Abstract:
A C-shaped sheet metal profile for partitions that are planked on both sides is provided. The C-shaped profile comprises two leg sections and a bottom section that interconnects the leg sections. The leg sections form lateral faces of the C-shaped profile. At least one of the leg sections is provided with beads which protrude outward and form a support area for the planking. At least some sections of the beads are embodied such that the support area corresponds to more than 5 percent and less than 25 percent of the lateral face when the depth of penetration of the beads into a planking amounts to 0.3 mm.

Description:
[0001]    The present invention relates to a C-shaped sheet metal profile for partitions that are planked on both sides, having two leg sections and one bottom section connecting the two leg sections, the leg sections forming lateral surfaces of the C-shaped profile and at least one of the leg sections having beads protruding outward and forming a support surface for the planking. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    C-shaped profile of this type in which the leg sections have a plurality of parallel beads running longitudinally and protruding outward is known from DE 100 13 991 C1. 
         [0003]    Although effective sound insulation can now be achieved for dry construction walls produced using such previously known C-shaped profiles, it is desirable to further improve the sound-insulating properties. The manufacturing costs should not be increased or only minimally increased in this process. 
         [0004]    An object of the present invention is to further refine a C-shaped profile of the type recited at the outset so that the sound-insulating properties are improved with minimal additional costs. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention provides a C-shaped profile recited at the outset in that the beads are configured at least in some sections in such a way that the support surface is greater than 5% and less than 25% of the lateral surface when the penetration depth of the beads into a planking is 0.3 mm. 
         [0006]    Appropriate configuration of the beads with the support surface size according to the present invention can make it possible to significantly improve the sound-insulating properties. The specification of the contact surface size is provided for a penetration depth of 0.3 mm. During installation of the C-shaped profile of the present invention, the bracing against the planking can result in a certain penetration of the beads into the planking. In the case of gypsum plasterboards, the beads can press slightly into the surface of the boards. However, the specification of the penetration depth does not mean that the C-shaped profile is only protected in the installed state or must always be installed with the same penetration depth. Rather this specification is intended to clearly define the support surface for the C-shaped profile regardless of the forces occurring during subsequent installation and the resulting penetration depth in the installed state. The lateral surface results from the product of the length and width of the leg sections regardless of any cutouts, bore holes, and deformations existing in the leg sections. 
         [0007]    A further improvement may be achieved in that the beads are configured and dimensioned in such a way that the support surface is greater than 10% of the lateral surface and less than 20% of the lateral surface, in particular greater than 12% of the lateral surface and less than 18% of the lateral surface, when the penetration depth of the beads into a planking is 0.3 mm. 
         [0008]    It may be particularly advantageous when the beads are configured and dimensioned such that the support surface is greater than 13% of the lateral surface and less than 16% of the lateral surface when the penetration depth of the beads into a planking is 0.3 mm. 
         [0009]    Manufacture may be facilitated in that the leg sections and the bottom section are made from one piece of sheet metal. 
         [0010]    The beads may be advantageously oblong and run in the longitudinal direction of the C-shaped profile, in particular over its entire length. 
         [0011]    Effective load distribution results when each leg section may have three to five parallel beads, in particular four parallel beads. 
         [0012]    The height of the beads may be advantageously between 0.5 mm and 5 mm, in particular between 1 mm and 3 mm. 
         [0013]    According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the beads may be convex in the region of the support surface and the radius at the top of the bead is between 0.6 mm and 2.5 mm, in particular between 0.8 mm and 1.9 mm. 
         [0014]    A further improvement may be achieved in that the beads are configured in such a way that the width of the contact surface in the region of one of the beads is between 1 mm and 3 mm, in particular between 1.3 mm and 2.2 mm, when the penetration depth of the beads into a planking is 0.3 mm. 
         [0015]    The rigidity as well as the sound-insulating properties of the C-shaped profile may be improved in that at least part of the surface of the sheet metal of the C-shaped profile has knurling. The knurling results in local, in particular punctiform, deformations of the sheet metal. In this context a large number of deformations may be provided per unit area, e.g., more than 5 deformations per cm 2  or more than 10 deformations per cm 2 . 
         [0016]    It may also be provided according to the present invention that the beads have a protrusion on their top side and a recess on their bottom side. 
         [0017]    The usability of the C-shaped profile may be expanded in that the two leg sections have different lengths, thus making it possible to join two identical C-shaped profiles to form a rectangular profile such that the shorter leg section of the C-shaped profile rests on the interior side of the longer leg section of the other C-shaped profile. 
         [0018]    In this context it may be advantageous when the beads of the two leg sections are staggered with respect to one another such that when two C-shaped profiles are joined to form a rectangular profile, the protrusions of the beads of the shorter leg sections rest in the recesses of the beads of the longer leg sections. The staggering of the beads results in a varying distance of the beads from the bottom section. However, the distance between the beads of both leg sections may be equal. 
         [0019]    According to the present invention, it may be advantageous for the thickness of the sheet metal to be between 0.3 mm and 3 mm, in particular between 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm. 
         [0020]    Additional objectives, features, advantages, and possible applications of the present invention result from the following description of exemplary embodiments on the basis of the drawings. All described and/or depicted features alone or in any combination form the object of the present invention regardless of their combination in the individual claims or their reference. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0021]    The figures show: 
           [0022]      FIG. 1  shows a spatial representation of the C-shaped profile of the present invention according to a first specific embodiment; 
           [0023]      FIG. 2  shows a spatial representation of the C-shaped profile of the present invention according to a second specific embodiment; 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  shows a cross section of the section of the partition having the C-shaped profile of the invention from  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 4  shows an enlarged detail A from  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 5  shows a cross section of two identical C-shaped profiles from  FIG. 1  joined to form a rectangular profile; and 
           [0027]      FIG. 6  shows a cross section of the section of a partition having the C-shaped profile of the invention according to a further specific embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0028]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  in particular, C-shaped profile  1  has a bottom section  3  and two leg sections  2 ,  2 ′ C-shaped profile  1  has an oblong shape. Accordingly, bottom section  3  and leg sections  2 ,  2 ′ have an essentially rectangular base form. Leg sections  2 ,  2 ′ are provided on each lateral side of bottom section  3  and extend in the same direction essentially perpendicularly to the bottom section. Each end of leg sections  2 ,  2 ′ facing away from bottom section  3  has a fold  13  angled inward at a right angle. 
         [0029]    In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , bottom section  3  is essentially flat. However, it has two grooves  4  extending in the longitudinal direction of C-shaped profile  1 . 
         [0030]    Each leg section  2 ,  2 ′ forms a lateral surface  5  of C-shaped profile  1 . Beads  6  are provided in leg sections  2 ,  2 ′. Four beads  6  extending in the longitudinal direction of C-shaped profile  1  over its entire length are provided in the embodiments shown in the figures. As a variation, beads  6  may also be configured in such a way that they extend only over a portion of the length of leg section  2 ,  2 ′ and/or in a direction other than the longitudinal direction. 
         [0031]    C-shaped profile  1  including leg sections  2 ,  2 ′ and bottom section  3  is made from one piece of sheet metal. Leg sections  2 ,  2 ′ are shaped as shown in the figures by cold rolling or bending. Beads  6  and grooves  4  are also produced by cold deformation of the steel sheet. In the case of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the sheet metal is essentially smooth except for beads  6  and grooves  4 . However, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , knurling  7  is provided. Accordingly, the sheet metal has a large number of local, in particular punctiform, deformations as clearly shown in  FIG. 2 . More than 5 deformations per cm 2  and in particular more than 10 deformations per cm 2  may be provided. 
         [0032]      FIGS. 3 and 4  show how C-shaped profile  1  may be used to produce a partition  8  (partially shown). In this context bottom section  3  of C-shaped profile  1  is perpendicular to partition  8 , leg sections  2 ,  2 ′ abutting the inside of the planking. In particular, shown gypsum plasterboards  9 ,  9 ′,  9 ″ connected via connecting means  10 , primarily designed as screws, to leg sections  2 ,  2 ′ are suitable as planking. The lower portion of  FIG. 3  shows that two gypsum plasterboards  9 ′,  9 ″ abut one another, the joint being sealed with putty  15 . An insulating material  11  is provided inside partition  8  in order to insulate against sound and/or heat. 
         [0033]    Since only beads  6  of leg sections  2 ,  2 ′ contact gypsum plasterboards  9 ,  9 ′,  9 ″, the support surface is formed by the regions of beads  6  protruding the farthest. The oblong configuration of beads  6  results in band-shaped support surface sections  12  in the region of each bead  6  in the embodiment shown. The area of a support surface section  12  therefore results from width R of support surface section  12  and its length. The total support surface is the result of the addition of individual support surface sections  12 . In the specific embodiments shown, there are four support surface sections  12  for each lateral surface  5 , corresponding to the four beads  6 . 
         [0034]    It has been determined that effective sound insulation is achieved when the support surface is between 5% and 25%, and in particular between 10% and 20%, of lateral surface  5 . Lateral surface  5  is measured as the product of length L and width B of leg sections  2  and  2 ′ regardless of any cutouts, bore holes, etc., present in leg sections  2  (see  FIG. 1 ). Since the support surface may depend on penetration depth E, the support surface is determined for an assumed 0.3 mm penetration depth E of beads  6  into the planking. Particularly good results are achieved when the support surface is between 12% and 18%, preferably between 13% and 16%, of the lateral surface. 
         [0035]    The height of beads  6  is between 0.5 mm and 5 mm, in particular between 1 mm and 3 mm. In the specific embodiments shown, the heights of the beads of the C-shaped profile are identical. 
         [0036]    Beads  6  are convex in the region of the support surface as clearly visible in  FIG. 4 . The radius at the top of the beads is between 0.6 m and 2.5 mm, preferably between 0.8 mm and 1.9 mm. Moreover, beads  6  are configured in such a way that width R of support surface sections  12  is between 1 mm and 3 mm, in particular between 1.3 mm and 2.1 mm, when penetration depth E of beads  6  into a planking is 0.3 mm. 
         [0037]    C-shaped profiles  1  are made of steel sheet having a thickness between 0.3 mm and 3 mm, in particular between 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm. The elastic modulus of the sheet metal is between 196 kN/mm 2  and 216 kN/mm 2 . The tensile strength of the sheet metal is between 270 MPa and 500 MPa. 
         [0038]      FIG. 5  shows how two identical C-shaped profiles  1  may be joined to form one rectangular profile. To facilitate this, both leg sections  2 ,  2 ′ of a C-shaped profile  1  have different lengths, thus making it possible to interlace the two C-shaped profiles  1  with one another in a simple manner. In this process the shorter of the two leg sections  2  of one C-shaped profile  1  is situated on the inside of the longer of the two leg sections  2 ′ of the other C-shaped profile  1 . The length of the shorter leg section  2  is dimensioned in such a way that this is able to be accommodated in the space resulting between fold  13  and inside  14  of bottom section  3 . Inside  14  of bottom section  3  is the side of bottom section  3  facing leg sections  2 ,  2 ′. In particular, the length difference between leg sections  2  and  2 ′ is double the sheet metal thickness or more. The length difference is preferably between two and four times the sheet metal thickness. 
         [0039]    Moreover, beads  6  of both leg sections  2 ,  2 ′ are staggered with respect to one another in such a way that when the two C-shaped profiles  1  are joined to form the rectangular profile shown in  FIG. 5  the protrusions of beads  6  of shorter leg section  2  abut the recesses of beads  6  of longer leg section  2 ′. The distance of beads  6  of shorter leg section  2  and the distance of beads  6  of longer leg section  2 ′ from bottom section  3  are different. 
         [0040]      FIG. 6  shows a further specific embodiment of a C-shaped profile  1  of the invention installed in a partition  8 . The structure of C-shaped profile  1  and partition  8  essentially match those in the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Reference is made to the description in this regard which also applies to  FIG. 6 . Parts having the same function are provided with the same reference numeral. However, in the case of the specific embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , only one groove  4  which runs lengthwise along the C-shaped profile and is broader than the grooves shown in  FIG. 3  is provided in bottom section  3 . 
       LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
       [0000]    
       
           1  C-shaped profile 
           2 ,  2 ′ Leg section 
           3  Bottom section 
           4  Groove 
           5  Lateral surface 
           6  Bead 
           7  Knurling 
           8  Partition 
           9 ,  9 ′,  9 ″ Gypsum plasterboard 
           10  Connecting means 
           11  Insulating material 
           12  Support surface section 
           13  Fold 
           14  Inside 
           15  Putty 
         L Length of the lateral surface 
         B Width of the lateral surface 
         E Penetration depth 
         R Width of the support surface sections