This invention generically relates to a system for locking and adjusting glass panels or sheets for making balustrades, parapets, railings or other fencing elements.

More specifically, the invention relates to a system for locking and adjusting flat glass panels or sheets, which improves and facilitates the alignment of the sheets, which are then placed side by side to create a fencing structure. In addition, the system advantageously allows the panels or sheets to be adjusted by working solely from the inside of the parapet.

For the structural connection of glass panels or sheets to building structures, such as reinforced concrete slabs or floors requiring protective parapets, it is still common practice to use metal profiles (steel or aluminium), which are anchored to the building structure and which, in turn, hold the panels at an edge by means of fasteners, such as bolts or screws, which engage in through-holes made in the profile.

Locking solutions are also known which comprise a gripping system formed by means of wedges, made of elastic and/or compliant material, which are inserted inside the metal profile.

However, whilst, on the one hand, the drilling involves work phases which have a negative impact on the production and installation costs, on the other hand, the gripping systems made using wedges are not very reliable, as the contact point between the glass sheet and the locking wedge is reduced to a minimum, because the flatness of the glass and of the wedge are offset, thus losing the retaining force of the locking and the perpendicularity of the sheet, especially at the upper end, which is relatively distant from the portion of glass on which the locking means are applied.

In addition, it should also be taken into account that, although the glass sheets are being requested in increasingly large sizes, it is desired that the metal support profiles are ever smaller and are as least invasive as possible, in order not to negatively impact on the aesthetic continuity of the installations. This requirement, on the other hand, results in reduced reliability of the locking system and, in particular, limits the possibility of adjusting the inclination of the sheets installed and maintaining the desired alignment over time.

The aim of the invention is therefore to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and, in particular, to make a system for locking and adjusting glass panels or sheets of a parapet, which is adaptable to the inclination angle of the two faces of the panel or sheet, in order to effectively, easily, simply and quickly adjust the inclination of the sheet with respect to the respective fixing profile and the alignment of the sheets with each other. Another aim of the invention is to make a system for locking and adjusting glass panels or sheets of a parapet which guarantees a total adherence at the locking means of the sheet and therefore a secure locking of each sheet. A further aim of the invention is to make a system for locking and adjusting glass panels or sheets of a parapet which allows the alignment of the sheets to be adjusted easily and quickly, thus preserving the aesthetic continuity of installations made with several glass sheets placed side by side.

These and other aims are achieved by a system for locking and adjusting glass panels or sheets of a parapet, according to the accompanying claim 1 , whilst other detailed technical features of the locking and adjusting system, according to the invention, are disclosed in the following dependent claims.

Advantageously, the system for locking and adjusting glass panels or sheets, according to the invention, is designed to perform a total, safe and highly aesthetic locking; in fact, it is possible to adjust the glass sheets operating only from the inside of the parapet, thus improving and facilitating their alignment.

Moreover, the system maintains the stylistic lines of the structure of balustrades, railings and fencing elements in general, while also innovating the mechanical and functional characteristics, which facilitate the installer's installation operations and increase the performance levels in terms of resistance.

Lastly, the locking and adjusting system according to the invention has passed the tests required by the strictest regulations.

Further aims and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the following description of preferred embodiments of the locking and adjusting system, according to the invention, as well as from the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the system for locking and adjusting the glass panels or sheets of a parapet, according to the invention;

- Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main components of the locking and adjusting system shown in Figure 1 ;

- Figures 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, 3F, 3G, 3H, 3I, 3L, 3M, 3N show a series of views representing the assembly steps of the locking and adjusting system of Figure 1 ;

- Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the system for locking and adjusting the glass panels or sheets of a parapet, according to the invention;

- Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the main components of the locking and adjusting system shown in Figure 4;

- Figures 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, 6F, 6G, 6H, 6I, 6L, 6M show a series of views representing the assembly steps of the locking and adjusting system of Figure 4;

- Figure 7 shows a perspective and cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of the system for locking and adjusting the glass panels or sheets of a parapet, according to the invention;

- Figure 8A is a cross-sectional view of the locking and adjusting system shown in Figure 7, in a first assembly step;

- Figure 8B is a cross-sectional view of the locking and adjusting system shown in Figure 7, after completion of the assembly;

- Figures 9A, 9B, 9C, 9D show a series of cross-sectional views of various example applications of the system for locking and adjusting glass panels or sheets of a parapet, according to the invention.

With reference to the above-mentioned drawings, the locking and adjusting system, according to the invention, comprises an U-shaped extruded profile 10, which is fixed below or at the side, by means of fixing means 11 , to a reference surface 15, such as a slab, a wall and/or a floor, and which is designed for housing one or more glass panels or sheets 12, for making balustrades, parapets, railings and fencing structures in general.

According to a first embodiment, shown in Figures 1 , 2, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, 3F, 3G, 3H, 3I, 3L, 3M, 3N, the extruded profile 10 is anchored to the ground or to a floor whilst in other embodiments, shown in Figures 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, 6F, 6G, 6H, 6I, 6L, the profile 10 is anchored to a wall. Advantageously, the extruded profile 10 is provided with an internal seal 14, preferably L-shaped and designed for resting on a bottom 18 of the profile 10 and on at least one of the sides of the sheet 12.

The seal 14 is preferably made of elastic and/or compliant material, whilst the shaped extruded profile 10 is preferably made of steel and/or aluminium. Also according to the invention, a series of plates 24 and respective shaped wedges 16, also preferably made of elastic and/or compliant material, which have corresponding adjusting screws 17, are supported on the sheet 12.

In particular, the adjusting screws 17 are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the bottom 18 on which the sheet 12 rests and are passed through the respective wedges 16, so that they can be operated to adjust the pressure on the sheet 12.

Thus, the seal 13 keeps the sheet 12 in a vertical position, whilst the presence of the wedges 16 allows an easy and precise adjustment of the inclination of the sheet 12 with respect to a vertical axis of the extruded profile 10.

Figures 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, 3F, 3G, 3H, 3I, 3L, 3M, 3N show in detail the assembly procedure of the locking and adjusting system of the glass sheet 12, according to the invention, with the parapet anchored to the floor.

In such a case, after having fixed the extruded profile 10 on the surface 15 (the floor) by means of specific tools 19 and after having mounted the plates 24 inside the extruded profile 10, an external side cover 20, substantially L- shaped and equipped with relative seal 21 , is applied on the side of the extruded profile 10 placed externally and then the sheet 12 is inserted inside the profile 10, between the seal 14 and the plates 24. In order to align and adjust the position between the sheets 12, wedges 16 are then inserted between the inner wall of the profile 10 and the sheet 12 in predetermined positions.

In this way, by turning the screws 17 of the wedges 16 by means of the appropriate tool 19, a displacement in vertical direction of the respective wedge 16 is determined, the diagonal wall of which is thus forced to slide on the sheet 12, so that the inclination of the sheet 12 can be precisely and easily adjusted.

In fact, the adjustment of the wedges 16 determines a horizontal thrust or force, that is to say, in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the sheet 12, which achieves a controlled and efficient locking of the sheet 12, considering that the point of application of this force is relatively distant from the fulcrum (bottom 18 or lower base) of movement of the sheet 12.

The visible surface of the wedges 16 can be advantageously concealed, for aesthetic and/or safety reasons, by means of an internal covering element 25, which is also provided with a corresponding seal 26 and substantially L- shaped and placed above the profile 10.

Equally advantageously, an end cap 22 is used to cover the side ends of the profile 10.

In this way, it is possible to adjust the position of the sheets 12 working only from the inside of the parapet; this facilitates the installer's installation operations and increases the performance of the system in terms of resistance.

Similarly, Figures 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, 6F, 6G, 6H, 6I, 6L, 6M show in detail the assembly procedure of the locking and adjusting system of the glass sheet 12, according to the invention, with the parapet anchored to a wall.

In this case, after having fixed the extruded profile 10 on the surface 15 (the wall) using specific tools 19 and the external side covering element 23 with relative seal 26 and after having mounted the plates 24 inside the extruded profile 10, the sheet 12 is inserted inside the profile 10, close to the seal 14 and the plates 24.

In order to align and adjust the position between the sheets 12, wedges 16 are then inserted between the inner wall of the profile 10 and the sheet 12 in predetermined positions.

In this way, by turning the screws 17 of the wedges 16 by means of the appropriate tool 19, a displacement in vertical direction of the respective wedge 16 is determined, the diagonal wall of which is thus forced to slide on the sheet 12, so that the inclination of the sheet 12 can be precisely and easily adjusted.

In fact, the adjustment of the wedges 16 determines a horizontal thrust or force, that is to say, in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the sheet 12, which achieves a controlled and efficient locking of the sheet 12, considering that the point of application of this force is relatively distant from the fulcrum (bottom 18 or lower base) of movement of the sheet 12.

The visible surface of the wedges 16 can be advantageously concealed, for aesthetic and/or safety reasons, by means of an upper internal covering element 27, which is also provided with a corresponding seal 21 and substantially L-shaped and placed above the profile 10.

Equally advantageously, an end cap 22 is used to cover the side ends of the profile 10.

In this way, it is possible to adjust the position of the sheets 12 working only from the inside of the parapet; this facilitates the installer's installation operations and increases the performance of the system in terms of resistance.

Also advantageously, according to a further embodiment shown in detail in Figures 7, 8A and 8B, the locking and adjusting system according to the invention has a tie rod, placed above the shaped profile 10 and comprising a bracket 28, which bears a spacer and damper 29 of the sheet 12 and a locking device with relative pin 30 and fixing Allen key 31 .

The use of the tie rod is particularly advantageous with large thicknesses of the glass sheet(s) 12 used in the locking system according to the invention and especially for laminations of glass sheet(s) 12 with a thickness of 8 + 8 mm or more.

The tie rod allows a significant reduction (approximately 20-25% compared to applications without a tie rod) in the bending of the sheet(s) 12 which can be recorded at the top of the sheet(s); it is also very useful in applications where the sheet(s) 12 measure more than 1 ,200 mm in height.

Figures 9A, 9B, 9C and 9D show a series of example applications of the locking and adjusting system according to the invention fixed to a floor or wall.

In particular, Figure 9A shows a locking and adjusting system mounted flush with the floor 37 and equipped with the shaped profile 10, inside of which is inserted at least one glass sheet 12, and the inner 20 and outer 25, 35 covering elements; the floor 37 is resting on a sloping screed 32 and on an insulation layer 33, which, in turn, rests on a waterproof membrane 34. Figure 9B shows a locking and adjusting system mounted on a floating floor 44 and equipped with the shaped profile 10, inside of which is inserted at least one glass sheet 12, the inner covering element 20 and the outer covering element 25; the profile 10 is advantageously equipped with a water drain 41 and a possible epoxy resin membrane 42 for closing possible infiltrations, whilst the floor 44 rests on an insulation layer 45, on a waterproof membrane 46 and on a sloping screed 47. The flashings 43, 48 are present on the external part.

Figure 9C shows a locking and adjusting system mounted on the wall and supported, by means of an external waterproof panel 51 ( aquapanel ), on a floor 53, which rests on a screed 54 and on an insulation layer 55; the locking and adjusting system is equipped with the shaped profile 10, inside of which is inserted at least one glass sheet 12, the internal covering element 27 with flashing 52 and the external covering element 23 with folding sheet 58.

Figure 9D shows a wall-mounted locking and adjusting system placed flush with a floor 62, which rests on a screed 63 and on an insulation layer 64; the locking and adjusting system is equipped with the shaped profile 10, inside of which is inserted at least one glass sheet 12, the inner covering element 27 and the outer covering element 23 with flashing 61 . The profile 10 is supported flush with the floor 62 by a bracket 67.

The description thus clearly shows the features of the system for locking and adjusting the glass panels or sheets of a parapet, according to the invention, as well as the advantages, both operational and functional. In particular, this system improves and facilitates the alignment of the glass sheets, as it is possible to adjust the glass sheets by working only from the inside of the parapet.

Moreover, the system passes the tests required by the most stringent standards in terms of resistance.

Lastly, it is clear that numerous other variants might be made to the locking and adjusting in question, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention as described in the accompanying claims.