plurality of rebars (22) connected to the first side of the facia plate (16) and extending away from the facia plate (16).
2. A bracket according to claim 1, wherein the tenon plate (18) is perpendicular to the facia plate (16).
3. A bracket according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the facia plate (16) is provided with a plurality of slots (24) and the tenon plate (18) is provided with a plurality of abutments (26), each located in a respective slot (24).
4. A bracket according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the tenon plate (18) comprises a flat body (28) of varying width, with a plurality of holes (30) formed therethrough.
5. A bracket according to any preceding claim, wherein the facia plate (16) comprises a flat body (32) with a plurality of pairs of extensions (34) connected to the first side of the facia plate (16) and extending away from the facia plate (16), each pair of extensions (34) connected to a rebar (22) located therein.
6. A system for mounting a balcony (12) on a wall (14) comprising a bracket (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
7. A system according to claim 6, and further comprising a plurality of stubs (36), each stub (36) connected to a respective stub plate (20) of the bracket (10).
8. A system according to claim 7, wherein each stub (36) comprises a pair of parallel plates (38) connected together by one or more linking plates (40).
9. A system according claim 6, 7 or 8, and further comprising a balcony chassis (42) comprising an external frame (44) and a plurality of cross-beams (46) running from one side of the frame (44) to the opposite side of the frame (44).
10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the number and position of the cross-beams (46) in the balcony chassis (42) matches the number and position of the stub plates (20) on the facia plate (16) of the bracket (10).
11. A system according to claim 9 or 10, and further comprising a facia plate (48) for connecting to the balcony chassis (42).
12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the facia plate (48) comprises a first elongate plate (48a) and second and third elongate plates (48b, 48c) each connected at one end to an end of the first elongate plate (48a) and being perpendicular to the first elongate plate (48a).
13. A system according to any one of claims 6 to 12, and further comprising a rail system (52) comprising a plurality of rails (54) and a top rail (56) connected to one end of each of the plurality of rails (54).