Anchoring reinforcement for gypsum plasterboard walls

Abstract

The invention comprises two or more boards (1) having a length corresponding to the standardised spacing provided between the profiles forming part of a support structure for supporting gypsum plasterboard panels. The boards (1) are connected to each other longitudinally along their free edges by means of flexible rectangular plates (3) with rounded vertices and which are also installed on the free ends of the assembly by way of cantilevered tabs. The boards (1) are separated from one another by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the profiles, having a transverse milled recess (5) in which the free edge (6) of the profile, to which said board is fitted, is intended to be inserted. The boards include neodymium magnets (7) and a spirit level (8) that greatly facilitates the installation thereof.

Description

[0001] ANCHORAGE REINFORCEMENT FOR PLASTERBOARD WALLS

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention relates to a reinforcing element, of the type used in the formation of plasterboard walls, intended to be installed behind said plasterboard panels or sheets in areas where it is necessary to install elements with a weight greater than that which the plasterboard itself is capable of supporting, such as shelves, furniture, television stands, etc.

[0005] The object of the invention is to provide a reinforcement element that is easy and quick to install, significantly reducing the operating time for the installation of this type of reinforcement.

[0006] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0007] In the practical application of the invention, when obtaining a wall made of plasterboard, these are installed on a structure obtained from galvanized steel omega profiles on whose lateral branches these panels or plasterboard are fixed.

[0008] However, as is well known, this type of panel does not support large loads, so when the wall to be formed is intended to have furniture, shelving, a television stand, or any other heavy item installed, the structure must be reinforced in order to withstand these loads.

[0009] To achieve this, a board is typically installed between the vertical galvanized steel profiles on which the drywall panels will rest. This creates an additional surface for screwing the hanging elements, usually capable of supporting loads of up to 450 kilograms, thanks to the standardized distance between profiles that defines relatively narrow openings to prevent the boards from flexing. The installation process for these boards is slow and laborious, as they are cut to size at the precise moment of use and must be stabilized and leveled before being screwed to the metal profiles. This often requires two workers simultaneously: one to hold the cut and leveled board while the other screws it to the metal profiles, resulting in a significant loss of time and labor.

[0010] Trying to circumvent this problem, there is the invention patent US6705056B2, which describes a structure in which the boards are already pre-cut and integrated, conveniently spaced along a longitudinal metal plate that allows two or more boards to be adapted onto three or more vertical profiles.

[0011] The problem with this solution is that although it reduces installation time, since the boards do not have to be cut to size, it still poses a problem when handling the device, since it must be stabilized using clamps, vises or similar elements before being screwed in, and must also be leveled.

[0012] Another problem with this solution is its rigidity, due to the use of a metal piece that extends from end to end of the assembly, which also negatively impacts both the weight (and consequently handling), as well as the cost of the product and the difficulty of handling when adapting the different segments of boards to the support profiles of the plasterboard.

[0013] Finally, it should be noted that the plate used in the previously described device has a rectangular shape with sharp corners. This element protrudes from both ends of the assembly to create a tab for screw fixing to the omega profiles of the plasterboard support structure. Due to its sharp edges, it could cause injury to installers. EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The recommended anchor reinforcement for plasterboard walls fully and satisfactorily resolves the aforementioned problem, based on a simple but highly effective solution, resulting in a product that is easy, precise and quick to install by a single operator, and with all safety guarantees.

[0015] To this end, the device of the invention is made up of a series of boards, of a length according to the standardized length and provided between galvanized steel omega profiles that are used on the support surfaces for the formation of walls of laminated plasterboard, which are linked at their ends through plates with rounded vertices forming a kind of articulated chain, by virtue of the flexibility that these plates present.

[0016] More specifically, the boards will be laterally separated from each other by a distance according to the thickness of the galvanized steel profiles between which they are intended to be installed, so that, since these have an omega configuration, one of the ends of the board will be finished in a transverse milling that coincides with the free edge or bend suffered by the omega profile on which said board is adapted internally, supporting the adjacent board on the front end of the majority face of said omega profile, both boards being flush with the lateral and front branch of said omega profile, area on which the central part of the plate that links both boards is superimposed.

[0017] To significantly facilitate this adaptation, stabilization, and leveling operation, and in accordance with the essence of the invention, it has been planned that the boards include integrated into them, and corresponding to their ends, neodymium magnets that are flush with the board, on its outer face next to the area where the transverse milling is located, and on its edge corresponding to its other end, facilitating that the board adheres by magnetic attraction to the omega profiles, both to its lateral branch and its larger face or base.

[0018] According to another feature of the invention, at least one of the boards, preferably two of them, includes a bubble level to facilitate the perfect positioning of said boards before screwing the assembly to the omega profiles. In this regard, the aforementioned plates with rounded corners, to prevent the risk of cuts to the operators, will include markings that determine the exact location for applying the self-tapping screws, which will pass through said plates, the lateral arm of the omega profile, and the board itself, thus securing the assembly which, as previously stated, can support weights of up to 450 kilograms.

[0019] This structure results in a device that allows for a reduction of up to 90% in the installation time of this type of reinforcement on support structures for plasterboard panels, as well as the necessary labor, all of which results in extremely important economic savings and a reduction in the delivery times of the work.

[0020] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] To complement the description that follows and to aid in a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred embodiment thereof, a set of drawings is included as an integral part of said description, in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented:

[0022] Figure 1 shows a front elevation view of an anchor reinforcement for plasterboard walls made in accordance with the object of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the device in Figure 1, showing its flexible nature at the level of the confluence zones between the different boards that participate in it.

[0024] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the device installed on a support structure for laminated gypsum board.

[0025] Figure 4 shows, finally, a detail in plan and section of the joining area of ​​the device at the level of one of the galvanized steel omega profiles that participates in the support structure for laminated plasterboard panels, specifically at the level of the fixing handles of the device to the profile of the support structure for the laminated plasterboard panels.

[0026] Figure 5 shows, finally, a view similar to that of Figure 4, but in which the section has been made at the level of one of the fixing screws of the assembly.

[0027] PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0028] In view of the figures described, it can be observed how the anchor reinforcement for walls of laminated plasterboard of the invention is constituted from a plurality of boards (1), of length according to the standardized separation that is foreseen between the omega profiles (2) that participate in a support structure for laminated plasterboard panels.

[0029] In the chosen embodiment example, the number of these boards (1) is three, although this number could vary in both a positive and negative sense without affecting the essence of the invention.

[0030] The Boards (1) are linked together longitudinally and through their free edges by means of flexible plates (3) of rectangular configuration, with rounded vertices, and which are also implanted on the free ends of the assembly as cantilevered tabs, forming a kind of articulated or flexible assembly like a chain.

[0031] As can be seen in Figure 1, the boards (1) will be separated from each other by a distance (4) equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the omega profiles (2), with one of the two ends of the board having a transverse milling (5), in which the free edge (6) or bend suffered by the omega profile on which said board is adapted is intended to be inserted.

[0032] This transverse milling (5) will have a greater width than the thickness of the metal profile, in order to facilitate the insertion of the angled free edge of the omega profile (2) into it. Since the assembly must be bent to adapt to the profile, the initial angle at which this free edge enters is not the angle it will occupy once the assembly is stabilized. Thus, and in accordance with Figures 3, 4, and 5, the flexible nature of the assembly in the areas where the panels meet allows one end of the panel to fit onto the inwardly angled branch of the omega profile (2), while the opposite end of the adjacent panel fits onto the larger base of the omega profile (2), as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0033] This assembly, which is carried out prior to the screwing of the device, is perfectly stabilized by means of neodymium magnets (7) that are installed flush with the board (1) and in different positions depending on the support area provided between the end of said board and the omega profile (2), so that some magnets will be installed on the edge of said board, those intended to come into contact with the larger base of the repeatedly mentioned omega profile (2), while the end of the board that is fixed to the omega profile through its inwardly angled branch will include the magnets arranged on its outer face, next to the aforementioned transverse groove or milling (5).

[0034] This allows the assembly to be perfectly stabilized without the need for additional tools or accessories such as clamps or similar, a maneuver that can be carried out by a single operator, ensuring perfect horizontality in the installation of the device by means of bubble levels (8) that are integrated in the middle area of ​​at least one of the boards (1), preferably in two of them.

[0035] Finally, it only remains to point out the fact that the flexible plates (3) will include markings (9), recesses or even pre-established holes that determine the exact place to implant the self-tapping screws (10) which, as shown in Figure 5, pass through the lateral branch of the omega profile (2) and are linked parallel to the free end of the board (1).

Claims

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N E S 1 a- Anchor reinforcement for plasterboard walls, characterized in that it is made up of two or more boards (1), preferably three, of a length according to the standardized separation provided between the galvanized steel omega profiles (2) that participate in a support structure for plasterboard panels, boards (1) that are linked together longitudinally and through their free edges by means of flexible plates (3) of rectangular configuration, with rounded vertices, and that are also implanted on the free ends of the assembly as cantilevered tabs, where the boards (1) are separated from each other by a distance (4) equal to or greater than the thickness of the omega profiles (2), one of the two ends of the board having a transverse milling (5), in which it is intended to fit the free edge (6) or bend suffered by the omega profile on which said board is adapted,adapting the opposite end in the assembly on the larger base of said omega profile (2), with the particularity that the boards (1) include in correspondence with their ends neodymium magnets (7) for fixing by magnetic attraction to the omega profiles (2), as well as at least one of them a bubble level (8). 2 a - Anchor reinforcement for plasterboard walls, according to claim 1 a , where the flexible plates (3) include markings (9), recesses or holes that determine implantation points for self-tapping screws (10) for fixing to the lateral branch of the omega profile (2) and to the free end of the board (1). 3 a - Anchor reinforcement for plasterboard walls, according to claim 1 a, where the neodymium magnets (7) are installed flush with the board (1) on one of the extreme edges of the board and next to the transverse milling (5) respectively. 4 a - Anchor reinforcement for plasterboard walls, according to claim 1 a , where the flexible plates (3) have rounded vertices.

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