WO2012114293A1

WO2012114293A1 - Panel mounting and levelling apparatus and assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2012114293A1
Application number: PCT/IB2012/050822
Authority: WO
Inventors: Karl-Heinz Schmitt
Original assignee: STEVENS, Jason James
Priority date: 2011-02-23
Filing date: 2012-02-23
Publication date: 2012-08-30
Also published as: ZA201307107B

Abstract

A panel mounting and levelling apparatus for mounting and levelling a panel, typically a glass wall panel, relative to generally horizontal, but not necessarily parallel, upper and lower support surfaces. The upper support surface may for example be a roof, roof slab or ceiling and the lower support surface may be a floor or floor slab. The apparatus (10) includes a support member (12) which is mounted to the respective upper or lower support surface (68or70). The support member has a footing 16,116) and an upright guide structure (18, 118) extending from the footing. There is a panel edge receptacle or cradle (34, 134) including an elongate channel (38, 138) for receiving an edge (66) of the panel (62, 162). This receptacle is mounted slidably on the guide structure for up and down movement. Spacers, typically threaded bolts (46, 146 ) are provided which are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the channel. The bolts act between the panel edge receptacle and the support member and can be operated to move the panel edge receptacle up and down the guide structure and also to vary the inclination of the channel relative to the footing, thereby varying the inclination of the panel edge. Elongate skirtings (52, 152) are mounted to opposite sides of the support member to conceal the inner components. The apparatus allows a rectangular panel to be mounted and levelled conveniently and quickly between non-horizontal, non-parallel support surfaces. Another aspect of the invention concerns an assembly in which the upper edge of the panel is supported and levelled between at least two upper and two lower support apparatuses.

Description

PANEL MOUNTING AND LEVELLING APPARATUS AND ASSEMBLY"

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

THIS invention relates to a panel mounting and levelling apparatus and assembly.

In modern office design, the walls of offices and workspaces are often provided by rectangular glass panels arranged vertically on edge. During installation of such glass panels, a common problem is that, while a glass panel may itself be perfectly rectangular, the space into which it must be fitted is often not perfectly rectangular as a result of construction inaccuracies. If, for example, the glass panel is to be installed between an upper surface, typically a roof or ceiling surface, and a lower surface, typically a floor surface, and the upper and lower surfaces are not exactly parallel to one another, the upper and lower edges of the glass panel will not be levelled with respect to the surfaces.

In currently used mounting systems, the upper and lower edges of the glass panel are received in upper and lower frame members, usually of aluminium, which are in turn fixed to the upper and lower surfaces. Where the upper and lower edges of the glass panel are not parallel to the upper and lower surfaces, it is necessary to mount the glass panel in the frame members, and level it with appropriate shims or spacers to take up the inaccuracies. This makes the installation process a time-consuming and complicated one. Added to this, gaps which result from levelling inaccuracies result in poor soundproofing, and there is usually no provision for wiring and other services to be accommodated in the mounting system. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided a panel mounting and levelling apparatus for mounting and levelling a panel relative to a generally horizontal upper or lower support surface, the apparatus comprising:

a support member which is mountable to the upper or lower support surface and which includes a footing and an operatively upright guide structure extending transversely from the footing;

- a panel edge receptacle including an elongate channel for receiving an edge of the panel, the panel edge receptacle being mounted slidably on the guide structure for up and down movement on the guide structure;

- spacers which are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the channel, which act between the panel edge receptacle and the support member and which are operable to move the panel edge receptacle up and down the guide structure relative to the footing and also to vary the inclination of the channel relative to the footing, thereby to vary the inclination, relative to the horizontal, of a panel edge received in the channel;

- elongate skirtings which are mountable to opposite sides of the support member to conceal the support member, cradle and panel edge.

One advantage of this apparatus is that it allows an edge of a panel, typically a glass wall panel, to be mounted and levelled quickly and conveniently relative to upper and lower support surfaces which may not be perfectly horizontal and which may be out of parallel with one another, thereby to take account of construction inaccuracies.

Other features and advantages of the apparatus of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. These advantages include the ability to accommodate cabling and other services and the ability to provide soundproofing. 822

-3-

Another aspect of the invention provides a panel mounting and levelling assembly comprising a rectangular panel arranged upright on edge and having upper and lower edges, and at least four apparatuses as summarized above with at least two such apparatuses being spaced apart from one another and serving to mount and level the upper edge of the panel relative to an upper support surface and at least two such apparatuses being spaced apart from one another and serving to mount and level the lower edge of the panel relative to a lower support surface spaced vertically below the upper support surface.

Preferred features and advantages of this assembly are also set forth in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of · panel mounting and levelling apparatus according to this invention;

Figure 2 shows an assembled view of the apparatus seen in Figure 1 ; Figure 3 shows an elevation view of a rectangular panel mounted between upper and lower support surfaces by means of four apparatuses of the type seen in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 shows an enlarged cross-section at the line 4-4 in Figure 3; Figure 5 shows a cross-section at the line 5-5 in Figure 3; Figure 6 shows an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of panel mounting and levelling apparatus according to the invention;

Figure 7 shows an assembled view of the second embodiment; and

Figure 8 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figures 1 to 5 illustrate a panel mounting and levelling apparatus 10 according to a first embodiment of this invention. Although the apparatus 10 will be described as a glass panel mounting and levelling apparatus, it must be understood that panels other than glass panels could be mounted using the apparatus 10.

The apparatus 10 includes a generally U-shaped support member 12 which has a base or footing 6 and a guide structure provided by a pair of parallel legs 18 which extend transversely from the footing. One surface 20 of the footing, referred to as a bearing surface, is generally planar but has a rough profile, in the indicated case provided by small, relieved, pyramidal formations, as shown in Figure 5, to improve frictional engagement between the footing and an upper or lower support surface as described below. It is however envisaged that in an alternative embodiment the bearing surface could be smooth. At opposite ends the footing includes extensions 22 formed with elongate slots 24. As illustrated, the extensions include sloping surfaces 26. The legs 18 of the support member 12 carry pairs of upper and lower engagement formations 28 and 30 respectively, with each such formation including a transversely projecting portion and a transverse lip at the end of this portion. Formed integrally on end regions of the footing are nodules 32 of rounded shape. 0822

-5-

The support member frame 12 is moulded in one piece of glass-reinforced plastics material. It will however be understood that the support member 12 could be manufactured using any material of desired strength.

The apparatus 10 also includes a panel edge receptacle in the form of a cradle 34 which is generally of U-shape with spaced apart legs 36 defining a glass panel-receiving channel 38 between them. Outer surfaces of the legs 36 carry opposing engagement formations 40 defining lipped channels 41. An end region of each leg is thickened and formed with a threaded through-bore 42. The legs 36 are joined to one another by a base 44 which, together with the legs, forms the glass panel-receiving channel 38.

The cradle 34 is moulded in one piece of glass-reinforced plastics material.

Further components of the apparatus 10 are spacers in the form of steel bolts 46.

Each bolt has a hex head 48 and a threaded shank 50 which can be threaded through a bore 42 of the cradle. Each head 48 is formed with an axial recess 49 in which a nodule 32 can seat.

During assembly of the apparatus 10, the shanks 50 of the bolts 46 are threaded through the bores 42 and the legs 36 of the cradle are then mated with the legs 18 of the support member 12. This is achieved by sliding the free ends of the legs 18 into the lipped channel channels 41 of the cradle. Once the cradle and support member are mated in this way, the cradle can slide along the legs 18 in directions towards and away from the footing 16. It will accordingly be understood that the legs 18 of the support member 12 serve as guide means to guide the sliding movement of the cradle and that sliding movement of the cradle takes place in a substantially vertical direction when the footing 16 is fixed to a substantially horizontal upper or lower surface. With the shanks 50 of the bolts 46 threaded into the bores 42, the bolt heads 48 align with the nodules 32. With appropriate sliding movement of the cradle relative to the support member and appropriate rotation of the bolts, the bolt heads are moved towards the footing 16 such that the nodules 32 are received in the recesses 49 in the bolt heads. This effectively prevents lateral movement of the bolts relative to the frame 12. It will be noted that the bolts, positioned in this way, are spaced apart from one another along the length of the elongate glass panel receiving channel 38 of the cradle.

Further components of the apparatus 10 are side covers or skirtings 52 of extruded aluminium. It must be understood that apart from aluminum the skirtings 52 could be manufactured from a wide range of materials such as plastics sheet metal. The skirtings are identical and opposed to one another. Each skirting has a major side portion 54, a transverse flange 56 and a pair of lipped engagement formations 58. The skirtings each have a length corresponding to the length of the glass panel, i.e. measured in a horizontal direction into the plane of the paper in Figure 4.

As indicated by the numeral 60 in Figure 4, each skirting can be connected to one leg 18 of the frame 12 by clip engagement of the formations 58 on the skirtings between the opposing components of the pairs of engagement formations 28, 30 on the legs 16.

Referring to Figure 3, a rectangular glass panel 62 with upper and lower edges 64 and 66 respectively can be mounted at a vertical orientation between upper and lower support surfaces 68 and 70 respectively using four apparatuses 10, two at the upper edge of the glass panel and two at the lower edge thereof. The upper support surface 68 may, for example, be a ceiling, roof or overhead slab and the lower support surface may, for example, be a floor.

As an initial step in installation, the installer mounts the support members 12 onto the upper and lower support surfaces 68 and 70 by means of T/IB2012/050822

-7- appropriate fasteners, indicated diagrammatically by the numeral 71 , extending through the slots 24. The holes required for the fasteners may be drilled through the slots using a hand-held drill, with the sloping surfaces 26 facilitating access by the chuck of the drill. In practice, the holes may be drilled at an inclination into the support surfaces as shown in Figure 4.

After the support members 12 have been fixed in position, the cradles 34 are mated with them in the manner described above. Thereafter, the glass panel is placed in position with its upper and lower edges in the glass panel-receiving channels 38 of the cradles. Next, the bolts 46 are rotated as necessary, for example by hand or by means of a tool such as a spanner applied to the bolt head, to move the upper and lower cradles towards one another, so that the upper and lower edges of the glass panel are firmly gripped in the channels 38. Individual adjustment of the bolts 46 of each apparatus allows the inclination of the channel 38 to be adjusted as necessary to ensure that the edge of the panel rests securely against the base 44 of the channel even if the support surfaces 68 and 70 are not perfectly parallel to the edges of the panel as a result of building inaccuracy, as indicated by the numeral 66 in Figure 3.

It will be understood that the bolts 46 act as spacers and, in view of their individual adjustability, as a means for appropriately levelling the glass panel.

The illustrated glass panel-receiving channels 38 have a width enabling them to accommodate glass panels with a selected, maximum thickness of, say, 12mm. If a glass panel of smaller thickness, say 10mm, is used, the vacant spaces 80 in the channels alongside the edges of the panel can be filled with a suitable filler, for example silicone or by filler pads of elastomeric or other suitable material to prevent any transverse movement of the panel in the channel.

After the glass panel has been mounted and levelled in the manner described, the skirtings 52 are clipped to the support members 12 to 2012/050822

-8- conceal the support members, cradles, bolts and the edges of the glass panel, as shown in Figure 4. It is also envisaged that the skirtings 52 could be lined with sound absorbing liners. Any gaps 82 which may exist between the inner edges of the flanges 56 and the glass panel may be filled with silicon or by means of suitable filler strips. Preferably however, the inner edges of the flanges 56 carry compressible seals (not shown) which will locate against the glass to seal off the gaps 82. Apart from the physical seal which is achieved, the seals will advantageously reduce the transmission of sound from one side of the panel to the other.

It will be understood^' that, while Figure 3 shows a glass panel supported by four apparatuses 10, more than four such apparatuses can be used if the dimensions of the glass panel require it.

One advantage of the apparatus described above is the ability of apparatuses 10 to mount and level the glass panel, in order to accommodate building inaccuracies which may exist, in a simple and effective manner. Another advantage is the soundproofing which can be achieved with the use of appropriate seals. Referring to Figure 4, a further advantage is the fact that spaces 90 exist between the skirtings 52 and the support members 12. These spaces allow electrical and/or data cables which are concealed behind the skirtings to pass through the apparatuses. Such cables may for example extend to power poles or other cable access points provided, for example, between adjacent glass panels.

Figures 6 to 8 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, which has many similarities to the first embodiment, components corresponding to those of the first embodiment are designated with the same reference numerals, prefixed by the numeral "1".

In addition to the support member 112, panel edge receptacle or cradle 134, skirtings 152 and adjustable bolts 146, the apparatus 1 10 illustrated in Figures 6 to 8 includes a fixture strip 113 of extruded aluminum or plastics material. This strip has a base 115 formed with holes 117 at regular intervals and bounded by a flange 121 along each long edge. The underside of the base is formed with undercut channels 23 close to each long edge.

The apparatus 110 also includes elongate sealing strips 125. Each of these sealing strips includes a plastics support strip 127 carrying a flexible, tubular, compressible seal 129. The strips 127 are received as longitudinal slide fits in the undercut channels 123 as seen in Figure 8. In a relaxed state the seals 129 project below the underside of the base 115 of the fixture strip. During installation, the fixture strips are fixed to the upper and lower support surfaces, for example the roof and floor, by means of suitable fasteners (not shown) passing through the holes 117. When the fasteners are tightened up to press the fixture strips towards the relevant support surfaces, the seals 129 are resiliently compressed, as shown in Figure 8, to make good sealing contact with the support surfaces.

The support members 112 of the second embodiment are generally similar to the support members 12 of the first embodiment, except that the legs 118 carry continuous, lipped engagement formations 131 as shown. As shown in Figure 8, the footing 116 of each support member can clip into position on the base 115 of the associated fixture strip 113, between the flanges 121. The clip fit is such as to allow the support member to slide longitudinally along the fixture strip, whereby the support members can be located at any selected longitudinal position along the length of the fixture strip after the latter has been fixed to its support surface.

The panel edge receptacle or cradle 134 of each apparatus 110, which is similar in shape and function to the cradle 34 of the first embodiment, can locate as a vertical slide fit on the legs 118 of the associated support member 112.

The apparatus 110 also includes skirting adaptors 135, one for each side of the support member 1 12. Each adaptor is of moulded plastics construction with a central body 137 formed with a hook formation 139 along one 2012/050822

-10- horizontal edge, an angled flange 141 along the opposite horizontal edge and a pair of elongate arms 145 extending longitudinally from the central body. The plastics of which the adaptor 135 is moulded is more flexible than that used for the support member 112. During assembly, the hook formation 139 is hooked over the distal engagement formation 131 , i.e. the engagement formation furthest from the footing 116, and the angled flange 141 is clipped over the proximal engagement formation 131 , i.e. the engagement formation closest to the footing. This secures the skirting adaptor to the support member 112 in a longitudinally slidable manner. It will be understood that respective adaptors are clipped to opposite sides of the support member 112 in this way.

Each skirting 152 has an undercut channel 147 along one long edge, a hook formation 149 close to that long edge, a flange 156 along the opposite long edge, ribs 151 and 153 projecting from the flange and an undercut channel 155 in the rib 151. The undercut channels 147 and 155 receive elongate sealing strips 157, 159 respectively. These strips are identical to the sealing strip 125 and are received as longitudinal slide fits in the respective channels 147, 155. Each sealing strip includes a plastics support strip 161 , 163 and a compressible, tubular seal 165, 167.

During assembly, respective skirtings are installed by engaging them with the respective adaptors 135 on either side of the support member 1 12. This may be achieved by sliding the skirtings longitudinally with respect to the adaptors such that extremities 169 at the ends of the arms 145 locate behind the hook formations 149 and the hook formations 139 locate behind the ribs 153.

In this embodiment, the skirting adaptors 135 provide a convenient means enabling the skirtings 152 to be mounted indirectly to opposite sides of the support members 1 12. In the example described above, the skirtings are mated in a sliding manner with the adaptors. However, if the adaptors have sufficient resilience it would also be possible to mate the skirtings to the adaptors by a lateral clipping action. In either event, once the skirtings are 0822

-11- mated with the adaptors, and hence are mounted indirectly to the support members 112, the seals 165 are compressed against the flanges 121 of the fixture strip 113. This provides a good seal between the skirtings and the fixture strips and enhances the soundproofing which is achieved.

In a glass panel installation two or more support members 112 are mounted in spaced apart relationship to the lower support surface, typically a floor, via a lower fixture strip 113. Similarly, two or more support members 112 are mounted in spaced apart relationship to the upper support surface, typically a roof or ceiling via an upper fixture strip 113. The upper and lower edges of a glass panel are then received in the respective cradles 134. Levelling is achieved by means of the bolts 146.

In this embodiment, each bolt 146 comprises a threaded shank with a socket 171 at one end shaped to receive an Allen key and a recess or dimple at the other end to seat on the associated nodule 132. The bolts can be rotated independently by application of an Allen key to the respective sockets. As in the first embodiment, this enables each cradle to be moved up or down relative to the associated support member 12, and for the orientation of the cradle to be adjusted as necessary to take account of any non-horizontality of the upper and lower support surfaces, and hence permits firm and level mounting of the glass panel 162.

After the glass panel 162 has been mounted and levelled, the skirtings 152 are mounted to opposite sides of the support members 112 via the skirting adaptors 135. With the skirtings mounted in this way, the seals 167 are pressed against the opposite major surfaces of the glass panel as seen iln Figure 8. The seals accordingly serve a sealing and sound-proofing function. In a typical example the width of the glass panel-receiving channel 138 of each cradle will be sufficient to accommodate a standard glass panel of 10mm or 12mm thickness, with the relaxed diameter of the seals 167 being sufficient for the seal to make sealing contact with the glass surface with either glass thickness. 2

-12-

Referring again to the support member 112, it will be noted that the footing includes sloping formations 122 with holes 124 at its ends. This enables the support member 1 12 to be fixed directly to the upper or lower support surface, eg roof or floor, without the fixture strip 113. For this purpose the underside of the footing may, as in the first embodiment, be roughened, typically by means of pyramidal formations, to enable it to make non-slip contact with the support surface.

As in the first embodiment, spaces 190 (Figure 8) are present in the assembled apparatus 110 to accommodate electrical or communications cables or other services in a concealed manner once the skirtings 152 are in place. The ready detachability of the skirtings makes it a relatively simple matter to gain access to the cables. In one example, where electrical power cables are accommodated in the space(s) 190, it would be possible to mount an electrical plug point at any desired position along the length of a skirting, and to connect the electrical cables as necessary to that plug point.

Also as in the first embodiment, the apparatus 110 enables glass panels to be mounted and levelled in a convenient manner. In each embodiment, appropriate seals are provided to enhance the soundproofing of a window panel installation. The apparatus 110 in particular provides enhanced soundproofing by providing a seal between each fixture strip 113 and the associated support surface, between each skirting and the associated fixture strip and between each skirting and the glass panel.

Claims

CLAI S

1.

A panel mounting and levelling apparatus for mounting and levelling a panel relative to a generally horizontal upper or lower support surface, the apparatus comprising:

- a support member which is mountable to the upper or lower support surface and which includes a footing and an operatively upright guide structure extending transversely from the footing;

2.

An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the guide structure comprises parallel legs extending transversely from the footing, the legs carrying engagement formations for mounting the skirtings to the support member.

3.

An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the skirtings are mountable directly on the engagement formations by releasable clip action.

4.

An apparatus according to claim 2 and comprising skirting adaptors which can be mounted to opposite sides of the support member by clip engagement with the engagement formations of the legs, the skirtings being attachable to the adaptors so as to be mounted indirectly to the support member.

5.

An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the skirtings are attachable to the adaptors by clip action.

6.

An apparatus according to either one of claims 4 or 5 wherein the support member and skirting adaptors are of moulded plastics construction with the plastics of which the adaptors are moulded being more resilient than that of which the support member is moulded.

7.

An apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 6 wherein the skirtings are slidable longitudinally relative to the support member.

8.

An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the panel edge receptacle comprises a cradle in which the channel is formed and the spacers comprise threaded bolts extending through threaded bores in the cradle which are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the channel and which bear at one end against the footing, whereby the bolts are individually rotatable through the bores to slide the cradle up and down the guide structure and/or vary the inclination of the channel relative to the footing.

9.

An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the footing and the ends of the bolts that bear against the footing have complementary formations to locate the ends of the bolts on the footing.

10.

An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the footing includes upstanding projections or nodules thereon and each bolt has a recess to receive one of these projections or nodules.

11.

An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the footing has holes therein to take fasteners used to fix the support member directly to the upper or lower support surface.

12.

An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and comprising seals between the skirtings and major surfaces of panel an edge of which is received in the panel edge receptacle, the seals serving to reduce transmission- of sound.

13.

An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and comprising an elongate fixture strip which can be fixed to the upper or lower support surface, the footing being attachable to the fixture strip thereby to mount the support member indirectly to the upper or lower support surface.

14.

An apparatus according to claim 13 and comprising seals between the skirtings and major surfaces of the panel an edge of which is received jn the panel edge receptacle, seals between the skirtings and the fixture strip and seals operativeiy between the fixture strip and the upper or lower surface, the seals serving to reduce transmission of sound.

15.

An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein each seal comprises an elongate support strip on which is mounted a flexible, tubular seal.

16.

An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein spaces for cables and/or other services are defined between the skirtings and the support member when the skirtings are mounted to opposite sides of the support member.

17.

A panel mounting and levelling assembly comprising a rectangular panel arranged upright on edge and having upper and lower edges, and at least four apparatuses according to any one of the preceding claims with at least two such apparatuses being spaced apart from one another and serving to mount and level the upper edge of the panel relative to an upper support surface and at least two such apparatuses being spaced apart from one another and serving to mount and level the lower edge of the panel relative to a lower support surface spaced vertically below the upper support surface.

18.

An assembly according to claim 17 wherein the panel is a glass panel.

19.

An assembly according to claim 18 wherein the upper support surface is provided by a roof, ceiling or overhead slab, the lower support surface is provided by a floor or floor slab and the glass panel forms a wall between the upper and lower support surfaces.