Abstract:
An improved connection between supported and supporting structural members, particularly for use in structures where the supported member needs to move with respect to the supporting member. The connector includes a mounting clip and one or more sliders receiving in one or more openings in the mounting clip.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention belongs to a class of mounting clips that are useful in the construction of buildings, particularly commercial buildings where a non-load bearing, exterior curtain wall is connected to the load bearing elements of a building and the curtain wall needs to be able to move with respect to the load bearing elements. 
         [0002]    It is often advantageous to attach curtain walls systems to the load bearing elements of a building with connectors that permit a degree of relative movement between the wall system and other components of the building. There are many reasons for this. For example there can be extreme differences in temperature between the exterior curtain walls and the interior load bearing systems, and because the exterior curtain wall and the load bearing system often have different coefficients of expansion based on their different materials, under extreme temperature differences the curtain wall wants to shift with respect to the load bearing system. Exterior walls of buildings are also subject to deflection from wind and seismic forces. Furthermore, curtain walls are typically not designed to support the vertical loads in the structure and must therefore by isolated from deflection of the primary load-bearing support structure of the building due to changes in live or dead loads carried by that structure. Providing a degree of freedom of movement within the wall and between the wall and the other components of a building can reduce stress and prevent fracture of connected parts due to the loading of the building, seismic and wind events, or differences in the temperatures of the curtain wall and the load bearing elements. 
         [0003]    A number of clips that permit relative movement between structural members have been patented. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,566, issued in 1995 to Allan J. Swartz and Gregory A. Kulpa teaches a mounting clip that uses a fastener with a washer or spacer to allow for relative movement. The mounting clip is connected to the supported member and to the fastener with the washer in such a manner that the mounting clip can move with respect to the supported member. To allow relative movement between the fastener and the mounting clip, Swartz and Kulpa taught that the spacer or washer on the fastener should be received in slots in the portion of the mounting clip lying against the supported member and the spacer or washer should be thicker than the receiving portion of the mounting clip. Planar flaps or extensions which were part of the washer or spacer and disposed parallel to the receiving portion of the mounting clip extend over the receiving portion of the mounting clip and prevent it from pulling away. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,006, issued in 1999 to Terry L. Sharp and Richard C. Eldenburg also teaches a mounting clip where a spacer or fixed bracket is connected to the supported member and the mounting clip is attached to the supporting member and the fixed bracket in such a manner that the mounting clip can move with respect to the supported member. Like Swartz and Kulpa, to allow relative movement between the fixed bracket and the mounting clip, Sharp and Eldenburg taught that the fixed bracket should have an engaging component received by the portion of the mounting clip lying against the supported member that is thicker than the receiving portion of the mounting clip. Also, like Swartz and Kulpa, they taught that a planar securing component which is attached to the engaging component should extend in parallel relation over the receiving portion of the mounting clip. In Sharp and Eldenburg, their spacer or fixed bracket was a plate having a thickness that was greater than the portion of the mounting clip that received it, thus the securing component that projected outwardly from the top of the engaging component would not interfere with the movement of the mounting clip in the plane of the supporting member but keep it from pulling away. 
         [0006]    Patents with similar teachings include U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,679, issued in 2001 to Frobosilo and Viola, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,080, issued in 1999 to diGirolamo and Mountcastle. U.S. Pat. No. 7,104,024, which issued in 2006 to diGirolamo et al, teaches having the spacers that allow for sliding motion of the mounting clip to also be connected to a u-shaped, reinforcing member that adds strength and rigidity to the connection. 
         [0007]    The mounting clip of the present invention provides a uniquely shaped clip and slider that help to prevent the mounting clip from buckling under load. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention provides a drift clip that has a unique shape to avoid buckling of the clip under load. 
         [0009]    The present invention provides a mounting clip that has a unique slider that is used in one or more elongated slots in the clip to provide improved rotational support to the mounting clip and thereby avoid buckling of the mounting clip. In one embodiment, the slider has a securing component, and the securing component has one or more generally planar upstanding flanges connected to and set at an angle to the one or more base components, such that a projection along the generally planar upstanding flange would intersect with the leg of the mounting clip to which it is attached. This tall flange disposed at an angle to the leg of the mounting clip to which it is attached improves the strength of the securing component. 
         [0010]    The present invention provides a connection, including a supporting member, a supported member, and a connector. The connector attaches the supported member to the supporting member. The connector includes a mounting clip and one or more sliders and the mounting clip is retained with respect to the one or more sliders so that the mounting clip can move relative to the one or more sliders. The mounting clip has an anchored leg disposed in close proximity to the supported member. The anchored leg has a front surface and a back surface on opposite sides of the anchored leg with the back surface of the anchored leg facing the supported member. The anchored leg also has one or more openings. An anchoring leg is connected to the anchored leg and disposed in close proximity to the supporting member. The anchoring leg has a sliding surface and an interfacing surface on opposite sides of the anchoring leg with the interfacing surface of the anchoring leg facing the supporting member. The anchoring leg also has one or more openings. 
         [0011]    The one or more sliders have one or more base components that are received in at least one of the one or more openings of the anchored leg and the one or more openings of the anchoring leg. The one or more openings that receive the one or more base components are larger than the one or more base components so that the one or more base components can move with respect to the one or more openings. Each of the one or more slides also has a securing component that is attached to the one or more base components. The securing component has one or more containment surfaces that are disposed in close proximity to at least one of the front surface of the anchored leg when the one or more base components are received in the one or more openings of the anchored leg and the sliding surface of the anchoring leg when the one or more base components are received in the one or more openings of the anchoring leg. The containment surfaces prevent the mounting clip from pulling away from either the supporting member or the supporting member, depending on which member is attached to the slider. 
         [0012]    According to the present invention, the securing component can have one or more upstanding flanges connected to and set at an angle to the one or more base components extending substantially above the one or more base components. 
         [0013]    According to the present invention, one or more fasteners connect the one or more sliders to at least one of the supporting member and the supported member. 
         [0014]    According to the preset invention, the slider can be a unitary member. 
         [0015]    According to the preset invention, the base members are elongated members with multiple points of contact along the one or more openings. 
         [0016]    According to the preset invention, the one or more upstanding flanges have an outer edge and one or more bottom edges that are generally opposed to the outer edges and the containment surfaces are formed on the one or more bottom edges of the flanges. 
         [0017]    According to the preset invention, the one or more bottom edges of the one or more flanges are interrupted by one or more projecting arms that extend to and connect the one or more upstanding flanges to the one or more base components. Preferably, the projecting arms are narrower than both the one or more base components and the one or more flanges. 
         [0018]    According to the preset invention, the one or more upstanding flanges are formed with lateral bends or embossments to provide additional strength to the flanges. 
         [0019]    According to the preset invention, the one or more upstanding flanges are generally parallel to each other, and the one or more upstanding flange are disposed generally orthogonally to the base components. 
         [0020]    According to the preset invention, the mounting clip can be formed so that one of the anchoring leg and the anchored leg is a unitary member having opposed side edges and the other of the anchoring leg and the anchored leg is made of two overlapping members each of which is joined to one of the opposed side edges of the unitary member and are then bent so as to overlap. 
         [0021]    According to the preset invention, each of the overlapping members is formed with a side flange that is connected to one of the opposed side edges of the unitary member at a bend line, and each of the overlapping members is formed with a back flange connected to the side flange at a bend line, and the back flanges overlap. 
         [0022]    According to the preset invention, each of the back flanges are formed with one opening and the back flanges overlap in such a manner that a single opening is formed for receiving the one or more base members of the one or more sliders. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a connection formed according to the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is an exploded, perspective view of the connection of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a detail perspective view of the connection of  FIG. 1 , taken along line  FIG. 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is an exploded, detail perspective view of the connection of  FIG. 1 , taken along line  FIG. 4  of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a drift clip of a connector of the present invention. The slider is not shown. 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  is a front view of the drift clip of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 7  is a back view of the drift clip of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0030]      FIG. 8  is a top view of the drift clip of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0031]      FIG. 9  is a bottom view the drift clip of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0032]      FIG. 10  is a left side view of the drift clip of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0033]      FIG. 11  is a right side view the drift clip of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0034]      FIG. 12  is a top view of the blank used to form the drift clip of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0035]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a slider of the present invention. 
           [0036]      FIG. 14  is a top view of the slider of  FIG. 13 . 
           [0037]      FIG. 15  is a bottom view of the slider of  FIG. 13 . 
           [0038]      FIG. 16  is a front view of the slider of  FIG. 13 . The back view is the same. 
           [0039]      FIG. 17  is a side view of the slider of  FIG. 13 . The other side view is the same. 
           [0040]      FIG. 18  is a perspective view of a connection formed according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0041]    The present invention is a structural connection  1  between a first building structural member or supporting member  2  and a second building structural member or supported member  3 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the supporting member  2  can be a horizontal beam and/or concrete flooring member  2  and the supported member  3  can be a vertically-oriented, channel-shaped wall stud  3 . 
         [0042]    The connection  1  between the supporting member  2  and the supported member  3  is made with the mounting clip  4  of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the mounting clip  4  has an anchoring leg  5  fastened to the supporting member  2  and an anchored leg  6  connected to the supported member  3 . Preferably, the anchoring leg  5  and the anchored leg  6  are generally planar and joined at right angles to each other. The connection  1  is also made with one or more sliders  7  that in combination with the mounting clip  4  make up the connector  8  of the present invention. The connection is also made with fasteners  9  that connect the slider  7  to either the supporting member  2  or the supported member  3 , and fasteners  10  that connect the mounting clip  4  to either the supporting member  2  or the supported member  3 . In the most common embodiments, the mounting clip  4  and slider  7  allow for relative movement between the supporting and the supported members  2  and  3 . This is typically vertical movement, horizontal movement or a combination of vertical and horizontal movement between the supporting and the supported members  2  and  3  depending upon the features of the mounting clip  4 . A change in orientation of the components of the connection  1  would allow the connector  8  to permit different relative movements between the components. The mounting clip  4  and the slider  7  are preferably made from cold formed sheet steel, bent, cut, embossed and punched on automated or semi-automated manufacturing machinery. As shown in the drawings, preferably, the supported member  3  is cold-formed steel structural members. Preferably, the supporting member  2  can be a concrete floor member or steel structural members, or a combination thereof. 
         [0043]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , preferably, the anchored leg  6  has a substantially planar portion and the anchoring leg  5  has a substantially planar portion set orthogonally to the substantially planar portion of the anchored leg  6 . If the connection is designed such that there will not be relative movement along one of the anchored leg  6  or the anchoring leg  5 , then that leg can be attached by welds and other means of fixing the leg to the supporting or supported member  2  or  3 . 
         [0044]    As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the anchored leg  6  preferably has an inner edge  16 , a top edge  17 , a bottom edge  18  opposed to the top edge  17 , and an outer edge  19 . The anchored leg  6  is formed with one or more openings  20 . Preferably, the openings  20  of the anchored leg  6  are a plurality of elongated slots  20  disposed in parallel arrangement. As shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , each elongated slots  20  has a major axis  21  along which the slots are elongated, and a minor axis  22  that is disposed orthogonally to the major axis  21 . Preferably the slots  20  are parallel with respect to their major axes  21 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the major axes  21  of the elongated slots  20  project along the direction in which relative movement between the mounting clip  4  and the supported member  3  is desired. Typically, as shown, the desired movement is vertical movement. 
         [0045]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the anchored leg  6  of the mounting clip  4  is formed with elongated slots  20  for relative vertical movement between the anchored leg  6  and the supported member  3 . Fasteners  10  attach the anchored leg  6  to the supported member  3 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , when the fastener  10  is drilled into or connected to the stud or supported member  3 , the fastener  10  is anchored in the stud  3 . When the stud  3  moves relative to the supporting member  2 , the fasteners  10  move in the elongated slots  20 . Preferably, the fasteners  10  that attach the anchored leg  6  to the supported member  3  screw into the supported member  3 . The preferred fasteners  10  for attaching the mounting clip  4  through elongated slots  20  are shouldered, or stepped-shank, self-drilling screws or are simple screws used with shouldered or un-shouldered bushings  25 .  FIG. 4  shows the fasteners  10  using shouldered bushings  25 . Shouldered screws may have a head, an unthreaded shank portion immediately below the head, and a threaded shank portion below the unthreaded shank portion. The unthreaded shank portion or the bushing  25  located underneath the head which is smaller than the opening  20  allows the supported member  3  and the fasteners  10  attached to it to move relative to the anchored leg  6  without interference between the fasteners  10  and the anchored leg  6  of the mounting clip  4 . The fastener  10  is preferably designed to drill itself into the web of the stud  3 . The fastener  10  is connected to the stud  3  in a manner that it does not clamp down on the anchored leg  6 . The shoulder on the screw or the bushing can be tall enough to prevent the shouldered portion or the head of the fastener  10  from clamping the anchored leg  6 . The web of the stud  3  is preferably a substantially planar member. 
         [0046]    As shown in  FIGS. 5-12 , the anchoring leg  5  is attached to the anchored leg  6 , preferably by lateral bends  28  formed in the connector  4 . The anchoring leg  5  is joined to portions of the top and bottom edges  17  and  18  of the anchored leg  6  at bends  28 . Preferably, bends  28  are relatively short-radius 90 degree bends. The anchoring leg  5  has a sliding surface  29  and an interfacing surface  30  facing in the opposite direction. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the interfacing surface  30  interfaces with the supporting member  2 . 
         [0047]    The anchored leg  6  is preferably formed with a preferably planar front surface  35  and a preferably planar back surface  36  facing in the opposite direction. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the back surface  36  of the anchored leg  6  faces the supported member  3  and interfaces with a preferably planar portion of the supported member  3 . 
         [0048]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , in a preferred embodiment, the anchoring leg  5  is connected to the supporting member  2  by a slider  7 . The slider  7  is rigidly secured to the supporting member  2  such that it cannot move with respect to the supporting member  2 . The slider  7  is preferably a unitary member with the components of the slider  7  bent from a single piece of sheet metal. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the slider  7  connects the anchoring leg  5  to the supporting member  2  such that the anchoring leg  5  can move with respect to the supporting member  2 . As shown in  FIG. 13 , the slider  7  preferably has one or more base components  38  that are disposed in the one or more elongated opening or slots  39  of the anchoring leg  5  and at least one securing component  40  that prevents the anchoring leg  5  from disengaging from the supporting member  2 . The one or more elongated slots  39  in the anchoring leg  5  have major axes  41  along which the one or more slots  39  are elongated and minor axes  42  set orthogonally to the major axes  41 . The sides of the one or more openings  39  that receive the one or more base components  38  of the slider  7  are arranged to allow the base components  38  to move relative to the one or more openings  39 . The width of the one or more openings  39  is such that one or more base components  38  can travel the substantial length of the one or more openings  39 . As shown the figures the sides of the one or more openings  39  are parallel and the sides of the one or more base components are also parallel  38 . 
         [0049]    Preferably, the one or more base components  38  are formed with fastener openings  43  to receive the fasteners  9  that attach the slider  7 , as shown in  FIG. 1  to the supporting member  2 . The securing component  40  rises from the one or more base components  38  and overlies portions of the interfacing surface  30  of the anchoring leg  5 . The one or more base components  38  are of a smaller dimension, both in the directions of the major axes  41  and the minor axes  42  than the one or more elongated slots  39  so that they can be received in and move with respect to the slots  39 . Preferably, the one or more base components  38  fit closely within the one or more elongated slots  39  along their minor axis  42 , while the base components  38  are preferably considerably smaller than the slots  39  along the major axes  41 . The one or more openings  39  that receive the one or more base components  38  are larger than the one or more base components  38  so that the one or more base components  38  can move with respect to the one or more openings  39 . Preferably, the base components or members  38  are elongated members which can have multiple points of contact along the one or more openings  39 . 
         [0050]    The one or more securing components  40  preferably have containment surfaces  45  that are in close proximity to portions of the interfacing surface  35  of the anchoring leg  5  to prevent the anchoring leg  5  from substantially pulling away from the supporting member  2 . Preferably the containment surfaces  45  are disposed on either side of the slots  39 . Preferably the securing component  40  is formed as one or more generally planar upstanding flanges  46  connected to and set at an angle to the one or more base components  38 , such that a projection along the generally planar upstanding flange would intersect with the anchoring leg  5 . Preferably, the upstanding flanges  46  are disposed generally orthogonally to the base components  38  and the anchoring leg  5 . Preferably the one or more upstanding flanges  46  have an outer edge  47  and the upstanding flanges  46  are formed with lateral bends  48  or embossments to provide additional strength to the flanges  46 . Preferably, the containment surfaces  45  are formed on the bottom edges  49  of the flanges  46 , as best shown in  FIGS. 15 and 16 . The bottom edges  49  are generally opposed to the outer edges  47  of the flanges  46 . The bottom edges  49  of the flanges  46  are interrupted by one or more projecting arms  50  that extend to and connect the one or more upstanding flanges  46  to the one or more base components  38 . 
         [0051]    Preferably, the anchored leg  6  has generally aligned portions  54  and  55  to the sides of the one or more openings  20  and  39 , if relative sliding movement along the openings  39  is desired. With respect to the slider shown in  FIG. 1 , the aligned portions  54  and  55  are to the left and right of the openings  39  on the minor axis  42  of the openings  39  and the aligned sections  54  and  55  extend a substantial distance upwardly and downwardly along the major axes  41  of the openings  39 . As shown in the figures, the aligned portions are also substantially planar, although they could be formed as contoured members and the containment surfaces could match the contour. 
         [0052]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the slider  7  has one base component  38 . As shown in  FIG. 18 , the slider can be formed with multiple base components  38  and the one or more securing components  40  can connect the multiple base components  38   
         [0053]    The preferred fasteners  9  or  10  for attaching the connector  8  to a supporting member  2  made from steel are hex-head screws  9 , automated power-actuated gun-driven fasteners  9  or, alternatively, welds  9 , so long as they do not interfere with relative movement of the connector  8  and the supporting member  2 . The preferred fasteners  9  or  10  for attaching the connector to a supporting member  2  made from concrete are concrete screws or anchors  9 . 
         [0054]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the mounting clip  4  can be formed so that the anchored leg  6  is a unitary member having opposed side edges, the top and bottom edges  17  and  18 , and the anchoring leg  5  is made of two overlapping members each of which is joined to one of the top and bottom edges  17  and  18  of the unitary member and are then bent so as to overlap. Each of the overlapping members is formed with a side flange  60  that is connected to one of the opposed side edges  17  and  18  of the unitary member at a bend line  28 , and each of the overlapping members is formed with a back flange  61  connected to the side flange  60  at a bend line  62 , and the back flanges  61  overlap. Each of the back flanges  61  are formed with one opening and the back flanges  61  overlap in such a manner that a single opening  39  is formed for receiving the one or more base members  38  of the slider  7 . As shown the back flanges  61  of the overlapping members are generally rectangular and planar, and the side flanges  60  of the overlapping members are generally planar, and generally rectangular.