Device for fastening a vertically oriented panel

This application claims the benefit of German patent application 20 2024 103 142.3, filed on 12 Jun. 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The present disclosure relates to a device for fastening a panel, for example a guard rail panel in a U-shaped guide channel of a floor profile.

According to the prior art, different devices are known for fastening planar components, for example for erecting a guard rail. Such devices and various fastening techniques are primarily necessary for the installation of glass balustrades on buildings. For this purpose, the guard rail panels manufactured from glass are often installed via retaining systems without additional posts and frames to form a glass guard rail.

Retaining systems are primarily used for this that have an aluminium support bar with a U-shaped guide channel or another type of guide groove, which is attached to the floor or the wall of the structure. The guide channel is usually designed in the longitudinal direction. The guard rail panel is inserted and supported therein, and the guard rail panel must be oriented and fixed in the guide channel of the support bar by additional means. To orient the guard rail panel, it is appropriate to orient it before fixing in the guide channel, in which case the support profile is already fastened to the floor before the guard rail panel is inserted therein.

Alternatively, solutions are also known in which the guard rail panel is fixedly connected to the support bar in a first step and oriented together via the support bar in the second step.

For instance, document DE 10 338816 B3 discloses a solution in which the guard rail panel is retained in the U-profile via elastic means and intermediate members, and the support bar is retained via a further mounting profile on the floor or wall. A disadvantage of this is the material outlay, since two aluminium profiles must be installed, and correction of the oriented guard rail panel in the U-shaped profile is excluded. Another disadvantage of this is that an exchange of a damaged guard rail panel also requires the exchange of the support bar.

To overcome these disadvantages, retaining systems are disclosed in which the guard rail panel introduced into the guide channel can be oriented, via adjusting elements previously introduced there, after the guard rail panel has been received, the adjustment of which adjusting elements allows the guard rail panel to be oriented into a desired position, then fixed and if necessary detached again. Such adjusting elements are disclosed, for example, in documents DE 20 2017 105 698 U1, DE 10 2018 003 366 and EP 3 460 141 A1.

It is common to all the devices disclosed therein to change the distances between the received guard rail panel and the inner walls of the flanges in the guide channel in order to allow a vertical orientation of the guard rail panel and then to effect fixing of the guard rail panel by tightening the clamping elements.

Orientation by changing distances can be carried out using two methods. According to one method, the distances from the inner walls of the U-shaped guide channel are changed at the height of the lower edge of the inserted guard rail panel. The setting of the distances, which is then unchangeable, is achieved via adjusting elements that are arranged there and effect initial preliminary fixing. The guard rail panel can thus be tilted via a longitudinal axis at the height of the upper fixing for vertical orientation.

Conversely, the other method for vertical orientation provides for the distances from the inner wall of the guard rail panel to be changed at the height of upper adjusting elements, while the distances in the region of the lower edge remain unchangeable. For vertical orientation, the guard rail panel is swung via the lower edge until it is oriented as desired. The adjusting elements are then tightened in the upper region in order to fix the guard rail panel in the desired orientation.

A disadvantage of both devices is that the guide channel and the adjusting elements necessary for the adjustment must be accessible on both sides in order to be able to carry out the orientation and set the fixing. This is disadvantageous in particular during mounting at a dangerous height, since access on the drop side must be secured at height, for example via a scaffold.

A distinction is made below between a mounting side and a drop side, the mounting side being the one via which a guard rail can be mounted without danger, i.e., which faces the building, for example. The drop side is the side that faces away from the building and on which there is therefore a danger of falling.

During vertical orientation of the guard rail panel via the described adjusting elements, the disadvantage arises that the orientation of the guard rail panel becomes more difficult when multiple adjusting elements are used. Owing to the panel lengths, the use of at least two and more adjusting elements in the U-shaped guide channel is generally necessary. The orientation of the guard rail panel is complex because the individual adjusting elements are not oriented in a defined, uniform manner in the guide channel, or the guard rail panel is positioned at different distances therein. Even if the deviations are minimal, it is often the case that a guard rail panel that is already fixed via some adjusting elements must be detached again in order to be able to continue an orientation. Inserted mounting aids in the upper region of the guide channel can also slip down while the fixing is being undone and limit or prevent further orientation of the guard rail panel. A correction can then generally only be achieved by removing and reorienting the interacting elements.

The previously disclosed means require the adjusting elements to bear against the inner walls in the guide channel and/or to sit on the floor profile bottom in the guide channel. The width of the guide channel can vary for material reasons. The adjusting elements can wedge unfavourably between the inner walls owing to the inadequate dimensions. The guard rail panel can also turn out too narrow, so that it floats between the inner walls. Both deviations have a disadvantageous effect on the orientation of the guard rail panel and its fixing. Finally, the guard rail panel itself can also be uneven.

The disadvantages mentioned are not discussed in the cited documents. They contain no solution to overcome the disadvantages during vertical orientation of the guard rail panel. In particular, the prior art does not disclose a retaining system that allows easy compensation of tolerances during orientation and fixing of the glass panel in the guide channel.

The present disclosure proposes a device for fastening a panel, in particular a guard rail panel, in a floor profile, said device allowing the simplest possible and in particular vertical orientation and fixing of the guard rail panel. The necessary settings for orienting and fixing the component in the guide channel should be able to be made with little mounting effort on one side from the mounting side. A further feature of the disclosure is to propose a method for orienting and fixing such a panel.

This is achieved by providing a device according to the independent device claim and the independent method claim.

The device according to the disclosure accordingly has

An essential advantage of the disclosure consists in that, during the initial orientation, the panel is no longer adjusted by adjusting elements in the floor profile but the panel itself is oriented. By pivoting the inserted panel together with elements of the support element, it can be brought into the desired position quickly and easily. The support element or the clamping elements adapt to the position of the glass, which then only has to be fixed in the desired position. In principle, this results in only two work steps, specifically the correct insertion in the right position and the subsequent fixing of the panel.

An essential advantage also consists in that the elements arranged in the support element move together with the panel and as a result no or only very small forces are exerted thereon. In contrast to prior art devices, therefore, no elements are placed under pressure and possibly even deformed by the orientation of the panel. Only the subsequent fixing of the panel via the clamping elements causes relatively high tensile or compressive forces.

The method according to the disclosure is characterised by the following method steps:

Mounting and fixing are carried out exclusively from the mounting side, which maximises safety during installation; access to the drop side with the danger of falling is not necessary. Fastening can be carried out from the inner side of the balcony with only one fixing or setting screw per adjusting element, which then forms the actuating device. Other suitable actuating devices can also be provided instead of a setting screw.

The support walls and the rest face of the support element surround the lower region of the panel completely, as a result of which a high level of safety and stability is achieved. This is advantageous in particular when the panel is a glass panel, since protective but stable retention is provided by the encompassing support element. In particular, clamping is provided over an area; clamping along lines or at points is avoided.

The disclosure is explained in more detail below with reference to the use of a guard rail panel; alternatively, other types of panels can of course also be used.

According to the disclosure, as already stated, the guard rail panel is oriented manually in the fastening channel or guide channel of the U-shaped floor profile without having to carry out a prior or additional setting for orientation of the guard rail panel via the respective support elements. According to the disclosure, the manually oriented guard rail panel is only clamped via the support element in the guide channel; prior orientation of the guard rail panel via the support element is no longer necessary. The fastening can also be undone quickly and easily.

In contrast to the known retaining systems, the support element according to the disclosure therefore no longer has to be set for a certain position of the guard rail panel in advance in order then to be able to orient and wedge the guard rail panel in the guide channel. For the fastening of the guard rail panel, the movable clamping elements are initially in a relaxed starting position when the guard rail panel is inserted into the support element between the support walls and sits there on the rest face. The support element was previously introduced into the guide channel and bears with the outer sides of its support walls against the inner sides of the lateral flanges of the guide channel.

The guard rail panel can then be brought manually into a desired position for mounting by being pivoted, for example by a fitter, until it stands straight or has another desired orientation. It is essential for this that the fastening channel has a narrowed cross section in the region of the introduction opening. The narrowed cross section thus acts as a fulcrum for the introduced guard rail panel, which rotates about or in the region of the narrowed cross section. The fastening channel provides sufficient space under the narrowed cross section to allow pivoting of the guard rail panel as long as the clamping elements are relaxed. Once the desired position is reached, the guard rail panel can be fixed. According to the disclosure, the support element, at least with the internal elements, thus follows the guard rail panel and not vice versa during orientation and fixing. Owing to the distribution of forces described below during tightening of the clamping elements, the necessary wedging can always be realised.

Advantageously, the narrowed cross section is realised by at least one element that can be pivoted relative to the associated support wall. This has the advantage that the element moves too during pivoting of the guard rail panel and remains in flat contact, and thus an excessively small pressure point or a linear compressive load is avoided. The pivotable element is preferably mounted on a curved face, which makes the desired pivotability possible.

The narrowed cross section can advantageously be realised at least by a mounting-side angle compensator, which is connected to a clamping element and is movable together with a clamping element. Movement or displacement of the clamping element, for example in the vertical direction, also shifts the narrowed cross section slightly.

In principle, one actuating device can be provided per clamping element. In a particularly advantageous variant, an upper mounting-side clamping element and a lower mounting-side clamping element are located on the mounting-side support wall, said clamping elements being movable together via a single actuating device such that both of them jointly narrow the cross section of the fastening channel for the clamping effect. The movement out of the starting position also causes both clamping elements to come to bear against the guard rail panel and clamp it. The two clamping elements are preferably moved towards and away from one another by the single actuating device.

The lower mounting-side clamping element can advantageously be connected to a drop-side lower clamping element via a connecting element such that a tensile force can be transmitted via the actuating device from the mounting-side clamping element to the drop-side lower clamping element, as a result of which the clamping elements narrow the cross section of the fastening channel for the clamping effect. The connecting element can be formed, for example, by a cable or else by multiple parallel cables, but a deflection band, for example consisting of steel or a resistant plastic, is particularly suitable.

Working faces of the clamping elements interact with ramps when shifted vertically. For this purpose, the clamping elements and the ramps are advantageously wedge-shaped on the bearing working faces and are oriented in opposite directions to one another. When the clamping elements are tightened, the distance between the transversely arranged lower clamping elements and between the transversely arranged upper clamping elements narrows. This effect can be achieved for all the movable clamping elements at the same time when the clamping elements are blocked and unblocked according to the disclosure by the actuating device. The working faces of the clamping elements and of the ramps are preferably curved, which allows the clamping elements to pivot. This is particularly advantageous, since the surface pressure is thereby maintained, even if the guard rail panel is pivoted out of the perpendicular. Therefore, the clamping elements follow the inclination of the guard rail panel.

The deflection band is guided through displaceably from the mounting side between the support element and the floor profile bottom, preferably in a guide groove in the support element, so that the deflection band is guided as intended for its displacement. The deflection band can be used for drop-side and mounting-side tension at the same time. However, there is also the possibility of using the deflection band only for drop-side or mounting-side tension as well as a use on both sides and on one side. The loading depends on the necessary tensile force to tighten the respective clamping elements. The necessary tensile forces can be different depending on the position of the guard rail panel and of the support element.

The tensile force on the deflection band is therefore preferably used on both sides in order to shift the lower clamping elements out of their relaxed starting positions vertically against the ramps and thus to bring them into a tightened position in the direction of the guard rail panel. Advantageously, the shift into a tightened position on the drop side takes place by lowering the clamping element. For this purpose, the ramp on the drop-side support wall is shaped and arranged such that it widens in cross section from top to bottom and is oriented sloping obliquely in parallel with the guard rail panel. The opposite working face on the clamping element tapers in cross section from top to bottom. On the mounting side, the deflection band is connected to the lower clamping element, which is pulled up by the tensile force during tightening. For this purpose, the lower ramp on the mounting-side support wall is shaped and arranged such that it tapers in cross section from top to bottom and is oriented sloping obliquely in parallel with the guard rail panel. In contrast, the opposite bearing working face widens in cross section from top to bottom.

In an advantageous embodiment, the deflection band is connected to the setting screw such that screwing in of the setting screw causes a tensile force on the drop side and on the mounting side of the deflection band. The lower clamping elements are thereby shifted vertically and tightened on both sides as described.

On the mounting side, the deflection band can preferably be guided via at least one movable band deflector to the lower mounting-side clamping element and is connected thereto. The deflection can take place by a half-rotation, i.e., by approximately 180 degrees. The deflection band is therefore preferably fastened at the top to the mounting-side clamping element arranged on the inside of the fastening channel, extends upwards from there, then runs via the band deflector and in the process is deflected outwards by 180 degrees. From there, it extends downwards in the direction of the floor profile bottom, is again deflected by approximately 90 degrees and guided under the rest face to the drop side. There, the last deflection takes place upwards (again approximately 90 degrees) to the lower drop-side clamping element, to which it is fastened from below.

In this way, a tensile force can also act, via the deflection band, on the lower mounting-side clamping element and lift the clamping element during tightening. The band deflector can then move with the rotary movement of the setting screw. The band deflector is lifted when the screw is screwed in and lowered when the screw is unscrewed. The tensile force thus effected for tightening the lower clamping elements is distributed via the deflection band, and the band deflector advantageously causes both clamping elements to be loaded with tensile force to the necessary and equal extent for the tightening and held to fix the guard rail panel. As soon as one of the two lower clamping elements is tightened during screwing in of the setting screw and tightening, the tensile force is distributed via the band deflector and the deflection band to the less tightened clamping element until the lower clamping elements are loaded equally via the tensile force.

Mounting and dismounting are then particularly simple when the actuating device is formed by a single setting screw, which extends through a preferably threadless channel in the upper mounting-side clamping element into a screw channel in the lower mounting-side clamping element, as a result of which the two clamping elements can be moved towards one another by rotating the setting screw. The clamping elements are restored preferably via compression springs that are provided for this purpose and are arranged on the drop side and on the mounting side. A longitudinal extent of the setting screw and a movement direction of the clamping elements preferably run perpendicularly to the plane of the rest face. A threadless channel is preferable, otherwise, when the maximum tightening of the upper mounting-side clamping element is reached, it would no longer be possible to screw in the setting screw further, and further tightening of the lower clamping elements would no longer be possible or would be possible only to a limited extent.

The screw channel is advantageously partially connected loosely to the upper mounting-side clamping element. The connection can be made via an additional means, a clamping retainer, which is connected to the upper mounting-side clamping element loosely and displaceably on the horizontal plane. Since the upper mounting-side clamping element is lowered and moves as intended over the ramp and the working face in the direction of the guard rail panel when the setting screw is screwed in, it is preferred when the setting screw is not carried along in the direction of the guard rail panel in the process but guides the clamping element downwards.

Preferably, at least one compression spring can act on the mounting-side lower clamping element, which compression spring is compressed when the lower clamping element is tightened, and the spring rate of which acts on the lower clamping element on relaxing, in order to lower it.

Furthermore, the device can advantageously have a detachable closure clip on the mounting-side support wall, on which closure clip the upper clamping element is arranged, wherein the closure clip can be inserted from above in the direction of the rest face and can be detachably attached via a locking connection, for example via locking arms.

As already stated, an essential advantage is achieved in that the movement of all the movable clamping elements can be driven from the mounting side via a single actuating device.

For tightening, the clamping elements preferably press against ramps between the support walls and the surfaces of the guard rail panel and clamp it in the fastening channel. The support walls are pressed more firmly against the inner walls of the lateral flanges, which absorb the resulting counter force from the tightening until the guard rail panel is sufficiently stiffened.

The clamping effect of the upper clamping element is advantageously achieved by lowering the clamping element during tightening. For this purpose, the ramp on the mounting-side support wall is shaped and arranged such that it widens in cross section from top to bottom so that it is oriented sloping obliquely in parallel with the guard rail panel. The opposite working face on the clamping element tapers in cross section from top to bottom. As soon as the upper clamping element is loaded by a tensile force, effected by the setting screw on screwing in, the upper clamping element can be moved downwards in the direction of the guard rail panel, guided in the opposite direction by the ramp, until it is tightened.

According to the disclosure, the tightening of the movable clamping elements is maintained via the setting screw in its screwed-in position. According to the disclosure, the movable clamping elements are relaxed by loosening the tightening by unscrewing the setting screw. The movable clamping elements are then no longer retained by a tensile force and can be moved away from the guard rail panel. The force input preferably takes place by means of two compression springs on the mounting side and drop side and/or by manually pivoting the guard rail panel.

Preferably, at least one compression spring can be arranged under the upper mounting-side clamping element, said compression spring lifting the latter on relaxing. When the setting screw is loosened, the upper mounting-side clamping element is relaxed by the compressive force on the clamp retainer with the assistance of the compression spring and thus moved away from the guard rail panel. When the mounting-side upper clamping element is tightened, the compression spring is therefore previously compressed and held. On relaxing, the spring rate of the loaded compression spring impacts the upper clamping element in the vertical direction. Advantageously, a displacement path of the upper clamping element between the tightened and relaxed positions of the upper clamping element can be limited by the introduced setting screw and can be set by the rotary movement thereof. In an advantageous embodiment, the compression spring is arranged in continuation of the screw channel around the setting screw.

Since the spring rate of this compression spring acts in opposition to the tensile force on the mounting-side lower clamping element, an arrangement above the lower clamping element is preferred. The compression spring is thus compressed when the lower clamping element is tightened. The operation via a setting screw blocks the lower clamping element so that the spring rate emanating from the loaded compression spring impacts the lower clamping element but does not cause any change in position. When the lower clamping element is relaxed, the compression spring causes the lower clamping element to be lowered. The compression spring interacts primarily with the deflection band when tensile force no longer loads the lower clamping element via the deflection band on relaxing, in order to take it out of its tightened position.

Furthermore, at least one compression spring can be provided above the drop-side lower clamping element. According to the advantageously described embodiment, the drop-side lower clamping element is tightened by a downward displacement. The spring rate of the loaded compression spring preferably acts in the opposite direction. The arrangement of a compression spring below the drop-side lower clamping element is unfavourable, since the space is limited on the lower region of the base part for a sufficient spring range. The clamping element is therefore preferably equipped with a bracket, on the upper end of which the compression spring is vertically arranged. When the clamping element is tightened, the compression spring is thus compressed. Its spring rate can then load the clamping element in the vertical direction on relaxing, in order to lift it.

To optimise the load distribution, it can in principle be advantageous to use two or spring elements per clamping element instead of just one spring element. It is also expedient, depending on the arrangement, to use other types of spring, for example tensile, spiral or leaf springs.

Although it is also possible to arrange the clamping element higher up so that the working face and the clamping part lie under the compression spring, this positioning would be disadvantageous for the strength of the guard rail panel, since the distance between the upper and lower working faces of the clamping elements would be unnecessarily shortened. The fastening of the guard rail panel in the fastening channel is dependent on the action of the clamping elements. With the same tightening, the distance between the clamping elements arranged above one another increases their force action for the fastening of the guard rail panel. In the guide channel or in the fastening channel, the space for the arrangement of the clamping elements is limited by the flanges and the floor profile bottom, so an arrangement of the upper clamping elements as close to the edge as possible and an arrangement of the lower clamping elements as close to the floor profile bottom or the rest face as possible are preferable.