EP0651097A1 - Connection means between balustrade bars and balustrade rail - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for assembling parallel and spaced bars to a rail for supporting these bars, extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of these bars, characterised in that the rail (6, 7, 11) includes a plurality of neighbouring openings (13, 36), preferably equidistant, each of which can receive the end of one bar (8), and a flexible internal tongue (15) fitted into the internal wall of the rail, extending over the entire length of this rail and having a plane surface which is inclined to the vertical and can cooperate, for each bar, with a notch (21) defined by edges (22), which are also inclined and have the same profile as the tongue, and are provided on the end of the bar which penetrates into the corresponding opening in the rail, or else arranged in a support member (27) carried by this end of the bar, the tongue including a transverse return (16) which is substantially perpendicular to its plane, capable of progressively engaging in on open housing (23) provided in the bottom of the notch, until it clicks into this housing so as to connect the rail to the bar. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a device for assembling bars with a railing rail, allowing them to be joined directly to the latter without the intervention of intermediate parts or of a particular clamping member, following a simple snap-fit fitting of each bar into receiving openings provided in the arm, providing a quick, safe and effective connection.

Known solutions, implemented in the art for joining the top and bottom rails of a railing by means of a plurality of bars, spaced from each other by a determined maximum distance, in order to form the front part of such a railing supported directly above a balcony, terrace, staircase or other similar construction by stiffeners or vertical posts fixed to the ground, generally use a keying system which requires prior machining of these bars and these heddles.

In particular, the latter include receiving openings for the upper or lower ends of the bars in the corresponding beam, these bars then being drilled transversely for the engagement of a locking key, the beams then being covered by a finishing profile, before being joined to the vertical support stiffeners.

Generally, the beams are horizontal and the bars vertical. However, to constitute, for example, a stair railing, the heddles can form, with the vertical direction, parallel bars suitably spaced, a given angle, usually of the order of 30 ° or more, to follow the slope of the staircase. In this case, the fabric of each stringer is deformed in an appropriate manner to allow the passage of the corresponding end of the bars, the connecting key being able to be replaced by an appropriate deformation of the wall of the bar in its housing inside the beam which it crosses, in order to immobilize it in the appropriate position relative to the latter according to the inclination desired for the latter.

Finally and in another classic variant, the connection between the heald and the bars can be obtained by means of a nozzle. made of plastic, forcibly mounted at the end of the bar and secured to the heddle by a connecting pin passing through an internal rib thereof, engaged in an open groove in the end piece, this mounting allowing relative rotation of the smooth relative to the bar around the axis of the pin, in order to obtain the desired inclination.

All these solutions have drawbacks, due to an assembly requiring several parts and the need to implement a series of successive operations in order to place the bars in the beams, engage the keys or fixing pins through the protruding parts of these bars and finally return the finishing profiles, which results in a non-negligible time which strikes the cost price of the installation. In addition, they penalize the mechanical strength of the assembly, the beams, made up of open profiles for the passage of the bars and the positioning of the immobilization keys of the latter, requiring the addition of complementary profiles to ensure their continuity. ; finally, they are unsatisfactory from an aesthetic point of view, revealing, where appropriate, the connecting means, in particular in the case of plastic parts.

The present invention relates to a direct connection device between the bars and the top and bottom rails of a railing, which avoids these drawbacks.

To this end, the device considered, for the assembly of parallel bars and spaced with respect to a support rail of these bars, extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of these, is characterized in that the heald has a plurality of neighboring openings, preferably equidistant, each capable of receiving the end of a bar, and a flexible internal tab embedded in the internal wall of the heald, extending over the entire length of it ci and having a flat surface inclined on the vertical, able to cooperate, for each bar, with a notch delimited by edges also inclined and of the same profile as the tongue, provided at the end of the bar which penetrates into the corresponding opening smooth, or formed in a support member carried by this end of the bar, the tongue having a transverse return, substantially perpendicular to its plane, capable of gradually engaging in an open housing provided in the bottom of the notch, until snap into this housing by securing the boom and the bar.

By fitting any bar into the corresponding opening of the heald intended to receive it, the notch formed directly at the end of this bar or in the support member carried by the latter, thus engages on the tongue which slides on the inclined edges of this notch or of this member as the bar engages in the heddle, until, at the end of the race, the transverse return of the tongue enters the housing open to immobilize, thereby joining the bar and the beam in a particularly effective way.

According to a particular characteristic of the device considered, the tongue comprises, at the end of its transverse return, a heel bearing against the bottom of the housing of the notch at the end of the latching stroke, suitable for making the tongue work in traction, in case of folding of the bar under the effect of an accidental transverse shock.

Advantageously, the heddle comprises, in the vicinity of its connection with the tongue, an internal stop limiting the engagement stroke of the bar inside the heald. In addition, the inclined edges of the notch have, in the vicinity of the end of the bar, a lug preferably forming a support close to the embedding area of the tongue so as to stiffen the assembly of the heddle and the bar in the event of accidental transverse impact thereon.

When the vertical bars are associated with two beams, respectively high and low, extending horizontally, the openings formed in these beams, receiving the ends of the bars coming to join inside these beams due to the cooperation of their notches and the flat and transverse tab provided inside each of these, have a profile that exactly matches in the cross section of these bars, to the only clearance, necessary for the engagement of these in the stringer.

In an alternative embodiment, where each of the two rails forms with the vertical direction of the bars a given angle, in particular in a railing constituting the railing of a staircase, each of the openings formed in the rails has a cross section much greater than that of the bar which engages therein, the latter being only held in the central part of the opening by an internal rib bearing on the external wall of this bar, ensuring its guidance during the engagement of its end in the opening and guaranteeing the spacing from one bar to another depending on the length of the beam.

In this same alternative embodiment, the support member carried by each vertical bar, provided with the notch cooperating with the tongue of the heddle, has the shape of a cylindrical pin, the axis of which is arranged horizontally, this pin being mounted with limited pivoting around this axis inside the bar, in order to simplify the assembly and in particular to allow the relative deflections of the heald, secured to the pin by its tongue, vis-à-vis the bar.

According to a particular characteristic, the cylindrical pin has a front end, the cross section of which, having a diamond-shaped profile, is engaged in a groove or slot of the bar extending from its end, the pin coming at most into abutment against the sides of this slot, by tolerating the relative deflections of the heald secured to the pin relative to the bar.

• La Figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'un garde-corps dans lequel les lisses sont équipées d'un dispositif d'assemblage de barreaux selon l'invention.
• La Figure 2 est une vue en coupe et en élévation, à plus grande échelle, des lisses haute et basse du garde-corps selon la Figure 1, permettant de mieux préciser le détail de la réalisation des moyens d'assemblage des barreaux verticaux avec ces lisses.
• La Figure 3 est une vue de dessus de la lisse basse du garde-corps, montrant le profil d'une des ouvertures de réception d'un barreau.
• La Figure 4 représente, selon quatre vues successives repérées respectivement de a à d, la lisse basse du garde-corps et le barreau qui s'engage dans l'une des ouvertures de celle-ci, en illustrant les diverses phases de la mise en place de ce barreau, jusqu'à son encliquetage final sur la lisse.
• La Figure 5 est une vue schématique en élévation du garde-corps, illustrant une variante pour la réalisation de la lisse haute de celui-ci.
• La Figure 6 illustre la disposition prise par un barreau du garde-corps en cas de choc frontal accidentel et le comportement du dispositif d'assemblage dans un tel cas.
• La Figure 7 est une vue analogue à la Figure 1, mais dans laquelle les lisses haute et basse du garde-corps forment un angle donné avec la direction verticale des barreaux, en particulier lorsque le garde-corps constitue une rambarde d'escalier.
• La Figure 8 est une vue en coupe longitudinale à plus grande échelle d'un barreau et des lisses du garde-corps selon la Figure 7.
• Les Figures 9, 10 et 11 sont des vues de détail, respectivement en coupe transversale, selon la ligne X-X de la Figure 9, et en coupe longitudinale d'une partie d'un barreau entrant dans la réalisation du garde-corps selon les Figures 7 et 8.
• La Figure 12 est une vue en coupe transversale d'un barreau selon la ligne XII-XII de la Figure 8, illustrant en vue de dessus l'ouverture ménagée dans la lisse basse du garde-corps, recevant le barreau considéré.
• La Figure 13 est une vue en coupe longitudinale de la partie inférieure d'un barreau, représenté engagé dans la lisse basse du garde-corps.

Other characteristics of the device according to the invention, for the assembly of vertical bars of a railing with the top or bottom beams thereof, will become more apparent from the following description of several exemplary embodiments, given for information and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a railing in which the beams are equipped with a rod assembly device according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a sectional view in elevation, on a larger scale, of the top and bottom rails of the railing according to Figure 1, to better specify the detail of the realization of the means of assembly of the vertical bars with these smooth.
• Figure 3 is a top view of the bottom rail of the railing, showing the profile of one of the receiving openings of a bar.
• Figure 4 shows, according to four successive views identified respectively from a to d, the bottom rail of the railing and the bar which engages in one of the openings thereof, illustrating the various phases of setting place of this bar, until its final snap on the rail.
• Figure 5 is a schematic elevational view of the railing, illustrating a variant for the realization of the top rail thereof.
• Figure 6 illustrates the arrangement of a railing bar in the event of accidental frontal impact and the behavior of the assembly device in such a case.
• Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 1, but in which the top and bottom rails of the railing form a given angle with the vertical direction of the bars, in particular when the railing constitutes a stair railing.
• FIG. 8 is a view in longitudinal section on a larger scale of a bar and of the rails of the railing according to FIG. 7.
• Figures 9, 10 and 11 are detailed views, respectively in cross section, along line XX of Figure 9, and in longitudinal section of a portion of a bar used in the production of the railing according to Figures 7 and 8.
• Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of a bar along the line XII-XII of Figure 8, illustrating a top view of the opening in the bottom rail of the railing, receiving the bar in question.
• Figure 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lower part of a bar, shown engaged in the bottom rail of the railing.

In Figures 1 and 2, the reference 1 generally designates a railing for balcony, terrace or other similar construction, comprising a plurality of posts or vertical stiffeners 2, each comprising support and fixing means, by l '' through a plate 4, on the ground 5.

These vertical stiffeners 2 are associated with horizontal external beams, respectively a low beam 6, arranged slightly above the ground plane 5 and a high beam 7 which, in the example considered, also constitutes a handrail for the guard. body.

Between the bottom rail 6 and the handrail 7 in the upper part of the railing, are arranged parallel and vertical bars 8, which may be full or tubular as the case may be, partly or completely and each of which is provided at its ends with 'An assembly device with these heddles, according to the invention and the detail of which is described below.

Conventionally in this type of railing, the bottom rail 6 is held against the external surface of the stiffeners 2, by means of fixing members, the detail of which is of little importance to the invention but which, as illustrated in as an example in Figure 5, may include studs 9 for maintaining a locking end piece 10 of the heald against the corresponding stiffener.

Note that in the variant schematically illustrated in this Figure 5, the guardrail 1 includes not only a low rail 6 as in the example of Figures 1 and 2, but also a high rail 11 which extends under the handrail 7, this top rail also being fixed against the stiffeners 2 by means of locking end pieces 12, similar to the end pieces 10 and immobilized like the latter by studs 9, the vertical bars 8 being in this example mounted between the parallel side rails 6 and 11.

Figure 2 illustrates in detail the structure of the two rails and the bars assembled with them.

Each heald 6 or 7 comprises in particular, at the ends of each of the bars 8, an opening 13 allowing these ends to penetrate inside each of these healds, the latter being for this purpose in the form of profiles, preferably metallic, these openings 13 being shaped, as shown in Figure 3 in particular, to correspond substantially to the cross section of the bars, themselves made of metallic elements. In the example illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the section of the bars 8 has, substantially, the shape of a curvilinear triangle with rounded angles; of course, such a profile is in itself indifferent to the invention and could be modified in the widest way, depending on the aesthetics chosen for the realization of the railing and of the various parts thereof.

Each stringer 6 and 7 has a front wall 14 and, embedded in the bottom of the stringer opposite the corresponding opening 13 receiving any bar, against the internal surface of the profile constituting this stringer, a flat tongue 15 which extends over the entire length of the beam and which has a wall inclined to the vertical.

At its end opposite to its embedding zone against the bottom of the heddle, the tongue 15 has a transverse return 16, terminated by a heel 17, the role of which will be defined below. In addition, in its internal surface, the front wall 14 has one or more ribs 18 projecting inwards, arranged so that they come into contact with the external surface of the bar 8 when the latter engages in the corresponding beam, so as to guide its movement during this penetration movement.

The bottom heald 6, where appropriate the high heald 7, moreover comprise, in their rear surface 19, opposite the front wall 14, a support stop 20, projecting inwardly from the heald to the opposite of the opening 13, in order to allow the movement of the bar 8 in the heddle to stop through this opening.

Each bar 8 also comprises, at each of its ends, a notch 21 whose edges 22 are inclined to the vertical, substantially at the same angle as the tongue 15, this notch comprising an open terminal housing 23 and, in contrast, in the vicinity of the corresponding end of the bar, a protruding lug 24, forming a support stop for the tongue when the bar engages in the rail associated.

A support 25 is advantageously provided in the bottom of each heald behind the tongue 15. Finally, the low heald 6, if necessary the high heald 11 in the case where the latter is separate from the handrail 7, have a spout d 'hooking 26 for the immobilization of these heddles vis-à-vis the holding ends 10 and 12 against the stiffeners 2.

Figures 2 to 4 illustrate the way in which the assembly device according to the invention is used, in order to secure the bars 8 with respect to the healds 6 and 7 (or 6 and 11), Figure 4 in particular showing how the cooperation of the inclined tongue 15 of each heald is carried out with the notches 21 of the bars successively put in place in the healds and snapped onto them.

In Figure 4a, any bar 8 is shown engaged by its lower end in the opening 13 of the bottom rail 6, this opening having substantially the same profile as the bar with a clearance just sufficient to allow the vertical sliding of the bar. In this movement, the latter is guided, on the one hand by the ribs 18 provided in the internal surface of the front wall 14 of the heddle and on the other hand by the opposite face of the rear wall.

At a given time during this movement, the flat tongue 15, which engages in the notch 21, meets the inclined edges 22 of this notch and, under the effect of the displacement of the bar, slightly bends the tongue around from its point of embedding on the internal surface of the heald, the heel 17 provided at the end of the transverse return 16 of the tongue sliding progressively on the edges 22 (FIG. 4b), until the moment when this heel comes in line with the open housing 23 in the bottom of the notch 21 (Figure 4c).

The bar 8 continuing its movement, the tongue 15 due to its own elasticity, then snaps into the bottom of this housing (Figure 4d), with heel support 17, the tongue itself coming to bear at its opposite end sure the lug 24 in the vicinity of the end of the notch 21, which improves the holding of the tongue thus immobilized. In this position, the extreme edge of the bar rests substantially on the support rib 20 provided for this purpose in the rear face 19 of the heddle.

Figure 6 shows how the above arrangements not only allow simple and easy engagement of the various bars in the rails of the railing with an automatic snap-in at the end of the stroke, but also achieve effective anchoring of the ends of these bars, in particular in the event of a frontal impact applied to the center of gravity of the bar, such a shock can be particularly high since the standards in force require the bars to bear without breaking their assembly with the beams a load of the order of 600 joules.

In this Figure, we have schematically designated by f the direction of the impact exerted on any bar 8 and the localized folding thereof resulting therefrom. However, it is immediately noted that, due to the orientation of the tongue 15 and in particular the engagement of its transverse end return 16 in the open housing 23 of the notch 21, this tongue works in traction, in bracing on the corresponding side of the housing, so that the bar cannot be detached from the assembly, also due to its support on the internal ribs 18 of the wall 14 and the lug 24 on the edges of the notch. Simultaneously, the ends of the tongue and in particular the transverse rim 16 and the heel 17, work on shearing.

Note that the limited pivoting of the tab thus caused is easily collected by the corresponding rail, in particular because of the reinforcement of the embedding of the tongue by the support 25, provided for this purpose behind the latter.

Figures 7 to 13 relate to an alternative embodiment, more particularly suited to the case where the railing is used to protect a staircase or the like, the support stiffeners 2 and the bars 8 remaining vertical, but the beams low and high 6 and 7 having an inclination given on the horizontal, in particular to follow the slope of this staircase.

In these Figures, identical reference numerals have been used to designate bodies similar to those already described in the foregoing.

In order to allow the relative inclination of the heddles 6 and 7 with respect to the bars 8, provision is made to associate with the latter, at their ends which engage in the openings of these healds, a pin 27, of generally cylindrical shape, preferably made of plastic, having on the one hand a stud 28, mounted in a vertical groove or slot 29, so that this pin can be force-fitted into the bar but liable to undergo relative to that here a limited relative rotation, allowing precisely the inclination of each heald vis-à-vis the vertical direction of the bars, and on the other hand a bearing surface 30 against the internal surface of the bar 8.

Each of the pins 27 comprises, as before, a notch 21, able to cooperate with the flat and flexible tongue 15 provided transversely in each heald, making in a strictly analogous manner to what has been described in relation to the first embodiment, the snapping of these bars on the rails.

However, in order to limit the angular movement of the pin at the time of assembly, the stud 28 has, seen in cross section (Figure 10), a diamond profile whose ends 31 and 32 are capable of coming into contact with the faces of the groove or slot 29 where the stud engages.

In contrast, in line with the bearing surface 30 of the pin 27, the bar 8 has in its corresponding surface 33 a groove 34, into which can engage, from the outside of the bar, a guide rib 35 formed in the top or bottom rail as appropriate, in line with the opening 36 through which the bar in question enters it. As illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13, this opening has a transverse profile which is appreciably wider than the proper section of the bar 8 which penetrates therein, in order to allow the relative movement of the heald secured to the pin vis-à-vis the bar carrying the latter.

An assembly device is thus produced for the vertical bars of a railing with the top and bottom rails of the latter, these rails being able to be both horizontal and having a relative inclination.

The assembly is particularly simple to put in place, the bars automatically snapping into the openings made in the rails and whose dimensions are exactly adapted to the profile of these bars, if necessary to the necessary clearances of the rails relative to these latter. Such an assembly is safe and effective, requires no specific tools and leaves no visible parts, which improves the overall appearance and aesthetics of the assembly. In addition, the use for forming the beams and bars of hollow metal profiles, ensures maximum strength for a minimum weight, the arrangement of the assembly device itself being designed to allow a reliable connection bars and beams, even in the event of a frontal impact corresponding to the value of the imposed standard.

Of course, it goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiments more specifically described above, with reference to the accompanying drawings; on the contrary, it embraces all its variants.

Claims (8)

1 - Device for assembling parallel bars spaced apart with respect to a support rail for these bars, extending transversely to the longitudinal direction thereof, characterized in that the rail (6, 7 , 11) comprises a plurality of neighboring openings (13, 36), preferably equidistant, adapted to each receive the end of a bar (8), and a flexible internal tongue (15), embedded in the inner wall of the heald, extending over the entire length thereof and having a flat surface inclined to the vertical, capable of cooperating, for each bar, with a notch (21) delimited by edges (22) also inclined and likewise profile as the tongue, provided at the end of the bar which penetrates into the corresponding opening of the heddle, or else provided in a support member (27) carried by this end of the bar, the tongue comprising a transverse return (16) , substantially perpendicular its plane, capable of being progressively engaged in an open housing (23) provided in the bottom of the notch, up to snap into this housing by joining the smooth and the bar. 2 - Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the tongue (15) comprises, at the end of its transverse return (16), a bearing heel (17) against the bottom of the housing (23) of the notch ( 21) at the end of the latching stroke, suitable for making the tongue work in traction, in the event of folding of the bar under the effect of an accidental transverse shock (Figure 6). 3 - Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the heald (6, 7, 11) comprises, in the vicinity of its connection with the tongue, an internal stop (20) limiting the engagement stroke of the bar inside smooth. 4 - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the inclined edges (22) of the notch (21) have, in the vicinity of the end of the bar (8), a lug (24) preferably forming a support close to the embedding area of the tongue (15) so as to stiffen the assembly of the arm and the bar in case of accidental transverse impact on it. 5 - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vertical bars (8) are associated with two beams (6 and 7, 11), respectively high and low, extending horizontally, characterized in that the openings (13) formed in these heddles, receiving the ends of the bars have a profile which corresponds exactly to the cross section of these bars, with the only clearance necessary for the engagement of these in the heald. 6 - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein each of the two rails (6 and 7, 11) forms with the vertical direction of the bars (8) a given angle, characterized in that each of the openings (36 ) formed in the healds has a cross section much greater than that of the bar which engages therein, the latter being only held in the central part of the opening by an internal rib (35) bearing on the external wall of this bar, ensuring its guiding during the engagement of its end in the opening and guaranteeing the spacing from one bar to another depending on the length of the heddle. 7 - Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the support member carried by each vertical bar (8), provided with the notch (21) cooperating with the tongue (15) of the heddle (6, 7, 11 ), has the shape of a cylindrical pin (27), the axis of which is arranged horizontally, this pin being mounted with limited pivoting around this axis inside the bar. 8 - Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the cylindrical pin (27) has a front end (28) whose cross section, having a diamond profile, is engaged in a groove or slot (29) of the bar (8 ) extending from its end, the pin coming at most into abutment against the sides of this slot, tolerating the relative deflections of the arm (6, 7, 11), secured to the pin with respect to the bar.

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