A back-strip dry-hanging brick construction method

The back strip dry-hanging brick construction method solves the problems of long cycle, high pollution and uneven welding of traditional dry-hanging brick construction by monitoring the stress by pre-assembled parts and fluorescent coatings, and achieves a fast, environmentally friendly and safe construction effect.

CN116927445BActive Publication Date: 2025-08-26SHENZHEN OVERSEAS DECORATION ENG
View PDF 2 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
CN202310892614.4
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-07-19
Publication Date
2025-08-26
Estimated Expiration
2043-07-19

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The construction cycle of traditional dry-hanging bricks is slow, dust and waste are generated on-site processing, and the welding quality is uneven, which cannot ensure uniform weight distribution and there is a risk of fracture.

Method used

The back strip dry-hanging brick construction method is adopted to pre-assemble the parts and observe the stress condition through the fluorescent coating. The combination of galvanized angle iron and back bolt hangings is used to adjust the bolts to adjust the force uniformity.

Benefits of technology

Shorten the construction cycle, reduce on-site processing waste, ensure uniform stress, avoid breakage, and achieve green and environmentally friendly construction.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure CN116927445B_ABST
    Figure CN116927445B_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of decorative structures, and specifically relates to a back-strip dry-hanging brick construction method, including an original ground structure and a vitrified tile surface layer, wherein the outer wall of the thick galvanized square tube is fixedly installed with a galvanized angle iron 1 in an array, and the back of the vitrified tile surface layer is fixedly installed with a back bolt hanger in an array, the galvanized angle iron 2 corresponds to the position of the galvanized angle iron 1 and the two are connected in three phases by a through-through screw, and the top of the back bolt hanger is equidistantly screwed with an adjustment bolt for adjusting the relative position between the galvanized angle iron 2 and the back bolt hanger, the interior of the functional cavity is slidably assembled with a top block, a side sliding body is movably installed inside the functional cavity and below the top block, and a pressure block is movably installed inside the back bolt hanger and directly below the adjustment bolt. The present invention can shorten the installation period, and the construction is simpler, more convenient and environmentally friendly. In addition, it is also convenient to know whether each galvanized angle iron 2 is under stress.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of decorative structures, and particularly relates to a back-strip type dry-hanging brick construction method. Background Art

[0002] The dry hanging method of stone, also known as the air hanging method, is a new type of construction technology in wall decoration. This method uses metal hangers to hang the decorative stone directly on the wall or hang it on the steel frame without grouting or pasting. The principle is to set the main stress points on the main structure and fix the stone to the building through metal hangers to form a stone decorative curtain wall.

[0003] Problems with existing technologies:

[0004] The installation of traditional dry-hanging tiles has a slow construction cycle. On-site processing generally uses angle iron and channel steel to weld the steel frame. A large amount of dry-hanging glue is filled between the vitrified tiles and the back bolts, making it impossible to disassemble and repair. At the same time, the uneven welding technology leads to welding point control and weld scar treatment, which affects the construction quality. The processing dust and waste garbage generated greatly affect the on-site construction environment. In addition, in the traditional hanging tile structure, there is no way to directly and clearly know the stress conditions of the directly stressed components, and thus it is impossible to determine whether all the weight during hanging is evenly distributed. Such problems will cause the compressive stress on a certain part to be too large and cannot be detected. What's worse, there is a possibility that a part will break. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a back-strip dry-hanging brick construction method, which can shorten the installation period, make the construction simpler, more convenient and environmentally friendly, and also facilitate the determination of whether each galvanized angle iron is under stress.

[0006] The technical solutions adopted by the present invention are as follows:

[0007] A back-strip dry-hanging brick construction method includes an original floor structure and a vitrified tile surface layer, wherein the front surface of the original floor structure is fixedly installed with thick galvanized square tubes in an array, the outer wall of the thick galvanized square tubes is fixedly installed with galvanized angle irons in an array, the back surface of the vitrified tile surface layer is fixedly installed with back bolt hangers in an array, the back surface of the vitrified tile surface layer is fixedly installed with galvanized angle irons in a second manner, and the back bolt hangers are hung on the top of the galvanized angle irons in the second manner, and the galvanized angle irons in the second manner and the back bolt hangers are both fixedly installed on the back surface of the vitrified tile surface layer by expansion bolts, the galvanized angle irons in the second manner correspond to the galvanized angle irons in position, and the two are connected in three phases by penetrating through screws, and the top of the back bolt hangers are equidistantly screwed with adjustment bolts for adjusting the relative position between the galvanized angle irons in the second manner and the back bolt hangers;

[0008] A functional cavity is fixedly provided on the top of the second galvanized angle iron, baffles are fixedly provided on both sides of the interior of the functional cavity, a top block is slidably assembled inside the functional cavity, a side sliding body is movably installed inside the functional cavity and below the top block, an end hole is provided at one end of the side sliding body extending to the outside of the second galvanized angle iron, a sleeve is fixedly provided on one side of the top of the second galvanized angle iron, and a prompt rod is slidably assembled through the sleeve, and the top outer surface of the prompt rod is coated with a fluorescent coating for workers to observe;

[0009] Through holes are equidistantly formed on the upper surface of the back bolt hanger, and pressure blocks are equidistantly and movably installed inside the back bolt hanger and directly below the adjusting bolt. The pressure blocks are also directly above the top block and in press contact with the surface of the top block.

[0010] Embedded steel plates are equidistantly arranged on both sides of the original ground structure, and the two embedded steel plates at the same height are connected by a through-screw that penetrates the original ground structure.

[0011] The outer walls of the embedded steel plates are all fixedly mounted with hot-dip galvanized angle irons, and the hot-dip galvanized angle irons are simultaneously fixedly mounted on the side walls of the thick galvanized square tubes.

[0012] The galvanized angle iron 1 is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the thick galvanized square tube by a through-screw 2 which penetrates the thick galvanized square tube.

[0013] Springs are connected between the two ends of the top block and the upper surfaces of the baffles on both sides.

[0014] An upper surface of one end of the side sliding body penetrating through the two side walls of the galvanized angle iron is provided with an inclined surface, and a chamfer is provided at the bottom of the top block where it contacts the inclined surface.

[0015] An adjustment cavity for adjusting the expansion bolt is provided in the middle of the galvanized angle iron.

[0016] A baffle is integrally fixed on the outer surface of one end of the prompt rod close to the fluorescent coating, and when the baffle contacts the housing, the prompt rod just passes through the end hole, and at this time the top of the prompt rod is flush with the upper surface of the back bolt hanger.

[0017] Side slots are provided on both side walls of the back bolt hanger corresponding to the installation positions of the pressing blocks, and both ends of the pressing blocks are fixedly connected with side rods, and the side rods movably pass through the side slots.

[0018] The prompt rod corresponds to the position of the through hole, and the top end of the prompt rod movably passes through the through hole.

[0019] The technical effects achieved by the present invention are:

[0020] (1) The present invention assembles all the parts needed in advance and then installs them in combination, eliminating the need for measuring and cutting the parts at the construction site in the traditional dry hanging of vitrified tiles. This shortens the installation period, makes construction simpler and more convenient, and makes the construction site cleaner and more beautiful. It does not generate excessive decorative material waste, and is a more green and environmentally friendly decorative construction form.

[0021] (2) The present invention determines whether the galvanized angle iron No. 2 at a certain location is under stress by observing whether the fluorescent coating can be observed. If the fluorescent coating is exposed, it is determined that the galvanized angle iron No. 2 at that location is not under the pressure of the back bolt hanger. Then, by adjusting the adjusting bolt, the galvanized angle iron No. 2 at that location shares the gravity from the vitrified tile surface layer, ensuring that the gravity brought by the vitrified tile surface layer can be shared by all the galvanized angle irons No. 2 at the same time, effectively avoiding the stress concentration in the galvanized angle iron No. 2 at a certain location and avoiding the accident of fracture due to excessive stress at a certain location. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 1 is a side plan view of a back-strip dry-hanging brick provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic top plan view of a partial structure of a back-strip dry-hanging brick provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A local enlarged structural diagram at point A in the middle;

[0025] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A local enlarged structural diagram at point B in the middle;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a partial structural perspective view of a back-strip dry-hanging brick provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional diagram of the local structure after the vitrified tile surface layer is removed provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A partial enlarged structural diagram at point C in the middle;

[0029] Figure 8 It is a partial assembly cross-sectional plan view of the galvanized angle iron 2 and the back bolt hanger provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] In the accompanying drawings, the components represented by the reference numerals are as follows:

[0031] 1. Original ground structure; 2. Embedded steel plate; 3. Through screw one; 4. Hot-dip galvanized angle iron; 5. Thick galvanized square tube; 6. Through screw two; 7. Galvanized angle iron one; 8. Galvanized angle iron two; 801. Adjustment cavity; 802. Functional cavity; 803. Baffle; 804. Top block; 805. Spring; 806. Side sliding body; 807. Housing; 808. Prompt rod; 809. Fluorescent coating; 9. Through screw three; 10. Vitrified tile surface layer; 11. Back bolt hanger; 1101. Through hole; 1102. Side slot hole; 1103. Pressure block; 1104. Side rod; 12. Expansion bolt; 13. Adjustment bolt. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to make the purpose and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the following examples. It should be understood that the following text is only used to describe one or more specific embodiments of the present invention and does not strictly limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] like Figure 1-8 As shown, a back-strip dry-hanging brick construction method includes an original ground structure 1 and a vitrified tile surface layer 10. The front of the original ground structure 1 is fixedly installed with thick galvanized square tubes 5 in an array. The outer wall of the thick galvanized square tubes 5 is fixedly installed with galvanized angle irons 7 in an array. The back of the vitrified tile surface layer 10 is fixedly installed with back bolt hangers 11 in an array. The back of the vitrified tile surface layer 10 is fixedly installed with galvanized angle irons 8. The back bolt hangers 11 are hung on the top of the galvanized angle irons 8. The galvanized angle irons 8 and the back bolt hangers 11 are fixedly installed on the back of the vitrified tile surface layer 10 by expansion bolts 12. The positions of the galvanized angle irons 8 and the galvanized angle irons 7 correspond to each other and the two are connected by a through-through screw 9. The top of the back bolt hanger 11 is equidistantly screwed with adjustment bolts 13 for adjusting the relative position between the galvanized angle irons 8 and the back bolt hangers 11.

[0034] Refer to the attached Figure 2 and Figure 5 Embedded steel plates 2 are equidistantly arranged on both sides of the original ground structure 1, and the two embedded steel plates 2 at the same height are connected by a through screw 3 that penetrates the original ground structure 1. The outer walls of the embedded steel plates 2 are fixedly installed with hot-dip galvanized angle irons 4, and the hot-dip galvanized angle irons 4 are also fixedly installed on the side walls of the thick galvanized square tube 5. The galvanized angle iron 7 is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the thick galvanized square tube 5 by a through screw 6 that penetrates the thick galvanized square tube 5.

[0035] 10mm thick beige vitrified tiles, and the back of the vitrified tiles is fixed with 2.5mm thick full-length aluminum alloy back bolt hangers 11 and aluminum alloy galvanized angle irons 8. After the vertical keel thick galvanized square tube 5 and the connecting piece galvanized angle iron 7 are installed, the vitrified tiles are punched and the full-length back bolt hangers 11 are installed through expansion bolts 12 and then directly put on the wall. The verticality and level of the vitrified tiles can be quickly adjusted through the connecting pieces and adjusting bolts 13 at various parts. This installation method assembles the various parts needed in advance and then combines them for installation, eliminating the need for traditional vitrified tiles to measure and cut the parts at the construction site, shortening the installation period, making construction simpler and more convenient, and making the construction site cleaner and more beautiful. It will not generate too much decorative material waste and is a more environmentally friendly decorative construction form.

[0036] Refer to the attached Figure 7 and Figure 8 A functional cavity 802 is fixedly provided on the top of the galvanized angle iron 802, and baffles 803 are fixedly provided on both sides of the interior of the functional cavity 802. A top block 804 is slidably assembled inside the functional cavity 802, and springs 805 are connected between the two ends of the top block 804 and the upper surfaces of the baffles 803 on both sides. A side sliding body 806 is movably installed inside the functional cavity 802 and below the top block 804. An end of the side sliding body 806 extending to the outside of the galvanized angle iron 802 is provided with an end hole. A sleeve 807 is fixedly provided on one side of the top of the galvanized angle iron 802, and a prompt rod 808 is slidably assembled through the sleeve 807. The top outer surface of the prompt rod 808 is coated with a fluorescent coating 809 for workers to observe.

[0037] Refer to the attached Figure 7 and Figure 8 The upper surface of one end of the side sliding body 806 that passes through the side wall of the galvanized angle iron 28 is provided with a bevel, and the bottom of the top block 804 and the contact with the bevel are provided with a chamfer. The middle part of the galvanized angle iron 28 is provided with an adjustment cavity 801 for adjusting the expansion bolt 12. The outer surface of the end of the prompt rod 808 close to the fluorescent coating 809 is integrally fixed with a baffle, and when the baffle contacts the sleeve 807, the prompt rod 808 just passes through the end hole, and at this time, the top of the prompt rod 808 is flush with the upper surface of the back bolt hanger 11.

[0038] Refer to the attached Figure 6 and Figure 7The upper surface of the back bolt hanger 11 is equidistantly penetrated with through holes 1101, and a pressure block 1103 is equidistantly installed inside the back bolt hanger 11 and located directly below the adjusting bolt 13. The pressure block 1103 is also located directly above the top block 804 and is in extrusion contact with the surface of the top block 804. Side slot holes 1102 are penetrated on both side walls of the back bolt hanger 11 and corresponding to the installation position of the pressure block 1103, and both ends of the pressure block 1103 are fixedly connected with side rods 1104, and the side rods 1104 are movably penetrated through the side slot holes 1102.

[0039] Refer to the attached Figure 7 and Figure 8 The prompt rod 808 corresponds to the position of the through hole 1101 and the top end of the prompt rod 808 is movable and passes through the through hole 1101.

[0040] According to the above structure, when the vitrified tile surface layer 10 is hung together with the back bolt hanger 11 and the galvanized angle iron 2 8, each galvanized angle iron 2 8 is aligned with the corresponding galvanized angle iron 1 7, and then the galvanized angle iron 2 8 and the galvanized angle iron 1 7 are fixed by the through screw 3 9, thereby completing the hanging work of the vitrified tile surface layer 10. After the vitrified tile surface layer 10 is vertically erected, when the corresponding galvanized angle iron 2 8 at a certain place is not subjected to force, the pressing block 1103 and the top block 804 are in contact but no extrusion occurs. At this time, the side sliding body 806 will be located inside the galvanized angle iron 8, the prompt rod 808 will be blocked by the side sliding body 806, and the top end containing the fluorescent coating 809 will pass through the through hole 1101 and extend to the top of the back bolt hanger 11. The setting of the fluorescent coating 809 is easy to detect during work. When the installer finds that the fluorescent coating 809 at a certain place is not hidden inside the back bolt hanger 11 as expected, at this time, the adjusting bolt 13 at that place is rotated, and the pressure block 1103 will be driven to move downward and squeeze the top block 804. During this process, the side rod 1104 will As it moves along the side slot 1102, the top block 804 will retract into the top of the galvanized angle iron 8 and squeeze the spring 805 at the same time. Then, due to the compression of the chamfered bottom of the top block 804 and the inclined surface of the upper surface of the side sliding body 806, the side sliding body 806 will slide sideways. When the end hole at one end of the side sliding body 806 is completely placed outside the galvanized angle iron 8, the prompt rod 808 will just pass through the end hole and the fluorescent coating 809 will just be hidden inside the back bolt hanger 11. Whether the fluorescent coating 809 can be observed 09 is used to determine whether the galvanized angle iron 8 at a certain place is under stress. When the fluorescent coating 809 is exposed, it is determined that the galvanized angle iron 8 at that place is not under the pressure of the back bolt hanger 11. Then, by adjusting the adjusting bolt 13, the galvanized angle iron 8 at that place shares the gravity from the vitrified tile surface layer 10, ensuring that the gravity brought by the vitrified tile surface layer 10 can be shared by all the galvanized angle irons 8 at the same time, effectively avoiding the stress concentration of the galvanized angle iron 8 at a certain place, and avoiding the accident of fracture due to excessive stress at a certain place.

[0041] The working principle of the present invention is as follows: the traditional dry-hanging installation of vitrified tiles is changed to a back-strip dry-hanging installation of vitrified tiles. 6# channel steel is used for welding the vertical thick galvanized square tube 5. The vitrified tile surface layer 10 is a 10mm thick beige vitrified tile. The back of the vitrified tile is fixed with a 2.5mm thick full-length aluminum alloy back bolt hanger 11 and an aluminum alloy galvanized angle iron 8. After the vertical thick galvanized square tube 5 and the connecting galvanized angle iron 7 are installed, the vitrified tile is punched and the full-length back bolt hanger 11 is installed with expansion bolts 12, and then it is directly mounted on the wall. The verticality and horizontality of the vitrified tile can be quickly adjusted through the connecting parts and adjustment bolts 13 at various parts.

[0042] When the vitrified tile surface layer 10 is hung together with the back bolt hanger 11 and the galvanized angle iron 2 8, each galvanized angle iron 2 8 is aligned with the corresponding galvanized angle iron 1 7, and then the galvanized angle iron 2 8 and the galvanized angle iron 1 7 are fixed by the through screw 3 9, thereby completing the hanging of the vitrified tile surface layer 10. After the vitrified tile surface layer 10 is vertically erected, when the corresponding galvanized angle iron 2 8 at a certain place is not subjected to force, the pressing block 1103 and the top block 804 are in contact but not squeezed. At this time, the side sliding body 806 will be located inside the galvanized angle iron 2 8, and the prompt rod 808 will be blocked by the side sliding body 806, and the top end containing the fluorescent coating 809 passes through the through hole 1101 and extends to the top of the back bolt hanger 11. The setting of the fluorescent coating 809 is easy to detect during work. When the installer finds that the fluorescent coating at a certain place is 809 is not hidden inside the back bolt hanger 11 as expected. At this time, by rotating the adjusting bolt 13 there, the pressure block 1103 will be driven to move downward and squeeze the top block 804. During this process, the side rod 1104 will move along the side slot hole 1102, and the top block 804 will retract into the interior of the top of the galvanized angle iron 2 8 and squeeze the spring 805 at the same time. Then, due to the compression of the chamfer at the bottom of the top block 804 and the inclined surface of the upper surface of the side sliding body 806, the side sliding body 806 will slide sideways. When the end hole at one end of the side sliding body 806 is completely placed outside the galvanized angle iron 2 8, the prompt rod 808 will just pass through the end hole and the fluorescent coating 809 will just be hidden inside the back bolt hanger 11. Whether the galvanized angle iron 2 8 at a certain place is subjected to force can be determined by whether the fluorescent coating 809 can be observed.

[0043] The foregoing is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of the present invention, and such improvements and modifications are also within the scope of protection of the present invention. Structures, devices, and operating methods not specifically described or explained herein shall, unless otherwise specified or limited, be implemented in accordance with conventional means in the art.

Claims

1. A back-strip dry-hanging brick construction method, comprising an original ground structure (1) and a vitrified tile surface layer (10), characterized in that: The front surface of the original ground structure (1) is fixedly installed with thick galvanized square tubes (5) in an array, the outer wall of the thick galvanized square tubes (5) is fixedly installed with galvanized angle irons (7) in an array, the back surface of the vitrified tile surface layer (10) is fixedly installed with back bolt hangers (11) in an array, the back surface of the vitrified tile surface layer (10) is fixedly installed with galvanized angle irons (8), and the back bolt hangers (11) are hung on the top of the galvanized angle irons (8). The galvanized angle iron No. 2 (8) and the back bolt hanger (11) are both fixedly mounted on the back of the vitrified tile surface layer (10) by means of expansion bolts (12); the positions of the galvanized angle iron No. 2 (8) and the galvanized angle iron No. 1 (7) correspond to each other and the two are connected by means of a through-through screw No. 3 (9); the top of the back bolt hanger (11) is equidistantly screwed with adjustment bolts (13) for adjusting the relative position between the galvanized angle iron No. 2 (8) and the back bolt hanger (11); The top of the galvanized angle iron (8) is fixed with a functional cavity (802), and baffles (803) are fixedly provided on both sides of the interior of the functional cavity (802). The interior of the functional cavity (802) is slidably assembled with a top block (804), and a side sliding body (806) is movably installed inside the functional cavity (802) and below the top block (804). An end of the side sliding body (806) extending to the outside of the galvanized angle iron (8) is provided with an end hole, and a sleeve (807) is fixedly provided on one side of the top of the galvanized angle iron (8), and a prompt rod (808) is slidably assembled through the sleeve (807). The top outer surface of the prompt rod (808) is coated with a fluorescent coating (809) for workers to observe. The upper surface of the back bolt hanger (11) is provided with through holes (1101) at equal intervals, and a pressing block (1103) is movably installed at equal intervals inside the back bolt hanger (11) and located directly below the adjusting bolt (13), and the pressing block (1103) is also located directly above the top block (804) and is in compression contact with the surface of the top block (804).

2. A back strip type dry hanging brick construction method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Embedded steel plates (2) are equidistantly arranged on both sides of the original ground structure (1), and the two embedded steel plates (2) at the same height are connected by a through-screw (3) that penetrates the original ground structure (1).

3. The back-strip dry-hanging brick construction method according to claim 2 is characterized by: The outer walls of the embedded steel plates (2) are fixedly mounted with hot-dip galvanized angle irons (4), and the hot-dip galvanized angle irons (4) are simultaneously fixedly mounted on the side walls of the thick galvanized square tubes (5).

4. The back strip dry hanging brick construction method according to claim 3 is characterized by: The galvanized angle iron (1) (7) is fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the thick galvanized square tube (5) via a second through-screw (6) that penetrates the thick galvanized square tube (5).

5. The back strip dry hanging brick construction method according to claim 1 is characterized by: Springs (805) are connected between the two ends of the top block (804) and the upper surfaces of the baffles (803) on both sides.

6. The back strip type dry hanging brick construction method according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The upper surface of one end of the side sliding body (806) passing through the side wall of the second galvanized angle iron (8) is provided with an inclined surface, and the bottom of the top block (804) and the contact point with the inclined surface are provided with a chamfer.

7. The back-strip dry-hanging brick construction method according to claim 1 is characterized by: An adjustment cavity (801) for adjusting the expansion bolt (12) is provided in the middle of the second galvanized angle iron (8).

8. The back strip dry hanging brick construction method according to claim 1 is characterized by: A baffle is integrally fixedly provided on the outer surface of one end of the prompt rod (808) close to the fluorescent coating (809), and when the baffle contacts the housing (807), the prompt rod (808) just passes through the end hole, and at this time, the top end of the prompt rod (808) is flush with the upper surface of the back bolt hanger (11).

9. The back strip dry hanging brick construction method according to claim 1 is characterized by: Side slots (1102) are provided on both side walls of the back bolt hanger (11) and corresponding to the installation positions of the pressing block (1103), and both ends of the pressing block (1103) are fixedly connected with side rods (1104), and the side rods (1104) are movably inserted into the side slots (1102).

10. The back strip type dry hanging brick construction method according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The prompt rod (808) corresponds to the position of the through hole (1101), and the top end of the prompt rod (808) is movable and passes through the through hole (1101).

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Back bolt type stone dry hanging installation structure

    CN215484311U

  • Back bolt type outer wall dry hanging stone construction structure

    CN219365092U