This present invention concerns a clamping arrangement for clamping a plate-shaped body, for example, a glass plate.

Such a clamping arrangement has meanwhile become generally known. The problem with the known clamping arrangements is that the set-up, in practice, is often a vertical set up and the possible readjustment after setting and assembly, if this is possible, as well as the clamped holding of the plate-shaped body, leaves to be desired.

A clamping arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1 is disclosed by EP 1 160 411.

The known clamping arrangement comprises

• a profile that is constructed from profile parts which are inseparable from each other, having between them an opening for the plate shaped body, and
• two pressure elements each on opposite sides of the applied plate-shaped body, whereby a first pressure element faces against a first profile part in said opening for support, whereby a second pressure element faces against a second profile part in said opening for support, whereby said first and second profile parts are on two opposite sides of the applied plate shaped body,

The object of this invention is to provide an improved adjustable, but still solid clamping arrangement for plate-shaped bodies.

For this purpose, the clamping arrangement, in accordance with the invention, is characterized in that

• at least said second profile part is equipped with one or more clamping organs, which exercise a clamping force on the facing second pressure element and the plate shaped body, and
• whereby the projecting wedge-shaped part of the pressure element which is at the bottom of the opening, in the case the plate-shaped body is inserted in the opening, makes frictional contact with the inclined clamping surface of the second profile part at the foot of the body in a vertical set up of said plate shaped body.

The advantage of clamping arrangement according to the invention is that for the benefit of good stability of the clamping arrangement, the profile parts are inseparable from each other and connected to the profile of the clamping arrangement, and, in this way intrinsically solid, which border the opening in which the plate-shaped body is located. The body is fixed in the opening while it is located therein between the pressure elements on opposite sides which support the fixed profile parts. Setting the clamping force, and also of the often vertical position or angle of the solid clamped plate-shaped body takes place by means of at least one clamping organ applied in or onto both profile parts.

In the clamping arrangement of the invention, one or more of the clamping organs are constructed as clamping organs which produce an adjustable clamping force. Advantageously the clamping organs are constructed as adjustable clamping organs, but the clamping organs may also be constructed as fixed organs. The clamping organs comprise an inclined clamping surface, which supports or forms an integral part of one or both profile parts. There, one wedge-shaped constructed part of the pressure element which operates at the bottom of the opening makes frictional contact with the inclined clamp surface, as a result of which the plate-shaped body is clamped in fixed position.

A further embodiment of the clamping arrangement is characterized in that at least the pressure element not equipped with clamping organs has a side facing its pressure element which side exhibits a convexity.

The advantage of the application of such a convexity is that by means of the pressing clamping organs on the other side of the plate-shaped body, it is possible to affect the degree of clamping and the current position or angle of the plate-shaped body which is clamped in the opening.

Further detailed possible embodiments which are applied separately are mentioned together with the examples related thereto in the following description.

At least, the clamping arrangement, according to this invention, will be further explained based of the following figures, in which corresponding parts are labeled with the same reference numbers. Thereby:

• Figure 1 shows a clamping arrangement outside the scope of the invention; and
• Figure 2 shows a clamping arrangement according to the invention.

Figures 1 and 2 each show a clamping arrangement 1 which is suitable for clamping a plate-shaped body 2. The plate-shaped body 2 may be a glass, metal, or plastic plate. In the case of a glass plate, it can be considered, as being or not being composed of multiple layers, possibly toughened glass, including, among other things, such as used in a fence or railing along hand rails, balconies, stairs, etc. Therein, for safety reasons, reduced back-lash clamping of the plate-shaped body 2 is of great importance. After all, a small clearance at the clamping side, usually the bottom, of the body 2 already leads to a swing which is observable and experienced by users to be unsafe, or greater clearance on its opposite, upper, unclamped side. The plate-shaped body 2 comprises a profile 3 which is constructed from profile parts which are inseparable from each other 3-1, 3-2 having there between an opening 4 for introducing the plate-shaped body 2 therein. Also, the clamping arrangement 1 comprises two supporting pressure elements 5-1, 5-2, each on opposite sides of the introduced plate-shaped body 2, against the profile parts 3-1, 3-2 in the opening 4. At least one of the two profile parts 3-1, 3-2 is equipped with one or more clamping organs, a clamping force on the pressure elements concerned 5-1, 5-2, and thus exercised on the plate-shaped body 2, to be further explained hereinafter as clamping organs 6-1, 6-2, 6-3; also referred to as 6.

The pressure elements 5-1, 5-2, as shown in both figures are flat, somewhat flexible elements which are at least applied on opposite sides of the plate-shaped body 2 in the opening 4. By means of the pressure elements 5-1 and 5-2, clamp force exerted by the various clamping organs 6 on the body 2 is spread over a larger area of the part of the body 2, which is located in the opening 4. Preferably, the lower, or short side of the clamped part of the body 2 is supported by a supporting part 5-3, whereby the pressure part concerned, in this case 5-1, is L-shaped. The supporting part 5-3 can form a whole with the pressure element 5-1.

Figure 1, which does not relate to the invention, shows a construction of the clamping arrangement 1 in which only the profile parts 3-2 are equipped with two clamping members 6-1, 6-2, and in this case, placed above each other, each of which is constructed as a pressure clamping screw against the pressure element 5-2. The clamping screws concerned can, for this purpose, be turned from the inside, i.e. as seen from the right in the figure, in the threaded openings in the element 5-2 in order to exert an adjustable clamping force on the plate-shaped body 2. This is particularly important when the clamping arrangement is applied at the edge of a patio or balcony, the outer side of which, in particular, after the application of the plate-shaped body 2 is not easily accessible or is not accessible without tools.

In this construction it is also shown that, at least, that the side facing the pressure element 5-1 of the profile part 3-1 not equipped with clamping organs has introduced a convexity in its outer surface. Pressure elements 5-1, and the part of the body 2 located in the opening 4 can tilt subsequently to this convexity 7. The tilting takes place by turning at least one of the two clamping screws of the clamping organs 6-1 and 6-2. A symmetrical position adjustment of the body 2 occurs when the top T of the convexity 7 is located approximately at the halfway point of the height of the opening 4. In practice, the radius of curvature of the convexity is such that the clearance existing at the bottom and / or at the top of the opening 4 is approximately 1 mm to each side in relation to the vertical.

Figure 2 shows a construction of the clamping arrangement 1 according to the invention, in which the side facing the pressure elements 5-2 of the clamping organs 6-1, 6-3 3-2, profile part 3-2 is equipped with clamping organ 6-3 constructed as inclined clamping surface. In such a case, a projecting wedge-shaped part of the pressure element 5-2 at the bottom of opening 4 makes frictional contact with the inclined clamp surface by striking that pressure element 5-2 the foot at the bottom in opening 4 of the body 4 is moved to the left in Figure 2 and it is also clamped more firmly. When the clamping organ 6-1 which is equipped with a clamping screw is located above the inclined clamping surface of the profile part 3-2, therewith the position of the plate-shaped body 2 can be further adjusted. Also in this execution, the convexity 7 can be introduced in the side facing pressure element 5-1 of the profile part 3-1 which is not equipped with clamping organs.

This figure 2 further shows that the profile 3 has a continuous ground profile 3-3 beyond the profile part 3-2 in which openings have been introduced in order to fix therein or thereto, respectively, adjustment bolts 8-1, or locknuts 8-2, respectively, in order to be able to anchor the clamping arrangement in one go to the surface. Thereto, at some distance, from the profile part 3-2, a concrete floor can be molded. If desired, the upright profile part 3-2, together with the pressure element 5-2, can be covered by a corner plate 9.

As outlined above the clamping organ 6-1 may be equipped with a clamping screw located above the inclined clamping surface of the profile part 3-2. For adjustment purposes it may be desired to have a clamping screw, but then the screw will have to be accessible from the right side in the figures and need not buried under cement or concrete. The left side may be the exposed outer side of for example a balcony, gallery or stand, which are generally not easily accessible without scaffolding. In an alternative the clamping organ may be comprise a serration or a series of serrations also for preventing the pressure element 5-2 from moving upward. Thereto the serration's ridges and valleys extend longitudinally along the preferably continuous pressure strip element 5-2, so that they can be fastened by exerting a force from above by means of for example a soft hammer. In that case the pressure element 5-2 is firmly secured and clamps the plate shape body 2, while the cement or concrete may be poured on said right side to a higher level than in cases where a clamping screw is used, without the use of the corner plate 9 being necessary. Advantage of the use of the longitudinal continuous pressure strip elements 5-1, 5-2 and 5-3 is further that complete lower part of the plate shaped body 2 is being clamped, that is on and along all its three clamped sides, thus preventing peak loads therein. For that reason separate wedges or keys are less advisable, because they tend to increase the chances of breaking the clamped plates 2.