CONSOLE FOR MOVABLE ROOFS AND FACADES

Description

[0001] In many leisure facilities, such as thermal baths, water parks, soccer arenas, tennis courts, or cruise ships, people want to enjoy outdoor leisure and sports activities whenever possible. When the weather is bad, these leisure activities should be protected from the elements and be able to take place in pleasant outdoor conditions. This is possible if the roof and / or parts of the facade of the thermal baths, swimming pools, tennis courts, or soccer arenas are retractable. Then, the roof and / or facade can be pushed aside as needed, allowing sunlight and fresh air to enter the building. When the weather turns bad or temperatures drop too low, the roof and / or facade are retracted over or in front of the building.

[0002] A retractable roof or facade can also be used to quickly and safely ventilate the space below in the event of a fire. In industrial facilities, it can also be advantageous if the roof or parts of the facade are retractable, for example, to lift large machines or workpieces into a hall.

[0003] Atriums and courtyards are also typical applications for retractable roofs, also in view of the fact that such retractable roofs or facades can achieve energy savings, cheaper air conditioning, etc. for the buildings surrounding the atrium / courtyard.

[0004] These retractable roofs or facades (parts) are subject to considerable wind forces, rain or snow loads, and / or gravitational forces, which must be safely transferred into the supporting structure of the building in every position and under all conceivable circumstances.

[0005] In addition, increasingly stringent aesthetic and design requirements are being placed on these leisure facilities. For the sake of simplicity, we will generally refer to roofs or a movable component; this always refers to roofs and facades, or parts thereof.

[0006] From the subsequently published DE 10 2020 122 733 A1, a bracket is known that has similarities to the bracket according to the invention. US 5 896 708 A, US 5 189 851 A, and CN 101 230 687 A disclose brackets for retractable roofs.

[0007] The invention is based on the object of providing a bracket for movable roofs and facades that meets the functional and safety requirements regarding precise and safe guidance of the roofs and facade elements to be moved. Furthermore, they should enable an architecturally appealing design of a building equipped with a movable roof and / or movable facade elements.

[0008] Finally, tensions between the console and a linear guide should be minimized in order to extend the service life of the linear guide or reduce its load.

[0009] This object is achieved according to the invention by a bracket for movable roofs and facades, comprising two load introduction plates, a connecting plate and a mechanical interface, wherein the connecting plate is rotatably connected to one of the load introduction plates by means of a respective pivot bearing, wherein the mechanical interface comprises at least one first bearing plate with a bearing bore and at least one second bearing plate arranged on the connecting plate with a bearing bore and a bearing bolt, wherein an axis of rotation of the pivot bearing formed by the bearing bores and the bearing bolt runs parallel to a direction of travel (X direction) of the bracket. The mechanical interface establishes the connection between the roof or facade and the bracket according to the invention.

[0010] The bracket according to the invention therefore has a total of three pivot bearings. One pivot bearing is formed between the connecting plate and a first load introduction plate. Another pivot bearing is formed between the connecting plate and a second load introduction plate. The axes of rotation of the first and second pivot bearings run parallel to each other. They generally run vertically if the bracket supports a mobile roof. They generally run horizontally if the bracket supports a facade.

[0011] The third pivot bearing is located between a bearing plate, which is directly or indirectly connected to the movable roof or facade, and the connecting plate. The rotation axis of the third pivot bearing runs parallel to a direction of travel (X-direction) of the console and is generally orthogonal to the rotation axes of the first and second pivot bearings.

[0012] The inventive design is highly advantageous for the following reasons, among others: The loads of the roof or facade are distributed by the connecting plate across two carriages. This reduces the load on the carriages by approximately 50%. It also reduces the local load on the guide rail. Because the forces to be transmitted are introduced into the guide rail at several points (corresponding to the distance between the carriages), the local loads on the guide rail and its supporting structure are also significantly reduced. This allows for a sleek, aesthetic design and reduces material usage without compromising safety.

[0013] Of course, the use of multiple carriages also ensures safety against failure. If a carriage or roller bearing on one of the carriages fails, the other carriage can take over the load at least until the roof or facade element is closed. This ensures the operational reliability of the mobile roof or facade element.

[0014] The first and second pivot bearings enable the carriages to follow the course of the guide rail if, for example, it deviates slightly from its ideal shape of a straight line due to thermal expansion.

[0015] This largely eliminates tension within the bracket or between the roof and the supporting structure. Such tension is caused, for example, by different temperature-related expansions of the roof / facade and the supporting structures (buildings).

[0016] Especially on large roofs with a span of over 30 meters (30 m), such tensioning can lead to significant internal forces within the brackets. These internal forces also place stress on the bearings of a linear guide on which the bracket carriages are guided.

[0017] The loads from the roof or facade are transferred to the connecting plate via the third pivot bearing, so that no or only very small tilting moments occur, whose axis of rotation runs parallel to the direction of travel of the bracket. This also relieves the load on the linear guide between the carriage or bracket and a guide rail arranged on the building.

[0018] In addition, even for very large roofs, linear guides that are available on the market and are actually used in machine tools can be used; custom-made products are not required.

[0019] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the first and second pivot bearings are each formed by a bearing journal and a recess that interacts with the bearing journal. Generally, for optimal space utilization, the journals are arranged on the load introduction plates and the recesses on the connecting plate. However, this is not necessary; the "reverse" arrangement is also possible.

[0020] In a further embodiment, the connecting plate has a recess approximately in its center. The at least one second bearing plate is arranged on the connecting plate such that the bearing bore(s) is positioned below the connecting plate. The relative term "below" is to be understood as meaning that the third pivot bearing is positioned as close as possible to and approximately at the height of the guide rail. The term "below" is to be understood literally if the bracket, as in the Figures 7 to 9shown carries a roof and can be moved horizontally.

[0021] The arrangement of the rotation axis below the connecting plate avoids or minimizes tilting moments that can act on the carriages, whose rotation axis runs parallel to the direction of travel of the bracket. As a result, the rolling elements between the guide rail and the carriage are subjected to less stress, increasing their service life and load capacity. The same applies to the transfer of horizontal loads from the second bearing plate to the guide rail. For example, in a rolling bearing system with cylindrical rollers as rolling elements, the rollers are loaded evenly over their entire length; local overloading of individual roller elements does not occur, which has a positive effect on the smooth running and service life of the linear guide.

[0022] To improve the flexural and torsional rigidity of the console, a reinforcement is provided on the upper side of the connecting plate. Preferably, the at least one second bearing plate is connected to the reinforcement.

[0023] The at least one first bearing plate is connected to a support or flange plate at its end opposite the bearing bore. The support is part of the roof structure of the retractable roof or facade.

[0024] In an advantageous embodiment, the connecting plate comprises two side surfaces, with at least one retaining part detachably attached to the side surfaces, which engages the load introduction plates of the carriages. This creates, in addition to the pivot bearings, a positive connection between the connecting plate and the carriages, which is generally provided with sufficient play. This positive connection not only creates a redundant connection and thus increases the safety of the console; it also prevents the roof from lifting off in storms or hurricane-force winds. The retaining parts and the connecting plate are usually screwed together.

[0025] To connect the mechanical interface to a movable roof or a movable facade, a preferred embodiment includes one or more flange plates. These flange plates can be connected, for example, to supports of the roof or the movable facade using screws, so that the mechanical interface can be created independently of the roof or facade element. The mechanical interface can be connected to various roofs and facade elements via the flange plates without requiring any structural modifications to the bracket according to the invention.

[0026] In a further advantageous embodiment, the load introduction plate is part of a linear guide, wherein the linear guide comprises a guide rail. The guide rail is directly or indirectly connected to a load-bearing structure of a building.

[0027] The load introduction plates are preferably mounted on or integrated into carriages. The carriages, in turn, are guided along the guide rail.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the carriages and the guide rail can be commercially available linear or roller guides. These roller guides are generally intended for use in machines or other systems. With the help of the bracket according to the invention, they can also be used to move roofs and / or facade elements. Because these roller guides are mass-produced industrial products, they are available in very high quality. Furthermore, the costs are relatively low compared to custom-made ones.

[0029] The guide rails available on the market usually include a base, which is the area to which the guide rail is screwed to a machine foundation, for example, and a bearing area.

[0030] This bearing area is part of the rolling or plain bearing between the carriage and the guide rail. In linear guides with rolling bearings, the bearing area is usually tapered. It has a cross-sectional shape resembling an "X." The forces between the carriage and the guide rail are transmitted via the guide surfaces of the bearing area. Since such guide rails or linear guides are available on the market, they are familiar to those skilled in the art, and a detailed description will be omitted.

[0031] The guide rail can be attached directly or indirectly to a building's supporting structure. This can be achieved, for example, using clamping elements.

[0032] If the guide rail is not rigid enough, especially to absorb lateral loads, the guide rail can be mounted on a support rail and, in particular, bolted to it. Ideally, the support rail will have a groove into which the base of the guide rail is inserted. This creates a positive connection between the support rail and the guide rail, especially in the horizontal direction. This significantly increases the flexural rigidity of the guide rail. This allows existing guide rails to be "upgraded" to absorb large lateral forces. This also significantly expands the application range of commercially available linear guides without compromising the safety and service life of the linear guide.

[0033] Further advantages and advantageous embodiments of the invention can be found in the following drawings, their description and the patent claims. drawing

[0034] They show: Figure 1 shows a guide rail; Figure 2 shows a heavy-duty roller carriage; Figures 3 to 6 show the most important components of an embodiment; and Figures 7 to 9 show the embodiment of the console according to the invention in various views. Description of the embodiments

[0035] The same reference numerals are used in all figures. Figure 1 A guide rail 5 is shown in different views. The "waisted" section of the guide rail 5 is the so-called bearing area 53. The base 55 serves to connect the guide rail 5 to a supporting structure 13 (see Figure 7 ).

[0036] In the Figure 2A carriage 3 is shown in different views. On the top side of the carriage 3 (see view 2-2) there are several threaded holes (without reference symbols). With the help of these threaded holes a load introduction plate 15 (see Figure 3 ) of the console 1 according to the invention is detachably connected to the carriage 3.

[0037] In the illustrated embodiment, two carriages 3 are present and accordingly two load introduction plates 15 are also provided.

[0038] In the Figures 3 to 6 The individual parts of the second embodiment are shown. Figures 7 to 9 the embodiment of a console 1 according to the invention is shown in assembled state in various views.

[0039] In the Figure 3 Both load introduction plates 15 are shown. Both load introduction plates 15 are each attached to a carriage 3 (see Figure 2) are screwed tight. The screws are inserted through the base surface 17 of the load introduction plate 15 and into the internal thread of the carriage 3 (see Fig. 2 ) screwed in. The side surfaces 19 of the load introduction plate 15 run parallel to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 5 and parallel to a Y-axis.

[0040] In the illustrated embodiment, the load introduction plates 15 and their side surfaces 19 have a U-shaped cross-section. The load introduction plate 15 and the side surfaces 19 typically consist of three steel plates welded together.

[0041] Approximately in the center of the load introduction plates 15, a bearing pin 27 is attached to their base surface 17. This can be done via a press fit and / or welds (not shown) or by other means.

[0042] In the Figure 4A connecting plate 131 according to the invention is shown in various views. The connecting plate 131 serves to establish a connection between the two load distribution plates 15 on the two carriages 3.

[0043] For this purpose, the connecting plate 131 has two recesses 133 on its underside, which, together with the pins 27 on the base of the load distribution plates 15, form a bearing. The rotational axis of these bearings runs in the direction of the Y-axis (i.e., generally parallel to a normal vector of the load distribution plates 15). The carriages 3 with the load distribution plates 15 and the pivot bearings then function similarly to the bogie of a locomotive. The pivot bearings prevent tension between the carriages 3. This relieves the load on the linear guide and increases its service life.

[0044] A stiffener or reinforcement 135 is welded to the top of the connecting plate 131. The reinforcement 135 has a U-shaped cross-section and can be manufactured by welding three steel plates.

[0045] In the top view (view 2-2) of the Figure 4 It is clear that the connecting plate 130 has a recess 137 approximately in the middle. In this area, the reinforcement 135 is also interrupted twice. Where the reinforcement 135 is interrupted, second bearing plates 139 (see Figure 5 ) welded in. These second bearing plates 139 are only shown in view 3-3. In view 1-1 and 2-2 of the Figure 4 the second bearing plates 139 are not shown.

[0046] In the Figure 5 The second bearing plates 139 are shown. They each have a bearing bore 141, which forms a bearing channel for a bearing pin.

[0047] As can be seen from the Figure 7The bearing holes 141 or the bearing lane formed by them are located below the connecting plate 131 approximately at the level of the bearing area 53 of the rail 5 (see Figure 2 ).

[0048] From view 1-1 of the Figure 4It is clear that in this exemplary embodiment, the connecting plate 131 has a U-shaped cross-section. The side walls are designated by the reference numeral 143. Retaining strips 145 are screwed to the lower end of the side walls 143 in view 1-1. In the assembled state, the retaining strips 145 engage the carriage 3 or the load distribution plates 15 on the carriage 3 in a form-fitting manner. This form-fitting engagement ensures that the connecting plate 131 (and the roof or facade part attached to it) cannot lift off the load distribution plates 15. This can be of great importance when strong wind forces (e.g., during a storm) act on the roof or facade. The pivot bearings between the connecting plate 131 and the load introduction plates 15 may not be able to transmit these forces reliably.

[0049] In the Figure 6A support 11 with a first bearing plate 147 is shown. The support 11 is part of the movable roof or the movable facade.

[0050] In this embodiment, the first bearing plate 147 is welded to a flange 9 and has a bearing bore 149. In the assembled state, the first bearing plate 147 is inserted between the two Figure 4 The bearing plates 139 are inserted into the bearing holes 141 and 149 shown. Bearing bore 149 is part of the previously mentioned bearing channel. A bearing pin is inserted into the bearing holes 141 and 149. This results in a very resilient pivot bearing.

[0051] The pivot point of this bearing is relatively low, approximately at the level of the bearing area 53 of the guide rail 5. This significantly reduces the tilting moments acting on the carriages 3. This is primarily due to the Figure 7 . The bearing pin is marked with the reference number 151.

[0052] As can be seen from the Figure 7 The bearing pin 151 and with it the pivot bearing between the support 11 and the console 1 is located approximately at the level of the bearing area 53 of the guide rail 5. This means that the rolling elements of the carriages 3 must predominantly transmit weight forces (i.e. forces in the direction of the negative Y-axis) and horizontal forces, i.e. forces in the direction of the Z-axis.

[0053] The inventive arrangement of the bearings (141, 149, 151) minimizes the tilting moments acting on the carriages 3. As a result, the generally cylindrical rolling elements (not shown) in the carriages 3 are loaded very evenly over their entire length. This significantly increases the service life of the linear guide, all other conditions being equal.

[0054] In the illustrated embodiment, there are several bearings. The first two bearings around the bearing pin 27 enable compensating movements around the Y-axis. The second bearing is defined by the bearing pin 151. The rotation axis of this second bearing runs in the direction of the X-axis, i.e., parallel to rail 5.

[0055] In this embodiment, the desired degrees of freedom are enabled by the structural design of the components. The introduction of the weight forces and dynamic loads into the carriages 3 takes place in a very favorable manner. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the loads are introduced into the guide rail 5 via two spaced-apart carriages 3. This also relieves the load on the guide rail 5 and the supporting structure 13. List of reference symbols

[0056] 1 Console 3 Carriage 5 Guide rail 7 Rib 9 Flange 11 Roof / facade support 13 Load-bearing structure 15 Load introduction plate 17 Base area 19 Side area 27 Bearing pin 31 First bearing plate 131 Connecting plate 133 Recess 135 Reinforcement 137 Recess 139 First bearing plate 141 Bearing hole 143 Side wall 145 Retaining strip 147 Second bearing plate 149 Bearing hole 151 Bearing pin

Claims

1. Console for retractable roofs and facades, comprising two load introduction plates (15), a connecting plate (131) and a mechanical interface, wherein the connecting plate (131) is rotatably connected to one of the load introduction plates (15) by means of a particular rotary bearing, wherein the mechanical interface comprises at least one first bearing plate (147) having a bearing bore (149) and at least one second bearing plate (139) arranged on the connecting plate (131) having a bearing bore (141) and a bearing pin (151), wherein an axis of rotation of the rotary bearing formed by the bearing bores (149, 141) and the bearing pin (151) runs in parallel with a direction of travel (X direction) of the console.

2. Console according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotary bearings between the connecting plate (131) and a load introduction plate (15) comprise a bearing journal (27) and a recess (133) cooperating with the bearing journal (27), and in that the axes of rotation of the rotary bearings formed thereby run orthogonally to a direction of travel (X-direction) of the console.

3. Console according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connecting plate (131) has a recess (137) approximately in its center, in that the at least one second bearing plate (139) is arranged on the connecting plate (131) such that the bearing bore(s) (141) is / are positioned below the connecting plate (131).

4. Console according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting plate (131) has a reinforcement (135) on its upper side, and in that the at least one second bearing plate (139) is connected to the reinforcement (135).

5. Console according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first bearing plate (13) is connected to a support (11) or a flange plate at its end opposite the bearing bore (141).

6. Console according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting plate (131) has two side walls (143), in that at least one holding part (154) is detachably fastened to the side walls (143), and in that the holding part or parts (145) engages or engage around at least one of the load introduction plates (15).

7. Console according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the load introduction plate (15) is part of a linear guide, and in that the linear guide comprises one or more carriages (3) and a guide rail (5).

8. Console according to claim 7, characterized in that in each case one load introduction plate (15) is detachably connected to a carriage (3) of the linear guide.