MODULAR APPARATUS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS, FLOORS OR CEILINGS WITH MAGNETICALLY ANCHORED PLASTERBOARD PANELS

Abstract

 Modular apparatus for the construction of walls, floors or ceilings obtained with plasterboard panels suitable for being magnetically anchored to a supporting frame made of metal sections.

Description

[0001] The present patent application for industrial invention relates to a modular apparatus for the construction of walls, floors or ceilings with magnetically anchored plasterboard panels.

[0002] As it is well known, in the building sector, the laying of a plasterboard panel requires the prior arrangement of a supporting frame made of metal sections in correspondence with the vertical or horizontal surface whereon said panel is to be installed.

[0003] The installation of the plasterboard panel on said metal frame is currently carried out by means of through screws that are inserted through the plasterboard panel and fixed to the metal sections of said frame.

[0004] Given that the fixing screws are installed from the front surface of the plasterboard panel - i.e. the surface that remains visible - then it is necessary to plaster and sand the front surface in order to conceal the heads of said fixing screws.

[0005] After installing the unfinished plasterboard panel, then the front surface of the panel is decorated with the preferred technique, such as traditional painting, Venetian painting, marble effect, micro cement effect, sponge effect, spatula effect, etc.

[0006] Although such a traditional technology has become very popular over the years, it must be noted that it is impaired by some drawbacks that are mainly related to the duration, the inconvenience and the high cost resulting from the need to perform all the aforementioned operations in sequence.

[0007] Needless to say, the critical aspects of such a procedure also depend on the fact that the finishing and decorating operations of the plasterboard panel are to be performed at the place of final installation of the panel, in a situation in which the operators in charge may have to work in unfavorable conditions, perhaps due to the lack of space or the difficult weather conditions, especially when they operate in an outdoor building site.

[0008] Based on these premises, the main purpose of the present invention is to realize an apparatus capable of allowing the installation of a plasterboard panel on a horizontal or vertical surface by means of an easy and quick magnetic anchoring system, without using the traditional fixing screws and without having to plaster and finish the plasterboard panel.

[0009] Evidently, another advantage of such a magnetic anchoring system consists in the fact that it allows for easily and quickly disassembling the plasterboard panel in case of replacement or inspection of the space comprised between the back face of the panel and the respective surface.

[0010] Furthermore, a further purpose of the present invention is precisely to generate a gap between the plasterboard panel and the masonry surface, said gap being suitable to be advantageously exploited for the installation of an electrical and/or hydraulic system, considering that such a system would be easy to inspect because of the possibility to remove the plasterboard panel in a non-destructive manner.

[0011] An additional purpose of the present invention is that the front surface of said plasterboard panel no longer needs to be decorated at the installation site, it being possible to perform such a decoration work at the place where the plasterboard panel is produced, therefore in a manner and under conditions that are certainly easier, faster and more advantageous for the operator.

[0012] In view of the above, each one of said panels that reach the installation site is ready for the final installation.

[0013] Such a prefabrication system makes it possible to paint and decorate the plasterboard panel in many ways, it being possible for said panel to reach the installation site already covered with tiles or wooden slats when used as a flooring surface.

[0014] The final purpose of the present invention is to allow for easily installing panels with different decoration/painting on the same vertical or horizontal surface of a building without having to use skilled labor because of the provision of said magnetic anchoring system.

[0015] The latter purposes were pursued by decorating the surface of said panel no longer at the building site, but directly at the production site.

[0016] The main purpose of the present invention is achieved in accordance with the invention with the characteristics listed in the appended independent claim 1.

[0017] Advantageous achievements of the system of the invention appear from the dependent claims.

[0018] For the sake of clarity, the description of the invention continues with reference to the appended figures, which are for illustrative and non-limiting purposes only, wherein:

• Fig. 1 is an exploded drawing of the components of the apparatus according to the invention;
• Fig. 2 shows the components of the apparatus of the invention after the installation;
• Fig. 3 shows a portion of the apparatus of the invention already assembled on the front of a vertical masonry wall.

[0019] With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the main element of the modular apparatus according to the invention is a plasterboard panel (1) used in the number of specimens that are necessary, from time to time, to obtain an entire wall or floor, as illustrated below.

[0020] Said panel (1) is provided with a front face (1a) suitable for remaining visible and for acting as support for any decoration-painting, and a back face (1b) suitable for facing the vertical or horizontal surface whereon said panel (1) is to be installed.

[0021] The main peculiarity of said panel (1) consists in the fact that its back face (1b) is provided with a plurality of horizontal grooves (10) having a substantially C-shaped section, each one of them being suitable for exactly housing a metal section (11).

[0022] In such a context, each one of said sections (11) is firmly fixed in the respective groove (10) with the interposition of suitable adhesives or by means of non-through screws, i.e. screws that do not pass through the front face (1a) of the panel (1).

[0023] The function of said sections (11) is to exactly accommodate a series of inserts made of ferromagnetic material (12), preferably neodymium, which are capable of sliding along said sections (11) in such a way that the final installer of said panel (1) can determine the position of said inserts in the section (11) from time to time.

[0024] The additional component of the apparatus according to the invention is a traditional frame made of metal sections (2) suitable for being fixed onto the vertical or horizontal masonry surface (M) to be covered with a plurality of specimens of said panel (1), as schematically shown in Fig. 3.

[0025] In fact, once such a frame has been arranged, the installer must appropriately dispose said ferromagnetic inserts (12) along each one of said horizontal sections (11) of the various plasterboard panels (1), according to the configuration of the frame, with particular reference to the spacing provided between the sections (2) of the frame.

[0026] In fact, the installer must be certain that each one of the ferromagnetic inserts (12) housed in the sections (11) of said panel (1) is arranged in a position that corresponds to one of the metal sections (2) of the frame.

[0027] After complying with such a requirement, the installer simply needs to rest the panel (1) against the metal frame in order to be certain that the ferromagnetic inserts (12) provided in said panel (1) will firmly adhere to said metal frame because of the considerable attraction force ensured by neodymium, in such a condition as to prevent any fortuitous detachment between said panel (1) and the frame.

[0028] It is important to reiterate that the choice of using a magnetic adhesion to install the various panels (1) on the metal frame is also appreciated at the time when said panels (1) are to be disassembled, it being sufficient for the operator to exert a vigorous traction on each panel (1) in such a way to overcome the attraction force exerted by said ferromagnetic inserts (12) on the panel (1) in the direction of the metal frame.

[0029] Finally, it should be pointed out that although it has been so far claimed that the present invention is suitable for being implemented with reference to plasterboard panels, evidently the present invention is also suitable for being implemented in the same manner or with the same advantages with reference to panels made of wood, plastic materials and the like.

Claims

1. Modular apparatus for the construction of walls, floors or ceilings with magnetically anchored panels, comprising:

- a metal frame composed of metal sections (2) to be fixed in correspondence with a vertical or horizontal supporting surface (3)

- one or more panels (1), each one of them being provided with a front face (1a) and a back face (1b); wherein said back face (1b) is provided with one or more rectilinear grooves (10) having a substantially C-shaped section suitable for exactly accommodating metal sections (11)

- one or more ferromagnetic inserts (12) suitable for being slidingly housed in said one or more sections (11) of said one or more panels (1), as well as suitable for being interfaced with said metal sections (2) of said frame by means of magnetic adhesion.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sections (11) are fixed in the grooves (10) of the respective panel (1) by means of suitable adhesives.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sections (11) are fixed in the grooves (10) of the respective panel (1) by means of non-through screws.

4. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said ferromagnetic inserts (12) are made of neodymium.

Drawing