EP0650546B1

EP0650546B1 - Lead-through structure for a wall

Info

Publication number: EP0650546B1
Application number: EP93910075A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Antti Jaakko Virtanen
Original assignee: Mesvac Oy
Current assignee: Mesvac Oy
Priority date: 1992-06-05
Filing date: 1993-06-07
Publication date: 1997-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 2013-06-07
Also published as: AU4073693A; ATE158054T1; EP0650546A1; FI922614A0; WO1993025791A1; FI922614A7; EE9400462A; DE69313859D1; DK0650546T3

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lead-through structure for a wall, said structure comprising two frame like parts interconnecting from each side of said wall, a first male part (10) comprising a set of locking tongues (11, 11A) extending from a circumferential plane oriented in the general direction of said wall towards said wall and extending in the direction of corresponding edges of said frame, said locking tongues (11, 11A) interacting with counter slots located, recessed against said wall, in a female second part (1) and being directed in the direction of said edge of said frame. Each locking tongue (11, 11A) comprises at least one locking claw (17) extending essentially in the direction of a corresponding edging (3) of said frame, said claw (17) extending from the side surface of said tongue. Each counter slot (6) comprises at least one counter shoulder (7) co-operating with said locking claw (17), said counter shoulder (7) also extending in the direction of said corresponding edging (3) of said frame. The invention is especially useful as a window framing in walls or the like having a sandwich structure.

Description

The present invention relates to a lead-through structure for a wall, according to the preamble of claim 1.
Such lead-through structures are known especially in integrated window and door structures, where two part frame like edge structures manufactured from metal or plastic are pushed against each other during installation at an opening made in said wall, and frame parts located on opposite sides of said wall 1 becoming interlocked by respective locking elements, to form a lead-through structure, at least to one of said frames often being associated with an integral window or the like structure to be mounted in said wall.
The advantage of integral structures to be interconnected by pushing from both sides of a wall primarily resides in providing a simple and quick installation. Same parts will often fit, with respect to their locking mechanism, to walls, the thickness of which may sometimes vary.
International patent application WO 90/12187 discloses a structure of the kind described, said structure having a tooth system on the short sides of longish flat locking tongues. Such a structure may be preferable to manufacture, but the grip of locking toothing engaging at a very narrow area is weak, and thus the structure may be easily broken up, so that a burglar may have access through said wall via said opening.
The above mentioned problems are solved by the characterizing features stated in claim 1.
In order to improve the security against burglary and the versatility of the structure the inventive structure has been developed, the characterizing features of which will be evident from the appended claims. Thus the invention is characterized by each locking tongue comprising at least one locking claw extending essentially in the direction of the corresponding edging of said frame, said claw extending from the side surface of said tongue and generally in the direction of the plane of said wall, and by each counteracting slot or notch comprising a counter shoulder co-operating with said locking claw, said counter shoulder also extending in the direction of said corresponding edging of said frame.
The invention will now be described in more detail and with reference to the appended drawing, where

Figure 1: shows the general arrangement of a structure according to the invention, and
Figure 2: shows, in an enlarged scale, details of Figure 1 and partially in section how a tongue according to the invention will co-operate with a corresponding oblong slot or notch.

In Fig 1 there is shown two frame like parts 1 and 10, one of which, usually the one which will be located on the outer side of said wall, functionally is a female frame part 1 comprising a flange 2 generally extending around said opening in said wall, and an edging 3 extending therefrom in an essentially perpendicular direction with respect to said flange and protruding into said opening and generally following the sides of said opening. At the sides directed toward the center of said opening said edging 3 comprises a preferably essentially even wall portion or edge skirt 4. Correspondingly said edging 3 comprises at the side directed towards said wall a beam like structure 5 located at the edge extending away form said flange 2 of said wall portion 4.
Correspondingly, the functional male frame part 10, which usually will remain at the inner side of said wall, comprises a flange 12 to be supported against the surface of said wall, while a set of sheet-like flat oblong sequentially spaced locking tongues 11, 11A extend perpendicularly from said flange 12, one of said locking tongues 11 being shown in section and another one 11A being shown in a cut away position.
From Fig 2 it will more closely be seen, that said beam like structure 5 comprises multiple oblong sequentially arranged openings or counter slots 6 or notches extending through said beam structure 5 towards said flange 2, said counter slots 6 being adapted for receiving respective ones of said locking tongues 11, 11A. As such, said counter slots 6 are suitably separated by intermediate wall portions stiffening said beam 5, and the firmness of said beam 5 is preferably enhanced by diagonal members 9 extending from that edge of said beam 5, which edge is facing away from said opening and towards said wall portion 4. According to the invention each counter slot 6 now comprises, at its one long side, a counter shoulder 7 co-operating with a locking claw 17 on said locking tongue 11, 11A, said counter shoulder 7 suitably being formed directly in the surface of said wall portion 4 of said edging 3, on the opposite side thereof, with respect to said opening, whereby said counter shoulder accordingly will be facing the unbroken structure of said wall. In the arrangement in question said shoulder 7 will be located essentially on the direct extension of the locking forces acting on said edging 3, with respect to said flange 2, which clearly will improve the strength of said structure, as hereafter will be more closely described.
Correspondingly, each locking tongue 11, 11A at said male frame part 10 comprises at least one locking claw 17 extending at said long side of the respective locking tongue 11, 11A generally in the longitudinal direction of said locking tongue, i.e. in the direction of the frame edge associated with said tongue. Preferably several locking claws 17 are arranged one above the other so that a corresponding counter shoulder 7 meets each one of successive locking claws 17 when said locking tongue during the installation is pushed into the counter slot. Thus the section of said locking tongues will be generally saw-tooth shaped, as will be more closely evident from the section shown in Figure 2. At the installation a corresponding claw plane 18 arranged transversely with respect to the locking direction of each locking claw 17 will co-operate with a claw plane arranged transversely with respect to the locking direction of said counter shoulder 7 in said counter slot 6 so that said locking tongue 11 with at least one of its locking claws 17 may be interlocked behind said claw plane of said counter shoulder 7. In one embodiment of the invention counter shoulders 7 are also arranged successively in a corresponding manner, whereby several successive locking claws 17 in an ideal situation correspondingly will grip behind successive counter shoulders 7, whereby the locking will be very tenable.
At the installation, said frame parts 1, 10 will be placed close to said opening made in said wall structure, one on each side thereof, so that said female frame part 1 will be located close to the edges of said opening, preferably at the outer side of said wall structure, and said edging 3 of said frame part will extend into said opening and the inner side 4 of said edging forms an edge skirt which covers the structure of said opening. Said flange 2 will then be located against the surface of said wall structure. Said opening in said wall structure should be so large that said beam like edge portion 5 also will remain within said opening, whereby, in practice, a set or row of counter slots will be formed at said opening in said wall structure, said slots thus extending in the vicinity of the edges of said opening essentially in the direction of said edges between said wall surface 4 and said wall structure.
Said second male frame part 10 will now be positioned at said opening from the opposite direction whereby said locking tongues 11, 11A will be aligned into corresponding counter slots 6. Under the force of an evenly pushing movement said locking tongues 11, 11A will enter into said counter slots 6 so that said locking claw or claws 17 and their claw planes 18 will be disposed behind said counter shoulder 7 in a corresponding slot 6 of said female frame part 1, and said frame parts 1 and 10 will be interlocked. When the arrangement is observed in an installation direction perpendicular to said wall structure and thus also perpendicular to the plane of each frame each locking tongue 11, 11A and/or counter slot 6 preferably comprises several successive locking claws 17 and/or counter shoulders 7, respectively, whereby any possible divergences in the thickness of said wall will cause no harm nor render the installation work more difficult.
In the installation procedure each frame part 1, 10 will be pushed hard against said wall, whereby each frame part preferably comprises edge lips 19, 19A or the like, which seal, on one hand, against said wall and on the other hand against for example a window or the like to be installed. Since said edge lips 19, 19A are slightly resilient a certain fitting clearance will be achieved simply with this arrangement, with respect to the thickness of said wall. If said locking tongues 11 and/or counter recesses 6 comprise several successive locking claws 17 and/or counter slots 6, correspondingly, seen in the installation pushing direction, one and the same frame arrangement may be adapted for wall structures, the thickness of which may diverge even considerably from the nominal.
In order to facilitate the installation it is preferable, that one flank surface 20 of said locking claws 17 of each locking tongue 11, 11A to be pushed during installation against the other frame part, and/or correspondingly the flank surface of said counter shoulder 7 co-operating therewith, is inclined, preferably so that each locking tongue 11, 11A and/or counter shoulder 7 has a saw tooth formed section, seen in a direction perpendicular the direction of the edge of said frame, as will be more closely evident from the embodiment shown in the drawing.
Preferably each locking claw 17 is located at that side of said locking tongue 11, 11A which is facing the center of said opening, whereby said counter shoulder, facing away from the center of said opening, correspondingly will be located at that side of said counter slot 6, which side is facing the center of said opening. This structure enables the locking forces to run as straight as possible and thus with only a slight bending moment from one frame part to the other.
Said locking tongue 11, 11A itself suitably has a generally flat shape, but according to one preferable embodiment of the invention the section of said tongue 11, 11A seen in a direction transverse to the direction of said edge is, at least to some parts, slightly wedged so that the thickness of said locking tongue 11, 11A at the front end portion 21 is smaller and, correspondingly, its root portion 22 adjoining said flange 12 of said frame part 10 is thicker. Thus said tongue 11, 11A entering into said counter slot 6 will be wedged with its locking claw 17 against said counter shoulder 7 of said counter slot 6. Simultaneously said tongue will be wedged against the wall 8 of said beam like structure 5 defined by said counter slot 6, or against a special exaction surface arranged there. Said wall 8 or exaction surface is suitably slightly resilient in the direction of the plane of said frame, the interlocking thus being especially firm. Alternatively said locking tongue 11, 11A itself may be arranged to be slightly resilient, so that said wall 8 will force said front end 21 of said locking tongue 11, 11A against the opposite wall 4 and against the counter shoulder located there.
The wedge-like form is suitably provided by making said tongue front end portion 21 entering said counter slot 6 narrower, in a section transverse to said edging 3, than said root portion 22 of said tongue 11, said wedge like portion the co-operating with said walls 4 and 8 of said counter recess 6. As such the wedge-like form of said locking tongue 11, 11A is preferably provided by wedged ribs 23 suitably located at spaced dispositions on each tongue back surface facing away from said locking claws 17, said ribs 23 preferably being located at least at both edges of each tongue 11, 11A.
Above an arrangement is described, wherein locking claws are located especially at that side of each locking tongue 11, 11A, which is facing the center of said opening. The invention, however, also covers embodiments having locking claws 17 arranged on the opposite side of each locking tongue 11, 11A, either together with said first mentioned locking claws, or instead of these. In one embodiment locking claws 17 are arranged in such a manner that successive locking tongues 11, 11A have claw arrangements which differ from each other. In all said embodiments the counter shoulders 7 of each counter slot 6 are arranged at side walls 4, 8 corresponding to the location of the respective locking claws 17.
During the installation there is provided a flange structure surrounding an opening which structure suitably is connected with for example a window glazing or the like structure, differing from the normal structure of the wall. Preferably the window glazing is then attached e.g. by gluing or double sided tape to said female outer frame part, at which corresponding sealing shoulders 25, 25A or rebates suitably are arranged. Especially for windows or the like closed structures it is important that it is as hard as possible to break the flange.
In order to make it difficult to locate and break said locking tongues 11, e.g. by drilling, the inventive frame structure is preferably arranged in such a manner that the locations of said locking tongues 11 cannot be seen on the outer surface of said flange. Thus a preferable embodiment of said structure, which is preferably manufactured of plastic, is so arranged that at said flange 12 the surface facing away from the wall comprises a groove or the like formation 24, along which said locking tongues 11 are located inside said flange 12. When said tongues 11 are located at such a formation no visible molding shrinkage trace of said tongue 11 will form on the flange surface. Simultaneously said flange will be slightly resilient, which also facilitates the installation.
Some specially preferred embodiments of the invention are described above, but it should be clear, that the invention may also be altered in many other ways within the scope of the appending claims, and the invention is not restricted only to the embodiments shown here. Especially the scope of the invention comprises the use of the aforesaid structure as a window framing, especially in relatively thin sandwich structures in door or the like arrangements.

Claims

A lead-through structure for a wall, which arrangement comprises two integral frame like parts (1, 10) manufactured in one piece, respectively, and interconnecting from both sides of said wall structure, a first male part (10) of said arrangement comprising, at each frame section respectively, a set of successively arranged separate locking tongues (11, 11A) extending in a mutually spaced relationship in the direction of the respective corresponding one of said frame sections and generally directed towards correspondingly arranged respective counter slots (6) located at a generally female second part (1) of said arrangement, said counter slots (6) being defined within a beam like supporting structure (5) arranged at the outermost portion of an edging (3) arranged at said female second part (1) and extending into an opening made in said wall structure, said counter slots (6) comprising a counter shoulder (7) arranged for co-operation with a locking claw (17) arranged at the side surface of a respective locking tongue (11, 11A), said beam like supporting structure (5) comprising beam edge skirts (4, 8) extending generally in the direction of said edging (3) as well as reinforcing intermediate walls interconnecting said beam edge skirts (4, 8), said skirts and walls together defining between them said counter slots (6), characterized in that each separate counter shoulder (7) is arranged at that beam edge skirt (4) of said beam like supporting structure (5), which skirt (4) is located towards the center of said opening made in the wall structure and simultaneously towards said edging (3) of said female second part (1), and the opposite beam edge skirt (8) is arranged, at the location of said counter slot (6), to resiliently support the opposite side surface of a locking tongue (11, 11A) pressed into said counter slot (6), with respect to said locking claw (17).
A structure according to claim 1, characterized in that several locking claws (17) are arranged successively, as seen in an attachment direction extending from the flange plane of said frame part (10) in a direction towards the edge (21) of said tongue (11, 11A).
A structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the flank surface (20) of said locking claw (17) at each locking tongue (11, 11A) of a first frame like part (10), which flank surface during installation is movable against a second frame like part (1), and/or a flank surface of a counter shoulder (7) correspondingly co-operating therewith, is inclined, preferably so that each locking tongue (11, 11A) and/or counter shoulder (7) is generally of a saw tooth shape, seen in a section transverse to the direction of the corresponding edge of said frame.
A structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said beam edge skirt (4) at said beam like supporting structure (5), which skirt (4) comprises said counter shoulder (7), is essentially unbroken and preferably simultaneously constitutes the side wall of said edging (3) at said female second part (1).
A structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each locking tongue (11, 11A) is generally flat, whereby a locking claw or preferably claws (17) are arranged suitably as respective beam like formations in the direction of the front edge portion (21) of said locking tongue (11, 11A).
A structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the section of said locking tongue (11, 11A) in a transverse direction, with respect to the edging (3) of said frame, is at least to some portions slightly wedge-like so that a tongue (11, 11A) entering, with its narrower front tip (21), into said counter slot (6) will be wedged with its locking claw (17) against a counter shoulder (7) or shoulders of said counter slot (6), and correspondingly against a suitably slightly resilient outer exaction surface directed along said edging (3) at said counter slot (6), preferably against said outer beam edge skirt (8) of said beam like support structure (5) at said edging (3).
A structure according to claim 6, characterized in that said wedging is formed by wedge-like ribs (23) suitably located in spaced apart relationship at a back surface facing away from of the locking claws (17) of a corresponding locking tongue (11, 11A), said wedge like ribs (23) suitably being located at the edges of said tongue (11, 11A).
A structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a portion (22) of each locking tongue (11, 11A) is located at a groove (24) running at the frame surface and facing away from said wall and being recessed from said frame surface.
A structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said lead-through structure comprises one or more window glasses, whereby preferably at least one glass is arranged by glue or double sided tape or the like attachment to a sealing shoulder (25, 25A), rebate or the like arranged suitably at said female second part (1).