A securing device for securing a plate glass or panel

Abstract

 The device comprises a profile (1) having a longitudinal retention cavity (4) adapted to receive an edge of said plate glass or panel (2) through a longitudinal opening (14). The retention cavity (4) comprises a bottom wall (17) and a side wall (13) facing an inclined plane (10). A wedge-shaped fixing strip (3) is arranged inside the retention cavity (4) between the inclined plane (10) and said plate glass or panel (2). A screw (11) having one end facing to the fixing strip (3) and an actuation head accessible from the outside is installed through a hole (16) formed in profile (1). A force exerted by the screw (11) when tightened on the strip (3) causes said fixing strip (3) to move against the inclined plane (10) and against the plate glass or panel (2), thereby it is pressed against the side wall (13) of the retention cavity (4).

Description

Field of the art

[0001] The present invention relates to a securing device for securing a plate glass, particularly a planar plate glass, or a panel to a profile.

Prior art

[0002] Large plate glass or panels are currently used for forming glass surfaces, enclosures, canopies, sliding doors, side-hung doors, etc. Such plate glass or panels are often secured by one or more of their edges to elongated profiles necessary for their assembly and installation. It is convenient to be able to secure the plate glass or panels to the profiles without needing to make holes in the plate glass or panels. Securing systems using clip-like devices for pressing against an area close to an edge of the plate glass or panel by means of side clamping screws are currently known.

[0003] An object of the present invention is to provide a securing device for securing a plate glass or panel to a profile having a simple and economical construction, easy, a fast and secure operation, and a clean and clear appearance.

Disclosure of the invention

[0004] The present invention contributes to obtaining the aforementioned and other objectives by providing a securing device for securing a plate glass or panel, characterized in that i t comprises a profile provided with a longitudinal retention cavity adapted to receive a portion close to an edge of said plate glass or panel through a longitudinal opening. The mentioned retention cavity comprises a bottom wall opposite to said longitudinal opening and a side wall opposite to an inclined plane arranged such that the width of the retention cavity decreases from said bottom wall towards the longitudinal opening. The plate glass or panel has a first side adjacent to the side wall and a second side opposite to the inclined plane.

[0005] A fixing strip having a wedge-shaped cross section is arranged inside the retention cavity between said second side of the plate glass or panel and the inclined plane. A screw is installed through a hole formed in the profile and opening out in the retention cavity in a position such that said screw has one end opposite to the fixing strip and an actuation head that can be accessed from the outside. The screw is arranged such that when it is tightened, it exerts a force on the strip in a direction parallel to the second side of the plate glass or panel, therefore the fixing strip moves against the inclined plane and against the plate glass or panel, which in turn is pressed by the fixing strip against the side wall of the cavity opposite to the inclined plane. The plate glass or panel is thus held inside the retention cavity of the profile by a frictional force exerted by the side wall of the cavity and by the fixing strip.

[0006] The fixing strip preferably has a convex surface, for example a convex curved surface, in contact with the inclined plane so as to provide linear contact between the fixing strip and the inclined plane.

[0007] The device optionally comprises a gasket arranged in the retention cavity surrounding a portion of the plate glass or panel contained therein. A first side of said gasket is placed against the side wall of the retention cavity and the second wall of the gasket is opposite to said inclined plane and separated therefrom. The force exerted by the screw on the fixing strip thus causes the strip to move against the inclined plane and against the second side of the gasket, which in turn presses the plate glass or panel and the first side of the gasket together against the side wall of the retention cavity. Therefore, the plate glass or panel is held inside the retention cavity of the profile by a frictional force exerted by the gasket. The mentioned gasket is optional and can be omitted if the materials used for the profile, for example, PVC, and the fixing strip, for example, a synthetic material, provide a coefficient of friction with the respectively opposing faces of the plate glass or panel that is sufficient for securely securing the plate glass or panel.

[0008] With this arrangement, a planar plate glass or a panel can be easily secured to a profile firmly and securely without needing to make holes in the plate glass or panel. The securing is furthermore reversible, and the release and extraction of the profile can also be carried out in a simple manner. Another advantage of the present invention is that the clamping screws are not visible from the lateral faces of the profile and therefore the device provides a clean and clear appearance.

Brief description of the drawings

[0009] The aforementioned and other advantages and features shall be more fully understood from the following detailed description of several embodiments in relation to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a securing device for securing a plate glass according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of a securing device for securing a plate glass according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of exemplary embodiments

[0010] Referring to Figure 1, a profile 1 is shown in which a plate glass or panel 2 is secured. Said profile 1 has a longitudinal retention cavity 4 adapted so as to receive a portion close to an edge of said plate glass or panel 2 that is to be secured. The retention cavity 4 comprises a longitudinal opening 14 through which the plate glass or panel 2 can be introduced and is delimited by a bottom wall 17 opposite to said longitudinal opening 14. The retention cavity is further delimited by a side wall 13 opposite to another side wall having an inclined plane 10. The mentioned inclined plane 10 is arranged such that the width of the retention cavity decreases from said bottom wall 17 towards the longitudinal opening 14. When the mentioned portion of the plate glass or panel 2 is introduced in the retention cavity 4, a first side of the plate glass or panel 2 is adjacent to said side wall 13 whereas a second side of the plate glass or panel 2 is facing the inclined plane 10.

[0011] Arranged in a space formed inside the retention cavity 4, between said second side of the plate glass or panel 2 and the inclined plane 10, there is a fixing strip 3 having a wedge-shaped cross section which is free to move inside the retention cavity 4 between the second side of the plate glass or panel 2 and the inclined plane 10. The surface of the fixing strip 3 which is in contact with the inclined plane 10 is preferably convex, for example curved convex, so as to provide linear contact between the fixing strip 3 and the inclined plane 10. In order to force a locking movement of said fixing strip 3 between the plate glass or panel 2 and said inclined plane 10, a screw 11 passing through a hole 16 formed in the bottom of a second cavity 12 of the profile 1 and coupled to a nut 18 trapped in a channel 19 of the profile 1, is provided. The mentioned hole 16 opens out into the bottom wall 17 of the retention cavity 4 in a position such that said screw 11 has one end facing the fixing strip 3 and a head that can be accessed through said second cavity 12, for example in order to be engaged and actuated by a tool. According to an alternative embodiment not shown, said hole 16 has an internally screw threading and the screw 11 is coupled directly to said threading of the hole 16, therefore the mentioned nut is omitted. In any case, the axis of the hole 16 is parallel to the side wall 13 and to the first and second sides of the plate glass or panel 2.

[0012] When said screw 11 is tightened, it moves towards the inside of the retention cavity 4 in a direction parallel to the second side of the plate glass or panel 2 and exerts a force on the strip 3 against the inclined plane 10. By virtue of said force, the fixing strip 3 slides on the inclined plane 10, which causes the fixing strip 3 to move against the plate glass or panel 2 such that the plate glass or panel 2 is pressed by the fixing strip 3 against the side wall 13 of the retention cavity 4, opposite to the inclined plane 10. Therefore, the plate glass or panel 2 is held inside the retention cavity 4 of the profile 1 by a frictional force exerted by the side wall 13 and the fixing strip 3. Loosening the screw 11 allows easily releasing and extracting the plate glass or panel 2 from the profile 1.

[0013] The embodiment shown in Figure 2 is similar to the one described above in relation to Figure 1, with the exception of the fact that arranged in the retention cavity 4 there is a gasket 5 surrounding the portion of the plate glass or panel 2 which is contained inside the retention cavity 4. The mentioned gasket 5 is, for example, of a plastic or elastomeric material and protects the plate glass or panel 2 from possible damage that it may undergo due to the force applied for its retention in the profile 1. The gasket 5 has flanges 6, 7 that are introduced in corresponding grooves 8, 9 formed respectively in said side wall 13 and said inclined plane 10 of the retention cavity 4 of the profile 1, next to the longitudinal opening 14, and having the function of preventing the gasket 5 from being able to move out of the profile 1. A first side of the gasket 5 surrounding the portion of the plate glass or panel 2 is placed against the first side of the plate glass or panel 2 and the side wall 13 of the retention cavity 4 whereas a second wall of the gasket 5 surrounding the portion of the plate glass or panel 2 is placed against the second side of the plate glass or panel 2 and facing the inclined plane 10, separated therefrom. In a part adjacent to the bottom wall 17, the gasket 5 has undulations 15 connecting said first side with said second side, which allow absorbing small differences in the thickness of the plate glass or panel 2 by means of the contraction or expansion of these undulations of the gasket 5.

[0014] In this exemplary embodiment of Figure 2, the fixing strip 3 is arranged between said second side of the gasket 5 surrounding the plate glass or panel 2 and the inclined plane 10. When the screw 11 is tightened, its movement towards the inside of the retention cavity 4 causes the fixing strip 3 to move against the second side of the gasket 5, such that the first side of the plate glass or panel 2 and the first side of the gasket 5 are pressed together by the fixing strip 3 against the side wall 13 of the retention cavity 4. Therefore, the plate glass or panel 2 is held inside the retention cavity 4 of the profile 1 with the cooperation of a frictional force exerted by the gasket 5.

[0015] A person skilled in the art will be able to introduce variations and modifications in the embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention as it is defined in the attached claims.

Claims

1. A securing device for securing a plate glass or panel (2), characterized in that it comprises:

a profile (1) provided with a longitudinal retention cavity (4) adapted to receive a portion close to an edge of said plate glass or panel (2) through a longitudinal opening (14), said retention cavity (4) comprising a bottom wall (17) and a side wall (13) facing an inclined plane (10) arranged such that the width of the retention cavity decreases from said bottom wall (17) towards the longitudinal opening (14);

a fixing strip (3) having a wedge-shaped cross section arranged inside the retention cavity (4) between the inclined plane (10) and said plate glass or panel (2); and

a screw (11) installed through a hole (16) formed in profile (1), said screw (11) having one end facing to the fixing strip (3) and an actuation head that can be accessed from the outside, the screw (11) being arranged such that, when tightened, it exerts a force on the strip (3) in a direction parallel to a larger face of the plate glass or panel (2) causing said fixing strip (3) to move against the inclined plane (10) and against the plate glass or panel (2), thereby the plate glass or panel (2) is pressed against said side wall (13) of the retention cavity (4) by the fixing strip (3).

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing strip (3) has a convex surface in contact with the inclined plane (10) to provide linear contact between the fixing strip (3) and the inclined plane (10).

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a gasket (5) arranged in the retention cavity (4) surrounding a portion of the plate glass or panel (2) contained therein, a first side of said gasket (5) being interposed between the plate glass or panel (2) and said side wall (13) of the retention cavity (4) and a second side of the gasket (5) being interposed between the plate glass or panel (2) and the fixing strip (3).

4. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that the gasket (5) has flanges (6, 7) adapted to be introduced in corresponding grooves (8, 9) formed in the retention cavity (4).

5. A device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the gasket (5) has undulations (15) connecting said fi rst and second sides of the gasket (5) and which allow absorbing small differences in the thickness of the plate glass or panel (2).

6. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said hole (16) is a through hole and the screw (11) is coupled to a nut (18) trapped in a channel (19) of the profile (1).

7. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said hole (16) has an internally screw threading and the screw (11) is coupled to said threading of the hole (16).

8. A device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the hole (16) is formed in the bottom of a second cavity (12) of the profile (1) and said actuation head of the screw (11) can be accessed through said second cavity (12).

Drawing