Gap bridging device

Abstract

A gap bridging device including two anchoring devices that anchor the gap bridging device at two building elements that are separated from each other by a gap; and a bridging device that is connected with one of the two anchoring devices respectively at longitudinal sides of the bridging device that are arranged opposite to each other, so that position changes of the building elements relative to each other are compensated by a shape-change of the bridging device, wherein the two anchoring devices respectively include a base element that is anchorable at one of the two building elements and a top element that is connected with the base element by a plurality of bolts in a force transferring manner and connected with the gap bridging device.

Claims

1. A gap bridging device, comprising: two anchoring devices that anchor the gap bridging device at two building elements that are separated from each other by a gap; and a bridging device that is connected with one of the two anchoring devices respectively at longitudinal sides of the bridging device that are arranged opposite to each other, so that position changes of the building elements relative to each other are compensated by a shape-change of the bridging device, wherein the two anchoring devices respectively include a base element that is anchorable at one of the two building elements and a top element that is connected with the base element by a plurality of bolts in a force transferring manner and connected with the gap bridging device, wherein the base element includes a divider bar that extends adjacent to the top element on a side of the top element that is oriented away from the gap so that the divider bar extends towards a surface of a flooring material that adjoins the gap bridging device, wherein the top element is removable from the base element in an installed condition of the base element without causing damage to the gap bridging device or the flooring material, wherein a distance of a face of the divider bar that is oriented towards the surface of the flooring material from the surface of the flooring material is 8 mm at the most, wherein the top element and the base element are supported at each other in a portion of opposing contact surfaces so that forces are transferrable that are orthogonal to the surface of the flooring material, wherein the contact surfaces have a greater distance from the surface of the flooring material than the face of the divider bar, wherein the bridging device includes two adjacent bridging members that are movable relative to each other so that position changes, of the building elements relative to each other are compensable by a movement of the two adjacent bridging members relative to each other, wherein a first bridging member of the two adiacent bridging members is pivotably supported at a first anchoring device of the two anchoring devices and a second bridging member of the two adjacent bridging members is pivotably supported at a second anchoring device of the two anchoring devices, wherein the first bridging member and the second bridging member slide relative to each other in a plane that is inclined relative to a top surface of the flooring material.

2. The gap bridging device according to claim 1, wherein the face of the divider bar extends to a surface of the top element of the anchoring device.

3. The gap bridging device according to claim 1, wherein the face of the divider bar is configured continuously flat.

4. The gap bridging device according to claim 1, wherein the top element of the anchoring device does not extend beyond side surface of the base element that is oriented away from the gap, or wherein the top element of the anchoring device does not extend beyond a side surface of the divider bar of the anchoring device that is oriented away from the gap.

5. The gap bridging device according to claim 1, wherein the gap bridging device includes two top elements and two base elements, wherein the two top elements and the bridging device connected therewith are jointly removable from the two base elements of the two anchoring devices in an installed condition of the two base elements essentially without causing damage to the gap bridging device or the flooring material.

6. The gap bridging device according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one two-piece connection element, wherein the top element is fixable by the at least one two-piece connection element at the base element, and wherein the at least one two-piece connection element respectively includes a bolt and a nut connected with the bolt.

7. The gap bridging device according to claim 6, wherein a width of the nut of the last least one two-piece connection element is smaller than a length of the nut of the at least one two-piece connection element, wherein the width of the nut of the at least one two-piece connection element is smaller than a minimum width of a groove of the base element, wherein the length of the nut of the at least one two-piece connection element is greater than the minimum width of the groove of the base element, and wherein the length of the nut of the at least one two-piece connection element is greater than a maximum width of the groove of the base element.

8. The gap bridging device according to claim 7, wherein the groove of the base element has a T-shaped cross section.

9. The gap bridging device according to claim 6, wherein two edges of the nut of the at least one two-piece connection element is arranged diagonally relative to each other.

10. The gap bridging device according to claim 1, wherein the first bridging member is slidable directly in the second bringing member to cause the shape change of the bridging element.

11. The gap bridging device according to claim 10, wherein the first bridging member and the second bridging member engage each other directly in a tongue and groove configuration in a telescoping manner.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is now described based on embodiments with reference to drawing figures, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a vertical sectional view of a gap bridging device according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a three dimensional view of the gap bridging device according to FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of the embodiment of the FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates a vertical sectional view of a gap bridging device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) FIG. 1 illustrates a vertical sectional view of a gap bridging device 1 according to the invention which is anchorable at two building elements 35. The gap bridging device 1 is configured rail shaped an includes two anchoring devices 2 that are arranged in a mirror symmetrical pattern and that are respectively elongated and extend parallel to a gap 4 and a bridging device 3. The anchoring devices 2 respectively include a top element 7 and a base element 8 wherein the top element 7 is connected with the base element 8 in a form locking and force transferring manner. The two base elements 8 of the anchoring devices 2 are attached at the building elements that are separated from each other by the gap 4. The bridging device 3 that extends over the gap 4 includes two bridging members 5, 6 which engage each other in a tongue and groove connection in a telescoping manner.

(7) The first bridging member 5 of the bridging device 3 is configured with I-shaped cross section and pivotably anchored in an adapted arcuate groove 10 of the top element 7 of the first anchoring device 2 at an arcuate end 9 of the first bridging member 5. The groove 10 of the top element 7 is formed by a wall section in an outer cylinder and in an inner cylinder. In order to prevent an entry of humidity or contamination into the groove 10 of the top element 7 and thus prevent an impairment of the movement compensation the top element 7 includes a groove in the external cylindrical section with a seal thread 11 inserted into the groove. The straight end 12 of the I-shaped bridging member 5 acts as a spring 16 and engages an accordingly configured groove 13 of the second bridging member 6 in a telescoping manner. The first bridging member 5 also includes a groove that is provided with a seal thread 11 which prevents humidity or contamination entering the groove 13 of the second bridging member 6.

(8) The groove 13 of the second bridging member 6 is defined by two arms 14 that have a cross section that tapers into a point. In analogy to the first bridging member 5 an arcuate end of the second bridging member 6 that is oriented away from the gap 4 is pivotably anchored in a corresponding groove 10 of the top element of the second anchoring device 2.

(9) The telescoping engagement of the first bridging member 5 in the groove 13 of the second bridging member 6 facilitates compensating horizontal movements of the two building elements relative to each other by moving the tongue 16 in the groove 13. The pivotable connection of the bridging members 5, 6 at the top element 7 of the anchoring devices 2 also facilitates compensating vertical movements of the building elements relative to each other without creating a step in a transition portion between the building elements.

(10) The base elements 8 of the anchoring devices 2 are configured as a T-shaped groove rail 17. The base surface of the T-shaped groove rail is extended on one side. The extension 18 of the T-shaped groove rail 17 is provided with holes and slotted holes which are described with reference to FIG. 2 in order to connect the gap bridging device 1 with the building elements by screws. Furthermore the T-shaped groove rail 17 has a divider bar 19 on a side surface that is oriented away from the gap 4 in an extension of the side surface, wherein the divider bar protrudes beyond a surface of the T-groove rail 17 that is oriented towards the gap.

(11) A section of the top elements 7 of the anchoring devices 2 that is oriented towards the building elements is configured T-shaped as a counter element to the base element and can thus be inserted in a form locking manner into an accordingly adapted grove of the base element 8. The undercut lower section 21 of the groove 20, however, is not filled by the top element and remains free for an insertion of nuts 31 that are described with reference to FIG. 3.

(12) The top element 7 is provided with the groove 10 described supra at a side that is oriented towards the gap 4 in order to support the respective bridging member 5, 6. A cross sectional shape of the top element 7 is adapted to a shape of the base element 8 on a side that is oriented towards the gap 4. An upper horizontal bar 23 of the top element 7 contacts a face 24 of the divider bar 19.

(13) The top element 7 is provided with bore holes 25 in uniform intervals. In order to connect the top elements 7 with the base elements 8 that are already bolted together with the building elements, bolts 26 are run through the bore holes 25 of the top elements 7 and threaded together with nuts 31 at a bottom side. A bolt 26 and a nut 31 in combination form a connection element 22.

(14) In order to achieve a flat transition between the gap bridging device 1 and the adjacent floor a space above a plane that is defined by an elongated base surface of the base element 8 is filled with a flooring material 36, e.g. screed or flooring plates. Due to the shape of the divider bar 19 a contact surface 27 between the flooring material and the top element 7 is approximately 3 mm in the instant case. In order to assure a simple removal of the top elements 7 and the bridging device 3 a portion directly adjacent to the contact surface 27 is not closed by the flooring material but by an elastic gap filling material which can be cut in a rather simple manner e.g. by a cutter blade and removed thereafter to expose the contact surface 27.

(15) All components of the gap bridging device 1 besides the seal threads are made from extruded aluminum but can also be made from steel or other metals. Alternatively also synthetic materials, in particular with fiber reinforcement can be used.

(16) FIG. 2 illustrates the gap bridging device 1 of FIG. 1 according to the invention in a three dimensional view. In FIG. 2 the bore holes 28 and the slotted holes 29 of the base elements 8 of the anchoring devices 2 are clearly visible. By selecting slotted holes 29 it is possible to position the fasteners like e.g. bolts in any way on the surface of the building elements in order to attach the gap bridging device 1. In FIG. 2 the top elements 7 are connected in a force transferring manner with the base elements 8 by bolts 26 and nuts 31 that are arranged in the groove 20.

(17) FIG. 3 essentially corresponds to FIG. 1, however a bolt 26, the top element 7 of the anchoring device 2, the nut 31 and the base element 8 of the anchoring device 2 are illustrated in an exploded view offset from each other in order to provide a better overview of the individual components.

(18) The nut 31 is configured with a width 32 that is smaller than a minimum width B.sub.min of the groove 20 of the base element 8. A length 33 of the nut 31, however, is configured greater than a maximum width B.sub.max of the groove 20 of the base element 8 and greater than a minimum width B.sub.min. Furthermore diagonal edges of the nut 31 are rounded.

(19) In order to connect the top element 7 at a base element 8 that is already bolted together with the respective building element as illustrated by the line 30 in FIG. 3 a bolt 26 is run through the bore hole 28 of the top element 7 and the nut 31 that is provided with a corresponding thread is threaded onto the bolt 26 at a bottom side of the top element. Subsequently the top element 7 that is provided with the bolt 26 and the nut 31 can be inserted into the groove 20 of the base element 8. Thus, the nut 31 has to be threaded into a position that is perpendicular to the illustrated orientation. Since a width 32 of the nut 31 is smaller than the minimum width B.sub.min of the base element 8 the top element 7 with the nut 31 can be inserted into the groove 20. The bolt 26 is rotated in order to obtain a firm connection between the two profiles. The nut 31 that is inserted into the groove 20 is moved along in a first step and wedged thereafter as soon as the non-rounded edges come in contact with walls of the groove 20. Due to their shape the nuts 31 advantageously do not have to be inserted into the groove 20 in a lateral direction over long distance and precisely moved to a position of the respective bore hole 25 of the top element 7 before installing the base elements 8.

(20) FIG. 4 illustrates another gap bridging device 1 according to the invention where the flat continuous face 24 of the divider bars 19 extends to the surface 34 of the top element 7 of the anchoring devices 2. The top elements 7 of the anchoring devices 2 are thus completely separated from the flooring material by the divider bars 19. This configuration of the divider bars 19 is particularly advantageous for removing the top elements 7 and the associated bridging device 3 since the recited components can thus be removed without removing or damaging the flooring material. On the other hand side the face 24 of the divider bars 19 is visible in this embodiment so that material differences between the top elements 7 and the base elements 8 are visible which is not the case in the embodiments according to FIGS. 1-3.

REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS

(21) 1 gap bridging device 2 anchoring device 3 bridging device 4 gap 5 bridging member 6 bridging member 7 top element 8 base element 9 end 10 groove of top element 11 seal thread 12 end 13 groove of second bridging member 14 arm 15 end 16 tongue 17 T-groove rail 18 extension 19 divider bar 20 groove of base element 21 undercut 22 connection element 23 bar 24 face 25 bore hole 26 bolt 27 contact surface 28 bore hole 29 slotted hole 30 line 31 nut 32 width 33 length 34 surface 35 building element 36 flooring material A distance B.sub.max maximum width B.sub.min minimum width KO contact surface KU contact surface