Component for support structure

Abstract

In a component for supporting structures, a central body with a passing axial hole has on a front external wall and a rear external wall a first front seat and a first rear seat, accessible from outside and symmetrical with a first longitudinal symmetry plane of the body. Other external walls of the central body, namely a right external wall and a left external wall, have respectively a second right seat and a second left seat, accessible from the outside and symmetrical with respect to a second longitudinal symmetry plane extending at right angles to the first longitudinal symmetry plane of the central body.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to support structures. In particular, The present invention concerns a component for support structures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Known components for support structures consist of profile section with a quadrangular cross-section and with grooves on the outside surface which have a trapezoidal (dovetail) cross-section.

Usually all the grooves on these profile sections are identical to each other which means that the profile sections themselves are not very versatile when it comes to coupling structural elements or to attaching associated devices to these structures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a component for support structures which enables rapid assembly of the construction while, at the same -time, making the structure very strong and rigid; the component should have a greater degree of versatility than the known profile section components.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a component for support structures where the two opposite faces are identical to each other and where the other faces, also identical to each other, are shaped differently from those faces previously mentioned.

An additional purpose of the invention is to provide a component for support structures that is highly reliable, has a low cost and enables easy assembly of the component itself to associated elements and devices.

The foregoing purposes are fulfilled, as described in the claims below, by a component for supporting structures, including:

a central body, with a mainly longitudinal extension and a passing axial hole, the central body having a front external wall, a rear external wall, a right external wall and a left external wall;

a first front seat and a first rear seat made in the front external wall and the rear external wall, respectively, said first front seat and first rear seat made accessible from outside and symmetrical with a first longitudinal symmetry plane of the body;

a second right seat and a second left seat made in said right external wall and a left external wall, respectively, said second right seat and a second left seat being accessible from outside and symmetrical with a second longitudinal symmetry plane extending at right angles to the first longitudinal symmetry plane of the central body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The characteristics of the invention are outlined below in a description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment and one constructional variant; the description is made having reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 show two plan views of the component for support structures and one constructional variant;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show three plan views of the component in FIG. 2 assembled together with associated elements.

DISCLOSURE OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a component for support structures 100 consisting of a central body 2, with a substantially rectangular section, a mainly longitudinal extension and a passing axial hole 1.

The central body 2 has, on its front external wall 3 and rear external wall 4, a first front seat 3A and a first rear seat 4A accessible from the outside and symmetrical with the first longitudinal plane L of the central body 2. The remaining external walls of the central body (see FIGS. 1 and 2), the right external wall 5 and the left external wall 6, have, respectively, a second right seat 5A and second left seat 6A, accessible from the outside and symmetrical with the second longitudinal plane T, at right angles to the first plane L, of the central body 2.

In more detail, the first front seat 3A is defined by a portion 31, of the external front wall 3, parallel to the first longitudinal plane L, together with a first pair of projections 30 extending outwards away from the central body 2 and folded towards each other.

The first rear seat 4A is defined by a portion 41, of the external rear wall 4, parallel to the first longitudinal plane L together with a second pair of projections 40 extending outwards away from the central body 2 and folded towards each other.

The second right seat 5A is defined by a portion 51, of the external right wall 5, parallel to the second longitudinal plane T together with a first pair of wings 50, extending outwards away from the central body 2, defined by a front wing 50A and by a rear wing 50B which are parallel to each other.

The second left seat 6A is defined by at least one portion 61, of the external left wall 6, parallel to the second longitudinal plane T together with a second pair of wings 60, extending outwards away from the central body 2, defined by a front wing 60A and a rear wing 60B which are parallel to each other.

The front wings (50A, 60A) are situated closer to the first longitudinal symmetry plane L than the relevant external front wall 4, and in the same way, the rear wings (SOB, 60B) are situated closer to the first longitudinal symmetry plane L than the relevant external rear wall 4.

The component 100 (see FIG. 1) can be manufactured by extrusion. In this case, each of the free ends of the wings belonging to the first pair 50 and second pair 60 of wings form, for example, a step 55.

In a constructional variant illustrated in FIG. 2, the component 100 can be manufactured using a piece of sheet metal 80 folded in such a way as to double the thickness of the profile of the component 100 at the projections (30, 40) and at the pairs of wings (50, 60) thus giving the elements a greater degree of rigidity.

The free end of each of the wings belonging to the first pair 50 and second pair 60 of wings has a rounded shape 56.

FIG. 3 shows the component 100 from FIG. 2 assembled together with its associated elements. In more detail, the first rear seat 4A together with known support means defines a support for a partition wall panel such as, for example, a glazed panel 11.

FIG. 4 shows the same component 100 from FIG. 2 assembled together with other associated elements. In particular, the first rear seat 4A together with known connecting means forms a support for a pair of glazed panels 11A.

FIG. 5 shows three components, the first component 100A, the second component 100B and the third component 100C, each of which are the same as the component shown in FIG. 2, assembled together with associated elements. The first rear seat 4A of the first component 100A enables the connection of the first component to a terminal structural element 85.

Between the first component 100A and the second component 100B there is a pair of panels 11C fixed to the components (100A, 100B) by fixing means of a known type.

The first front seat 3A of the second component 100B and the first rear seat 4A of the third component 100C together with known retaining means clamp together the components (100B, 100C) of a angle element.

The first front seat 3A of the third component 100C used together with know support means defines a support for the partition wall panel 11B.

An advantage of the proposed component is that it enables rapid assembly of a support structure and at the same time gives the structure high strength and a high degree of rigidity.

The component described above has paired, identical opposite faces shaped to form seats and is therefore very versatile for those cases requiring a special connection between two or more elements of the structure. It is also versatile where associated elements or devices have to be fixed to the structure using, for example, the secondary seats (5, 6).

This versatility enables reductions in structure assembly times and at the same time gives the structure a high degree of strength and rigidity.

From the foregoing description it is clear that the component ensures a high standard of reliability in all assembly conditions.

It should also be noted that the component is highly reliable and is low cost.

The present invention described with reference to the enclosed drawings is provided as a non-limiting example only. Clearly, the invention can be subject to modifications and variations which fall within the scope of the claims below.

Claims

1. A component for support structures, including:

a central body, with a mainly longitudinal extension and a passing axial hole, the central body having a front external wall, a rear external wall, a right external wall and a left external wall;

a first front seat and a first rear seat made in the front external wall and the rear external wall, respectively, said first front seat and first rear seat made accessible from outside and symmetrical with a first longitudinal symmetry plane of the body;

a second right seat and a second left seat made in said right external wall and a left external wall, respectively, said second right seat and a second left seat being accessible from outside and symmetrical with a second longitudinal symmetry plane extending at right angles to the first longitudinal symmetry plane of the central body.

2. A component according to claim 1, wherein the first front seat is defined by at least a portion of the external front wall, parallel to the first longitudinal symmetry plane, together with a first pair of projections extending outwards away from the central body 2, whereas the first rear seat is defined by at least one portion of the external rear wall, parallel to the first longitudinal symmetry plane together with a second pair of projections extending outwards away from the central body.

3. A component according to claim 1, wherein the second right seat is defined by a portion of the external right wall, parallel to the second longitudinal symmetry plane together with a first pair of wings extending outwards away from the central body, whereas the second left seat is defined by at least one portion of the external left wall, parallel to the second longitudinal symmetry plane together with a second pair of wings extending outwards away from the central body.

4. A component according to claim 3, wherein the first pair of wings are defined by a front wing and a rear wing.

5. A component according to claim 3, wherein the second pair of wings is defined by a front wing and a rear wing.

6. A component according to claim 3, wherein the front wings are situated closer to the first longitudinal symmetry plane than the relevant external front wall, and the rear wings are situated closer to the first longitudinal symmetry plane than the relevant external rear wall.

7. A component according to claim 3, wherein the wings forming the first pair of wings are parallel to each other.

8. A component according to claim 3, wherein said wings forming the second pair of wings are parallel to each other.

9. A component according to claim 3, wherein said portions of the external right wall and the external left wall are parallel to a second longitudinal symmetry plane.

10. A component according to claim 2, wherein said portions of the external front wall and the external rear wall are parallel to a first longitudinal symmetry plane.

11. A component according to claim 1, manufactured by extrusion.

12. A component according to claims 3, wherein the component is manufactured by extrusion and is shaped to form a step at the free ends of each of the wings belonging to the first pair and second pair of wings.

13. A component according to claim 2, manufactured from sheet metal folded so that the profile thickness of the component is doubled at the projections.

14. A component according to claim 3, manufactured from sheet metal folded so that the profile thickness of the component is doubled at the pairs of wings.

15. Component according to claim 14, wherein a free end of each of the wings belonging to the first pair and the second pair of wings has a rounded shape.

16. Component according to claim 2, wherein the projections forming the first pair of projections are folded towards each other.

17. Component according to claim 2, wherein the projections forming the second pair of projections are folded towards each other.

18. Component according to claim 1, wherein the central body has a substantially rectangular cross-section