Arrangement for cladding a stair

Abstract

An arrangement (1) for cladding a stair (2) comprises at least one profiled rail (5, 7) which can be fixed to a stair (2). The profiled rail (5, 7) comprises at least one connecting part (17) to make it easier to mount the stair cladding. This connecting part (17) is provided with an undercut groove (18) or tongue. A cladding element (9) can be securely clicked into this groove (18) or tongue by positioning it at an acute angle and then pressing it in.

Description

The invention relates to an arrangement for cladding a stair according to the precharacterizing clause of Patent claim 1.

EP 0 773 335 A1 discloses a stair-edge profile which is intended in particular for renovating stairs. This stair-edge profile consists of a base profile which is fixed to the tread and of a covering profile screwed thereto. The two profiles are retained against one another in a height-adjustable manner by means of a screwed connection. The covering profile here has downwardly and laterally directed legs which overlap stair-cladding elements. This known stair-edge profile has proved to work well in practice and forms the starting point of the invention.

The object on which the invention is based is to provide an arrangement of the initially mentioned type which is distinguished by simplified mounting.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of Patent claim 1.

The arrangement according to the invention is used for cladding a stair. This arrangement comprises at least one profiled rail which can be fixed to the stair. It is unimportant here whether the profiled rail is provided on the outer edge or the inner edge of the stairs. A corresponding profiled rail is preferably provided on all the edges of the stairs. In order to achieve simple and thus cost-effective mounting of the stair cladding, the profiled rail comprises at least one connecting part which comprises an undercut groove or tongue. A cladding element can be securely clicked into this groove or tongue. The cladding element here is positioned relative to the connecting part at an angle and the cladding element is then pressed into the connecting part. Only relative movements of the two parts are relevant here, with the result that it is also conceivable to tilt the connecting part or the profiled rail. Laminate or parquet is particularly suitable as the cladding element. The cladding element is firmly retained on the profiled rail by means of the click connection but can nevertheless be mounted or demounted with ease. A further advantage is that the profiled rail has a simple and thus cost-effective structure since it can be produced from only a single part, if appropriate in one piece.

To prevent the profiled rail from forming a tripping hazard, it is advantageous if it has its outer side designed flush with the cladding element. It would be impossible to achieve such a design in the case of stair-edge profiles of the prior art having covering legs overlapping the cladding elements. This additional advantage can only be utilized by using the click connection.

For simple mounting of the profiled rail on the stair, it is advantageous if the profiled rail comprises at least one retaining leg which bears a retaining means for fixing to the stair. This retaining leg thus secures the connection to the stair. By contrast, the cladding elements themselves are substantially retained by the profiled rail.

The retaining means are preferably formed by a screw. In this case, this screw is concealed by a strip or the cladding element to hide it from view. When the screw is arranged under the cladding element, no further measures at all are required to cover the screw.

Moreover, it is advantageous if the strip is of anti-slip design. In this case, the strip additionally performs the function of increasing the level of safety when being stepped on. The strip preferably consists of an elastically deformable material such as rubber or silicone rubber. It is also conceivable to equip the strip with channels running parallel to the longitudinal extent of the edge protector.

Whereas one end of the cladding elements is in each case fixed in the profiled rail, the opposite end is free. A click connection at the opposite end cannot usefully be achieved, since the width of the cladding elements would then have to be adapted very precisely to the respective geometry of the staircase. However, this is not possible in practice. For the purpose of fastening the opposite ends of the cladding elements, it is therefore advantageous for the profiled rail to comprise a covering leg which forms an angle with the retaining leg and which presses the cladding element against the stair. The cladding elements are adequately fastened on both sides in this way.

To compensate for dimensional tolerances, it is advantageous if the covering leg is designed to be springy. Moreover, this facilitates mounting of the profiled rail since mounting thereof no longer has to take place so exactly.

It also arises when renovating stairs to find stairs that are formed with an overhang in the region of the tread. In this case, the cladding for the riser is preferably oriented at an acute angle to the vertical. To ensure that a secure click connection with respect to the profiled rail can be achieved in this mounting position too, it is advantageous if a spring element is provided between the retaining leg and the connecting part. This spring element is used substantially to adapt the angle of the connecting part and consequently that of the cladding element clicked therein.

To further increase the security of the connection, it is advantageous if the connecting part is arranged in such a way that the cladding element extends at an acute angle to the riser. Particularly when using the abovementioned spring element, it is possible in this way nevertheless to provide vertical mounting for the riser without problems arising here with the click connection.

Further advantages and features of the present invention will be presented in the detailed description below with the aid of the associated figures, in which a number of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are contained. However, it should be understood that the drawing serves only for the purpose of illustrating the invention and does not restrict the scope of protection of the invention.

IN THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a sectional representation of a first embodiment of an arrangement for cladding a stair, and

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the arrangement according to FIG. 1.

An arrangement 1 according to FIG. 1 is used for cladding a stair 2. The stair 2 consists of a substantially horizontal tread 3 and of a substantially vertical riser 4. The treads 3 show unsightly signs of wear particularly after the stairs have been used over a long period of time, making renovation necessary. This generally involves laying a new cladding on the stair 2 to keep the renovation costs within reasonable limits. Moreover, the valuable core of the stairs is preserved in this way.

The arrangement 1 consists of a profiled rail 5 for the outer edge 6 of the stair 2 and of a profiled rail 7 for the inner edge 8 of the stair 2. Cladding elements 9, which clad the stair 2 with the desired new surface, are retained on each of the profiled rails 5, 7.

The profiled rail 5 for the outer edge 6 substantially consists of a horizontal retaining leg 10 on which a substantially vertical covering leg 11 is integrally formed as a bent-off portion. The retaining leg 10 has countersunk holes which are penetrated by retaining means 12 in the form of screws 12. These screws 12 fix the edge protector 5 to the tread 3 of the stair 2.

The profiled rail 7 is provided on its upper side, in the region of the screw 12, with a dovetail-shaped groove 13 into which a strip 14 is clamped. This strip 14 covers the screw 12 and simultaneously serves to provide an anti-slip surface by way of its grooves 15 running longitudinally to the profiled rail 5. The level of safety when stepping on the stair 2 is increased in this way.

The retaining leg 10 has a connecting part 17 at an end 16 opposite the covering leg 11. A groove 18 of asymmetrical design is formed in this connecting part 17. This groove 18 serves to receive a tongue 19 of the cladding element 9. The groove 18 and tongue 19 here are not designed to match one another. Free spaces remain between them both and these allow the cladding element 9 to be readily clicked into the connecting part 17. As an alternative, it would also be possible to design the groove 18 and tongue 19 to match one another. The connecting part 17 has its upper side designed flush with the cladding element 9.

The profiled rail 7 for the inner edge 8 of the stair 2 has a similar structure to the profiled rail 5 for the outer edge 6, which means that only the differences between the two will be discussed in the text below.

The retaining leg 10 is screwed directly to the riser 4 by means of the screw 12. However, no strip has been provided to cover the screw 12. Instead, covering is performed directly by the cladding element 9. The covering leg 11 is bent round through approximately 90° towards the tread, with the bend not being formed at a sharp angle but rather with an approximately constant curvature. A spring action for the covering leg 10 is achieved by providing an incision 20 in the transition region to the connecting part 17.

The above-described arrangement is advantageously mounted from the bottom up, starting with the lowermost profiled rail 7 for the inner edge 8 being securely screwed to the lowermost riser 4. The cladding element 9 for covering the riser 4 is then clicked into the connecting part 17. This first entails positioning the cladding element 9 at an acute angle to the connecting part 17 and pressing it into the groove 18 therein. The cladding element 9 is then pivoted into the position represented in FIG. 1, thereby latching the tongue 19 of the cladding element 9 in the groove 18 of the connecting part 17. This ensures an exact fit of the cladding element 9 at the connecting part 17.

After mounting the cladding element 9 for the riser 4, the adjoining profiled rail 5 for the outer edge 6 is mounted. For this purpose, the profiled rail 5 is first placed on the tread 3 without strip 14 and screwed to the tread 3. In the process, the edge protector 5 is pressed slightly in the horizontal direction so that the covering leg 11 is pressed against the already mounted cladding element 9 for the riser 4. An exact fit of the cladding element 9 is ensured in this way.

The cladding element 9 for covering the tread 3 is then clicked into the groove 18 of the connecting part 17 in the same way as described above. The strip 14 can now be pressed into the dovetail-shaped groove 13 to conceal the screws 12. The cladding element 9 for covering the tread 3 is fixed as a result of mounting the next profiled rail 7 for the following inner edge 8 by the covering leg 11 pressing against the cladding element 9. Use is made here of the spring effect of the covering leg 11 produced by the incision 20.

FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the arrangement 1 according to FIG. 1, with identical reference numbers being used to designate identical parts. Only the differences from the embodiment according to FIG. 1 will be discussed in the text below.

The stair 2 is provided in the region of the outer edge 6 with a nosing 21, which makes vertical mounting of the cladding element 9 for cladding the riser 4 considerably more difficult. For this reason, the connecting part 17 of the profiled rail 7 for the inner edge 8 is inclined with respect to the embodiment according to FIG. 1. This makes it possible for the cladding element 9 to be clicked into the connecting part 11 at the desired angle.

To enable the profiled rail 7 to be adapted to different stairs 2 having nosings 21 which differ in each case, the connecting part 17 of the profiled rail 7 is connected via a spring element 22 to the retaining leg 10. This spring element 22 is substantially formed by incisions 23 which form a predetermined bending point for the profiled rail 7. When the spring element 22 is in the unstressed position, the groove 18 is inclined towards the vertical 25 by an acute angle 24. This ensures that the connection between the cladding element 9 and the connecting part 17 is secure even when the stair 2 has relatively large nosings 21.

If, by contrast, the nosing 21 is smaller, with the result that the cladding element 9 is to be mounted more steeply than represented in FIG. 2, the connecting part 17 is pivoted in the anticlockwise direction with the assistance of the lever action of the cladding element 9, so that the cladding element 9 again bears against the riser 4. It is only when the profiled rail 5 for the outer edge 6 is mounted that the connecting part 17 is caused to pivot as a result of the covering leg 11 bearing against the cladding element 9.

The shape of the grooves 18 of the connecting parts 17 is designed to match the shape of the tongues 19 of the cladding elements 9. This ensures a particularly firm fit of the cladding elements 9 in the profiled rails 5, 7.

In order to dispense with the strip 14, the retaining leg 10 of the profiled rail 5 is designed to be thin enough that it comes to lie under the cladding element 9. The cladding element 9 therefore covers the retaining means 12. This gives the arrangement 1 a particularly simple structure.

Since some exemplary embodiments of the present invention have not been shown or described, it should be understood that a large number of changes and modifications to these described exemplary embodiments are possible without departing from the essential concept and the scope of protection of the invention as defined by the claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

• Arrangement
• Stair
• Tread
• Riser
• Profiled rail
• Outer edge
• Profiled rail
• Inner edge
• Cladding element
• Retaining leg
• Covering leg
• Retaining means
• Groove
• Strip
• Groove
• End
• Connecting part
• Groove
• Tongue
• Incision
• Nosing
• Spring element
• Incision
• Angle
• Vertical

Claims

1. Arrangement for cladding a stair, the arrangement comprising at least one profiled rail which can be fixed to the stair, characterized in that the profiled rail comprises at least one connecting part with an undercut groove or tongue into which a cladding element can be securely clicked by positioning the cladding element and the connecting part at an angle relative to one another and pressing into the groove or tongue.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the profiled rail is designed to have its outer side flush with the cladding element.

3. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the profiled rail comprises at least one retaining leg which bears a retaining means for fixing to the stair.

4. Arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the retaining means is formed by a screw which is concealed by a strip or the cladding element.

5. Arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that the strip is of anti-slip design.

6. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the profiled rail comprises a covering leg which forms an angle with the retaining leg and which presses the cladding element against the stair.

7. Arrangement according to claim 6, characterized in that the covering leg is designed to be springy.

8. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one spring element is provided between the connecting part and the retaining leg in order to adapt the angle of the connecting part.

9. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting part is arranged in such a way that the cladding element extends at an acute angle to the riser of the stair.