WO2005061812A1

WO2005061812A1 - Bracket connecting a cross-piece and an upright and relative method of assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2005061812A1
Application number: PCT/IB2004/004123
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nicolò Ferro
Original assignee: Alprogetti Srl
Priority date: 2003-12-18
Filing date: 2004-12-15
Publication date: 2005-07-07
Also published as: EP1706552A1; ITUD20030250A1

Abstract

Bracket (10) connecting a cross-piece (11), provided with at least a hollow seating (13), and an upright (12), and relative method of assembly, wherein the bracket (10) comprises a side (23), able to be at least partly inserted and clamped inside said hollow seating (13), having a full section, without holes or grooves, and a size mating with that of the hollow seating (13), in order to be clamped therein through simple interference.Bracket (10) connecting a cross-piece (11), provided with at least a hollow seating (13), and an upright (12), and relative method of assembly, wherein the bracket (10) comprises a side (23), able to be at least partly inserted and clamped inside said hollow seating (13), having a full section, without holes or grooves, and a size mating with that of the hollow seating (13), in order to be clamped therein through simple interference.

Description

"BRACKET CONNECTING A CROSS-PIECE AND AN UPRIGHT AND RELATIVE METHOD OF ASSEMBLY" * * * * * FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns a bracket used to connect together a cross-piece and an upright of a reticular structure, and the relative method of assembly. The invention is employed in the field of building in order to connect together the cross-pieces and the uprights of reticular structures of buildings, for example continuous facades, modular frames or suchlike. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION BE-A-8901154 discloses a bracket that allows to connect an upright and a cross-piece, reducing the need to previously make holes on these elements. The bracket is L- shaped with a first side that is inserted into a mating longitudinal hollow seating present on the cross-piece, in order to be clamped thereon by means of screws screwed into relative threaded holes, and the other side that couples with the upright by means of attachment means.

This bracket also comprises a longitudinal groove that couples with a rib of the cross-piece so as to make the assembly more stable and secure. ₍ This known bracket has the disadvantage that it requires a plurality of holes and workings in order to prepare both the threaded holes through which the screws pass and are screwed, and also the longitudinal groove. Purpose of the invention is to provide a bracket for connecting a cross-piece and an upright that overcomes this disadvantage. Applicant has devised and embodied the present invention to achieve this purpose and to obtain other advantages . SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is set forth and characterized-^{^} essentially in the main claims, while the dependent claims describe other innovative characteristics bf the invention. The bracket according to the invention is substantially L-shaped and comprises a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is able to be at least partly inserted and clamped inside a hollow seating present on the cross-piece, and wherein the second side comprises means to attach it to the upright. According to the invention, the first side of the bracket has a full section and without holes and/or grooves, and is suitable to be clamped through simple interference inside the hollow seating of the cross-piece. According to a variant, the first side, on at least one surface, internal and/or external, has means to increase the interference, able to cooperate with a relative wall of the hollow seating of the cross-piece. The means to increase the interference may consist, for example, of ridges, knurls, or a rough surface, with a preferential longitudinal, transverse, oblique or mixed development with respect to the development of the first side of the bracket. According to another variant, one surface of the first side has at least a recess inside which a mating fin, at least partly deformable elastically and made in the mating wall of the hollow seating of the cross-piece, is able to be inserted and engage. According to another variant, the bracket comprises abutment means able to cooperate frontally with the cross- piece in order to define the position of maximum insertion of its first side inside the hollow seating. The second side of the bracket is provided with attachment means able to be constrained with mating holding means present on the upright. In a preferential embodiment, the second side is able to be inserted in a front cavity of the upright and screw means are able to be screwed into said front cavity in order to cooperate with the second side so as to attach the bracket. The method to connect an upright and a cross-piece that uses the bracket according to the invention comprises, in sequence, the following steps:

- the first side of the bracket is inserted under pressure into the relative hollow seating, in order to achieve the clamping through interference of the bracket to the cross-piece; - the attachment means of the second side of the bracket are coupled with the holding means present on the upright;

- the screw means are applied in order to attach the bracket to the upright. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferential form of embodiment, given as a non- restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- fig. 1 is a three dimensional exploded view of the bracket connecting a cross-piece and an upright according to the invention;

- fig. 2 is a view of the bracket in fig. 1 in a partly assembled condition;

- figs. 3-6 show the sequence of connection between a cross-piece and an upright with the bracket of fig. 1;

- fig. 7is a cross section of a structure wherein cross- pieces and uprights are connected to each other by means of brackets according to the invention; - fig. 8 shows the section from A to A of fig. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION With reference to the attached figures, the reference number 10 denotes generally a connecting bracket according to the invention employed to join together a cross-piece 11 and an upright 12. In this case, the cross-piece 11 defines in a single piece a box-like profile 11a with a closed section in the rear portion and a shaped profile lib with an open section in the front portion. Similarly, the upright 12 defines a box-like profile 12a with a closed section in the rear portion and a shaped profile 12b with an open section at the front which extends longitudinally with respect to the upright 12. In correspondence with the shaped profiles lib and 12b there are supporting and housing surfaces for covering panels 16, made of glass or other material, and for relative sealing packings 17. The cross-piece 11, in correspondence with the box-like profile 11a, has a hollow seating 13 which develops substantially for the whole length thereof and, in this case, is delimited laterally by a continuous wall 14 and by two half-walls 15, parallel to the continuous wall 14, aligned with each other on a substantially vertical plane. The shaped profile 12b of the upright 12 has a symmetrical development comprising two front cavities 18 defined, on the inner side, by xespective holding teeth 19 and, on the outer side, by containing extensions 29. The bracket 10 has an angled development and cooperates with a closing stopper 22 able to be attached in snap-in manner to the end of the cross-piece 11. The bracket 10 comprises a first side 23, with a full section, able to be inserted, clamping through interference, inside the hollow seating 13 of the cross- piece 11, and a second side 24, substantially orthogonal to the first side 23, defining an attachment tooth 25 suitable to engage on one of the holding teeth 19 of the upright 12. In order to achieve this clamping through interference, the thickness "s" of the first side 23 of the bracket 10 is correlated to the gap between the continuous wall 14 and the two half-walls 15, so that when it is inserted into the hollow seating 13 it causes it to be clamped inside. Advantageously the height of the first side 23 is also correlated to, or slightly less than, the height of the hollow seating 13. Moreover, on its outer surface the first side 23 has a plurality of ridges 26 which increase the interference with the continuous wall 14 and with the half-walls 15, increasing the grip of the constraint. The ridges 26 can be at least partly deformable elastically, so that they bend back towards the inside when the first side 23 is inserted inside the hollow seating 13, and then expand and clamp against it. According to a variant shown in fig. 7, the first side 23 has laterally a recess 27 on which an elastic fin 28 is able to engage. The elastic fin 28 is made on the continuous wall 14, for example by calking, and protrudes inside the hollow seating 13. The arrangement of the elastic fin 28 is such that the first side 23 attaches thereon, and once inserted into the hollow seating 13, is substantially unable to be removed from the latter. Advantageously, the bracket 10 comprises an abutment tooth 30 able to rest frontally on the half-walls 15 so as to define the position of maximum insertion of the first side 23 inside the hollow seating 13. In the connecting segment between the first side 23 and the second side 24, there are two through holes 31, aligned vertically with each other, so that attachment screws 21 can be inserted. The second side 24, in the condition wherein its attachment tooth 25 engages on the holding tooth 19, is arranged inside the relative front cavity 18, leaving an empty space between itself and. the containing extension 29, inside which the screws 21 are screwed in order to clamp the bracket 10 to the upright 12. The closing stopper 22 has a protruding edge 34 able to be inserted, clamping through interference, inside the box-like profile 11a of the cross-piece 11 until an outer edge 35 thereof is arranged in abutment frontally on the cross-piece 11. The closing stopper 22 is also provided with a slit 32, inside which the first side 23 of the bracket 10 is inserted, and two lateral through holes 33 able to align with the holes 31 of the bracket 10 so as to allow the screws 21 to be inserted. The connection between the cross-piece 11 and the upright 12 by means of the bracket 10 is achieved quickly and easily as described hereafter. Firstly, the bracket 10 is coupled with the closing stopper 22, inserting its first side 23 inside the slit 32, so as to make it emerge from the side of the protruding edge 34. Then, the protruding edge 34 of the closing stopper 22 is inserted inside the box-like profile 11a of the cross- piece 11; at the same time, the first side 23 of the bracket 10 is inserted inside the hollow seating 13, clamping through interference inside it and constraining the bracket 10 to the cross-piece 11. Subsequently, the cross-piece 11 and the bracket 10 are brought closer frontally to the upright 12 so that the second side 24 of the bracket 10 moves inside one of the two front cavities 18 of the upright 12 and its attachment tooth 25 engages on the mating holding tooth 1 . It should be noted that in this position (fig. 6) the outer edge 122 of the stopper 22 is located in abutment against one side 36 of the open profile 12b of the upright 12. Finally, the two screws 21 are inserted into the holes 33 and 31, respectively of the closing stopper 22 and the bracket 10, and screwed between the second side 24 and the containing extension 29 so as to anchor thereon, defining the attachment of the bracket 10, and hence of the cross- piece 11, to the upright 12. Advantageously, the screws 21 are of the self-threading and self-drilling type and, as shown in fig. 7, are able to pass through the rear wall of the front cavity 18, so as to make the attachment more effective. The presence of two front cavities 18 on the upright 12 allows to associate the latter with two cross-pieces 11, possibly also arranged at different heights. It is clear, however, that modifications and/or additions of parts or steps may be made to the bracket 10 and method to connect together uprights and cross-pieces as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention. For example, a different number of screws 21 may be provided, which can also be screwed into different seatings made on the upright 12 or, alternatively, on the cross-piece 11. Or, instead of ridges 26, other means to increase interference may be present between the first side 23 of the bracket 10 and the hollow seating 13 of the cross-piece 11, such as knurls or other surface workings.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Bracket connecting a cross-piece (11), provided with at least a hollow seating (13), and an upright (12), said bracket (10) comprising at least a side (23) able to be at least partly inserted and clamped inside said hollow seating (13), characterized in that said side (23) has a full section, without holes or grooves, and a size mating with that of said hollow seating (13), in order to be clamped therein through simple interference.

2. Bracket as in claim 1, characterized in that said side (23), on at least one surface, has means to increase interference (26) able to cooperate with a relative wall of said hollow seating (13).

3. Bracket as in claim 2, characterized in that said means to increase interference consist of ridges (26), knurls or suchlike.

4. Bracket as in claim 3, characterized in that said ridges (26) are at least partly deformable elastically.

5. Bracket as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said side (23) has at least a recess (27) inside which a mating fin (28), at least partly deformable elastically and made in a wall of said hollow seating (13), is able to be inserted and engage.

6. Bracket as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that it comprises abutment means (30) able to cooperate frontally with said cross-piece (11) in order to define the position of maximum insertion of said side (23) inside said hollow seating (13) .

7. Bracket as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that it comprises a second side (24), substantially orthogonal to said first side (23), able to be coupled with said upright ( 12 ) .

8. Bracket as in claim 7, characterized in that said second side (24) is provided with attachment means (25) able to be constrained to holding means (19) present on said upright ( 12 ) .

9. Bracket as in claim 8, characterized in that said attachment means (25) consist of at least a tooth.

10. Bracket as in any claim from 7 to 9 inclusive, wherein said upright (12) has at least a front cavity (18), characterized in that said second side (24) is able to be housed inside said front cavity (18).

11. Method to connect together a cross-piece (11) , provided with at least a hollow seating (13), and an upright (12) by means of a bracket (10) comprising a first side (23) and a second side (24) substantially orthogonal to the first, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

- insertion under pressure of said first side (23) of the bracket (10) into the relative hollow seating (13), so as to clamp said bracket (10) to the cross-piece (11) through simple interference; - coupling of the attachment means of said second side (24) of the bracket (10) with holding means present on the upright (12);

- application of screw means (21) in order to attach the bracket (10) to the upright (12).