CAST-IN CHANNEL

PROFILE COULE

English Abstract

The present invention relates to a cast-in channel (11) having a channel body
(12) which forms a
receiving space (13) for receiving a connecting element (7) used to fixedly
attach a fastening element (6)
to the cast-in channel (11), the channel body further being provided with rim
holes (15) and with
anchoring members (26) which can be fixedly attached to the channel body (12)
by mounting them in the
rim holes (15). The free ends (16) of the rim holes (15) point toward the
receiving space (13).

Claims

What is claimed is:
1. A cast-in channel having a channel body (12; 32) which forms a receiving
space (13; 32) for
receiving a connecting element (7) used to fixedly attach a fastening element
(6) to the cast-in channel
(11; 31), the channel body further being provided with rim holes (15; 35) and
with anchoring members
(26, 46) which can be fixedly attached to the channel body (12; 32) by
mounting them in the rim holes
(15; 35),
wherein the free ends (16; 36) of the rim holes (15; 35) point toward the
receiving space (13; 33).
2. The cast-in channel as recited in claim 1,
wherein at least one depression (21) which faces outwardly with respect to the
receiving space (13) is
provided in the channel body (12), at least one of the rim holes (15) being
located in the depression (21).
3. The cast in channel as recited in claim 2,
wherein the at least one depression (21) has a bottom portion (22), and at
least one of the rim holes (15) is
located in the bottom portion (22) of the depression (21).
4. The cast-in channel as recited in claim 3,
wherein the bottom portion (22) of the at least one depression (21) is non-
concentric in cross section with
respect to the rim hole (15) located therein.
5. The cast-in channel as recited in one of claims 2 through 4,
wherein the depth (T) of the at least one depression (21) is less than or
equal to the material thickness (D)
of the channel body (12).
6. The cast-in channel as recited in one of claims 2 through 5,
wherein the rim height (K) of the at least one rim hole (15) is no greater
than the depth (T) of the at least
one depression (21).
7. The cast-in channel as recited in one of claims 2 through 6,
wherein the bottom portion (22) of the at least one depression (21) is
provided with reinforcing
indentations (23).
8. The cast-in channel as recited in one of claims 1 through 7,
wherein the anchoring members (26) are inseparably mounted in the rim holes
(15).
6

Description

CA 02688782 2009-12-17
CAST-IN CHANNEL
100011 The present invention relates to a cast-in channel as defined in the
preamble of claim 1.
[0002] Cast-in channels of this type are used to provide flexible fixing
points on a cast component, such
as one of concrete. To this end, such cast-in channels are placed in the
formwork prior to casting the
component and incorporated therein during the casting process. Fast ening
elements can be fixedly
attached to the cast-in channels using channel nuts, rear-engagement elements
[rear-grip parts] or T-
head bolts as connecting elements, which are received in the receiving space
within the channel body.
The loads are transferred into the cured component via the channel geometry
and the anchoring members.
[00031 Cast-in channels whose anchoring members are permanently attached to
the body of the channel,
for example by welding, must be completely manufactured at the factory.
Therefore, they take up a large
volume during shipping, which results in high shipping costs. In addition,
different cast-in channels must
be provided for different loads, which requires a considerable logistical
effort.
[0004] German Patent DE 34 07 801 C I describes a cast-in channel having a
channel body which forms
a receiving space which is accessible from the outside via a mounting opening
and serves to receive a
connecting element used to fixedly attach a fastening element to the cast-in
channel, the channel body
further being provided with rim holes and with anchoring members which can be
fixedly attached to the
channel body by mounting them in the rim holes. The anchoring members each
include a shank which is
threaded over its entire length and has a conical head member at one end. The
rim holes each have an
internally threaded portion, the free ends of the anchoring members being
passed through the receiving
space and screwed into said internally threaded portion to fixedly attach the
anchoring members to the
channel body.
[00051 The drawback of the known approach is that the anchoring members have
to be inserted through
the mounting opening and screwed in over their entire length. The outwardly
projecting rim holes
increase the volume occupied during shipping even when the anchoring members
are not yet mounted. In
addition, to be able to install the anchoring members, the receiving space
must be freely accessible.
[00061 It is an object of the present invention to provide a cast-in channel
which will overcome the
aforementioned disadvantages.
[00071 The object is achieved by the features of the independent claim.
Advantageous refinements are
set forth in the dependent claims.
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[0008] In accordance with the present invention, the free ends of the rim
holes point toward the
receiving space.
[0009] The anchoring members are attached externally to the body of the
channel with respect to the
receiving space. Because of this, the anchoring members can also be attached
to a channel body that has
previously been provided with an infill. Advantageously, the rim hole pointing
toward the interior of the
receiving space has an internal thread adapted to threadedly receive an
externally threaded anchoring
member to fixedly attach the same to the channel body. It is not necessary for
the shank to be externally
threaded over its entire length. Advantageously, only the free end is provided
with an externally threaded
portion, which makes the entire cast-in channel easier and less expensive to
manufacture. In addition,
different types of anchoring members can be attached to the same type of
channel body, which also
allows the cast-in channel to be adapted to different load requirements at the
construction site, if
necessary. Even a previously assembled cast-in channel can be easily adapted
to a different type of load,
also directly at the construction site, for example. Yet, until the anchoring
members are attached to the
channel body, the cast-in channel occupies a minimum volume during shipping.
In spite of the
attachment point provided on the channel body, adjacent channel bodies will
not be damaged by the
attachment point during shipping.
[0010] If, prior to making the rim holes, the channel body is provided with an
anti-corrosion coating to
protect the base material from external influences, this anti-corrosion
coating may be damaged during the
formation of the rim holes, so that this portion of the channel body would no
longer be protected from
corrosion. In particular, if the rim hole is provided with an internal thread
as an attachment means,
corrosion protection is typically no longer provided in this region. By
mounting the anchoring members
in the rim holes, they are fixedly attached to the channel body, while at the
same time the rim hole is
almost completely scaled off from the exterior. Thus, although rim holes are
provided, adequate
corrosion protection is ensured even for a previously corrosion-protected
channel body.
[0011] Preferably, at least one depression which faces outwardly with respect
to the receiving space is
provided in the channel body, at least one of the rim holes being located in
the depression. This
depression, which may be cup-shaped, creates additional space, permitting the
rim hole to be larger,
without reducing the mounting space for the connecting element within the
receiving space. If the rim
hole has an internal thread for attachment of an anchoring member, it is
thereby possible to provide a
relatively greater number of thread turns. The greater grip length at the rim
hole allows greater loads to
be transferred to the base material, whereby the load-carrying capacity of the
cast-in channel can be
ensured while reducing the amount of material required to manufacture the
same. In addition, by
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CA 02688782 2009-12-17
providing the depression, this portion of the channel body is work-hardened,
so that the material of the
channel body has a higher strength in this highly stressed region.
[0012] Preferably, the at least one depression has a bottom portion, and at
least one of the rim holes is
located in the bottom portion of the depression, which allows for simple
manufacture of the channel
body, and enables the loads to be transferred to the base material in an
advantageous manner.
Advantageously, the rim hole located in the bottom portion is oriented
perpendicular to the bottom
portion.
[0013] Preferably, the bottom portion of the at least one depression is non-
concentric in cross section
with respect to the rim hole located therein. This allows the depression to be
adapted according to the
loading of the cast-in channel, for example. The bottom portion may be of
elliptical or polygonal, such as
rectangular configuration. The bottom portion does not have to be mirror-
symmetrical with respect to the
rim hole located therein. Further, the bottom portion may be circular in cross
section, and its center may
be offset from the center of the rim hole.
[0014] Preferably, the depth of the at least one depression is less than or
equal to the material thickness
of the channel body, whereby the channel body is advantageously strengthened
in the region of the
depression formed therein.
[0015] Preferably, the rim height of the at least one rim hole is no greater
than the depth of the at least
one depression, so that the free end of the rim hole will not reduce the
mounting space for the connecting
element within the receiving space.
[0016] Preferably, at least the bottom portion of the at least one depression
is provided with reinforcing
indentations, thereby advantageously strengthening this region of the
depression and imparting
advantageous load-carrying characteristics to the cast-in channel.
[0017] Preferably, the anchoring members are inseparably mounted in the rim
holes. In this manner, the
anchoring members are prevented from unintentional loosening once they are
attached to the channel
body. For example, an adhesive may be provided to captively secure the
anchoring members to the
channel body once they are attached, for example screwed thereto. In an
alternative embodiment, the free
end of the rim hole is rolled over and the anchoring members are screwed in at
a predetermined
maximum torque.
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CA 02688782 2009-12-17
[0018] The present invention is explained in more detail below with reference
to exemplary
embodiments. In the drawing,
[0019] FIG. 1 is a side view of a cast-in channel;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I1--II of FIG. l;
100211 FIG. 3 is a top view of the channel body along the line 111--I11 of
FIG. 2; and
[0022] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2, showing a second
exemplary embodiment
of a cast-in channel.
[0023] In all of the figures, like parts have been given like reference
numerals.
[0024] The cast-in channel I I illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 has a channel
body 12 and anchoring
members 26 fixedly attached thereto. Channel body 12 forms a receiving space
13 for receiving a
connecting clement 7 used to fixedly attach a fastening element 6 to cast-in
channel 11, receiving space
13 being accessible from the outside via a mounting opening 14 extending along
the length dimension of
channel body 12.
]0025] Channel body 12 is provided with two depressions 21 which face
outwardly with respect to the
receiving space 13 and which each have a bottom portion 22. Each bottom
portion 22 is provided with a
rim hole 15 having an internal thread 17 to allow attachment of anchoring
members 26, the free end 16 of
said rim hole pointing toward receiving space 13. Bottom portion 22 of
depression 21 is non-concentric
in cross section with respect to the rim hole 15 located therein. In addition,
bottom portion 22 of
depression 21 is provided with reinforcing indentations 23.
[0026] Anchoring members 21 [sic. 26] are provided at their free ends with an
externally threaded
portion 27, allowing anchoring members 21 [sic. 26] to be screwed into
internal thread 17 of rim hole 15
so as to be fixedly attached to channel body 12. Anchoring members 21 [sic.
26] are inseparably mounted
in rim holes 15 by an adhesive (not shown) provided between external thread 27
ofanchoring member 21
[sic. 26] and internal thread 17 of rim hole 15.
[0027] Depth T of depression 21 is no greater than material thickness D in the
region of channel body
12 adjacent to depression 21. Rim height K of rim hole 15 is no greater than
depth T of depression 21.
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10028] In the case of cast-in channel 31 shown in FIG. 4, rim hole 35 used for
attachment of an
anchoring member 46 is formed directly on a rear wall 38, the free end 36 of
the rim hole pointing toward
receiving space 33. Apart from that, cast-in channel 31 has the same features
as the cast-in channel 11
described above.
4164668.1

Representative Drawing