A METHOD OF JOINING STIFF PLATE PROFILE MEMBERS INTO BROAD LAMELLAE OR PANELS AND A LAMELLA OR PANEL ELEMENT OR PRODUCT PRODUCED BY THAT METHOD

Abstract: E.g. in large sun shading systems it may be desirable to use light and stiff lamellae with a considerable length and width, and it is close to hand to think of extruded, hollow plate profiles of aluminium. In practice, however, it is impossible to extrude such profiles with a desired large width, e.g. of 60 cm, so it is required to join two or more narrower plate profiles edge to edge. Such a joining has been difficult to effect, when the elements are several metres long, but the invention provides for a safe joining in a simple manner. Use is made of plate profiles (6, 28, 30), along the edges of which there are provided cross flanges (10, 12), which, when the profiles are brought together edge by edge, will engage each other lockingly in the transverse direction, and the flange portions are locked together by an insertion of a U- or C-profiled joining cleat (36), which engages the outsides of these flange portions (34) with loose fit. The joining cleat (36) may be inserted manually all over the length of the profiles, and despite the loose fit it is nevertheless possible to achieve a strong and tight joint, because the long profiles will not in practice extend totally rectilinearly. The joints are arranged inside of cavities in the elements, such that they will be invisible and non-projecting on the joined panel surfaces, which may thus advantageously be entirely smooth.

Description: A method of joining stiff plate profile members into broad lamellae or panels and a lamella or panel element or product produced by that method. The present invention relates to a method of join¬ ing hollow, extruded profiled plate lengths for the formation of broad lamellae or panels, e.g. broad lamel¬ la constructions for sun shading systems. For certain applications, e.g. for the said broad lamellae in sun shading systems, it would be desirable to make use of flat and broad, hollow profiles of ex¬ truded aluminium, but as well known it is difficult and expensive to produce such extrusions with a width ex¬ ceeding some 30 cm. Of course it is possible to join such profiles edgewise, e.g. with the use of joining fishes or by welding, but these methods are both expen¬ sive and unsuitable, as the ideal is to produce a rea¬ sonably smooth and uniform surface on the assembled lamella. An immediately more attractive solution has already been proposed, viz. to take advantage of the extrusion technique to the effect that the single profile plates are manufactured with tongue-and-groove-systems along the edges, such that the profiles can be joined by a lengthwise pushing together. It has been found, however, that such a joining method, which may well be realistic in connection with profile elements of. short lengths, is not realistic when the length of the profiles is of the magnitude 5 m, e.g. 3-7 m. The long profile elements will have to be reasonably stiff, and even though they are produced with all care they will, however, inevitab¬ ly come up with such minor wrynesses over the long length which may not be visible at all, but in connec- tion with the stiffness of the elements make it almost impossible to use the said joining by a pushing together of the elements. The engagement portions could well be shaped with suitable tolerances, but the result would be that a few.elements could be joined in an easy manner for obtaining a fixed joining, while the joinings be¬ tween many other elements would not be fixed, which is entirely unacceptable; in many other cases an already initiated pushing-together joining would have to be stopped, e.g. upon three fourths of the joining movement having been carried out. Possibly many of the latter joinings could be accomplished anyway by an extra strong pressing together, but for one part this will require a quite costly pressing equipment, and for another part there would be considerable risks of skewnesses occur¬ ring in the joined structure. According to another known and used technique ad¬ vantage is still taken of the extrusion technique, viz. here by shaping the profiles with complementary, barbed clamp surface portions, which can be brought into mutual engagement by a crosswise pressing together of the ele¬ ments, such that the pressing movement shall be effected over a short distance only, but it is well known that also this technique presents many problems as well as a rather high percentage of waste. It is the purpose of the invention to provide a joining method, which can be effected in a simple and cheap manner for production of rigid joints with no or very little waste. According to the invention use is made of profile elements, the edge portions of which are shaped with interfacing engagement profile portions, which at each edge portion are provided on flange means projecting inwardly from the opposed other sides of the profile element with a free distance between the opposed engage¬ ment profile portions, these portions being shaped such that by a laying together of the profile elements edge to edge they will interlock these elements in the trans¬ verse direction; the engagement profile portions are provided on flange means, which have a widening inside the profile element, such that in their laid together condition they will show a bilaterally widened head portion, these head portions thus being located opposite to each other with a free space therebetween; for the joining of the profile elements is used an extra profile member shaped as a narrow plate strip, the opposed edges of which are provided with part-cylindrical flange por¬ tions of such cross sectional shapes that these flange portions, by an insertion of the extra profile member along the laid together engagement profile portions, can engage over the widened head portions so as to hold these together. Thus it is sufficient to lay together the profile elements edge to edge and then push in the extra joining profile member for holding together the said head portions consisting of the respective halves of the said inwardly projecting flange means, such that the profile elements are hereby interiorly interlocked. It is important that the extra joining profile member is not a thick block string, but a plate strip with part-cylindrical widenings along the outer edges, because this will be decisive for this profile member being to some degree flexible, such that when it is inserted it may adapt itself to a slightly curved run of the laid together edge portions of the plate profile elements, should such a run occur. The outwardly open part-cylindrical flange portions of the joining profile member may well be designed with a certain oversize relative to the flange head portions which they shall surround. For a joint over a short length this will result in an undesired loose joint, but when the joint is pronounced elongated and shows even the slightest deviations from an accurately linear shape, then the said part-cylindrical flange portions will at least at places hold the edges of plate profile elements tightly joined, whereby these elements as re¬ spective wholes will engage each other in an entirely stable manner. By practical experiments with commercially produced profile elements of aluminium it has been found that it is hereby possible to provide a completely firm edge joining between profile elements having a length of 6 meters by a quite untroubled, manual insertion of the joining profile members. The invention, which is defined in the appended claims, is described in more detail in the following with reference to the drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a few lamellae in a sun shading system, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of some adjoining pro¬ file elements for forming such lamellae, Fig. 3 is a perspective view thereof. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a lamella when being assembled, Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a panel element ac¬ cording to the invention; and Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of structures provided in accordance with the invention. In Fig. 1 is shown the upper ends of a few laminae 2 which are mounted in a rotatable manner between an upper supporting beam 4 and a corresponding lower beam or box, in which means may be provided for concurrent turning of all the laminae for changing the angular positions thereof, as it can be desirable in a sun shad¬ ing system. What is here concerned is heavy, large lami¬ nae with a width of e.g. 40-80 cm and with a length of some 2-8 meters. As these elements should be able to resist quite heavy wind forces and even other influences they should be designed so as to be very stiff, and moreover they should be as light as possible. Also, their outer surfaces should be smooth. It could be close to hand to think of the elements as extruded aluminium profiles, but when their width is more than some 30 cm this is not an attractive possibility, while it is al¬ most a practical impossibility if the width is 60 cm or more. As mentioned, therefore, it may be desirable to assemble the lamellae by edge joining of extruded pro¬ file elements, and in Fig. 2 is shown an example of such profiles, which are ready to be joined edge to edge. Outermost to the left is shown a V-profile 6, which at each of its opposed free edges of the side walls desig¬ nated 8 is shaped with flanges 10 and 12 projecting inwardly towards each other. Along its free edge the flange 10 is shaped with a cross sectionally half-cir¬ cular portion 14 having a groove 16 opening towards the right and an opposed outer side 18 of a part-circular configuration concentric with the groove 16. At its rear side the other flange 12 has a quite similar part-circu¬ lar widening, here designated 18', while at its front side it has forwardly projecting widening 20 with a half-cylindrical cross section corresponding to the shape of the groove 16. At some distance inside its open end the V-profile is provided with a cross wall 22 hav¬ ing a projecting middle rib 24 shaped with a channel portion 26. Due to the cross wall 22 the profile element 6 will be a stiff hollow profile element. Next to the profile 6 is placed another profile 28, which can hereafter be described briefly. This profile is of a trapezoidal shape, with the outer walls 8 and with cross walls 22. At its left hand end it is shaped exactly as a counterpart to the edge area of the profile 6, i.e. with the flange portion 12,18',20 located next to the groove flange 14,16 of the profile 6 and with its own groove flange 14,16 located next to the flange 12,20 of the profile 6. At its opposite, right hand end the profile 28 is shaped in a manner corresponding to the profile 6, though in the example shown with a somewhat smaller distance between the opposed flange portions 14,16 and 18',20. To the right of the profile 28 is placed, a further profile 30, which is shaped fully similarly to the pro¬ file, only with a smaller width at its open edge, cor¬ responding to the reduced edge width of the right hand end of the profile 28. The profile 30 is oriented such that the profile details 10-20 are located in a manner quite similar to their location at the left hand edge of the profile 28. The profiles 28 and 30 are shown entirely laid together, with the rib portions 20 received in the grooves 16 by a purely transversely oriented pushing to¬ gether of the profiles. Thereby the profiles will engage each other lockingly in the transverse direction perpen¬ dicular to the pushing together direction. The radius of the ribs 20 is slightly smaller than the radius of the groove depressions 16, such that the relevant, respec¬ tive engagements can be established along the entire length of the profiles, also when the lengthwise direc¬ tion of the edge portions is not linear in any absolute sense. It will be noted that the laid together profile details 10-20 will appear as inwardly protruding ribs 32 having circular-cylindrical widenings or heads 34 formed by the surface portions 18 and 18' on the flanges to be joined. As illustrated in Fig. 3 it is possible to there¬ after lock together the portions forming the head por¬ tions 34, viz. by inserting a locking profile member 36 over and along these portions 34. The profile member 36 comprises an intermediate plate strip portion 38, the opposed longitudinal edges of which are provided with outwardly open, part-cylindrical flanges 40, which are adapted to surround the head portions 34, such that by the insertion of the locking profile 36 the laid to¬ gether, head forming parts will be totally interlocked by their local engagement with the closely surrounding profile portions 40. However, it is here very important that the said local locking engagement should not be 'total' in each single cross section of the structure, as the inner diameter of the part cylindrical recess 42 in the flange portions 40 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the head portions 34, e.g. with the ratio 4.5:4.0 mm. Purely locally, i.e. in each single cross section, this will be highly unacceptable, since even the slightest play in the joint will be inadmissible, but as already mentioned the circumstances are different when very long elements are to be joined. These will inevitably show small inaccuracies in their length directions, and by the insertion of the joining member 36 the said overdi- mensioning will account for the advantageous effect that the joining member 36 is very easy to insert, preferably purely manually, and yet it will serve to establish a 'total' holding engagement at just some places along the entire length of the elements, this being sufficient to produce an entirely stiff joining of the respective neighbouring profile elements 6, 28 and 30. In Fig. 4 it is illustrated how the joining profile members 36 are inserted along the entire length of the edgewise joined plate profile elements 6, 28 and 30, and it should be noticed that the lengths in question may be e.g. 2-8 meters, i.e. relatively high lengths. In Fig. 4 it is also shown that the ends of the joined profile elements may be covered by an end plate 44, in which holes 46 are provided for receiving bolts to be screwed into the ends of the hollow flange portions 24,26 on the cross walls 22 of the profiled elements, and if the use of pivot pins is desired such pins may be connected with these end plates. The invention is not limited to the production of sun shading lamellae, as it may be applied generally wherever it is desired to join relatively narrow profile elements into broader lamella or panel structures. It will be appreciated that based on the profile elements shown in Fig. 2 it is possible to build up other lamella configurations, e.g. relatively narrow profiles by join¬ ing two elements 30 directly edge to edge or with use of two intermediate profiles 28, which are interconnected at their broad ends and are furthermore joined with end profiles 30 at both ends or edges. In fig. 5 it is indicated that in a corresponding manner it is possible to join profile elements 50 having plan parallel outer sides into a structure having an unrestricted dimension in the cross direction, e.g. for the construction of very broad panel elements. It is also shown that the joining profiles 36 may be modified in various ways, e.g. in being replaced by singular embracing profiles 52 for the respective head portions 34, the cross connection 38 between these profile por¬ tions being less important when fixed cross walls 22 are already present adjacent the joining areas, as these walls will hold together the edge portions of the pro¬ file elements with the desired spacing. The joining profile portions 40 should not neces¬ sarily extend over more than 180°, as their primary function is to merely hold the head forming portions 34 together, against each other in the width direction of the assembled structure, while the holding together in the cross direction will be effected by the cross wall portions 22 of the profile elements. An example of this is shown in Fig. 5, where a connector profile 54 having U-shaped edge flanges 56 cooperates with inwardly pro¬ truding plate flanges 58 next to the edges of the pro¬ file elements, which are otherwise joined by an ordinary socket joint. At the right hand side of this joint another joint is shown, where the flanges 58' are mu¬ tually spaced, but held together by means of a corre¬ spondingly broader joining head 56' on the joining pro¬ file 54'; such a broad joining head, however, is not particularly advantageous, as it causes an increased stiffness of the joining profile, whereby the latter can less easily adapt itself to the slightly curved shape of the profile elements, whereby it may be more difficult to insert. At 60 in Fig. 5 it is shown that a joining profile may extend in the plane of the profile elements and serve to hold together such portions 62, which are pro¬ jections on the edge walls 64 of the profile elements, whereby the outer edge areas will be held together at interengaging flange portions 66. At the outer right hand side of Fig. 5 another modification is shown, where the profile elements at one side do not have any edge recess, but are terminated by an end wall 68, along the edges of which there are provided engagement ribs 70 for guidingly receiving the side edges of the neighbouring element. Between the opposed edge ribs 70 the edge wall 68 is at one or more places provided with a projecting T-profiled portion 72, which is held together with a corresponding profile portion 74 on the neighbouring element by means of joining profiles 76. It should be mentioned that the use of the joining profiles, when these are inserted with considerable force for straightening the said slight wryness of the elements, will act strongly reinforcing on the elements, whereby it will often be possible to make use of a thin¬ ner base material. The elements can be surface treated before the joining, whereby no aftertreatment will be needed.

Claims: C L A I M S : 1. A method of edgewise joining hollow, extruded plate profiles for the formation of long and wide lamel¬ la or panel elements, e.g. for use in sun shading sy¬ stems, by which method use is made of plate profiles, which along their opposed edges are provided with mu¬ tually engageable edge profile portions, characterized in that use is made of plate profiles, the edge profile portions of which are shaped so as to engage each other lockingly in the cross direction when the plate profiles are brought together edge to edge, the edge portions also being shaped with crosswise arranged, inwardly protruding edge lange portions having a relatively short dimension in the cross direction, and that for the fixed joining of the plate profiles use is made of an additional joining profile member, which is optionally divided into two parts and is provided, mono- or bilat¬ erally, with a U- or C-profiled edge string portion, which is dimensioned such that this or these edge strings may surround or receive the said edge flange portions so as to hold them together for stabilizing the edge to edge engagement of the plate profile elements, said joining profile member being inserted in its axial direction lengthwise of the plate profiles as laid to¬ gether edge to edge, in holding engagement with the respective edge flange portions. 2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the joining profile used is a profile member, which is bilaterally provided with the said U- or C-profiled edge strings and has a narrow and flexible, plate shaped connector portion between these edge strings. 3. A method according to claim l, whereby the join- ing profile is inserted along practically the entire length of the plate profile elements, and whereby use is made of a joining profile, the U- or C-profiled edge strings of which are designed with pronounced coarse tolerances with respect to their fit with the edge flange portions of the plate profile elements. 4. A lamella or plate structure provided by the joining method according to claim 1, characterised in that the said edge flange portions are constituted by plate portions, which at their free, outer edge portions are provided, respectively, with a groove track and a rib projection fitting therein. 5. A lamella or plate structure according to claim 4, in which the rear sides of the edge flanges, opposite to the respective groove or rib means, are shaped with semicircular ribs, which by the butting together of the profile elements edge to edge form a head portion with an approximately circular cross section, and in which a joining profile has C-profiled edge strings fitting over this cross section.

Inventors: LUND-HANSEN KJELD BALSLEV, LUND-HANSEN, KJELD, BALSLEV
Applicants: TOENDER HYDRO ALUMINIUM, HYDRO ALUMINIUM TOENDER AS
Application year: 1989
Main classification: E06B9
IPC codes: E04C2, E04F10, E06B3, E06B9