Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
1146328
The present invention relates to a building structure
of the type comprising a framework of vertical posts and base
portions and head portions adapted to interconnect and keep
the posts together and with separate wall sections fitted in the
spaces between post-~, base portions and head portions.
Building structures of this type are known in a
plurality of different embodiments which are more or less com-
plicated in shape and handling. These older structures are
often precisely adapted to a specific building purpose which
means that they have almost no flexibility in the choice of
building size and design.
The present invention provides a building structure
of the aforesaid type, which has a very great flexibility and
which is very simple especially to mount and dismount without
tools other than a common screw driver.
According to the present invention there is provided
a building structure of the type comprising a framework of
vertical posts with base portions and head portions adapted to
interconnect and maintain the posts together and with separate
wall sections fitted in the spaces between posts, base portions
and head portions in which structure each post has a substantially
H-shaped section in which each shank of the H-profile has a
surface inclined obliquely outwards, each base portion and each
head portion at their side facing the center of the framework
is provided with a groove between portions having obliquely
outwardly inclined surfaces similar to the posts, said wall
sections being at least one of flat, smooth wall elements and
thin-walled panel sections which along all edges are provided
with flange portions extending in the same direction as the
inclined surfaces of the posts, the base portions and the head
portions, which flange portions at their outer ends are provided
with folded portions, the smooth wall elements being mounted
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with their edge portions engagin~ in the grooves in the base
portions, in the head portions and in the space between the
shanks of the H-profile of the posts, the panel sections being
snapped with their flange portion to the inclined surfaces of
the postsl base portions and head portions, whereby the folded
portions are adapted to snap into the grooves behind said
inclined surfaces in the posts, base portions and head portions.
Thus according to the present invention each post has
a substantially H-shaped section, each shank of the H-profile
being cut obliquely to form each a surface inclined obliquely
outwardsl each base portion and each head portion at its side
facing the centre of the framework in a manner similar to the
posts are provided with a groove located between portions having
surfaces inclined obliquely outwards, the walls being flat,
smooth wall elements and/or thin-walled panel sections which
along all edges provided with flange portions bent in the same
direction as the inclined surfaces of the posts, the base
portions and the head portions and which flange portions at
their outer ends are provided with folded portions, the smooth
wall elements being mounted with the edge portions engaging
in the grooves in the base portions, in the head portions and
in the space between the shanks of the H-profile, whereas the
panel sections are snapped with their flange portion to the
inclined surfaces of the posts, head portions and base portions,
the folded material portions being adapted to snap into the
grooves behind said inclined surfaces in the posts, head portions,
; and base portions.
The present invention will be further described with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
: 30 Figure 1 shows in perspective a portion of a building
structure according to the invention with certain material
portions omitted;
- 2
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Figure 2 is a plan View of a one-piece post forming
part of the building structure according to the invention,
Figure 3 shows ln a corresponding view a post consisting
of a plurality of sheet metal sections,
Figures 4-6 show in perspective views portions of the
sheet metal profiles forming part of the post according to
Figure 3,
. Figures 7 and 8 respectively show in a perspective
view and a plan view from above a base portion and a head portion
forming part of the building structure according to Figure 1,
Figure 9 shows schematically in a view from above a
corner connection incorporating two posts and corner profiles
interconnecting said posts,
Figures 10 and 11 show in perspective views a corner
profile according to Figure 9,
Figure 12 lS a plan view of a panel section forming
part of the structure,
: Figure 13 shows in a schematic view from above a base
portion and a post fitted thereto in its mounting position,
Figure 14 is a view corresponding to Figure 13, wherein
for the sake of clarity the base portion has been omitted and
in which a panel section has been mounted, whereas the other
section is shown in its mounting stage,
Figure 15 and 16 show cross-sections through the
member shown in Figure 13 as seen along lines A-A and B-B,
respectively, and
Figure 17 shows schematically in a view from above
three posts with different combinations of wall sections fitted
thereto.
Description of a preferred embodiment
In Figure 1 is shown in perspective a portion of a
wall erected with the building structure according to the
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invention which structure incorporates a plurality of vertical
posts 1 having a substantially H-shaped cross-section. The
structure furthermore comprises a plurality of panel sections 2
mounted on the posts and a plurality of base portions 3 and head
portions 4, which is basically the same component and the shape
of which will be further described hereinafter. The structure
also incorporates a corner connection 5~ 6 forming wall
corners and these components will also be further described
-~ hereinafter and are used for forming together with two posts
a corner in the structure. Figure 1 also shows how a wall in
a simple manner can be built by meanQ of the building structure
according to the invention and for the sake of clarity parts
of the head portions 4 have been cut away.
In Figure 2 is shown a cross-section of a post la,
which in this embodiment is made in one piece, e.g., by extrusion.
Ths post la has the shape of a H (in the figure shown in a lay
down position), the shanks of which at their ends having
inclined surfaces 7a which each forms an angle of 45 with the
longitudinal direction of the shanks. Between the inner side
of the two shanks and the cross bar there is thus formed two
parallel grooves 8a extending in the longitudinal direction of
the post which together with the inclined surfaces 7a contribute
to the attachment of the panel sections such as will be further
described hereinafter.
In Figure 3 is snown an alternative embodiment of a
post 1, which is constructed from a plurality of sheet metal
profiles in accordance with Figures 4-6, which in perspective
show portions of the profiles forming part of the post.
; The post 1 incorporates two profiles 9 according to
Figure 4, two profiles 10 according to Figure 5 and two profiles
11 according to Figure 6. On mounting this post the two mainly
-shaped profiles 9 are located with the open sides against
, _ .
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each other, whereupon the C -shaped profiles 10 with their
double-flanged ends from the sides are fitted such that the
four profiles together form a closed four-sided body having
protruding portions - the shanks of the H-profile. The
profiles 11 with the folded flange portions are thereupon
each pushed from one of the ends of the post over ~
opposite projecting portions, whereby the profiles 11 will
effectively interlock the separate sheet metal profiles to form
a post without the need of any other type of attachment means.
The profiles 11 are provided with inclined surfaces which form
the inclined surfaces 7 of the post. This post 1 thereby has a
shape quite analogous with the post 1 according to Figure 2
having inclined surfaces 7 and grooves 8.
In Figures 7 and 8 are shown respectively in a per-
spective view and in a plan view a base portion 3 and a head
portion 4. This base portion or head portion is formed by a
substantially U-shaped channel,preferably of sheet metal material,
in which the shanks 12 at their free ends are bent inward/up-
ward at an angle of 45 and these bent portions 13 are in turn
at their free ends provided with flange portions which extend
in parallel with the shanks 12 a short distance towards the
interior of the U-profile. In Figure 8 is shown how the base
portion or the head portion at equal mutual distances is
provided with recesses 15 in the angular portions 13. These
recesses or stampings are at an angle of 45 relative to the
longitudinal direction of the profiled, wherebya recess 15
will correspond to the cross-section of the post 1, la. In
the embodiment shown the profile 3, 4 has a centrally located
recess 15, the cross section of which corresponds to the cross
section of an entire post, whereas the profile at each of its
two ends is provided with a half recess 15a, which corresponds
to a half post. These base portions 3 act as bases for the posts
- 5 -
32~
and the posts are placed in upright position in the channel
which is formed by the bottom and walls 12 of the base portion
in said recesses 15,15a, whereupon the base portions and the
posts are interconnected, preferably by means of self-tapping
screws. The head portions 4 which are identical to the base
portions are located in corresponding manner on top of the
posts and they are connected thereto in the same manner. By
means of this connection the posts and the base portions/head
portions will form a continuous framework after mounting.
In order to form a corner in the structure two posts
1 are as shown from above in Figure 9 placed side by side with
their grooves 8 perpendicular to each other and with two in-
clined post surfaces 7 contacting each other. An intercon-
necting corner profile 6 - see Figure 11 - is fitted e.g. by
means of self-tapping screws to the two adjacent posts, whereby
also these will be connected. The corner is thereupon finished
by a corner profile 5 - see Figure 10 - fitted to the posts.
This corner profile 5 has a cross section corresponding to an
isosceles right angled triangle, in which the hypoteneuse is
broken and formed with two lugs 16, which extend out from the
triangle in parallel with the adjacent smaller side of the
triangle. The corner profile 5, which is made from sheet
metal is connected to the post by being pushed from the out-
side inward against the posts, whereby its lugs 16 during
bending slide on the inclined surfaces 7 of the posts, snap
into the grooves 8, and rlex back to be locked in position.
On this mounting of a corner it is possible to push a fine-
bladed tool between the inclined surface 7 of the post and the
part of the corner profile 5 cooperating therewith and thus
to press the lug 16 from its engagement with the edge of the
groove 8.
In Figure 12 is shown in a plan view a panel section
-- 6
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2 from the side turned inwa~ds during mounting. The opposite
side is as can be seen from Figure 1 preferably entirely smooth.
The panels can however also be provided with reinforcing bend-
ings or the like without this being critical for the invention.
The panel section 2 is along its inner edges bent in a first
flange 17 at an angle of 45~ and a second bent flange 18 is
provided at the outer end of said first flange, which second
flange is likewise bent 45 and in a direction outwards. These
flanges correspond to the lugs at the corner profile 5 and they
are used in a corresponding manner for locking the panel sec-
tions to the base portions, to the posts and to the head por-
tions. In Figure 13 is shown in a view from above a part of a
base portion 3 with a post 1 fitted and screwed thereto and this
view shows how the post 1 with its inclined surfaces 7 will be
guided by the inclined recesses 15 in the base portion. In
this figure it is also intimated a panel section 2, which with
one of its edge-flanges rests against and which has been snapped
to the bent parts 13 of a base portion and to its flange por-
tion 14, resp., whereas the adjacent edge flanges 17,18 have been
snapped into the groove 8 and rest against the inclined surface
7 of the post.
In Figure 14 is shown the snapping-in of a panel sec-
tion 2 to a post 1 in which for the sake of clarity the base
portion has not been shown and the panel section 2is thus sub-
jected to a manual force directed inwards, whereby all flange
portions 17 and 18 simultaneously or one after the other will
be caused to flex out and slide against the inclined surface
7 of the post and against the inclined portions 13 of the base
portion and the head portion respectively until the second bent
flange 18 will be in position to snap into the groove 8 and
behind the flange portions 14 of the base portion and the head
portion resp.
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In Figures 15 and 16 there are shown respectively two
cross-sections along lines ~-~ and B-B in Figure 13, which
show the cooperation of the panel sections 2 with the base
portion 3, which cooperation functionally is analogous with
the cooperation with the post.
Figure 17 finally shows in a schematic view from above
the possibility of the building structure according to the in-
vention to use different t~pes of wall sections which can be
utilized for further increasing the flexibility and adaptabi-
lity of the structure.
In this Figure is shown as an example three spacedapart inclined posts 1. To the right hand side of a post
shown farthest to the right is fitted two panel sections 2,
which are fitted by snapping-in in the same manner as shown
in e.g. Figure 13. Between the left and the central post there
is however fitted a smooth flat wall element 19, which with
its edges engage in and is retained in the grooves 8 between
the shanks of the H-profile of the posts and also in thegrooves
in the (not shown) base portions and head portions. In the
space between the central and the right hand post is finally
shown how it is possible to combine a snapped-in panel section
2 and a wall element 19.
The wall element 19 can be of different types and it
is e.g. psosible to use wall-paper provided particle boards
or plaster boards, window units in frames, whereby the inclined
surfaces of the posts, the base portions and the head portions
can be coloured in a suitable tint and can then act as sur-
rounding borders. As it is possible also to make the wall
sections of different material at opposite sides it is e.g.
possible to have a board wall at one side made with plane wall
elements and on the opposiLe side and "outer wall" of panel
sections, which have been snapped to the framework.
, ,. j,. .
114~321!~
In the case with wall elements 19 fitted in the
grooves it is of course necessary to mount the wall elements
in a manner which differs from th~t of the snappable wall pan-
els, i.e. it is necessary to place the wall element 19 in
the framework before this is completed, whereby the wall can be
completed and locked by means of one of the posts, wh~ch is put
in place by being moved in the longitudinal directionof the
wall element. The mounting is however also in this case com-
paratively simple and so is also a possible later dismounting.
With this mounting technique it is possible to erect
buildings of this type very swiftly and also to dismantle them
as it is hereby sufficient to unscrew the screws retaining the
head portion and the base portion and to pull out these parts
in the longitudinal direction from the remaining structure,
whereupon the further components - the wall elements, the panel
sections and the posts - can be easily taken apart. With this
building structure it is possibie either to standardize the
; elements forming part thereof to a very high degree or to adapt
the portions to the actual need, e.g. by changing the width
of the sections, varying the height of the base portibns or
the head portions, designing the sections as holders for lamp
fittings, armatures, exhaust suction filters etc. which means
that the structures will have very great flexibility. It is
also possible to provide the building with doors made in a
correspondingmanner and to arrange insulating material in the
post and/or between the panel sections. It is also possible
to design the panel section of another material than sheet
metal, e.g. in wood with flexible attachment flanges fitted
thereto or to make the entire structure or parts thereof in
another material which is equivalent from a material point of
view, e.g. some plastic types.
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