NL1043575B1 - Fixtures for building elements - Google Patents

Abstract

A fixture for use in a building element, the fixture having an upper part with a fastening means, and a lower part with a securing element. The fixture is held in position in the building element by inserting the securing element in the building element. The upper part has a head provided with a form-fitted hole for a cable-tie to run through. The securing element is preferably a screw-like element. In a preferred embodiment the fixture is secured in a concrete slab, before the concrete is cured. Other embodiments and applications are included as well. 1043575

Description

FIXTURES FOR BUILDING ELEMENTS

TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to devices related to fixtures for use in building elements. More particular the invention relates to fixtures which are insertable in concrete and which enable and/or support building constructions.

BACKGROUND At building sites there are many situations whereby installation elements need to be attached to other building elements. For example, when building e floor, piping and electrical conduits need to be attached to the floor. First, it starts with building or laying the floor, which is typically made of concrete. There are a couple of ways to make a concrete floor. Modern concrete is usually prepared as a viscous fluid, so that it may be poured into forms, which are containers erected in the field to give the concrete its desired shape. Cured concrete slabs, either cured in a factory or at the building site are positioned next to each other to cover a larger area. The concrete slabs may be equipped with pre-formed grooves or gutters, which enable to apply piping and facilitate levelling afterwards.

To fixate the pipes and other installations, such as electrical conduits, usually fasteners are secured in the concrete by drilling and using for example plugs and nuts or screws. Also supports may be attached to the concrete, which are configured to support installations, additional floors etcetera. When using multiple concrete slabs, the slabs need to be connected. Usually this is done by filling the existing grooves between the slabs by a filler, such as fresh concrete, which then needs to cure. What is appropriate for the use of concrete, is in general applicable when using other kinds of building elements, such as wooden or metal panels.

A disadvantage of the current art solutions is that installing supports, pipes, electrical conduits and plumbing usually requires the use of (heavy) drilling machines, plugs and/or steel tape on the construction site. Heavy machinery is often required, in particular, when pipes need to be secured to bearing concrete slabs, which are of high- density concrete with a high hardness. These machines cause a lot of dust and vibrations. Especially the vibrations may lead to damage, such as cracking of the concrete slab, and therefore the operation of drilling machines require training and inspection of the concrete afterwards. Drilling may also cause damage to a concrete slab, which is not easily detectable and may in future lead to loss of structural integrity of the building. Drilling machines have also practical problems, such as a need for a power outlet close to the workplace and the wearing of hearing protection by the operator. Furthermore, drilling causes excess material and waste, which needs to be disposed of. Fixating multiple concrete slabs into position, requires fillers, which make reuse of the separate concrete slabs difficult, because of the excess and waste filling material which is difficult to remove.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a secure fixture which does not require additional machines for fixating and for installation of building materials, such as pipes, electrical conduits and plumbing, and which is easy and quickly to apply. It is a further object of the invention to reduce waste material of building materials. It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a fixture which is light-weighted, has the smallest possible size, and which, when used as fastener for piping etcetera, sticks out as little as possible above a building element, such as concrete floor, a wall, a gutter, a groove, or a wooden or metal panel. In summary, the invention proposes in a preferred embodiment a fixture for use in a building element, the fixture having an upper part with a fastening means, and a lower part with a securing element. The fixture is held in position in the building element by inserting the securing element in the building element. The upper part has a head provided with a form-fitted hole for a cable-tie to run through. The securing element is preferably a screw-like element. In a preferred embodiment the fixture is secured in a concrete slab, before the concrete is cured. Other embodiments and applications are included as well. The objects are further realized by the following clauses.

1. A fixture for use in a building element, the fixture comprising an upper part and a lower part, characterized in that the lower part of the fixture comprises a securing element, and the fixture is arranged for being held in a desired position in the building element by inserting the securing element in the building element, and whereby the upper part of the fixture is provided with a fastening means integrated in the head.

2. The fixture according to clause 1, characterized in that the head is arranged as a platform for a tools to be able to provide a torque on.

3. the fixture according to any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that said head comprises a flat shaped horizontal hole, form-fitted for a cable-tie to run through.

4. the fixture according to any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that the head comprises any one of the group: - full-bearing head; - washer-faced head; - square head.

5. The fixture according to any one of the preceding clauses , characterized in that the securing element comprises a screw-like element, and inserting comprises screwing.

6. The fixture according to any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that the securing element comprises a plug-like element.

7. The fixture according to any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that the securing element comprises a serrated element, arranged for facilitating easy insertion in one direction, and arranged for providing resistance when removed in the opposite direction.

8. the fixture according to any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that the building element comprises a concrete slab comprising fresh concrete which, when cured, retains the fixture.

9. the fixture according to any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that the upper part is configured as a support at the top of an elongated bar, said support arranged for fastening or carrying a building construction on or above the building element.

10.the fixture according to any one of the preceding clauses, characterized in that the upper part is arranged for being positioned between two adjacent building elements forming a groove between them, whereby the securing element comprises a lead screw arranged for being screwable through the upper part and the bottom part, and whereby the upper part comprises a wedge-like element tapered upward, and the lower part comprises a wedge-like element tapered downward, said upper part arranged for being wedged between an upper part of the groove which is tapered upward between said two building elements, and said lower part arranged for being wedged between a lower part of the groove which is tapered downward between said two building elements, said upper and lower part of the fixture arranged for being movable away from each other when the lead screw is screwed in one direction, and arranged for being moveable towards each other when the lead screw is screwed in the other direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The figures show views of embodiments in accordance with the present invention. FIGURE 1 shows a front view of fixture with a screw-like securing element. FIGURE 2 shows a front view of a fixture secured in a building element and provided with a cable tie. FIGURE 3a shows a front view of a fixture with a first type of a plug-like securing element. FIGURE 3b shows a front view of a fixture with a second type of a plug-like securing element. FIGURE 3c shows a perspective view of a fixture with a serrated securing element. FIGURE 4 shows a perspective view of a fixture used as a support. FIGURE 5 shows a fixture used for holding two building elements together

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention is now described by the following aspects and embodiments, with reference to the figures..

FIGURE 1 shows a front view of a fixture 100 with a screw-like securing element 103a. An upper part 130 is provided with a head 101 which is shaped to fit to a tool for turning the screw. In the upper part, preferably in the head, a hole is provided for a cable-tie to run through. The cable-tie may be used to attach all kinds of installation elements, such as pipes and electrical conduits. Fixture 100 may be inserted in building element such as a concrete floor consisting of concrete slabs. Preferably lower part 140 of fixture 100 is inserted in fresh concrete which, when cured holds fixture 100 5 securely. Fixture 100 is typically inserted with tip 104 first, in building element 300, until just below upper part 130 up to position 102, but it may also be inserted further to a sunken position.

FIGURE 2 a front view of a fixture 100 secured in a building element 300 with upper part 130 just sticking out above the surface 301 of building element 300. Upper part 101 provided with a cable tie 200 running through hole 110. Cable tie 200 is typically provided with a receiving element 202 and a bale end 201, which can be inserted in one direction and secured in receiving element 202. Another way to do this is would currently be to use a ring with a screw end which is screwed into the building element. This, however, has the advantage that a relatively large ring sticks out of the building element. By integrating the fastening means, i.e. a hole with just the right size to run a cable-tie through, in the head of the fixture, a very effective combination of a functional head, with a relatively low profile and a fastener is created. For a user, especially for the DIY user who wants to fasten installation elements, this provides a quick, easy, and reliable solution with a very low profile, which allows for less deeper gutters, and less building height. The head of the fixture may even be sunken in the building element and still provide the use of the cable-tie.

FIGURE 3a shows a front view of a fixture 100 with a first type of a plug-like securing element 103b which comprises one or more protrusions at a distance from each other. The protrusions may be configured in a circular manner around lower part

140.

FIGURE 3b shows a front view of a fixture with a second type of a plug-like securing element, whereby the protrusions 103b are smaller. This facilitates inserting of the plug- like element in a hole in concrete, when the concrete is already more cured or even completely cured, and still benefit of the invented hole in the head for running a cable- tie through. By having these protrusions, still sufficient resistance against pulling the fixture out of the concrete may be provided.

FIGURE 3c shows a perspective view of a fixture 100 with a serrated securing element 103d.

FIGURE 4 shows a perspective view of a fixture 100 used as a support.

Lower part 140 is provided with a screw-like element for screwing fixture 100 in (preferably fresh) concrete.

Extensions 130a,b provide an extended support with support element 101 at the end.

Extensions 130a,b, may be selected to choose for different lengths of the upper part 130. In this way, building constructions or other installations may be supported by support element 101 at a selected height.

FIGURE 5 shows a fixture used for holding two building elements together.

Fixture 100 Is inserted in a groove between two building elements.

The groove comprises an upper part 150 and a lower part 151.The wedge-like element 130 is moved upwards when lead screw 103f is rotated in one direction, which also moves wedge-like element 140 in the opposite direction into lower part 151 of the groove.

The wedging action causes the building elements to move outwards.

Rotating lead screw 103f in the other direction causes the building elements to be released or move in the other direction.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that a person skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim.

Use of the verb "to comprise” and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim.

The term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

The article "the" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware.

The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Claims (10)

CONCLUSIONS A fastening element for use in a building element, wherein the fastening element comprises an upper part and a lower part, characterized in that the lower part of the fastening element comprises a fixing element, the fastening element being adapted to be placed in a desired position in the building element by inserting the fixing element into the building element, and wherein the upper part of the fixing element is provided with a fixing means integrated into the head of the fixing element. The fastener according to claim 1, characterized in that the head is arranged as a platform for a tool to provide a torque. The fastening element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the head comprises a flat-shaped horizontal hole adapted for form-fitting a cable tie to pass through. The fastening element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the head comprises one of the group: - hexagonal nut; - flare nut; - square nut. The fixing element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fixing element comprises a screw-like element, and the insertion comprises screwing it. The fixing element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fixing element comprises a plug-like element. The fastening element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fastening element comprises a knurled element adapted to facilitate insertion in one direction and adapted to provide resistance when removed in the opposite direction. The fastening element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the building element comprises a concrete slab comprising fresh concrete, which, after curing, holds the fastening element. The fixing element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper part is designed as a support on the top of an elongate rod, which support is adapted for fixing or supporting a building structure on or above the building element. The fixing element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper part is arranged to be interposed between two adjacent building elements with a groove formed therebetween, the fixing element comprising a spindle arranged to pass through the upper part and screwing the lower part, and wherein the upper part comprises a wedge-shaped element tapering upwards, and the lower part comprises a wedge-shaped element tapering downwards, the upper part being sandwiched between an upper part of the groove tapering towards above between the two building elements, and the lower part is adapted to be clamped between a lower part of the groove tapering downwardly between the two building elements, the upper and lower parts of the fastening element being adapted to be movable away from each other when the spindle is screwed in one direction and arranged to face each other e to be movable when the spindle is screwed in the other direction.