Wall for the booth of a coating plant

Details Wall for the booth of a coating plant Wall for the booth of a coating plant

1999-05-10

2001-05-15

Callo, Laura A. (Department: 3635)

Static structures (e.g., buildings)

Facer held by stiffener-type frame

Facer between exposed frame members having unitary flanges...

C052S781000, C052S582200, C052S584100, C052S220700, C052S239000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06230470

ABSTRACT:

The invention relates to a wall for the booth of a coating plant, consisting of a plurality of wall elements, each of which comprises:
a) a frame consisting of at least two vertical posts and at least two horizontal crosspieces;
b) at least one plate, which covers a zone spanned by the posts and the crosspieces,
wherein
c) at least the posts consist of a bent metal sheet section, the cross-sectional shape of which is basically rectangular, wherein
ca) a first leg, which is parallel to the plate and adjacent to the latter, of the section and a second leg, which extends perpendicularly to the first leg and points towards the centre of the wall element, of the section extend over the entire length of the corresponding side of the rectangle, and
cb) a third leg, which is parallel to the plate yet distant from it, of the section and a fourth leg, which extends perpendicularly from the first leg, of the section only extend over a part of the length of the corresponding side of the rectangle,
wherein furthermore
d) adjacent wall elements each abut at the fourth legs of adjacent posts and are connected together here such that the free edges of the respective third legs of the adjacent posts bound a slit-shaped common access opening to the interiors of the two adjacent posts, which opening can be closed off by a common, removable cover.
Cables or other fixtures and fittings, which can be reached via the slit-shaped access openings, are usually installed in the hollow frames of wall elements of this kind. The access openings are normally closed by covers.
It was previously common practice to use extruded aluminium sections for the hollow frame parts (posts and/or crosspieces). As this material no longer met the fire prevention requirements, which had recently become more exacting, in certain applications, the extruded aluminium sections were also replaced by bent steel sheet sections in individual cases. A wall of this kind, corresponding to the type initially mentioned, is described in EP 0 647 476 A1. The cross-sectional shape of the post sections presented in the latter has shortened legs which lie entirely inside the basic rectangular contour, which is the geometric base for this section. The cover which closes off the access slit to the interior of the two adjacent posts is a flat sheet strip which is mounted by means of screws on the shortened legs of the two adjacent posts, which extend parallel to the corresponding plate. In order to achieve the required mechanical rigidity, the “open” angular section of the posts which is used here must be made of a relatively thick sheet. The covers are complicated to mount and to remove.
The object of the invention is to form a wall of the type initially mentioned such that the posts have a high mechanical strength, in particular flexural and torsional rigidity, while using little material, and that the cover can be secured easily and with a pleasing visual effect.
This object is achieved according to the invention in that
e) a region which is bent in the direction of the plate and which serves to mechanically stiffen the post and secure the cover is shaped at the third leg of each post.
Thus according to the invention the cross-sectional shape of the post sections undergoes a modification which only appears slight at first sight: Because the shortened leg of the section which extends parallel to the plate does not end with its free edge inside the geometric rectangular contour, but is bent again in the direction of the plate, two different results are achieved: Firstly, this shaping produces the desired increased mechanical rigidity of the overall section, enabling the same mechanical stability to be attained as in the prior art while using thinner sheets or resulting in increased mechanical strength when using sheets of the same thickness. This “bent” region also serves the second purpose, which is to enable the cover which closes off the access opening to the interior of the two posts in a removable manner to be easily secured. For this cover can as a result be inserted between the two shortened legs of the adjacent posts such that its base is aligned with the regions of these shortened legs lying on the geometric rectangular contour. This makes the exterior of the entire wall attractive.
It is expedient if an additional bent region, extending parallel to the plate, is shaped onto the first region, which is bent in the direction of the plate, of the third leg of each post. Not only does this additional bent region increase the mechanical strength of the post; this measure also forms a “stop” for the cover which predetermines exactly how far the cover must be pushed to align it with the corresponding leg regions of the two adjacent posts.
If the cover is a shaped sheet-metal part having a base extending parallel to the plate in the mounting position and two lateral legs bent in the direction of the plates, it can be inserted particularly easily between the regions of the third legs of the two posts which are bent in the direction of the plate. In many cases the mechanical friction between the parts then abutting is sufficient to fix the cover at least temporarily.
A somewhat firmer connection between the cover and the two posts to which this is to be fixed is achieved if the cover can be elastically locked to one of the bent regions of the third legs of the adjacent posts. In this case the cover is therefore held in place not just by frictional forces, but also by elastic forces. The cover can nevertheless be both mounted and dismounted without any problems.
If it is more important to prevent the cover being removed unintentionally, the invention may also be formed such that the cover is provided with a rotary catch which can be operated from outside, engages behind a bent region of at least one post in a first position of rotation and is released from this bent region in a further position of rotation, so that the cover can be removed. The operating member for the rotary catch may consist of a simple shaft provided with a screwdriver slot or a polygonal recess. If, however, access to the interior of the two adjacent posts is to be reserved for certain individuals, the operating member may also be formed as a special tool or as a key.
Adjacent wall elements of the wall referred to in the above-mentioned EP 0 647 476 A1 were secured to one another by directly screwing together the shortened legs, extending perpendicularly to the plate, of adjacent, abutting posts. In order to reach these screw elements, which lie inside the cavity bounded by the two adjacent posts, access openings must be provided at the appropriate points in the legs, which are accessible from the outside, of the post sections. These access openings have to be closed off again at a later point by plugs. This type of assembly is relatively complicated; the plugs constitute additional necessary parts. A far more favourable formation in this case is that according to the invention in which adjacent posts of adjacent wall elements are each secured to one another by a plurality of pairs of screw parts which are each passed from outside through openings in the third legs of adjacent posts and lie from the outside by way of heads against these legs, wherein at least one of the two screw parts is passed through openings in the fourth legs of the two adjacent posts, and wherein one of the two screw parts is provided with an external thread and the other of the two screw parts with a complementary threaded hole. Unlike the screw connections in the prior art, these screw parts are easily accessible from outside. Because of the enlarged heads which these screw parts have, the openings in the exposed legs of the two posts are covered, so that no separate plugs are required to close openings in these legs.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3124222 (1964-03-01), Mote
patent: 5797440 (1998-08-01), Tsai
patent: 5881518 (1999-03-01), Edwards et al.
patent: 6076322 (2000-06-01), D'Andrea et al.
patent: 244040 (1965-12-01), None
patent: 93 20 706 (1994-12-01), None
patent: 0 647 476 (1995-04-01), No

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