The present invention refers to an adjustable structural joint for building, and particularly for building the carrier structure of roofs, sheds, porches or coverings in general. The present invention further refers to a building system, and particularly a system for building the carrier structure of roofs, sheds, porches or coverings in general, comprising such joint.

As known in the building field, for making carrier structures of coverings such as roofs or sheds, numerous techniquea and a great number of materials are used. Particularly, for building roofs or sheds, structures are widely used having a structural frames composed of wooden trusses and beams, substantially comprising slanted structural elements, usually called "struts", that determine the slope of the related pitches composing the covering: therefore, in order to define the above slanting and make the related truss, in the abutment end on the related supporting pillar and in the opposite connecting end along the ridge line, each strut must be suitably cut and shaped in order to have a suitably slanted interface surface, depending, obviously, on the slope that has to be assigned to the related pitch: therefore, currently, every single strut must be accurately worked and shaped, using great amounts of time and resources that result in increases in times and costs for making a covering through the above technique .

Moreover, above all for making coverings with a single pitch or porches, currently static systems are used, that provide for the design definition of the slope of such pitch and the in situ building of the related carrier structure, that obviously requires an ad hoc manufacturing of individual structural elements, again implying relatively high building times and costs.

Document GB-A-2406588 discloses a structural joint according to the preamble of Claim 1.

Therefore, object of the present invention is solving the above prior art problems, by providing an adjustable structural joint for building, and particularly for building the carrier structure of roofs, sheds, porches or coverings in general, that quickly, practically and cheaply allows laying carrier struts for the above structures, and that allows making any pitch slanting without requiring any cutting operation with specific slants of the interface surfaces for the struts themselves.

Another object of the present invention is providing a building system, and particularly a system for building the carrier structure of roofs, sheds, porches or coverings in general, comprising at least one adjustable structural joint that allows easily and cheaply making the above covering carrier structures.

Moreover, an object of the present invention is providing a building system, and particularly a system for building the carrier structure of roofs, sheds, porches or coverings in general, comprising at least one ridge connecting element radially equipped with a plurality of adjustable structural joints that allows easily and cheaply making the above covering carrier structures.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will result from the following description, are obtained with an adjustable structural joint for building as claimed in claim 1.

Moreover, the above and other objects and advantages of the invention are obtained with a building system comprising such adjustable structural joint as claimed in claim 8.

Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

It will be immediately obvious that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes, arrangements and parts with equivalent functionality) can be made to what is described, without departing from the scope of the invention, as appears from the enclosed claims.

The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, provided as a non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the adjustable structural joint according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the adjustable structural joint of Figure 1 as assembled;

- Figure 3 shows a top perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the joint according to the present invention in a possible structural configuration thereof;

Figure 4 shows a front view of the structural configuration of Figure 3;

Figure 5 shows an enlarged side view of the joint according to the present invention used in the structural configuration of Figures 3 and 4;

Figure 6 shows a front perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the joint according to the present invention in another possible structural configuration thereof;

Figure 7 shows an enlarged side view of the joint according to the present invention used in the structural configuration of Figure 8;

Figure 8 shows an enlarged front view of the joint of Figure7;

Figure 9 shows a side perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the joint according to the present invention in a further possible structural configuration;

Figure 10 shows a front view of the structural configuration of Figure 9;

Figure 11 shows an enlarged side view of the joint according to the present invention used in the structural configuration of Figures 9 and 10;

Figure 12 shows a top perspective view of a ridge connecting element of the building system according to the present invention and equipped with the joint according to the present invention in another possible structural configuration;

Figure 13 shows a front view of the structural configuration of Figure 12; and

Figure 14 shows a plan view of the structural configuration of Figure 12.

With particular reference to Figures 1 and 2, it is possible to note that the adjustable structural joint 1 according to the present invention is composed of a first joint half-body 3a and a second joint half-body 3b, each one of such half-bodies 3a, 3b being composed of at least one respective first and second articulated joint portion 5a, 5b, each one of which is integral with at least one respective first and second connecting portion 7a, 7b. Advantageously, such articulated joint portions 5a, 5b are mutually connected by interposing fastening means having substantially a first operating position, in which they allow a relative rotation around a common rotation axis R-R between such first joint half-body 3a and such second joint half-body 3b and vice versa, and a second operating position in which they block the above relative rotation.

Therefore, when the first fastening means are in their first operating position, it is possible to mutually rotate the articulated joint portions 5a, 5b around the common rotation axis R-R, in order to take the half-bodies 3a, 3b in such relative positions as to subtend any desired angle a. Then, once having reached such angle a, by taking the fastening means to their second operating position, the half-bodies 3a, 3b stably keep such set angle a. In order to increase the locking stability of the half-bodies 3a, 3b subtending such angle oc, each articulated joint portion 5a, 5b is equipped with at least one respective, mutually facing and cooperating interface surface 8a, 8b, at least one di such interface surfaces 8a, 8b being equipped with friction means: particularly, such friction means can be made as at least one layer of a material with high friction coefficient: in such case, advantageously, the value of the above angle a can be defined in a practically continuous way. Alternatively, as shown for example in the Figures, such friction means can be made as at least one knurling or a "thousand-line" profile: in such case, obviously, the value of the above angle a can be discretely defined depending on the width of such knurlings.

In order to allow a more accurate and immediate relative positioning of the half-bodies 3a, 3b in order to subtend such angle a, such articulated joint portions 5a, 5b can be equipped with displaying means (not shown) of the value of the angle a subtended between the half-bodies 3a, 3b: preferably, such displaying means comprise at least one graded angular measuring scale arranged on the perimeter and radially on at least one of such articulated joint portions 5a or 5b and at least one reference notch, consequently arranged on the other articulated joint portion 5b or 5a, such reference notch being adapted to point out, on such graded angular measuring scale, the value, in the preferred and chosen measuring unit (for example, sexagesimal, centesimal degrees or radiants) the value of such angle a.

Preferably, such fastening means comprise at least one rotation pin 9 coaxial with the rotation axis R-R and, still more preferably, such rotation pin 9 is a screw with related nut 11 in order to make a bolt adapted to close as a package such articulated joint portions 5a, 5b: in such example of embodiment, the first operating position of the fastening means is defined by slackening the nut 11 till the relative rotation of the half-bodies 3a, 3b is allowed around the rotation axis R-R: once having reached the angle a, the fastening means are taken to their second operating position by tightening the nut 11, this making, by cooperating with the screw, the articulated joint portions 5a, 5b close as a package and keeping the set angle a between the half-bodies 3a, 3b.

As stated, preferably, the joint 1 according to the present invention is particularly aimed for building carrier structures of roofs, sheds, porches or coverings in general. Merely as an example, Figures 3 to 5 show the joint 1 according to the present invention used for building the carrier structure of a roof with pitches: in such structure, the joint 1 is then interposed between a pillar 13 and a strut 15: in order therefore to allow the connection of the joint 1 to the head of the pillar 13, the first connecting portion 7a of the joint 1 itself is equipped with at least one first connection seat 17a to such head of such pillar 13. In addition, the first connecting portion 7a could be equipped, on at least one of its sides, with at least one supporting seat 19a of at least one terminal portion of a beam 21.

Similarly, to allow connecting the joint 1 to the terminal portion of the strut 15, the second connecting portion 7b of the joint 1 itself is equipped with at least one second connection seat 17b to such terminal portion of such strut 15.

The joint 1 according to the present invention can therefore, before being connected to the pillar 13 and to the strut 15, be taken to subtend the desired angle a, such angle a being defined depending oft the slant that has to be conferred to the roof pitch: in the example case shown in the Figures in which the pillar 13 is substantially vertical, the value of the slanting angle of the roof pitch, consequently, is substantially equal to the angle a. The joint 1 according to the present invention therefore advantageously allows making coverings with any pitch slant, simply by adequately adjusting the angle a subtended between the half-bodies 3a, 3b composing the joint 1 itself and at the same time removing any cutting working for the strut and/or the pillar suitable for defining such slant, as instead provided in prior art building systems.

Always merely as an example, Figures 6 to 8 show the joint 1 according to the present invention used for building the carrier structure of a shed with a single pitch: in such structure, the joint 1 is then interposed between a wall 23 and a supporting beam 25 of the covering mantle 27 of the shed: in order therefore to allow connecting the joint 1 to the wall 23, the first connecting portion 7a of the joint 1 itself is equipped with at least one fastening plate 29, suitably drilled in order to allow the passage of fastening screws or small blocks 31 that grip such wall 23. The second connecting portion 7b is instead again equipped with the second connection seat 17b to allow connecting the joint 1 to the terminal portion of the supporting beam 25. Also in this case, therefore, the adjustment of the joint 1 in order to subtend an angle (X quickly, practically and cheaply allows giving the desired slanting to the shed, without requiring any specific cutting working on the beam 25.

Figures 9 to 11 instead show a further preferred embodiment of the joint 1 according to the present invention, in which this latter one further comprises at least one small fastening pole 33, of a substantially known type in the art and with a preferably telescopic operation, having a first end 33a thereof equipped with at least one connection point 35 of a "life-line" of a worker (not shown) and a second end 33b thereof connected to such joint 1. Preferably, the second end 33b is connected to the joint 1 by interposing at least one hinge-type kinematism 37 adapted to allow a rotation of such small pole 33 around the rotation axis R-R of the joint 1 itself: in such a way, whichever the positioning of the joint 1, it is possible to- adjust the small pole 33 so that it always keeps a substantially vertical position.

Obviously, the joint 1 according to the present invention can be configured as desired, by connecting, to the one 7a or the other 7b connecting portion, the connection seat 17a, 17b and/or the supporting seat 19a and/or the fastening plate 29, and/or the small pole 33, in various ways and depending on specific building needs, without therefore being limited to the shown examples and without departing from the scope of the present invention .

The present invention further refers to a building system, and particularly a system for building the carrier structure of roofs, sheds, porches or coverings in general, comprising at least one joint 1 as previously described: obviously, the number and type of joints 1 used in such system substantially depend on the type, sizes and features of the structure that has to be built.

Advantageously, and with particular reference to Figures 12 to 14, it is possible to note that the building system according to the present invention further comprises at least one ridge connecting element 39 composed of at least one supporting structure 41 and radially equipped with a plurality of joints 1 according to the present invention, each one of such joints 1 preferably having its respective second connecting portion 7b equipped with a related second connection seat 17b of a corresponding terminal portion of a strut 15. Advantageously, it is possible to note how, in such ridge connecting element 39, each joint 1 is adjustable independently from the others, allowing numerous slanting configurations of the carrier structure made thereby. Moreover, preferably, such supporting structure 41 is equipped with at least one small fastening pole 33 as previously described .

From what has been described above, it is clear that the use of the joint 1 according to the present invention and of the building system according to the present invention, in addition to being aimed for making the above structures in the building field, can also be employed, obviously by using appropriate sizes and materials, in the game field, in order to make, for example, modular elements for buildings for game purposes.