WO2001012919A1

WO2001012919A1 - Supporting device for raised floor panels

Info

Publication number: WO2001012919A1
Application number: PCT/HU2000/000089
Authority: WO
Inventors: Imre Mura, Jr.; Imre Mura
Original assignee: Mura Imre Jr; Imre Mura
Priority date: 1999-08-16
Filing date: 2000-08-10
Publication date: 2001-02-22
Also published as: HU9900208V0; AU6716000A; HU1728U

Abstract

A supporting device for raised floor panels (2), the supporting device comprising a threaded rod (3) with a first end and a second end, a first supporting plate (7) fixed to the threaded rod (3) at the first end thereof essentially at a right angle, a tube element (4) with a first end and a second end, and a second supporting plate (8) fixed to the tube element (4) at the first end thereof essentially at a right angle, wherein the second end of the threaded rod (3) is inserted into the tube element (4) through the second end thereof, and the distance between the first and second supporting plates (7, 8) is adjusted by means of a nut (6) attached to the tube element (4) and complementarily engaging the threaded rod (3) by means of a threaded bore therein. An upset joint is used for fixing the first supporting plate (7) to the threaded rod (3) by upsetting an end section thereof into an opening of the first supporting plate (7) or an upset joint is used for fixing the second supporting plate (8) to the tube element (4), wherein a connecting piece is inserted into the first end of the tube member (4) and fixed there by a tight fit, and the upset joint is formed by upsetting an end portion of the connecting piece into an opening of the second supporting plate (8).

Description

SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR RAISED FLOOR PANELS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a supporting device for raised floor panels, wherein the supporting device is located between a load bearing floor and the raised floor consisting of panels

BACKGROUND ART

In the case of a high number of cables and conduits and extensive branching requirements as well as in special buildings, for example in control rooms, computer centres or bank buildings, it is a general solution that a space is provided for the cables and conduits between the load bearing floor and a raised floor consisting of panels This space is formed by a support structure consisting of supporting devices arranged between the load bearing floor and the raised floor panels The supporting devices can be made of steel, but other materials, like light metal or plastic may also be used

The supporting devices generally comprise a threaded rod, a first supporting plate fixed to the threaded rod, a tube element, and a second supporting plate fixed to the tube element The threaded rod is inserted into the tube element and the distance between the first and second supporting plates is adjusted by means of a nut attached to the tube element and complementaπly engaging the threaded rod by means of a threaded bore therein In the supporting devices the fixing of the supporting plates to the threaded rod and the tube element is usually formed by a welded or screwed joint which makes the manufacturing of the supporting devices costly and difficult to automate Supporting devices, in which welded or screwed joints are used for fixing of the supporting plates to the threaded rod and the tube element are described for example in EP 0 396 064 A2, EP 0 398 547 A1 , EP 0 529 073 A1 , EP 0 537 799 A1 , EP 0 641 903 A1 and US 4,922,670

In EP 0 634 539 A1 a supporting device is described having special deep- drawn supporting plates with a complex shape, which can be pressed onto the threaded rod or the tube element This supporting plate, however, is difficult to manufacture, and the fixing thereof should be reinforced by a screwed joint in some cases

In EP 0 567 679 A1 a supporting device having a special fixing between the tube element and the respective supporting plate is described The special fixing is formed by deforming one end of the tube element so as to form two ridges sandwiching the supporting plate This deformation, however, is difficult to manufacture, and a welded joint is used for fixing the other supporting plate to the threaded rod

There is a number of solutions for adjusting the distance between the supporting plates in state-of-the-art supporting devices A separate nut is used for example in EP 0 641 903 A1 , a threaded section is formed in the tube member by a reduction thereof in EP 0 373 088 A1 , and a nut inserted into the tube member and fixed there by a separate screw is described in EP 0 398 547 A1 , EP 0 529 073 A1 , EP 0 537 799 A1 and US 4,922 670 The separate nut has the drawback that walking on the raised floor surface may lead to a displacement of the nut due to resonances To avoid this, a countemut is generally used, and the lower supporting plates are fixed by an adhesive to the load bearing floor When adjusting and subsequently readjusting the height of the supporting device, the unscrewing and tightening of the countemut are relatively difficult The use of a tube member having a reduction with an inner threaded section is a better solution, but the manufacturing thereof is relatively costly compared to applying a simple tube section as the tube member The nut inserted into the tube member and fixed there by a separate screw also entails additional costs is the manufacturing process

In the above mentioned EP 0 567 679 A1 the nut for adjusting the distance between the supporting plates is formed as a bush inserted into the end of the tube member, and therefore the nut has no standard hexagonal outer surface for adjusting said distance by standard tools. This is an essential drawback, as the distance is usually adjusted when one or more floor panels are already placed onto the supporting device, when turning the tube member in relation to the threaded rod is difficult without using an appropriate tool, e.g. a spanner.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a supporting device in which the disadvantages described above are eliminated and which can be manufactured simply and cost efficiently by mass production. It is another object of the invention to provide a supporting device which is easy to install and easy and safe to adjust.

According to a first aspect, the invention is a supporting device for raised floor panels, the supporting device comprising a threaded rod with a first end and a second end, a first supporting plate fixed to the threaded rod at the first end thereof essentially at a right angle, a tube element with a first end and a second end, and a second supporting plate fixed to the tube element at the first end thereof essentially at a right angle, wherein the second end of the threaded rod is inserted into the tube element through the second end thereof, and the distance between the first and second supporting plates is adjusted by means of a nut attached to the tube element and complementarily engaging the threaded rod by means of a threaded bore therein. According to the invention an upset joint is used for fixing the second supporting plate to the tube element, wherein a connecting piece having a first end portion, an intermediate flange portion and a second end portion is inserted by its second end portion into the first end of the tube member and fixed there by a tight fit, and the upset joint is formed by upsetting the first end portion of the connecting piece into an opening of the second supporting plate, wherein the flange portion abuts on the second supporting plate.

According to a second aspect of the invention, an upset joint is used for fixing the first supporting plate to the threaded rod, wherein the threaded rod is provided at its first end with a flange portion and an end section extending from the flange portion, and the upset joint is formed by upsetting the end section of the threaded rod into an opening of the first supporting plate, and wherein the flange portion of the threaded rod abuts on the first supporting plate.

By the use of upset joints and flange portions ensuring fixing at a right angle a simple and safe fixing is achieved. As no welded or screw joint is to be formed, the inventive supporting device can be manufactured more simple and cost efficient by mass production than known supporting devices. By means of the connecting piece, a rigid fixing of the tube member to the supporting plate can be formed easily.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the supporting plates have respective recessed portions containing the respective openings for receiving projecting parts of the upset joints. In this way the supporting plates can abut adequately on the surfaces of the load bearing floor and the raised floor panels.

One end of the bore in the nut is preferably widened to a larger diameter bore portion, wherein the nut is attached by its larger diameter bore portion to an external surface of the second end of the tube element by means of a tight fit formed by pressing the nut onto the tube element. Attaching the nut by a pressing step further simplifies the manufacturing process. As the nut is attached to the outer surface of the tube member, it is possible to use a tube member having a smaller diameter, thereby further reducing the manufacturing costs.

The adjustment of the distance between the supporting plates can be done preferably by standard tools if at least one part of an external surface of the nut has a standard hexagonal shape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Hereinafter, the invention will be described by means of a preferred embodiment as shown in the drawings, where

Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 depict installed supporting devices according to the invention, Fig. 3 is a part-sectioned front view of the threaded rod with the respective supporting plate of the supporting device shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

Fig. 4 is a part-sectioned front view of the tube member with the respective supporting plate of the supporting device shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

Fig. 5 is a front view of the threaded rod in Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a special nut to be fixed to the tube member, and

Fig. 7 is a front view of a connecting piece for attaching the tube member to the respective supporting plate.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of the supporting device according to the invention comprises a threaded rod 3 with a first end and a second end, a first supporting plate 7 fixed to the threaded rod 3 at the first end thereof essentially at a right angle, a tube element 4 with a first end and a second end, and a second supporting plate 8 fixed to the tube element 4 at the first end thereof essentially at a right angle, wherein the second end of the threaded rod 3 is inserted into the tube element 4 through the second end thereof, and the distance between the first and second supporting plates 7, 8 is adjusted by means of a nut 6 attached to the tube element 4.

The supporting device is located between a load bearing floor 1 and raised floor panels 2. In Fig. 1 , the load bearing floor 1 is in contact with the first supporting plate 7, and the raised floor panels 2 are in contact with the second supporting plate 8. In Fig. 2, the load bearing floor 1 is in contact with the second supporting plate 8, and the raised floor panels 2 are in contact with the first supporting plate 7. In these embodiments the nut 6, as shown in Fig. 6, has a bore with a threaded portion 61 complementarily engaging the threaded rod and a widened, larger diameter bore portion 62. The nut 6 is attached by this larger diameter bore portion 62 to an external surface of the second end of the tube element 4 by means of a tight fit formed by pressing the nut 6 onto the tube element 4. The adjustment of the distance between the first and second supporting plates 7, 8 is carried out by turning the threaded rod 3 and the tube member 4 in relation to each-other.

The perpendicular relative position of the supporting plate 7 and the threaded rod 3 is ensured by a circular flange portion 31 of the threaded rod 3 as shown in Fig 3. The fixing of the supporting plate 7 to the threaded rod 3 is formed in a way that an end section 32 of the threaded rod 3 is placed into an opening in supporting plate 7, and then the end section 32 is pressed into the opening by upsetting, which is faster than conventional welding or screwing and results in significant cost savings. A dent formed by the upsetting step in the end section 32 is depicted by a dashed line. In the course of upsetting the end section 32, the supporting plate 7 takes up the required position as a result of the forces arising without extra centring, and it retains this position without displacement after the completion of this process. The diameter and length of the threaded rod 3 can be adjusted according to load and supported distance requirements. The threaded rod 3 can be formed as a solid piece, or it can be formed as a tubular piece having an outer thread. The threaded rod 3 without the supporting plate 7 is shown in Fig. 5.

The first supporting plate 7 has a recessed portion 9 containing the opening and being located on a side opposite the threaded rod 3. The recessed portion 9 receives a projecting deformed part of the upset end section 32 of the threaded rod 3.

As already described above, the nut 6 depicted in Fig. 6 is fixed by pressing on the tube element 4 as shown in Fig. 4. The larger diameter bore portion 62 of the nut 6 ensures a tight fit with the external surface of the end of the tube element 4. The external surface of the larger diameter bore portion 62 is of a standard hexagonal shape. This design of the nut 6 enables an exact alignment of the threaded rod 3 and the tube element 4 and furthermore makes sure that the mutual positions of the threaded rod 3 and tube element 4 can be altered by a spanner even under load. The tube member 4 shown in Fig. 4 transfers the load to, for example, the raised floor panels 2 via the second supporting plate 8. The fixing between the supporting plate 8 and the tube element 4 is ensured by means of a connecting piece 5 also shown in details in Fig. 7. The axially symmetric connecting piece 5 has a first end portion 53, an intermediate circular flange portion 52 and a second end portion 51. The connecting piece 5 is pressed by its second end portion 51 into the first end of the tube member 4 and fixed there by a tight fit. An upset joint is formed by upsetting the first end portion 53 of the connecting piece 5 into an opening of the second supporting plate 8. Again, a dent formed by the upsetting step in the first end portion 53 is depicted by a dashed line. The circular flange portion 52 ensures a perpendicular relative position of the supporting plate 8 and the tube element 4 by abutting on the second supporting plate 8 and an edge of the tube member 4. The connecting piece 5 can be formed as a solid piece, or it can be formed as a tubular piece.

The second supporting plate 8 has a recessed portion 10 containing the opening and being located on a side opposite the tube member 4, wherein the recessed portion 10 receives a projecting deformed part of the upset first end portion 53 of the connecting piece 5.

The supporting device according to the invention can be made of steel, but other materials, like light metal or plastic may also be used.

It is apparent from the discussion above that according to the invention a low-cost supporting device with an excellent quality is obtained, which is simple to install and adjust.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the above disclosure is exemplary only and that various other alternatives, adaptations and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A supporting device for raised floor panels, the supporting device comprising a threaded rod with a first end and a second end, a first supporting plate fixed to the threaded rod at the first end thereof essentially at a right angle, a tube element with a first end and a second end, and a second supporting plate fixed to the tube element at the first end thereof essentially at a right angle, wherein the second end of the threaded rod is inserted into the tube element through the second end thereof, and the distance between the first and second supporting plates is adjusted by means of a nut attached to the tube element and complementarily engaging the threaded rod by means of a threaded bore therein, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that an upset joint is used for fixing the second supporting plate (8) to the tube element (4), wherein a connecting piece (5) having a first end portion (53), an intermediate flange portion (52) and a second end portion (51 ) is inserted by its second end portion (51 ) into the first end of the tube member (4) and fixed there by a tight fit, and the upset joint is formed by upsetting the first end portion (53) of the connecting piece (5) into an opening of the second supporting plate (8), wherein the flange portion (52) abuts on the second supporting plate (8).

2. The supporting device according to claim 1 , characterised in that the second supporting plate (8) has a recessed portion (10) containing the opening and being located on a side opposite the tube member (4), wherein the recessed portion (10) receives a projecting deformed part of the upset first end portion (53) of the connecting piece (5).

3. The supporting device according to claim 1 , characterised in that an upset joint is used for fixing the first supporting plate (7) to the threaded rod (3), wherein the threaded rod (3) is provided at its first end with a flange portion (31 ) and an end section (32) extending from the flange portion (31 ), and the upset joint is formed by upsetting the end section (32) of the threaded rod (3) into an opening of the first supporting plate (7), and wherein the flange portion (31 ) of the threaded rod (3) abuts on the first supporting plate (7)

4 A supporting device for raised floor panels, the supporting device comprising a threaded rod with a first end and a second end, a first supporting plate fixed to the threaded rod at the first end thereof essentially at a right angle, a tube element with a first end and a second end, and a second supporting plate fixed to the tube element at the first end thereof essentially at a right angle, wherein the second end of the threaded rod is inserted into the tube element through the second end thereof, and the distance between the first and second supporting plates is adjusted by means of a nut attached to the tube element and complementaπly engaging the threaded rod by means of a threaded bore therein, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that an upset joint is used for fixing the first supporting plate (7) to the threaded rod (3), wherein the threaded rod (3) is provided at its first end with a flange portion (31 ) and an end section (32) extending from the flange portion (31 ), and the upset joint is formed by upsetting the end section (31 ) of the threaded rod (3) into an opening of the first supporting plate (7), and wherein the flange portion (31 ) abuts on the first supporting plate (7)

5 The supporting device according to claim 4, characterised in that the first supporting plate (7) has a recessed portion (9) containing the opening and being located on a side opposite the threaded rod (3), wherein the recessed portion (9) receives a projecting deformed part of the upset end section (32) of the threaded rod (3)

6 The supporting device according to claim 4, characterised in that an upset joint is used for fixing the second supporting plate (8) to the tube element (4), wherein a connecting piece (5) having a first end portion (53), an intermediate flange portion (52) and a second end portion (51 ) is inserted by its second end portion (51 ) into the first end of the tube member (4) and fixed there by a tight fit and the upset joint is formed by upsetting the first end portion (53) of the connecting piece (5) into an opening of the second supporting plate (8), wherein the intermediate flange portion (52) abuts on the second supporting plate (8).

7. The supporting device according to claim 1 or claim 4, characterised in that one end of the bore in the nut (6) is widened to a larger diameter bore portion (62), wherein the nut (6) is attached by its larger diameter bore portion (62) to an external surface of the second end of the tube element (4) by means of a tight fit formed by pressing the nut (6) onto the tube element (4).

8. The supporting device according to claim 6, characterised in that at least one part of an external surface of the nut (6) has a standard hexagonal shape.