WO1996022430A1

WO1996022430A1 - Retaining profile

Info

Publication number: WO1996022430A1
Application number: PCT/NL1996/000030
Authority: WO
Inventors: Harmen Boomsma; Erik Roscam Abbing
Original assignee: Flex Innovations Holding B.V.
Priority date: 1995-01-20
Filing date: 1996-01-16
Publication date: 1996-07-25
Also published as: NL9500105A; AU4678296A

Abstract

The invention relates to a profile combination for retaining an edge of at least one flat rigid plate against a structure extending substantially parallel to the edge of the plate, comprising a fixed profile (4) fixedly connectable to the structure and at least one releasable profile (5, 6) each retaining a plate (10) against the fixed profile. The fixed profile preferably has at least a first piece, the outer wall (15) of which extends parallel to the plate for fixing and which is adapted to impinge on the plate for fixing, the fixed profile further has a mounting piece (10) which is connected to the at least one first piece and which is adapted to be connected to the structure, and the releasable profile has in cross section a substantially U-shaped configuration and is adapted to engage over the plate edge for fixing and the first piece of the fixed profile.

Description

RETAINING PROFILE

The invention relates to a profile combination for retaining an edge of at least one flat, rigid plate against a structure extending substantially parallel to the edge of the plate. Such profile combinations are generally known.

Such profile combinations or profiles are used for example in system walls to retain the edge of plates of such a system wall against the ceiling, or for instance against a wall extending perpendicularly of the system wall.

Such profile combinations of the prior art usually have a U-shaped configuration, wherein the plates of the system wall are retained by both legs of the U-shaped configuration. These profile combinations of the prior art have the drawback that in order to result in an attractive appear¬ ance they usually have to be arranged in position prior to arranging of the wall elements.

Other profile combinations of the prior art for subse- quent arrangement usually require screw connections, whereby arranging of such profiles takes up a great deal of time.

Both types of profile combinations have the drawback that they are difficult to disassemble. The object of the invention is to provide such a profile which contains parts which can be arranged after arrangement of the elements of the system wall, wherein arranging of the profile takes place with the fewest possible operations and it can be disassembled easily and wherein the profile has an attractive appearance.

This object is achieved by a profile combination for retaining an edge of at least one flat, rigid plate against a structure extending substantially parallel to the edge of the plate, which is characterized by a fixed profile which can be fixedly connected to the structure and at least one releasable profile each retaining a plate against the profile.

In this profile combination according to the invention the fixed profile can initially be connected to the structure, whereafter the elements of the system wall can be arranged, and wherein the edges of the plates of the system wall are subsequently fixed in place by arranging the releasable profile. An attractive appearance is obtained as a result of the special construction. Other attractive embodiments are specified in the sub-claims. The invention will be elucidated hereinbelow with reference to an embodiment depicted in the annexed fig¬ ures, in which: figure 1 shows a partly broken away perspective view of an edge of a system wall construction which comprises plates which have been fixed or are being fixed by means of a profile according to the invention; figure 2 shows a perspective detail view of the situa¬ tion depicted in figure 1 during the first step of ar- ranging the releasable profile; and figure 3 shows a view corresponding with figure 2 during a further step of arranging the profile.

Shown in figure 1 is a ceiling 1 which has a structure to which the profile combination fixes wall plates 2 and 3 respectively. The profile combination is formed by a fixed profile 4 and two releasable profiles 5,6.

The fixed profile 4 is fastened against the ceiling l by means of plugs 7 and screws 8. Holes 9 are of course drilled into the fixed profile for this purpose. It is of course possible to apply other fixing techniques. As figures 2 and 3 show more clearly, the fixed profile 4 is formed by an extending plate 10 which in the present applications fulfills the function of mounting piece, which plate is provided on the top side with four ribs 11. These ribs serve to fix the plate 10 at a certain distance from the underside of ceiling 1.

The two middle ribs 11 continue on their bottom side as a wall part 12 which initially extends vertically downward and then transposes into a substantially circu¬ lar curved part 13. The curved wall part connects onto a substantially vertically extending wall part 14 provided with an outer wall 15, against which plate 2 rests. In downward direction the first vertical wall part 14 is provided with a stepped connection 16. This is applied for instance in the case of plates of thicker material, for example glass. Further arranged at a distance from the first vertical wall part 14 is a third vertical wall part 17 which extends downwards.

The outer rib 11 is further extended on its underside as a downward extending rib 18, wherein the outer rib 11 and the downward extending rib 18 are provided on their outside with a striking surface 19. As shown in the drawings, the fixed profile is symmet¬ rical; similar elements are present on the other side of the profile which are designated in the drawing with the same numerals provided with an accent.

The releasable profile 5 is formed by a U-shaped configuration formed by a bridge part 20 and an outer leg 21 and an inner leg 22. The outer leg 21 is extended at the top as a rib 23, while an inward extending localiza¬ tion element 24 is arranged on the bottom of inner leg 22. This localization element is provided with a curved outer surface which fits in the curved inner surface of the curved wall part 13.

Finally, a rib 25 is arranged which extends upward from the bridge 20 and which is provided on its inside with a counter-contact surface 26. The inward facing side of the first vertical wall part 14 is provided with a series of ridges 28 to increase the friction between the outside of the first vertical wall part and the inside of the inner leg of the U-shaped configuration of the releasable profile. This of course improves fixation. Understood here by outside is the side directed toward the outside of the wall. In this case that is the inside of the U-shaped configuration. There is of course also fixation of the localization element between the outer leg 21 of the U-shaped configu¬ ration and the outer surf ce of wall part 12. A clamp fixation herein occurs as a result of the flexible action of the localization piece. Rotation of the releasable profile is herein prevented by the protrusion 30 which rests against the plate 2. In order to obtain a somewhat flexible fixation a narrowing 29 is arranged in the vicinity of the position where the outer leg 21 of the U- shaped configuration is connected to the bridge of the U- shaped configuration. A rib 30 is arranged at the bottom on the inside of the outer leg. To increase fire-resis¬ tance a plaster strip 33 is pushed into the space between the second vertical wall parts 12,13. The use of the profile combination according to the invention will now be elucidated.

As stated, the fixed profile 4 is initially fastened to a ceiling 1 by means of holes 9 drilled in the profile, through which extend screws 8 which are fixed into plugs 7 arranged in ceiling 1.

However, in order to describe the use it is assumed that the profile is connected to a ceiling, so that in a vertical application the terms horizontal and vertical used hereinbelow must be mutually exchanged. Once the fixed part 4 of the profile has been mounted, the wall plates 2,3 are moved against the relevant sur¬ faces 15,15'. Reference is made for further fixing of the plates to the Netherlands patent application 9300141. The major part of each of the plates is hereby fixed. Understood by plate in the first instance is plaster¬ board but it is equally possible to use other types of plates, for example wooden boards or plastic panels. The releasable profile 5,6 is then arranged. This takes place by first slightly tilting the profile 5 so that the localization part 24 of profile 5 is moved into the slit between the bottom edge of rib 18 and the top edge of the first vertical wall plate 14. This inward directed move¬ ment is continued until the edge of the localization part impinges on the inner wall of the second vertical wall part 12 or of the curved wall part 13. The situation is then obtained as shown in figure 2.

A rotating movement is then initiated as shown by arrow 31 in figure 2. During this rotating movement the outer edge of the localization element 24 moves upward while the outer wall of the localization element slides on its bottom side over the top edge of the first wall part 14. The upper edge of the ridge 25 will herein rest against the striking surface 19 during at least a part of this movemen . This rotating movement is continued until the outer leg of the U-shaped configuration of the releasable profile extends vertically. The counter-contact surface 26 of rib 25 then lies, at least in a number of embodiments, against the striking surface 19 of ribs 11 and 18 and the situation is obtained as shown in figure 3.

It is however alsO possible to use the releasable profile without rib 25. The releasable profile 5 can in that case be pushed inside perpendicularly with its localization element 24 until the situation shown in figure 3 is obtained. The releasable profile is then moved downward in the direction of arrow 32 in figure 3 until the bottom surface of the bridge part 20 lies against the upper edge of the first vertical piece 14 or against the upper surface of the second piece 13. A good fixation of the edge of the plate 5 is then obtained.

It is noted here that the profiles are often of a considerable length, so that, in view of the forces involved in insertion of the profile and the relative flexibility of the profile, it is not possible to subject such a profile simultaneously along its entire length to the operations just described; however, due to the flexi¬ bility of the profile it is possible to subject the profile to the above described operations in stepwise manner as shown in figure 1.

The cavity above the localization part 24 is practi¬ cally closed off by the rib 18 and the rib 25. This results in good sound insulation through the profile,- in other words, a so-called sound bridge is prevented. It is otherwise possible to use particularly the releasable profile in relatively short pieces, with for instance the length equal to the width of a plate, for example a plasterboard of 600 mm. It is further possible to use a profile with a length of several metres. The profile can be manufactured for instance from aluminium, steel or plastic. The foregoing description relates to a profile which retains the plates of the vertical wall against a ceil¬ ing. The profile according to the invention can likewise be used to retain the plates of a vertical wall against a vertical wall and to retain plates forming part of a ceiling against vertical walls. In this case this will usually involve a single configuration with a single retaining profile.

It is also possible however to apply the profile combination according to the invention in a structure extending in the plane of the plates, for example an extension of the wall or the ceiling.

Such a profile combination can however also be used for instance in frames arranged in a system wall, for example door frames. The profile 4 is then fixed against the door frame, while it is also possible to shape the profile 4 on the side of the ribs 11 such that it also serves as a door frame or that it can be connected to a frame in another manner, for example by a snap connection.

It is noted finally that the above description relates to a profile in a double embodiment; a single embodiment of the profile is of course equally possible, so that the fixed profile is formed by only half the fixed profile 4 and there is only a single releasable profile 5.

Claims

1. Profile combination (4,5,6) for retaining an edge of at least one flat rigid plate (2,3) against a structure (1) extending substantially parallel to the edge of the plate, characterized by a fixed profile (4) fixedly connectable to the structure (l) and at least one releas¬ able profile (5,6) each retaining a plate (2,3) against the fixed profile (4) .

2. Profile combination as claimed in claim 1, charac¬ terized in that the fixed profile (4) has at least a first piece (14,14'), the outer wall (15,15') of which extends parallel to the plate (2,3) for fixing and which is adapted to impinge on the plate (2,3) for fixing, that the fixed profile (4) further has a mounting piece (10) which is connected to the at least one first piece (14, 14') and which is adapted to be connected to the struc¬ ture (1), and that the releasable profile (5,6) has in cross section a substantially U-shaped configuration and is adapted to engage over the edge of the plate (2,3) for fixing and the first piece (14,14') of the fixed profile.

3. Profile combination as claimed in claim 2, charac¬ terized in that the first piece (14,14') has an inner wall which is located opposite the outer wall (15,15') and which extends at least partly substantially parallel to the outer wall of the first piece (14,14') .

4. Profile combination as claimed in claim 3, charac¬ terized in that at least the part of the inner wall (14,14') substantially parallel to the outer wall (15, 15') or the wall (22,22') of the U-shaped releasable pro¬ file (5,6) adapted for engaging thereon is provided with friction-increasing means (28,28').

5. Profile combination as claimed in claim 4, charac¬ terized in that the friction-increasing means are formed by ribs (28,28') arranged on the inner wall of the first piece and extending parallel to the plate edge. 6. Profile combination as claimed in any of the fore¬ going claims, characterized in that the releasable pro¬ file (5,

6) is provided with a localization element (24, 24' ) that can be clamped in a cavity arranged in the fixed profile (4) .

7. Profile combination as claimed in any of the claims 2-5, characterized in that the fixed profile (4) is provided with a second piece (13,13'), the upper wall of which extends inward from the inner wall of the first piece (14,14'), that from the mounting piece (10) the second piece (13,13') initially extends parallel to the outer wall (15) of the first piece (14,14') and that the releasable profile (5,6) has a localization piece (24, 24') which extends inward from the inner leg (22,22') of the U-shaped configuration.

8. Profile combination as claimed in claims 6 and 7, characterized in that the cavity is formed by the inner wall of the first piece (14,14'), the inner wall of the second piece (12,12 ' , 13, 13 ' ) and the bottom wall of the mounting piece (10) .

9. Profile combination as claimed in claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the inside of the second piece (13,13') has a substantially circular section, and that the outside of the localization piece (24,24') of the releasable profile (5,6) has a substantially circular section.

10. Profile combination as claimed in claim 7, 8 or 9, characterized in that the fixed profile (4) has a strik¬ ing surface (19,19') located above the level of the upper edge of the first piece (14,14'), and that the releasable profile (5,6) has a counter-striking surface (25,25') located above the U-shaped configuration for impinging on the striking surface (19,19') of the fixed profile (4) during arrangement of the releasable profile (5,6).

11. Profile combination as claimed in any of the claims 2-9, characterized in that the outer leg (21,21') of the U-shaped configuration has a weakening (29,29') located close to the bridge part (20,20').

12. Profile combination as claimed in any of the claims 2-11, characterized in that the outer leg (21,21') of the U-shaped configuration has an inward directed protrusion (30) .

13. Profile combination as claimed in any of the claims 2-12, characterized in that the outer leg (21,21') of the U-shaped configuration is extended beyond the bridge part of the U-shaped configuration (23) .

14. Profile combination as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the fixed part (4) of the profile is adapted to fix two plates.

15. Profile combination as claimed in claim 14, char¬ acterized in that a strip of fire-resistant material is placed between the two pieces.

16. Fixed profile (4) forming part of a profile combi¬ nation as claimed in any of the foregoing claims.

17. Releasable profile (5,6) forming part of a profile combination as claimed in any of the claims 1-15.