[0001] The present invention relates to a system of profile elements for the construction
of frame structures, said system comprising elongate hollow profile elements with
at least one longitudinal channel with substantially rectangular cross-section and
joining elements for providing angle joints between two such profile elements, said
joining elements comprising a centring and load transferring insertion guide element
with a substantially rod-shaped shank part for insertion with comparatively tight
sliding adjustment into the mouth of said channel at a cut surface in one of said
two profile elements.
[0002] Such systems are i.a. used in building structures, to which considerable requirements
are made in respect of the tightness, the strength and the appearance of the joints
between the profile elements. The mounting of such a system most often takes place
on the building site and is normally carried out by means of screw connections, as
in many cases it is impossible to weld the profile elements which may consist of plastics,
steel or other types of metal materials. When assembling systems of this type it is
a general problem that the profile elements are to be positioned accurately relative
to each other before establishing the connection to ensure that the above-mentioned
requirements are met. Particularly in connection with abutting joints between profile
elements of the same cross-section outline and in particularly in case of the profile
elements not forming right angles with each other, like for instance in bay extensions
or in roof constructions, it is difficult to bring and maintain the profile elements
into a correct mutual position.
[0003] From DE published specification No. 30 35 361 a structure for the construction of
picture frames is known, in which the profile elements designed as hollow profiles
are connected in right-angled corner joints by means of likewise right-angled joining
elements, and the construction is thus not suited for joining profile elements under
other angles relative to each other.
[0004] On this background it is the object of the invention to provide a system, in which
the mounting of the profile elements has been simplified, and where the joints between
these elements possess the desired qualities.
[0005] The object is met by means of a system which is characteristic in that said joining
elements with a view to providing angle joints within a predetermined angle range
comprise a substantially circular-section-shaped head part integral with the shank
part and having a first side wall portion which joins one of two opposite parallel
sides of the shank part and forms an angle therewith corresponding to a prescribed
maximum angle for said predetermined angle range, between which side wall portion
and the other of said opposite sides of the shank part the head part has a cylindrical
wall section with a radius corresponding to the width of a channel in the other of
said two profile elements.
[0006] In this way, the desired centring and the simple mounting of such a system is obtained.
Moreover, the load transferring function of the joints is improved.
[0007] In a system of profile elements for the construction of load-carrying frame structures
comprising at least one column profile element which with an end surface forms an
angle joint with a transverse girder profile element, a particularly suited alternative
embodiment of the invention is characteristic in that the shank part of the insertion
guide element is fastened in a channel in the column profile element, whereas the
head part is inserted in a channel in the girder profile element either from its mouth
at an end cut surface or through an opening in an outer wall of said channel, the
head part being retained in the girder profile element by means of a locking engagement.
[0008] This locking engagement may preferably be provided by means of transversely flushing
holes in the head part of the insertion guide element and opposite wall portions of
said channel in the girder profile element.
[0009] Moreover, the invention relates to an insertion guide element for use in an angle
joint between two elongate profile elements with at least one longitudinal channel
with substantially rectangular cross-section, said insertion guide element having
the features stated in claim 8.
[0010] Through this insertion guide element, a standard part is provided which may be used
in a number of joints between profile elements with mutually differing slope. The
special design ensures an easy mounting and a stable fixation of the profile elements
relative to each other over the entire angle range in question.
[0011] Advantageous embodiments of the insertion guide element are stated in subclaims 9-11.
[0012] The invention will be described in detail in the following by means of some examples
of embodiments and with reference to the schematic drawing, in which
Figs 1-4 show a system in a first embodiment of the invention, with differing angles
between the profile elements of the system,
Fig. 5 a plane view at a larger scale of an insertion guide element in a first embodiment
of the invention,
Fig. 6 a part of a system with an angle joint between a column profile element and
a girder profile element, seen from the front and partially as a sectional view,
Fig. 7 the angle joint shown in Fig. 6, seen from the side and partially as a sectional
view,
Fig. 8 a perspective view at a larger scale of an insertion guide element in an alternative
embodiment of the invention for use in the system shown in Figs 6 and 7, and
Fig. 9 a system comprising an angle joint in connection with an assemblage point.
[0013] In the various figures the same reference numerals refer to parts having a similar
or analogeous function.
[0014] In Figs 1-4 an example of a system of profile elements 1, 2, and 3 is shown, which
as a whole constitutes part of a bigger frame structure, like for instance a building
structure. The profile elements are connected with each other by corner joints, which
at each point of assembly have one or more insertion guide elements 4.
[0015] The embodiment of the insertion guide element 4 is seen in detail in Fig. 5. The
insertion guide element 4 has a substantially rod-shaped shank part 5 with a width
b and a substantially circular-section-shaped head part 6 integral with the shank
part 5. The head part 6 has a first side wall portion 7 which forms an angle v with
a first side 8 of the shank part 5 and which extends into a cylindrical wall section
9. The wall section 9 extends in turn tangentially into a second wall portion 10 extending
to a second side 11 of the shank part 5. The construction of the insertion guide element
4 is such that the first side wall portion 7 of the head part 6 has a length which
is substantially equal to the width b of the shank part 5, and the cylindrical wall
section 9 has a radius likewise corresponding to the width b. The centre axis of the
wall section 9 is positioned in the intersection point between the first side 8 of
the shank part and the first side wall portion 7, and the section 9 extends through
a curved length of 90°, which has the effect that the first side wall portion 7 and
the second wall portion 10 form two mutually parallel surfaces which are separated
by a distance corresponding to the width b, and that the obtuse angle between the
second wall portion 10 and the second side 11 of the shank part 5 is equal to the
angle v. The angle v corresponds to a prescribed maximum value of the angle joint
between the profile elements, and here amounts to a value of 135°.
[0016] The joining of for instance the profile elements 1 and 2 as shown in Figs 1-4 is
carried out in the following way: the shank part 5 on the insertion guide element
4 is passed from the cut end surface of the profile 1 into a channel not shown in
detail in one of the profile elements 1. The width b of the shank part 5 is chosen
such that this insertion takes place with a comparatively tight sliding adjustment.
If desired, one or more insertion guide elements 4 may be used at one point of joining,
and in particular in connection with wide profile elements this will give an even
better centring and load transfer. This naturally requires a corresponding number
of channels in the profile elements. Following this the head part 6 of the insertion
guide 4 is introduced into a corresponding channel in the second profile element 2.
The profile elements 1 and 2 are now centred, their cut end surfaces covering each
other completely, and may now be joined by means of for instance screws, bolts between
exterior yokes or by gluing or welding.
[0017] As will be seen from Figs 1-4, the insertion guide element 4 brings about a safe
centring and load transfer within a big angle range, in this case from 45° to 135°.
These extreme positions are determined by the fact that the side wall portion 7 on
the head part 6 is perpendicular to and abuts a side wall in the channel, in which
the head part 6 is introduced.
[0018] Figs 6 and 7 show a part of a system, in which a column profile element 20 forms
an angle joint with a transverse girder profile element 21 by means of an insertion
guide element 22 with a shank part 23 which is introduced into and fastened for instance
by means of rivets in a channel 24 in the column profile element 20. The insertion
guide element 22 is with a head part 25 inserted in a channel 26 in the girder profile
element 21 through an opening 27 in an outer wall of this channel. The head part 25
is retained in the girder profile element 21 by means of a locking engagement which
in the embodiment shown is established thereby that in the head part 25 a transverse
hole 28 is provided which flushes with holes 29, 30 in the opposite walls of the channel
26 in the girder profile element 21, as well as a by a pin (not shown) which is introduced
into the holes 28, 29, and 30, whereby the column profile element 20 and the girder
profile element 21 become mutually locked.
[0019] Fig. 8 shows the construction of the insertion guide element 22. As will appear,
a ledge 31 with a shoulder 32 is formed between the shank part 23 and the head part
25, said shoulder extending between opposite sides 33, 34 of the shank part 23 in
an angle which will be explained in the following. The object of the shoulder 32 is
to put a bottom limit to the angle range of the angle joint between the profile elements,
here the column profile element 20 and the girder profile element 21, and amounts
in the embodiment shown here to approx. 30°. In addition thereto the insertion guide
element 22 is, like the element 4 shown in Fig. 5, provided with a first side wall
portion 35 and a cylindrical wall section 36.
[0020] Finally, Fig. 9 shows a system, in which a corner joint of the same type as shown
in Figs 1-4 and guided by means of one or more insertion guide elements 4, as shown
in fig. 5, is connected with a column profile element 20 by means of an insertion
guide element 22 as described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7.
1. A system of profile elements for the construction of frame structures, said system
comprising elongate hollow profile elements (1,2,3;20,21) with at least one longitudinal
channel with substantially rectangular cross-section and joining elements for providing
angle joints between two such profile elements, said joining elements comprising a
centring and load transferring insertion guide element (4;22) with a substantially
rod-shaped shank part (5;23) for insertion with comparatively tight sliding adjustment
into the mouth of said channel at a cut surface in one of said two profile elements,
characterized in that said joining elements with a view to providing angle joints within a predetermined
angle range comprise a substantially circular-section-shaped head part (6;25) integral
with the shank part and having a first side wall portion (7;35) which joins one (8;33)
of two opposite parallel sides of the shank part and forms an angle (v) therewith
corresponding to a prescribed maximum angle for said predetermined angle range, between
which side wall portion and the other (11;34) of said opposite sides of the shank
part the head part has a cylindrical wall section (9;36) with a radius corresponding
to the width of a channel in the other of said two profile elements.
2. A system of profile elements according to claim 1, characterized in that said first side wall portion (7) of the head part (6) has a length and the
cylindrical wall section (9) a radius corresponding to the width (b) of the shank
part (5) between said opposite parallel sides (8,11), the cylindrical wall section
extending through a curved length of 90° and joining the other of said opposite parallel
sides of the shank part through a second wall portion (10) of the head part parallel
with said first wall portion.
3. A system of profile elements according to claim 2, characterized in that said maximum angle (v) amounts to 135°.
4. A system of profile elements according to claim 1, 2 or 3, in which said two profile
elements have identical cross-section profiles and have been made with bevelled end
cut surfaces for the provision of a corner joint, characterized in that the head part of the insertion guide element is inserted in said channel
in the other of said two profile elements in the mouth thereof at the end cut surface.
5. A system of profile elements according to claim 1 for the construction of load-carrying
frame structures comprising at least one column profile element (20) which with an
end surface forms an angle joint with a transverse girder profile element (21), characterized in that the shank part (23) of the insertion guide element (22) is fastened in a
channel (24) in the column profile element (20), whereas the head part (25) is inserted
in a channel (26) in the girder profile element (21) either from its mouth at an end
cut surface or through an opening (27) in an outer wall of said channel, the head
part being retained in the girder profile element by means of a locking engagement.
6. A system of profile elements according to claim 5, characterized in that the locking engagement is provided by means of transversely flushing holes
(28,29,30) in the head part (25) of the insertion guide element and opposite wall
portions of said channel (26) in the girder profile element.
7. A system of profile elements according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that between the shank part (23) and head part (23) of the insertion guide element
(22) a ledge (31) with a shoulder surface (32) is formed, which extends between said
opposite sides (33,34) of the shank part and forms an angle therewith corresponding
to a prescribed minimum angle for said angle range.
8. An insertion guide element (4;22) for use in an angle joint between two elongate profile
elements with at least one longitudinal channel with substantially rectangular cross-section,
comprising a substantially rod-shaped shank part (5;23) for insertion with comparatively
tight sliding adjustment into the mouth of said channel at a cut surface in one of
said two profile elements, characterized in comprising a substantially circular-section-shaped head part (6;25) integral with
the shank part and a first side wall portion (7;35) which joins one (8;33) of two
opposite parallel sides of the shank part and forms an angle (v) therewith corresponding
to a prescribed maximum angle for said predetermined angle range, between which side
wall portion and the other (11;34) of said opposite sides of the shank part the head
part has a cylindrical wall section (9;36) with a radius corresponding to the width
of a channel in the other of said two profile elements.
9. An insertion guide element according to claim 8, characterized in that said first side wall portion (7) of the head part (6) has a length and the
cylindrical wall section (9) a radius corresponding to the width (b) of the shank
part (5) between said D opposite parallel sides (8,11), the cylindrical wall section
extending through a curved length of 90° and joining the other of said opposite parallel
sides of the shank part through a second wall portion (10) of the head part parallel
with said first wall portion.
10. An insertion guide element according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that said maximum angle (v) amounts to 135°.
11. An insertion guide element according to claim 8, characterized in that between the shank part (23) and head part (23) of the insertion guide element
(22) a ledge (31) with a shoulder surface (32) is formed which extends between said
opposite sides (33,34) of the shank part and forms an angle therewith corresponding
to a prescribed minimum angle for said angle range.