NL2003766C2

NL2003766C2 - Construction profile, construction panel and construction.

Info

Publication number: NL2003766C2
Application number: NL2003766A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Reinier Boon
Original assignee: Reinier Boon Beheer B V
Priority date: 2009-11-06
Filing date: 2009-11-06
Publication date: 2011-05-10

Description

Construction profile, construction panel and construction FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates in a first aspect to a construction profile. The invention relates in another aspect to constructions like beach cabins.

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Temporary constructions an in particular beach cabins for storage of goods or as dressing places on the beach are assembled at the start of the beach 10 season, early spring, and disassembled at the end of the season in the autumn. Such cabins are assembled using plates that are screwed together using screws or nuts and bolts. Assembly of such constructions requires therefore a considerable amount of work.

Alternatively, first a frame for such a construction is assembled and panels 15 like sidewalls are attached or otherwise connected to the frame. Also this method of assembly requires a significant amount of work and is therefore costly.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

2 0 There is a need for constructions that can be assembled in a simpler, more feasible and/or more convenient way and/or materials for that.

The invention provides in a first aspect a construction profile, comprising a first elongated u-shaped profile comprising a first sidewall, a second sidewall and a bottom wall and at least one connecting element connected to the first sidewall or the 25 second sidewall for connecting the construction profile to a construction panel.

Application of such a construction profile to panels for assembly of a construction yields construction panels enabling assembly of a construction without requiring a frame, as such construction panels can be directly connected to one another to form for example walls of the construction. In other words, such construction panels 30 provided with such a construction profile have a built-in frame and are self-supporting.

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In addition, the u-shaped profile can receive further panels securely fitted in the u-shaped profile. This eliminates or at least reduces the need for additional fixating means likes screws, nuts and bolts, nails or other.

In an embodiment of the construction profile according to the invention, 5 the connection element is a second elongated u-shaped profile comprising a first further sidewall, a second further sidewall and a further bottom wall, the first sidewall of the first profile being substantially in parallel connected to the further bottom wall, the first further sidewall and the second further sidewall pointing away from the first u-shaped profile.

The advantage of this embodiment is that such construction profile can be 10 attached to a building panel in a quick and simple way by inserting an edge of the building panel in the second u-shaped profile. In particular if a compressive force is provided by and between the first further sidewall and the second further sidewall, the construction profile of this embodiment can be securely fixed to a building panel without requiring further fixating means or at least less fixating means.

15 The invention provides in a second aspect a construction panel having at least one substantially straight edge and comprising a u-shaped element adjacent to and alongside at least a part of the straight edge, the opening plane of the u-shaped profile being substantially parallel to the surface of the panel adjacent to the u-shaped opening. The surface of the panel is the main flat surface of the panel. It is noted that 2 0 one sidewall of a u-shaped element like a u-shaped profile may be shorter than the other sidewall. In that case, the opening plane of the u-shaped element or u-shaped profile is defined as a plane substantially perpendicular to the sidewalls.

Such a construction panel enables easy, simple, feasible and/or convenient assembly of a construction by providing a construction panel already 25 comprising a u-shaped element; this u-shaped element can receive another construction panel. In this way, no further frame is required for assembly of the construction.

In an embodiment of the construction panel according to the invention, the u-shaped opening is provided by the construction profile according to the first aspect of 30 the invention, of which the connecting element connects the construction profile to the construction panel.

An advantage of this embodiment is that no specific manufacturing of a panel is required, but that a generally available plate can be provided with by the construction profile according to the first aspect of the invention - or embodiments 3 thereof -, yielding a construction panel for easy, simple, feasible and/or convenient assembly of a construction.

The invention provides in a third aspect a construction comprising a substantially rectangular bottom panel having u-shaped profiles provided at each of the 5 four edges, along at least a part of each edge; two substantially rectangular side panels having u-shaped profiles at opposite vertical edges, along at least a part of each edge, and bottom edges of each side panel inserted in an opening of at least one of the u-shaped profiles of the bottom panel; a substantially rectangular rear panel having two vertical edges inserted in openings of the u-shaped profiles of adjacent side panels and 10 a bottom edge inserting in an opening of a u-shaped profile of the bottom panel; a substantially rectangular front panel having two vertical edges inserted in openings of the u-shaped profiles of adjacent sidewalls and a bottom edge inserting in an opening of a u-shaped profile of the bottom panel; and a substantially rectangular top panel having u-shaped profiles provided at each of the four edges, along at least a part of each edge, 15 having upper edges of the sidewalls inserted in u-shaped profiles at opposite edges of the top panel; an upper edge of the front panel inserted in a u-shaped profile at an edge of the top panel other than the opposite edges in which upper edges of the sidewalls are inserted.

A construction thus assembled can be disassembled and re-assembled in 2 0 a simple and convenient way, without requiring excessive manpower and/or tools.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be elucidated by means of drawings depicting 2 5 embodiments of the various aspects of the invention. In those drawings,

Figure 1 A: shows a first construction profile as an embodiment of the construction profile according to the invention;

Figure 1 B: shows a second construction profile as an embodiment of the construction profile according to the invention; 3 0 Figure 1 C: shows a third construction profile as an embodiment of the construction profile according to the invention;

Figure 2 A: shows a cross-section of another construction profile as an embodiment of the construction profile according to the invention; 4

Figure 2 B: shows a cross-section of a further construction profile as an embodiment of the construction profile according to the invention; Figure 3 A: shows an embodiment of the construction panel according to the invention; 5 Figure 3 B: shows another embodiment of the construction panel according to the invention;

Figure 4 A: shows a first view of a beach cabin as an embodiment of the construction according to the invention;

Figure 4 B: shows a second view of a beach cabin as an embodiment of the 10 construction according to the invention;

Figure 5: shows a detail of a slider construction for securing two construction panels to one another.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

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Figure 1 discloses several construction profiles as embodiments of the construction profile according to the invention.

More in particular, Figure 1 A shows a construction profile 100 comprising a first u-shaped profile 110 and a second u-shaped profile 102. The first u-shaped 2 0 profile 110 comprises a first sidewall 116, a second sidewall 112 and a bottom wall 114. The second u-shaped profile 102 comprises a first further sidewall 104, a second further sidewall 106 and a further bottom wall 108.

The second u-shaped profile 102 is arranged to serve as a connecting element for connecting the construction profile 100 to a construction panel (not shown) 2 5 by inserting a preferably straight edge of such construction panel in the second u-shaped profile 102. The construction profile 100 can optionally be secured to the construction panel by means of glue, a compressive force exerted by the first further sidewall 104 and the second further sidewall 106, by nails or screws or other means or methods.

30 Figure 1 B shows another construction profile 120 comprising a u-shaped profile 122 having rods 130 connected thereto. The construction profile 120 comprises a first sidewall 124, a second sidewall 128 and a bottom wall 126.

The rods 130 are conceived for connecting the u-shaped profile 122 to a construction panel, preferably at an edge of the panel. To that purpose, the rods 130 5 are further provided with either a thread for receiving a nut to be screwed on the rod, a saw-tooth profile or a hole for inserting a key. In all cases, the rods 130 are to be inserted in an edge of the construction panel.

In case provided with a thread, openings within the panel are provided 5 through which the rods 130 are accessible for screwing a nut onto. In case provided with a hole, a relatively small hole is available in the construction panel providing access to the holes in the rods 130 so a key can be inserted to lock the rods 130. In case of a saw-tooth profile, the teeth are slightly directed towards the u-shaped profile 122. This enables the rods 130 to be inserted smoothly in the construction panel, but difficult to 10 remove. The rods 130 are preferably inserted in the edge of the construction panel, resulting in the opening of the u-shaped profile 122 to be parallel to the main plane of the contraction panel.

Figure 1 C shows a further construction profile 140 comprising a u-shaped profile 142 comprising a first sidewall 144, a second sidewall 148 and a bottom wall 15 146. In the second sidewall 148, holes 150 are provided. The holes are envisaged to insert fastening means through for connecting the construction profile 140 to a construction panel, preferably at an edge of the panel. The fastening means can be screws, nails, nuts and bolts and other.

Figure 2 A shows in more detail how the construction profile 100 as shown 2 0 by Figure 1 A may be further embodied. The construction profile as shown by Figure 2 A is manufactured from one piece of material that is either pressed or folded in the desired shape. For the construction profile as shown by Figure 2 A, the bottom wall 114 of the first u-shaped profile 110 is continued along the second further sidewall 106 and folded over 180° forming the further u-shaped profile 102 comprising the second further 25 sidewall 106, second sidewall 112 and the further bottom wall 108, the latter being formed as one element, and the first further sidewall 104.

A person skilled in the art will appreciated that folding metal over an angle of 180° may induce metal fatigue. To preserve integrity of the construction sidewall 100, the continued part of the bottom wall 114 parallel to the second further sidewall 106 can 30 be secured to the second further sidewall 106 by means of welding, glue or other means or methods. Optionally, the base material for forming the construction profile 100 is cut over the 180° folding line, followed by welding, gluing or other means or methods of fixing or fastening.

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Figure 2 B shows in more detail how the construction profile 100 as shown by Figure 1 A may be further embodied in another way. The first u-shaped profile 110 is connected to the second u-shaped profile 102 by means of gluing or welding the first sidewall 112 of the first u-shaped profile 110 to the further bottom wall 108 of the 5 second u-shaped profile 102. The glue or weld connection is indicated by substance 250. In this way, the first further sidewall 112 is substantially parallel to the bottom wall 108. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that also other means of connecting or attaching both u-shaped profiles are envisageable without departing from the scope of the invention.

10 The various construction profiles disclosed so far can be manufactured using a wide range of materials. A preferred material for manufacturing the construction profile according to the invention, embodiments thereof and variations on those embodiment is steel. Such steel construction profiles have preferably undergone an anti-rust treatment. Well-known anti-rust treatments are application of a coating or 15 application of another metal by means of for example galvanisation. Though well-coated steel is preferred, other metals like aluminium can be used as well. In addition, plastics like polyester are suitable as well.

Figure 3 discloses embodiments of the construction panel according to the invention. In particular, Figure 3 A discloses a construction panel 300 as an 2 0 embodiment of the construction panel according to the invention. The construction panel 300 comprises a rectangularly shaped panel 310, a first u-shaped profile 322, a second u-shaped profile 324, a third u-shaped profile 326 and a fourth u-shaped profile 328. The u-shaped profiles are integrally formed with the panel 310. This is particularly practical if the construction panel 300 is manufactured using polyester, either fibre-25 reinforced or not. Such fibres can be carbon fibres, steel fibres, glass fibres or fibres of other materials.

Alternatively, a similar construction panel can be manufactured by applying any of the construction profiles shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 - or variations thereof - at the edges of a rectangular panel. Those construction profiles are connected 30 to the panel in such a way that the opening of the u-shaped profile is substantially parallel to the surface of the plate, as shown by Figure 3 A. The construction panels may be provided on one or more edges, all along such edge or over a certain part of the edge only, with one or more construction panels on one edge.

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Figure 3 B discloses a further construction panel 350 as another embodiment of the construction panel according to the invention. The further construction panel 350 comprises a rectangularly shaped panel 360, a first u-shaped profile 372 and a second u-shaped profile 374. The first u-shaped profile 372 and the 5 second u-shaped profile 374 are provided on opposite edges of the panel 360 and integrally formed with the panel 362, thus forming the construction panel 350.

Alternatively, a similar construction panel can be manufactured by applying any of the construction profiles shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 - or variations thereof - at the edges of a rectangular panel. Those construction profiles are connected 10 to the panel 360 in such a way that the opening of the u-shaped profile is substantially parallel to the surface of the plate, as shown by Figure 3 B.

Various materials can be used for manufacturing the construction panels disclosed and discussed and variations thereof. A preferred material is corrugated polyester, having two thin polyester plates at the outsides and corrugated polyester 15 material between those plates, as is commonly known with corrugated cardboard. Construction plates thus manufactured are rigid though light and relatively cheap to manufacture. In addition, the low weight of construction panels thus manufactured require a lower amount of persons to assemble constructions using such panels.

Alternatively, other materials like polyethylene, polypropylene, paper, 2 0 wood and metals like aluminium or a combination thereof, optionally together with polyester may be employed to manufacture construction panels disclosed and discussed and variations thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular if a dual-plate sandwiching a corrugated material is used, different materials may be used for the plates and the corrugated material in between may be used.

2 5 Figure 4 discloses a beach cabin 400 as an embodiment of the construction according to the invention. In particular, Figure 4 A shows a front view of the beach cabin 400, comprising a top panel 410, a first side panel 420 and a front panel 430. The front panel 430 comprises a door 432. Figure 4 B shows a rear view of the beach cabin 400, further showing a second side panel 440 and a rear panel 450.

3 0 The rear panel 450 does not extend to the top panel 410, leaving an air vent 452 just below the top panel 410.

At the bottom of the beach cabin 400, a bottom panel is provided (not shown). The beach cabin 400 has a footprint of 2 meters in square, thus having a surface area of 4 m2. The front side of the beach cabin 400 is 2,05 m high and the rear 8 side is 2 m high. This means that the side first side panel 420 and the second side panel 440 do not have an exactly rectangular or shape, though a substantially rectangular or square shape.

The bottom panel of the beach cabin 400 is provided by a construction 5 panel as shown by Figure 3 A or a variation thereof. This applies to the top panel 410 as well. The first side panel 420 and the second side panel 440 are provided by a further construction panel as shown by Figure 3 B or a variation thereof. One of the edges of the further construction panel 350 as shown by figure 3 B having no u-shaped profile is inserted in one of the four u-shaped profiles of the construction panel 300, constituting 10 the first side panel 420.

A person skilled in the art will understand that the first side panel 420 and the second side panel 440 have u-shaped profiles that do not necessarily extend over the full edge of the edges of the side panel. This is in particular the case when u-shaped profiles on side edges are slightly broader than the actual side panels, in which case the 15 u-shaped profiles on the edges of the side panel would be obstructed by u-shaped profiles of the bottom panel. In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of all panels is 40 mm. This means that the u-shaped profiles on the side panels extend over the vertical edges of those side panels, up to 40 mm from the ends of those edges, leaving those ends free for insertion in either the bottom panel or the top panel 410.

2 0 Subsequent to constitution of the first side panel 420, a plate having no u- shaped profile is inserted in a u-shaped profile of the bottom panel adjacent to the u-shaped profile where the first side panel 420 is located, thus constituting the rear panel 450. One edge of the rear panel 450 adjacent to the edge inserted in a u-shaped profile of the bottom panel and being adjacent to the first side panel, is inserted in a u-shaped 2 5 profile of the first side panel 420.

Next, a plate having no u-shaped profile comprising a door is inserted in a u-shaped profile of the bottom panel opposite to the location where the rear panel 450 is located, thus constituting the front panel 430. One edge of the front panel 430 adjacent to the edge inserted in a u-shaped profile of the bottom panel, being adjacent to the first 3 0 side panel, is inserted in a u-shaped panel of the first side panel 420. At the location of the door 432, a sidewall of the u-shaped profile located at the outside of the bottom panel is removed to enable the door 432 to be opened towards the outside of the beach cabin 300.

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After that, the second side panel 440 is constituted by inserting a panel like a further construction panel as shown by Figure 3 B or a variation thereof in the last open u-shaped profile of the bottom panel. In the u-shaped profiles of the side panel 440, adjacent edges of the rear panel 450 and the front panel 430 are inserted.

5 Finally, a construction panel as shown by Figure 3 A or a variation thereof is provided on the top of the beach cabin 300, thus constituting the top panel 410. The last open edges of the first side panel 420, the front panel 430 and the second side panel 440 are inserted in u-shaped profiles surrounding the top panel 410. The top side of the top panel 410 can be provided as a flat surface or a corrugated surface, the latter 10 being depicted in Figure 4. The top of the rear panel 450 is not inserted in a u-shaped profile of the top panel 410 as the rear panel 450 is shorter than the adjacent sides of the first side panel 420 and the second side panel 440 to provide the air vent 452. Alternatively, the rear panel 450 is high enough to be inserted in a u-shaped profile of the top panel 410.

15 Alternatively, not the first side wall 420 and the second side wall 440 are provided with u-shaped profiles on the vertical edges, but those u-shaped profiles are provided on the vertical edges of the front panel 430 and the rear panel 450.

As already indicated, the panels inserted in u-shaped profiles can be secured by means of compressive force exerted by sidewalls of the u-shaped profiles.

2 0 However, this makes it more difficult to insert edges of panels in the u-shaped profiles. Another option to secure edges of panels in u-shaped profiles is by means of sliders sliding in holes. This is depicted in Figure 5.

Figure 5 shows a details of a connection between a bottom panel 510 and the first side panel 420 of the beach cabin 400. The construction profile 100 fixed to the 2 5 bottom panel 510 and is provided for connecting the side panel 420 to the bottom panel 510. In the bottom plate panel, a slider 524 is provided and a slider opening 522 for operating the slider 524. In the first side panel 420, a hole 526 is provided for receiving the slider 524.

After the lower edge of the first side panel 420 is inserted in the vertical u- 3 0 shaped profile of the construction profile 100, the slider 524 is slid through an opening 528 in the construction profile 100, in the hole 526, thus securing the first side panel 420 to the bottom panel 510. This securing mechanism is preferably provided with all u-shaped profiles at all edges of the bottom panel 510 and the top panel 410 of the beach cabin.

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Instead of or in addition to mounting the slider 524 inside the bottom panel 510, another slider may be mounted on the side of the bottom panel 510. From a manufacturing perspective, this is simpler to manufacture as no holes, grooves or other openings have to be created in the bottom panel and the construction profile 100. On 5 the other side, if a slider is mounted on the side of the bottom panel 510, it will stick out from the bottom panel 510, making handling of it less convenient.

Having disclosed various embodiments of the different aspects of the invention, a person skilled in the art will readily appreciated that further variations thereof can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

10 Referring to the construction panels, also shapes of construction panels other than shown so far can be envisaged. Construction panels having only straight edges like octagons, triangles and parallelograms, but also bent edges like half circles. In particular in the latter example, but also in the others having straight edges, segmented u-shaped profiles or u-shaped elements may be provided along the edges 15 of such construction panels, with more than one u-shaped profile available on one edge. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that such a u-shaped profile is not necessarily to be characterised as "elongated".

If u-shaped profiles or elements are provided in a segmented way, it should be noted that the constructed assembled using such profiles or construction 2 0 panels comprising such profiles or elements, the construction may not be entirely sealed. In particular when a top panel does not comprise continuous but segmented u-shaped profiles, care should be taken that nonetheless openings between the top panel and side panels or sidewalls

With a construction panel as a bottom plate having a curved edge with 25 segmented straight u-shaped profiles along the edge, multiple relatively narrow for example rectangularly shaped panel are inserted in the u-shaped profiles, thus forming a quasi-curved vertical wall. In a similar way, a semi-curved roof may be constructed.

In this way, other constructions having other shapes than that of the substantially cubically shaped beach cabin 400 (Figure 4) can be constructed. Though 30 so far only a beach cabin has been shown and discussed in relation to the invention, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that also other structure of temporary and in certain cases even less temporary nature can be assembled an disassembled in a 11 simple, feasible and convenient way. Other constructions include, but are not limited to, vending stands, simple restaurants, bars, offices and the like.

Alternatively, the u-shaped construction profiles can be provided in a curved fashion, for curved edges of construction panels, for inserting curved 5 construction panels therein. Though curved construction panels do not provide some of the advantages that flat construction panels provide, like the ease of stacking and handling, they still enable easy and simple construction by means of being insertable in a u-shape profile of another construction panel.

Expressions such as "comprise", "include", "incorporate", "contain", "is" 10 and "have" are to be construed in a non-exclusive manner when interpreting the description and its associated claims, namely construed to allow for other items or components which are not explicitly defined also to be present. Reference to the singular is also to be construed in be a reference to the plural and vice versa.

In the description above, it will be understood that when an element such 15 as layer, region or substrate is referred to as being "on" or "onto", "in" or "into" another element, the element is either directly on or in the other element, or intervening elements may also be present. In the claims, the Dutch word "een" is to be interpreted as "a" in English, unless indicated or reasonably apparent from the context.

Furthermore, the invention may also be embodied with less components 2 0 than provided in the embodiments described here, wherein one component carries out multiple functions. Just as well may the invention be embodied using more elements than depicted in Figure 1, 3 and 4, wherein functions carried out by one component in the embodiment provided are distributed over multiple components.

A person skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various parameters 2 5 disclosed in the description may be modified and that various embodiments disclosed and/or claimed may be combined without departing from the scope of the invention.

It is stipulated that the reference signs in the claims do not limit the scope of the claims, but are merely inserted to enhance the legibility of the claims.

Claims

A construction profile comprising: a) A first elongated u-profile comprising a first side wall, a second side wall and a bottom wall; and b) At least one connecting element connected to the first side wall or the second side wall for fixing the construction profile to a construction wall.

2. Construction profile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting element is a second elongated u-profile, comprising a first further side wall, a second further side wall and a further bottom wall, the first side wall of the first u-profile being connected substantially parallel to reject the further bottom wall and the first further side wall and the second further side wall from the first u-profile.

3. Construction profile as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first side wall is attached to the further bottom wall.

Construction profile as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first side wall and the further bottom wall are formed by one and the same wall.

5. Construction panel comprising at least a substantially straight edge and comprising a u-forming element near and along at least a part of the straight edge, the plane of the opening of the u-shaped element being substantially parallel to the opening main surface of the construction panel near the u-shaped element.

6. Construction panel as claimed in claim 5, wherein the u-shaped opening is provided by the construction profile as claimed in claim 1, of which profile the connecting element connects the construction profile to the construction panel.

7. Construction profile as claimed in claim 5, wherein the u-shaped opening is provided by the construction profile as claimed in claim 2 and the straight edge is inserted in the second u-shaped profile.

8. Construction profile according to claim 5, wherein the construction panel has a substantially rectangular shape, comprising at least two construction profiles according to claim 1, connected to at least two opposite edges of the construction panel.

The construction panel of claim 8, further comprising two additional construction profiles according to claim 1, which are connected to two opposite edges of the construction panel.

10. Construction comprising: a) a substantially straight rectangular bottom panel comprising U-shaped profiles on each of the four edges, along at least a portion of each edge; b) a substantially rectangular rear panel comprising u-shaped profiles on opposite vertical edges, along at least a part of each edge, of which rear panel the lower edge is inserted in an opening of at least one of the u-shaped profiles of the bottom panel; c) a substantially rectangular front panel comprising u-shaped profiles on opposite vertical edges, along at least a part of each edge, of which rear panel the bottom edge is inserted in an opening of at least one of a u-shaped profiles of the bottom panel; d) two substantially rectangular side panels, each comprising two vertical edges inserted into openings of the u-profiles of adjacent side walls and a lower edge inserted into an opening of one of at least one of a u-shaped profiles of the bottom panel; and e) a substantially rectangular top panel comprising u-shaped profiles on each of the four edges, along at least a portion of each edge, the upper edges of the side walls being inserted in u-profiles on opposite edges of the top panel and wherein the upper edge of the front panel is inserted in a u-profile at an edge of the top panel other than the opposite edges into which upper edges of the side panels are inserted.