Elongated element for the frame of a panel system comprising a flexible sheet material

Abstract

An elongated element for the frame of a panel system comprising a flexible sheet material includes a main profile to which an auxiliary profile is associated. The auxiliary profile is provided with means for anchoring an edge of the sheet material and it can be moved with respect to the main profile as a result of the driving of position control screws. The main profile is adapted to be fixed on the surface of a wall by connection means engaging a connection portion associated to it. The position control screws have a control formation which can be reached from the outside of the frame, when the main profile of the elongated element is fixed to a wall and the sheet material is anchored to the auxiliary profile.

1 . An elongated element for the frame of a panel system comprising a flexible sheet material, including a main profile to which an auxiliary profile provided with means for anchoring an edge of the sheet material is associated, the auxiliary profile being mounted so as to be movable with respect to the respective main profile as a result of the driving of means for controlling its position, wherein the main profile is adapted to be fixed to a support surface, such as the surface of a wall, through connection means which engage a connection portion associated to the main profile, said position control means comprising a plurality of screw members having a control formation arranged in a position which can be reached from the outside of the frame when the main profile of the elongated element is fixed on said support surface and the sheet material is anchored to the auxiliary profile.  
   
   
       2 . An element according to  claim 1 , wherein said element is provided with guide means for guiding the auxiliary profile according to a movement of translation with respect to the main profile as a result of the driving of said screw members, the guide means being adapted to prevent the separation of the auxiliary profile from the main profile when a tension is applied to the sheet material.  
   
   
       3 . An element according to  claim 1 , wherein the main profile has a beam portion in which at least a hole intended to be engaged by a respective screw is formed, in order to allow to fix the beam portion to a support surface, such as the surface of a wall.  
   
   
       4 . An element according to  claim 1 , wherein the main profile has a beam portion in which seats for receiving magnetic fixing members are formed, in order to allow to fix said beam portion to the surface of a metallic wall.  
   
   
       5 . An element according to  claim 3 , wherein the main profile has an elongated appendage which extends from the beam portion and is provided with a winding end adapted to be slidably surrounded by a portion of the sheet material which is close to an edge thereof.  
   
   
       6 . An element according to  claim 3 , wherein the auxiliary profile has a winding end adapted to be surrouded by a portion of the sheet material close to an edge thereof.  
   
   
       7 . An element according to  claim 6 , wherein a rib which can be used to fix the main profile to a support surface by said connection means, or which can be used to fix reinforcing crosspieces of the frame, extends from said beam portion of the main profile.  
   
   
       8 . An element according to claims  2 , wherein the auxiliary profile has means for anchoring an edge of the sheet material through at least a removable clip element.  
   
   
       9 . An element according to  claim 8 , wherein said anchorage means include a bent rim extending from the auxiliary profile.  
   
   
       10 . An element according to  claim 9 , wherein the anchorage means comprise an enlarged head provided with opposite sharp-edge formations intended to be snap engaged by corresponding formations of said clip element.  
   
   
       11 . An element according to  claim 10 , wherein the clip element is provided with a seizing lip in order to make easier the manual grasping thereof.  
   
   
       12 . An element according to  claim 11 , wherein the auxiliary profile is substantially L-shaped so that it has a primary branch and a secondary branch generally perpendicular to each other.  
   
   
       13 . An element according to  claim 12 , wherein the main profile has a hook formation defining an elongated cavity intended to slidably receive the secondary branch of the auxiliary profile, so that the auxiliary profile is kept in a condition generally close to the main profile owing to the engagement of its secondary branch in said cavity.  
   
   
       14 . An element according to  claim 13 , wherein said cavity extends transversely to the elongated appendage, and the extension of the secondary branch of the auxiliary profile is substantially equal to the distance between the free end of the hook formation and the elongated appendage, so that the connection of the auxiliary profile to the main profile and holding the coupled position are made easier when the main profile is fixed to a support wall.  
   
   
       15 . An element according to  claim 14 , wherein each of said screw members has a control formation and a threaded stem which engages a corresponding threaded hole formed in the auxiliary profile, whereby the distance between the auxiliary profile and the respective main profile can be adjusted as a result of the rotation of said screw members about their axis, in order to change the tension of the sheet material supported by the frame.  
   
   
       16 . An element according to  claim 15 , wherein the thread of the stem of said screw members engages the thread of a respective nut disengageably associated to the auxiliary profile.  
   
   
       17 . An element according to  claim 15 , wherein a groove is formed on the face of the elongated appendage facing the auxiliary profile, for receiving a portion of the free end of the stem of said screw members.  
   
   
       18 . An element according to  claim 5 , wherein each of said screw members has a threaded stem crossing the auxiliary profile and provided at an end with an enlarged head adapted to be received, freely rotatably, in an undercut groove formed in said elongated appendage of the main profile, whereby the distance between the auxiliary profile and the respective main profile can be adjusted as a result of the rotation of said screw members about their axis, in order to change the tension of the sheet material supported by the frame.  
   
   
       19 . An element according to  claim 18 , wherein each of the screw members has a control formation which can be fixed to the end of the threaded stem opposite to said enlarged head.  
   
   
       20 . An element according to  claim 19 , wherein the control formation of the screw members is a body which can be fixed to an end of the threaded stem of the screw member by means of the engagement of a prismatic formation extending from such a stem, in a corresponding cavity of such a body.  
   
   
       21 . An element according to  claim 20 , wherein the control formation of the screw members is provided with radial fins in order to make easier the manual driving thereof by a user.  
   
   
       22 . An element according to  claim 20 , wherein the control formation of the screw members can be driven by a driving tool, and in that such a control formation has a disc-shaped base portion for helping to keep said driving tool in its own position when such screw members are driven.  
   
   
       23 . An element according to  claim 1 , wherein a framing profile can be associated to the main profile, which can be snap fixed to the main profile as a result of the engagement of fastening means of the main profile or of the framing profile, in a recess of the framing profile or of the main profile, respectively.  
   
   
       24 . An element according to  claim 23 , wherein said recess is a cavity defined close to the hook formation and facing the side opposite to the elongated appendage.  
   
   
       25 . An element according to  claim 1 , wherein the main profile has, at its axial ends, seats for receiving rectilinear, angled, or curvilinear connection elements, which have a cross-section corresponding to that of said seat.  
   
   
       26 . An element according to  claim 25 , wherein said receiving seats are defined by an axial cavity of the beam portion of the main profile.  
   
   
       27 . An element according to claims  3 , wherein the beam portion of the main profile has engagement formations for allowing to receive the heads of screws for fixing said connection elements.  
   
   
       28 . A frame for a panel system comprising a flexible sheet material, including a plurality of elongated elements according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       29 . A frame according to  claim 28 , wherein the beam portions of the main profiles of the elongated elements are hollow and have a polygonal section, and in that rectilinear, angled or curvilinear connection elements are inserted in the cavity of the main profiles, such connection elements having a polygonal cross-section corresponding to that of the cavity of the main profiles and being fixed at the ends of the main profiles by screw fixing elements such as bolts.