WO2007148207A2

WO2007148207A2 - Wall or ceiling fixing member for a guide profile

Info

Publication number: WO2007148207A2
Application number: PCT/IB2007/001664
Authority: WO
Inventors: Oscar Marchetto
Original assignee: Nice Spa
Priority date: 2006-06-23
Filing date: 2007-06-11
Publication date: 2007-12-27
Also published as: ITTV20060114A1; DE602007005975D1; WO2007148207A3; EP1971744B1; EP1971744A2; PL1971744T3; ATE465319T1

Abstract

Fixing member (40) for fixing to a wall an object, in particular a guide (70) for operating systems of lift-up doors, characterized in that it comprises at least two separate parts (42a, 42b) which can be engaged together to form the bracket (40).

Description

"WALL OR CEILING FIXING MEMBER FOR A GUIDE PROFILE"

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a wall or ceiling fixing member, in particular to a bracket, for a guide profile of a slider piece used for moving doors and main entrance closures.

Doors and main entrance closures commonly used in the civil and industrial building sector are composed principally of one or more hinged panels having a different width and height depending on the application and are supported by a pair of guides which allow opening and closing thereof. Nearly always, in particular garage doors are operated by means of electric gearmotors so as to perform a horizontal or vertical movement.

The present invention relates in particular, but not exclusively, to vertically moving doors, commonly referred to as being of the sectional or pivoting type, which have a vertical closed position and a horizontal open position where they are situated close and parallel to the ceiling. In order to move doors of this type, for example the door 12 according to Figs. 1 and

2, an electric gearmotor 10 is arranged between the door 12 when it is in the horizontal position and the garage ceiling. The gearmotor 10 operates the door 12, which is mounted on guides 14, by means of a mechanical arm 17 which is connected at one end to the door 12 and at the other end to a slider piece 19 sliding inside a guide profile 16 with a C-shaped cross-section. The gearmotor 10 is fixed to one end of the guide profile 16 and transmits the movement to the slide 19 by means of a chain or toothed belt contained inside the guide profile 16.

The installation of the guide profile 16 involves fixing it to the garage ceiling by means of special brackets which, on the one hand, are screwed to the ceiling and, on the other hand, retain the guide profile 16. The guide profile 16 generally has a length of three metres for domestic use, but may also be as long as six metres for industrial applications: fixing thereof is therefore difficult and complex. This operation must be organized on-site, where the installation engineer decides upon the exact number of brackets to be used and their position along the guide profile 16, depending on the type of ceiling available. It is therefore required to move the brackets along the guide profile 16 before screwing them in position, in order to assess in real time the end result.

At present special brackets 18 as shown in Fig. 3 (illustrated schematically in an overturned position) are used. These brackets have a base plate 21 and a pair of hook-shaped flanges 22. The latter are perpendicular to the plate 21 and arranged on its two diagonal corners. The base plate 21 has, moreover, two side tongues 20 with holes 23 positioned on _ 9 —

the same sides as the flanges 22.

Two sides L of the plate 21 are equal to, or slightly greater than, the width of the guide profile 16 (shown in broken lines in Fig. 3) such that, once inserted between the flanges 22, the latter may support it on its bottom side. The distance between the two flanges 22 is such that the bracket 18 may be coupled with the guide profile 16 in two ways: by inserting the guide profile 16 laterally, in the direction of the arrow F, or by rotating the bracket 18 in a horizontal plane and inserting the guide profile 16 from above, in the direction of the arrow FF. In order to disengage the bracket 18 from the guide profile 16 it is sufficient to rotate the bracket 18 in a horizontal plane (arrow RR) so as to move the flanges 22 laterally away from the guide profile 16 (so that the diagonal Z of the plate 21 with the flanges 22 is perpendicular to the guide profile 16). The flanges 22 disengage, allowing either extraction of the bracket 18 from the profile 16 or relative sliding of the two parts. Once the desired position along the guide profile 16 has been reached, the bracket 18 is rotated in the opposite direction to before so as to engage it with the guide profile 16 and it is then screwed into the ceiling by means of the screws engaged inside the holes 23.

The brackets used for this application are obviously mass produced articles and must therefore be low-cost and very versatile. The bracket 18 is not optimum from this point of view. Moreover, the installation engineer must position all the brackets 18, which he considers appropriate, on the guide profile 16 before starting to fix them to the ceiling. In fact, it only needs two brackets 18 to have been screwed into the ceiling for it to be no longer possible to insert or remove them without having to disassemble entirely the guide profile 16 from the ceiling. This is very inconvenient in particular in situations where the guide profile 16 is very long (six metres) or the ceiling has a particular configuration. The bracket 18 has moreover relatively large dimensions and therefore is costly to produce and difficult to package.

The object of the present invention is to provide a more effective and low-cost fixing member. This object is achieved by means of a fixing member for fixing to a wall an object, in particular a guide for the operating systems of lift-up doors, characterized in that it comprises at least two separate parts which can be engaged together so as to form the fixing member.

In its simplest embodiment, the fixing member is composed of only two parts (but the number may vary). In order to simplify further the production, the first part is practically identical to the second part and both may have one end provided with engaging means via which the two parts are hooked together to form the fixing member in its working configuration. The advantages of a bracket according to the invention will become clearer from the following description of a preferred embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows in schematic form a motorized lift-up door for a garage; Fig. 2 shows a partial side view of the motorized mechanical system for raising the door according to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a bracket according to the prior art in an overturned position;

Fig.4 shows a bracket according to the invention in the disengaged configuration;

Fig. 5 shows the bracket according to Fig. 4 in the engaged condition; Fig. 6 shows one part of a variant of the bracket according to the invention;

Fig. 7 shows the bracket according to Fig. 6 in a configuration engaged with a guide profile.

Figures 4 and 5 show a fixing bracket 40 according to the invention comprising two separate but identical shaped parts 42a, 42b. The two parts 42a, 42b - shown separate in Fig. 4 - may be assembled in an engaged configuration (Fig. 5) where they form the bracket 40. It is evident that the substantially identical form of the parts 42a, 42b facilitates the formation of the bracket 40.

Each part 42a, 42b comprises three segments 44, 46, 48 (the same reference numbers are used to indicate identical components in the parts 42a, 42b) which form an asymmetrical U-shaped structure, the segment 44 being shorter than the segment 48 and substantially parallel thereto. Essentially the two parallel segments 44, 48 in the U-shaped structure have a different length, but this is not strictly necessary.

In Fig. 5 it can be seen that each part 42a, 42b has a hook-shaped structure able to retain and/or support by means of its section 44 one side of an object, for example a guide 70 shown in broken lines.

The larger segment 48 is shaped so as to form engaging means, which are formed in the example by means of three flat sections adjacent in pairs, 50, 52, 54, the end (outermost) ones of which are equal, while the section 52 which is central relative to them is narrower and parallel, but not coplanar. This particular structure may be obtained by means of common sheet-metal machining techniques, for example by means of bending and stamping.

As can be seen in Figure 4, the sections 50 and 54 are coplanar with each other, while the section 52 defines a bridge structure between the sections 50 and 54. The sections 50, 52,

54 have an aligned side and form a curved structure which defines an empty space 62 between the end sections 50, 54 and underneath the central section 52. Owing to the relative dimensions of the sections 50, 52, 54 (the section 52 has a width W which is equal to half that of the sections 50 and 54), an empty space 60, adjacent to the empty space 62, which is not covered by the section 52, is also created between the sections 50, 54.

The empty space 62 of the part 42a may receive part of the engaging means of the corresponding part 42b and vice versa (see Fig. 5) so that one end of a part 42a engages with that of the other part 42a, and vice versa. It should be noted in Fig. 5 how the engaging ends of the parts 42a, 42b are formed so as to be arranged at least partly over each other and lock one inside the other. It is sufficient to move parts 42a, 42b frontalis towards each other, aligning the sections 54 with the empty spaces 60 (see arrows D and axis of alignment X in Fig. 4), in order to ensure that one section 54 of the part 42a is arranged, in the engaged configuration, inside the other part 42b both inside the space 62 underneath the section 52 and inside the space 60. The same is applicable for the part 42b with respect to the part 42a. It should be noted that, after engagement together of the parts 42a and 42b (see Fig. 5), separation of the two parts 42a, 42b is prevented in the direction perpendicular to the engaging direction (axis X) and moreover the width WW of the composite bracket 40 about the guide 70 is constant (equal to 2W).

The section 50 has integral therewith in a coplanar position a flange 80 (or also more than one flange) having one (or also more than one) eyelet or hole 23 able to receive a screw head or the like (not shown) by means of which the parts 42a, 42b can be fixed to a wall, in particular to the ceiling. Figures 6 and 7 show a variant 140 of a bracket according to the invention. The inventive idea is still the same, namely that of having two separate parts 142a, 142b (only one of a pair being shown in Fig. 6) which can be engaged together to form the bracket 140 (Fig. 7 shows the configuration engaged with a guide 170). The parts 142a, 142b, which are advantageously still the same, are shaped so as to comprise three segments 144, 146, 148 which form an asymmetrical U-shaped structure (as before), the segment 144 being shorter than the segment 148 and substantially parallel thereto. Essentially the two parallel segments 144, 148 in the U-shaped structure have a different length, but this is not strictly necessary. In the figures it can be seen that the part 142a (and 142b) has a hook-shaped structure able to retain and/or support by means of its section 144 one side of an object, for example the guide 170 shown in broken lines.

The larger segment 148 is shaped so as to form engaging means, which are formed here by means of two flat adjacent sections 150, 154 which have the same width and are connected by a curved central section 152. The section 150 connects a corner of the U- shaped structure, while the curved section 152 has a width equal to half that of the sections 150, 154 lateral with respect thereto and is folded so as to keep the end section 154 parallel to the section 150, but not coplanar therewith, being instead slightly offset.

As can be seen from Figure 7, the sections 150, 152, 154 define a curved structure which defines an empty space 162 (practically a slit) between the sections 150, 154. The empty space 162 of the part 142a may receive part of the engaging means of the corresponding part 142b and vice versa (see Fig. 7) so that one end of a part 142a engages with that of the other part 142b and vice versa. It should be noted in particular how the curved section 152 of one part is arranged inside the empty space 162 of the other part.

The engaging ends of the parts 142a, 142b are formed so as to be arranged partly over each other and lock one inside the other. It is sufficient to move frontally towards each other the parts 142a, 142b (the engaging movement of the two parts 142a, 142b is practically identical to that already described for the parts 42a, 42b), the section 152 of one being aligned with the empty space 162 of the other one. The result is that the section 154 of one part is positioned above the section 150 of the other part and prevents separation of the two parts

142a, 142b in a direction perpendicular to the engaging direction, as in the previous case. The width of the composite bracket 140 about the guide 170 is again constant.

The section 150 has, integral therewith, a flange 180 with one (or also more than one) eyelet or hole able to receive a screw head or the like (not shown) by means of which the parts 142a, 142b may be fixed to a wall, in particular to a ceiling.

Claims

1. Fixing member (40; 140) for fixing to a wall an object, in particular a guide (70) for operating systems of lift-up doors, characterized in that it comprises at least two separate parts (42a, 42b; 142a, 142b) which can be engaged together so as to form the fixing member (40; 140).

2. Fixing member (40; 140) according to Claim 1, in which the at least two separate parts (42a, 42b; 142a, 142b) are substantially the same.

3. Fixing member (40; 140) according to Claims 1 or 2, in which each separate part (42a, 42b; 142a, 142b) has one end on which engaging means (50, 52, 54; 150, 152, 154) for engagement together of the at least two separate parts (42a, 42b; 142a, 142b) are present.

4. Fixing member (40; 140) according to Claim 3, in which the engaging means (50, 52, 54) are formed so as to be arranged at least partly over each other and lock together in the mutually engaged condition of the parts (42a, 42b).

5. Fixing member (40; 140) according to Claim 3 or 4, in which the engaging means (50, 52, 54; 150, 152, 154) comprise a shaping at the end of each separate part (42a,

42b; 142a, 142b).

6. Fixing member (40) according to Claim 5, in which the shaping on one of the at least two separate parts (42a, 42b; 142a, 142b) comprises a curved structure (50, 52, 54; 150, 152, 154) which defines a seat (60, 62; 162) in which it is possible to insert a part (54; 152) of a corresponding curved structure of the other part.

7. Fixing member (40) according to Claim 6, in which the curved structure comprises three flat sections adjacent in pairs (50, 52, 54), the outermost ones of which are equal, while the section (52) which is central relative to them is narrower and parallel, but not coplanar.

8. Fixing member (40) according to Claim 7, in which the three sections (50, 52,

540 have an aligned side and form a curved structure which defines an empty space (62) between the outermost sections (50, 54) and underneath the central section (52).

9. Fixing member (40) according to Claim 8, in which the central section (52) has a width (W) equal to half that of the outermost sections (50, 54).

10. Fixing member (40) according to Claim 6, in which the curved structure comprises two adjacent flat sections (150, 154) which are joined together by a curved central section (152) having a width which is smaller than that of the sections (150, 154) situated laterally with respect thereto.

11. Fixing member (40) according to Claim 10, in which the curved central section (152) comprises a folded part for keeping a flat section (154) slightly offset, but parallel with respect to the other flat section (150).

12. Fixing member (40; 140) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which each part (42a, 42b; 142a, 142b) comprises three segments (44, 46, 48; 144, 146, 148) which form an asymmetrical U-shaped structure, the two parallel segments (44, 48; 144, 148) in the U-shaped structure having a different length.

13. Fixing member (40; 140) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising one or more flanges (80; 180) provided with one or more eyelets inside which a screw head may be received.

14. Part (42a, 42b; 142a, 142b) forming a fixing member (40; 140) according to any one of Claims 1 to 13.