WO2003001003A1

WO2003001003A1 - Profile for separation walls and ceilings, and method for manufacturing thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2003001003A1
Application number: PCT/NL2002/000413
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eddie Johannes Pieters
Original assignee: Ej Pieters Beheer Bv
Current assignee: Ej Pieters Beheer Bv
Priority date: 2001-06-22
Filing date: 2002-06-21
Publication date: 2003-01-03
Anticipated expiration: 2003-12-22
Also published as: DE60235364D1; ATE458099T1; EP1402130A1; CA2451690A1; EP1402130B1; NL1018358C2; DK1402130T3; US20040216423A1

Abstract

A support profile (1) for a supporting skeleton (30) of a panel wall (31) is described, with a gutter-shaped contour, comprising a bottom (3) and two substantially parallel side walls (11, 21), wherein the bottom (3) comprises two bottom sections (14, 24) as wll as a strip (2) mutually insulating the two bottom sections. The support profile (1) comprises two profile parts (10; 20). Each profile part (10; 20) comprises a side wall (11; 21) and a bottom section (14; 24). The two bottom sections (14, 24) have mutually overlapping end segments (18, 28), wherein the insulating strip is located between the mutually overlapping bottom segments (18, 28), and wherein the insulating strip (2) is attached directly to the both overlapping bottom segments (18, 28) in order to this attach the two bottom sections (14, 24) to each other constructionally.

Description

Title: Profile for separation walls and ceilings, and method for manufacturing thereof

The present invention relates in general to metal construction profiles intended for constructing a skeleton for a wall construction, wherein each profile has a substantially U-shaped or C-shaped cross-section, with two substantially parallel side walls and a bottom directed substantially perpendicular to those side walls.

With such profiles, a skeleton for a wall construction can be built, which wall construction can act as separation wall between two rooms, or as isolating double wall for an outer wall. In the case of an inner wall, the wall construction also has the function of mutually separating two rooms. In that case, it is of importance that the separation wall has good sound-isolating properties. In the case of a double wall for an outer wall, especially the thermal insulation properties are of importance.

A skeleton is built by fixing a U-shaped profile to the ground, wherein the bottom of this profile is directed to the floor and the two side walls of this profile are directed upwards, and by also fixing a U-shaped profile to the ceiling, wherein the bottom of this profile is directed towards the ceiling and wherein the side walls of this profile are directed downwards. The side walls of the profile fixed to the ceiling are in one plane with the corresponding side walls of the profile fixed to the ground. Then, C-shaped profiles (uprights) are placed in the U-shaped profiles, at regular mutual distance from each other. In this case, two subsequent C-shaped uprights, together with the portions of the bottom profile and the ceiling profile extending between them, define a rectangular accommodation space in which an insulation mat is arranged. Finally, wall panels are connected to the side walls of the C-shaped uprights and of the U-shaped horizontal profiles. These wall panels can, for instance, be made of plasterboard.

In the case of a double wall, the skeleton stands at a short distance from an outer wall, and the wall panels are only arranged to one side of the skeleton formed by the profiles; at the opposite side of the skeleton, a cavity space remains between the profiles and the corresponding outer wall. In the case of a separation wall between two rooms within a building, wall panels are connected to both opposite side walls of the profiles.

Such a wall construction has primarily been designed because of its insulating properties, i.e. thermal insulation and sound insulation, wherein, in the case of a separation wall between two rooms within a building, the insulation of sound is the most important. The known per se insulation mats offer a good thermal insulation and sound insulation, while the wall panels to be arranged basically have a thermal insulation function. However, a problem of conventional profiles is that the profile bottom forms a bridge which is thermally conductive, and which also conducts sound well. As a consequence, it can happen that the wall as a whole does not meet legal standards, while the insulation mats and the wall panels do meet those standards.

Especially in the case of application as double wall for a cold outer wall it can happen that the side wall of the profile directed away from the outer wall becomes cold to such extent that condensation is formed there, which can lead to color differences on the wall panels in the region of the profiles. An important aim of the present invention is to solve the problems mentioned.

According to an important aspect of the present invention, the profile comprises two profile halves, wherein each profile half comprises a profile side wall and a profile bottom part, wherein the two profile bottom parts of the two profile halves at least partially overlap each other, wherein the overlapping bottom parts are connected to each other by an insulating connection piece. It is noted that a metal profile is known from US patent 5.860.265, which is built from two profile halves with overlapping bottom parts, wherein a strip of thermally insulating material is arranged between the bottom parts. In this known construction, the thermally insulating material does not have the function of mutually connecting together the two bottom halves lying on each other. In order to connect the construction parts to each other, it is necessary in this known construction that mutually aligned holes are formed in the two bottom parts lying over each other and in the insulation strip lying there between, and that thermally insulated rivets are arranged in those through openings. This makes the manufacturing of such a profile very complicated and expensive. Further, it is true that it will be possible in this way to arrange a thermal interruption between the two opposite side walls of the profile, but because of the stiff connection between the two bottom parts lying on each other, caused by the rivets, only little or no sound-insulating effect is achieved. In contrast, in the case of the profile proposed by the present invention, the insulating strip is connected to both bottom parts overlapping each other by means of surface bonding, such that the insulating strip effects the mutual connection of those two bottom halves without additional fastening means such as rivets or the like being necessary for this. Not only can such a profile be manufactured more easily and cheaper than a profile which is provided with rivets, but, moreover, better thermal insulation properties and better sound-insulating properties can be combined with each other by such a construction as proposed by the present invention.

These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clarified in more detail by the following description of preferred embodiments of construction profiles according to the present invention with reference to the drawings, in which same reference numerals indicate same or similar parts, and in which: figure 1 schematically shows a cross-section of a construction profile according to the present invention; figures 2 and 2A schematically show a longitudinal section of the bottom of the construction profile, according to the line

II-II in figure 1; figure 3 schematically shows a perspective view of an application situation of the construction profile according to the present invention; figure 4A schematically shows a top view of a strongwall, built with conventional profiles; figure 4B schematically shows a top view of a strongwall, built with profiles according to the present invention; figure 5 schematically shows a perspective view of a strip during subsequent pre-processing steps; figure 6A schematically shows a side view of subsequent steps in the manufacture of a composite strip; figure 6B schematically shows a cross-section according to the line B-B in figure 6A; figures 7A-C schematically illustrate subsequent steps in a folding process in which a composite strip is folded to construction profile; figure 8 schematically illustrates a set of shaping rollers; and figure 9 schematically shows a cross-section of an variation of embodiment of the construction profile according to the present invention.

Figure 1 schematically shows a cross-section of a construction profile 1 according to the present invention. The profile 1 comprises a bottom 3 and two side walls 11 and 21. Preferably and as shown, the bottom 3 has a central part which is raised with respect to edge parts of this bottom. The profile 1 comprises two profile halves 10 and 20, which are connected to each other by an insulating strip 2. The first profile half 10 has a first side wall 11 and a first bottom section 14, which mutually make an angle of substantially 90°. The bottom section 14 comprises three bottom section parts 15, 16, 17, wherein the first bottom section part 15 connects to the side wall 11, wherein a second bottom section part 16 connects to the first bottom section part 15 and makes an angle with it, and wherein the third bottom section part 17 connects to the second bottom section part 16 and makes an angle with it, all such that the three bottom section parts 15, 16, 17 define a generally S-shaped contour wherein the third bottom section part 17 is directed substantially parallel to the first bottom section part 15. The mutual distance D between the first bottom section part 15 and the third bottom section part 17, measured perpendicularly to the surface of those bottom section parts 15 and 17, is determined by the size of the said angles and by the length of the intermediate second bottom section part 16, as will be clear to a person skilled in the art.

Within the context of the present invention, it is possible that the bottom section 14 is an entirely flat bottom section, such that the three bottom section parts 15, 16, 17 are aligned with each other. However, the embodiment as shown is preferred because the S-shaped contour offers an increased strength.

In figure 1, some detail variations are illustrated for the end of the first side wall 11 directed away from the bottom section 14. In a first variation, illustrated at A, the end of the side wall 11 is simply straight. In this case, the construction profile 1 is also indicated as a U-profile 1U.

In a second variation, illustrated at B, the first side wall 11 is provided with an end strip 12 which is folded inwards with respect to the side wall 11 over an angle of approximately 90°. In this case, the construction profile 1 is also indicated as a C-profile IC. An advantage of the C- profile with respect to the U-profile is the increased stiffness of the side wall 11.

Within the context of the present invention, however, more variations are possible. By way of example, a variation of the U-profile of detail A is shown at C, in which the first side wall 11 is provided with an end strip 12, which is folded inwards over an angle of approximately 180°. Further, a variation of the C-profile of detail B is shown at D by way of example, in which the first side wall 11 is provided with a first end strip 12 which is folded inwards with respect to the first side wall 11 over an angle of approximately 90°, and a second end strip 13 which is folded inwards with respect to the first end strip 12 over an angle of approximately 180°, back to the first side wall 11.

In a manner similar as discussed above regarding the first profile half 10, the second profile half 20 has a second side wall 21 and a second bottom section 24 which comprises three bottom section parts 25, 26, 27, which bottom section parts together define a substantially S-shaped contour. In respect of the free end of the second side wall 21, the same applies as that what has been mentioned in the above with respect to the free end of the first side wall 11, but this is not illustrated separately in figure 1.

The two profile halves 10 and 20 are arranged next to eachother, wherein their bottom sections 14 and 24 are directed towards each other, and wherein the third bottom section part 17 of the first bottom section 14 has an end segment 18 which overlaps an end segment 28 of the third bottom section part 27 of the second bottom section 24. The width of the overlap is indicated at L in figure 1. The mutually overlapping bottom segments 18 and 28 are connected to each other by the strip 12 between them.

In the embodiment schematically shown in figure 1, the first bottom section part 15 of the first bottom section 14 is aligned with the first bottom section part 25 of the second bottom section 24. This implies that the vertical distance between the third bottom section part 27 of the second bottom section 24 and the first bottom section part 25 of the second bottom section 24, indicated in figure 1 at d, is smaller than the corresponding distance D between the third bottom section part 17 of the first bottom section 14 and the first bottom section part 15 of the first bottom section 14.

The two bottom sections 14 and 24 together, i.e. the six bottom section parts 15, 16, 17, 27, 26, 25 together, form the bottom 3 of the construction profile 1. The side walls 11 and 21 mutually are substantially parallel. The strip 2 is made of a material which has good sound- insulating properties and which has good thermal insulating properties. A preferred material which has appeared suitable is a durable and weather-resistant 40° Shore EPDM-rubber. The thickness of the strip 2 can for instance be chosen in the range of 1 to 5 mm, but is preferably chosen in the range of 2 to 4 mm. The width of the strip 2, which preferably corresponds to the overlap L, can for instance be chosen in the range of 10 to 50 mm or larger, but has in a preferred embodiment a width of about 15-25 mm, wherein a width of about 20 mm is most preferred.

The total width of the construction profile 1, i.e. the distance between the two side walls 11 and 21, can be chosen as desired. Although in that case the overlap L and the width of the strip 2 can vary also, the width of the strip 2 is preferably always set at the same value. Varying the total width is then preferably done by varying the width of the third bottom section parts 17 and 27, while keeping constant the width of the remaining bottom section parts and of the end segments 18 and 28.

Figures 2 and 2A schematically show a longitudinal section of the two overlapping bottom segments 18, 28 and the strip 2 in between. The strip 2 can be a contiguous strip, as illustrated in figure 2A, but in the variation of embodiment indicated in figure 2, the strip 2 is an interrupted strip, such that separate strip sections 2A and 2B are visible in figure 2, with gaps 4. In the region of these gaps 4, the bottom sections 14 and 24 are thus not connected to each other. Hereby, a further improvement of the insulation can be achieved, both as regards thermal transmission and as regards sound transmission, without this affecting the strength of the profile. For practical reasons, however, the contiguous strip illustrated in figure 2A is preferred.

Figure 3 is a perspective view which illustrates the use of the construction profile 1 according to the present invention in an application situation. In the application situation shown in figure 3, a skeleton 30 of a double wall 31 for an outer wall 32 has been built with the construction profile 1. A U-shaped construction profile 1U is arranged on a floor; the same applies to the ceiling, but this is not shown. In the U-shaped construction profile 1U lying on the floor, C-shaped construction profiles IC are arranged, substantially perpendicular to the lying U-shaped floor profile 1U and with a regular mutual distance. Insulation mats 35 are arranged between the C-shaped uprights IC. Wall panels 36, for instance plasterboards, are arranged to the U-shaped beams 1U and the C-shaped uprights IC. The skeleton 30 formed by the profiles 1U, IC is capable of fully supporting the double wall 31, and can stand free from the outer wall 32, such that a cavity is present between the outer wall 32 and the double wall 31.

Regarding heat and sound, such a double wall 31 has an insulating effect which is determined on the one hand by the insulating mats 35 and the wall panels 36, and on the other hand by the construction profiles 1. When using conventional metal profiles, which are made as a whole, the bottom of the profile forms a thermal bridge between the side walls of the profile, and also there is a good sound transfer. In the case of the profile 1 proposed by the present invention, such a heat transfer and sound transfer is counter acted because the metal bottom sections 14 and 24 do not touch each other. Either they are attached to each other by the strip 2 with heat-insulating and sound-insulating properties or they are even entirely free from each other (interspaces 4). Figure 4A schematically shows a top view of a part of a strong wall 40 constructed using conventional profiles 41. Such a strong wall 40 is provided with finishing plates 46A, 46B at both sides. In such walls thermal insulation is no primary requirement, but sound insulation is very important. In order to meet those requirements while using conventional profiles 41, so-called double skeleton framework is used, in fact consisting of two half-walls placed next to each other, wherein the one skeleton supports the one wall and wherein the other skeleton supports the other wall. In that case, the uprights 44A, 44B of the two different skeletons are placed at a mutual distance A to each other. It is true that a good insulation is achieved by this, but building such a wall requires relatively much labor and material and thus is relatively expensive. Furthermore, environmental problems are associated with this: since the profiles are usually manufactured of galvanized iron, the use of a double skeleton implies a double environmental burden regarding zinc. Figure 4B is a comparable view of a strong wall constructed with profiles 1 as proposed by the present invention. With those profiles, it is possible to build a wall

27 in single skeleton framework offering the same or improved insulating properties. It can be recognized in figure 4B that a single upright 48 (profile IC) supports both the one finishing plate 46A as the opposite finishing plate 46B. The total thickness of the wall 40 can thus be reduced, and building can be performed simpler and quicker.

Now, a preferred method for manufacturing a profile according to the present invention will be explained, referring to figures 5 and further. As basic material, use is made of galvanized iron strips 41, which are provided on a roll 50 in a desired width and with large length. Although the profiles proposed by the present invention can be manufactured from another metal, galvanized iron strips are preferred.

In a first process step, the metal strip 51 is wound off the supply roll 50, and at least one edge part 52 of a surface 53 of this strip 51 is subjected to pre-processing actions. These pre-processing actions comprise consecutively: - a grinding process for roughening this edge portion 52, indicated at 52A in figure 5;

- a degreasing process with any suitable grease-solvent, indicated at 52B in figure 5.

Subsequently, an adhesive primer 54 is applied to the roughened and degreased edge portion 52. A commercially available adhesive primer can be used here; an adhesive primer which has appeared suitable is, for instance, the adhesive primer which is available from the company HENKEL under the name CHEMOSEAL. A strip 51 provided with adhesive primer 54 in this way is also indicated as preprocessed strip 61 in the following. Such a preprocessed strip 51 is considered a first intermediate product in the context of the present invention. If desired, this intermediate product can, preferably after the adhesive primer 54 has dried, be wound again on a supply roll 59, and then can be kept in storage for some time. Further processing steps can then be performed on the basis of a preprocessed strip 61 wound on a supply roll 59, as will be discussed in the following by way of example. However, it is very well possible to perform the following processing steps directly following the preprocessing actions discussed above.

In a following process step, two of such preprocessed strips 61 are connected to each other. It is noted that the two preprocessed strips 61 to be attached to each other can be mutually identical strips, such that no separate supplies of left and right strips are necessary. Further it is noted that, if the following process step is performed directly following the preprocessing actions discussed above, use can be made of two preprocessing stations for preprocessing two strips 51 in parallel .

As shown in figure 6A, a first preprocessed strip 61ι is wound off from a first supply roll 59ι, the strip 61χ substantially being directed horizontally and the surface 53ι provided with adhesive primer being on top. An EPDM rubber 2 is applied to the surface portion 52 provided with adhesive primer 54. Preferably, the EPDM rubber 2 is injected as a viscous mass by means of one or more nozzles 62, which can be stationary. The EPDM rubber can leave the nozzle 62 as a continuous flow, such that a continuous ridge or bead of EPDM rubber 2 is thus applied to the strip 61ι, as shown, but the rubber can also leave the nozzle 62 with intervals and thus be applied as a series of consecutive pads.

It is noted that the thickness of the rubber ridge is shown exaggeratedly large in figure 6A.

It is further noted that, during application, the EPDM rubber can have a temperature of approximately 20-25 °C (room temperature) , but if desired it is also possible to apply the rubber at a slightly raised temperature of approximately 40-60 °C.

A second preprocessed strip 61₂ is wound off from a second supply roll 59₂, which is arranged in mirror image and slightly displaced with respect to the first supply roll 59ι, wherein the second preprocessed strip 61₂ is directed substantially parallel to the first preprocessed strip 61ι and the surface

53₂ provided with adhesive primer is at the underside. The two preprocessed strips 61ι and 61₂ are displaced with respect to each other in such a way that the respective edge parts 52ι, 52₂ provided with adhesive primer are aligned with each other, wherein the surfaces 53ι, 53₂ provided with adhesive primer are facing each other. The two supply rolls 59ι and 59₂ can be arranged directly above each other (albeit axially displaced with respect to each other) , as shown. Subsequently, the two strips 61ι, 61₂ with the EPDM rubber 2 in between are brought to a raised temperature and pressed against each other. The temperature achieved here is for instance approximately 180 °C. As will be clear to a person skilled in the art, the composition of EPDM rubber can vary in practice, and a suitable temperature can vary depending on the exact composition.

Subsequently, the two strips 61ι, 61₂ and the EPDM rubber 2 are allowed to cool down. After having cooled down sufficiently, the rubber 2 has sufficient intrinsic strength and sufficient adhesion with the two strips, such that it can be strained mechanically. The thus-formed combination of the two strips 61ι, 61₂ and the EPDM rubber 2, which will hereinafter be indicated as composite strip 71, is considered a second intermediate product in the context of the present invention. This composite strip 71 can directly be further processed for forming a construction profile, but it can also, as intermediate product, be wound on a supply roll 69 for later processing. In this case, it is preferred to avoid small radii of curvature, such that the winding roll for the composite strip preferably has a relatively large diameter of for instance approximately 80 cm.

In a preferred continuous process, the strips 61ι, 61₂ are guided through a series of subsequent rollers 63, as shown in figure 6A, which press the strips 61ι, 61₂ against each other at the correct mutual distance, which mutual distance defines the final thickness of the EPDM strip to be formed. The series of rollers forms a roller train, wherein a first set of rollers in the roller train are also adapted to supply heat to the strips 61ι, 61₂ and the rubber 2 in order to let this reach a temperature of about 180 °C, while a second set of rollers in the roller train are also adapted to withdraw heat from the strips 61ι, 61₂ and the rubber 2 in order to achieve a certain desired cooling of the composite strip. Preferably, it is assured that the temperature of the composite strip has dropped to approximately 40-60 °C.

In a subsequent stage, the composite strip 71 is folded by means of rollers to a gutter shape in a continuous process. Such a folding process by means of rollers is known per se and is, therefore, not described extensively.

Preferably, a raised central part 5 (see figure 7A) is formed in the bottom part 3 by two rollers 81, 82 (figure 8) cooperating with each other, wherein the one roller 81 is provided with a recess 83 and the other roller 82 is provided with a corresponding elevation 84, wherein the elevation 84 of this second roller 82 presses the central part of the material of the gutter into the recess 83 of the first roller 81. The recess 83 of the first roller 81 has a first recess section 83A intended to support a part of the third bottom section part 27 of the second bottom section 24 to be formed, and a second recess section 83B intended to support the entire third bottom section part 17 of the first bottom section 14 to be formed, including the end segment 18 thereof. The elevation 84 of the second roller 82 has a first elevation section 84A intended to press away a part of the third bottom section part 17 of the first bottom section 14 to be formed, and a second elevation section 84B intended to press away the entire third bottom section part 27 of the second bottom section 24 to be formed. Each roller can be comprised of two segments, as shown.

An important advantage of the composite strip 71 according to the present invention is that the rubber connection material 2 is confined between two metal parts 61ι, 61₂, whereby it is possible to perform the shaping of the raised central bottom part 5 by means of rollers 81, 82. Such shaping step by means of rollers is not or hardly possible if a rubber coupling strip would have an H-profile, or if the two bottom halves are connected to each other by means of rivets. Then, ends of the composite strip 71 are folded over approximately 90° by means of folding rollers (not shown) in order to form the folded end edges 12 of a C-profile (see figure 7B) ; this step can be omitted if a U-profile is to be formed. By means of a subsequent set of folding rollers, side wall parts 11 and 21 are folded over substantially 90° with respect to the bottom part 3 (see figure 7C) .

In the above, it has been described that the first bottom section parts 15 and 25 of the two bottom sections 14 and 24 can be aligned with each other. In that case, those two bottom section parts 15 and 25 will both rest on a floor in the case of a profile used as a bottom profile (see profile 1U in figure 3) . In that case, it might happen that sound which reaches the one wall, reaches the other wall via the bottom contact. Therefore, the present invention provides a variation of embodiment which provides additional insulation against contact sound, which variation of embodiment is illustrated in figure 9. In this variation of embodiment, the first bottom section part 15 of the first bottom section 14 is at a higher level than the first bottom section part 25 of the second bottom section 24, such that, in the case of placing on a floor, the first bottom section part 15 of the first bottom section 14 remains free from this floor. The first bottom section 14 is then supported by a support strip 90 of a suitable sound-damping material, such as for instance a neoprene-like material which is to be placed separately, and the first bottom section 14 is pressed downwards onto this support strip 90 by its own weight and by the second bottom section 24, which is secured to the floor by means of for instance screws (not shown) . This support strip 90 can be placed under the first bottom section part 15 of the first bottom section 14 or, as shown, under the third bottom section part 17 of the first bottom section 14. This support strip 90 can have a thickness of about 3 mm.

In the embodiment illustrated, the third bottom section part 17 of the first bottom section 14, under which this support strip 90 is placed, is above the third bottom section part 27 of the second bottom section 24. Then, when the third bottom section part 17 of the first bottom section 14 is pressed by the third bottom section part 27 of the second bottom section 24, the rubber strip 2 is put under strain of tension. Preferably, the support strip 90 is placed under that bottom section part which is the lowest of the two bottom section parts, i.e. the third bottom section part 27 of the second bottom section 24 in figure 9; in that case, the rubber strip 2 is put under pressure when the third bottom section part 27 of the second bottom section 24 is pressed by the third bottom section part 17 of the first bottom section 14.

It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments discussed above but that several variations and modifications are possible within the protective scope of the invention as defined in the attached claims. For instance, it is possible that the profiles are used for constructing a skeleton of a ceiling. In the above, the profile has been described for constructing a skeleton of a separation wall. Separation walls are relatively light-weight walls. However, it is also possible to manufacture the profiles with such a thickness and strength that they can act as building construction parts of a supporting wall.

Claims

1. Supporting profile (1) for a supporting skeleton (30) of a panel wall (31), with a gutter-shaped contour, comprising a bottom (3) and two substantially parallel side walls (11, 21), wherein the bottom (3) comprises two bottom sections (14, 24) as well as a strip (2) mutually insulating the two bottom sections; wherein the two bottom sections (14, 24) have mutually overlapping end segments (18, 28), wherein the insulating strip is between the bottom segments (18, 28) overlapping each other, and wherein the insulating strip (2) is directly attached to the two overlapping bottom segments (18, 28) in order to attach the two bottom sections (14, 24) to each other constructionally.

2. Profile according to claim 1, wherein the bottom (3) is made from galvanized iron, and wherein the insulating strip (2) is made from an EPDM rubber.

3. Profile according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the width of the insulating strip (2) is substantially equal to the width

(L) of the two overlapping bottom segments (18, 28).

4. Profile according to any of the previous claims, wherein the insulating strip (2) in its longitudinal direction comprises a multitude of subsequent strip parts (2a, 2b, 2c), separated by gaps (4).

5. Profile according to any of the previous claims, wherein the free ends (12) of the side walls (11, 21) are folded.

6. Profile according to any of the previous claims, wherein a central part (5) of the bottom (3) is raised.

7. Profile according to any of the previous claims, wherein the two bottom sections (14, 24) are at unequal levels.

8. Panel wall, comprising: at least one support profile (1U) according to any of the previous claims, placed on a floor; at least one support profile (1U) according to any of the previous claims, attached to a sealing, arranged above said floor profile and substantially parallel thereto; a system of mutually parallel support profiles (IC) according to any of the previous claims, placed into the said floor profile and sealing profile; - at least one insulation mat (35) arranged between the horizontal and vertical support profiles (1U, IC) ; and a system of finishing panels (36) , arranged against an outer surface of the side walls (11) of the support profiles (1U, IC) .

9. Panel wall according to claim 8, wherein finishing panels (36) are arranged against the outer surfaces of the two opposite side walls (11, 21) of the support profiles (1U, IC) .

10. Panel wall according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the horizontal support profiles are formed as U-profile (1U) , and wherein the vertical support profiles, which are placed into the horizontal support profiles, are formed as C-profile (IC) .

11. Preprocessed metal strip (61), comprising an edge portion (52) which has been roughened (52a), decreased (52b), and provided with an adhesive primer (54).

12. Composite strip (71), comprising two flat, substantially parallel, preprocessed metal strips (61χ, 61₂) according to claim 11, of which the respective edge parts (52ι, 52₂) overlap each other and face each other, and wherein a strip (2) of an insulating elastic material is arranged between those overlapping strip segments (52ι, 52₂) which is attached to the both overlapping strip segments (52ι, 52₂) .

13. Composite strip according to claim 12, wherein the insulating material (2) is an EPDM rubber.

14. Composite strip according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the insulated material (2) is vulcanized to the strips (61χ, 61₂) .

15. Method for manufacturing a composite strip (71) according to claim 12, comprising the steps of: providing a first preprocessed metal strip (61ι) according to claim 11; applying an insulating and adhering substance (2) on the edge part (52ι) provided with adhesive primer (54ι) of the first strip (61_x); providing a second preprocessed metal strip (61₂) according to claim 11; positioning the second strip (61₂) parallel to the first strip

(61ι), such that the edge part (52₂) provided with adhesive primer (54₂) of the second strip (61₂) is aligned with and faces the edge part (52ι) provided with adhesive primer (54ι) of the first strip (61ι); pressing the edge parts (52ι, 52₂) of the two strips (61ι, 61₂) against each other, preferably by means of rollers; raising the temperature and subsequently cooling the two strips (61]_., 61₂) .

16. Method according to claim 15, wherein the steps of raising of temperature, pressing, and lowering of temperature are performed by consecutive sets of rollers (63) in a roller train.

17. Method for manufacturing a support profile (1) according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: providing a composite strip (71), preferably by a method according to claim 15 or 16; folding strip parts for forming side walls (11, 21) .

18. Method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of roller-forming a raised bottom part (5) by two mutually cooperating rollers (81, 82), which step is preferably performed before the step of folding strip parts.