Self-locking bridge metal expansion device

By combining self-locking buckles with sealing strips, the problems of loosening and tearing of waterstop strips in bridge expansion joint devices are solved, achieving stable connection and sealing of the waterstop strips, and improving the service life and waterproof performance of bridges.

CN223837899UActive Publication Date: 2026-01-27ZHUZHOU TIMES NEW MATERIAL TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202520257738.X
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Utility models(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-02-18
Publication Date
2026-01-27
Estimated Expiration
2035-02-18

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In existing bridge expansion joint devices, waterstop strips are prone to loosening, tearing, and connection failure, resulting in decreased sealing performance and affecting service life.

Method used

The waterstop strip is held in place by a self-locking buckle and a sealing strip, avoiding the need to drill holes in the waterstop strip. The self-locking buckle and the special-shaped material work together to achieve a stable connection and seal of the waterstop strip. It is easy to install and replace.

Benefits of technology

It improves the connection stability and sealing performance of the waterstop strip, prevents the waterstop strip from loosening and tearing, extends the service life of the device, and enhances the waterproof performance of the bridge.

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Abstract

The utility model provides a self-locking bridge metal expansion device. The self-locking bridge metal telescopic device comprises a profiled bar, a self-locking buckle, a water stop strip and a sealing strip, the cross section of the profiled bar is in an L shape, the profiled bar comprises a bottom plate and a vertical plate, an outer groove and a sealing groove are formed in the outer side of the vertical plate and the inner side of the bottom plate in the length direction of the profiled bar respectively, the sealing strip is arranged in the sealing groove, and the self-locking buckle is arranged in the outer groove. A plurality of mounting frames are arranged on the inner side of the vertical plate at equal intervals, hinge points are arranged at the ends, away from the vertical plate, of the mounting frames, clamping grooves are formed in the sides, away from the bottom plate, of the mounting frames, the water stop strips are laid on the bottom plate, the head ends of the self-locking buckles are hinged to the hinge points, and the tail ends of the self-locking buckles are connected with the clamping grooves in a clamped mode. The middle section of the clamping groove abuts against the water stop strip at the position of the sealing groove, and an opening of the clamping groove faces the direction away from the vertical plate. The self-locking bridge metal expansion device solves the problem that clamping of a water stopping strip in an existing bridge expansion joint is not stable.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of bridge expansion joints, specifically to a self-locking bridge metal expansion joint device. Background Technology

[0002] Bridge expansion joints are devices used for the expansion and contraction of bridge beams and for waterproofing. Bridge decks expand and contract with temperature changes, and to prevent damage, gaps are maintained along the length of the bridge. Expansion joints are used to fill these gaps to prevent water and debris from flowing onto the lower piers. Therefore, bridge expansion joints play a crucial role in the expansion and contraction performance and waterproofing of bridge ends, and their quality and waterproofing performance directly affect the bridge's service life. Currently, most bridge expansion joints consist of embedded parts, waterstop strips (curved stainless steel plates, rubber bodies, polyurethane elastomers, etc.), profiles (aluminum alloys, etc.), nuts, and washers.

[0003] Currently, the most widely used bridge expansion joints are mainly made of polymer elastomers such as rubber and polyurethane. However, these materials have poor durability and are prone to aging after a period of use, leading to failure at the joint connection and potential detachment of the elastomer expansion joint. Metal expansion joints offer better stability and durability compared to elastomer expansion joints.

[0004] The main technical solution for commonly used metal expansion joint devices is to drill connection holes in the waterstop strip and connect it to the bridge structure using bolts or screws. However, the waterstop strip is generally quite thin, and during long-term expansion and contraction of the bridge, it is prone to tearing at the edge of the hole, leading to connection failure, leakage in the expansion joint, and affecting its performance. Furthermore, the bolts are prone to loosening and require frequent maintenance.

[0005] A search revealed existing Chinese patents, including one with application number "202121237590.1" and titled "Bridge Expansion Joint," filed with China Railway Design Group Co., Ltd., which disclose technical solutions of the same category as this application. Specifically, these patents disclose solutions using U-shaped or V-shaped waterstop strips, with both sides of the waterstop strip riveted to the profile using pressure strips. However, these solutions are not perfect and still have the following problems:

[0006] The waterstop strip is formed and bent at large angles and with large bending ranges. After being subjected to long-term repeated stretching, the bending position is prone to fatigue and damage.

[0007] The waterstop strip is pressed together with a pressure strip. The pressure strip has holes and is connected to the profile with rivets. The rivets need to overcome the friction on both sides. The force acting on the waterstop strip is limited. After the waterstop strip is subjected to long-term repeated pulling, there is a risk of it loosening and falling off. Utility Model Content

[0008] To address the problem of unstable clamping of waterstop strips in existing bridge expansion joints, this invention provides a self-locking bridge metal expansion joint device that solves the aforementioned problem.

[0009] A self-locking bridge metal expansion joint includes a profile, a self-locking buckle, a waterstop strip, and a sealing strip. The profile has an L-shaped cross-section and includes a base plate and a vertical plate. An outer groove and a sealing groove are respectively provided along the length direction of the profile on the outer side of the vertical plate and the inner side of the base plate. A sealing strip is provided in the sealing groove. Multiple mounting brackets are provided at equal intervals on the inner side of the vertical plate. Each mounting bracket has a hinge point at the end away from the vertical plate and a slot on the side away from the base plate. The waterstop strip is laid on the base plate. The first end of the self-locking buckle is hinged to the hinge point, the tail end is engaged with the slot, and the middle section abuts against the waterstop strip at the position of the sealing groove. The opening of the slot faces away from the vertical plate.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the self-locking bridge metal expansion joint provided by this utility model, the inner side of the base plate is an inclined surface that slopes downward from the inside out.

[0011] The mounting bracket has a triangular cross-section, with its base sides aligned with the upper and lower edges of the upright plate, a hinge point at the apex, and a slot on the upper side.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the self-locking bridge metal expansion joint provided by this utility model, the cross-section of the waterstop strip is U-shaped, with connecting edges extending outward from both sides, and the connecting edges extending between the sealing groove and the mounting bracket.

[0013] The edge of the connecting edge is provided with a limiting strip, and the base plate, the mounting bracket, and the self-locking buckle cooperate to clamp the limiting strip. The edge of the connecting edge is rolled inward and fixed to form the limiting strip.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the self-locking bridge metal expansion joint provided by this utility model, the middle section is located on the mounting frame and snaps into the slot, both ends extend along both sides of the mounting frame to the top of the sealing groove and abut against the waterstop strip, and the tail end is inserted into the hinge point on both sides. The self-locking buckle is made of plastic or soft metal.

[0015] Compared with existing technologies, the self-locking bridge metal expansion joint provided by this utility model has the following advantages:

[0016] 1. This utility model adopts a solution of self-locking buckle and sealing strip clamping waterstop strip, which eliminates the need to drill holes in the waterstop strip and avoids the defects such as easy cracking and loosening of the waterstop strip caused by bolt connection or riveting installation, resulting in a more solid connection.

[0017] 2. The bridge metal expansion joint provided by this utility model can be installed by pressing the waterstop strip in through the self-locking buckle, which is simple to install. When it is necessary to replace the waterstop strip, the waterstop strip can be loosened by rotating the self-locking buckle in the opposite direction, which makes it easy to replace.

[0018] 3. In this utility model, a sealing strip is installed between the profile and the waterstop strip to prevent water from flowing out from the bottom of the waterstop strip. The sealing strip is pressed together with the waterstop strip by a self-locking buckle, achieving better sealing performance under pressure, and is also convenient to replace along with the waterstop strip.

[0019] 4. The main body of the waterstop strip used in this utility model is U-shaped, with only small angles bent on both sides to form pressing edges. In the stress area, that is, the area between the sealing strips, the structure is arc-shaped or obtuse-angled, without obvious bending, resulting in less damage to the metal structure and better fatigue resistance. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the self-locking bridge metal expansion joint in Example 1;

[0021] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Enlarged view of a part

[0022] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Side view;

[0023] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Side view of a medium-sized profile.

[0024] Numbering on the map:

[0025] 1. Waterstop strip; 3. Special profile; 4. Self-locking buckle; 5. Sealing strip; 31. Base plate; 32. Vertical plate; 33. Outer groove; 34. Sealing groove; 35. Mounting bracket; 36. Clip groove; 37. Hinge point. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments.

[0027] Please also refer to Figures 1 to 4 These are, respectively, a structural schematic diagram of the self-locking bridge metal expansion joint in this embodiment, an enlarged view of a portion on the left, a partial side view of the left, and a separate side view of a profile on the left.

[0028] The self-locking bridge metal expansion joint includes a waterstop strip 1, a pre-embedded component, a profile 3, a self-locking buckle 4, and a sealing strip 5.

[0029] The profile 3 is a long strip of aluminum alloy profile, including a base plate 31 and a vertical plate 32 that are perpendicular to each other, and multiple mounting brackets 35 arranged at equal intervals along the length of the profile 3 on the inner side of the vertical plate 32. The base plate 31, vertical plate 32, and mounting brackets 35 are an integral structure. During the production of the aluminum profile, extrusion is performed including the continuous mounting brackets 35. After forming, the mounting brackets 35 are cut off to form a structure with equal intervals.

[0030] The upper surface of the base plate 31 is inclined, gradually sloping downwards from the side closest to the vertical plate 32. On the inner side of the base plate 31, a narrow groove with a square cross-section is provided along the length of the profile 3 for placing the sealing strip 5, denoted as the sealing groove 34.

[0031] On the outer side of the upright plate 32, a trapezoidal groove is provided along the length of the profile 3 for connection with the embedded component, referred to as the outer groove 33. The end of the embedded component is connected to the outer groove 33, and the main body is embedded in the bridge body. The embedded component and the connection method between the embedded component and the outer groove 33 are common technical solutions in this field, and will not be described in detail here.

[0032] The cross-section of the mounting bracket 35 is generally triangular. Figure 4 From the perspective shown, its left side serves as the bottom edge, and its upper and lower edges are aligned with the upper and lower edges of the inner side of the upright plate 32. A slot 36 is provided on the upper waist side, and a hinge point 37 is provided at the right top corner.

[0033] The mounting bracket 35 is internally hollowed out. The slot 36 is a buckle with a semi-circular cross-section, and the opening faces away from the upright plate 32. The hinge point 37 is a circular channel.

[0034] The waterstop strip 1 is made of a thin stainless steel sheet bent into a U-shape. The two sides of the waterstop strip 1 extend outward to form connecting edges 11. The edges of the connecting edges 11 are rolled inward and welded to form a circular limiting strip 12.

[0035] The connecting edges 11 on both sides of the waterstop strip 1 are laid on the base plates 31 of the two opposing profiles 3, and the limiting strip 12 is located between the sealing groove 34 and the mounting bracket 35.

[0036] The self-locking buckle 4 is a curved, circular, elongated structure. The middle section of the self-locking buckle 4 is located at the top of the mounting bracket 35 and engages with the slot 36. Both ends of the self-locking buckle 4 extend along both sides of the mounting bracket 35 towards the sealing groove 34, abutting against the connecting edge 11 above the sealing groove 34. It then extends upwards to form a V-shape. The tail ends are inserted into the hinge points 37 from both sides.

[0037] The self-locking buckle 4, located at the V-shaped tip on the side of the mounting bracket 35, presses the connecting edge 11 tightly, and simultaneously presses the sealing strip 5 below the connecting edge 11. The sealing strip 5 is compressed under force, thereby achieving good sealing performance. The attached diagram does not accurately depict the state of compression of the sealing strip 5; the textual description in this section shall prevail during implementation.

[0038] In this embodiment, the self-locking buckle 4 is made of plastic. During installation, the V-shaped structures on both sides of the self-locking buckle 4 are inserted into the mounting bracket 35 on both sides, and the tail end of the self-locking buckle 4 is pulled open appropriately and inserted into the hinge point 37 on both sides.

[0039] Without pressure, the middle section of the self-locking buckle 4 rests on the slot 36 but does not engage. Only after pressure is applied will the middle section of the self-locking buckle 4 engage into the slot 36, and at the same time, the V-shaped tip of the self-locking buckle 4 will press the connecting edge 11 tightly.

[0040] Under the above structure, the V-shaped tip of the self-locking buckle 4 clamps the connecting edge 11, thus achieving the compression of the sealing strip 5.

[0041] by Figure 3 From the perspective shown, during use, when the waterstop strip 1 is subjected to an outward pulling force, the friction between the connecting edge 11 and the self-locking buckle 4 will cause the self-locking buckle 4 to rotate counterclockwise. The middle section of the self-locking buckle 4 also rotates counterclockwise, and the mounting bracket 35 prevents the self-locking buckle 4 from rotating. Therefore, the reaction force of the self-locking buckle 4 on the connecting edge 11 prevents the waterstop strip 1 from moving, achieving a self-locking effect. The slot 36 acts as a limit, locking the middle section of the self-locking buckle 4 to prevent it from rotating clockwise to unlock.

[0042] The limiting strip 12 serves a connecting function. If the waterstop strip 1 does slide out, the limiting strip 12 will abut against the self-locking buckle 4. When the waterstop strip 1 is subjected to an outward pulling force, the limiting strip 12 will push the self-locking buckle 4 to rotate counterclockwise in a direction away from the vertical plate 32.

[0043] For the self-locking buckle 4, its middle section also rotates counterclockwise, and the mounting bracket 35 prevents the self-locking buckle 4 from rotating. Therefore, the reaction force of the self-locking buckle 4 on the limit strip 12 prevents, for example, the water-stop strip 1 from moving, thus achieving the self-locking effect.

[0044] by Figure 3 From the shown perspective, before installation, all self-locking clips 4 are installed onto the mounting bracket 35. During installation, after the pre-embedded components and profiles 3 are installed, the sealing strip 5 is laid, and then the limiting strip 12 of the waterstop strip 1 is pushed in towards the vertical plate 32. At this time, the self-locking clips 4 rotate clockwise and rise. When the limiting strip 12 is fully pushed in, the self-locking clips automatically fall down due to gravity. Finally, the middle section of the self-locking clip 4 is forcefully inserted into the slot 36 to complete the installation.

[0045] When the waterstop strip 1 needs to be replaced, first lift all the self-locking clips 4 clockwise. The middle section of the self-locking clip 4 will disengage from the locking of the slot 36, and the V-shaped tip of the self-locking clip 4 will no longer contact the connecting edge 11. At this time, the waterstop strip 1 will automatically fall off due to gravity.

[0046] Finally, after rotating all the self-locking buckles 4 counterclockwise and placing them on the slots 36, reinstall the waterstop strip 1 according to the installation method.

[0047] The above description is merely an embodiment of this utility model and does not limit the patent scope of this utility model. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this utility model specification, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A self-locking metal expansion joint for bridges, characterized in that: The device includes a profile, a self-locking buckle, a water-stop strip, and a sealing strip. The profile has an L-shaped cross-section and includes a base plate and a vertical plate. An outer groove and a sealing groove are provided along the length of the profile on the outer side of the vertical plate and the top of the base plate, respectively. A sealing strip is provided in the sealing groove. Multiple mounting brackets are provided at equal intervals on the inner side of the vertical plate. Each mounting bracket has a hinge point at the end away from the vertical plate and a slot on the side away from the base plate. The water-stop strip is laid on the base plate. The self-locking buckle is hinged at its first end to the hinge point, engaged at its tail end with the slot, and abuts against the water-stop strip above the sealing groove. The opening of the slot faces away from the vertical plate.

2. The self-locking bridge metal expansion joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the base plate is a slope that slopes downwards from the inside out.

3. The self-locking bridge metal expansion joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting bracket has a triangular cross-section, with its base sides aligned with the upper and lower edges of the upright plate, a hinge point at the apex, and a slot on the upper side.

4. The self-locking bridge metal expansion joint according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The cross-section of the waterstop strip is U-shaped, with connecting edges extending outward from both sides, and the connecting edges extending between the sealing groove and the mounting bracket.

5. The self-locking bridge metal expansion joint according to claim 4, characterized in that: The edge of the connecting edge is provided with a limiting strip, and the base plate, the mounting bracket and the self-locking buckle cooperate to clamp the limiting strip.

6. The self-locking bridge metal expansion joint according to claim 5, characterized in that: The edges of the connecting edge are curled inward and fixed to form the limiting strip.

7. The self-locking bridge metal expansion joint according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The self-locking buckle is a curved strip structure. The middle section is located on the mounting bracket and is inserted into the slot. Both ends extend along both sides of the mounting bracket to the top of the sealing groove and abut against the water-stop strip. The tail end is inserted into the hinge point on both sides.

8. The self-locking bridge metal expansion joint according to claim 7, characterized in that: The self-locking buckle is a plastic self-locking buckle or a soft metal self-locking buckle.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Bridge expansion device

    CN215714594U