Abstract:
A connection element for a support frame system includes at least two part elements configured substantially in U shape and joinable together in mirror-inverted form. The elements can be plugged into one another in mirror-inverted form, with the first part element connectable to at least one fastening element and with the second part element connectable to at least one positioning element and/or having at least one positioning element.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a connection element for a support frame system, as well as to a support frame system having at least two support frame elements, and having at least one connection element. 
     Support frame systems in the intended form of use such as skeleton support frames are in particular formed by rectangular aluminum hollow sections which are joined together by means of weld connections. 
     The use of so-called ITEM sections and of corresponding connection elements or the use of gusset plates and angular elements is also known. 
     It has been found to be disadvantageous in the previously known approaches for the purpose of support frame systems that the known approaches are complex and expensive or also can only be positioned with respect to one another with a great effort without corresponding apparatus. It is also not easily possible to connect the sections of known support frame systems to one another, releasably or unreleasably, in a non-cutting manner, reliable in processing and secure against vibration. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore the object of the present invention to further develop a connection element and a support frame system of the initially named kind in an advantageous manner, in particular such that support frame elements can be connected to one another simply and reliably. 
     This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by a connection element for a support frame system including at least two part elements which are configured substantially in U shape and which can be or are joined together in mirror-inverted form, and in particular can be or are plugged into one another in mirror-inverted form, with the first part element being connectable or connected to at least one fastening element and with the second part element being connectable or connected to at least one positioning element and/or having at least one positioning element. 
     It thereby advantageously becomes possible to connect support frame elements of a support system simply and reliably to one another. A distinct positionability with respect to one another is in particular possible without any other apparatus and also when it is, for example, a question of support frame elements of different dimensions and materials. The support frame elements can, for example, be rectangular hollow sections of different dimensions and materials. 
     A connection of the support frame elements is possible in a non-cutting manner, reliable in processing and secure against vibration, with the support frame elements being non-releasably or releasably connectable to one another by means of the connection element. Angular connections from 0° to 360° are also possible in continuous form since the part elements configured in U shape can be correspondingly positioned and set by their shape. 
     It is possible that the fastening element comprises at least one closing eye bolt, at least one nut and/or at least one screw and/or that the fastening element is at least one closing eye bolt, at least one nut and/or at least one screw. 
     Provision can furthermore be made that at least one fastening attachment is provided by means of which the fastening element can be fastened and/or that a fastening pin is provided by means of which the fastening element, in particular the closing eye bolt, can be fastened and fixed. 
     It is moreover conceivable that the fastening attachment has at least one receiver, in particular a hexagon socket, into which the nut or the screw can be inserted. A corresponding nut, which has a hexagon head, or a screw having a hexagon head can be inserted into the receiver, in particular into the hexagon socket. The nut or the screw can thus be fixed in position and location by the fastening attachment. The fastening attachment can thus also transmit an assembly torque from the fastening element to the connection element. 
     Provision can furthermore be made that the fastening attachment has at least two nose-like projections and that the second U-shaped part element has at least two receivers, with the nose-like projections being able to be inserted into the receivers and with the fastening attachment hereby being able to be held substantially in the correct position and in a clamping manner in the assembled state of the connection element. 
     It is furthermore conceivable that the positioning element comprises at least one positioning spigot and/or that the positioning element is at least one positioning spigot. 
     Provision can furthermore be made that the first part element and the second part element each have at least two throughgoing rivet bores per flank which coincide in the assembled state of the connection element. 
     The present invention furthermore relates to a support frame system that is provided with at least two support frame elements and with at least one connection element, with the support frame elements being connectable or connected to one another by means of the connection element. 
     Provision can furthermore be made that a support frame element has bores into which the at least one positioning spigot can be or is inserted or into which positioning spigots can be or are inserted. 
     It is in addition possible that a support frame element has rivet bores and that rivets can be or are inserted through the rivet bores into the rivet bores of the connection element. 
     Further details and advantages of the invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1 a - c    show a first embodiment of a variable connection element in accordance with the invention; 
         FIGS. 2 a - c    show a plurality of views of the connection element shown in  FIGS. 1 a   - c;    
         FIGS. 3 a - d    show a plurality of variations of the connection element shown in  FIGS. 1 a - c    as well as of the connection element shown in  FIGS. 1 a   - 2   c;    
         FIGS. 4 a - c    show a second embodiment of a variable connection element in accordance with the invention; 
         FIGS. 5 a - c    show a third embodiment of a variable connection element in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 6  shows a schematic sectional representation of the installation situation of a connection element with a representation of the continuous angle variance; 
         FIGS. 7 a - c    show perspective representations of different assembly situations of the connection element; and 
         FIG. 8  shows a schematic representation of the concept of the flow of forces of the assembled connection element. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 1 a - c    show several views, including an exploded representation and an assembled state, an embodiment of a variable connection element  10  with a closing eye bolt  100  in accordance with the invention. 
     The variable connection element  10  in this respect generally serves as a universal connection element for primarily rectangular hollow sections. 
     In this respect, only one single connection element size is advantageously required per hollow section cross-section size in order to be able to realize continuously, non-releasably or releasably, angular connections of 0° to 360°. 
     Support frame skeletons which are based on this variable section connection system can be directly provided with paneling, insertion elements, modular units and the like since the connection elements are invisibly integrated into the hollow sections, and thus planar, throughgoing support surfaces free of steps and overhangs can be realized. 
     Each connection element  10  (cf. also  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 ) substantially comprises two part elements  12  and  14  which are configured in U shape and which are plugged into one another with mirror inversion. The front part element  12  serves for reception of the fastening element, here the closing eye bolt  100 . 
     The rear part element  14  is in each case, depending on the connection element size, equipped with two or three respective positioning spigots per side. The embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 a  to 3 c    in this respect each have two positioning spigots  20  per side, whereas the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 d    is equipped with a respective three positioning spigots  20  per side. 
     The smaller connection elements  10 ,  10 ′,  10 ″,  10 ′″ which are predominantly used are equipped with a respective one fastening element  100 , four positioning spigots  20  and two throughgoing rivet bores  30  per flank; the larger dimensions are equipped with two fastening elements  100 , six spigots  20  and three rivet bores  30  per flank, as is shown in  FIGS. 3 a - d   , for example. 
     The positioning spigots  20  project at the front side after the plugging together of the two part elements  12 ,  14 . 
     The front, inwardly disposed fastening pin  110  serves, on the use of closing eye bolts, as a fastening element, as a counterholder, for example, as is shown in  FIG. 1 . The rear, inwardly disposed fastening pin  120  serves, just as also the front, inwardly disposed fastening pin  110 , for fixing the part elements  12  and  14 . 
     On the use of flange nuts  200  (cf.  FIGS. 4 a - c   ) or flange screws  300  (cf.  FIGS. 5 a - c   ) as a fastening element  200  or  300  respectively, a fastening attachment  400  is used, which can be of the same construction for both applications, for fastening the flange nut  200  or the flange screw  300  respectively, instead of the front, inwardly disposed fastening pin  110 . It receives the fastening element  200  or  300  via a hexagon socket  410  and fixes it in position and location. The fastening attachment  400  also transmits the assembly torque from the fastening element  200  or  300  to the connection element  10   x  or  10   y.    
     The fastening attachment  400  has two nose-like projections  420  which can be inserted into corresponding receivers  15  of the second U-shaped part element  14  and hold the fastening attachment  400  substantially in the correct position and in a clamping manner in the assembled state (cf.  FIGS. 4 a - c  and 5 a - c   ). 
     The rear pin  120  fixes the two U-shaped part elements  12  and  14  of the connection element  10   x  or  10   y , which is of the same construction as the first embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 a  to 2 c    to this extent, after the plugging together. 
     Each of the part elements  12 ,  14  has two to three throughgoing rivet bores  30  at their flanks, said rivet bores being aligned with one another after the assembly. 
     The connection element  10  has at its lower end face a planar support surface  18  which represents the reference plane for the installation or for the connection of two hollow section elements  500 ,  520 . The upper end face is provided with a rounded portion  19  whose center axis results from the intersection of the reference plane with the front plane. This rounded portion ensures the continuous installation of the same connector at an angle from 0° to 90° and thus the realization of angular connections from 0° to 360° (cf.  FIG. 6 ). To be able to assemble the fastening element  100 , the hollow section element  500  has a corresponding access opening  510  via which the fastening element  100  can be assembled by means of a tool or, on the use of fastening element  200  and  300  respectively, these can be assembled accordingly. 
     On each establishing of a connection (cf.  FIGS. 7 a - c   ), the end surface of the one hollow section element  520  is pressed onto the provided outer jacket surface of the other hollow section element  500 . The hollow section element  520  that has an end face that is applied contains the connection element  10  in this respect. The latter is pushed into the hollow section  520  at the end face, with the positioning spigots  20  and the closing eye bolt  100  facing outwardly. 
     The fixing takes place at both sides by means of rivet connections through the rivet bores  30 ,  530  in the hollow section and in the flanks of the connection element  10  with rivets  35 , the rivet bores being intended for this purpose, being throughgoing and being of the same alignment. The front surface of the connection element  10  is inwardly offset toward the end face of the hollow section  520 . The positioning spigots  20  project out of the hollow section element  520 . 
     The counterbore pattern matching the connection element  10  is located in the jacket surface of the counter-hollow section element  500 . In this respect, the outer bores  502  serve as guides for the positioning spigots  20  and thus ensure the clear and exact location of the hollow section elements  500 ,  520  with respect to one another, as also a security against rotation. The middle bore  504  of the bore pattern serves for receiving the fastening element  100  of the connection element  10 . 
     The circular assembly opening  510  is located in the jacket surface of the same hollow section element  500  disposed opposite the bore pattern. With a plurality of fastening elements  100  (cf.  FIG. 3 d   ), a plurality of assembly openings  510  can also be provided. Said opening(s) is/are arranged concentric to the middle bore(s) of the bore pattern for the fastening element(s)  100 . 
     After the plugging together of the two hollow section elements  500 ,  520 , they are connected to one another with a precisely defined preload force, non-releasably (with a closing eye bolt attachment) or releasably (with a screw or nut attachment), with the aid of the fastening elements  100 . 
     In this respect, the counter element associated with fastening element (for example a closing ring with a closing eye bolt, a screw with a nut or a nut with a screw) is introduced through the respective assembly opening and the connection is established with the matching tool. 
       FIG. 8  shows a schematic representation of the force flow concept of the assembled connection element  10  which connects the two hollow sections  500  and  520 . That gap which exists due to the installation offset of the connection element in the hollow section between the front surface of the connector and the jacket surface of the counter-hollow section is closed by the introduced preload force. This preload force is transmitted directly into the contact surface between the two hollow section elements  500 ,  520  due to this gap and thus generates that contact pressure which is required for the stability of the connection.