Panel railings and sealing kit

Abstract

The invention relates to a rail (10) for a panel (P) guardrail (100), comprising a profiled metal body having a substantially flat base (15) at least in segments, located, in the installed state, bearing against a support (S), with tubular housings for screws (11) or threaded rods (19) for fixing to the support (S), characterized in that it further comprises, at least in segments, along the longitudinal axis of the screws (11), a strip of closed-cell cellular polymer material (1), the width of which corresponds to that of the base (15), located, in the installed state, between the base (15) and the support (S). Figure for the abstract: [Fig. 2]

Description

Title of the invention: PANEL RAILING AND SEALING KIT technical field

[0001] The invention relates to a rail for panel railings. Panel railings use panels, particularly glass or cut stone, to create a facade. Their function is both aesthetic and safety-related. Prior art

[0002] The panel guardrail rails are fixed to a support, floor or slab, by means of fixing screws that pass through a flange of the rail bearing against the support and enter into anchors located in holes in the support. The panels are then inserted and held in the rail by fixing devices.

[0003] Guardrail rails and their installation must meet important safety requirements. Since they are installed at height, for example as a balcony railing, a rail failure that releases a panel can cause significant damage or even injure a passerby below.

[0004] Even without releasing the panel, when the poorly fixed rail can tilt, even by a small angle, less than one degree or tenth of a degree, the movement of the upper edge quickly becomes large enough to compromise the quality required for a guardrail

[0005] Guardrails are in particular subjected to resistance tests, involving predetermined forces to verify their ability not to deform beyond predetermined limit values, and to return to the rest position with unloaded deformations below predetermined limit values.

[0006] Furthermore, guardrails are often installed outdoors and are therefore subject to weather and climatic effects. In particular, guardrails are subject to moisture infiltration through the holes in the support, into which screws or other rail fixing devices are inserted.

[0007] The holes represent weak points in terms of sealing, since said holes will pass through any external layers ensuring sealing (sealing cladding, resin, varnish etc).

[0008] Water can then reach the core of the support material and / or the interior of the building, potentially leading to damage such as rotting of a wooden support or water infiltration through porous concrete masonry. Freeze-thaw cycles can, in particular, lead to the formation of microcracks that can eventually cause the screws and therefore the rail to loosen.

[0009] It is known to inject sealant around the screws, possibly to coat the base of the rail with sealant, or to create an offset rail support that can be covered with a waterproof casing. The sealant application is carried out by the technician in charge of installing the guardrail, using standard tools. This sealant application is therefore lengthy and complex. Any imperfection in said application will result in water infiltration.

[0010] The addition of a simple rubber seal under the rails is also not indicated, in that the said joint introduces a tilting play around the axis of the rail. A minimal play, even of a few tenths of a millimeter, at the base of the rail will induce a significant deflection at the upper edge of the guardrail, of several centimeters. Summary of the invention

[0011] In order to overcome the above problem, the invention proposes a panel railing, comprising a rail with a profiled metal body having a substantially flat base at least in segments located, in the installed state, in contact with a support, with tubular housings receiving screws or threaded rods for fixing to the support, characterized in that it further comprises at least in segments, at the longitudinal level of the screws, a strip of closed-cell cellular polymer material, of width corresponding to that of the base located, in the installed state, between the base and the support.

[0012] The use of a strip made of closed-cell honeycomb material makes it possible to obtain a high-quality joint at the base of the rail. The closed cells are also compressed under the rail flange.

[0013] When the closed cells are crushed, the strip becomes incompressible. When a gap is present between the rail base and the support, the closed cells will be only slightly or not at all compressed, and the strip of honeycomb material will close any gap present, while maintaining sufficient pressure to ensure a seal.

[0014] The sealing at the base of the rail is thus ensured, with a greatly reduced movement of the panels.

[0015] The guardrail according to the invention may further have one or more of the following characteristics.

[0016] The polymer material strip can be made of ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM).

[0017] The polymer material strip may have pre-drilled holes arranged in locations situated, in the installed state, under the screws.

[0018] The closed-cell honeycomb polymer material strip can be cut into segments with a length at least equal to the width of the strip and the sole, located or configured to be located, in the installed state, at the level of the tubular housings.

[0019] The guardrail may further include caps, configured to cover, in the installed state, the heads of the screws or a bolt and to form a housing for sealant around the heads of the screws.

[0020] The plugs may have two holes on an upper face, located in the installed state at the top of the screw, one for the injection of the sealant and the other for the evacuation of air.

[0021] If the guardrail has screws, it may also have bi-material washers, located in the installed state between the screw heads and the rail, having a metallic thickness and a polymer material thickness.

[0022] The screw heads can be arranged in tubular housings, which the plugs close.

[0023] If the guardrail has threaded rods, the plugs may have pre-cut openings, with a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the threaded rods.

[0024] The invention also relates to a sealing kit for panel railings, characterized in that it comprises a strip of closed-cell cellular polymer material, configured to be placed, in the installed state, between a base of a rail and a support.

[0025] The polymer material strip may in particular include a face coated with glue, on at least a part in contact with the base of the rail in the installed state.

[0026] The sealing kit may further comprise a plurality of plugs configured to cover, in the installed state, the heads of the screws or bolts of threaded rods, said plugs having two holes on an upper face, located in the installed state at the top of the screw, one for the injection of a sealant and the other for the evacuation of air.

[0027] The sealing kit may further include bi-material washers configured to be placed, in the installed state, between screw heads and the rail. Description of the figures

[0028] An example of an embodiment is explained more precisely from the drawings, other advantageous improvements of the invention and advantages thereof being described.

[0029] We see in:

[0030] [Fig-1] a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of guardrails with passages water infiltration,

[0031] [Fig.2] a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a guardrail with sealing means according to the invention,

[0032] [Fig.3] a cross-sectional view of an embodiment with a vertical support,

[0033] [Fig.4] a schematic perspective of an embodiment of a band made of cellular polymer material for sealing means,

[0034] [Fig.5] a schematic perspective of an alternative embodiment of a band made of cellular polymer material,

[0035] [Fig.6] a front view of a guardrail with strips of cellular polymer material according to [Fig.5],

[0036] [Fig.7] a cross-sectional view of a rail with the honeycomb polymer strip before its crushing,

[0037] [Fig.8] a cross-sectional view of the rail and the strip of the previous figure after crushing,

[0038] [Fig.9] a schematic perspective of a bi-material washer for sealing means,

[0039] [Fig. 10] a schematic perspective of a cap for sealing means,

[0040] [Fig. 11] a cross-sectional view of a screw, the bi-material washer and the cap before sealant injection,

[0041] [Fig. 12] a cross-sectional view of the screw, the bi-material washer and the cap after injection of sealant,

[0042] [Fig. 13] a schematic perspective of an alternative embodiment of the cap according to the invention,

[0043] [Fig. 14] a cross-sectional view of a threaded rod, a bolt, a bi-material washer and a cap of the previous figure with injected sealant. Detailed description

[0044] Figure 1 shows a guardrail rail 10, with a screw 11 anchoring it to a support S, here a concrete slab, a metal plate, or a wooden surface. The screw 11 passes through a hole in the bottom of a central recess in the rail 10 and extends into a hole in the support S.

[0045] For orientation purposes, the rail 10 is considered longitudinal. The screw 11, and in particular its axis of revolution, is considered vertical, and the third direction is considered transverse. According to a particular embodiment, the support S can be vertical and be, for example, a facade or a wall ([Fig.3]).

[0046] The rail 10 is configured to receive, during the assembly of the guardrail, a panel, for example a glass panel, which will be inserted and held in the central housing of the rail 10. The screw 11 is in particular fully inserted into a drilling, so that it does not hinder the subsequent insertion of the panel, and cooperates with a washer 13. The washer 13 is arranged between the head of the screw 13 and a shoulder which is the bottom of a tubular housing in which the head of the screw 11 is housed.

[0047] The rail 10 has a base 15 forming a bearing surface. The base 15 has, in particular, two bearing strips 15A, 15B, located transversely on either side of the rail 10, and forming two longitudinal bearing surfaces. The base 15 also has a ring 15C located around the hole into which the screw 11 is inserted.

[0048] The support strips 15A, 15B and the ring 15C are in particular support surfaces, on which the rail 10, and therefore the guardrail, rests.

[0049] Figure 1 shows the rail 10, the screw 11, and the washer 13 without the sealing elements, i.e., without the object of the invention. Three water and moisture infiltration paths are shown in Figure 1 and numbered 1, 11, and 111.

[0050] The first path 1 of water infiltration is located under the base 15, from the upper surface of the support S, and joins the hole in the support S where the screw 11 is inserted. This first path 1 corresponds, for example, to water that has accumulated on the support S, and which seeps under the base 15 of the rail 10.

[0051] The drilling in the support S passes through all the sealing layers of said support S. For example, if the support S is made of concrete covered with a sealing layer, such as a sheet metal, the drilling passes through the sealing layer.

[0052] Water infiltration into the support S can become problematic, particularly if the water freezes. The expansion of the water as it turns to ice can crack the support S or at least enlarge the hole, thus increasing the movement of the rail 10 and the panel. Water infiltration into the concrete and masonry beneath the panel can also be problematic.

[0053] The second infiltration path 11 passes between the screw head 11 and the washer 13, then follows the screw 11 in the bore of the support S. The third infiltration path 111 passes between the washer and the shoulder of the tubular housing receiving the screw head 11.

[0054] These two infiltration paths 11 and 111 correspond to the path taken by water that has accumulated at the level of the housing of the screw head 11. Again the water will eventually reach the hole in the support S in which the screw 11 is inserted, with the effects previously described.

[0055] The rail 10, the screw 11 and the support S are shown with sealing elements in [Fig.2] and 3.

[0056] The sealing elements include in particular: a band of polymer material 1, a bi-material washer 13 and a cap 3. These elements are shown in more detail in the following figures.

[0057] The polymer material strip 1 is arranged between the rail 10 and the support S. The bi-material washer 13 is arranged between the screw head 11 and the shoulder of the hole housing the screw IL. The cap 3 is arranged on the screw head 11 which it surrounds.

[0058] In [Fig. 3], the rail 10 is attached by means of the screw 11 to a vertical support S, for example a wall. The screw 11 is therefore horizontal, and said screw 11 and the housing into which it is inserted are located in a side wall of the rail 10. The base 15 of the rail 10 is here the outer face of the side wall bearing the housing and the screw 11. The polymer material strip 1 is therefore oriented vertically, between this outer face and the support S.

[0059] The screw 11 also has a cap 5 and a bi-material washer 13.

[0060] A first embodiment of a band made of polymer material 1 is shown in detail in [Fig.4].

[0061] According to this embodiment, the polymer material strip 1 is a continuous strip, extending over the entire length of the rail 10. The polymer material strip 1 is of equal or even slightly greater width than that of the rail 10, and in particular of its base 15, which is visible in [Fig.2] and 3.

[0062] The polymer material strip 1 is therefore present under the support strips 15A, 15B.

[0063] The polymer material strip 1 may have pre-drilled holes 7 arranged in locations situated, in the installed state, below the holes in the rail 10 into which the screws 11 are inserted.

[0064] Figure 5 shows an alternative embodiment in which the polymer material strip 1 is formed in the form of rectangular or square segments. In particular, the rectangular segments have a length greater than their width. Their width is, in particular, equal to that of the base 15 of the rail 10.

[0065] The polymer material strip segments 1 have a pre-drilled hole 7 in their center for the passage of the screw 11.

[0066] Fig. 6 illustrates a guardrail 100 using polymer material strip segments 1 like those of Fig. 5, shown in side view, in the plane of the length of the rail 10.

[0067] The guardrail 100 has a rail 10 in which panels P are arranged. The rail 10 has arches 9 on its base, forming a passage for example for flowing water.

[0068] Between the arches 9, footings 15 forming support on the ground are present, at the level of screws 11 represented in dotted lines because they are normally invisible from the outside.

[0069] The soles 15 are rectangular or square in shape, and under said soles 15 are arranged segments of strip of polymer material 1.

[0070] According to a particular embodiment, the polymer material strip 1 may have a face coated with glue, and in particular with glue covered with a layer to be removed to allow bonding to the rail 10, like a sticker.

[0071] Figures 7 and 8 show the phenomenon of crushing the polymer material strip 1 by the base 15 of the rail 10.

[0072] The polymer material strip 1 is made of cellular ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM), with closed cells. Other polymers that can be cellular with closed cells can of course be used.

[0073] Figures 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views along the transverse plane of the rail 10 and the polymer material strip 1. In [Fig.7], the polymer material strip 1 is not yet crushed by tightening the screw (not shown), and in [Fig.8] the polymer material strip 1 is crushed by the rail 10.

[0074] The polymer material strip 1, when not crushed ([Fig.7]), has cells shown as circular in cross-section. When the rail 10 crushes said polymer material strip 1 ([Fig.8]), the cells are deformed into ovals, or even completely crushed, and are then represented by horizontal lines.

[0075] Under the support strips 15A, 15B, the cells are completely crushed. The polymer of the polymer material strip 1 then exhibits almost zero compressibility, which implies less movement of the rail 10 and the panels P that are attached to said rail 10. Under the ring 15C, the polymer material strip 1 is also completely crushed.

[0076] The polymer material strip 1 will expand outside the support strips 15A, 15B and the ring 15C, and under these elements when a hollow in the support S is present, for example the asperities of a concrete slab.

[0077] The polymer material strip 1 therefore essentially protects the water infiltration path numbered 1 in [Fig.1].

[0078] Figures 9 and 10 show sealing elements directed rather towards the infiltration paths 11 and 111 of [Fig.1].

[0079] These additional elements include in particular a bi-material washer 13 ([Fig.9]) and a plug 3 ([Fig. 10]).

[0080] The bi-material washer 13 is a washer comprising two layers of material, one metallic 13A and the other polymer material.

[0081] The cap 5 is circular in shape, with two circular holes 51, 53 on its upper surface. It is made of polymer material.

[0082] The first hole 51 is of sufficient diameter to allow the insertion of a sealant injector nozzle. The second hole 53 is of smaller diameter and is present to allow air to escape.

[0083] Figures 11 and 12 illustrate the use of the elements of Figures 9 and 10.

[0084] Figure 11 shows the screw 11 outside its housing. The bi-material washer 13 is located under the head of the screw 11, between the screw head 11 and the shoulder of the screw housing 11. The polymer layer of the washer 13 is, in particular, at the bottom, in contact with the shoulder of the screw housing 11.

[0085] The use of a simple polymer ring seal is contraindicated because the screw 11 would shear said ring seal. The metal thickness 13A of the bi-material washer 13 distributes the forces on the screw head 11 and prevents shearing of the polymer thickness 13B.

[0086] The plug 5 is positioned on and covers the screw head 11. Advantageously, the plug 5 has the same dimensions as the tubular housing of the screw head 11. The plug 5 then closes said housing of the screw head 11.

[0087] The plug 5 is in particular slightly larger in dimensions than the screw head 11 and therefore a void is present between said plug 5 and said screw head 11. Sealant 17 is then injected into said void.

[0088] The sealant 17 and the bi-material washer 13 then seal the screw head 11 in a watertight manner ([Fig. 11]).

[0089] The bi-material washer 13, when pressed against the shoulder of the screw housing, prevents water infiltration through the infiltration path 111.

[0090] The cap 5, by allowing a controlled injection of sealant, prevents water infiltration through the infiltration path 11.

[0091] According to an alternative embodiment, the plug 5 does not have holes 51, 53, and the sealant is applied directly into the plug 5 and then said plug 5 is placed on the head of the screw 11.

[0092] Figure 13 is a representation analogous to Figure 11 of a plug 5 according to another embodiment. Figure 14 illustrates the use of this plug 5 in a guardrail having, in place of screws 11, a threaded rod 19 and a bolt 21.

[0093] The cap 5 of [Fig.13] has in addition to the holes 51, 53 a pre-cut operculum 55, circular in shape and with a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the threaded rods 19.

[0094] The cap 55 can be detached from the plug 5, which releases a third hole 55, with a diameter corresponding to that of the threaded rods 19. When the plug 5 is placed on the bolt 21 which it covers, the threaded rod 19 passes through said hole 55.

[0095] The sealing elements comprising the polymer material strip 1, the bi-material washer 13 and the plug 5 can be directly associated with the rail 10. Said sealing elements are then packaged and distributed with the rail 10, in particular by being packaged with the rail 10, in a number corresponding to the screws 11 or threaded rods 19.

[0096] The said sealing elements can alternatively be packaged and distributed separately in the form of a sealing kit.

Claims

Claims

1. Guardrail (100) with panels (P), comprising a rail (10) with a profiled metal body having a substantially flat sole (15) at least in segments located, in the installed state, in abutment against a support (S), with tubular housings receiving screws (11) or threaded rods (19) for fixing to the support (S), characterized in that it further comprises at least in segments, at the longitudinal level of the screws (11), a strip of closed-cell honeycomb polymer material (1), of width corresponding to that of the sole (15), located, in the installed state, between the sole (15) and the support (S), and in that it further comprises plugs (5), configured to cover, in the installed state, heads of the screws (11) or a bolt (21) and to form a housing for mastic (17) around the heads of the screws (11).

2. Guardrail according to claim 1, characterized in that the strip of polymer material (1) is made of ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM).

3. Guardrail according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the strip of polymer material has pre-drilled holes (7) arranged at locations located, in the installed state, under the screws (11).

4. Guardrail according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the strip of closed-cell honeycomb polymer material (1) is cut into segments with a length at least equal to the width of the strip and the sole (15), located or configured to be located, in the installed state, at the level of the tubular housings.

5. Guardrail according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plugs (5) have two holes (51, 53) on an upper face, located in the installed state at the top of the screw (11), one (51) for injecting the mastic (17) and the other (53) for evacuating air.

6. Guardrail according to one of the preceding claims, comprising screws (11), characterized in that it further comprises bimaterial washers (13), located in the installed state between the screw heads (11) and the rail, comprising a metal thickness (13A) and a thickness of polymer material (13B).

7. Guardrail according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the screw heads (11) are arranged in tubular housings, and in that the plugs (5) close said tubular housings.

8. Guardrail according to one of the preceding claims, comprising threaded rods (19), characterized in that the plugs (5) comprise pre-cut covers (55), of diameter corresponding to the diameter of the threaded rods (19).

9. Sealing kit for railing (100) with panel (P), comprising a strip of closed-cell honeycomb polymer material (1), configured to be arranged, in the installed state, between a sole (15) of a rail (10) and a support (S) characterized in that it further comprises plugs (5), configured to cover, in the installed state, heads of screws (11) or a bolt (21) and form a housing for mastic (17) around the heads of the screws (11).

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