PLUG SYSTEM

Abstract

System for plugging an opening, including: a plug element designed to cover said opening, a frame made up of at least four rails (1′) designed to be positioned inside the opening and including a first groove (22) formed on a front wall of each rail, and a seal (29),
said first groove (22) being designed to accommodate a substantially peripheral part (27) of the plug element, said seal (29) being designed to be accommodated with a tight fit in retaining means (34) inserted in said groove (22) and retaining said plug element on the frame.

Claims

1. A system for plugging an opening, of the door or window opening type delimited by a door frame or window frame or of a type delimited by adjacent walls, including: a plug element, for example a tarpaulin (27) designed to cover said opening, a frame, which is designed to be positioned inside said opening, of the door or window opening type, made up of at least four structural sections each forming a rail (1′) of said frame, each structural section comprising a front wall (30), a dorsal wall (31) and two connecting walls (31, 33) and having an opening part forming a cavity of a substantially U-shaped groove, and having first fixing means (28), and second fixing means (29), said first and second fixing means (28, 29) being designed to co-operate with one another to retain said plug element (27) on said frame and to be separable so as to allow the withdrawal of said plug element on the frame, said first fixing means being an opening (35) defined by a longitudinal orifice present on said front wall (30) of each structural section, said opening (35) being defined by two adjacent parts formed by two internal lips (21, 21′) each extending from one of the connecting walls, said groove (22) of said structural section being designed to accommodate a substantially peripheral part of the plug element (27) passing through said opening (35), said second fixing means being formed of at least one peripheral seal (29) designed to be held with a tight fit by each internal lip (21, 21′ and 9, 9′) of said opening (35) of said groove (22) in which said substantially peripheral part of said plug means (27) is accommodated and fixed, characterized in that it includes means (34) for retaining the tarpaulin (27) having a first predetermined profile complementary to a second predetermined profile formed by said opening part forming a cavity of a groove and by said adjacent lips of said opening of said groove, said retaining means (34) being designed to be at least partly accommodated in said groove of said structural section forming said rail (22), between said substantially peripheral part of the plug element (27) and said seal (29), superposed on top of said substantially peripheral part of said plug element (27) so as to retain it on said frame and so as to receive said at least one peripheral seal (29) having a third predetermined profile designed to co-operate with said first predetermined profile of said retaining means (34).

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one of said rails of the frame (1′) includes a first, external structural section (12) and a second, internal structural section (1) designed to co-operate by sliding to form a telescopic rail including: a first, external structural section (12) comprising a front wall (30), a dorsal wall (31) and two connecting walls (32, 33), each of the walls having an internal face (13) and an external face (14), said first structural section (12) including an opening part forming a cavity of a first substantially U-shaped groove (20), said front wall (30) including a longitudinal orifice forming an opening (35′) of said first groove (20) the adjacent parts of which are formed by two internal lips (21, 21′) each extending from one of the connecting walls (32, 33), and a second, internal structural section (1) comprising a front wall (30′), a dorsal wall (31′) and two connecting walls (32′, 33′), each of the walls having an internal face (2) and an external face (3), said external face (3) of one of said connecting walls of said second structural section including a brush (5) over at least part of its length, said second structural section (1) including an opening part forming a cavity of a second substantially U-shaped groove (7), said front wall (30′) including a longitudinal orifice forming an opening (35″) of said second groove (7) the adjacent parts of which are formed by two internal lips (9, 9′) each extending from one of the connecting walls (32′, 33′), said second groove (7) of said second, internal structural section (1) and said first groove (20) of said first, external structural section (12) forming, when said first structural section (12) and said second structural section (1) are designed to co-operate by sliding, a groove resulting from at least partial superposition of two structural sections (22) including a longitudinal orifice (35) formed by the at least partial alignment of said longitudinal orifice (35′) present on the front wall (30) of said first structural section (12) and said longitudinal orifice (35″) present on the front wall (30′) of said second structural section (1), said groove resulting from at least partial superposition of two structural sections (22) being designed to receive and to retain at least partly a substantially peripheral part of said plug element (27).

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that two adjacent rails (1′, 1″) of the frame are nested in a preferably solid joining piece (45) so that the rails are not parallel, in particular substantially perpendicular.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that said joining piece (45) has a first end (46) including means for mutual coupling with an end of said external structural section (12) of a first telescopic rail (1′) and a second end (47) including means for mutual coupling with an end of said internal structural section (1) of an adjacent second telescopic rail (1″), said joining piece having at said first end (46) a groove (48) designed to co-operate with said groove (20) of said external structural section of the first rail (1′) and having at the second end (47) a groove (49) designed to co-operate with said groove (7) of said internal structural section (1) of said second rail (1″).

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that said joining piece (45) includes a groove (22′) on a front face (51) designed to connect said groove of said first end and said groove of said second end of the joining piece and to form a single continuous groove.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said retaining means (34) include a plurality of retaining means (34).

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that retaining means (34) include a back wall (36) and two facing lateral walls (37, 37′), to each lateral face there corresponds an internal face (40, 40′) oriented toward the interior of the retaining means (34), said lateral walls (37, 37′) extending from said back wall (36) and also including an external face (38, 38′) designed to face an internal face (39) of said substantially U-shaped groove of a structural section (22) forming a rail.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that said external face (38, 38′) of each lateral wall (37, 37′) of said retaining means (34) is designed to face an internal face (39) of a groove (22) formed when said first and second structural sections of a telescopic rail (1′) are designed to co-operate by sliding, each of the structural sections including an opening part forming a cavity of a substantially U-shaped groove.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that each external face (38, 38′) includes at least one protuberance (41, 41′) extending from the external face (38, 38′) and is designed to force nesting of said retaining piece (34) in said groove (22) formed in the opening of a structural section forming a rail of said frame or formed if said first structural section (12) and said second structural section (1) are designed to co-operate by sliding and form a groove defined by the sliding of said second groove in said first groove.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that each internal face (40, 40′) of each lateral wall (37, 37′) of said retaining means (34), includes at least one protuberance (42, 42′) oriented in a direction opposite that of said projection (41, 41′) on the external face (38, 38′) and in that said seal (29) has a longitudinal projection (43) having a first predetermined thickness e1 and terminated by first and second shoulders (44, 44′) having a predetermined height h1 to form an assembly having a second predetermined thickness e2, said lateral walls (37, 37′) of the retaining means (34) being separated from one another by a predetermined distance d1 such that d1≦e2, each shoulder (44, 44′) of said seal (29) being designed to be placed between said back wall (36) of said retaining means (34) and each protuberance (42, 42′) present on said internal faces (40, 40′) of the lateral walls (37, 37′) of said retaining means (34).

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that said protuberance (42, 42′) on each internal face (40, 40′) of said retaining means (34) has a third predetermined thickness e3 and is placed at a second predetermined distance d2 from said back wall (36) of the retaining means (34) such that e3≧e2−e1 and/or h1≧d2.

12. The system as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that said longitudinal projection (43) of the seal (29) has an arrowhead-shaped cross section terminating at a distal end (292), said arrowhead being designed to be oriented toward the retaining means (34), each of the first and second shoulders (44, 44′) of the longitudinal projection being designed to be in contact with each internal face (40, 40′) of the retaining means when said seal (29) is mounted with a tight fit in the retaining means (34).

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said at least one peripheral seal (29) includes a plurality of longitudinal seals.

14. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said retaining means (34) are made from a rigid material.

15. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said seal (29) is made from a flexible material.

16. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said retaining means (34) and said seal (29) form a single element.

17. The system as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the frame designed to be positioned inside an opening is a telescopic system including at least four telescopic rails to receive a plug element, for example a tarpaulin, each rail being connected to an adjacent, preferably perpendicular, rail by said joining piece (45), in particular a corner piece.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that two adjacent rails (1′, 1″) nested in said joining piece (45) are connected by compensation means.

19. A method of plugging an opening, of the door opening or window opening type delimited by a door frame or window frame or of a type delimited by adjacent walls, including the following steps: 1) joining at least four structural sections two by two by means of a joining piece (45) to form a frame, each structural section forming a rail, said joining piece (45) having a first end (46) designed to be connected to a first rail (1′) and a second end (47) designed to be connected to a second rail (1″) adjacent said first rail, 2) placing the frame inside the opening so that it bears against each side of said opening, 3) inserting at least one substantially peripheral part of a plug element (27) in a groove present in each structural section or in a groove formed by the sliding of a second groove (7) of a second, internal structural section (1) in a first groove (20) of a first, external structural section (12) of a telescopic rail if said first and second structural sections are designed to co-operate by sliding, and 4) positioning at least one seal (29) in said groove (22) present on each structural section with a tight fit so as to fix thereto said at least one substantially peripheral part (27) of the plug element so as to form a system for plugging said opening, characterized in that it includes a step before that of positioning said at least one seal (29) in which retaining means (34) having a first predetermined profile complementary to a second profile formed by said groove and internal lips defining its opening (35) are placed in said groove (22) between said substantially peripheral part (27) of a plug element and said seal (29), superposed on top of said at least one substantially peripheral part (27) of a plug element so as to retain it on said frame and so as to receive said seal (29) having a third predetermined profile designed to co-operate with said first predetermined profile of said retaining means (34).

20. The plugging method as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that it includes, before said step of joining at least four structural sections two by two to form the frame, a step of telescopic deployment of two structural sections designed to co-operate by sliding and forming a telescopic rail of said frame so that at least one joining piece (45) comes to abut against one of the corners of the opening, each rail being a telescopic rail including a first, external structural section (12) and a second, internal structural section (1), said first and second structural sections being designed to co-operate by sliding.

21. The plugging method as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that said step of telescopic deployment of each rail of said frame is followed by a plugging step in which said first, external structural section (12) is fixed temporarily in a predetermined position relative to said second, internal structural section (1).

22. The plugging method as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that said plugging step is followed by a step in which two adjacent rails of said frame are connected to one another by additional compensation means designed to exert a thrust on each rail so that they bear against the sides of the opening.

23. The plugging method as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that said step or positioning at least one seal (29) in said groove (22) of each structural section forming a rail is effected both in said groove (22) of a rail of said frame and in a longitudinal groove (48) present at said first end (47) of said joining piece (45), said groove (48) of said first end (47) of said joining piece (45) preferably being designed to receive retaining means (34).

24. The plugging method as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that said step of positioning at least one seal (29) in said groove (22) of each structural section forming a rail is effected both in said groove (22) of a structural section forming a rail of said frame and in a longitudinal groove (49) present at said second end (47) of said joining piece (45), said groove (22) of said second end (47) of said joining piece (45) being also designed to receive retaining means (34).

25. The method as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that it includes a step of inserting a front seal (454) with a tight fit in a front groove (453) disposed on a front flap (50) of at least one joining piece on top of a part of said plug element (27).

Description

[0116] Other features, details and advantages will emerge from the nonlimiting description given hereinafter with reference to the appended drawings.

[0117] FIGS. 1a to 1c are diagrammatic views of a first telescopic rail.

[0118] FIGS. 2a to 2c are diagrammatic views of another telescopic rail.

[0119] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the plugging system.

[0120] FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a first embodiment of the plugging system.

[0121] FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a second embodiment of the plugging system.

[0122] FIG. 6a is a diagrammatic sectional view of a third embodiment of the plugging system.

[0123] FIG. 6b is a diagrammatic sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the plugging system.

[0124] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the L-shaped joining piece according to a preferred embodiment.

[0125] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the L-shaped joining piece according to another preferred embodiment.

[0126] FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a seal, joining piece and rails assembly.

[0127] FIG. 10 a top view of the L-shaped joining piece according to an alternative embodiment.

[0128] In the figures, identical or analogous elements bear the same references.

[0129] According to the invention, the system for plugging an opening includes a frame formed by at least four telescopic rails, each rail including a front wall 30, 30′, a dorsal wall 31, 31′ opposite the front wall, and two connecting walls 32, 32′ and 33, 33′ connecting the front and dorsal walls.

[0130] The connecting wall 32, 32′ of each structural section being designed to be placed in contact against one side of an opening of door or Window opening type delimited by a door or window frame or of a type delimited by adjacent walls.

[0131] FIG. 1a illustrates an internal structural section 1 of a rail 1′ of a frame, the walls of this internal structural section 1 having an internal face 2 and an external face 3. The connecting wall 32′ includes a brush 5 removably mounted in a recess 6. Also, this internal structural section includes a second groove 7 and a fifth groove 8 that are substantially U-shaped and separated by a wall 11, each of these two grooves 7, 8 including two internal lips 9, 9′ and 10, 10′. The internal lips 9, 9′ each extending from one of the connecting walls of the internal structural section form a longitudinal orifice forming an opening 35″ of the second groove 7 of the internal structural section.

[0132] The structural sections are preferably made of PVC or aluminum.

[0133] FIG. 1b illustrates an external structural section 12 the walls of which have an internal face 13 and an external face 14. The connecting wall 32 includes on its internal face 13 a channel 16 designed to receive the brush 5 (illustrated in FIG. 1a) of the internal structural section 1. Also, the external structural section 12 includes a third U-shaped groove 17 optionally including two shoulders 18, 18′ formed in the lateral walls of said third groove 17, said third groove 17 being situated on a connecting wall 33 opposite the connecting wall 32 including the channel 16. Also, the external structural section 12 includes a substantially U-shaped first groove 20. Each of two internal lips 21, 21′ extending from one of the connecting walls of the external structural section forms a longitudinal orifice forming an opening 35′ of the first groove 20 of the external structural section.

[0134] FIG. 1c illustrates a telescopic rail according to the invention in which the internal structural section 1 is designed to co-operate by sliding in the external structural section 12. The brush 5 present on a connecting wall 32 of the internal structural section 1 is received by the channel 16 present in the connecting wall 32 of the external structural section 12 (on its internal face 13) so that the brush 5 does not constitute a thickness causing a gap between the structural sections 1, 12. Also since the brush 5 is situated in the channel 16, the latter forms a guide element when the internal structural section 1 slides in the external structural section 12. The internal lips 9 and 9′ of the internal structural section 1 lies alongside the internal lips 21, 21′ of the external structural section 12, the sliding of the two structural sections 1, 12 forming a groove 22 resulting from at least partial superposition of two structural sections including a longitudinal orifice 35 formed by the at least partial alignment of the longitudinal orifice 35′ present on the front wall 30 of said first structural section 12 and the longitudinal orifice 35″ present on the front wall 30′ of the second structural section 1. The groove 22 resulting from at least partial superposition of two structural sections is moreover designed to receive at least partly a substantially peripheral part of a plug element 27, for example an edge of a hem of a tarpaulin (not illustrated in FIG. 1c).

[0135] Also, the two internal lips 10, 10′ of the internal structural section 1 are positioned in the longitudinal rails 23, 23′ formed by the shoulders 18, 18′ present at the level of the third U-shaped groove 17 of the external structural section 12. In this way, if nut and bolt immobilizing means (not shown) are used and tightening a nut causes it to abut against the lower parts of the shoulders, the lips 10, 10′ of the internal structural section 1 are compressed in the longitudinal rails 23, 23′ so that the two structural sections 1, 12 are temporarily fastened together. Also, since the brush 5 is at least partly accommodated in the channel 16, the internal structural section 1 can bear against the external structural section 12 over a narrow area of contact, along two lateral parts 26, 26′ of the internal face 13 of the connecting wall 32 of the structural section 12, these two lateral parts 26, 26′ being situated on opposite sides of the channel 16.

[0136] FIGS. 2a to 2c illustrate another telescopic rail according to the invention. The same elements as those in FIGS. 1a to 1c are carried over except that the second external structural section 12 includes a bead 24 designed to be received in a longitudinal nesting cavity 25 situated on the internal structural section 1. As illustrated in FIG. 2c, this bead 24 is inserted, i.e. nested, in the longitudinal nesting cavity 25 which serves as a guide element during sliding of the structural sections 1, 12. This nesting also makes it possible to stiffen the telescopic rail and also to minimize the gap between the two structural sections 1, 12.

[0137] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the plugging system. That system is made up of a plug element, for example a tarpaulin 27 designed to cover the opening, first fixing means 28 present on the frame, and second fixing means 29. The plugging element preferably includes a zip fastener.

[0138] The first fixing means 28 comprise an opening defined by the longitudinal orifice 35 of the groove resulting from at least partial superposition of two structural sections 22 and the opening part forming a cavity of the groove resulting from at least partial superposition of two structural sections 22 in which a substantially peripheral part of a plug element 27 is designed to be accommodated. The second fixing means 29 comprise a seal, for example of circular section.

[0139] Said seal is advantageously made of a flexible material and is designed to be fixed with a tight fit between the lips 9, 9′ and 21, 21′ of each of the structural sections of the telescopic rail defining the opening 35 of the groove 22 and thus to fix thereto the substantially peripheral part of a plug element 27. The seal 29 is preferably made up of a plurality of seals.

[0140] The plugging system further includes at least one means 34 for retaining a substantially peripheral part of a plug element 27. The retaining means 34 have a first predetermined profile complementary to a second predetermined profile formed by the lips 21, 21′ and 9, 9′ defining the opening 35 of the groove 22, these retaining means 34 being designed to be accommodated in the latter groove, between a substantially peripheral part of a plug element 27 and the seal 29, superposed on top of the plug element. In this way, on the one hand, said plug element 27 is retained on the frame and, on the other hand, the retaining means 34 are positioned so that they are able to receive the seal 29, the latter having a third predetermined profile designed to co-operate with the first predetermined profile of the retaining means 34. The retaining means 34 according to the invention are preferably made of a rigid material. In one advantageous embodiment of the system according to the invention the retaining means 34 advantageously comprise a plurality of retaining means.

[0141] The retaining means 34 and the seal 29 preferably form a single element.

[0142] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the system shown in FIG. 4, the retaining means 34 have a back wall 36 and two facing lateral walls 37, 37′ so that the cross section of said retaining means 34 is substantially U-shaped.

[0143] Each lateral wall 37, 37′ of the retaining means 34 has an external face 38, 38′ oriented toward the internal face 39 of the groove 22 of the telescopic rail. Also, each lateral wall 37, 37′ of said retaining means 34 has on an external face 38, 38′ at least one protuberance 41, 41′ oriented toward the internal face 39 of the groove 22.

[0144] In a third embodiment of the system according to the invention shown in FIG. 5, each internal face 40, 40′ of each lateral wall 37, 37′ of the retaining means 34 includes at least one protuberance 42, 42′ oriented in a direction opposite that of the protuberance 41, 41′ connected to the external face 38, 38′ of each lateral wall 37, 37′. Also, the seal 29 includes a longitudinal projection 43 having a first predetermined thickness e1 and terminating in first and second shoulders 44, 44′ having a predetermined height h1 to form an assembly having a second predetermined thickness e2.

[0145] The lateral walls 37, 37′ of the retaining means 34 are separated from one another by a predetermined distance d1 such that d1≦e2, each shoulder 44, 44′ of the seal being designed to be placed between the back wall 36 of the retaining means and each protuberance on the internal faces 40, 40′ of the lateral walls 37, 37′ of the retaining means.

[0146] Each of the protuberances 42, 42′ present on each internal face 40, 40′ of the retaining means 34 is advantageously defined by a third predetermined thickness e3 and is at a second predetermined distance d2 from the back wall 36 of the retaining means 34 such that e3≧e2−e1 and/or h1≧d2 (FIG. 6).

[0147] As shown in FIG. 6a, the protuberances 41, 41′ present on the external faces 38, 38′ of the lateral walls 37, 37′ of the retaining means 34 are designed so that, when the retaining means 34 are accommodated in the groove 22 of a telescopic rail 1′, they are in contact with the internal lips 9, 9′ and 21, 21′ present on each structural section 1, 12 of the telescopic rail and forming an opening 35 through which the retaining means 34 are inserted.

[0148] In a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6b, the longitudinal projection 43 of the seal 29 optionally has an arrowhead-shaped cross section terminating at a distal end 292 designed to be oriented toward the retaining means 34. Each of the first and second shoulders 44, 44′ of the longitudinal projection is designed to be in contact with each internal face 40, 40′ of the retaining means when the seal 29 is mounted with a tight fit in the retaining means 34.

[0149] In one particular embodiment, adjacent first and second rails 1′, 1″ of the frame are nested in an L-shaped joining piece 45, which is preferably at least partly solid, so that the rails are non-parallel, in particular substantially perpendicular.

[0150] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the L-shaped joining piece 45.

[0151] This joining piece 45 has a first end 46 and a second end 47. The joining piece 45 is designed to co-operate with a pair of adjacent telescopic rails 1′, 1″ of the frame. The first end 46 of the joining piece 45 is designed to be nested with one end of the first, external structural section 12 of a first telescopic rail 1′ and the second end 47 of the joining piece 45 is designed to be nested with one end of the second, internal structural section 1 of a second telescopic rail 1″ adjacent the first telescopic rail 1′.

[0152] The first end 46 of the joining piece 45 includes a first longitudinal groove 48 designed to be accommodated at least partly in the groove 20 of the external structural section 12 of the first rail 1′ and thus to form first mutual coupling means with that rail. The second end 47 of the joining piece 45 includes a second longitudinal groove 49 designed to be at least partly accommodated in the groove 7 of said internal structural section 1 and thus to form second mutual coupling means with that rail. Also, each of the grooves of the joining part 45 being designed to receive the seal 29, on top of a part of the plug element 27 superposed on the joining part 45.

[0153] Also, each seal 29 is preferably extended so that a free part of the seal of the second rail 1″ is superposed on another free part of the seal of the first rail 1′. In this context, each free part of the seal constitutes means for holding the seal. In this way, to demount the plug member from the frame, it suffices the person skilled in the art to take hold of the free part of each seal to dislodge the seal from the grooves in the joining part and the adjacent rails in which the seals are accommodated.

[0154] The joining piece is further characterized in that it includes a flap 50 on a front face 51, this flap 50 being designed to cover at least partly a front face 30 of the first, external structural section 12 of the first telescopic rail 1′ and a front face 30′ of the second, internal structural section 1 of the second telescopic rail 1″.

[0155] According to one embodiment, the joining piece 45 includes a third longitudinal groove 22′ on the front face 51 designed to connect the first groove 48 and the second groove 49 of the joining piece and to form a single continuous groove.

[0156] In one preferred embodiment of the joining piece, at least one of the longitudinal grooves 48, 49 and 22′ includes an opening formed by a longitudinal orifice defined by two internal lips each extending from one of the lateral walls of the groove, the seal being designed to be held tightly by each lip of the opening of the groove in which the substantially peripheral part of the plug element is accommodated and thus to fix that part of the plug element to the rail.

[0157] In one particular embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the joining piece according to the invention includes a pair of lateral flaps 451, 452. The lateral flaps 451, 452 are disposed on either side of the second end 47 of the joining piece to form a first gap between that second end 47 and a first lateral flap 451 and a second gap between that second end 47 and a second lateral flap 452. Each gap is designed to receive with a tight fit at least an end part of the second, internal structural section 1 of the second telescopic rail 1″.

[0158] FIG. 10 illustrates one particular embodiment of the joining piece according to the invention. In this particular embodiment, the front flap 50 includes a front groove 453 designed to receive a front seal 454 on top of a part of said plug element 27.

[0159] In a variant, the joining piece 45 includes a third end and is substantially T-shaped. The first end 46 is designed to be nested with one end of the first, external structural section 12 of the first telescopic rail 1, the second end 47 of the adjoining piece is designed to be nested with one end of the second, internal structural section 1 of the second telescopic rail 1″ adjacent the first telescopic rail 1′, the first rail 1′ being substantially aligned with the second rail 1″. The third end is designed to be nested with one end of the first, external structural section 12 or of the second, internal structural section 1 of a third rail substantially perpendicular to the first rail 1′ and the second rail 1″.

[0160] The T-shaped joining piece includes between its ends a solid part 52 designed to receive on one side, abutted against it, the external structural section 12 of the first rail 1′, on a second side, abutted against it, the internal structural section 1 of the second rail 1″, and on a third side, abutted against it, the internal or external structural section of the third rail. The solid part 52 is preferably made from a flexible material of rubbery type.

[0161] Also, the third end of the joining piece includes a third longitudinal groove designed to be accommodated at least partly in the groove of the external structural section 12 or in the groove of the internal structural section 1 of the third rail.

[0162] The presence of a T-shaped joining piece is particularly recommended if the opening to be plugged has large dimensions, i.e. a width of at least 150 cm (or a multiple of at least 150 cm) and a height of at least 150 cm (or a multiple of at least 150 cm).

[0163] This opening having large dimensions, it is difficult for the person skilled in the art working alone to install the plugging system so as to plug this opening with a single plug element. The presence of a T-shaped joining piece then makes it possible to install at least one third rail dividing the opening defined by the frame into two openings of smaller size each of which can easily be covered by a plug element.

[0164] It is to be noted that for openings of great height, i.e. having a height at least equal to 150 cm (or a multiple of at least 150 cm), a plurality of telescopic rails can be connected two by two by a joining piece having a first end facing a second end so that two adjacent rails connected to the same joining piece are aligned with each other.

[0165] The frame is preferably a telescopic system including at least four telescopic rails. The frame is moreover designed to be positioned in an opening of the door opening or window opening type delimited by a door frame or a window frame or of a type delimited by adjacent walls, said telescopic system being further designed to receive a plug element, for example a tarpaulin, and further including at least four joining pieces, in particular a corner piece, in which two perpendicular adjacent rails are nested.

[0166] Said two perpendicular adjacent rails nested in a joining piece are advantageously also connected by compensation means, for example by a flat spring.

[0167] The presence of these compensation means is particularly recommended when the stiffness of the frame is insufficient and the rails may buckle toward the interior of the opening. This is the case in particular for telescopic rails forming a frame designed to be nested in an opening having large dimensions, for example at least 150 cm (or a multiple of at least 150 cm) by 150 cm (or a multiple of at least 150 cm). Also, to hold each rail against the sides of the opening, compensation means may be fitted. The latter push each rail against the facing sides of the opening.

[0168] Compensation means are installed in each corner of the frame and include a flexible strip, for example of the spring steel strip type, also termed a flat spring, and two fasteners, for example of the nut and bolt type passing through the strip, the bolt of which passes through one of the ends of the strip and is screwed into a nut accommodated in the rail in question.

[0169] The strip is then disposed inside the frame to face a junction piece. The strip is fixed to each of the adjacent frames so as to be pushed into the corner of the frame so as to assume a circular arc shape the center of curvature of which is oriented toward the center of the opening defined by the frame.

[0170] In this way, the compensation means create a circular deployment operative on each rail so that the nesting of these rails in their joining piece is consolidated by the circular thrust action resulting from the presence of the strips, each placed in a circular arc.

[0171] For example, the strip may have a thickness between 1 mm and 2 mm inclusive and a length between 60 cm and 80 cm inclusive.

[0172] The fasteners of the compensation means optionally include a series of slots (at least one slot) on each rail and in which each end of the strip is inserted.

[0173] In a preferred embodiment, for openings having large dimensions, i.e. a width and/or a height of at least 150 cm (or a multiple of at least 150 cm), the opening is plugged by placing at least two frames, one after the other, in the direction of the length and/or the height, each of the two frames including two pairs of rails interconnected by four L-shaped joining pieces. In this context, each of the adjacent frames then has a rail in contact with a rail of the other frame.

[0174] In particular, the person skilled in the art will take care to orient the L-shaped joining pieces so that two adjacent joining pieces, each belonging to a separate frame, are arranged so that a first end 46 of a first joining piece 45 of a first frame are disposed adjacent a second end 47 of a second joining piece 45′ of a second frame so that the effect of the circular thrust of the springs placed on the first frame compensate the circular thrust effect of the springs placed on the second frame so as to stabilize the telescopic rails in a predetermined sliding position.

[0175] In order to stabilize the frame additional compensation means may optionally be placed between two opposite large rails.

[0176] The installation of the plugging system preferably including telescopic rails includes the following steps: [0177] joining two adjacent rails by means of a joining piece 45 to form a frame, the joining piece 45 including a first end 46 designed to be connected to a first rail 1′ and a second end 47 designed to be connected to a second rail 1″, [0178] placing the frame inside an opening, [0179] optionally lengthening the telescopic rails by sliding an internal structural section 1 in an external structural section 12 forming the telescopic rail so that the joining pieces 45 come to abut against the corners of the opening, [0180] locking the internal structural section 1 and the external structural section 12 by tightening locking means, optionally followed by mounting compensation means to stiffen the frame, [0181] inserting at least one substantially peripheral part of a plug element 27 in a groove present in each rail or in a groove formed by the sliding of a second groove (7) of a second, internal structural section (1) in a first groove (20) of a first, external structural section (12) of a telescopic rail when said first and second structural sections are designed to co-operate by sliding, and [0182] positioning with a tight fit at least one seal 29 through the opening of the groove 22 of each rail to fix thereto the substantially peripheral part of the plugging element so as to form a system for plugging the opening.
Installing the plugging system further includes a step before that of positioning a seal 29 in which retaining means 34 having a first predetermined profile complementary to the second profile formed by the lips defining said opening 35 of the groove 22 and the opening part forming the cavity of the groove is placed in the groove 22 between the substantially peripheral part 27 of a plug element and the seal 29, superposed on top of said at least one substantially peripheral part 27 of a plug element so as to retain the plug element on the frame and to receive the seal 29 having a third predetermined profile designed to co-operate with the first predetermined profile of the retaining means 34.

[0183] The plugging method according to the invention is advantageously characterized in that it includes, before the step of joining at least four rails two by two to form the frame, a step of telescopic deployment of each rail of said frame so that at least one joining piece 45 comes to abut against one of the corners of the opening. Each rail is a telescopic rail comprising a first, external structural section 12 and a second, internal structural section 1, the first and second structural sections being designed to co-operate by sliding.

[0184] The step of positioning at least one seal 29 in the groove 22 of each rail is preferably effected both in the groove 22 of a rail of the frame and in a groove 48 present at the first end 46 of the joining piece 45, the groove 48 at the first end 46 of the joining piece 45 preferably being designed to receive retaining means 34. In this way at least a substantially peripheral part of the plugging element 27 is connected to the joining piece 45.

[0185] Alternatively, said step of positioning at least one seal 29 in the groove 22 of each rail is effected both in the groove 22 of a rail of the frame and in a groove 49 present at the second end 47 of the joining piece 45, the groove at the second end 47 of the joining piece 45 being also designed to receive retaining means 34.

[0186] The plugging method optionally further includes a step of inserting with a tight fit a front seal 454 in a front groove 453 disposed on a front flap 50 of at least one joining piece on top of a part of said plug element 27.

[0187] In the context of the present invention it is clear that the opening is not limited to an opening defined by a door frame or window frame but also includes an opening created, generally speaking, by a perimeter defined by at least four planes parallel two by two. The perimeter is preferably formed by four pairs of secant planes, for example, by a pair of opposite walls connected by a ceiling and a floor.

[0188] The frame is preferably connected to the walls, the floor and the ceiling by fitting a temporary seal, for example an expandable foam seal.

[0189] It is clear that the present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described above and that many modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the appended claims.