This application is a national stage application filed under 35 U.S.C. 371 of International Application No. PCT/CH2010/000311, filed Dec. 14, 2010, which claims priority from European Application No. 09015788.4, filed Dec. 21, 2009, both of which are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
The present invention concerns the technical field of structural engineering and in particular a half shell element for the production of a hollow body and a hollow body consisting of a combination of half shell elements connected with each other. The invention further relates to a tool for the production of a hollow body and a method for the production of a hollow body using the tool. In addition, the invention also concerns a method for the connecting of hollow bodies and a preferred use of this hollow body.
Hollow bodies of a plastic material are usually cast integrally in concrete layers in order to make them lighter and, at the same time, more favourably priced. For this, they are inserted into steel cages which, at the same time, make the concrete element which is to be manufactured more stable. Thus, for example, from the applicant's WO/2005/080704 hollow bodies which are closed in a spherical shape and also hollow half shell elements which are open toward the bottom, or closed, are known which are used for the manufacture of particularly efficient concrete surfaces. A disadvantage in the closed hollow bodies, however, is that their production requires a blow moulding process, which is laborious and expensive. In addition, this method requires thicker wall thicknesses of the products, whereby the hollow body not only becomes expensive, but also unnecessarily heavy. Downwardly open half shells can in fact be produced by the simpler and more favourably priced injection moulding process, but have the disadvantage that their displacement volume is reduced by inflowing concrete, and the necessary concrete volume can not be exactly determined and controlled.
It is an object of the present invention to make possible the simple, quick and reliable production of a hollow body, which is able to be handled easily and which, furthermore, is also able to be produced at a favourable price in large numbers.
This problem is solved by a half shell element according to some embodiments detailed herein.
An essential point of the half shell element according to the invention consists in that it is able to be handled particularly easily. This is because, for the production of a hollow body from this element, a different, complementary element is not necessary, but rather an exactly identical one again. Thereby, not only are mistakes ruled out, but also the possibility that an anomalous number of respectively complementary elements can be delivered to a building site. The latter can lead to a considerable loss of time and hence to additional costs particularly when the elements have to be transported by sea over long distances, such as for example from Europe to Asia. As the elements in their half shell embodiment are able to be stacked at the same time into each other or onto each other, a smaller transportation volume occurs, which again saves costs. At the same time, their transportation weight is reduced, because the elements are injection-moulded and hence can be embodied with smaller wall thicknesses, e.g. of between 1 mm and 1.5 mm. In addition, their production in large numbers becomes more favourably priced and quicker.
Preferred embodiments of the half shell element are indicated herein. These concern structural details which, however, have great implications.
Thus, in an advantageous embodiment of the half shell element provision is made that the at least one guide is constructed as a groove for embracing an edge region of the further half shell element. In fact, other types of guiding of the elements to each other, such as e.g. pin guides or similar, are basically also conceivable. The elements could also be fastened to each other by simple clips, plug connectors, rivets or screws. A guide constructed as a groove, however, ensures a guidance and fastening of the elements to each other which is both simple to produce and able to be handled easily and is at the same time reliable. In particular, for this the length wall thickness of the guide can be selected accordingly and the reciprocal clamping thereof can be influenced in order to ensure a secure holding of the elements in the final position.
This final position is preferably secured by a detent hook and a detent surface for engaging on a complementary detent surface and a complementary detent hook of the further half shell element being provided, which are arranged lying opposite each other respectively in approximately the middle of a first half periphery of the encircling edge. The further element therefore engages in its final position over the other element, and for example can also not slip out of its position, on fitting of the elements into steel cages or on laying of steel reinforcements, over the filled cages. This makes it able to be handled extraordinarily well both in manual work for smaller project units and also in an automated manner for large numbers and, moreover, makes it reliable in its application. A particularly easy positioning and engaging of the half shell elements to each other is ensured in that on both sides of the detent surface on the encircling edge, detent grooves are constructed for embracing an edge region of the further half shell element. These detent grooves are constructed in a tongue shape and have the aim that the further half shell element on mounting travels into these detent grooves and at the same time the detent hook engages into the detent surfaces and the further half shell element is therefore secured in its position. The detent hook has the function of preventing the opening of the half shell element in horizontal direction. The two detent grooves now have the aim that this detent hook can not move out from the detent position owing to external application of force, by the detent position now also being fixed vertically.
Basically, the half shell element can also have the shape of a hemisphere or of an ellipsoid, in order to make it available for its specific purpose of application. However, it can also have a flattened area on the pole side, which is conducive for this. In addition, this allows an element which is shaped in such a way to also be easily handled when an identical element is to be pushed on. For this, it can be deposited without, for example, rolling away. The same applies to a hollow body which has been composed from two of the elements.
The flattened area preferably has an encircling shoulder with an indented base surface surrounded thereby, which in combination distinctly increase the rigidity and hence the stability of the element. In addition, the base surface can be provided with information, stamped therein or thereon, concerning the half shell element. This information can comprise for example details concerning the manufacturer, the use, the production or references to protective rights etc. This also increases the manageability of the element. An additional manufacture conducive to this purpose, e.g. of labels which can be stuck on, is superfluous.
In the installation of a half shell element with downwardly turned half shell, as far as possible no air inclusion is to be able to form on its recessed base surface. In order to reliably prevent this, it is preferred that the encircling shoulder has at least one channel which extends as an extension of the base surface towards an outer surface of the half shell element. Thereby, the air can escape away from the base surface to an outer surface of the element. With an upwardly turned half shell, on the other hand, for example rain water or condensation water can be drained off from the indented base surface towards the outer surface of the half shell element. Thereby, on the one hand a defined displacement effect of the half shell element is achieved in a particularly simple and reliable manner. At the same time, however, the element is also able to be used irrespective of the weather conditions, because in particular the formation of layers of ice is prevented, which endanger its specific purpose.
On the other hand, in order to prevent reinforcing steel from coming to lie in these channels, the base surface is provided, in extension of the at least one channel, preferably with at least one respective elevation at the height of the shoulder. To drain off e.g. condensation water from an interior of the half shell element, the at least one elevation is preferably provided here with a through-bore, which connects an inner side with an outer side of the half shell element. On the other surface, on the other hand, preferably a V-shaped cross-piece is formed, which is open towards a detent hook and/or towards a detent surface, in order to hold off water running off externally on the element from the detent connection and hence a penetration into the half shell element.
To reinforce the half shell element, reinforcement ribs preferably run on its inner surface, which extend in a star shape originating from the pole of the element. These are preferably dimensioned and shaped so that they lie against the outer surface of a complementary half shell element which is stacked into the half shell element. Thereby, in particular a defined vertical stacking of the individual elements into each other or onto each other is ensured, which in turn increases their manageability and in addition reduces their transportation volume and hence the transportation costs.
To connect the half shell element described above with further identical elements, it preferably has an outer surface which is provided with at least a first clip for the clamping of a bar. The clips are aligned in a connecting direction of the half shell elements in which a number of elements are to come to lie one behind the other. Thereby, the steel cages which are usually necessary, which hold the half shell elements in a desired position are dispensed with. The half shell elements transfer the forces here which hitherto were led off via the support bars of a cage. At the same time, the number of half shell elements which are able to be connected with each other is only limited by the length of an available bar. The clipping in of the bars is able to be carried out most particularly simply and quickly, compared with the fitting of the half shell elements into a cage, and in addition also permits a variable arrangement of the elements along a bar, depending on requirements. Since also entire cages are no longer required, but rather only for example single steel strips, both the material and transportation costs are reduced in this respect. In addition, such strips can also be ordered on-site, so that their central provision is dispensed with and their local distribution is possible.
Preferably, the outer surface of a half shell element can be provided with at least one second clip, which is turned about an angle of greater than 0° to 90° with respect to the first clip. Thereby, it becomes possible to connect the elements with each other not only in a connecting direction predetermined by the first clips, but also a direction turned in particular through 90° or 45° thereto. By connecting the first clips of half shell elements lying above, for example a row of elements lying above can be formed, whilst by connecting the second clips of a complementary half shell element lying below, a row of elements lying below, parallel thereto, can be connected. Thereby, in a particularly simple and quick manner, entire surfaces of half shell elements (completed to form hollow bodies) can be constructed and laid efficiently in concrete layers.
A particularly resilient connection between the half shell elements can be produced if the first and the second clips have a different clamping height. This is because in this case an individual half shell element can be connected equally in two different connecting directions with further identical elements, without the bars used for this impeding each other reciprocally. These do not block each other reciprocally, because they intersect at different clamping heights and therefore permit a distinctly stronger integration of each element into a network of bars.
Basically, the clips can in fact be arranged at any suitable location on the outer surface of a half shell element. A particularly good handling results, however, when they are arranged in the region of a flattened area of the element on the pole side. Thereby, for example steel strips can firstly be deposited on the flattened areas of a deposited row of half shell elements and can then be simply pressed into the clips which are situated there, without the strip slipping down from the half shells.
If, on the other hand, the clips are arranged on a base surface of the flattened area, which is indented via a shoulder into the half shell element, the element can rest on its flattened area free of blocking on the reinforcement ribs of a further element, and is therefore able to be stacked in or on the latter.
The above problem is also solved by a hollow body according to some embodiments detailed herein. Such a hollow body is able to be produced in particular in a simple, reliable and quick manner and in large numbers at a favourable cost. Through its shape, which conveys away air and water, and through its high rigidity, it is, in addition, able to be handled reliably, is able to be used irrespective of the weather conditions and is robust.
In the simplest case, such a hollow body is constructed from two identical half shell elements which are connected with each other. Depending on a height of the respective half shells, therefore hollow bodies are able to be produced which are of differing size, but constructed point-symmetrically along their peripheral edges. Two half shell elements with a respective height of 0.07 m are suited for example for a layer thickness of around 0.25 m and elements with a respective height of 0.09 m for a layer thickness of around 0.30 m.
A particularly fine adjustment to the most varied of layer thicknesses is achieved in that the half shell elements which are connected with each other differ in their height. As the circumference of both elements remains unaffected by their respective height, their respective connectability is ensured. Thus, hollow bodies of almost the most varied form can be produced. For example, ellipsoid, hemispherical, lentoid or other half shell elements can be completed to form a respective hollow body in the most varied combination. A combination of half shell elements with a respective height of 0.07 m and 0.09 m is suited for example for layer thicknesses of around 0.275 m. At the same time, only a small number of injection moulds is necessary for this. Thus, for example, with only 3 different moulds a total of 6 different hollow bodies, with 4 different moulds a total of 10 different hollow bodies, etc. can be provided. The technical effort and hence also the production costs are thereby reduced with respect to the achieved variance in the end product.
The above problem is solved in addition by a tool for the production of hollow bodies, which distinctly increases the assembly speed thereof from two of the described half shell elements. The reason for this in particular is that a half shell element can be held in a defined position and is therefore prevented from slipping away. For the further processing of the hollow body, the latter can be inserted directly into a steel cage for example in a next working step, or can be connected with further hollow bodies in another manner, before the next half shell element is inserted into the mounting of the tool.
The above problem is also solved by a method for the connecting of hollow bodies, by which individual rows or entire surfaces of hollow bodies can be produced simply and quickly. The length, shape, packing density etc. of these rows or surfaces are able to be selected as desired, compared with rigid steel cages, and are only limited by the length of the bars. The handling of the hollow bodies is therefore also distinctly improved by this connecting technique and remains guaranteed always, particularly also under difficult technical requirements.
Finally, the hollow body is preferably to be used as a displacer in a concrete layer, such as for example in the manufacture of concrete slabs, walls or ceilings on a building site by the in-situ concrete method or else in a prefabricated concrete works.
The invention is described in detail below with the aid of an example embodiment with reference to the attached drawings. Identical or identically acting parts are given the same reference numbers. In the drawings:
In a final position, the pushed-on half shell element 10 comes to lie precisely over the half shell element 10 and engages on the one hand on the detent hook 30 and on the other hand on the detent surface 31, respectively via its complementary detent surface and via its complementary detent hook. In order to assist this engagement, detent grooves 40, 40′ are provided on both sides of the detent surface 31 on the encircling edge 11, which embrace the edge region of the further half shell element 10 and permit a precise positioning of the two elements 10 with respect to each other. In this way, a quick, simple and reliable connection of both elements 10 is possible, which is also safe to step on under construction conditions, i.e. also does not open under load. Here, both confusion and also the delivery of an irregular number of elements 10 are reliably ruled out, because the complementary elements 10 are designed identically. The half shell form of the elements 10 permits their favourably priced production by injection moulding, which requires smaller wall thicknesses and hence lower material costs.
To increase the rigidity of the half shell element 10, the latter is provided with struts 90 . . . 90′″″, which originate in a star shape from its pole P (designated in
In addition to the arrangement of first clips 100, 100′, provision can also be made to provide additional second clips (not illustrated), which are aligned in a first direction turned greater than 0° to 90° with respect to the first clips 100, 100′. These can also be preferably arranged on the base surface 52. Thereby, several rows of elements 10′, connected with each other, can be arranged in a simple manner, therefore can form a surface of half shell elements 10′ (completed to form hollow bodies). The second clips are preferably turned here at an angle of 45° or 90° with respect to the first clips 100, 100′, so that the half shell elements 10′ are formed, lying either directly adjacent to each other (with clips at 90°) or staggered with respect to each other (with clips at 45°). In particular in the case of half shell elements 10′ lying staggered with respect to each other, thereby a densely packed surface of half shell elements 10′ (completed to form hollow bodies) can be constructed.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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09015788 | Dec 2009 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/CH2010/000311 | 12/14/2010 | WO | 00 | 8/24/2012 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2011/075856 | 6/30/2011 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20120311959 A1 | Dec 2012 | US |