SET OF STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS FOR THE FORMATION OF COMPOSITE METAL-WOOD SECTIONS

Abstract: A set of structural elements for the formation of composite metal-wood sections comprises an external supporting section (19) in metal, in particular aluminium, an internal section (20) in wood, a connecting element (21) suitable for being fastened to said internal section (20) and for being placed side by side with and connected to said external section (19) and a U-shaped element (22) suitable for accomplishing a clamping engagement between said external section (19) and said connecting element (21). The external supporting section (19) has a cavity (26) suitable for receiving a connecting part (16) of the connecting element (21) and a flat wall (5) against which there abuts a corresponding wall (6) of the same connecting element (21).

Description: "Set of structural elements for the formation of composite metal-wood sections". * * * * * D E S C R I P T I O N The present invention relates to a set of structural elements for the formation of composite metal-wood sections. For aesthetic reasons and for reasons of thermal and acoustical insulation there is a need, originating from the market, of window and door frames with the external part in metal, usually aluminium, and the internal one in wood. Mixed aluminium-wood sections already exist on the market. The joining systems used up to now are mainly two. One system provides for clamping the part in aluminium to the part in wood by means of the use of an epoxy or polyurethane resin which constitutes the adhesive between the two parts while still ensuring the freedom to slip in the case of heat expansion. The use of this system, while ensuring a continuous connection between the part in wood and that in aluminium, has the disadvantage of requiring for its accomplishment the presence of a special production installation. Another system provides that clamping the part in wood with the part in aluminium be accomplished through dowels or connecting clips. As is obvious, the use of this system does not allow the accomplishment of a continuous connection between the part in wood and the part in aluminium, but with respect to the system illustrated above with the use of resin it does away with the production installation and the connection can be made with normal frame-operator fixtures. The object of the present invention is to accomplish a set of structural elements for the formation of a composite metal- wood section wherein the part in metal and the part in wood are connected together in a continuous manner, that is, along the entire length of the window or door frame, without requiring the use of a particular production installation. According to the present invention such object is attained through a set of structural elements for the formation of composite metal-wood sections, characterized in that it comprises an external supporting section in metal, an internal section in wood, a connecting element suitable for being fastened to said internal section and for being placed side by side with and connected to said external section and a U-shaped element suitable for accomplishing a clamping engagement between said external section and said connecting element. Preferably said connecting element is accomplished with an L-shape and said external section has a cavity suitable for receiving a connecting part of said connecting element and a flat wall against which a corresponding flat wall of the connecting element itself can be made to abut. In this way, without using any particular production installation, it is possible to connect the external section in metal, preferably aluminium, with the internal section in wood through a connection extending along the entire length of the metal section. The features of the present invention shall be made more evident by an embodiment illustrated as a non-limiting example in the enclosed drawings, wherein: Fig.s 1 to 4 illustrate separately the external section in aluminium, the L-shaped connecting element, the U-shaped element, the internal section in wood; Fig.s 5 to 8 illustrate successive assembly steps up to the accomplishment of a composite aluminium-wood section. With reference to the mentioned figures, the composite aluminium-wood section illustrated as a whole in Fig. 8 comprises an external section in aluminium 19, illustrated in Fig. 1, an internal section in wood 20, illustrated in Fig. 4, an L-shaped connecting element 21 accomplished in rigid plastic material, illustrated in Fig. 2, and suitable for being placed side by side with and connected to said external section and a U-shaped element 22, illustrated in Fig. 3, suitable for accomplishing the clamping action between the external section 19 and the connecting element 21. The U-shaped element 22 is made of rigid plastic material or even of extruded aluminium. The external section 19 has a tubular shape with a substantially polygonal cross-section provided with a first and a second larger face 1, 2 opposite to one another and connected through an external smaller face 3 which extends into an abutment element 4 suitable for defining the external front of the window or door frame and an internal smaller face 5 suitable for constituting a flat wall against which there abuts a corresponding wall 6 of the L-shaped connecting eLement 21. The first and second larger face 1, 2 comprise central portions 7, 8 parallel to one another, provided with portions 9, 10 defining C-shaped cavities 11, 12 for housing and connecting the various members of the window or door frame. The first Larger face 1 also comprises lateral portions 12, 13 converging towards the corresponding lateral portions 14, 15 of the second larger face 2 up to the union with the external smaller face 3 and internal smaller face 5. Between one of the portions 9 of the C-shaped cavity 11 of the first larger face 1 and the smaller face 5 there is defined a cavity 26 suitable for receiving a connecting part 16 of the L-shaped connecting element 21. The L-shaped connecting eLement 21 also has a protrusion 17 suitable for being inserted or screwed into a corresponding cavity 18 obtained in the internal section in wood 20 for its connection and possibly for its glueing to it. As illustrated in Fig. 5, initially the L-shaped connecting eLement 21 is connected to the internal section in wood 20 by inserting the protrusion 17 into the cavity 18. Then, with reference to Fig. 6, the connecting part 16 of the connecting element 21 is inserted into the cavity 26 of the external section 19 and the wall 6 of the connecting element is placed side by side with the flat waLL constituted by the smaller internal face 5 of the external section 19. With reference to Fig. 7, the clamping action between the external section 19 and the connecting element 21 is accomplished by connecting under pressure the U-shaped element 22 with terminal portions 25 and 23 of the connecting element 21 and of the smaller face 5 of the external section 19, respectively. When assembly is finished, the composite section is as illustrated in Fig. 8. It should lastly be noted that the external section 19, while it does have a tubular shape with a polygonal cross- section, can be accomplished in any other shape suitable for carrying out the same function.

Claims: C L A I M S 1. Set of structural elements for the formation of composite metal-wood sections, characterized in that it comprises an external supporting section (19) in metal, an internal section (20) in wood, a connecting element (21) suitable for being fastened to said internal section (20) and for being placed side by side with and connected to said exte naL section (19) and a U-shaped eLement (22) suitable for accomplishing a clamping engagement between said external section (19) and said connecting element (21). 2. Set of elements according to claim 1, characterized in that said connecting element (21) is accomplished in an L shape and said externaL section (19) has a cavity (26) suitable for receiving a connecting part (16) of said connecting element (21) and a flat wall (5) against which there abuts a corresponding wall (6) of the same connecting element ( 21 ) . 3. Set of elements according to claim 1, characterized in that the internal section (20) in wood has a cavity (18) for connecting to a corresponding protrusion (17) of said connecting element (21). 4. Set of elements according to-claim 2, characterized in that said external section (19) has a tubular shape with a substantially polygonal cross-section provided with a first and a second Larger face (1, 2) opposite to one another and connected through an externaL smaller face (3) which extends into an abutment element (4) suitable for defining the externaL front of the window or door frame, an internal smaller face (5) suitable for constituting said flat wall against which there abuts the corresponding flat wall (6) of the L-shaped connecting element (21), said first and second Larger face ( 1, 2) comprising central portions (7, 8) parallel to one another provided with portions (9, 10) defining C-shaped cavities (7, 8 ) for housing and connecting .the various members of the window or door frame, said first larger face (1) also comprises lateral portions (12, 13) converging towards the corresponding lateral portions (14, 15) of the second Larger face (2) up to the union with said smaller faces (3, 5), between one of the portions (9) of the C-shaped cavity (11) of said first larger face (1) and said internal smaller face (5) there being defined said cavity (26) suitable for receiving said connecting part ( 16) of said L-shaped connecting element (21).

Inventors: ZANONI EDOARDO, ZANONI, EDOARDO
Applicants: HYDRO ALUMINIUM SYSTEMS SPA, HYDRO ALUMINIUM SYSTEMS S.P.A.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: E06B3
IPC codes: E06B1, E06B3