Technical field

This invention relates to a fixing and sealing plug.

In the construction sector, fastening many types of installations to supporting structures, whether inside or outside buildings, is particularly critical when it must be done in damp and wet environments and every time a waterproofing layer, such as, for example, a bituminous membrane must be pierced.

By way of example, one may consider the installation of railings and the like on balconies and terraces, constantly exposed to the weather, or fixing benches on public ground or to the floors of saunas and gyms, or even the many fixed accessories located in kitchens, public or private bathrooms, or in launderettes.

In all of these situations, the risk of water penetrating at the holes made for inserting fixing structures is very high, since in any case there could be some play at the time the hole is made.

Background art

The prior art solutions for overcoming this problem are based on the use of plugs with sealing compounds, such as, for example, silicone; or are even based on going over the fixing with membranes or liquid insulators. However, both of these solutions are unsatisfactory: the first because the mechanical features of these products deteriorate over time and in any case do not guarantee complete sealing against water and damp; the second because, first of all it does not guarantee the result and, secondly, it is a temporary solution which requires regular touching up, as well as being a very long and expensive operation.

The last decade has also seen the spread of use of screws for concrete, particularly useful for good performance and for rapid installation, since after having made the hole they are screwed directly into the concrete. However, even this type of fixing does not prevent water from penetrating the hole, even due to a thread helix pitch greater than for traditional screws, causing functional and aesthetic deterioration of the fixing system.

In short, it is very often the case that water and damp penetrating holes made for fastening installations cause moulds and structural damage in the supporting structures, swelling or peeling of surface coatings both on the inside and the outside of buildings.

Disclosure of the invention

The aim of this invention is therefore to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages.

The invention, as characterised in the claims, achieves the aim by saturating the hole for the insertion of fixings with sealing material.

The main advantage of this invention is basically the fact that there is no space available for water and damp to penetrate the supporting structure, therefore the risk of formation of moulds and structural damage is avoided.

Moreover, this type of operation is very rapid and practical, with low costs and with guaranteed results.

Finally, the invention guarantees both fixing and sealing along its entire length, even regardless of knowledge of the depth to which sealing is necessary.

Brief description of the drawings

Further advantages and features of the invention will be more apparent in the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show an example, non-limiting embodiment, in which: - Figure 1 illustrates the invention according to a top plan view (Fig. la) and a side view (Fig. lb) in a condition of use;

- Figure 2 illustrates the sealing method according to a sequence of side views;

- Figure 3 illustrates the invention according to a cross-section view in a condition of use;

- Figure 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention according to a side view in cross-section;

- Figure 5 illustrates an embodiment of the invention with more accessories according to a side view.

Preferred embodiments of the invention

As seen in the figures, the invention relates to a fixing and sealing plug, comprising a shank 1 to be inserted into a hole F made in a supporting structure S. The plug 10 comprises at least one channel 21 made inside it, located between an inlet 21a made on a portion 2 of the plug 10 accessible from the outside and an outlet 21b made on the shank 1, in such a way as to allow the passage of a sealing compound C.

In order to make distribution of the sealing compound C more effective, it is preferable that the plug 10, as shown in the figures, comprises a plurality of channels 21 located between the inlet 21a and a plurality of outlets 21b made on the shank 1.

The plug 10 may also comprise a safety hole 21c made on the portion 2 of the plug 10 accessible from the outside, in such a way as to verify the saturation of the hole F. To facilitate that verification, as shown in Figure 5, it is possible to use a cap 3, preferably made of plastic material, shown both in plan view and in profile, whose ejection from the safety hole 21c constitutes confirmation that the channels 21 and the hole F are completely filled with sealing compound C.

In a preferred embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the portion 2 of the plug 10 accessible from the outside constitutes a head 2’ outside the supporting structure S, whilst the shank 1 is provided with a thread la with a helix pitch lb wide enough to allow the outlets 21b made on the shank 1 not to interfere with the thread la: indeed, in this way the plug 10 fulfils both the static fixing function and the sealing function along its entire length, even if the hole F crosses a sealing barrier B and the depth at which it is located is unknown.

Irrespective of the shape of the outlets 21b, to achieve that it is sufficient for the thread helix pitch lb to be greater than the maximum dimension of the outlets 21b.

However, in an alternative embodiment shown in Figure 4, the plug 10 could not have an actual head: in this case, the portion 2 of the plug 10 accessible from the outside is simply the upper part of the shank 1 and the plug 10 may only fulfil the sealing function.

Figure 2 shows the fixing plug 10 sealing method: first the hole F is made, which is then blown and cleaned, then the plug 10 is inserted followed by injection of the sealing compound C through an inlet 21a into the channels 21 made inside the shank 1 of the plug 10; the sealing compound C fills the plug 10, and, having come out of the channels 21 through the outlets 21b, fills the hollow space between the hole F and the plug 10 signalling its saturation by coming out of the safety hole 21c, or by expelling the cap 3 shown in Figure 5, if present.

Using one- or two-component resins as the sealing compound C, it is also possible to improve the static and sealing performance of the fixing.