EP0077875B1 - Squash court with walls made of pressboard panels coated with plastics - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Squash court, consisting of one bottom plate and four walls, consisting of chip board plates with plastic covering distanced by supports, and of a space between the plates filled with sand, characterised in that the sand filling between the chip board plates (20, 22) is of fire dried quartz sand with a grain of 1 to 3 mm ; and that the prefabricated chip board plates (20,22) are layered with an undercoat of a low-solvent double component polyurethane system with flame resistant additives on the working side and a covering layer of a highly friction resistant resin lacquer system on a base of aqueous expoxy resin, applied at the place of construction.

Description

The invention relates to a squash court, consisting of a base plate and four walls, which consist of spaced plastic-coated chipboard by means of supports and a plate space which is filled with a sand filling.

The squash ball game is also becoming increasingly popular in Europe. The playing field consists of a rectangular courtyard with a length of 9.75 m and a width of 6.40 m. The base of the playing field is a wooden swing floor, preferably made of beech straps. The height of the playing field is 4.57 m on one of the two shorter end walls and 2.13 m on the other end wall opposite. The upper boundary of the playing field is marked by a 5 cm wide stripe, preferably a red stripe. This strip can be used in a hall that can be set up in a hall, and at the same time the upper boundary of the side walls. Such a courtyard must be set up in a roofed room, the height of which allows free play from the floor to the ceiling of 6 m. For an open-air yard, walls with an all-round height of at least 6 m are required.

The squash ball game is played in pairs with a ball that partially converts the impulse given to it into impact work when it strikes or strikes, so it is not fully elastic. This ball is alternately struck by either player on any of the four courtyard walls and must have touched the larger front wall between two successive strikes by the two players.

So far, it has been largely customary to pour the walls of squash courts in reinforced concrete. This was also considered to be absolutely necessary since it was previously thought that essentially only concrete walls are suitable for bouncing the ball in the manner suitable for the squash game, the surface of concrete also being suitable for the ball to give appropriate twist for the game. Squash courts with concrete walls, however, have the disadvantage that they need to be manufactured and, moreover, cannot be moved without being destroyed. In addition, the walls of squash courts must be completely flat and vertical, and must also run parallel to one another at precise intervals. The required dimensional accuracy only allows tolerances of up to 2 mm for the dimensions given above. Such dimensional accuracy is very difficult to achieve with great effort and with concrete walls. After all, it is also technically difficult to make these walls seamless. In particular, it is difficult to avoid the imprints of joint tapes that close the formwork joints or to remove them later.

From GB-A-14 29 635 a squash court is already known, consisting of a base plate and four walls, which consist of plates spaced apart by struts and a filling material located in the space between the plates, in which the walls are made of struts Mutually spaced asbestos cement plates exist, in which the space between the plates is filled up to a certain filling level: squash courts of this type also essentially have the disadvantages already mentioned above, which are generally associated with the use of concrete, the walls in particular not have sufficiently good and defined rebound properties. A disadvantage of this squash court is that the wall panels, made of asbestos elements, are kept at a distance by relatively solid beam construction, which means that optimal rebound properties of the walls cannot be achieved, since the rebound properties of the wall areas captured by the respective struts are elastically "dead".

To solve the task of creating a dimensionally accurate, easy-to-erect squash field with optimal rebound properties with relatively little effort, a squash field of the type mentioned is described in DE-A-27 31 484, in which the chipboard by means of I Profiles are held, the flange outer sides of which are firmly connected, preferably glued, to the inner sides of the chipboard. The I-profiles are preferably made of aluminum and can also bear the load of the roof structure.

The known squash field of the type described above has proven itself in principle, but it has been shown that with regard to the more precise adjustability of the rebound properties of the field walls and the exact adjustability and easy assembly thereof, overall with regard to the playing characteristics, such as reliable "disqualification" of "balls" etc., further improvements are desirable.

The invention is therefore based on the object of improving the generic squash field in such a way that overall optimized playing properties are achieved and in particular the rigidity and mountability of the field walls is made more favorable.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in a squash field of the generic type in that the sand filling arranged between the particle boards consists of fire-dried quartz sand with a grain size of 1-3 mm; and that the prefabricated chipboard with a first, factory-applied primer made of a low-solvent two-component polyurethane system with flame retardant additives and a top coating applied at the installation site from one highly abrasion-resistant paint resin system coated with an aqueous epoxy resin.

It has been found that fire-dried quartz sand of the claimed grain gives particularly favorable rebound properties. The coating of the particle board provided according to the invention, in conjunction with the claimed type of sand filling, ensures optimum playing properties.

Particularly preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

• Fig. 1 eine bei einem Squash-Spielfeld nach der Erfindung verwendete Hohlstütze mit Bodenplatte in der Draufsicht;
• Fig. 2 einen Schnitt entlang der Linie 11-11 von Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3 fünf aneinanderstoßende Wände zweier Squash-Spielfelder nach der Erfindung in der Draufsicht;
• Fig. 4 eine Seitenwand eines Squash-Spielfeldes in der Seitenansicht, teilweise geschnitten;
• Fig. 5 das Detail "A" von Fig. 4 im vertikalen Schnitt parallel zur Zeichenebene von Fig. 4, zugleich als Schnittdarstellung entsprechend.der Linie V-V von Fig.6, in Richtung der Pfeile gesehen;
• Fig. 6 eine Schnittdarstellung entlang der Linie VI-VI von Fig. 5, in Richtung der Pfeile gesehen;
• Fig. 7 das Detail "B" von Fig. 4 im vertikalen Schnitt parallel zur Zeichenebene von Fig. 4, zugleich als Schnittdarstellung entsprechend der Linie VII-VII von Fig. 8, in Richtung der Pfeile gesehen;
• Fig. 8 das Detail "B" von Fig. 4 bzw. 7 in der Draufsicht;
• Fig. 9 das Detail "C" von Fig. 4 im Schnitt parallel zur Zeichenebene von Fig. 4; und
• Fig. 10 das in Fig. 9 wiedergegebene Ausprofil eines Squash-Spielfeldes nach der Erfindung im Schnitt senkrecht zur Längserstreckung des Ausprofiles, wie in Fig. 9.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in detail below with reference to the drawing. It shows:

• Figure 1 is a hollow support with a base plate used in a squash court according to the invention in plan view.
• FIG. 2 shows a section along the line 11-11 of FIG. 1;
• Figure 3 shows five abutting walls of two squash courts according to the invention in plan view.
• 4 shows a side wall of a squash court in a side view, partially in section;
• Fig. 5 shows the detail "A" of Fig. 4 in vertical section parallel to the plane of Fig. 4, at the same time as a sectional view corresponding to the line VV of Fig. 6, seen in the direction of the arrows;
• Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of Figure 5, in the direction of the arrows.
• 7 shows the detail "B" from FIG. 4 in a vertical section parallel to the plane of FIG. 4, at the same time as a sectional view along the line VII-VII from FIG. 8, seen in the direction of the arrows;
• Fig. 8 shows the detail "B" of Figures 4 and 7 in plan view.
• FIG. 9 shows the detail "C" from FIG. 4 in a section parallel to the drawing plane from FIG. 4; and
• 10 shows the profile of a squash field according to the invention shown in FIG. 9 in section perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the profile, as in FIG. 9.

1 and 2 of the drawing, a hollow support 10 is shown, which is made of sheet steel and has a cross section of about 90 x 90 mm in the support area. The hollow support 10 has at its lower end a base plate 12 which is firmly connected to it, preferably welded to it, with dimensions of approx. 380 x 180 x 15 mm, which is provided with four screw holes 14, by means of which the base plate is doweled with the base can. Two threaded holes 16 are used to receive an adjusting screw 18 with a lock nut. Hollow supports of the type described in FIGS. 1 and 2 are preferably arranged in the third points of the 9.75.m long side wall of a squash field, optionally also in the game wall at various spaced-apart locations, and there firmly with the hollow supports 10 or loader U-profiles spaced plastic-coated chipboard 20, 22 connected, preferably glued, which makes it possible to align and stiffen the wall in question both horizontally and vertically without affecting the critical rebound properties of the wall in a negative way would.

Fig. 3 shows two abutting squash playing fields with playing areas 24 and 26. On the front side of the two playing areas 24, 26 there is a play wall, generally designated 28, while between the two play areas 24, 26 there is a perpendicular to the play wall 28 extending side wall 30 is located. The playing surface 26 shown at the top in FIG. 3 is delimited on its side facing away from the playing wall 28 by an input wall 32, while a glass wall 34 is located at the corresponding point on the playing surface 24. The game walls 28, the side wall 30 and the input wall 32 are each constructed in the manner known in principle from DE-OS 27 31 484 from particle boards 20, 22, which are made of aluminum or steel by U-profiles 36 serving as vertical wall closures, furthermore kept at a distance by vertical profiles, preferably I-profiles made of aluminum, which are arranged at a distance in the plate interspace 38 and are spaced apart. In the squash field according to the invention, the pressboard 20, 22 consist of highly compressed material with a comparatively large proportion of phenolic resin, the large-area pressboard forming the walls of the squash field being constructed from individual plates which are seamlessly bonded to one another on the spot. The pressboard 20, 22 are coated at the factory with a two-component polyurethane system with flame-retardant additives as a primer, which cause flame resistance. The coating system is a low-solvent coating system, with a double primer with the material available under the trade name Pefalon 115 Primer FH preferably being used as the coating at the factory. When the squash court is set up, abutting chipboards are then glued together seamlessly horizontally, but possibly also vertically, whereby the two-component material available under the trade name COMPAKTA PU adhesive VP 621-007, for example, can be used directly on the glue points when assembling. Due to the weight of the upper, to be put on and to be inserted chipboard, the adhesive is strongly pressed together during the horizontal bonding, whereby the excess material is pressed out laterally. After drying for about 1 to 2 days, the excess material is repelled, whereupon the surface is coated with a synthetic resin spatula, for example one under the trade name Metall-Spachtel SCHRAMM 616/83/7500 GFS 022 available two-component filler can be used. This is followed by a top coating by means of a two-component water-based paint system with highly abrasion-resistant paint resins based on epoxy resin, also with flame-retardant additives, preferably a material available under the trade name Pefalon-XL top coating can be used. This final coating is precisely adapted to the needs of the squash game both in its color and in the degree of roughness, preferably by adding sand according to the teaching of DE-OS 27 31 484, the color preferably being a yellow-gray tinted white.

The space between the plates 38 is filled with annealed, i.e. fire-dried quartz sand with a grain size of 1-3 mm, the smaller the grain size, the smaller the grain, the smaller the momentum that returns the ball to the playing field after hitting one of the walls. This means that a playing field can either be set to "fast" or "slowly" depending on the climatic conditions, etc. since the gas-filled squash ball is particularly fast in countries with a relatively hot climate, while systems set up in colder climates are relatively fast must be set because of the lower rebound effect there on the gas-filled ball or its "softer" elasticity.

Fig. 3 also shows a serving as a vertical wall closure and for connecting adjoining walls, in the embodiment shown the side wall 30 and the input wall 32 and the glass wall 34, hollow support profile 40, which has a substantially square basic cross section in horizontal section. Two mutually opposite side surfaces 42, 44 of the support profile 40 have external central longitudinal grooves 46, 48 which run symmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the profile and which are arranged to accommodate wall attachments (e.g., as arranged above the actual walls 28, 30, 32, 34 to be described) 50 shown in Fig. 9) serve. Furthermore, the two essentially flat side surfaces 52, 54 arranged perpendicular to the side surfaces 42, 44 of the support profile 40 are essentially continuous, so that here, as in the rest of the case, also in the manner shown in FIG. 3, on the side surfaces 44, 42 , vertical U-profiles 36 serving to close the wall, in particular can be screwed on, but in each case a corner shoulder 56, 58 is provided in the edge area of the side surfaces 62, 54 facing the side surface 44, which is intended for receiving a glass wall 34 or the like, but can also serve to receive the protruding longitudinal edge region of pressboard plates 20, 22 over the U-profile 36, as shown in FIG. 3 at the top right for the case of the corner heel 58 and the pressboard plate 20. On the longitudinal edge of the side surfaces 52, 54 facing away from the corner shoulders 56, 58, depressions 60, 62 are provided, which are also used to receive protruding edge regions of the pressboard 22 or 20 to be arranged there. The support profiles 40, which are preferably made of aluminum, are installed, for example, in the manner shown in FIG. 3 on the rear of the side walls 30, i.e. thus they are located in the transition area from side wall 30 and rear wall 32 or 34. As a result of the shape described, the support profiles 40 can have both glass panes 34 and normal playing field walls, for example 30 or 32, and also wall attachments 50 (FIG. 9) in their corresponding form vertical vertical grooves 46, 38 or corner shoulders 56, 58 or recesses 60, 62 or connected to the corresponding U-profiles 36, in particular screwed.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a side wall 30 of the type already described, the upper edge of which from the game wall 28 (shown on the right in FIG. 4) to the entrance wall 32 (shown on the left in FIG. 4) slopes obliquely in the manner customary for squash courts runs below. A profiled section 64 is provided as the upper end of the side wall 30, the details of which are described in detail below with reference to FIG. 9. An identical profile 64 also runs along the upper edge of the game wall 26, the details "A", "B" and "C" of FIG. 4 being explained and described in more detail below.

5 and 6 show the detail "A" of FIG. 4. As can be seen from this, the support profile 40 there has on its side facing the side wall 30 of FIG. 4 in the central longitudinal groove 46 a curtain rail-like fastening device 66 which 4 by means of hook elements 68, the side catch 44 in this exemplary embodiment are provided in the manner of a flange over the corner tabs ---. + 2e 58 and 56 in the manner which is further evident from the drawing, whereby the Corner shoulders 56, 58 are formed into longitudinal grooves.

With regard to the detail "B" of FIG. 4, it is apparent from FIGS. 7 and 8 that the ball catching net 70 of FIG. 4, which is arranged above the side wall 30, is constantly held under tension by means of a tensioning rope 72, which is held by a Deflection roller 74 runs, which is arranged near the upper end of the support profile 40 within the inner cavity thereof, a weight 76 hanging from the lower end of the tensioning cable 72. This ensures that the ball catching net is kept taut in a space-saving, aesthetically pleasing manner.

With regard to detail "C" from FIG. 4, FIG. 9 shows the cut-out profile 64 shown schematically there with the wall attachment 50 already mentioned in section. The details of the profile 64, which serves as a horizontal wall finish and Which, essentially U-shaped, engages with its legs 78, 80 between the chipboard 20, 22 at its upper edge, are explained in detail below with reference to FIG. 10.

The profiled section 64 shown in FIG. 10, as already stated, has a substantially U-shaped basic cross section, is made from resilient steel sheet with a thickness of approximately 1.25 mm. The legs 80, 82 are essentially bent at right angles at the end. In connection with the corner flanges 82, 84 thus formed, a substantially rectangular corner recess 86, 88 is provided. A concave outline 90, 92 adjoins the corner recesses 86, 87 on both sides of the profile. On its web side, the profile 64 has an external, central longitudinal groove 94 into which the web of the U-profile merges with the formation of two internal longitudinal grooves 96, 98 with an essentially rectangular cross section.

The profiled section 64 is used in such a way that the legs 80, 82 are brought from the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 10 by bending together into the position shown in solid lines and in this way are introduced into the plate space between pressboard plates 20, 22, whereby 9, the edge sections of the plates are then seated in the corner recesses 86, 88 in the manner shown in FIG. 9, the profiled section reliably remaining in the edge region of the space between the plates due to the resilient effect of the steel plate used. The longitudinal groove 94 can be used for receiving a wall attachment 50 or the like, as can also be seen in FIG. 9. The concave lines 90, 92 ensure reliable jumping of the ball and thus immediate recognition of a ball that is no longer valid, the walls of the squash court being optimally stiffened by the introduction of the profile 64. The entire profile 64 is preferably dashed in red, so that the lines 90, 92 are clearly visible.

Claims (21)

1. Squash court, consisting of one bottom plate and four walls, consisting of chip board plates with plastic covering distanced by supports, and of a space between the plates filled with sand, characterised in that the sand filling between the chip board plates (20,22) is of fire dried quarz sand with a grain of 1 to 3 mm; and that the prefabricated chip board plates (20,22) are layered with an undercoat of a low-solvent double component polyurethane system with flame resistant additives on the working side and a covering layer of a highly friction resistant resin lacquer system on a base of aqueous expoxy resin, applied at the place of construction.

2. Squash court according to claim 1, characterised in that the adjacent chip board plates (20,22) are glued together without a gap horizontally and/or vertically.

3. Squash court according to claim 2, characterised in that the adjacent chip board plates (20,22) are glued together before the application of the covering layer.

4. Squash court according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that in addition to the vertical supports in the space between the plates (38), hollow supports (10) are bound fast to the chip board plates (20,22) with a substantially rectangular crosssection, each of which contains a bottom plate (12) with screw holes (14) or the like, as well as at least one adjustment screw (18) or the like.

5. Squash court according to claim 4, characterised in that the hollow supports (10) have a square crosssection.

6. Squash court according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the hollow supports (10) are made of steel profiles.

7. Squash court according to one of the claims 4 to 6, characterised in that the bottom plate (12) contains four screw holes (14) as well as two adjustment screws (18).

8. Squash court according to one of the claims 4 to 7, characterised in that in every side wall (30), at least two hollow supports (10) are provided.

9. Squash court according to claim 8, characterised in that at every third of each side wall (30), hollow supports (10) are provided.

10. Squash court according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that hollow support profiles (40) joining the side and back walls (30, 32, 34 respectively) with a substantially square base crosssection are provided as vertical wall ends, which contain external longitudinal centre grooves (48,46) on at least two diametrically opposed side surfaces (42,44), which are substantially symmetrical to the longitudinal profile axis, for receiving the top pieces of the wall (50) or the like as well as a corner recess (56,58) on at least one corner for receiving a glass wall (34) or the like.

11. Squash court according to claim 10, characterised in that the support profile (40) contains two substantially continuous side surfaces (52,54) for the attachment of U-profiles which close the respective spaces between the plates (38) vertically, and run perpendicularly to the other side surfaces (44,42) which have been provided with longitudinal grooves (46,48); in that each of the two substantially continuous side surfaces (52,54) are connected to a corner recess (56,58) for receiving a glass wall (34) or the like in one of the two side surfaces provided with a longitudinal groove (46,48); and in that along the longitudinal edge turning from the corner piece (56,58) each of the substantially continuous side surfaces (52,54) is provided with a cavity (60,62) for the reception of the frontal edge of a chip board plate.

12. Squash court according to claim 11, characterised in that both of the substantially continuous side surfaces (52,54) of the hollow profiles (40) with the respective corner recess (56,58) are connected to the same (44) of the other side surfaces (44,42).

13. Squash court according to one of the claims 10 to 12, characterised in that a hanging reinforcement device (66) for a catch net for the balls (70) is positioned in the longitudinal groove (46) of the support profile (40) in the area above the court walls (28,30,32) facing the side wall (30).

14. Squash court according to one of the claims 10 to 13, characterised in that a weight (76) is positioned in the inner hollow space of the support profiles (40), which is connected to the upper edge of the catch net for the balls (70) by way of a tension rope over a pulley (74) near the upper end of the respective support profile (40).

15. Squash court according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the support profiles (14) are made of aluminium.

16. Squash court according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a outprofile (64) to the horizontal wall end, which forms a concave out limit (90) on the side surfaces opening out onto the playing surface.

17. Squash court according to claim 16, characterised in that the out-profile (64) is composed of springy elastic material and the cross-section is substantially a U-form, wherein both legs (78,80) can be bent together to be introduced into the periperhal area of the respective space between the plates (38).

18. Squash court according to claim 17, characterised in that each of the legs (78, 80) of the out-profile (64) is substantially bent inwards at right angles at the end and in conjunction with the corner flange (82,84) forms substantially rectangular corner recess (86,88) for receiving one of the regions of the edges of the chip board plates.

19. Squash court according to claim 17 or 18, characterised in that the out-profile (64) forms an external, central longitudinal groove (94) of a substantially rectangular cross-section on its bridge side for the reception of a wall piece (50) or the like.

20. Squash court according to claim 19, characterised in that the brige side of the U-profile is connected to the walling of the central longitudinal groove (94) while forming two internal longitudinal grooves (96,98) of a substantially rectangular cross-section.

21. Squash court according to one of the claims 16 to 20, characterised in that the out-profile is made of sheet steel.

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