Elongated support board

Abstract

An elongated support board is for a walkway. The elongated support board includes a handrail and a knee rail or the like. The elongated support board is provided with a lighting-fixture rail for the attachment of a lighting fixture.

Claims

1. A support railing for a walkway, the support railing comprising: support posts that are spaced apart from each other; a support board coupled to and extending between the support posts; and a plurality of lighting-fixture rails coupled to the support board, each lighting-fixture rail being connected to the support board via snap connecting elements that extend into a respective cavity of a plurality of cavities in the support board, each lighting-fixture rail being configured to support a lighting fixture for lighting the walkway; wherein the snap connecting elements are elongated elements that are snap-fit engaged between opposing ledges in the respective cavity, such that each lighting-fixture rail can be manually coupled to the support board and manually uncoupled from the support board.

2. The support railing according to claim 1, further comprising a closing accessory coupled to the support board via snap connecting elements that extend into another respective cavity, wherein the snap connecting elements are elongated elements that are snap-fit engaged between opposing ledges in the respective cavity such that the closing accessory can be manually coupled to the support board and uncoupled from the support board.

3. The support railing according to claim 2, wherein the closing accessory is flush with outer surfaces of the support board when the snap connecting elements are engaged between the opposing ledges in the respective cavity.

4. The support railing according to claim 1, wherein the support board is an extruded profile.

5. The support railing according to claim 1, wherein the lighting-fixture rail is an extruded profile.

6. The support railing according to claim 1, wherein the support board provides a hand-rail for a person walking along the walkway.

7. The support railing according to claim 1, wherein the support board provides a knee-rail for a person walking along the walkway.

8. The support railing according to claim 1, wherein the lighting fixture rail defines a cavity in which an electrical cord for the lighting fixture is disposed.

9. The support railing according to claim 1, further comprising a toe-board that is supported by the plurality of support posts and extends alongside the walkway.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In what follows, examples of preferred embodiments are described, which are visualized in the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a section of a walkway with a railing, the handrail of the railing being formed in accordance with the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a cross section of a handrail on a larger scale;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a section I-I of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a section of a handrail in an alternative embodiment; and

(6) FIG. 5 shows an additional piece of equipment for the handrail of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(7) In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a walkway with a railing 2 which is attached to the walkway 1 here. The railing 2 includes vertical support posts 4 and a number of elongated support boards 6 in the form of a handrail 8 and several knee rails 10. The railing 2 also includes a toe board 12.

(8) FIG. 2 shows an elongated support board 6 in the form of a handrail 8 which is made with a lighting-fixture rail 14 extending in the longitudinal direction. The lighting-fixture rail 14, which, in this exemplary embodiment, is made as part of the support board 6, is provided with lighting-fixture brackets 16. The cavities 18 formed may be used for carrying cables, for example.

(9) FIG. 3 shows a section I-I of FIG. 1. Here, the support board 6 is made as an extruded profile and the lighting-fixture rail 14 as a profile extruded separately and complementarily suitable for clicking into the support board 6, that is to say being held fixed by snap connections. Here, the lighting-fixture rail 14 constitutes an addition to the support board 6. Snap connecting elements 14a extends from the lighting-fixture rail 14 and mesh with connecting portions 6a providing ledges 6b inside the support board 6.

(10) A number of lighting fixtures 20 are arranged along the support board 6. The lighting fixture 20 is shown here as recessed into the lighting-fixture rail 14 and may be designed to be clicked into the lighting-fixture rail 14 by means of fastening means not shown.

(11) In an alternative embodiment, see FIG. 4, in which the lighting-fixture rail 4 is formed as a separate profile to be attached to the support board 6, cables 22 that are carried in one of the cavities 18 of the support board 6 are shown.

(12) FIG. 5 shows the support board 6 in which a closing accessory 24 is arranged, for use in areas where lighting fixtures 20 are not needed. Like with the lighting-fixture rail 14, snap connecting elements 24a extends from the closing accessory 24 and are arranged for meshing with the connecting portions 6a providing the ledges 6b inside the support board 6.

(13) The use of the verb to comprise and its different forms does not exclude the presence of elements or steps that are not mentioned in the claims. The indefinite article a or an before an element does not exclude the presence of several such elements.

(14) The fact that some features are indicated in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these features cannot be used with advantage.