[0001] Object of the present utility model is a dynamic system for supporting and anchoring
movable partitions, designed to complete and improve the invention described in the
European Patent n°
EP 1562457.
[0002] Said Patent describes in fact a system of panels for compartmenting interiors, which
can be assembled, disassembled and re-assembled elsewhere with a different lay-out
rapidly, securely and in a versatile manner. It essentially consists of a metal structure
comprising uprights having auto-leveling and telescopic feet and rods to allow its
blocking and extension.
[0003] The invention described in said Patent uses a system, whereby structural elements
can be assembled and/or disassembled or arranged elsewhere rapidly, securely and in
a versatile manner in order to solve the problems caused by compartmenting fixed walls,
thus satisfying the need for low partitions and providing at the same time a secure
fixing to the surrounding structure. Moreover, said system of panels represents also
a solution to improve the working spaces usage and the operativeness anywhere it is
appropriate or necessary physically but not totally compartmenting the space.
[0004] The aforementioned invention is limited in that it is a rigid structure, neither
capable of reacting to dynamic stresses (those, for example, typically induced by
earthquakes), nor capable of finding a stable balance configuration after permanent
strains suffered by floor and/or ceiling, due to settlement of the respective building
(for example due to the underlying ground subsidence).
[0005] Object of the present utility model is a dynamic system for supporting and anchoring,
conceived to allow the described compartmenting structures, realized according to
the features of the European Patent n°
1562457, not to be damaged and not to collapse when assembled in not stably rigid environments,
regardless of the mutual movement of the coupling points of the uprights upper and
lower feet to the base structure.
[0006] The system object of the present invention comprises in fact an assembly of organs
allowing the aforementioned partition panels to be adapted to the inclination variation
of the uprights, both in case said partition is provided for the whole height between
floor and ceiling (real partition), and in case the same is detached from the floor
as well as from the ceiling.
[0007] This is because, according to the present utility model, said panels can be provided
with particular oscillating jaws which, together with the uprights, allow to modify
the inclination of the contact elements, without modifying the position of the same
panels.
[0008] In other words, the invention allows to hold in loco the partition element (partition
or panel), without deformations or with expected position modifications and therefore
with annullable effects, even if the coupling points of the uprights to the ceiling
and to the floor are relatively displaced.
[0009] By applying the inventive system to said compartmenting structures it is in fact
possible for said structures to be easily adapted to the inclination variation of
the uprights, whenever the coupling points of the upper and lower feet of the system
are moved:
- in parallel but not with a mutually congruent movement
- in orthogonal direction to the laying plane varying the respective distance;
- inclined, by varying the original angle.
[0010] Said movements can be induced with static, dynamic and impulsive stress as well.
[0011] In the preferred but absolutely not limiting embodiment described in drawings 1/3,
2/3 and 3/3, the invention of the present utility model comprises the following elements:
- uprights (11)
- flat elements (12) (partitions or panel supported by said uprights).
[0012] In particular, in the drawings:
- fig. 1 shows the prospect of the whole system panel/upright in an elevation view;
- fig. 2 shows in particular an upright and respective coupling means to the anchorage
surface, in the different elements provided in said mechanism;
- fig. 3 shows the same upright as fig. 2 in an oblique position.
[0013] In the preferred embodiment according to said figures, the uprights comprise a rod
of suitable dimensions, realized in tubular in stainless steel or other material,
and two coupling means mounted on the same at each end, which connect the same rod
to the anchorage surfaces.
[0014] Said uprights can be mounted with any inclination with respect to the vertical and
therefore also in horizontal, to provide coupling between vertical elements, since
the coupling means acts as an elastic hinge constraint.
[0015] Said two coupling means of the rod of the upright to the anchorage surfaces comprise
in going away order from the supporting surface:
- a plate (1) for load distribution, to be fixed to the ceiling or floor by means of
three screw anchors (1.a) and a centrally welded nut (1.b) capable of receiving a
fixing pin (3).
- A hollow frustum of cone (2) with a base diameter equal to the minor-base height and
diameter equal to 2/5 of the major base diameter.
- A wholly threaded fixing pin (3) of the frustum of cone (2) to the plate (1), 35 mm
longer than the height of the cone, with diameter equal to 2/5 of the frustum of cone
minor base diameter, and comprising:
- a 5 mm thick collar (3.a), with hole diameter of the pin, tapped with the same thread
as said pin; the collar diameter is 5 mm greater than the frustum of cone minor base
one;
- a Belleville washer (3.b) (or a hard but elastic rubber pad) welded under the head
of the pin (3) and having diameter equal to the cone blocking collar (3.a) one.
- A telescopic element (4) comprising a male socket (4.1) and a female socket (4.2).
[0016] The male socket (4.1) is made up of a steel tube section with diameter equal to 3/2
of the cone minor base diameter and length equal to 4/5 of the cone height. At 35
mm distance from the open edge of the socket, 3 screws (4.1.a) having length equal
to 1/4 of the socket diameter are inserted in tapped holes at 120° to the axis, in
radial position from outside inwards. One of the ends is closed by a 4 mm thick plate
(4.1.b). In the closing plate a through-hole with diameter greater than the cone fixing
pin one is provided in central position. A moving free bolt (4.1.c) of diameter equal
to the aforementioned one to fix the cone to the base (1.b) is provided on the outer
portion of the plate which closes the telescopic male socket (4.1). Even if free to
move perpendicularly and in parallel to the plate (4.1.b), the bolt hole is coaxial
to the above-described hole of the plate. A 3 mm thick circular plate (4.1.d) with
diameter equal to 2/3 of the diameter of the plate closing the telescopic male socket
(4.1.b) is fixed by screws and spacers to the closing bottom of the socket and holds
the bolt in position. The plate has a central hole equal to the socket closing plate
hole. The plate is such realized that the bolt can move freely with an amount of play
of about 2 mm, according to the orthogonal axes, but it cannot go out from its housing,
nor rotate freely therein.
[0017] The female socket (4.2) is made up of a tube section with 1 mm inner diameter greater
than the outer diameter of the male element (4.1) and length equal to the height of
the cone. A 4 mm thick steel disc (4.2.a) welded to the edge of the tube closes one
of the ends. A plate (4.2.b) with a central hole through which a pin (5) passes freely
to move, whose head, caged between said plate (4.2.b), the bottom of the female socket
(4.2.a) and the fixing pins of the plate to the bottom, can move both in parallel
and orthogonally to the supporting surface, but it cannot rotate.
- A pin (5) of length equal to 5/6 of the female socket of the telescopic element (4.2)
is held pressed, in compression load phase against the closing plate of the socket
(4.2.a). The plate (4.2.b) which holds its position fixed, allows it to be translated
of maximum 2 mm in parallel and in perpendicular to the supporting plane, but does
not allow it to be rotated.
- a section of pin (6) with the same diameter as the other pins of the telescopic system,
and length not greater than 18 mm, is welded in axial position on the opposite side
of the plate (4.2.a). Here there will be screwed a "high" type bolt (7.1.a) with diameter
equal to the above-described pins, welded on the outer surface of the male element
base of a shock absorber (7.1).
- A shock absorber (7) comprising two sockets, a male (7.1) and a female (7.2) one sliding
between each other with opposite openings, is fixed to the pin (6) welded on the telescopic
element (4.2) by means of a bolt (7.1.a) welded to the base of the male element (7.1)
of the shock absorber. A 20 mm long neck (7.1.b) made up of an extension of the outer
cylindrical surface of the element (7.1) allows to block said male element (7.1),
screwed with the bolt (6) on the pin (5), against the base (4.2.b) of the telescopic
element. Said two sockets (7.1, 7.2) which slide mutually, the one inside the other,
are guided by a rod (7.2.a) with ground outer surface. Said rod (7.2.a) welded inside
the base of the female socket (7.2) slides in an oil-sealed bushing (7.1.d) arranged
in a closing plug (7.1.e) of the male socket (7.1), screwed on an inner thread (7.1.f)
at the open end of the same socket. A circular plate (7.2.b) orthogonal to the axis
of the pin (7.2.a) is fixed in position to its end, in resting phase, about at the
middle of the male socket (7.1). Said plate (7.2.b) with slightly lower diameter than
the inner one of the male socket (7.1) is provided with small diameter holes. In this
way, when the sockets (7.1, 7.2) slide mutually between each other, the holed disc
can cover the whole inner volume of the male socket (7.a). A helical cylindrical spring
(7.1.g.1) is arranged between the disc (7.2.b) and the base of the male socket (7.1.c).
The spring is elongable both in compression and in traction. A second helical cylindrical
spring (7.1.g.2) is arranged between the disc (7.2.b) and the closing plug of the
male socket. The dimensional and mechanical features of said two springs (7.1.g.1,
7.1.g.2) are identical. In the assembling step, the springs are partially compressed
at the same length, but can be further 3 cm shortened or elongated. According to said
features the shock absorber traction or compression resistance varies.
- A liquid mass (8) of suitable viscosity fills the inner space of the male socket (7.1).
When the disc (7.2.b) arranged at the end of the rod (7.2.a) is moved, the liquid
(8) passes through the holes provided on the disc and in the space comprised between
the disc and the inner surface of the male socket, from the lower chamber to the upper
one and vice versa, thus creating a resistance to the downflow dependent from the
features of fluid viscosity and from the dimensions of the through holes, The shock
absorbing system can be also made up of a gas shock absorber.
- A section of pin (7.2.c) of the same diameter as the other pins of the telescopic
system, with length not greater than 18 mm, is welded in axial position on the closing
plate (7.2.d) of the shock absorber female socket. On said pin section, a "high" type
bolt (9.a) with the same diameter as the aforementioned pins is screwed, welded on
the closing plate (9.b) of a square box profile section (9), with such outer dimensions
that it adheres to the inner surface of the box (10) constituting the upright. The
section is five time its side long which has to be lower than 0,5 mm with respect
to the inner side of the square box (10) constituting the upright. In case it has
to be used a circular plate, on the section screwed to the shock absorber it will
be inserted a sleeve of the same length, of square profile suitable to the welded
section. The circular tube constituting the plate has to have an inner diameter not
greater than 0,5 mm with respect to the outer diagonal of the sleeve. A bolt (9.a)
is welded on the closing plate (9.b) of the section (9).
- a square or circular tubular (10) of suitable dimensions and thickness is intended
to act as upright of the system. A through-hole (10.a) is arranged in the section
screwed to the shock absorber, in the sleeve, in the square plate or in the circular
plate, so that they are crossed by a transversal peg made up of a countersunk head
Allen screw and a sleeve with inner thread suitable to the pin one, this being provided
with countersunk head and socket as well. On each elements, there has to be provided
two opposite holes with countersunk edge such that it is possible to introduce and
fix the Allen screw thus avoiding its unscrewing in case the system undergoes traction
stresses.
[0018] The operation principle of the described system for supporting and anchoring ensures
stability and repositioning of anchored panels to the supporting elements, in case
the initial structure of the upright/supporting surfaces system to the ceiling and
floor is modified.
[0019] This is because the fixing of the panels to the uprights is characterized in that
passing threaded inserts with 10 mm diameter are fixed in the vertical elements (10).
To these inserts, there are fixed Allen screws with 10 mm in diameter, 100 mm in length.
The pin is inserted in two socket washers with 12 mm inner diameter and 32 mm outer
diameter and 5 mm riveted edge.
[0020] The through hole on the upright of the panel frame has a diameter equal to double
the pin diameter. Between the sockets of the two washers it is positioned a helical
cylindrical spring having 30 mm outer diameter and 90 mm length in resting condition.
As the pin is screwed, compression increases in the spring. By screwing the pin with
a dynamometric key, the spring can be loaded until the coupling force needed is ensured,
but the spring will be still capable of being shortened in case of greater compression,
i.e. it is not subdued to buckling.
[0021] The thus described upright/panels system is stable since in case the mutual position
between the uprights and the anchoring surfaces of the cones/feet to the floor or
ceiling is changed, the springs can absorb possible variations of adherence or parallelism
which could occur between the uprights and the vertical sides of the panels, thus
ensuring stability.
[0022] In order to ensure the oscillations on the upright surface and of the uprights, the
vertical ends of the panels are made up of jaws rotating around an axial horizontal
pin. Therefore it is obtained that the right angles of the quadrilateral vertexes
constituting the panel become acute and obtuse angles without the real panel undergoes
stresses according to the diagonals.
1. Dynamic system for supporting and anchoring movable partitions for compartmenting
interiors, comprising panels, supporting uprights of said panels and coupling means
of said uprights with the anchorage surfaces of the whole structure, and characterized in that said coupling means of the uprights to the anchorage surfaces are elastic hinge constraints
which allow to modify the inclination of said coupling means with respect to the anchorage
surfaces and to modify the adherence or parallelism conditions between the panel and
the upright supporting the same.
2. System according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means further comprise a shock
absorber which absorbs plastically the distance variations between the coupling points
of the outer structure to the system and damps the amplitude of the elastic oscillations
of the same system.
3. System according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said coupling means between the uprights
and the anchorage surfaces comprise telescopic elements characterized by the possibility to be slanted when the anchorage points of the uprights undergo stresses
of dynamic kind, while maintaining the applied force axial component in the upright
and discharging the transversal shearing component on the feet couplings to the outer
structure.
4. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said coupling means of
the panels to the uprights comprise an oscillating jaw and a pin leaning on the upright,
two socket washers introduced in the pin and a helical cylindrical spring positioned
between the two washers, whose compression increases while screwing the pin, thus
absorbing possible variations of adherence or parallelism between the partitions and
the upright supporting it.
5. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each supporting upright
comprises a rod and two coupling means mounted on its ends, which couple the same
upright to the respective anchorage surfaces.
6. System according to claim 5, wherein said supporting uprights can be mounted both
in vertical and horizontal direction or with another inclination and the anchorage
surfaces can be ceiling and floor or walls or uprights.
7. System according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said movable partitions cover the whole
length between the floor and the ceiling or they are detached from the floor and/or
the ceiling.