Patent Application
20250215683
The present invention relates to a connecting device for connecting structural elements with at least one wooden structural element according to the preamble of claim 1.
The field of application of the present invention is construction for connecting structural elements, of which at least one structural element consists of wood. When assembling structural elements such as panels, beams, posts and the like, geometric tolerances often have to be compensated for in order to be able to realize a connection between the two elements. Despite these tolerances, a stable and secure connection must be guaranteed that can absorb the forces that occur.
From DE 203 17 488 a connecting device for components arranged at an angle to one another is known. A plate with a through hole is attached to the front of the first wooden element. On the second element a metal plate having a contour substantially corresponding to the recess in the second wooden element is fixed, and this second metal plate is fixed by means of a series of fastening elements and is connected to the first element by means of a bolt accommodated in a hole through the first metal plate. The connection described does not allow for the compensation of tolerances and the alignment of the fastening elements.
CN102125728 also describes a device for connecting structural elements, in which a part of the device has a surface which substantially corresponds to the shape of the cavity into which it is inserted and in which it is fixed by means of a series of screws, and the connecting device has a seat in which a bolt is arranged for connection to a second structural element.
DE 3641 799, which also describes an element which is inserted into a cavity of a structural element and in which it is fixed to the cavity by means of a series of screws and connected by means of a bolt which is rotatably received by the second element which is fixed to a second structural element.
None of the above-mentioned documents describes a device which can be pivoted within the recess in the structural element and which also enables the compensation of any lateral, height or orientation tolerances between the two structural elements to be connected.
The object of the present invention is to provide a device for connecting at least two structural elements, of which at least one structural element consists of wood.
This purpose is achieved by a system according to the claims.
A connecting device is proposed for connecting structural elements, of which at least one structural element is made of wood, wherein the device comprises a head which has a surface with a segment (sector) of a circular cross-section, which has a series of openings as receptacles for fastening means, and wherein the head, which is laterally displaceably and rotatably connected to an element which can be fastened to a second structural element, has a receptacle which receives a bolt on which a connecting element is arranged so as to be laterally displaceable and adjustable in length and can be connected to and/or fastened to a second structural element.
Advantageously, the head has two side walls which are connected to the surface with a segment of a circular cross-section and these side walls advantageously have through openings which receive the bolt. Advantageously, the bolt is a screw which is tightened to the side walls of the device by means of a screw nut.
In the context of the present invention, a circular sector surface is understood to mean a surface with a circular sector-shaped cross-section, i.e. a circular arc.
The length-adjustable connecting element is inserted on the bolt between the two side walls. The connecting element has a head with a bore into which the bolt is inserted, and the head is advantageously arranged between the two side walls.
In this way, the circular sector surface can be rotated relative to the bolt and fixed in a cavity/recess of a wooden structural component. After positioning the circular sector surface, fasteners, e.g. screws, are used to fix the head to the structural component. The circular sector can have an alpha opening α that is less than, equal to or greater than 180°. If the alpha is greater than 180°, the connector extends into the space between the two elements to be connected. In this way, the direction of the tensile force of the element in the structural element can be adjusted. The recess/opening advantageously has at least one circular sector surface. If the circular sector advantageously has an alpha opening (α) of less than 180°, this means that the combination of the two elements of the circular sector thus forms a full circle of less than 360°. This means that even if the connector is rotated, the end part does not protrude from the interior, thus avoiding the formation of an edge that can cause fitting problems between the panels and allow play in positioning.
After the head has been attached to the preferably wooden structural elements, it is connected to the connecting element by means of a bolt.
The connecting element has means for lengthening or shortening, i.e. length-adjustable means. In this way, the connecting element, after it has been attached to a second structural element directly to the first connecting element, for example, can be tightened to the other structural element by means of a screw or can have a head at the other end, as is provided for connection to a wooden structural element.
In a further embodiment, the head of the device with a circular sector surface is attached to a second head with a circular sector surface or to another element attached to a structural element, for example a foundation.
Further purposes, features, advantages and possible applications emerge from the following description of some embodiments and the associated drawings. Accordingly, all features described and/or illustrated in the figures, taken alone or in any combination, constitute the subject matter disclosed herein, regardless of their grouping in the claims or their dependencies, wherein:
A connecting device according to the invention is designated by the reference number 100 in
The connecting device 100 has a circular sector head 101, i.e. a surface with a circular sector-shaped cross-section, wherein the circular sector in this embodiment has an opening a of less than 180°. In this way, the head can be aligned before being mounted in the structural element 200, but without leaving the opening/cavity. The circular sector head has a series of holes 101a through which fastening elements 210, e.g. screws, e.g. wood screws, are inserted, which fasten the head 101 to the first wooden structural element 200.
In a first embodiment, the circular sector head 101 advantageously has two side walls 102 which are connected to the head and are opposite each other. As shown in
In a further embodiment, not shown, the receptacle for the bolt is formed by a single wall.
A connecting element 106 with a head 104 is slidably arranged on the bolt 103. This connecting element 106 has means 105 for adjusting the length of the connecting element 106.
By a lateral displacement of the connecting element 106 on the bolt 103, the device 100 according to the invention can be aligned and adjusted. Furthermore, the circular sector head 101, which is connected to the connecting element 104 via the bolt 103, can be rotatably aligned within the first wooden structural element 200, whereby the inclination of the forces within the connection can be adjusted. Furthermore, as shown in
Advantageously, the means 105 has means for improved fastening, e.g. by means of a wrench or the like.
In the present embodiment of the connecting device 100 according to the invention, the connecting element 106 is connected at its opposite end to a circular sector head 101 which has a circular segment surface which is equal to the head arranged at the other end of the connecting element 106. This lower circular sector head 101 also has two side walls 102 which receive a connecting bolt 103 which is connected to the head of the connecting element 104, and the surface of the circular sector head 101 is formed in the shape of a circular sector and has a series of holes as receptacles for fastening elements 210, for example screws or the like, and the lower circular sector head 101 is also fastened to a structural element, in this case also a wooden structural element.
After fastening the two upper and lower circular sector heads 101 in the respective, preferably wooden structural elements, these two circular sector heads are connected by means of the connecting element 106 and the length of the connecting element 106 is adjusted by means of the connecting element 105. In this way, a force can be generated between the first and second wooden structural elements 200201, which generates a force on the third wooden structural element 202. Advantageously, the third wooden structural element 202 is a support, a plate or the like and the first two wooden structural elements 200 and 201 are walls.
Advantageously, the entire connecting element 100 is arranged in a space formed between the three structural elements. This space is advantageously closed, for example, by a closing element 203, 204 made of wood, insulating material or the like. In this way, the connection is not visible from the outside. At a later point, the connection can easily be dismantled or checked for leaks. This may be necessary, for example, at the end of the work in order to check whether the connection formed by the connecting device according to the invention has changed during assembly or whether the load has changed, for example due to the compression of a structural element during the construction progress.
As shown in
As shown in
The head of the connecting element 114 is fastened to the side walls 112 of the head surface 111 by means of a connecting bolt 113. Advantageously, the connecting bolt 113 is housed in a slot-shaped hole 111a, which allows a lateral displacement of the bolt.
Further variants of the arrangement according to the invention with a connecting device 140 according to the invention are shown in
In the arrangements according to the invention, at least one wooden structural element 200, 201 always has at least a part of the semicircular and/or hoop-shaped receptacle/opening for receiving the head 101, 111, 141 of the connecting device 100, 110, 120, 140 and 300 according to the invention pivotably within the opening/seat.
The connecting bolt enables lateral adjustment between the head surface element 301 and the head of the head connecting element 304.
In certain situations, such as seismic events, it is desirable for the fasteners to be able to dissipate energy during the earthquake. In a variant of the invention, a connecting element 106, 116, 146, 306 is provided which is dissipative or is connected to a dissipative element, i.e. can deform plastically without breaking in order to dissipate energy during an earthquake. This element can also be made of metallic material and dissipate energy through deformation.
Advantageously, the connecting element is shaped in such a way that it can be replaced after an event, e.g. an earthquake, in order to ensure its dissipative properties even afterwards. For example, the connecting element may be made of elastic material or a spring which no longer guarantees its properties after an event, e.g. an earthquake, or even for maintenance purposes, the connecting element 106, 116, 146, 306 must be replaced and must therefore be replaceable.
The advantage is that the damping element only acts in one direction and is therefore unidirectional, so that the connection remains under tension in the other direction and thus the connection is guaranteed without the risk of the connection losing its structural stability.
In a preferred embodiment, acoustic decoupling may be present in the arrangement and/or device according to the invention. This acoustic decoupling can, for example, be a material layer (e.g.
an insulating layer) arranged between the circular sector section head and the structural element, or it can be arranged on the connecting element 106, 116, 146, 306, for example a sleeve that acoustically isolates the connection.
In a preferred embodiment, alpha is less than 180° so that the head can be aligned without protruding from the recess.
Advantageously, the housing of the head surface 101, 111, 141, 301 is formed at least by a bore in a side wall connected to the surface-segmented head 101, 111, 141, 301. The connecting bolt 103, 113, 143, 303 is inserted into this hole, on which the connecting element is arranged laterally. Advantageously, this side part is positioned centrally to the head.
The variants of the device and arrangement according to the invention described above serve only to better understand the structure, the mode of operation and the properties of the solution presented; they do not restrict the disclosure by the embodiments. The figures are schematic, with some of the essential properties and effects being clearly enlarged in order to emphasize functions, operating principles, configurations and technical characteristics. Accordingly, each function, principle, technical configuration and characteristic disclosed in the figures or in the text can be freely and can be combined in any way with all claims, each characteristic in the text and in the other figures, other functions, principles, configurations and technical characteristics that are contained in this disclosure or result from it, are combined, so that all conceivable combinations of the solution described can be assigned. This also includes combinations between all individual versions in the text, i.e. in each paragraph of the text, in the claims and also combinations between different variants in the text, the dimensions and the figures. The details of the device and method presented above are presented in the link; however, it should be noted that they can also be used independently and also freely combined with each other. The relationships between the individual parts and sections shown in the figures, as well as their dimensions and proportions, are not to be understood as limiting. However, individual dimensions and proportions may differ from those shown. The claims do not limit the disclosure and thus the possible combinations of all the characteristics presented. All the features presented are also disclosed individually and in combination with all other features.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102022000006095 | Mar 2022 | IT | national |
| 102022000006101 | Mar 2022 | IT | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2023/057916 | 3/28/2023 | WO |
