Profile connector and profile assembly

Abstract

Profile connector for connecting a first and a second profile bar (3, 4), made from a light metal alloy, with a body (5) which can be accommodated in an undercut elongated groove (34) in the second profile bar (4) and has at least one bracing leg (7) for bracing against an undercut (9, 10) of the undercut elongated groove (34) of the second profile bar (4), and an anchor bolt (13) which is accommodated in a through opening (12) that is created in the body (5) and extends at right angles to a longitudinal extension of the body (5), which anchor bolt has an anchor bolt head and fixes the profile connector (1) frontally, on the first profile bar (3), and with a first clamping screw (22) accommodated in an internal threaded opening (20) provided inside the body (5) and extending at an angle to a longitudinal center line (L.sub.A) of the through opening (12), which clamping screw serves to displace the body (5) along the anchor bolt (13) away from the anchor bolt head (19) towards the first profile bar (3) by tightening the first clamping screw (22) in the internal thread of the first internal threaded opening (20), thereby bracing the first clamping screw (22) on the anchor bolt (13), wherein a forming geometry (29) is conformed and arranged on the body (5) for shaping frontally into the first profile bar (3) by tightening the first clamping screw (22) to create a positive locking connection between the body (5) and the first profile bar (3).

Claims

1. Profile connector for connecting a first and a second profile bar (3, 4), made from a light metal alloy, with a body (5) which can be accommodated in an undercut elongated groove (34) in the second profile bar (4) and has at least one bracing leg (7) for bracing against an undercut (9, 10) of the undercut elongated groove (34) of the second profile bar (4), and an anchor bolt (13) which is accommodated in a through opening (12) that is created in the body (5) and extends at right angles to a longitudinal extension of the body (5), which anchor bolt has an anchor bolt head and fixes the profile connector (1) frontally, on the first profile bar (3), and with a first clamping screw (22) accommodated in an internal threaded opening (20) provided inside the body (5) and extending at an angle to a longitudinal center line (L.sub.A) of the through opening (12), which clamping screw serves to displace the body (5) along the anchor bolt (13) away from the anchor bolt head (19) towards the first profile bar (3) by tightening the first clamping screw (22) in the internal thread of the first internal threaded opening (20), thereby bracing the first clamping screw (22) on the anchor bolt (13), wherein a forming geometry (29) is conformed and arranged on the body (5) for shaping frontally into the first profile bar (3) by tightening the first clamping screw (22) to create a positive locking connection between the body (5) and the first profile bar (3).

2. Profile connector according to claim 1, wherein the forming geometry (29) is shaped as a wedge that tapers in the direction away from the body (5).

3. Profile connector according to claim 1, wherein the forming geometry (29) is elongated and/or extends parallel to the longitudinal extension of the body (5) or perpendicularly thereto.

4. Profile connector according to claim 1, wherein the forming geometry (29) has two forming geometry sections (27, 28) which are separated in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the body (5) by the through opening (12).

5. Profile connector according to claim 1, wherein a countersunk section (31, 32) of the body (5) is separated from the through opening (12) in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the body (5) by the forming geometry (29), which countersunk section can be sunk in a face side of an undercut elongated groove (33) of the first profile bar (3) by tightening the clamping screw (22, 24).

6. Profile connector according to claim 1, wherein besides the first clamping screw (22) a second clamping screw (24) is provided and accommodated in a second internal threaded opening (23) created in the body (5) and extending at an angle to the longitudinal center line (L.sub.A) of the through opening (12) inside the body (5), which clamping screw serves to displace the body (5) along the anchor bolt (13) away from the bolt head towards the first profile bar (3) by tightening the second clamping screw (24) in the internal thread of the second internal threaded opening (23), thereby bracing the second clamping screw (24) on the anchor bolt (13).

7. Profile connector according to claim 1, wherein in the bolt head thereof, the anchor bolt (13) has an inclined bracing surface (25) that is orientated at an angle not equal to 90 with respect to the longitudinal center line (L.sub.A) of the anchor bolt (13) and orientated at an angle not equal to 90 with respect to a radial plane extending at right angles to the longitudinal center line (L.sub.A) of the anchor bolt (13), on which the clamping screw can bear (22).

8. Profile connector according to claim 1, wherein the first internal thread opening (20) and/or a second internal thread opening (23) opens into the through opening (12).

9. Profile connector according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal center lines (L.sub.1, L.sub.2) of the clamping screws (22, 24) and the longitudinal center line (L.sub.A) of the anchor bolt (13) are arranged in a common plane.

10. Profile connector according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal center line (L.sub.1) of the first clamping screw (22) and the longitudinal center line (L.sub.2) of the second clamping screw (24) form angles respectively with the longitudinal center line (L.sub.A) of the anchor bolt (13) that are identical in terms of quantity.

11. Profile connector according to claim 1, wherein the anchor bolt head (19) of the anchor bolt (13) is in the form of a countersunk head with a conical surface tapering towards a leading anchor bolt end as a bearing surface (25).

12. Profile connector according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal center line (L.sub.1) of the first clamping screw (22) and/or the longitudinal center line (L.sub.2) of a second clamping screw (24) is arranged orthogonally with an axis extending in the bracing surface (25).

13. Profile connector according to claim 12, wherein the axis is a surface line (M.sub.1 and/or M.sub.2) extending at a conical angle to the longitudinal center line (L.sub.A) of the anchor bolt (13).

14. Profile connector according to claim 1, wherein a leg forming geometry (35) is conformed onto the bracing leg (7, 8) for forming into the undercut (9, 10) of the undercut elongated groove (11) of the second profile bar (4) by tightening the first and/or a second clamping screw (22, 24).

15. Profile assembly (2) comprising a profile connector (1) according to claim 1, and a first profile bar (3), and a second profile bar (4) arranged perpendicularly to the first profile bar (3) and having an undercut elongated groove (34), wherein the profile connector (1) is fixed by its anchor bolt (13) frontally on the first profile bar (3), in a central interior threaded opening (17), and a lengthwise side of the second profile bar (4), is and/or can be placed under tension by tightening the at least one clamping screw (22) against the first profile bar (3).

16. Profile assembly according to claim 15, wherein the forming geometry (2) of the profile connector (1) is formed frontally into the material, of the first profile bar (3), and in this way the body (5) of the profile connector (1) is connected in positive locking, torsion-proof manner to the first profile bar (3).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawing:

(2) FIG. 1: shows a lengthwise cross section through the representation of a profile connector according to FIG. 2,

(3) FIG. 2: is a plan view of the profile connector of FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3: is a view of a profile connector produced according to the concept of the invention in the direction of its lengthwise extension (accurate projection of the representation of FIG. 2),

(5) FIG. 4: is a perspective view of a profile connector constructed according to the concept of the invention,

(6) FIG. 5 to FIG. 8: various partially cut away illustrations of a profile assembly produced with a profile connector constructed according to the concept of the invention, wherein a second profile bar, which will be explained subsequently, is seated in the undercut elongated groove of the second profile bar but, contrary to a usual arrangement, it is not fully seated, which would be/is preferred, to better illustrate the invention.

(7) In the figures, identical elements and elements with the same function are identified with the same reference signs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) As is made evident by FIGS. 5 to 8, the profile connector of FIGS. 1 to 4 is used to produce a profile assembly 2 which besides profile connector 1 also comprises a first profile rod 3 and a second profile rod 4 aligned orthogonally thereto.

(9) From FIGS. 1 to 4, it may be seen that profile connector 1 comprises a body 5 as a cold extruded part made from steel, which in the cross sectional view of FIG. 3 is in the shape of a T. Body 5 is equipped with an elevated comb bar 6 (in the direction of the first profile bar), which surpasses the two lateral bracing legs 7, 8, each of which is braced against the underside of an undercut 9, 10 of an undercut elongated groove 11 in second profile bar 4 in a profile assembly, in this way tightening second profile bar 4 towards first profile bar 3 and applying a tensile force thereto.

(10) A through opening 12 is provided in body 5, or more precisely in the comb bar 6 that extends beyond bracing legs 7, 8, in this case preferably in the centre or middle thereof, and serves as seating for an anchor bolt 13 in the form of a countersunk screw with a shaft 14 which is furnished with an external thread 15 which can be screwed together with internal thread 16 of a centric internal thread opening 17 (in this case an uninterrupted channel) in face side 18 of first profile bar 3 and is screwed together in a profile assembly.

(11) Through opening 12 has a stepped design to prevent an anchor bolt 13 with an anchor bolt head 19 from slipping.

(12) In addition, two internal thread openings are formed to the side of and extending or passing at an angle to the longitudinal extension of anchor bolt 13 in comb bar 6, each of which accommodates a clamping screw. For specific purposes, this is a first internal thread opening 20 accommodating a first clamping screw 22 in the form of a grub screw and having a frontal drive face 21.

(13) On the side that is separated by means of anchor bolt 13 there is a second internal thread opening 23 with a second clamping screw 24, also in the form of a grub screw. FIG. 1 shows that the longitudinal centre lines of first and second clamping screws L.sub.1, L.sub.2 each extend at an angle of about 45 to a longitudinal centre line L.sub.A of anchor bolt 13. All of the longitudinal centre linen L.sub.1, L.sub.2, L.sub.A are in a common plane, which also accommodates a longitudinal centre line L.sub.K of body 5 shown in FIG. 2.

(14) In order to shift body 5 together with the second profile bar 4 away from the anchor bolt head 19 and towards first profile bar 3, at least one of the clamping screws 22, 24, preferably both clamping screws 22, 24 are tightened, that is to say screwed farther into body 5, against a bracing surface 25, here in the form of a conical surface, of anchor bolt 13, which in the embodiment shown is formed by anchor bolt head 19 with a countersunk head. It should be noted that a surface line M.sub.1 of bracing surface 25 is orientated orthogonally to longitudinal centre line L.sub.1 of first clamping screw 22, and a further surface line M.sub.2 is orientated perpendicularly to longitudinal centre line L.sub.2 of second clamping screw 24. Thus, the flat face sides of the clamping screws 22, 24 extend parallel to the respectively associated surface lines.

(15) The first and second internal thread openings 20, 23 also open into the stepped through opening 12 inside body 5, so that the clamping screws 22, 24 may be braced on the conical bracing surface of anchor bolt 13 inside body 5.

(16) FIG. 1 shows that the side of anchor bolt 13 facing away from first profile bar 3 has an anchor bolt drive face 26, which is used for preassembling profile connector 1 with first profile bar 3.

(17) To this end, anchor bolt 13 is tightened via drive face 26 until, as illustrated for this embodiment, a forming geometry 29 consisting of two forming geometry sections 27, 28, which are substantially linear and tapered in a wedge-like arrangement towards the first profile bar 3 is braced against face side 18 of first profile bar 3, more precisely against a peripheral wall 30 that surrounds centric internal thread opening 17.

(18) The height extension of comb bar 6, that is to say of the body section that extends beyond bracing legs 7, 8 including the height extension of forming geometry 29 is dimensioned such that in this preassembled condition the second profile bar 4 can be slid over body 5 in the direction of the longitudinal extension of undercut elongated groove 11. In other words, the height extension of comb bar 6 including forming geometry 29 is (slightly) greater than the height extension H of the undercuts of the undercut elongated groove 11 which accommodates body 5.

(19) In order to finally fix the two profile bars 3, 4 to each other, clamping screws 22, 24 are tightened further, so that the forming geometry 29 is formed further into the material of first profile bar 3, more precisely into peripheral wall 30, with the result that a torsion-proof connection is created at the same time.

(20) The figures also show that in addition to the forming geometry 29 two countersunk section 31, 32 separated by anchor bolt 13 are provided, forming the end sections of comb bar 6, and which engage in respective undercut elongated grooves 33, 34 in first profile bar on two opposing sides of centric internal thread opening 17 when the profile assembly is fixed, thereby providing additional rotation protection.

(21) As was indicated in the introduction, an embodiment of profile connector 1 having only one internal thread opening 20 and/or only one clamping screw 22 can also be produced. However, the provision of the two clamping screws 22, 24 enables bracing legs 7, 8 to bear flat on undercuts 9, 10 of the undercut elongated groove 11.

(22) FIGS. 2 and 3 show that a leg bracing geometry 35, in this case in the form of multiple wedge-shaped sections, is provided on bracing legs 7, 8 on the side facing undercuts 9, 10 and/or the bracing surfaces 25 of undercut 9, 10, which are shaped into the material of the second profile bar 4 when clamping screws 22, 24 are tightened, thereby creating an electrically conductive connection between body 5 and second profile bar 4. If the forming geometry 29 is already provided, as is preferred, an electrically conductive connection may be created between the profile bars 3, 4 by combining it with the leg forming geometry 35.

(23) As may be seen in FIG. 2, the elongated forming geometry sections 27, 28 extend in the direction of the longitudinal extension of body 5. An alternative arrangement perpendicular to this is also possible as an alternative (or additionally).