Patent Application
20080142655
The present invention relates to a distance piece maintaining a given distance between two objects, such as between a wall and a wooden floor. The distance piece according to the present invention comprises a set of wedge-formed elements movable in relation to each other. By moving the wedge-formed elements relative to each other, the distance between the two objects may be varied within a certain range.
Traditionally, building components such as windows, doors and wooden floors are arranged relative to a building by use of wedges being wedged into a gap between the building and the component. When the component is aligned in the building, final fixation, if necessary, may be made in traditional way by use of screws or nails.
Distance pieces or filling chocks have traditionally been made of pieces of trimmed wood. In resent years, however, various wedges made of plastic have been developed, c.f. e.g. EP 0 8 443 444. Since components like windows and doors were previously kept in place by a screw or nail acting on the component in a direction towards the wedge, the wedges had to be left in place after the final fixation. The Invention of new location screws, which fixate the component in any direction relative to the building has implied new ways of fitting the components, and typically the wedges are removed from the gap as soon as the location screws are attached.
To enable adjustment of the distance between the building and the component, pairs of two wedges are typically inserted in the gap between the building and the component. The wedges are inserted in mutual contact and arranged reversely in respect to each other, so that a sharp edge of one wedge is pointing in the direction of a blunt edge of the other wedge. In that configuration, the spacing between the building and the component may be adjusted by hammering on the blunt edge of one of the wedges, whereby displacement of one wedge in relation to the other wedge results in formation of a larger gap. During fitting of a component Into a building, it can be difficult to keep the wedges in mutual contact, and it often happens that the wedges get separated and fall out of the gap. It is, furthermore, difficult to exactly adjust the distance between the building and the component.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a distance piece for maintaining a given distance between two objects. The distance piece should be arranged so that the distance to be maintained between the two objects may be set using only one hand.
The above-mentioned object is complied with by providing a distance piece for obtaining and maintaining a given distance between two objects, the distance piece comprising:
By friction increasing means is meant any arrangement that increases the coefficient of friction compared to a smooth surface. The friction increasing means ensures that the first and second wedge-formed elements are kept in a fixed relationship as long as the first and second wedge-formed elements are mechanically biased towards each other. The friction increasing means may be arranged on a surface of at least one of the wedge-formed elements. Alternatively or in addition, the friction increasing means may be integrated with a surface of at least one of the wedge-formed elements. By integrated is meant that the friction increasing means form(s) an integral part of a surface of at least one of the wedge-formed elements.
Preferably, the friction increasing means comprise serrated teeth arranged on an abutting surface of the first wedge-formed element and serrated teeth arranged on an abutting surface of the second wedge-formed element. However, other friction increasing means may also be applicable. In principle, any material or surface structure providing an increased coefficient of friction may be used. In terms of materials rubber may provide the required increased friction coefficient. In terms of surface structure a rough surface (in contrast to a smooth surface) may also provide the increased friction. Preferably, the first and second wedge-formed elements are in mutual contact and arranged reversely in respect to each other so that a sharp edge of the first wedge-formed element is pointing in the direction of a blunt edge of the second wedge-formed element. The serrated teeth arranged on the first wedge-formed element may be adapted to engage with the corresponding serrated teeth arranged on the second wedge-formed element.
The receiving means of the second wedge-formed element may comprise at least one keyway arranged in a detached part of the second wedge-formed element. The detached part may be provided at the surface having the serrated teeth arranged therein. In order to engage with the second wedge-formed element, the first wedge-formed element may comprise at least one key adapted to engage with the at least one keyway of the second wedge-formed element. By having this key/keyway connection between the first and second wedge-formed elements the two elements become slideable relative to each other.
Furthermore, the distance piece may comprise a guiding arrangement allowing the two elements to slide or move a certain distance relative to each other. Also, the guiding arrangement may comprise a stopping member for preventing the two elements from becoming separated from each other. The guiding arrangement may be implemented as a through-going opening formed as a slit in one wedge-formed element, whereas the stopping member may be formed by the ends or only one end of this slit. The other wedge-formed element may be equipped with a nail adapted to fit onto the slit and slide along a longitudinal direction of the slit. The nail may have a head portion having a width exceeding the width of the nail itself. Also, the width of the head portion exceeds the width of the slit. Thus, the engagement of the nail into the slit keeps the first and second wedge-formed elements together and prevents that the two elements are separated from one another. In order for the head portion to engage into the slit, the slit may have an end region having a width exceeding the width of the slit. The width of this end region is sufficient to receive the head portion of the nail.
The first wedge-formed element may further comprise a flexible element arranged on a surface thereof, the flexible element being adapted to maintain the first wedge-formed element in a fixed relationship with the object abutting the first wedge-formed element. In addition, or alternatively, the second wedge-formed element may further comprise a flexible element arranged on a surface thereof, the flexible element being adapted to maintain the second wedge-formed element in a fixed relationship with the object abutting the second wedge-formed element. The number of flexible elements may in principle be chosen arbitrarily. Thus, each wedge-formed element may have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or even more flexible elements.
The flexible element may form an integral part of one of the wedge-formed elements. By integral is meant, that the flexible element is made in the same material as the wedge-formed element into which it is integrated. Furthermore, by integral is meant that the flexible element forms a monolithic element with the wedge-formed element into which it is integrated.
Alternatively, the flexible element may be a separate flexible element attached to the wedge-formed element. Thus, the flexible element may be fabricated from a different material than the wedge-formed element to which it is attached. For example, the wedge-formed element may be fabricated in a polymer-based material, such as plastic, whereas the flexible element may be fabricated from rubber. The flexible element may be implemented as a resilient protrusion mounted in an indentation arranged on the surface of the wedge-formed element. The volume of the indentation is dimensioned to be able to accommodate the resilient protrusion when the protrusion is in a compressed state.
The distance piece may further comprise a connection element interconnecting the first and second wedge-formed elements. The connection element may have several functionalities. First of all, the connection element prevents that the first and second wedge-formed elements are dislocated from each other. Secondly the connection element may serve as a handhold for the distance piece. Thirdly, the connection element may serve as a release mechanism in the situation where the first and second wedge-formed elements are positioned between two objects, such as between a wall and a wooden floor, or between a wall and a door or a window. After having arranged the final fixation between the two objects the user of the distance piece pulls the connection element causing the two wedge-formed elements to release from their mutual engagement. A consequence of this disengagement is that the distance piece may be easily removed from the opening between the two objects.
The first and second wedge-formed elements and the connection element may be made of the same material, preferably as a one-piece component. This material may be a polymer-based material, such as a plastic material.
The distance piece may further comprise user operable hand grips for assisting the user of the distance piece in engaging the first and second wedge-formed elements. Each of the wedge-formed elements may have a hand grip positioned at or near the blunt edge of the element.
The present invention will now be explained in further details with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein
While the Invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
In the embodiment shown in
In
Alternatively, the flexible element can be a separate flexible element attached to the wedge-formed element—see
In
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PA 2004 00029 | Jan 2004 | DK | national |
| PA 2004 00840 | May 2004 | DK | national |
| PA 2004 01700 | Nov 2004 | DK | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/DK2005/000016 | 1/13/2005 | WO | 00 | 8/30/2007 |
