Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BUILDING ELEMENT COMPOSED OF TWO PANELS
WITH A COUPLING STRIP
The invention relates to a building element with the features of the
introductory part of
Claim 1.
Building elements of the above-mentioned type, which comprise at least two
panels that
are interconnected, are known in the art. For connecting adjoining panels with
narrow sides to
form a building element, various proposals have been made.
The object of the invention is to make available a building element of the
above-
mentioned type that allows a simple and reliable connection of panels.
This object is achieved according to the invention with a building element
that has the
features of Claim 1.
Preferred and advantageous configurations of the invention are the subject
matter of the
subclaims.
The building element according to the invention comprises at least two panels,
whereby
as materials for the panels, wood (softwood, hardwood, solid or bonded), wood
composite, in
particular cross-laminated wood, as well as combinations of the above-
mentioned materials are
taken into consideration.
The at least two panels that are contained in the building element according
to the
invention can have the following dimensions:
Width: 250 ¨ 3,200 mm.
Thickness: 60 ¨ 400 mm.
Length: up to 20,000 mm.
With the connection (coupling) of the panels by coupling strips, which engage
by friction
in, for example, grooves in the surfaces that face one another, e.g., adjacent
narrow sides (edges)
of the panels of the building element, a simple and reliable connection is
produced.
In this case, it is possible, within the framework of the invention, to
produce the coupling
strips from the material wood in just the same way as the panels (e.g., cross-
laminated wood
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panels). The coupling strips can be produced from hardwood, softwood, solid or
bonded, or
from plastic.
The panels of the building element according to the invention can be
interconnected to
form planar, angled, T-shaped or self-enclosed (annular) building elements.
In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the coupling strips have two
ribs that point
in opposite directions and that extend outward, which ribs engage in
corresponding undercut
grooves in the narrow sides of the panels of the building element. The
undercut grooves are
produced by, for example, milling.
In another embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the coupling
strips are
moldings with essentially cross-shaped cross-sections, whereby between the
extending ribs, cross
ribs that project toward both sides of the moldings are provided, which cross
ribs are arranged
between the narrow sides of the panels of the building element.
In this case, it is preferred that the cross ribs have outside surfaces that
lie flush with the
outside surfaces of the panels of the building element.
The building elements according to the invention can be produced in a simple
manner by
the panels, in particular panels made of cross-laminated wood, being cut to
the necessary
dimensions and then in particular undercut grooves (connecting slots) being
produced (e.g., by
milling) in the large surfaces and/or narrow sides (edges), i.e., where panels
are to be
interconnected to form building elements.
The pressing-in of the coupling strips in the panels that interconnect to form
building
elements can be difficult when the coupling strips and/or the panels ¨ as
preferred within the
framework of the invention ¨ consist of wood and the wood swells, i.e.,
increases in volume,
with increased moisture, as can prevail, for example, at construction sites.
In order to solve the problem that is optionally produced, it is provided in
an embodiment
of the invention to form the coupling strips from two adjacent parts. These
parts can be inserted
into the grooves of the panels in succession or offset with respect to one
another.
In this case, it is preferred that the parts of the coupling strips are
adjacent along a plane
that runs in the direction of the ribs.
In order to further facilitate the insertion, even when the wood of the
coupling strips is
more moist than that of the panels, the parts of the coupling strips can be
designed wedge-
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shaped. In this case, it is preferred that the parts of the coupling strips
are wedge-shaped
(conical) in a mating manner.
The panels can be interconnected to form building elements either on site or
else in the
beam center by the coupling strips being pressed into the grooves in adjacent
panels so that their
ribs extend into the grooves. The pressing-in of the coupling strips into the
grooves in order to
interconnect panels to form building elements can be carried out with, for
example, a
hydraulically-operated tool or with a vibratory hammer or else with an
ordinary hammer.
The building element according to the invention can have in particular the
advantages
mentioned below:
- Stable connection by conically divided and thus wedgeable coupling
strips (external
spring),
- Self-stretching system, in which the panels are permanently
interconnected without
additional aids,
- Secure "wood/wood connection" by friction over the entire length,
- Easily usable even with great lengths and heights, and
- If necessary, the connection can be further reinforced quite simply
by bonding and/or
screwing.
Additional details and features of the invention follow from the description
below of
embodiments based on the drawings. Here:
Fig. 1 shows a planar building element that consists of two panels in a view,
Fig. 2 shows the building element of Fig. 1 in an oblique view,
Fig. 3 shows a detail in the area of the coupling of the two panels to form a
building element,
Fig. 4 shows a coupling strip that consists of two parts,
Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of a divided coupling strip, and
Fig. 6 shows a building element that comprises straight-, corner- and T-
connections.
In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a building element 1 consists of two
panels 2
that are made of cross-laminated wood, i.e., panels 2 that consist of, for
example, three layers of
wooden boards, whereby the boards of adjacent layers cross one another at
right angles. In the
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joint area 3, i.e., in the area in which the two panels 2 of the building
element 1 adjoin one
another with their narrow surfaces, the panels 2 are interconnected using a
coupling strip 4, so
that there, a straight connection 21 (planar building element 1) is present.
In the embodiment that is shown in Fig. 3, the coupling strip 4 is a molding
that consists
of (hard) wood with essentially circular cross-sections. The coupling strip 4
has two ribs 5 with
an essentially trapezoidal cross-section that extends into their free edges.
Between the ribs 5,
two cross ribs 6 with lateral surfaces that are parallel to one another and
that project from the
molding 4 in opposite directions are provided.
As shown in Fig. 3, the coupling strip 4 is inserted with its ribs 5 into
grooves that are
designed undercut in the narrow surfaces (edges) of the panels 2, to be
interconnected, of the
building element 1, whereby the cross ribs 6 are arranged between narrow
surfaces (edges) of the
panels 2 that are adjacent to one another and that point toward one another.
Within the framework of the invention, it is preferred that as is shown by way
of example
in Fig. 3, the ribs 5 and the grooves and narrow surfaces of the panels 2 are
profiled at least
essentially identically, so that the ribs 5 engage by friction in the grooves.
Fig. 3 shows that the free end surfaces 7 of the cross ribs 6 lie flush with
the outside
surfaces 8 of the panels 2 of the building element 1.
A flush and stable connection of the panels 2 is produced by the embodiment
and
arrangement of coupling strips 4 shown between panels 2 of the building
element 1.
The coupling strip 4 that is shown in Fig. 4 has a cross-section that
corresponds to the
coupling strip 4 with ribs 5 and cross ribs 6 that is shown in Fig. 3. The
coupling strip 4 that is
shown in Fig. 4 consists of two parts 10 and 11. The plane 12, in which the
parts 10 and 11 of
the coupling strip 4 of Fig. 4 are adjacent, is oriented obliquely to form a
longitudinal extension
of the coupling strip 4. Because of the orientation of the plane 12, the parts
10 and 11 of the
coupling strip 4 are wedge-shaped in a mating manner in such a way that they
supplement one
another to form coupling strips 4. Fig. 4 also shows that the plane 12 is
oriented in such a way
that it divides the ribs 5, by their going through the ribs 5.
The embodiment of a coupling strip 5 that is shown in Fig. 5 essentially
corresponds to
the coupling strip 4 of Fig. 4, but does not have the cross ribs 6.
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Also, the coupling strip 4 of Fig. 5 consists of two parts 13 and 14, which
are wedge-
shaped because of the orientation of the plane 12, as has been described for
the parts 10 and 11
of the coupling strip 4 of Fig. 4.
The parts 10, 11 or 13, 14 lie adjacent to one another in the position of use
in such a way
that the thicker end 15 of one part is arranged in the area of the thinner
part 16 of the other part.
The divided embodiment of coupling strips 4, as are shown by way of example in
Figs. 4
and 5, allows, with use of the coupling strips 4 for connecting two panels 2
to form a building
element 1, the insertion of first only one part 10 or 11 (Fig. 4) or 13 or 14
(Fig. 5) in the grooves,
which are designed undercut, in the panels 2 that are to be interconnected.
After this has taken
place, the second part 11 or 10 or 14 or 13 is inserted, which is possible
without considerable
expenditure of force because of the wedge-shaped design of the parts 10 and 11
or 13 and 14 of
the coupling strips 4.
As an alternative, the parts 10 and 11 or 13 and 14 of the coupling strips 4
can be inserted
jointly into the undercut grooves of the panels 2, offset (cf. Figs. 4 and 5)
toward one another in
the direction of their longitudinal extension, whereby, optionally with the
use of a striking tool
(e.g., hammer, vibratory hammer), the still projecting part of the coupling
strip 4 is finally
inserted until the ends of the parts 11 and 12 or 13 and 14 of the coupling
strips 4 no longer
project over the edges of the panels 2 that are now connected to form a
building element 1,
which panels run crosswise to the narrow surfaces of the panels 2 that are
provided with the
grooves.
A building element 1 according to the invention that is shown in Fig. 6 has
two straight
connections 20 and 21, a corner-connection 22, and a T-connection 23.
The panels 2, which are connected to form the building element 1, are at
(right) angles to
one another in the area of the corner connection 22, as is shown in Fig. 6. In
this case, the
groove in which the coupling strip 4 engages is provided in the one panel 2
that is not in a front
surface (narrow surface) of the panel 2, but rather in the edge area of a
large surface of the panel
2. In the other panel 2 of the corner connection 22, the groove is provided in
the narrow surface.
When the groove in the large surface of the panel 2 is not provided in the
area of an edge
of the panel 2, a connection 23 ("T-connection") in the building element 1, as
is shown to the
right in Fig. 6, designed essentially T-shaped, is shown in top view.
In summary, an embodiment of the invention can be described as follows:
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A planar, angled, or T-shaped building element 1 has at least two panels 2, in
particular
panels 2 that consist of cross-laminated wood, which are interconnected using
a coupling strip 4.
The coupling strip 4 has a cross-section with two ribs 5 with a trapezoidal
cross-section, which
engage by friction in the undercut grooves in the panels 2 that are
interconnected. The coupling
strip 4 consists of, for example, two parts 10 and 11 that are wedge-shaped in
a mating manner.
