Joint Filling Profile

Abstract

The invention relates to a joint filling profile for forming a joint sealing between floor panels (3, 4), with a vertical leg (6) that projects into the joint (2) and a profile body (7) formed from a joint sealing compound (9) and situated in a joint enlargement (5), whereby the vertical leg (6) and the profile body (7) are separated from each other by intercalating a separating material (8).

Claims

1. A joint filling profile for forming a joint sealing between floor panels comprising: a vertical leg that projects into the joint; and a profile body formed from a joint sealing compound and extending in a joint enlargement, wherein the vertical leg and the profile body are separated from each other by intercalating a separating material.

2. The joint filling profile according to claim 1, wherein the profile body is situated in a first portion adjacent to the joint by intercalating a separating material on the corresponding floor panel without any connection.

3. The joint filling profile according to claim 2, wherein the profile body has a first vertical web penetrating into a groove of the corresponding floor panel in a second portion adjacent to the first portion.

4. The joint filling profile according to claim 3, wherein the profile body has a second vertical web spaced from the first vertical web in the second portion, this second vertical web penetrating into a groove of the corresponding floor panel.

5. The joint filling profile according to claim 4, both vertical webs limit the second portion.

6. The joint filling profile according to claim 1, wherein a multitude of reinforcements that are placed the one after the other in the longitudinal direction of the joint are embedded into the profile body.

7. The joint filling profile according to claim 6, wherein a reinforcement has a guiding body and a reinforcing element placed slidable relatively thereto.

8. The joint filling profile according to claim 7, wherein the guiding body is a bush.

9. The joint filling profile according to claim 7, wherein the reinforcing element is a rod.

10. The joint filling profile according to claim 7, wherein the rod is accommodated by being longitudinally displaceable by the bush, whereby the bush has a longitudinal extension that exceeds the longitudinal extension of the rod.

11. The joint filling profile according to claim 7, wherein the reinforcement bears on the floor panels by intercalating a spacer.

12. The joint filling profile according to claim 1, wherein the profile body is configured axially symmetric and has two first portions adjacent to the joint as well as two second portions, whereby a second portion respectively follows the first portions.

13. The joint filling profile according to claim 1, wherein the separating material extends in the area of the joint and of the two first portions adjacent to the joint.

14. The joint filling profile according to one of the preceding claim 6, wherein the reinforcement extends into the second portions.

Description

FIGURES

[0047] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention result from the following description with reference to the figures.

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a joint filling profile according to the invention.

[0049] FIG. 2 shows the joint filling profile according to FIG. 1 according to the section line A-A.

[0050] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional view of a joint filling profile according to the state of the art.

[0051] From FIG. 3, a joint filling profile according to the state of the art according to EP 2 098 65 A2 can be recognized in a schematic sectional view.

DESCRIPTION

[0052] As can be seen from FIG. 3, a joint 2 is left between two adjacent floor panels 3 and 4, for example an expansion joint. This usually results from building regulations or from other imperatives. A filling material 10, for example a foam inlay, as well as a round cord 12 is placed in a manner known per se in the area of the joint 2 in order to avoid a three-point adhesion. Otherwise the joint sealing compound would connect as well the floor panels 3 and 4 as the underlying ground with each other.

[0053] A substantially horizontally extending joint enlargement 5 is formed in the area of the free upper edges pointing towards each other of the floor panels 3 and 4, this enlargement forming rectangular grooves on the outside that extend substantially parallel to the joint 2.

[0054] For forming the joint filling profile 1, the joint 2 is filled with a joint sealing compound 9 so as to be flush with the surface into the joint enlargement 5. In this manner, a joint filling profile is formed that has a profile body 7 and a vertical leg 6 formed in one piece therewith, which vertical leg 6 penetrates into the joint 2.

[0055] As can also be seen from FIG. 3, both floor panels 3 and 4 have respectively an area respectively adjacent to the joint 2 that is provided with a separating material 8. These areas are referred to as free areas in which due to the provided separating material 8 there is no direct connection between the joint sealing compound 9 and the floor panels 3 and 4.

[0056] FIGS. 1 and 2 show the joint filling profile 1 according to the invention.

[0057] As can be seen from the representation according to FIG. 1, in contrast to the state of the art, the vertical leg 6 and the profile body 7 of the joint filling profile 1 are not formed in one piece but are rather separated from each other. This is achieved according to the invention in that a separating material 8 is placed between the vertical leg 6 and the profile body 7. For the separating material 8, the matter can be, for example, of a mechanically operative intermediate layer, for example of a metal foil, in particular of an aluminum foil. In the embodiment that is shown, the profile body 7 is made of a joint sealing compound 9, whereas the vertical leg 6 is formed as a compression block 13 and is made, for example, of an elastic material such as, for example, a foam material. Alternatively, the vertical leg 6 can also be formed of a joint sealing compound 9, in which case preferably the same sealing compound is used for the vertical leg 6 as well as for the profile body 7. But for this case too, it is essential to the invention that the vertical leg 6 and the profile body 7 are separated from each other by means of the separating material 8, thus that there is no direct connection between the profile body 7 and the vertical leg 6.

[0058] For each floor panel 3 or 4, the profile body 7 makes available a first portion 14 or 15 adjacent to the joint 2, in which first portion 14 or 15 the profile body 7 bears without any connection on the corresponding floor panel 3 by intercalating a separating material 8. Thus, a continuous area is created that extends over the first portion 15 formed in the area of the floor panel 3, the joint 2 and the first portion 14 formed in the area of the floor panel 4 in which there is no direct connection between the profile body 7 and the underground.

[0059] With respect the first portions 14 or 15, the profile body has adjacent second portions 16 or 17. There is, in the area of these portions 16 or 17, a direct connection between the joint sealing compound 9 that forms the profile body 7 and the underground formed by the respective floor panels 3 or 4. For a continuous safe fixing of the profile body 7 into the floor panels 3 and 4, the second portions 16 or 17 have respectively first and second vertical legs 20 and 21 that engage into corresponding grooves 18 and 19 of the floor panels 3 or 4.

[0060] Reinforcements in form of dowels 22 are placed inside the profile body 7. This being, a multitude of dowels 22 are provided that are placed the one behind the other in longitudinal direction 29 of the joint 2 as can be seen in particular in the sectional view according to FIG. 2. This being, the dowels 22 are preferably positioned adjacent to each other at equal distances.

[0061] Each dowel 22 has a bush 23 and a rod 24 accommodated by the bush 23. This being, as the representation according to FIG. 2 shows, a bush 23 is configured with a longer longitudinal extension than the corresponding rod 24, i.e. the longitudinal extension of the bush 23 exceeds the longitudinal extension of the corresponding rod 24. This configuration makes possible that the rod 24 can slide relative to the bush 23.

[0062] In the embodiment that is shown, two spacers 25 and 26 that support the dowel 22 on the one end side or on the other end side serve for placing the dowel 22 in an accurate position inside the joint enlargement 5. This being, each spacer 25 or 26 is made of a bearing element 27, extending in longitudinal direction of the joint 29, that is supported by carrying elements 28, as can be seen in particular from the representation according to FIG. 2.

[0063] For forming the joint sealing, the filling material 10 as well as the round cord 12 are first inserted. The formation of the vertical leg 6 then takes place, in the represented embodiment, by inserting a compression block 13 into the joint 2, whereby the joint 2 is filled so as to be flush with the surface of the ground of the joint enlargement 5. The compression block 3 terminates by being flush with the surface of the ground of the joint enlargement 5.

[0064] The separating material that extends, in the embodiment that is shown, over the joint 2 and the first two portions 14 and 15 of the floor panels 3 or 4, is then brought in. The spacers 25 and 26 are then positioned inside the joint enlargement 5, spacers on which the dowels 22 are then placed, as shown in FIG. 2. The joint sealing compound 9 is then brought into the joint enlargement 5 for forming the profile body 7, whereby the joint enlargement 5 is filled with the joint sealing compound so as to be flush with the surface of the floor panels 3 and 4.

[0065] The advantage of the joint filling profile according to the invention is in particular that it cannot come in the transition area between the profile body 7 and the vertical leg 6 to tearing-off or to crack formations due to different material thicknesses that would later result to undesired detachment phenomena. Furthermore, due to the configuration of the profile body 6 without any connection in the area of the first portions 14 and 15 and of the joint 2, a comparatively big area is created in which the joint filling profile 1 can freely expand for compensating mechanical and/or thermal stresses. Undesired detachment phenomena and/or tearing-off of flanks are thus avoided. This being, the vertical leg 6 does not impede such an expansion activity since, according to the invention, there is no direct connection between the vertical leg 6 and the profile body 7.

[0066] In order to avoid bulging in and/or bulging out of the profile body 7 in case of expansion movements, reinforcements in form of dowels 22 are inserted in the profile body 7. This being, the dowels 22 do not counteract or hinder an expansion movement of the joint filling profile 2 since the rods 24 serving as reinforcing elements are placed longitudinally slidable in the corresponding dowels 23 so that a simultaneous movement of the rods 24 is allowed.