Profile arrangement for setting up exhibition stands or shop fittings
The profile assembly with a translucent cover and internal LED lighting addresses the lack of integrated lighting in exhibition stands and shop fittings, providing uniform illumination and enhancing their visual appeal in dark environments.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- DE · DE
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HABRUSTA-VERWALTUNGS- GMBH
- Filing Date
- 2023-08-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-25
AI Technical Summary
Existing exhibition stands and shop fittings lack integrated lighting solutions that provide uniform and visually appealing illumination from within, especially in darkened environments.
A profile assembly comprising a support profile with a translucent cover profile and internal LED light sources, allowing for uniform illumination of the cover profile from within, creating a self-illuminating effect without visible discrete light sources.
The solution achieves a visually cohesive and uniform illumination of exhibition stands and shop fittings, enhancing their visual appeal in darkened spaces by emitting light outwardly from multiple directions, while also allowing for easy assembly and tool-free attachment of the cover profile.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
The invention is intended to improve a profile arrangement for constructing exhibition stands or shop fittings. From US patent application US 2022 / 0057077 A1, a profile arrangement with a support profile is known, wherein the support profile has at least one hollow chamber extending longitudinally and at least two longitudinally extending legs. The support profile is provided with a cover profile, the cover profile being made entirely of translucent plastic. The cover profile is inserted between two strip-shaped legs of the support profile and illuminated by LED light sources on an inner side of the support profile, the LED light sources emitting light towards an inner side of the cover profile during operation. From US patent application US 2007 / 0008717 A1, a profile arrangement with a support profile is known, wherein the support profile has at least one hollow chamber extending longitudinally along the support profile. A cover profile made of translucent material is provided at each of the four corners of the support profile. LED light sources are provided on the inner side of the support profile in the area of each of the four corners, such that the LED light sources emit light towards the inner side of the cover profile when in operation. According to the invention, a profile arrangement with the features of claim 1 is provided for this purpose. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are mentioned in the dependent claims. A profile assembly for constructing exhibition stands or shop fittings comprises a support profile, wherein the support profile has at least one hollow chamber extending longitudinally and at least two longitudinally extending legs. The profile assembly further comprises a cover profile, wherein the cover profile consists at least partially of a translucent material, in particular entirely of translucent plastic. The support profile has locking elements at the free ends of each of its legs, which can interact with corresponding locking elements on the cover profile. LED light sources are provided on an inner side of the support profile, such that the LED light sources emit light towards an inner side of the cover profile during operation. The profile assembly consists of a support profile and a cover profile. The support profile is made, for example, of extruded aluminum and is suitable for forming load-bearing components of an exhibition stand or shop fitting. When the support profile and cover profile are connected, the inside of the support profile faces the inside of the cover profile, and the support profile and cover profile together form a closed cross-section. By installing LED light sources on the inside of the support profile, which are covered by a partially translucent cover profile, it is possible to integrate lighting into the profile assembly itself. This allows for the creation of exhibition stands or shop fittings where vertical supports and / or horizontal frames are illuminated from within, thus emitting light outwards. This can create a completely new visual impression, especially in darkened rooms.For example, the supporting structure of an exhibition stand can be illuminated from within. This also opens up entirely new possibilities for illuminating the exhibition stand or the shop fittings themselves. The profile arrangement, for instance, has a square or rectangular cross-section and can emit light outwards from two adjacent and perpendicular sides. It is also possible to provide illuminated strips on one or more sides of the profile arrangement. It is even possible to use the profile arrangement according to the invention to form a support or frame with a square or rectangular cross-section that emits light on all four sides. Of course, profile arrangements with a round or oval cross-section can also be provided, emitting light outwards either substantially over their entire circumference or only over a portion of it.The support profile has at least one hollow chamber extending lengthwise. A turnbuckle is inserted into this hollow chamber at its end face and locked in place. This turnbuckle has, for example, two locking hooks projecting beyond the end face of the support profile. These locking hooks allow the support profile to be anchored in an undercut groove of another support profile by clamping the hooks against the undercut from the inside. Such a connection using turnbuckles and undercut grooves is known in exhibition stand profiles. However, the hollow chamber can also be used, for example, to accommodate elements of a bolted connection, such as nuts and bolts, or the like.By appropriately coordinating the light transmission or diffusion effect of the cover profile with the beam angle and the number of LEDs, continuous and essentially uniform illumination of the cover profile from within can be achieved across its entire surface. This creates the impression that the cover profile itself is illuminated, as no discrete light sources are visible through it. Advantageously, the LEDs are arranged along the entire length of the support profile on one of its inner surfaces, so that the profile assembly emits light along its entire length. In a further development of the invention, the cover profile has exactly two legs, wherein the outer sides of the legs of the cover profile are arranged perpendicular to each other, at least in the area of their free ends. The cover profile can thus cover an angle of 90° and, for example, complement a support profile to form a rectangular or square profile arrangement. This allows the profile arrangement to emit light over an angle of 90°. The two legs of the cover profile can meet perpendicularly at their connection point, or they can be connected by a rounded section. In a further development of the invention, the support profile has exactly two legs, wherein the outer sides of the at least two legs are arranged at right angles to each other, and wherein the cover profile is provided with locking means at the free ends of the legs of the cover profile, which can interact with the locking means at the free ends of the legs of the support profile. The cover profile and the support profile thus form an elongated profile arrangement with a rectangular or square cross-section. A diamond-shaped cross-section is also possible, for example. The cover profile can be easily attached to the support profile by snapping it into the corresponding locking elements on the support profile, and in particular, without tools. Advantageously, the locking elements on the cover profile are designed as projections running lengthwise along the cover profile, and the locking elements on the support profile are designed as undercut grooves running lengthwise along the support profile. In this way, the cover profile can be securely attached to the support profile without tools and can also be removed from the support profile without damage. In a further development of the invention, the two legs of the support profile are arranged at an angle of 90° to each other and the legs of the cover profile are arranged at an angle of 90° to each other. In this way, the profile arrangement in the connected state of the supporting profile and the cover profile has a rectangular or square cross-section. In a further development of the invention, the LED light sources have at least a first strip and a second strip with LEDs arranged one behind the other in a longitudinal direction, wherein a light emission direction of the two strips is essentially perpendicular to each other. In this way, light can be emitted in two mutually perpendicular directions, for example, towards a first leg of the cover profile and towards a second leg of the cover profile, with the two legs arranged at a 90° angle to each other. This allows for very uniform illumination of the cover profile. The direction of light emission is defined as the center line of the beam cones or beam angle. With several LEDs arranged in a straight line to form an LED strip, the center lines of the beam cones of the LEDs arranged one behind the other also align. This defines the direction of light emission of the LED strip. "Essentially perpendicular" means an angle between 85° and 95°, particularly 90°. In a further development of the invention, a third strip with LEDs arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction is provided, wherein a light emission direction of the third strip is arranged at an angle of about 45°, in particular between 40° and 50°, to the light emission direction of the first strip and to the light emission direction of the second strip. In this way, an angular range of 90° or even slightly more than 90° can be illuminated evenly. For example, the light emission direction of the first LED strip is oriented perpendicular to the first leg of the cover profile, the light emission direction of the second strip is oriented perpendicular to the second leg of the cover profile, and the light emission direction of the third strip is directed towards a junction between the first and second legs of the cover profile. This achieves very uniform illumination of the cover profile, and in particular, when using a translucent cover profile, it creates the impression that the cover profile emits light across its entire surface, since no individual light sources are visible from the outside of the profile assembly. In a further development of the invention, the several strips with LEDs arranged longitudinally one behind the other are arranged on a common, flexible substrate. In this way, not only the longitudinal spacing between individual LEDs, but also the transverse spacing of the individual LEDs can be precisely maintained, which considerably simplifies the assembly of the profile arrangement according to the invention. Because the substrate is flexible, the individual LED strips can be arranged at different angles to each other without any risk of the transverse spacing changing along the length of the LED strip. Advantageously, the substrate is designed to be modular and can be cut at predefined intervals, for example, 4 cm, without affecting the electrical connection and thus the operational capability of the LEDs on the uncut portion. In a further development of the invention, the support profile has mounting surfaces for LEDs, wherein the mounting surfaces are at least partially arranged at an angle to each other. In a further development of the invention, the support profile has mounting surfaces for LEDs which are arranged on a curved surface that extends in the longitudinal direction of the support profile. According to the invention, the legs of the support profile taper towards the free end. In this way, very little shading can be achieved in the area of the connection with the cover profile by the free ends of the legs of the support profile. Advantageously, the inner sides of the legs are designed in such a way that the light occurring on the inside of the legs is reflected towards the inside of the cover profile. In a further development of the invention, the legs of the support profile are curved towards the free end on the inside. Advantageously, the legs of the support profile are convexly curved on the inside, facing the inside of the cover profile. This allows the light striking the legs of the support profile to be reflected towards the cover profile. In a further development of the invention, the legs of the support profile are mirrored, polished or white on the inside. In this way, very good reflection can be achieved. If diffuse reflection is desired, a slightly rough, but still reflective surface can also be provided on the inside, for example. In a further development of the invention, the cover profile is formed in one piece from translucent polycarbonate. Translucent polycarbonate is permeable to a certain degree of light, but objects cannot be seen through it. Consequently, an internally illuminated polycarbonate cover profile does not reveal the individual LEDs that provide the illumination, but rather gives the impression of being uniformly self-illuminating across its entire surface. Furthermore, polycarbonate is easy to manufacture, for example by extrusion or pultrusion, and possesses sufficient strength while also being sufficiently elastic and impact-resistant to be easily joined to a support profile, for example using snap-fit devices. In a further development of the invention, a groove is provided at each of the free ends of the legs of the support profile, wherein the free end of a leg of the cover profile can be snapped into the respective groove. Advantageously, the groove at the free ends of the legs of the support profile is undercut to ensure reliable engagement of the cover profile. For this purpose, the free end of the legs of the cover profile advantageously features a rib-shaped projection extending longitudinally along the cover profile, which is aligned with the undercut groove of the support profile. In a further development of the invention, the continuous hollow chamber of the support profile has an octagonal cross-section. A hollow chamber with an octagonal cross-section allows the insertion of a turnbuckle in at least two mutually perpendicular orientations, possibly even in two mutually perpendicular positions and two positions inclined at 45° to each other. In a further development of the invention, the outer sides of the legs of the support profile are each provided with at least one undercut groove. Such undercut grooves serve to connect further profile arrangements perpendicular to the first profile arrangement, whereby a turnbuckle engages in the undercut groove and reliably connects the end face of the perpendicular profile arrangement to the first profile arrangement. In a further development of the invention, the power supply and / or the control unit for the LED light sources are inserted into a hollow chamber of the support profile. In this way, the power supply and / or the control unit can be housed within the profile assembly itself, so that, for example, only a thin cable needs to be routed from the profile assembly. Of course, it is also possible to integrate an energy storage device into the profile assembly. However, such a design is generally only suitable for short-term operation of the LED lights. In a further development of the invention, the power supply and / or the control unit are arranged in a recess in the support profile. For example, a side surface of a longitudinally extending hollow chamber in the support profile is milled. This recess allows the power supply and / or the control unit to be arranged and secured in the support profile in a very simple manner. To replace the control unit and / or the power supply, the profile assembly does not need to be accessible from its end face. In this way, the power supply and / or the control unit can also be replaced while the profile assembly is installed. Simply removing the cover profile makes it possible to replace the control unit and / or the power supply. In a further development of the invention, the profile arrangement has vertical supports and horizontal frames, wherein both the supports and the frames are each formed by means of a support profile and a cover profile. In this way, for example, the entire supporting structure of an exhibition stand or shop fittings can be designed to be self-illuminating. Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the claims and the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the drawings. Individual features of the different embodiments described in the description and illustrated in the drawings can be combined with one another in any way without exceeding the scope of the invention. This also applies to the combination of individual features without further individual features with which they are illustrated and / or described in conjunction. In the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a front view of a support profile for a profile arrangement according to a first embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 shows a profile arrangement according to the embodiment of Fig. 1 with a support profile and a cover profile, Fig. 3 shows an exploded view of a profile arrangement according to the embodiment of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 shows a first sectional view of the profile arrangement of Fig. 3, Fig.Fig. 5 shows a second sectional view of a different location in the longitudinal direction of the profile arrangement of Fig. 3, Fig. 6 shows a section view of a profile arrangement according to the invention with two horizontal frames and a vertical support, Fig. 7 shows several front views of profile arrangements according to the invention in different embodiments, Fig. 8 shows a front view of a support profile for a profile arrangement according to the invention according to a further embodiment, and Fig. 9 shows the profile arrangement of Fig. 8 with cover profile and LED light source. Fig. 1 shows a support profile 10 for a profile arrangement according to the invention in a front view. The support profile 10 has a first leg 12 and a second leg 14, with the outer sides of the two legs 12, 14, which are located on the left and below respectively in Fig. 1, being arranged perpendicular to each other. A groove 16 or 18, undercut on both sides, is arranged approximately in the middle of the outer side of each leg. The cross-section of the support profile 10 visible in Fig. 1 extends longitudinally through the support profile. The support profile 10 is provided with a hollow chamber 20, approximately octagonal in cross-section, which extends longitudinally through the hollow profile and in which a turnbuckle 22 is arranged. It can be seen in Fig. 1 that the turnbuckle 22 can be inserted into the hollow chamber 20 not only in the orientation shown in Fig. 1, but also in an orientation perpendicular to it.The turnbuckle 22 has a locking hook 24 that projects beyond the end face of the turnbuckle. The hook 24 of another turnbuckle, which is inserted into a different support profile 100, can be seen in the groove 18 in Fig. 1. The hook 24 can be retracted by means of an eccentric mechanism. To fasten the support profile 100 vertically to the support profile 10, a turnbuckle is inserted into the hollow chamber of the support profile 100 and pushed against the outside of the leg 14 of the support profile 10 until the hook 24 engages behind the undercut in the groove 18. The eccentric of the turnbuckle is then actuated and moved past a dead center. The hook 24 now securely holds the support profile 100 to the support profile 10. Such a method of fastening support profiles to one another using turnbuckles 22 is known. The support profile 10 has further longitudinally continuous hollow chambers, which are either provided for static reasons or which, as will be explained later, serve for inserting or installing a power supply and a control unit. The support profile 10 has a central element 26 on its inner side, in which the octagonal hollow chamber 20 is arranged. At the transition from the central element 26 to the leg 12 and at the transition from the central element 26 to the leg 14, a groove 28 or 30, respectively, is provided with a single-sided undercut. Turnbuckles or other functional parts can be attached in these undercut grooves 28 and 30, and electrical cables, for example, can also be inserted into them. The central element 26 connects the inner sides of the legs 12 and 14, thereby ensuring that the support profile 10 is mechanically highly load-bearing, so that even large exhibition stands, or generally load-bearing structures, can be erected. An undercut groove 32 is provided at the free end of leg 12, and an undercut groove 34 is provided at the free end of leg 14, with the grooves 32 and 34 being continuous and identical to each other in the longitudinal direction of the support profile 10. The undercut of the grooves 32 and 34 is shallower and has a rounded profile. The grooves 32 and 34 are designed for snapping a cover profile into place, see Fig. 2. The inner surfaces of the legs 12, 34 are tapered at their end regions 36 and 38, respectively. This tapering is achieved by the inner surfaces of the legs curving convexly towards their ends. The curvature is directed away from the outer surface of the legs 12, 14. As will be explained later, this not only results in a tapering of the legs but also in the reflection of the light incident on the curved regions 36, 38 towards a cover profile, see Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows a profile arrangement 40 with the support profile 10 already explained with reference to Fig. 1 and a cover profile 50 placed on the support profile 10. The cover profile 50 has two legs 50 arranged perpendicular to each other, each with a flat outer surface. In the state shown in Fig. 2, in which the support profile 10 and the cover profile 50 are connected to each other, the profile arrangement 40 thus has a square, generally rectangular, cross-section. It can be seen in Fig. 2 that the free ends of the legs of the cover profile 50 rest on the free ends of the legs 12, 14 of the support profile 10. The cover profile 50 is made of translucent plastic, in particular translucent polycarbonate, and is illuminated from the inside. In Fig. 2, viewed from above and from the right, the entire upper side surface and the entire right side surface of the profile arrangement 40 appear self-illuminating. To illuminate the cover profile 50 from the inside, ten LED light sources in the form of three LED strips 52, 54, 56 are arranged on an inner side of the support profile 10, mounted on a common, flexible substrate 58. Each of the LED strips 52, 56, 56 has several LEDs 60 arranged one behind the other, whereby in Fig. 2 only one LED 60 is visible in each of the LED strips 52, 54, 56. Each of the LEDs 60 has a light emission direction 62, 64, or 66 indicated by a dashed line. It can be seen that the light emission direction 62 of the first LED strip 52 is perpendicular to the light emission direction 66 of the second LED strip 56. The light emission direction 62 of the first LED strip 60 is perpendicular to one leg of the cover profile 50. Consequently, the light emission direction 62 strikes the inside of the first leg of the cover profile 50, which is located at the top in Fig. 2, at a perpendicular angle. The light emission direction 66 of the second LED strip 56 is oriented perpendicular to a second leg of the cover profile 50, which is located on the right in Fig. 2. Consequently, the light emission direction 66 of the second LED strip 56 strikes the inside of the second leg of the cover profile 50 perpendicularly. The beam angle of each LED 60 is also indicated by dashed lines. The light emission directions 62, 64, and 66 each bisect the beam angle. The light emission direction 64 of the third LED strip 54 is arranged at an angle of 45° to the light emission direction 62 of the first LED strip 52 and at an angle of 45° to the emission direction 66 of the second LED strip 56. Consequently, the light emission direction 64 of the third LED strip 54 is at an angle of 45° to the first leg and the second leg of the cover profile 50. As can be seen in Fig. 2, the third LED strip is provided for illuminating the corner area of the cover profile 50, the first LED strip 52 for illuminating the leg of the cover profile located at the top in Fig. 2, and the third LED strip 56 for illuminating the leg of the cover profile 50 located on the right in Fig. 2. It can also be seen in Fig. 2 that the curved section 36 at the free end of the first leg 12 of the support profile 10 only shades a very small area at the free end of the leg of the cover profile 50 that is at the top in Fig. 2. Similarly, the curved section 38 at the free end of the second leg 14 of the support profile 10 only shades a very small edge area of the leg of the cover profile 50 that is on the right in Fig. 2. To attach the three LED strips 52, 54, 56, the flexible substrate 58 is placed on a curved or at least angled surface on the inside of the support profile 10 and secured, for example, by gluing. This automatically aligns the LED strips 52, 54, 56 as described. The curved mounting surface for the substrate 58, or the mounting surface for the substrate 58 with several sections arranged at angles to each other, simultaneously forms part of the outside of the octagonal hollow chamber 20 of the support profile 10. Fig. 3 shows an exploded view of the profile arrangement 40 of Fig. 2. The support profile 10 is provided with the two legs 12, 14. The cover profile 50 is shown only with a short section. As indicated by an arrow, the cover profile 50 is placed onto the support profile 10 and then snapped into place, as can be seen in Fig. 2. The three LED strips 52, 54, 56 are arranged on the common substrate 58 and are attached to the inside of the support profile 10. An electrical power supply 70 is provided to operate the LED lights. A control unit 72 is provided to control the LED lights. Connection cables 74 are provided to supply the power supply 70 with electrical energy. During operation, the connection cables 74 are, of course, connected to the power supply 70, which is not shown for the sake of simplicity. The connection cables can be connected, for example, to the electrical mains or to a battery. Similarly, the LED light strips 52, 54, and 56 are connected to the control unit 72 and the power supply 70 via conductor tracks on the common substrate 58 and cables (not shown). To accommodate the power supply 70 and the control unit 72 within the support profile 10, a rectangular recess 76 is provided on the inside of the support profile 10. This recess 76, as shown in Fig. 5, opens two hollow chambers in the support profile 10 over a certain length. As indicated by the arrows, the power supply 70 and the control unit 72 can thus be inserted into these hollow chambers of the support profile 10. The connecting cables 74 are led out of one or both ends of the support profile 10. U-shaped clips 78 are inserted into the respective ends of the support profile 10 and serve as cable protection, for example, when the connecting cables 74 need to be routed at an angle to be guided into the next profile section. To keep the power supply 70 and the control unit 72 within the hollow chambers of the support profile 10, a locking profile 80 is provided. The length and width of the locking profile 80 are matched to the milled recess 76. Sliding latches 82 are provided at both ends of the locking profile 80, which hold the locking profile 80 in the intended position on the support profile 10. The locking profile 80 thus also securely holds the power supply 70 and the control unit 72 within the support profile 10. The control unit 72 serves, for example, to control the brightness or color of the LED light sources 60. The control unit 72 can be controlled from outside the profile assembly 40, for example, by means of a wireless remote control. The control unit 72 can be designed in a suitable way to, for example, automatically effect a change in brightness or color of the LED light sources. Figure 4 shows a sectional view through the support profile 10 and the cover profile 50 of the profile arrangement 40 of Figure 3 in the area of the end located at the bottom left in Figure 3. In this area, recesses have been milled into the support profile 10 to guide the connecting cables 74, see Figure 3, out of the hollow chambers of the support profile 10. Fig. 5 shows another sectional view of the profile arrangement 40 in the area where the locking profile 80 is placed onto the milled recess 76. The locking profile 80 is anchored to the support profile 10 by means of the sliding bolts 82 and thereby holds the power supply unit 70 and the control unit 72 (not shown) in the support profile 10. The hollow chambers of the support profile are accessible from the side through the milled recess 76. In Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the locking projections on the free ends of the two legs of the cover profile 50 can also be clearly seen, which are engaged in the undercut grooves on the free ends of the legs of the support profile 10. Furthermore, the flexible substrate 58 with the three LED strips 52, 54, 56 can also be seen in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 6 shows a representation with three support profiles 10A, 10B, and 10Cc, each equipped with LED light sources. In the representation of Fig. 6, only the support profiles 10A and 10B are fitted with a cover profile 50A and 50B, respectively. Of course, a cover profile (not shown) can also be snapped onto the support profile 10B in Fig. 6. The support profile 10B is arranged vertically and forms part of a column. The two support profiles 10A and 10C are each arranged horizontally and each form part of a horizontal frame. Each of the support profiles 10A and 10C has a turnbuckle 22 that projects beyond the end face of the respective support profile 10A or 10C and serves to connect the support profiles 10A and 10C to the support profile 10B. For this purpose, the hooks of the turnbuckles 22 of support profile 10A are inserted into the undercut groove 16 on the outside of support profile 10B and locked in place, while the hooks of the turnbuckle 22 of support profile 10C are inserted into the undercut groove 18 on the outside of the other leg of support profile 10B and locked in place. The eccentrics of the turnbuckles 22 are operated through openings in the support profile from the rearward-facing outside of support profiles 10A and 10C. The profile arrangement of Fig. 6 thus makes it possible to illuminate two outer surfaces of the cover profile 50a, two outer surfaces of the cover profile 50c, and two outer surfaces of the cover profile (not shown), which is placed on the support profile 10B, evenly. This creates a spatial corner consisting of a vertical support and two horizontal frames, which emits light. The illustration in Fig. 6 also shows how the connecting cables 74 are led out of the support profiles 10A, 10B, 10C. The illustration in Fig. 7 shows various embodiments of the profile arrangement according to the invention. Fig. 7a shows a support profile 102, which, with the exception of the absent undercut grooves 28, 30 (see Fig. 1), is identical to the support profile 10 and is provided with a cover profile 104, the two legs of which are arranged perpendicular to each other and are connected by means of a rounded area 106. Fig. 7b shows the profile arrangement 40 of Fig. 2 . Fig. 7c shows a support profile 108 which is designed slightly differently compared to the support profile 10. Fig. 7d shows a support profile 110 which, unlike the support profile 108, is not provided with undercut grooves on its outer sides. Fig. 7e shows a support profile 112, the internal structure of which is slightly different from that of the support profiles 108, 110 and which as a result has a curved or angled mounting surface for a flexible substrate for LED light sources. Fig. 7f shows a support profile 114, which is star-shaped and has a total of four legs, each forming an angle of 90° between them. Two cover profiles 116 can be arranged at the free end of each leg. The four cover profiles 116 are all translucent, thus enabling the profile arrangement to be illuminated from the inside on all four sides. Fig. 7g shows a support profile 118, which is provided at the free ends of its legs with grooves having a rectangular cross-section, which consequently have no undercut. A cover profile 120 is inserted into these grooves with the free ends of its legs. Fig. 7h shows a support profile 122 to which a cover profile 124 is snapped. However, the cover profile 124 does not extend beyond the free ends of the legs of the support profile 122. Fig. 8 shows another support profile 126. The support profile 126 has three closed outer surfaces, each containing an undercut groove. In its upper region in Fig. 8, the support profile 126 forms a U-shaped cross-section with two legs 128, 130. The two legs 128, 130 are each provided at their free ends with a rib-shaped projection having a rounded outer contour, extending inwards towards the opposite leg 128 or 130. One base of the U-shaped cross-section is flat and serves to accommodate several LED light sources. Fig. 9 shows a profile arrangement according to the invention with the support profile 126 and a cover profile 132 made of translucent polycarbonate placed on the support profile 126. The cover profile 132 is essentially plate-shaped, but has rounded grooves on its two longitudinal edges that are open towards the respective sides and are aligned with the projections on the free ends of the legs 128, 130. The cover profile 132 can thus be snapped onto the support profile 126 in a very simple manner by pressing it down onto the free ends of the two legs 128, 130 from above, as shown in Fig. 9, until the inwardly projecting projections on the legs 128, 130 engage in the respective groove on the longitudinal edges of the cover profile 132. Based on the U-shaped cross-section of the support profile 126, a total of three LED strips 134, 136, 138 are visible, each with several LEDs arranged one behind the other and in alignment with each other, all mounted on a common base. The LED light strips 134, 136, 138 illuminate the inside of the cover profile 132 evenly, ensuring that the outside of the cover profile 132 is also uniformly illuminated, without the individual LEDs of the LED strips 134, 136, 138 being visible from the outside. The curved inner surfaces of the legs 128, 130 serve to reflect light onto the inside of the cover profile 132, thereby ensuring uniform illumination and preventing shadows. Furthermore, the support profile 126 is also designed with hollow chambers and undercut grooves, which have already been explained with reference to the support profile 10 of Fig. 1. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature US 2022 / 0057077 A1
[0002] US 2007 / 0008717 A1
[0003]
Claims
Profile arrangement (40) for constructing exhibition stands or shop fittings, comprising a support profile (10), wherein the support profile (10) has at least one hollow chamber (20) extending longitudinally along the support profile (10) and at least two longitudinally extending legs (12, 14), comprising a cover profile (50), wherein the cover profile (50) consists at least partially of a translucent material, in particular entirely of translucent plastic, wherein the support profile (10) has locking means at the free ends of its legs (12, 14) which can interact with matching locking means on the cover profile (50) and with LED light sources on an inner side of the support profile (10), such that the LED light sources emit light towards an inner side of the cover profile (50) during operation, and wherein the legs (12, 14) of the support profile (10) each taper towards their free ends. Profile arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the cover profile (50) has exactly two legs, wherein the outer sides of the legs of the cover profile (50) are arranged perpendicular to each other at least in the area of their free ends. Profile arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support profile (10) has exactly two legs (12, 14), wherein the outer sides of the two legs (12, 14) are arranged at right angles to each other, and that the cover profile (50) is provided with locking means at the free ends of the legs (12, 14) of the cover profile (50) which can interact with the locking means at the free ends of the legs (12, 14) of the support profile (10). Profile arrangement according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the two legs (12, 14) of the support profile (10) are arranged at an angle of 90 degrees to each other and that the legs of the cover profile (50) are arranged at an angle of 90 degrees to each other. Profile arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support profile (10) and the cover profile (50) form a rectangular or square cross-section in a connected state in which the locking means on the support profile (10) interact with the locking means on the cover profile (50). Profile arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the LED light sources comprise at least a first LED strip (52) and a second LED strip with LEDs (60) arranged longitudinally one behind the other, wherein a light emission direction of the two strips is oriented substantially perpendicular to each other, wherein in particular a third LED strip with LEDs (60) arranged longitudinally one behind the other is provided, wherein a light emission direction of the third LED strip is arranged at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, in particular between 40 degrees and 50 degrees, to the light emission direction of the first LED strip and to the light emission direction of the second LED strip, wherein in particular the several LED strips with LEDs (60) arranged longitudinally one behind the other are arranged on a common, flexible substrate (58). Profile arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support profile (10) has mounting surfaces for LEDs (60), wherein the mounting surfaces are at least partially arranged at an angle to each other. Profile arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support profile (10) has mounting surfaces for LEDs (60) which are arranged on a curved surface that extends in the longitudinal direction of the support profile (10). Profile arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the legs (12, 14) of the support profile (10) are curved on the inside towards the free end. Profile arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover profile (50) is formed in one piece from translucent polycarbonate. Profile arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a groove (32, 34) is provided at each of the free ends of the legs (12, 14) of the support profile (10), wherein a locking means on the free end of a leg (12, 14) of the cover profile (50) can be engaged in the respective groove (32, 34). Profile arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the continuous hollow chamber (20) of the support profile (10) has an octagonal cross-section. Profile arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outer sides of the legs (12, 14) of the support profile (10) are each provided with at least one undercut groove (16, 18). Profile arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a power supply (70) and / or a control unit (72) for the LED light sources are arranged within the support profile (10), wherein in particular the power supply (70) and / or the control unit (72) are inserted into a hollow chamber (20) of the support profile (10), wherein in particular the power supply (70) and / or the control unit (72) are arranged in a milled recess in the support profile (10). Profile arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the profile arrangement has vertical supports and horizontal frames, wherein both the supports and the frames are each formed by means of a support profile (10A, 10B, 10C) and a cover profile (50A, 50C).