Abstract:
The invention relates to a sheet metal section for dry construction, including two limb portions and a base portion that connects the limb portions, in addition to at least one reinforcement strip that is situated on one of the limb portions. The sheet metal section is characterized in that it is equipped with a device for fixing the reinforcement strip to the limb portion.

Description:
[0001]    This claims the benefit of DE 20 2006 008 669.2 filed on May 30, 2006, through PCT/EP2006/010632 filed on Nov. 7, 2006, both are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a sheet metal section for dry construction having two leg sections and a base section connecting the leg sections as well as having at least one reinforcing strip on one of the leg sections. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Sheet metal sections are used in various embodiments in dry construction. A known embodiment of such a section is known as a C section, having two leg sections and one base section connecting the leg sections, bent supporting edges extending in the longitudinal direction of the section being provided on each leg section. 
         [0004]    DIN 18 182 (Part 1) in the version of January 1987 describes providing a double flange for the supporting edge of such a C section, this double area extending over part of the width of the supporting edge. 
         [0005]    In addition, those skilled in the art are aware that a C section may be designed to be more stable by using sheet metal of a greater material thickness. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    An object of the present invention is to further develop a generic section in such a way that it is particularly stable at a given material thickness. 
         [0007]    The present invention provides a sheet metal section for dry construction having two leg sections and one base section connecting the leg sections as well as having at least one reinforcing strip provided on the leg sections, a device being provided for fastening the reinforcing strip to the leg section. 
         [0008]    The design according to the present invention allows a substantial increase in the stability of the section. Because of the a device for fastening the reinforcing strip, an effective introduction of forces and thus good utilization of material may be achieved. It is thus possible for the first time to use a thinner sheet metal for the section and nevertheless obtain stability values for the section that could be achieved in the past only by using a much thicker sheet metal. The result is substantial savings potential because the use of material may be reduced significantly on the whole. Although a somewhat larger area of material is needed because of the reinforcing strip, this is more than compensated by the use of thinner sheet metal, so that on the whole, it is possible to lower the material consumption and thus the manufacturing cost. Another advantage is that handling and shipping are facilitated due to the lower weight achievable. 
         [0009]    A further improvement in stability is achieved by the fact that the devices for attaching the reinforcing strip to the leg section have plastic material deformations of the reinforcing strip and/or of the leg section. A plurality of local plastic material deformations may preferably be provided here. 
         [0010]    In addition, it has proven advantageous if the plastic material deformations have an elongated shape and extend in particular in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing strip. 
         [0011]    The plastic material deformations may advantageously be created throughjoining-by-forming of the leg section, e.g., a supporting edge formed here, and reinforcing strips, in particular by clinching. 
         [0012]    If the devices for fastening the reinforcing strip to the leg section include an adhesive, the stability of the section may be further improved. 
         [0013]    Manufacturing of the section is simple in particular when the reinforcing strip is a portion of the leg section that has been bent back and is secured by the devices for fastening the reinforcing strip. 
         [0014]    Alternatively, the reinforcing strip may be a separate element, in particular a sheet metal strip. In this case, a sheet metal forming step may be omitted because the reinforcing strip need not be bent back. The reinforcing strip may instead be supplied separately during manufacturing and may be connected to the leg section, e.g., its supporting edge, by the fastening device. In this way, any splitting residues or seaming strips or other residual materials that occur may be used for the reinforcing strip. 
         [0015]    According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the leg sections has a supporting edge that is bent and runs in the longitudinal direction of the section and the reinforcing strip is provided on the bent supporting edge. 
         [0016]    According to the present invention, it is also possible for the reinforcing strip to extend along the supporting edge, in particular over its entire length and/or to be situated on the side facing the base section and/or on the side of the supporting edge facing away from the base section. In the arrangement on the side facing the base section, particularly high stability is achieved. 
         [0017]    In addition, it has proven successful if the supporting edge has a curvature in the transverse direction of the supporting edge. This may be designed in such a way that the supporting edge is convex on the side facing away from the base section and/or is concave on the side facing the base section. 
         [0018]    According to an embodiment that is particularly advantageous, the reinforcing strip extends over the entire width of the bent supporting edge. 
         [0019]    According to the present invention, the section may also be designed as a C section or as a U section. 
         [0020]    Additional goals, features, advantages and possible applications of the present invention are derived from the following description of exemplary embodiments on the basis of the drawings. All features described and/or illustrated here, either alone or in any combination, constitute the subject matter of the present invention, also independently of how they are combined in individual claims or their reference back to preceding claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  shows a section according to the present invention in a first embodiment from the side; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective diagram of the section from  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective diagram of a section according to the present invention in another embodiment; 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective diagram of a section according to the present invention in another embodiment; 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective diagram of a section according to the present invention in another embodiment; 
           [0026]      FIG. 5   a  shows a side view of the section from  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 6  shows a section according to the present invention in another embodiment from the side; 
           [0028]      FIG. 7  shows a section according to the present invention in another embodiment from the side. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0029]    The figures show in each case different embodiments of a section  1  of sheet metal for dry construction. Such a section may be used as a substructure in dry construction, e.g., for plasterboard in walls or suspended ceilings. 
         [0030]    Section  1  has two leg sections  2  and a base section  3  connecting leg sections  2 . A plurality of beads  6 ,  7  extending in the longitudinal direction of section  1  is shaped into leg sections  2  and base section  3 . 
         [0031]    A bent supporting edge  4  running in the longitudinal direction of section  1  is provided on each leg section  2 . Supporting edge  4  pointing inward may be used for connecting to other fastening elements of the dry construction, e.g., using a so-called cross connector (not shown), which engages beneath supporting edge  4  with protrusions provided for this purpose. 
         [0032]    A reinforcing strip  5  is provided on each leg section  2 . This strip runs along supporting edge  4  and is situated on the side of supporting edge  4  facing base section  3  in the exemplary embodiments shown here. Reinforcing strip  5  preferably extends over entire width B of bent supporting edge  4 , as shown here. 
         [0033]    Reinforcing strip  5  may also be provided on the side facing away from base section  3 , unlike what is shown here. 
         [0034]    In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , supporting edge  4  has a curvature running in the transverse direction of supporting edge  4  and is designed in such a way that supporting edge  4  is convex on the side facing away from base section  3  and is concave on the side facing base section  3 . 
         [0035]    Whereas supporting edge  4  of the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 through 5  has a curved shape, in the design illustrated in  FIG. 6 , supporting edge  4  is designed to be straight and is situated at a right angle to leg section  2 . In  FIG. 7 , supporting edge  4  is situated at an acute angle to leg section  2  and its free end points toward base section  3 . 
         [0036]    In the embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 3 ,  6  and  7 , reinforcing strip  5  is a bent-back part of leg section  2  (or of supporting edge  4 ), which comes to rest on supporting edge  4 . Reinforcing strip  5  is thus folded over toward the inside of the section during manufacturing until it assumes the position illustrated in the figures. 
         [0037]    However, in the embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  5   a , reinforcing strip  5  is a separate element, e.g., in the form of a sheet metal strip, which is reliably secured by the device for fastening the reinforcing strip to leg section  2  or its supporting edge  4  in the manner described in greater detail below. 
         [0038]      FIGS. 6 and 7  show that reinforcing strip  5  may have a first area  8  for contacting supporting edge  4  and a second area  9  for contacting the inside of leg section  2  (outside of supporting edge  4 ). Reinforcing strip  5  then conforms to supporting edge  4  or leg section  2 . First and second areas  8 ,  9  are joined together over a bending line  10 . First area  8  extends parallel to supporting edge  4  and second area  9  extends parallel to leg section  2 . 
         [0039]      FIGS. 2 through 5  illustrate that devices  12  for fastening reinforcing strip  5  to leg section  2  are provided. In the embodiments shown here, these are designed as plastic material deformations  11  joining supporting edge  4  and reinforcing strip  5  and fastening reinforcing strip  5  to supporting edge  4 . 
         [0040]    A plurality of local and locally limited material deformations  11  is provided, distributed over supporting edge  4  and reinforcing strip  5 . In the embodiments shown here, material deformations  11  each have an elongated shape and extend in the longitudinal direction of reinforcing strip  5 . This embodiment is suitable in particular within the scope of the present invention. However, material deformations may also be used in other forms not shown here. Particularly great stability is achieved when the material of supporting edge  4  and reinforcing strip  5  flows one into the other due to plastic material deformations  11 . 
         [0041]    Material deformations  11  may be created through joining-by-forming of supporting edge  4  and reinforcing strip  5 . In particular the method known as clinching may be used here. 
         [0042]    In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , which also show section  1  only from the side, material deformations are likewise provided of the type illustrated in  FIGS. 2 through 5 . 
         [0043]    As an alternative or in addition to material deformations  11 , device  12  for fastening reinforcing strip  5  to leg section  2  may include an adhesive which bonds reinforcing strip  5  to leg section  2  and its supporting edge  4 . This results in a particularly high load-bearing capacity, in particular when material deformations  11  and the adhesive are provided at the same time. 
         [0044]    Section  1 , which is designed as a C section, is made of curved steel plate, in particular galvanized. The material thickness of the sheet metal and the reinforcing strip is advantageously between 0.2 mm and 2.0 mm, in particular between 0.3 mm and 1.0 mm and preferably 0.4 mm. 
       LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
       [0000]    
       
           1  Section 
           2  Leg section 
           3  Base section 
           4  Supporting edge 
           5  Reinforcing strip 
           6  Bead 
           7  Bead 
           8  First area 
           9  Second area 
           10  Bending line 
           11  Material deformations 
           12  Device for fastening the reinforcing strip to the leg section 
         B Width of the supporting edge