The present inveniofi relates to a structural member used in architectural structures lor creating temporary .spaces., especially m temporary structures such as exhibition stands,

According to specific needs, panels manufactured from transparent, translucent and opaque materials am used in buildings to divide spaces, on walls and ceilings and In structures such as exhibition stands and space frame systems, in various state of tie art embodiments, due to being composed of several parte and requiring precise workmanship, the structural members whereon tie connection members are mounted do not provide a practical solution and cause various problems in applications such as exhibition stands wherein mounting and dismounting processes are required to be performed regularly. Temporary space applications require quick and safe installations.

In the state of the art, the structural members are composed of connection members, sup ports that connect connection members and panels that are mounted onto the supports. Many embodiments are known that enable toe panels to be easily mounted and dismounted.

In the state of the art German Patent Application No, DE195G9397, the panel is connected to the slot on the support by means of an additional connection member provided on the panel

Another stole of the art embodiment is disclosed in the European Patent Application No. EP461591. In tote document, the panels are mounted onto the slide on the support. Another stole of the art embodiment is disclosed in detail in United Slates Patent Application No, 082002/8189191 _* In this document, slides are provided on the supports that connect the connection members to each other,

The aim of the present invention is the realization of a structural member wherein: the panels are enabled to be easily mounted onto and dismounted from the support, The structural member realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises a profile- that is feed onto the support and onto which the panel is mounted. The profile is a separate intermediary part that is independent of the support and the panel, Therefore, the profile is fixed onto the support and the panels are easily mounted onto the profile.

The profile comprises connection channels that enable the panels to be mounted thereon,. The connection channels are configured so as to enable the edge of the panel to be inserted therein,

The profile comprises the connection channel and the mounting channel that is positioned behind! the connection channel in a direction opposite to the direction of the connection channel and that is shaped in a manner to be fitted into the channel on the support. The mounting channel partially encloses the support channel while the support channel is fitted into the mounting channel.

The profile and the support can be fixed to each other by means of any fixing means while in the preferred embodiment of the invention, a fixing member that is explained in detail below is used. After the fixing member is mounted onto the profile, the profile can be easily mounted onto and dismounted from the desired support: and can be used: several times, in the embodiment of the present invention, the fixing member enables the user to attach the profile onto the support in an easily detachable manner without the need for using an additional tool. Thus, the structural member can be quickly and easily mounted and dismounted. Quick and easy mounting and dismounting of the structural member Is one of the most important criteria taken into consideration while designing structural members. Furthermore, by means of the present invention, the structural member hi enabled to be safely instated and dismounted.

Moreover, by means of the present invention, the channels In the state of the art that are designed for mounting with bolts are converted into the channels of the present invention, wherein corded fabrics can be inserted, allowing die use of this type of panels. Fabric panels cannot be mounted to tiie bolted mounting channels without the profile. By means of the fixing member, the profile is fixed onto the support without using a tod.

The fixing member has a first position wherein the fixing member is enabled to be easily engaged with and detached from the support channel and a second position wherein the fixing member, and thus the profile, is enabled to be fixed onto the support and the fixing member is locked by preventing the profile from detaching from the sipped channel. Thus, the profile Is enabled to be attached to and detached from the support by controlling only the fixing member.

By means of the present invention, light economic and easy-to-cany and Install panels manufactured from fabric that allow the creation of very large continuous surfaces and printing of images on the surfaces thereof are enabled to be easily, quickly and safely mounted and dismounted, providing 5Hi alternative to the rigid surface panels that are heavy, expensive and hard to carry and install and that are used In exhibition and space divider The profiles can be mounted onto the support in any position. Thus, the panels can be used as a wall, a ceiling, an exhibition surface or a space divider surface. The profiles may have milled details so as to match several components of the support whereto the profiles are attached. The profiles facilitate the instalation of the structural member since the dimensions thereof match the dimensions of the support whereto the profiles are attached. A structural member realized In order to attain the aim of the present Invention Is iSustrated j _n toe attadhed figures, where:

Figure 1 - is the general view of a structural member.

Figure 2 - is the exploded view of the structural member,

Figure 3 - shows the profile, the flbdng member and the pin _>

Figure 4 - shows toe pin.

Figure 5 _* shows the fixing member with the pin attached thereto.

Figure $ ~ shows the profile and the fixing member before the support is fitted No the channel.

Figure 7 - is the view of toe profile when fitted No the support channel and wherein the fixing member is free.

Figure 8 - Is the view of the profile when fitted into the support channel and wherein the fixing member is locked.

Figure 9 - is the view of the profile when fixed to the support channel Figure 10 - is the sectional view of a support and a profile and two panels that are fixed into toe support channel ,

Figure 11 - Is toe sectional view of the support and the profiles that are fixed to the support channel and the three panels attached to the profitee in different directions,

The elements in the figures are numbered as follows: 1. Structural member

2. Connection member

3. Support

4. Support channel

5, Parrel

6. Profile

7. Connection channel

8. Mourning channel

9. Fixing member

10. Slot

H.Pin

12, Fastening member

13, Fastening member hole

14, Cavity

15. Fixing member hole

18. Head

17. Shaft

18. Stopper

The structural member (1) of the present invention comprises one or mom connection members (2), one or mote supports (3) connecting the connection members (2) to each other and

« at least one support charnel (4) provided on the support (3), and « a profile (6) that is detachably fixed to the support channel (4) and whereon the panel (5) Is mounted

Figure 1, Figure 2).

The connection members (2) are connected to each other by means of the supports (3). The profile (6) « fixed to the support channel (4) provided on each support (3) and the panels (5) are attached onto the profiles (6), The profiles (6) can be attached onto the support channel (4) by means of any fixing member such as bo#, etc. (Figure 10 and Figure 1 f ). The structural member (1) comprises one or more connection channels (7) that extend along the profile (6) and a mounting channel (8) that is positioned behind the connection channel (7) and that has an aperture facing a direction opposite to that of the connection channel (7). The support channel (4) on the support (3) is inserted and seated into the said mounting channel (8). The connection channel (7) is configured with such a width and shape to allow the Insertion of the panel (5) therein te the preferred embodiment of the present invention, two side by side connection channels (7) are provided on a profile (8). The adjacent edges of both channels (7) are common.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the structural member (1) comprises at least one fixing member (9) that enables the profile (6) to be fixed to the support channel (4) on the support (3) and at least one slot (10) that is oppositely formed on the side walls of the profile (6) and that allows the fixing member (9) to be reached from outside.

In this embodiment of the present Invention, the fixing member (9) comprises a fastening member (12) and a pin (11) teat is fixed to tee fastening member (12), The fixing member (9) enables the profile (6) to be attached to or detached from the support (3) by the user without using a tool. Thus, tee profile (8) can be Installed and detached In a quick, easy and safe manner (Figure 3, Figure 4, Figure 5).

The fastening member (12) is preferably circular and has a knurled edge that enables the user to move tee same easily with the edges thereof protruding from the slot (10), Thus, the fastening member (12) can be easily rotated manually by the user around the axis whereto the same is fixed. The fastening member (12) comprises a fastening member hole (13) at the center thereof, wherein tee pin (11) to inserted «id borne and two radially asymmetrical cavities (14) around the said hole (13). The said two cavities (14) surrounding the fastening member hole (13) enable the fastening member (12) to stretch during the movement of the pin (11) and the pin (11) to move more smoothly.

The pin (11) comprises a heart (18), a shaft (17) extending from the head (16) and a stopper (18) that is formed at the end of the shaft (17), The shaft

(17) is in the form of a holt that has threads on the wall thereof. The inner surface of the fastening member hole (13) comprises threads that match the said shape of the shaft: (17). The structural member (1 ) comprises the head (18) that has a first position wherein the fixing member (9) together with the profit© (8) fte tetter Is connected to is freely engaged with and disengaged from the support channel (4) and a second position wherein the fixing member (8) is enabled to lock the profit© (6) onto the support (3),

In an embodiment of the present invention, the head (16) has a mufti lateral form fiat comprises at least one short side that is shorter than the width of the support channel (4) _t enabling the head (16) to be inserted into and removed from the support channel (4) and at least one long side that is longer than the width of the support channel (4), For example, the head (16) is in a triangular or a rectangular form. in the preferred embodiment of the present invention* the head (16) has In form of a parallelogram,

In an embodiment of the present invention, the head (16) is elliptical Duo to the elliptical form, the head (16) has two axes, one being shorter and the other being longer, The said structure of the head (16) enables the head (16) to have the said first and the second positions. When the fastening member (12) is rotated, the head (18) totaling with the pin (11) moves to the first position wherein the longer axis of the head (18) coincides with the axis of the support channel (4) and wherein the head (16) can be freely inserted into the support channel (4) In this position, the profile 0) can toe easily mounted onto the support (3), When toe fastening member (12) is rotated again, tie longer axis of the head (16) moves to an angular position wifi: respect to toe axis of the support channel (4), and toe head (16) pushes the support channel (4) walls towards the mounting channel (8) in toe support channel (4) and moves to the second position wherein the support channel (4) is compressed between the head (16) and the mounting channel (8), thus enabling toe profile (6) to be locked and fixed onto the support (3) In an embodiment of the present invention, the shaft (17) has a two-step configu ration in the first step, toe threads continue circumferentially on the surface of the shaft (17) white the two opposite surfaces of toe second step are flat with threads provided between the said flat surfaces, In an embodiment of toe present invention:, the structural member (1) comprises a filing member hole (IS) that m formed on toe profile 0), between the connection channel (?) and toe mounting channel (8) and that overlaps with toe fastening member hole (13) when the fastening member (12) Is fitted into the profile (6), wherein toe pin (11) passes through the fixing member hole (15), The fixing member (9) is borne inside the fixing member hole (15) end rotates around the axis that passes through the center of the fixing member hole (15),

The fastening member (f) Is mounted onto toe profile (6) as follows: First, the fastening member (12) is inserted into toe si ots ( 10} so that the fastening member hole (13) and the fixing member hoi© (15) overlap. When toe fastening member (12) is fitted m piece, toe fastening member hole (13) and toe fixing member hole (15) bored on the profile (8) to enable the insertion of the p in (11) overlap and a portion of the fastening member (12) protrudes out of the opposite slots (10) arranged on both sides of the profile (6) so as to enable the user to manipulate the seme, in this case, the pin (11) is pushed upwards from toe mounting channel (8) formed under the profile (5) towards die connection channel (7). At the same time, the head (16) remains inside the mounting channel (8), and the stopper (18) provided at the end of the pin (11) stretches to passthrough the fixing member hole (15) and toe fastening member hole (13) and returns to the initial position so as to prevent the ph (11) from being released from toe fastening member (12) in toe opposite direction and to enable the pin (11) and the fastening member (12) to be fixed to toe profile (6). in this case, toe head (16) remains Inside the mounting channel (8) and the shaft (17) partsaiy remains inside toe connection channel (7) _* The fastening member (12) Is attached to toe profile (6) so as to freely rotate around toe pin (11) by means of toe shaft (17) passing through toe fastening member hale (13) at the center of toe fastening member (12) and the portions thereof protruding from toe slots m The profile (6) whereon the fixing member (9) is attached is mounted onto the support (3) as follows: The profile (6) ia placed onto too support (3) so that toe support channel (4) is coaxially fitted inside toe mounting channel (8). During this process, toe fastening member (12) is rotated by the user. With this relating process, the head (16) shifts to the first position (Figure 6) and toe head (16) is smoothly engaged with the support channel (4) (Figure

7). When toe fastening member (12) is rotated agate, the head (16) shifts to the second position and the head (16) bear* against the sides of the support channel (4) and pushes toe support channel (4) towards the walls of the mounting channel (8) so that the support channel (4) is filed into toe mounting channel (8) aid the profile (6) is locked on toe support (3) {Figure

8). ki this position, when the fastening member (12) Is continued to be rotated, the pin (11) does not rotate since the latter Is locked inside the support channel (4) but toe fastening member (12) continues to rotate around toe pin (11) whereto the tetter is borne. As a result of this movement, the fastening member (12) pulls the pin (11) and the head (16) towards toe profile (6) and presses the profile (6) towards the support (3). By means of the fastening member (8), the support channel (4) Is tightly «ted into the mounting channel (8) and the profile (6) is fixedly attached onto the support (3) (Figure 9). The profile (6) does not detach from the support (3) unless the fastening member (12) is rotated.. When the profile (8) is desired to be defedied from the support: (3), the fastening member (12) Is rotated in the opposite direction, in the case, the head (16) shifts to the first position, end the head (18) and hence the profile (6) can be easily detached from the support channel (4). Thus, the profile 18) can be attached to or detached from the support (3) only by the user rotating the fastening member (12). After lb® profile (8) Is attached to the support (3), the panels (5) are filed into the connection channels (7) arranged on the protile (6) and the mounting of the structural member (1) is completed. By means of the present invention the panels ($) are enabled to he mounted onto and dismounted from toe support: (3), thus providing that the structural member (1) Is Installed and detached In an easy, quick and safe manner. in an embodiment of the present Invention, the profile (6) is produced from aiymlmm in another embodiment of the present invention, the panel (5) is produced from fabric _. . The panel (5} comprises a cord that is sewn onto the edges thereof and that is preferably produced from plastic·, The said cord prevents the panel (S) from dislodging from the connection channel (7i The profiles (6) can be attached to any of the edges of the panels (5), Two neighboring panels (5) use one profile (6). in this case, one of the panels (5) m attached to a connection channel (T) on the profile (6) white the other panel (5) is attached to the adfscent connection: channel (7).

By means of the present Invention, in particular the panels (5) that are produced from fabric are enabled to be fixed by means of the profiles (8) onto the supports (3) connecting the connection members (2) to each other and to be detached easily and quickly. By means of tie f!kfng members {¾ the panels (5) am enabled to be mounted and dismounted without the need tor using a tool.