Patent Publication Number: US-11047415-B2

Title: Rear-wall insert wedge

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to German Utility Model Application No. 20 2017 101 856.3 filed Mar. 30, 2017, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     DESCRIPTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to an insert wedge for fixedly clamping a first panel within a groove in a second panel, and also to an associated panel arrangement. 
     Background of the Invention 
     DE 83 31 968 U1 and DE 20 2008 006 607 U1 disclose rear-wall holders for fixing a rear-wall panel in position within a groove in a base panel, in which documents the rear-wall holder is anchored in the base panel and the rear-wall panel is screw-connected to the rear-wall holder by means of a screw. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In comparison, the invention is based on the object of fixing a first panel in position within a groove in a second panel in a simpler and more economical manner without tools. 
     According to the invention, this object is achieved by an insert wedge for fixedly clamping a first panel within a groove in a second panel, comprising a square angle which has a broad limb and a wedge-like, narrow limb, and comprising a spring tongue which is integrally formed on the outer side of the broad limb and extends by way of its free tongue end beyond the outer side of the narrow limb. 
     The insert wedge according to the invention can be produced in a simple and economical manner with a low level of expenditure on manufacture, for example from plastic or die-cast zinc, and fitted in an intuitive manner without tools. 
     The outer side of the narrow limb and the inner side of the broad limb preferably form an angle of 90°. 
     The spring tongue is preferably inclined in relation to the inner side of the broad limb, wherein the outer side of the narrow limb and the outer side of the spring tongue form an angle of between 70° and 80°, in particular of 75°. The spring tongue, by way of its outer side, preferably smoothly adjoins the outer side of the narrow limb. 
     The outer and/or inner side of the narrow limb and/or the outer side of the spring tongue particularly preferably have/has projections, for example in the form of sharp spikes, teeth, barbs, fluting, claws or ribs, in order to prevent the fitted insert wedge from being pulled out. 
     In order to increase the ability of the spring tongue to be elastically deflected in relation to the square angle, the narrow limb can have a slot, which is open to the outer side of the said narrow limb and runs parallel to the spring tongue, close to the transition region to the spring tongue. 
     The broad limb preferably has a cutout which is open to the inner side of the said broad limb and to the end side of the said broad limb, which end side is averted from the narrow limb, it being possible for a dismantling tool (for example a screwdriver) to be inserted into the said cutout. 
     The invention also relates to an arrangement comprising two panels which are connected to one another, the first panel from amongst the said two panels being inserted into a groove in the other, second panel, and comprising an insert wedge which is designed in the above manner, the wedge-like, narrow limb of the said insert wedge being pushed in a clamping manner into a gap, which is present within the groove when the first panel is inserted, until the broad limb bears by way of its inner side against the second panel, and the spring tongue of the said insert wedge being straightened and pressed against the first panel. For a clamping effect, the groove width of the groove is greater than the panel thickness of the first panel by at most the width of the narrow limb. In this arrangement according to the invention, the two panels are fixed to one another with a high degree of angular stability. 
     In order to achieve a stronger clamping effect, the groove width can be chosen to be greater than the panel thickness of the first panel by less than the width of the narrow limb. 
     For the purpose of exactly prespecifying the position, the second panel can have a bore which is, in particular, open to the groove, a pin of the insert wedge, which pin projects from the inner side of the broad limb, engaging in the said bore in a precise position. 
     Further advantages of the invention are evident from the description, the claims and the drawing. Similarly, the features mentioned above and those that will be presented further can be used in each case by themselves or as a plurality in any desired combinations. The embodiments shown and described should not be understood to be an exhaustive enumeration, but rather are of exemplary character for outlining the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings: 
         FIGS. 1 a , 1 b    show a perspective view ( FIG. 1 a   ) and a side view ( FIG. 1 b   ) of a first embodiment of the rear-wall insert wedge according to the invention; 
         FIGS. 2 a -2 d    show the fitting of the rear-wall insert wedge according to the invention; 
         FIG. 3  shows the arrangement shown in  FIG. 2 b    with a modified rear-wall insert wedge; 
         FIG. 4  shows a front view of a second embodiment of the rear-wall insert wedge according to the invention; and 
         FIGS. 5 a , 5 b    show a side view ( FIG. 5 a   ) and a front view ( FIG. 5 b   ) of a third embodiment of the rear-wall insert wedge according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The rear-wall insert wedge (“rear-wall holder”)  1  shown in  FIG. 1  serves to fixedly clamp a first panel within a groove in a second panel and is integrally formed, for example, from plastic or die-cast zinc. 
     The insert wedge  1  comprises a square angle  2  having a relatively broad limb  3  and having a wedge-like, relatively narrow limb  4 , and also comprises a spring tongue  5  which is integrally formed on the outer side  3   a  of the broad limb  3  and extends by way of its free tongue end  6  beyond the outer side  4   a  of the narrow limb  4 . The narrow limb  4  and the spring tongue  5  are each in the form of a continuous wall. The inner side  3   b  of the broad limb  3  and the outer side  4   a  of the narrow limb  4  form an angle of 90°, wherein the outer side  3   a  of the broad limb  3 , as in the exemplary embodiment shown, can run parallel to the inner side  3   b  of the broad limb  3 , but does not have to. The wedge angle which is formed between the outer and inner sides  4   a ,  4   b  of the narrow limb is between 2° and 5°, preferably approximately 3°. 
     The spring tongue  5  is inclined in relation to the inner side  3   b  of the broad limb  3 . In this case, the outer side  5   a  of the spring tongue  5  steplessly adjoins the outer side  4   a  of the narrow limb  4  and forms an angle of between 70° and 80°, preferably of approximately 75°, together with the inner side  3   b  of the broad limb  3 . The narrow limb  4  has a slot  7 , which is open to the outer side  4   a  of the said narrow limb and runs parallel to the spring tongue  5 , close to the transition region to the spring tongue  5  in order to increase the ability of the spring tongue  5  to be elastically deflected in relation to the square angle  2 . 
     The outer and inner sides  4   a ,  4   b  of the narrow limb  4  and also the outer side  5   a  of the spring tongue  5  have spike-like projections  8 , the lengths of the said spike-like projections in each case decreasing in the direction of the free limb end and, respectively, of the free tongue end  6 . Furthermore, a cutout  9  which is open to the inner side  3   b  of the said broad limb and to the outer side  3   c  of the said broad limb, which outer side is averted from the narrow limb  4 , is provided in the broad limb  3 . 
       FIGS. 2 a -2 d    show the fitting of the insert wedge  1  for fixedly clamping a rear-wall panel  11  within a groove  13  in a base plate  12 . The rear-wall panel  11  is inserted into the groove  13  in the base plate  12  ( FIG. 2 a   ), the groove width B of the said groove being greater than the panel thickness d of the rear-wall panel  11  by at most the width b of the narrow limb  4 . As a result, a gap  14  remains when the rear-wall panel  11  is inserted in the groove  13 , the gap width of the said gap corresponding at most to the width b of the narrow limb  4  ( FIGS. 2 b , 2 c   ) and possibly being, for example, approximately 1 mm. The insert wedge  1  is pushed into this gap  14  in a clamping manner by way of its wedge-like, narrow limb  4  in arrow direction  15  until the broad limb  3  bears by way of its inner side  3   b  against the base plate  12  ( FIGS. 2 c , 2 d   ). In the process, the spring tongue  5  is straightened and pressed against the rear-wall panel  11 . The rear-wall panel  11  is therefore fixedly clamped in the groove  13  by the wedge-like, narrow limb  4  and additionally stabilized by the spring tongue  5  which is pressed against the said rear-wall panel. The projections  8  of the narrow limb  4  dig into the rear-wall panel  11  and into the groove flank of the groove  13 , and the projections  8  of the spring tongue  5  dig into the rear-wall panel  11 , so that the insert wedge  1  and therefore the entire arrangement  10  is fixed in position. 
     For dismantling purposes, the insert wedge  1  can be levered out of the gap  14  against the insertion direction  15  by means of a screwdriver which is inserted into the cutout  9 . 
     In  FIG. 3 , the insert wedge  1  is positioned by means of an integrally formed pin  16  which projects downwards in the insertion direction  15  on the broad limb  3  and engages into a bore  17 —which is, in particular, open to the groove  13 —in the base plate  12 . 
     Instead of being designed as flat walls as in  FIG. 1 , the narrow limb  4  and/or the spring tongue  5  can also be designed as walls with a corrugated cross section which can then be pressed flat in the clamped-in state. 
     Instead of being designed as sharp spikes as in  FIG. 1 , the projections  8  can also be designed as teeth, barbs, fluting, claws, or, as shown in  FIG. 4 , as vertical ribs which are designed, merely by way of example here, in the form of equilateral acute triangles each with a downwardly directed point. In each case, the projections  8  prevent the insert wedge  1  from being pulled out of the gap  14  and prevent the rear-wall panel  11  from being pulled out of the base plate  12 . 
     The insert wedge  1  shown in  FIGS. 5 a , 5 b    differs from the insert wedge  1  of  FIG. 1  in that the narrow limb  4  and the spring tongue  5  are not formed as continuous walls here, but rather are each formed by a series of spaced-apart vertical struts  18 ,  19 , and in that the projections  8  are formed by teeth of the vertical struts  18 ,  19 . In addition, the inner side  3   b  of the broad limb  3  and the outer side  4   a  of the narrow limb  4  form an angle of less than 90°, preferably in the range of between 80° and 85°.