Railing system

Abstract

In a railing system comprising a railing panel frontage which extends continuously along the course of the railing and consists of a plurality of mutually adjacent railing panels, in order to increase an additional resistance and security against destruction, an additional securing element, which, given a properly erected railing, extends between a handrail profile, resting on the railing panels, and a structural body or a holding profile disposed on the structural body and connects the handrail profile to the structural body or the holding profile, is provided.

Claims

1. A railing system, which, given a properly erected railing, comprises a railing panel frontage which extends continuously along the course of the railing and comprises a plurality of mutually adjacent railing panels, which, given a properly erected railing, are vertically embedded with their lower marginal region in a holding profile fastened to a structural body or in a recess defined in a structural body, and on the upper marginal region of which is mounted a handrail profile, wherein a securing element, which, given a properly erected railing, extends between the handrail profile and the structural body or the holding profile and which connects the handrail profile to the structural body or the holding profile, is provided.

2. The railing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the securing element is formed by a cable or a rod or a tube.

3. The railing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, for the connection of the securing element to the handrail profile, the securing element, given a properly erected railing, engages positively in the handrail profile.

4. The railing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein that end of the securing element which is facing toward the structural body or the holding profile, given a properly erected railing, is anchored directly in the structural body or in the holding profile.

5. The railing system as claimed in claim 4, wherein that end of the securing element which is facing toward the holding profile, given a properly erected railing, is operatively connected to the holding profile via a securing anchor engaging in the holding profile.

6. The railing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein on the holding profile is provided an anchoring point, at which, for the purpose of positive engagement of a securing anchor in the holding profile, an undercut acting in the direction of load is formed in a material region of the holding profile.

7. The railing system as claimed in claim 6, wherein, as the anchoring point for the securing anchor, a passage opening is provided through a material portion forming the holding profile.

8. The railing system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the passage opening is provided in the lower, horizontal branch of the holding profile facing toward the structural body given a correctly erected railing.

9. The railing system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the securing anchor comprises an anchor bridge, which is capable of wedging within the holding profile or the recess defined in the structural body, in the direction of load of the securing element.

10. The railing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the anchor bridge is configured such that, in a first orientation, it can be introduced into the holding profile or the recess defined in the structural body and, in a second orientation, within the holding profile or the recess defined in the structural body, back-grips at least on one side a material portion, acting in the direction of load, of the holding profile or of the recess defined in the structural body.

11. The railing system as claimed in claim 10, wherein a centering element, by means of which the securing element is held centered in a gap existing between two adjacent railing panels, is provided.

12. The railing system as claimed in claim 10, wherein a pretensioning mechanism, by means of which that part of the securing element which extends between handrail profile and holding profile or the recess defined in the structural body can be set to pretensioned, is provided.

13. The railing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the securing element is guided in one or more tubular sleeves.

14. The railing system as claimed in claim 13, wherein one or more centering aids, by means of which the one or more tubular sleeves are held over an inner system height in a defined position in relation to neighboring structural parts, are provided.

15. The railing system as claimed in claim 13, that wherein one or more centering aids, by means of which a plurality of tubular sleeves are connected to one another over an inner system height, are provided.

16. The railing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the securing element extends within a gap between two adjacent railing panels.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In the drawings:

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a railing system comprising a railing panel frontage which extends continuously along the course of the railing,

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a first possible sectional view of a first embodiment along the section A-A indicated in FIG. 1, and

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a second possible sectional view, alternative to the embodiment of FIG. 2, of a second embodiment along the section A-A indicated in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a railing in which a plurality of glass railing panels 1, arranged side by side, form a railing infill. The railing panels form a continuous glass surface, which is interrupted at regular intervals, for just a few millimeters, only by gaps S which necessarily exist between two adjacent railing panels. The railing panels 1 stand at ground level in a holding profile 2, which is configured as an upright, U-shaped bottom profile 2, which via an anchorage is fixedly anchored to a structure, for example a floor surface. The railing panels are firmly fixed in the bottom profile 2 in a manner which is known per se and are thus securely supported on the structure with the interposition of the bottom profile 2.

[0025] The bottom profile 2, which is preferredly an extruded (solid) aluminum profile, has a U-shaped receiving channel, which extends along the length of the railing and is open on the top side, and which forms the railing panel receptacle in which the railing panel 1 is inserted with its lower margin.

[0026] Onto the upper end face of the railing panels 1 is mounted a continuous handrail profile 3, which extends preferredly over individual gaps S and which, as can be seen below in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, is preferredly formed by a slotted tube.

[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates a first embodiment of the invention. In a side branch 4 of the preferredly solid bottom profile 2, a stepped passage opening 5 is made by means of a bore, in which a securing anchor 6 of a securing element, which latter has, besides the securing anchor 6, a steel cable 7, engages.

[0028] The securing anchor 6 can be formed by a steel cable holding apparatus, as is disclosed, for instance, German Utility Model Specification DE 20 2013 101 806.6 U1, the content of which, insofar as sensibly applicable for the present invention, is made the subject of this Application. Of course, other types of a securing anchor which are capable of effectively absorbing a sudden, jerky tensile load upon the wire cable 7 and of supporting this same on the holding profile 2 can also be considered.

[0029] That end of the wire cable 7 which is facing away from the bottom profile 2 engages with an engagement part positively in a handrail profile 8, which at the upper edge of the railing panel 1 is mounted onto the railing panel 1 on the end face and embraces the railing panel 1 on both sides with a bordering groove formed by the handrail profile 8. In FIG. 2 is shown, by way of example, the use of a blind rivet nut 9, in which a thread disposed on said end of the wire cable 7 engages.

[0030] By way of example, with reference to the embodiment represented in FIG. 2, it should be made clear that the securing anchor which in FIG. 2 cooperates with the bottom profile can also be used as the engagement part engaging positively in the handrail profile, and the thread/blind rivet nut pairing can also be used as the securing anchor cooperating with the bottom profile.

[0031] Also provided in the bottom profile 2 is a centering element in the form of a centering aid 10, through which the wire cable 7 is guided. Preferredly, the centering aid is configured in the form of a bridge-like clasp extending over the width of the receiving channel. It is thereby ensured that the securing element, in particular, therefore, the steel cable, is guided in centered arrangement in the gap between the adjacent railing panels and does not protrude laterally from the railing panel plane. A positioning of the securing element which is possibly detrimental to the visual appearance can in this way be avoided, in particular in cases in which the attachment of the securing element to the railing system does not by itself ensure a centering.

[0032] From FIG. 2 can be seen that the steel cable 7 acting as the securing element connects the holding profile 2 and the handrail profile 3 mounted onto the top edge of the railing panels 1 one to the other. The railing components handrail tube and bottom profile, which embrace the railing panels 1 on the top and bottom side, enclose the railing panels effectively between them, enclasping the end faces of the railing panels respectively on both sides. The handrail profile 3 is held on the holding profile 2 by means of the securing element (steel cable 7). The mutual separation of the individual components of the railing system is made considerably more difficult by the blast wave of a detonation.

[0033] FIG. 3, in which, for the sake of clarity, the handrail profile and the railing panels are not shown, shows alternatively to the embodiment represented in FIG. 2 a version of the invention in which—unlike in FIG. 2—no passage opening for a securing anchor is provided in the material of the bottom profile. Rather, a securing anchor having an anchor bridge 11 which is wedged within the receiving groove of the holding profile is employed. The effective width of the securing element is here larger than that effective width of the receiving channel which is present at the anchoring point. In the proper installation position, the anchor bridge 11 back-grips on a first side a material region, projecting inward within the receiving channel, of the holding profile 2. With the other, second side, the anchor bridge 11 is supported against the inner wall of the bottom profile 2. When the securing element is subjected to load in the direction of load B, the anchor bridge 11 is thus effectively wedged within the receiving groove. The anchor bridge 11 has a receptacle for a holding apparatus 6, which receptacle is preferredly centered relative to the railing panel plane.

[0034] FIG. 3 further illustrates, by way of example, the use of an optional pretensioning device in the form of a pretensioning screw 12. In the vertically oriented side branch 4 of the U-shaped receiving channel is provided a pretensioning screw 12, which, by being increasingly screwed down against the second side of the anchor bridge 11, ensures that the second side pivots downward, whereby a stretching or pretensioning of the securing element 7 is realized.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a further alternative embodiment of the railing system, which can be employed, in particular, in a railing to be laterally attached to a balustrade or a parapet (lateral assembly). Below, the differences from the embodiments represented in the previous figures are predominantly examined.

[0036] The securing element configured as a high-strength cable 7 engages via a securing anchor 6 in the lower, horizontal branch of the holding profile 2 of U-shaped cross section. To this effect, a passage opening 5 is made in the lower, horizontal branch of the holding profile 2. In the case of a lateral assembly, for which the embodiment represented in FIG. 4 is in particular provided, the securing anchor remains accessible from below. All the same, the embodiment represented in FIG. 4 is in principle also suitable for a vertical assembly.

[0037] Unlike, for instance, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the securing element, via the passage opening 5 made in centered arrangement in the horizontal branch of the holding profile 2, is also held centered relative to the railing panel 1, so that the centering aid 10′, which can nevertheless be seen from FIG. 4, at least for the centering of the securing element in relation to the railing panels 1 or the holding profile 2, would not be absolutely necessary.

[0038] All the same, FIG. 4 shows a plurality of centering aids 10′, which in particular also serve to center a tubular sleeve 13 relative to the railing panels 1 and to the securing element. By means of one or two mutually opposite appendages 14, the tubular sleeves 13 are held in a defined position in relation to the neighboring structural parts, so that a visual satisfactory positioning of the tubular sleeves 13 in relation to the neighboring structural parts within the gap S (FIG. 1) between the railing panels 1 is obtained. Moreover, the tubular sleeves conceal the securing elements guided therein and preferredly realized as wire cables, so that their working and structure cannot be divined from outside. Moreover, they additionally protect the securing element, and the system components cooperating therewith, from vandalism.

[0039] Of course, on the centering aid 10′, instead of the appendages 14 shown in FIG. 4, also recesses into which the tubular sleeves 13 can be inserted for centering purposes can be provided. The cross-sectional shape of the tubular sleeves 13, and the thereto matched appendages 14 or recesses on the centering aids 10′, is broadly freely selectable, so that, by means of the centering aids 10′, for example also tubular sleeves of rectangular basic cross section can be positioned in the gap S (FIG. 1) between two railing panels 1 in defined and visually appealing position and permanently securely held.

[0040] Since the tubular sleeves are realized as metal or plastics tubes, within which the steel cable, which is preferredly used as part of the securing element, is guided, they help to lend a buckle resistance to the non-inherently buckle-resistant steel cable. For if the, on its own, non-buckle-resistant steel cable is guided within a tubular sleeve suitably matched to the diameter thereof over the broadly total inner system height L, the wire cable, despite its own lacking buckle resistance, can be guided within the tubular sleeve in a broadly buckle-resistant manner, so that, even after the fitting of the holding profiles 2 to the structural body and the preinstallation of the railing panels from above (counter to the tensile load direction B), it can be slid into the securing anchor 6 inserted previously from below into the holding profile 2.

REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST

[0041] 1 railing panels [0042] 2 holding profile (bottom profile) [0043] 3 handrail profile (handrail tube) [0044] 4 side branch [0045] 5 passage opening [0046] 6 securing anchor [0047] 7 steel cable [0048] 9 blind rivet nut [0049] 10,10′ centering aid [0050] 11 anchor bridge [0051] 12 pretensioning screw [0052] 13 tubular sleeve [0053] 14 appendages [0054] S gap between two adjacent railing panels [0055] B direction of load