Cutting device for insulating panels with fixing clip for clamping fixing

Abstract

A cutting device (1) for cutting an insulation board is proposed, comprising a support element (2) for placing and holding the insulation board within a support plane (3) during the cutting process, and a cutting bracket (4). A fixing bracket (6) with a U-shaped base is provided for clamping the insulation board with a first and a second lateral leg (7, 8). The first and second legs (7, 8) are each connected to the base leg (11) via a movement element (9, 10), with the movement element (9) on the first lateral leg (7) acting as a lever. The movement element (10) on the second lateral leg (8) and on the base leg (11) are each pivotable via a joint (R3, R4), so that the base leg (11) can be moved by operating the power arm (12) to clamp the insulation board during the cutting process.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a cutting device for cutting an insulation board according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] For example, a cutting device for insulation boards with a tensioner for the heatable cutting wire is known from DE 20 2004 009 850 U1. The insulation board to be cut is placed against a base plate and positioned appropriately for the cutting process so that the board can be cut to size using the cutting wire. The user holds the insulation board firmly and moves the wire with the cutting arm, which can be moved relative to the base plate or the insulation board, to perform the cutting.

[0003] The object of the invention is to propose a cutting device whose handling can be simplified.

[0004] Starting from a cutting device of the type mentioned above, the problem is solved by the characterizing features of claim 1.

[0005] The measures mentioned in the dependent claims make advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention possible.

[0006] The cutting device according to the invention is used for cutting or separating insulation boards, which are generally made of plastic, in particular foam, mineral wool, or composite materials. For the cutting process, a wire is heated to such a high temperature that it can be moved through the insulation board and cut through it. Such cutting devices are sometimes used directly on construction sites to precisely cut the insulation boards before installation in the roof, walls, etc., of a building. It is advantageous if the cutting device is compact and space-saving, because it is often even placed on scaffolding to allow work to be carried out directly where the insulation board is needed.

[0007] Working with the insulation board is particularly difficult under such conditions, as the height on the scaffolding requires extra caution. Nevertheless, the insulation board must be cut precisely without posing increased safety risks.

[0008] The invention is characterized by the inclusion of a clamping bracket for securing the insulation board, thus eliminating the need for the user to hold the board in the set position during the actual cutting process. This increases cutting precision because it reduces the risk of the user slipping, losing their balance, or, for example, the cutting device slipping due to excessive pressure when pressing the board against its support element. The user's hands remain free, allowing for a better grip, especially when working on scaffolding. Furthermore, the insulation board and the user's hands are protected from contamination.

[0009] According to the invention, the cutting device initially has a support element onto which the insulation board to be cut is placed. The support element thus forms a support surface for the flat insulation board. However, to prevent the user from having to hold the insulation board during the cutting process while the cutting wire is pushed through it, the cutting device according to the invention provides a fixing bracket with which the insulation board can be clamped in place. The fixing bracket has a U-shaped basic form. The base leg of the fixing bracket, which can lie flat against and engage the insulation board, is used for fixing. This base leg can therefore run parallel to the support surface and can also be moved parallel to it. To allow the insulation board to be placed into the support element, the base leg of the fixing bracket is opened, i.e.,The base leg is moved further away from the support surface and thus from the insulation board. It is then brought towards the surface of the insulation board to secure it. The base leg is pivoted, but remains parallel to the surface of the insulation board to accommodate the fact that different insulation boards may have different thicknesses. This ensures that the base leg is always in contact with the surface of the insulation board along its entire length. This also allows for a uniform clamping force to be applied to the surface, preventing pressure points from forming on one side due to uneven pressure.

[0010] To support the base leg of the fixing bracket, it is suspended laterally at its ends from the legs. The base leg is not directly connected to the side legs, but rather via a pivot link. This pivot link is designed as a lever on one of the two side legs. A pivot point is located on the corresponding side leg, around which the lever can be pivoted. The section of the lever on one side of the pivot point, where a handle can advantageously be attached for operation, is called the force arm; the other section, connected to the base leg, is called the load arm. This is because the part of the lever or lever arm on which the moving force acts is called the force arm, while the part of the lever or lever arm on which the load to be moved acts is called the load arm.In this way, the base leg can be easily pivoted until it comes into contact with the surface of the insulation board.

[0011] To ensure that the base arm not only rests against the insulation board but also clamps and holds it securely, the movement of the actuator arm must be dampened. This can be achieved with a gas spring, which is installed between the actuator arm and the side arm. Firstly, the movement of the lever is dampened when the lever arm or handle is activated, preventing the user from striking the base arm against the insulation board without restraint. Secondly, the base arm is also prevented from moving away from the insulation board in any position, thus preventing it from releasing the clamp. In other words, the clamping bracket ensures sufficient clamping of the insulation board via the base arm, but without generating excessive clamping force that could deform the insulation board.The gas pressure damper also offers the advantage that it works steplessly, meaning it can inhibit or stop movement of the base leg at virtually any position and therefore at any thickness of the insulation panel.

[0012] In one embodiment, and possibly as an alternative to the gas pressure damper, it is also possible in principle to preload the moving element against the corresponding lateral leg with an elastic element, such as a spring. Advantageously, the spring force can act in such a way that the base leg is pressed against the insulating plate. Stepless adjustment is also possible here. However, the elastic element must be adjusted so that it does not create pressure points in the insulating plate. Furthermore, an open position of the fixing bracket is only possible if the base leg is moved against the spring force and then held, for example by a locking mechanism.

[0013] Another option would be to incorporate a locking mechanism so that the base arm can lock into a specific position (similar to a ratchet). However, a disadvantage of this is that the positioning cannot be stepless, and therefore the thickness of the insulation board may not be adequately accommodated. The insulation board could thus be dented in the clamping area. Furthermore, it is necessary to release the locking mechanism (usually manually) if the clamping action is reversed.

[0014] A cutting frame is used to cut the insulation board. This frame is usually also U-shaped. However, it typically houses a cutting wire, which is usually pre-tensioned and heated so that it runs straight and, through its heat, penetrates and cuts the insulation board. The cutting wire, as a tool, has the advantage of enabling very precise cutting without significant material loss and without fraying (as often occurs with sawing), burrs, or similar defects. The cutting process can be carried out more precisely and without significant physical effort. In one version of the invention, the cutting frame can be designed separately from the fixing frame. This also has the advantage that the fixing frame can, in principle, be retrofitted to existing cutting devices.

[0015] During cutting, the wire is usually moved relative to the insulation board. Therefore, a sliding support unit can be provided for the cutting wire, allowing it to move relative to the insulation board. Alternatively, the wire can be held rigidly on a U-shaped bracket, in which case the bracket moves relative to the insulation board.

[0016] In principle, it is also conceivable that the movably guided bearing unit is arranged or mounted on the fixing bracket. A separate cutting bracket could then be omitted. In this case, the cutting device can be more compact overall. The cutting bracket can therefore also be integrated into the fixing bracket.

[0017] Often, the cutting arm is arranged in a linear guide, meaning that to cut, the entire cutting arm, along with the heated cutting wire, is moved manually, and the cutting arm is pushed through the insulation plate. Alternatively, the cutting arm or its support unit can be moved via a lever, particularly similar to the lever of the fixing bracket. This lever also allows for a particularly precise movement of the wire. Example implementation:

[0018] An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail below, including further details and advantages.

[0019] Specifically, we show: Fig. 1: a schematic representation of a cutting device according to the invention, Fig. 2: a schematic representation of the open state of the fixing bracket, and Fig. 3: a schematic representation of the closed state of the fixing bracket.

[0020] Figure 1Figure 1 shows a cutting device 1 according to the invention, which has a support element 2 onto which the insulation board to be cut can be placed. This support element 2 defines a support plane 3. It has a support strip 2A, which holds the insulation board against gravity. Two side struts 2B are also provided to increase stability. A cutting bracket 4 is initially attached to the support element 2 and can be moved perpendicular to the support plane 3. The cutting bracket 4 holds a wire 5, which is pre-tensioned in the plane spanned by the U-shaped cutting bracket 4 along its longer side, essentially in a perpendicular direction. The cutting wire 5 is heated to cut through the insulation board. The cutting bracket 4 can also be pivoted laterally (here: about an axis parallel to the wire) to cut the insulation board at an angle.

[0021] In addition, a fixing bracket 6 is arranged, which comprises two lateral legs 7, 8, to each of which a movement element 9, 10 is rotatably attached. These movement elements 9, 10 are in turn rotatably arranged on the base leg 11 between the two lateral legs 7, 8. The movement element 9 is rotatably mounted on the lateral leg 7 about the axis of rotation R1. A lever handle 12 is attached to the force arm, i.e., to the part of the lever 9 furthest from the pivot point R1 as seen from the base leg 11, with which the lever 9 can be manually pivoted. The lever, or rather the movement element 9, is rotatably connected to the base leg 11 via the axis of rotation R2. On the opposite side of the base leg 11, it is pivotably connected to the lateral leg 8 via the axis of rotation R3 via a movement element 10 and the axis of rotation R4. When the lever 9 is actuated, the base leg 11 is automatically pivoted parallel to the bearing plane 3.

[0022] The principle of clamping the fixing bracket 6 is described in the Figures 2 and 3 explains: In Figure 2 The open state is shown. Lever 9 has an angled shape here. The force arm with lever handle 12 points vertically upwards. Via the joint R2, the load arm, and thus the base leg 11 mounted on it at pivot point R2, extends further outwards, i.e., further away from the support level 3. Therefore, more space is available to place an insulation panel in the support element 2 on the support level 2.

[0023] If the bracket 9 is pivoted, the base leg 11 also pivots and remains parallel to the support plane 3. Accordingly, in Figure 3 The closed state of the fixing bracket 6 is shown. The lever handle 12 was positioned opposite. Figure 2(according to the drawing) moved counterclockwise, so that the load arm on the lever 9 moves around the pivot point R1 towards the support plane 3 and thereby takes the base leg 11 with it, which in turn remains aligned parallel to the support plane 3, but is brought closer to the support plane 3 until the base leg 11 comes into contact with the surface of the insulation plate resting on the support plane 3 and clamps this in place.

[0024] To ensure that the fixing bracket 6 can remain in the open position or when clamped, especially when the arms 7, 8, 11 or movement elements 9, 10 can rotate easily around the pivot points R1, R2, R3, R4 without significant friction, without requiring any pull on the lever handle 12, the lateral arm 7 is connected to the lever 9 via a gas pressure damper 13, thus inhibiting the actuation of the lever 9. In the open position, the base arm 11 remains in the Figure 2The insulation panel remains in the position shown and does not pivot further towards the support level 3 due to gravity. The gas pressure damper 13 also enables the clamping of the insulation panel. The stepless adjustability of the gas pressure damper 13 allows for adaptation to different panel thicknesses without having to press the insulation panel in to create a clamp.

[0025] The cutting device 1 can be placed on a surface using a frame 14.

[0026] All embodiments and further developments of the invention have in common that a fixing bracket (6) is provided for clamping the insulation panel, wherein the fixing bracket (6) has a first and a second lateral leg 7, 8 and a base leg 11 arranged between the first and the second leg 7, 8, so that the fixing bracket 6 has a U-shaped basic form, wherein the base leg 11 is arranged parallel to the bearing plane 3, the first and the second leg 7, 8 are each connected to the base leg 11 via a movement element 9, 10, wherein the movement element (9) on the first lateral leg 7 is designed as a lever, the pivot point R1 of which is a joint on the first lateral leg 7, the load arm of which is pivotally connected to the base leg 11 via a pivot point R2 and wherein the force arm has a lever handle 12 for handling.wherein the movement element 10 on the second lateral leg 8 and on the base leg 11 can each be pivoted via a joint R3, R4, so that by operating the lever handle 12 the base leg 11 can be moved towards and away from the support plane 3 in order to clamp the insulation plate between the support element 2 and the base leg 11 during the cutting process. Reference symbol list

[0027] 1 Cutting device 2 Support element 2A Support strip 2B Side struts 3 Storage plane 4 Cutting bow 5 Cutting wire 6 Fixing bracket 7 Side leg 8 Side leg 9 Moving element / Lever 10 Moving element / Lever 11 Base leg 12 Lever handle on power arm 13 Gas pressure damper 14 Frame R1 Pivot point R2 Pivot point R3 Pivot point R4 Pivot point

Claims

1. Cutting device (1) for cutting an insulation board, comprising: a. a support element (2) for placing and storing the insulation board during the cutting process within a storage plane (3), and b. a cutting frame (4) for cutting the insulation board, characterized by the fact thatc. a fixing bracket (6) is provided for clamping the insulation panel, d. wherein the fixing bracket (6) has a first and a second lateral leg (7, 8) and a base leg (11) arranged between the first and the second leg (7, 8), such that the fixing bracket (6) has a U-shaped basic form, wherein the base leg (11) is arranged parallel to the support plane (3), e. wherein the first and second legs (7, 8) are each connected to the base leg (11) via a movement element (9, 10), f. wherein the movement element (9) on the first lateral leg (7) is designed as a lever, the pivot point (R1) of which is a joint on the first lateral leg (7), the load arm of which is pivotally connected to the base leg (11) via a pivot point (R2), and wherein the force arm (12) is designed for manually applying and transmitting the moving force to the lever (9), g.wherein the movement element (10) on the second lateral leg (8) and on the base leg (11) can each be pivoted via a joint (R3, R4) so ​​that by operating the force arm (12) the base leg (11) can be moved in the direction of the support plane (3) and away from the support plane (3) in order to be able to clamp and fix the insulation plate between the support element (2) and the base leg (11) during the cutting process.

2. Cutting device (1) according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that a gas pressure damper (13) is arranged between at least one of the movement elements (11) and the corresponding first or second leg (7, 8), so that when the lever handle (12) is actuated and the movement element (9, 10) is pivoted, a counterforce is exerted against the lever movement and when the base legs (11) are clamped and fixed, a holding force is exerted on the insulation plate.

3. Cutting device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact thatbetween at least one of the movement elements (9, 10) and the corresponding first or second leg (7, 8) an elastic element is arranged, in particular such that the lever is pre-tensioned and when the lever handle is actuated to move the base leg away from the bearing plane, work must be done against a counterforce exerted by the elastic element and the movement leg exerts a holding force on the insulation plate when clamping the base legs.

4. Cutting device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that a locking element is arranged between at least one of the movement elements (9, 10) and the corresponding first or second leg (7, 8), so that when the lever handle is actuated and the movement element is pivoted, the base leg can assume a set fixed position.

5. Cutting device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact thatA lever handle (12) is arranged on the power arm for manual handling and exertion of the force moving the lever (9).

6. Cutting device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the cutting bar (4) is designed separately from the fixing bar (6).

7. Cutting device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the cutting bracket (4) is designed to guide a heatable cutting wire (5) in order to be able to move the cutting wire (5) through the insulation board during cutting.

8. Cutting device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the cutting bracket (4) has a movable storage unit for storing the cutting wire.

9. Cutting device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the cutting bracket (4) is integrated into the fixing bracket (6), wherein the fixing bracket and / or first and second leg are designed as a guide for the storage unit.

10. Cutting device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the cutting bracket (4) and / or the bearing unit can be moved or pivoted via a lever which is pivotable relative to a pivot point fixed in relation to the cutting bracket and / or the bearing unit in order to guide the cutting wire through the insulation board.

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