Untitled record

The claims contained in this treaty were not submitted by the applicant until the search report was served (5 19 (4) CM3) and were therefore not based on the RBCherchenbericht. The version of the claims on which the search report is based can be inspected by the Austrian Federal Office of Public Officials.

AT 000 862 Ul

The invention relates to a covering device for floor coverings o. The like., Comprising at least one base part and an attachable thereto cover part, which is designed as a profile strip, wherein the base part has a recess into which a leg of the cover is einfuhrbar.

In parquet floors and the like arises in the area of ​​doors or other places of the collision of different fields, the problem of a shapely and functional connection. This also applies to a transition between a parquet floor and, for example, a carpet or the like. Transitions of this kind are solved in a shapely manner by profiled strips, which have two legs, one of which covers the floor covering on each side of the profile strip, whereby a transition between the two floor coverings is created. In this way it is also possible to allow a certain relative movement of the floor coverings on the two sides of the covering device, without the risk of formation of gaps or tensions.

It is known to form such profiled strips H-shaped, wherein in each case a floor covering is inserted into the recess of the H. For such moldings, it is necessary that the thickness of the respective floor covering corresponds exactly to the distance between the two horizontal legs of the profile strip in order to avoid disturbing gaps. In the case of unevenly thick floor coverings on both sides of the profile results in a variety of different types of profiles that must be kept in stock. Furthermore, the disassembly of such a profile strip is expensive.

Another known covering device, as described for example in EP-A 321 634, consists of a base profile which can be fastened to the subfloor, and of a cover profile which can be screwed onto the base profile. An advantage of this variant is that with a kit that consists of a base profile and a cover profile, different levels of floor coverings can be bridged in a certain area. A disadvantage of this embodiment, however, is that it is inevitable in this known system to provide the cover profile holes for screwing to the base profile. These holes are visible when installed, which disturbs the overall appearance of the cover strip. Even a subsequent overlap with an adhesive film has been found to be not completely satisfactory.

Furthermore, from DE-A 36 40 822 a profile rail kit is known, which also consists of a base rail and a snap-in this base rail cover rail. In practice, it has been found that such a profile rail assembly, even if initially the cover rail is pressed elastically against the floor covering, over time some fatigue of the material occurs, whereby in use, a certain mobility of the cover rail is formed. The resulting noise is perceived as disturbing. Despite the relatively complex shape of the two profiles, it is not possible in the known system, on the one hand to ensure sufficient flexibility, the An2

AT 000 862 Ul adaptation to different or changing height conditions of the adjacent floor coverings made possible and on the other hand to achieve an ausrächend fixed guidance of the cover rail, which ensures a secure fit and quiet operation.

The object of the invention is to avoid these disadvantages and to provide a covering device which allows a permanent and stable coverage of the gap between two fields of the same or different floor coverings. A further object of the invention is to provide a system of covering devices for the most diverse application cases, which manages with the smallest possible number of different components. It should be in the installed state no screws or other fasteners visible.

According to the invention this is achieved in that the recess of the base part is formed as a slot which is bounded by two substantially parallel side walls of an elastically deformable material, of which at least one side wall has a profiling, and in that the leg of the cover, in the Base part is insertable, has a matched with the profiling of the base part profiling, wherein a plurality of detent positions is defined by these profiles, which have a different penetration depth of the cover in the base part.

It is essential to the invention that the attachment of the cover member to the base member by a mutual profiling, wherein the base part is at least in the connection region with the cover made of an elastically deformable material, such as a suitable plastic or rubber. It is equally possible that the entire base part is made of this material. At the same time, however, a secure guidance of the cover part is achieved by the parallel side walls. Since a plurality of detent positions is provided, it is possible to cover with a single kit of base parts and covering a certain height range for covering the floor coverings. If, for example, three differently sized base parts are provided, then one can thus create a system which is suitable for all standard footboard thicknesses. The present invention further relates to such a system, with the modular manner with relatively few different parts all applications are coverable.

It is essential further that not only in the initial adaptation of a play-free fit of the cover results in the respective floor coverings, but that an automatic readjustment is possible during use, if, for example, by drying, the thickness of a floor covering should change. In such a case, by entering the cover this is inserted by a further detent position in the base part and locked there. This is possible in a particularly advantageous manner, even if the above-described change should result only about unevenly. It is within the scope of the invention in the same way possible to produce covering devices for a boundary edge of a surface provided with a floor covering, or to provide the wall termination of a floor covering.

AT 000 862 Ul

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the profilings are designed such that the force required to insert the cover part into the base part from a predetermined detent position into the next one is smaller than the force required to pull the cover part from the next one Detent position is required in the predetermined. In this way, on the one hand, a firm grip of the cover strip is achieved, but on the other hand, the process of automatic readjustment, as described above, is facilitated.

It is favorable if the base part is designed as a plastic body, on which laterally elastically deformable spacers are integrally formed. In this way, an automatic centering of the base part and thus the entire covering is achieved. This offers the advantage of easier handling during assembly, since the base part automatically centers.

It is particularly advantageous if the cover part is held by a plurality of base parts, which have a distance from each other in the axial direction. This embodiment not only offers a material savings, but is also particularly well suited to compensate for any irregularities in the'' thickness of the floor coverings, since it is possible that the cover engages in different locking positions in the individual base parts.

In order to facilitate any necessary disassembly, a SollbTuchstelle or a snap connection may be provided on the base part, which is adapted to allow removal of the cover together with a part of the base part. In the case of a breaking point, disassembly requires the use of a new base, which is acceptable given the low cost of this component. In a snap connection, which of course must be executed correspondingly stiff, the original base part can continue to be used.

A particularly favorable embodiment variant of the invention provides an articulated connection which permits a limited pivoting movement of the cover part about its longitudinal axis. As a result, an automatic compensation of height differences is possible, wherein the number of different cover parts can be minimized.

This can be achieved in that the leg of the cover part latching into the base part is connected in an articulated manner to the legs covering the floor covering. However, it is equally possible that the base part has a hinge connection between a fixing portion and a holding portion.

As a result, the invention will be explained in more detail by the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. The figures show:

Figure 1 is a Abdeckvomchtung invention, consisting of a base part and a cover in unassembled state in a view in the axial direction.

FIG. 2 shows the base part of FIG. 1 in a view from above; FIG.

AT 000 862 Ul

3 shows a further embodiment variant of the invention in a side exploded view;

4 shows a view of a further embodiment variant of the base part in a view from above;

5 shows a view of the embodiment variant of the base part of FIG. 4 in the axial direction;

6 shows a view of a further embodiment variant of the base part in the axial direction;

7, 8, 9 and 10 are views of different embodiments of the cover in the axial direction.

11 shows a further base part in a view from above;

Fig. 12 is a view of another base part;

13 shows a view of a particularly preferred embodiment variant of the cover part; and

Fig. 14 shows the cover of Fig. 13 in the assembled state with a base part.

Fig. 1 shows a covering device according to the invention, which consists of a base part 1 and a cover part 2. The base part 1 is a cuboid Kunststoffieil having a longitudinally continuous slot la. The side walls lb and lc, which limit the slot la, are provided with a sawtooth profiling. The cover 2 has a leg 2a, which is intended for import into the slot la. This leg 2a has a profiled portion 2b, which is adapted to the profiling of the side walls lb and lc of the base part 1. In this way, there are a number of locking points, which differ in the different penetration depth of the cover 2 in the base part 1. Due to the sawtooth formation of the profiling, it follows that the insertion of the cover part 2 requires less force than pulling out. Furthermore, the cover part 2 has legs 4a and 4b, which are intended to cover the floor coverings on both sides of the cover.

From Fig. 2 it can be seen that the base part 1 has a bore 3, which serves to allow screwing to a subfloor.

3 shows a cover part 2, which cooperates with two base parts 1, which have a distance from each other in the axial direction.

The embodiment variant of FIGS. 4 and 5 is constructed from two base parts 11, which are connected to one another via a fastening part 15. The base parts 11 and the fastening part 15 may be made in one piece, but it may also be the fastening part 15 with the individually manufactured base parts 11 connected by gluing. The fastening part 15 has a fastening bore 13. On the side 11 elastic spacers 16 are provided on the base parts, which in the installed state against the side edges of the Bo5

AT 000 862 Support the floor coverings. Weather the base parts have 11 slots 11a for receiving the cover. It is advantageous that the bar transversely to the axial direction takes up very little space. Therefore, there is a relatively large amount of space available for the expansion joints of the floor coverings without making the gap to be covered excessively large.

The base part 21 of Fig. 6 has a base plate 26 which projects laterally and has the mounting holes 23. In certain applications, however, a screwing on the subfloor can be omitted, since the floor coverings rest on the base plate and hold them.

FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10 show different embodiments of cover parts

Second The embodiment of Fig. 7 is provided for the lateral termination of a floor covering. In FIG. 8, a bending edge 18 is provided, which allows a certain adaptation to coverings of different heights. The variant of FIG. 9 is designed for a wall termination.

FIG. 11 shows a base part 41 with fastening sections 45 projecting on the end faces and having elongated holes 43. Screws 49, which are guided through these slots 43, serve for fastening the base part 41 on the underbody. When disassembling the slots deform so far that the base can be removed, but the screws 49 remain in place. In this way, a snap connection is formed, which allows a non-destructive disassembly. If the cover is lifted under a relatively large force application, then the slots 43 deform so far that the base part 41 can be removed via the heads of the screws 49 and is removed with the cover. In the removed state base and cover can be separated by displacement in the axial direction. The remaining screws in the subsoil 49 are then freely accessible and can also be removed.

The base 51 of Fig. 12 is composed of a fixing portion 51e and a holding portion 51f separated by a constriction 51g. This constriction 51g acts as a hinge, which allows a limited tilting movement of the holding portion 51f and thus the associated cover member.

The cover member 52 of Fig. 13 consists of the legs 54a and 54b for covering the adjacent floor coverings. The leg 52a is connected via a joint 52g with the rest of the cover 52, ie with the legs 54a and 54b.

FIG. 13 shows a cover device with the cover part 52 of FIG. 12 in the assembled state. The leg 54a covers a floor covering 100 and the leg 54b covers a floor covering 101 of lesser height. The joint 52g ensures the abutment of the cover on both floor coverings 100 and 101. As the base part 21, for example, the one selected in FIG. 6 is selected.

The present invention enables in a simple manner a secure and permanent attachment of the cover strips. It can be formed from a relatively few different parts existing kit that covers a variety of possible applications.