Height-adjustable supports for false floors

Abstract

The invention relates to a height-adjustable support for false floors, in particular for exhibitions, trade fairs, etc., having a foot (3) for bearing on the underlying surface, and a head (4) on which the covering panels (1) end up located, and having a spindle arrangement which connects the foot and head and of which the spindle, a threaded rod (5), is mounted in a bearing (9) such that it can be rotated at the head (4), but cannot be displaced axially, and interacts, in the foot (3), with a mating thread (8) provided in a fixed manner therein as a spindle nut, it being possible for the spindle drive to be driven by means of a handle (16).

Description

The invention is explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a support according to the invention with a likewise schematic plan view of the design of the covering panels in the supporting region,

FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of a variant of the invention along with an illustration of an actuating device,

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a further variant,

FIG. 4 shows a section through the variant of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of another variant,

FIGS. 6 and 7 show three different views of a further variant, and

FIG. 8 shows yet another variant in section.

FIG. 1 illustrates a support according to the invention schematically in horizontal and vertical projection. Rectangular covering panels 1 rest on the heads 4 of an adjustable support 2. The foot 3 of the support has, in its central region, an internal thread 8, for example a nut welded in this region, which meshes with the external thread of a threaded rod 5, the spindle. The threaded rod 5 is mounted by means of a bearing 9 in the head 4 of the support in a rotatable but axially fixed manner, and the foot 3 rests on the underlying surface 7 and, if appropriate, is connected thereto.

Provided on the threaded rod 5 is a handle 16 for the purpose of rotation of the threaded rod 5; the example illustrated indicates spokes which can be rotated manually even if, as can be gathered from the plan view, three of the four covering panels 1 have already been laid on the support 2.

The operation of laying a floor covering in this system, then, takes place such that a first covering panel 1 is positioned on the support 2 by way of each of its corners, protrusions or apertures on the top surface of the head 4 and corresponding apertures or protrusions on the undersides of the covering panels 1 ensuring that, once the covering panels have been placed in position, rotation of the heads 4 about the threaded rod 5 is no longer possible without the covering panel being released from the head. By virtue of the threaded rods 5 being rotated, the covering panel is then moved to the correct height, and into the horizontal, using a spirit level or similar auxiliary means. The four supports 2 bearing the covering panel are positioned in this way. The next panel is then positioned, to one of the sides, and supported, at its corners which are still free, by two further supports 2. These two supports, or their heads, can be positioned, with the aid of a spirit level, such that this second panel is also located in the predetermined plane. As the operation of laying panels progresses, it is increasingly the case that only one more support is required for each covering panel and, in such cases, the height of the supports 2 can also easily be adjusted.

FIG. 2 shows a variant in which a handle 16 comprises a gearwheel 25 which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the threaded rod 5 and has a radial toothing formation. At least four, preferably six or eight, bushings or apertures 24 are provided in the foot 4, at an appropriate distance from the axis of the threaded rod 5. A tool, namely a crank 10, can be inserted in a rotatable manner, by way of its free end, into these bushings or apertures. The crank 10, at an appropriate distance from its free end, bears a pinion 11 with an external thread, which meshes with the external thread of the gearwheel 25.

In the variant illustrated, furthermore, the head 4 contains at least one aperture 24′ of sufficient magnitude which can be brought into alignment with each of the bushings or apertures 24 and at the level of which the crank 10 has an appropriate thickened portion 12 of greater diameter than the pinion 11, so that the crank 10 is guided at two locations and can be operated particularly straightforwardly. If the radial extent of the head 4 is not as large as has been illustrated, then this aperture 24′ may be dispensed with and the crank 10 is guided in the bushing or aperture 24 only at its bottom, free end.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show an embodiment in which actuation of a decentralized shaft 13 drives a gearwheel 17 which is mounted in a rotatable manner in the foot 3, which is designed as a base. A second gearwheel, the handle 16, which engages with this gearwheel 17, drives the threaded spindle 5, which is screwed into a thread 8 provided in the foot 3. Actuation of the shaft 13, which has a mount for a screwdriver or the like at its top end, rotates the spindle 5 in the thread, as a result of which the head 4 is raised or lowered relative to the base 3. At the same time, the decentralized shaft 13 (even in the case where no covering panels have been laid yet) prevents the head 4 from rotating in relation to the base. The closed construction, which is safeguarded against the penetration of dirt, is advantageous, but it is disadvantageous that, during the laying operation, the orientation of the support has to be taken into consideration in order to maintain accessibility.

In the example illustrated, a cross-form bearing plate 18 is provided between the actual head 4 and the covering panels (not illustrated), this bearing plate having adjusting elements 19 and fixing elements 20 (the mating elements of which are located on the underside of correspondingly designed covering panels) and making it easier for the covering panels to be laid on the supports. The adjusting elements serve for more straightforward positioning of the covering panels by way of an essentially form-fitting connection. As soon as the correct position has been achieved by way of the adjusting elements (e.g. pins, protuberances and the like), the covering panel is connected to the bearing panel 18 in a force-fitting manner by latching into the fixing elements (e.g. catches, hooks, mushroom-shaped protrusions, etc.). In the example illustrated, the bearing panel 18 is fixed on the head 4 by protuberances 21. It is also possible for the head and bearing plate to be in one piece, and neither the shape of the head nor that of the bearing plate play any part which is essential to the invention.

A further embodiment is shown purely schematically in FIG. 5 and in a fully formed state in FIGS. 6 and 7. The head 4, which serves as bearing means for the covering panels 1, has, in relation to the axis of the threaded rod 5 or the imaginary point of contact of four covering panels, at least one decentralized opening 27, and these openings allow a crank 22 with pinion 23 to be introduced into a bushing 34. When the crank is in the inserted position, the pinion engages in the teeth of a gearwheel which forms the handle 16 and is seated in the top region of the threaded rod 5, connected in a rotationally fixed manner thereto. Even if—as illustrated in FIG. 5—one, or up to three, covering panel(s) has (have) already been laid, the decentralized openings 27 allow precise adjustment of the height of the head 4 by virtue of the crank being rotated. Of course, it is also possible to provide more than two openings 27 and aligned bushings 34, preferably concentrically about the axis of the threaded rod 5 and with at least one in each quarter, so that, even if three covering panels have already been laid, access is still possible without prior consideration having to be given as to the sequence in which the covering panels are laid.

FIG. 8 shows a variant of the last-described embodiment. In comparison with the variant of FIGS. 5 to 7, the handle 16 is in the form of a gearwheel 25′ which is fixed to the threaded rod 5 and is located beneath the head 4. The axially fixed bearing, as always, is arranged in the head, and the nut 8, which interacts with the threaded rod 5 in the manner of a spindle drive, is located in the foot of the device. A tool in the form of a shaft with a pinion can be used, as in the previous variant; provided for guiding the same or a plurality of bushings or bearings, into which the bottom end of the tool can be inserted in a rotatable manner. Furthermore, the handle 16 bears downwardly projecting wings 26, which make it considerably easier for the handle to be rotated without a tool being used and, in particular, allow precision adjustment.

As can be seen from a comparison of the figures, the embodiments according to FIGS. 3 and 8 are particularly straightforward and robust.

Rather than being restricted to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, the invention can be modified in various ways. For example, instead of gearwheels, it is possible to use friction wheels, in order further to reduce the costs for the toothing formation, which obviously need not be precise and can therefore itself be produced cost-effectively. In the case of the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the individual radial spokes may be connected to one another at their free ends by a circular or polygonal ring, this further improving the availability of the handle 16 since the angular position is basically no longer of any consequence.

The illustration in some of the figures has deliberately been provided in purely schematic form in order to explain the functional principle of the invention. A person skilled in the art with knowledge of the invention will easily select the technical configuration of the bushing bearings, levers, cranks, handles on the cranks, etc. as required, in which case there is no need to provide any separate illustration of the technical configuration. A person skilled in the art with knowledge of the invention will have no difficulty in selecting the spindle drive, in respect of the self-locking of the same.

There are also a number of possibilities for configuring the base side of the foot 3 and the top side of the head 4; there are various prior-art solutions and embodiments here for the purpose of ensuring stability and the strength with which the covering panel 1 bears on the head 4. However, this does not form a constituent part of the invention.

Claims

1. A height-adjustable support for false floors having one or more covering panels, the support comprising: a foot (3) for bearing on an underlying surface (7), a head (4) configured to support the covering panels (1),a spindle which connects the foot and head, where the spindle includes a threaded rod (5) that is mounted in a bearing (9) such that it can be rotated at the head (4), but cannot be displaced axially, and that also interacts with the foot (3) via a mating thread (8) provided in a fixed manner therein as a spindle nut, anda spindle drive, incorporating the spindle nut, that is configured to be driven by means of a handle (16), characterized in that the handle is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the spindle.

2. Support according to claim 1, characterized in that the handle is a gearwheel (25, 25′) with an outer toothing formation.

3. Support according to claim 2, characterized in that at least four apertures (24′, 24, 27, 34) are provided in at least one of the head (4) and the foot (3), so that it is possible for a crank (10, 22) with an appropriately arranged pinion (11, 23) to be plugged into the same.

4. Support according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the handle (16) is arranged in the vicinity of the head (4).

5. Support according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the handle (16) is designed as a handwheel.

6. Support according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the handle (16) is in the form of at least four, spokes of the threaded rod (5).

7. Support according to claim 2, characterized in that the handle (16) is a gearwheel (25′) which has wing-like protrusions (26) on at least one of its top side and its underside.

8. Support according to claim 3, characterized in that six or eight apertures (24′, 24, 27, 34) are provided in at least one of the head (4) and foot (3), so that it is possible for a crank (10, 22) with an appropriately arranged pinion (11, 23) to be plugged into the same.

9. Support according to claim 6, characterized in that the handle (16) is in the form of eight spokes of the threaded rod (5).