The invention resides in an anchor for mounting in a planar building component having first and second cover plates with an intermediate support core layer, wherein the anchor includes at least an expansion body and at least one wedge body and wherein the wedge body, which is at least partially inserted into the spreading body, includes a cavity for threading or punching a mounting member into the anchor.
Flat construction components are often designated as sandwich plates, honeycomb plates or light weight construction plates. All plate types used in furniture construction comprise generally cover layers of thin particle boards, medium or high density fiber boards, plywood or hard fiber boards. The sandwich plates often have an intermediate support structure comprising corrugated web inserts or so-called expanded honeycombs. Most lightweight construction plates have a raw density below 500 kg/m3. If as intermediate layers no fire resistant foamed aluminum or foamed glass is used, the raw density is below 350 kg/m3. For comparison, the raw density of a normal particle board is about 600 to 750 kg/m3.
If fixtures are to be attached to light-weight plates for example, by screws, the problem arises that the attachment means find support only in the relatively thin cover layers or cover plates. Typical solutions in such cases are spreading anchors as they are disclosed in the printed publication DE 20 204 000 474 V1. The spreading anchors however have the disadvantage that they engage the upper plate in the front and the back side over a large area. The rear engagement additionally displaces the support core material over a large area around the bore, whereby the cover plate is more easily detached from the support core material and is lifted off if the anchor is subjected to high tension forces.
Another anchor which avoids this disadvantage is known from the internet catalog (September 2006) of the comparing Fischer Befestigungssysteme GmbH. It is listed there under the designation SLM-N. The anchor has a tubular spreading body, into whose bore an at least sectionally truncated cone-shaped wedge body is inserted at the rear slotted spreading body end. The wedge body has a central bore with an internal thread. If the wedge body is moved into the spreading body for example by tightening of a retaining screw which is disposed in the thread of the wedge body, the spreading body is spread and clamped, that is, engaged in the lower area of the bore. However, this anchor would require a very rigid core material to be firmly engaged therein.
The object of the present invention is to provide an anchor for lightweight construction panels which is easy to install and which is safely and durably engaged in the lightweight construction panel.
In an anchor for the attachment to flat building components including two cover plates and an intermediate support core layer wherein the anchor comprises an expansion body and a wedge body which is inserted into the expansion body and includes an opening for installing a mounting means, the installed anchor is disposed in an opening of the building component which extends through one of the cover plates and the intermediate support core plate and into a dead end bore of the second cover plate. The expansion body has spreadable engagement elements, wherein, with the anchor installed, one cylinder zone is in contact with the bore wall of the first cover plate, and a wedging zone spreads out the expansion body in the intermediate support core and in the dead end bore of the second cover plate.
To this end, the installed anchor is disposed in an opening of the building component which extends through the first cover plate and the intermediate support core layer and as dead end bore partially into the second cover plate. The expansion body has at least two spreadable engagement elements, a locking zone and a support zone. The wedge body comprises at least one cylinder zone, at least one wedging zone and at least one locking zone. With the anchor installed, one cylinder zone is in contact with the bore wall of the first cover plate, a wedging zone spreads the engagement elements of the expansion body behind the first cover plate so that they abut the first cover plate and the locking zones are interlocked and the support zone of the expansion body is disposed in the dead end bore of the second cover plate axially and radially in firm contact therewith by expansion by means of the clamping zone (95) of the wedge body (60).
Preferably, a cement material cartridge is arranged between the expansion body and the wedge body. The cement material cartridge raptures upon insertion of the wedge body into the expansion body so that the cement material flows into the mounting area between the expansion body and the lower cover plate.
There may be no interlocking between the spreading body and the wedge body.
With the present invention, an anchor for lightweight building plates is provided which has a high retaining force and can be rapidly installed manually as well as by a machine.
The invention will become more readily apparent from the following description of schematically shown embodiments.
It is shown in:
The anchor is provided for example for the mounting of fixtures to light-weight construction panels (100) without walers and solid inserts, see
The lightweight construction panel (100) may also be curved, that is, it may be of cylindrical or spherical shape, as long as the material thickness of the support core is at least approximately constant.
In accordance with
As shown in
In the area of the locking elements (31), the inner wall (21) of the expansion body (10) has a cylindrical form.
At the upper end of the locking element (31) the expansion body (10) has a front face area (22) which in the present case is flat. Expediently, it may also have the shape of a flat truncated cone sleeve whose fictive tip is disposed on the center line (9) of the anchor above or below the upper expansion body end. In such a case, as cone angle, an angle of for example 156 angular degrees may be provided.
Since the expansion body (10) has a length which is equal to, or slightly smaller than, the shortest distance between the inner surfaces (103) of the cover plates (101, 111), the front face (22) is disposed, within the usual tolerances, in the plane of the inner surface (103) of the upper cover plate (101). According to
Below the locking elements (31), there is a locking zone (40) which consists for example of three engagement projections (41) and three engagement recesses (42) which are arranged alternately one behind the other. The individual annular support projection (41) which has several interruptions has a saw tooth-like cross-sectional shape. The engagement projection distance is about one fourth of the expansion body diameter.
The individual support projection (41) is provided with a slide flank (44) and a support flank (43). The support flank (43) which, in accordance with the
It is possible that also the slide flank (44) has the shape of a truncated cone sleeve whose imaginary tip is disposed in the area of the same support projections (41) or thereabove.
The bottom (45) of the engagement grooves (42) has a diameter which corresponds to the diameter of the cylindrical inner wall (21) of the engagement section (20).
In the area of the locking zone (40), there are in this case four relief slots (49) which extend parallel to the anchor center line (9). They are arranged in each case opposite the longitudinal slots (29) displaced by 45 angular degrees. The relief slots (49) which are rounded at their ends may extend upwardly and downwardly 0.1 to 3 mm beyond the locking zone. The width of the relief slots (49) is twice the width of the longitudinal slots (29). In the shown embodiment, this is one millimeter.
Adjacent the locking zone (40) toward the bottom, there is the at least partially cylindrical bottom section (50). Its outer contour which extends around for example a central cavity (53-55) ends with the lower end face (52). The upper part (53) of the cavity has a diameter which corresponds to the minimum diameter of the support projection (41). The intermediate part (54) of the cavity has for example the shape of a straight truncated cone whose tip angle is for example 16 degrees. The intermediate part becomes narrower toward the front face (52). Adjacent thereto there is for example a short cylindrical cavity section (55). The front face (52) in this case also has the shape of a truncated cone sleeve, whose tip angle is 172 angular degrees. The fictive cone tip is disposed on the center line (9) within the area of the cylindrical section (55).
When installed, the expansion body 10 is disposed with the support section (50) in the dead end bore (115) with little or no radial play. To this end, the outer contour of the support section (50) has a special shape. It is divided, with the expansion body undeformed as shown in
At the lower rim of the cylindrical area of the outer contour, a circumferential groove (56) is provided so as to form a clamping web (57). The groove (56) has a triangular cross-section. The depth of the groove is 0.2 to 0.5 millimeter. The flanks of the groove (56) define therebetween an angle of for example 90 angular degrees. The lower flank of the groove (56) is spaced from the front surface (52) for example by 0.2 to 0.5 millimeters.
Alternatively to the structure formed by the groove (56) and the engagement web (57), the outer contour of the support zone (50) may be provided with a one or more-pitched thread, a circumferential transverse knurls or a nub structure.
Like the engagement section (30), the support zone (50) has for example four longitudinal slots, see
The front surface (52) of the expansion body (10) comes into contact at its outer edge with the bottom wall (119) of the dead end bore (115) essentially without any axial play.
The front surface (52) of the expansion body (10) may also be concavely curved or it may be structured so that it is in contact with the bottom wall (119) only by line contact, point contact or partial area contact. The roughness depth of a possibly used structure is below 0.5 millimeter.
The wedge body (60) has a central bore (61) for example with an internal metric thread (62). The thread (62) of the bore (61) ends in the exemplary embodiments shortly ahead of the locking zone (90).
Alternatively, the bore (61) may have a rectangular, oval, polygonal or star-like cross-section for accommodating non-metallic screws, such as particle plate screws or wood screws. Possibly, the bore cavity cross-section becomes smaller from the entrance end toward the inner end.
The seating section (70) of the wedge body (60) has an essentially cylindrical outer contour, see
Alternatively, the seating section (70) may include a plurality of longitudinal webs (74), see
The seating section (70) is followed by the wedging zone. The latter comprises a truncated cone whose fictive tip is arranged in the zone below (85) or (90) on the centerline (9). The acute angle is between 30 and 45 angular degrees. In the embodiment shown, it is 33.4°. The minimum outer diameter of the wedging zone (80) corresponds to the inner diameter of the undeformed engagement section (20) of the expansion body (10).
In the embodiment shown, the wedging zone (80) is followed by a cylindrical intermediate section (85) and the locking zone (90). At least the end of the intermediate section (85) adjacent the locking zone (90) has the same outer diameter as the inner diameter of the undeformed engagement section (20). Independently of the representations of
The locking zone (90) of the wedge body (60) is in its design similar to the locking zone (40) of the expansion body (10). From top to bottom, there are three adjacent locking projections (91) of a locking groove (92), see
As shown in the figures, locking occurs exclusively in the separate locking zones (40, 90). But it is also possible to arrange the locking zones partially or completely for example in the wedging zone (80), or, respectively, the area of the engagement elements (31) and/or the clamping elements (51).
Adjacent the locking zone (90), there is a cylindrical bottom end section (95). It ends with a bottom wall (96), see
The expansion body (10) and the wedge body (60) consist for example of a polyamide.
To facilitate mounting of the anchor, an opening is drilled through the first cover plate (101) and the support body (121). The opening is also drilled to a depth of 2.5 mm into the second cover plate (111) which in the shown embodiment has a thickness of four millimeter. The opening is not drilled through the cover plate (111). As drilling tool for example a spiral drill is used, which has a tip angle of 180 angular degrees. Also, a front face cutter tool may be used. Depending on the type of anchor, the opening (130) may also be drilled by a stepped face cutter for example if the dead end bore (115) in the lower cover plate (111) is to have a smaller diameter than the rest of the opening (105, 125), see
The dead end bore (115) may have an internal contour which is truncated cone-shaped rather than cylindrical. The support zone (50) then has a correspondingly adapted outer contour. Furthermore, instead of a circular cross-section, the dead end bore may have a rectangular, triangular or polygonal cross-section if a suitable manufacturing method is available. Furthermore, it is not necessary that the support zone fits snugly—in shape—into the dead end bore. The outer contour of the support zone (50) may for example have an outer shape of the support zone (50) with longitudinal grooves via which it is firmly and non-rotatably clamped in the cavity without any play.
The cavity or, respectively, bore (130) is blown out for example by compressed air or is sucked out.
The expansion body (10) is inserted into the empty bore (130) over the full length as shown in
Upon installation of the wedge body (60) into the bore (21, 51) of the expansion body (10), the wedging zone (80) of the wedge body (60) presses the locking elements (31) of the expansion body (10) elastically apart, so that they extend behind the inner surface (103) of the first cover plate (101). The front face area (22) may be so designed, that it abuts with the whole face area thereof, the inner surface (103) of the cover plate (101).
As soon as the locking elements are being spread apart, the foot section (95) comes into contact with the cone-sleeve-shaped part (54) of the cavity of the support section (50). The spreading apart of the elastic clamping elements (51) disposed in the bore (115) now begins. This is terminated only when the front face (96) has almost reached the bottom (119), see
When the bottom section (95)—during introduction of the wedge body (60)—has reached about the center area of the cavity section (54), the cylinder zone (70) of the wedge body (60) is pressed into the bore section (105) of the upper cover plate (101).
Upon completion of the introduction of the wedge body (60), the cylinder zone (70) is disposed in the bore section (105) with a residual radial tension force and ends at least approximately flush with the outer surface (102) of the first cover plate (101). The upper, planar front face (63) of the wedge body (60) may be disposed one to three tenths of a millimeter below the outer surface (102) of the cover plate (101).
At the end of the spreading movement of the engagement elements (31) and the clamping elements (51), the locking projections (91) of the wedge body (60) are locked to the locking grooves (42) of the expansion body (10) in a non-releasable manner. During the three locking jumps occurring in the process, the expansion body (10) was each time expanded momentarily to a barrel-like shape. In the process, the relief slots (49) of the expansion body (10) were temporarily elastically expanded. After completion of the locking procedure, the expansion body (10) assumes in the locking zone (40) again a cylindrical contour (11). Now for example, a fixture to be mounted can be firmly attached by a screw threaded into the bore (61) of the wedge body (60).
In the manufacture of wooden furniture, the attachment strength of a fixture does not only depend on the pull-out resistance of the screws disposed in the anchors but also in the limiting of setting amounts and in the avoidance of looseness in the direction transverse to the center line of the respective screw. The anchor presented herein is retained in a direction transverse to the anchor center line (9) on one hand, via the cylinder zone (70) in the bore (105) of the first cover plate (101) and, on the other hand, its support zone (50) is also disposed in the second cover plate (111). This results in two effects that increase the anchor holding force. On one hand, the lower cover plate takes over part of the anchor retaining force by wedging the foot section (95) into the bore (115). On the other hand, the anchor is fixed transverse to the anchor center line (9) in a form and force locking manner. Since in addition, the anchor is, by design, not bendable, the screws disposed in the anchor do not tend to tilt which could result in an accelerated loosening of the connection. As a result, the chances of an unintended loosening or releasing of the fixture are minimized or even prevented.
In the shown embodiments, the wedge body is, as far as its outer contour is concerned at least to a large extent, a rotational symmetrical body. Alternatively, however, its various cross-sections or at least part thereof may have square, polygonal oval or otherwise profiled cross-sections. The wedge body (60) together with the expansion body (10) may be interconnected in the locking zone for example by a thread so that the wedge body is not installed in a linear, non-rotating movement, but by a screw-in movement. With the use of a thread in the mounting gap between the expansion body (10) and the wedge body (60), a locking or blocking structure is provided so that, after installation, the expansion body (60) can no longer be turned out or only with large effort.
In place of the form- and/or force-locking connection between the expansion body and the wedging body by means of locking zones or a thread, also a bayonet locking structure may be provided. The connection by means of a thread or a bayonet locking structure is considered to be equally effective as far as the locking zones are concerned.
The
When now the wedge body (60) is pressed into the expansion body (10), see
The cement material (142) discharged from the cement material balloon (140) is pressed by the advancement of the wedge body (60)—acting as a piston—through the bore (58) into the grooves (59). From there the cement material (142) is distributed between the bottom (52) and the inner surface (113) of the lower cover plate (111) and also in the area of the wall of the dead end bore (115). The excess cement (142) envelops additionally the lower area of the outer contour (11) of the expansion body (10).
By the cementing of the expansion body (10) or, respectively, the anchor to the lower cover plate (111) the latter assumes part of the load effective on the anchor.
In the
In the anchor according to
In these
The
The rotational movement of the wedge body (60) in the expansion body (10) may be limited or arrested for example by engagement elements or stops. In the
Of course, the anchoring principle is not limited to anchors with at least partially cylindrical outer contour. The anchor may also be designed for example for a cavity which has an at least partially elongated or oval cross-section.
1 Mounting means, screw
9 Center line of the anchor
10 Expansion body
11 Outer wall, cylindrical contour
20 Engagement section
21 Inner wall, bore
22 Front face area
23 Outer edge
29 Longitudinal slots
30 Engagement section
31 Engagement elements, spreading elements
32 Engagement flank sections
33 Cam
40 Locking zone
41 Support projection
42 Engagement recesses, support grooves
43 Support flanks
44 Slide flanks
45 Groove bottom
49 Relief slots
50 Foot section, support zone
51 Dead end bores, chamber
52 Front area, bottom
53 Cylindrical cavity, chamber
54 Truncated cone sleeve-shaped cavity chamber
55 Cavity, cylindrical
56 Groove
57 Clamping web
58 Outer contour, truncated cone sleeve-shaped
59 Longitudinal grooves
60 Wedge body
61 Bore
62 Internal thread
63 Front face, top
70 Seating section, cylinder zone
71 Barbed webs, circumferential webs, surface structure
72 Support flank
73 Slide flank
74 Longitudinal webs, surface structure
80 Spreading section, wedging zone
82 Eccentric elements
85 Intermediate section
90 Locking zone
91 Engagement projection
92 Engagement recesses, engagement grooves
93 Support flank, planar
94 Slide flank
95 Bottom end section, clamping zone
96 Bottom, front face piston-like end
100 Sandwich panel lightweight composite panel, planar construction component with support core
101 Upper cover plate
102 Outer surface
103 Inner surface
105 Bore
106 Inner edge
111 Lower cover plate
113 Inner surface
115 Dead end bore, dead end cavity
119 Bottom of dead end bore (or cavity)
121 Support core, honeycomb core, foamed material core
125 Bore
130 Overall bore, cavity
140 Cement material cartridge, cement material balloon
141 Membrane
142 Cement material
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2006 049 952.2 | Oct 2006 | DE | national |
This is a continuation-in-part application of pending international patent application PCT/DE2007/001866 filed Oct. 19, 2007 and claiming the priority of German patent application 10 2006 049 952.2 filed Oct. 19, 2006.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/DE2007/001866 | Oct 2007 | US |
Child | 12386572 | US |