U.S. patent application number 10/496578 was filed with the patent office on 2004-12-30 for profiled strip device.
Invention is credited to Vulin, Michel.
Application Number | 20040261348 10/496578 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 8869621 |
Filed Date | 2004-12-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040261348 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Vulin, Michel |
December 30, 2004 |
Profiled strip device
Abstract
A shaped-section slat device comprising a shaped-section slat
(1) having a visible face (10A) and two longitudinal edges having
male and female assembly means (18, 20). The male assembly means
(18) are connected to the visible face (10A) via an intermediate
zone having a plane visible margin (22) set back relative to said
visible face (10A), said male assembly means themselves being set
back relative to said visible margin (22). Each of the longitudinal
edges of the slat is provided with a groove in which an assembly
strip can be inserted so that it projects from said groove over a
width greater than the depth of the other groove.
Inventors: |
Vulin, Michel; (Oyonnax,
FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
James Ray & Associates
2640 Pitcairn Road
Monroeville
PA
15146
US
|
Family ID: |
8869621 |
Appl. No.: |
10/496578 |
Filed: |
May 21, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
November 20, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/FR02/03963 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/578 ;
52/582.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F 2201/0107 20130101;
E04F 2201/023 20130101; E04F 13/18 20130101; E04F 2203/04 20130101;
E04F 2201/0523 20130101; F16B 5/002 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/578 ;
052/582.1 |
International
Class: |
E04C 003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 21, 2001 |
FR |
01/15043 |
Claims
1. A shaped-section slat device comprising a shaped-section slat
having a visible face, a first longitudinal edge of the slat having
male assembly means and a second longitudinal edge of said slat,
opposite from said first edge, having female assembly means,
suitable for co-operating by inter-fitting with the male assembly
means on the first longitudinal edge of another, analogous slat,
the male assembly means being are connected to the visible face via
an intermediate zone having a plane visible margin set back
relative to said visible face and situated in a plane substantially
parallel to the plane of said visible face, said male assembly
means themselves being set back relative to said visible margin,
and that the edge of the visible margin being is suitable, when the
male assembly means of one slat are engaged in the female assembly
means of an analogous slat, for co-operating in abutment with said
female assembly means, so that the plane visible margin looks like
grouting between tiles.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the shaped-section slat
has a back face opposite from the visible face and defining a
bearing plane, said back face having a set-back portion that is set
back relative to the bearing plane and a projection, said set-back
portion and said projection being disposed behind the intermediate
zone and in succession in the direction going towards male assembly
means.
3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the male assembly means
are connected to the visible margin via a riser disposed at an
undercut angle.
4-10 (canceled).
11. A device according to claim 1, wherein the shaped-section slat
has a back face opposite from the visible face and defining a
bearing plane, said back face having a set-back portion that is set
back relative to the bearing plane and a projection, said set-back
portion and said projection being disposed behind the intermediate
zone and in succession in the direction going towards male assembly
means, and wherein the male assembly means are connected to the
visible margin via a riser disposed at an undercut angle.
12. A device according to claim 1, wherein the female assembly
means are connected to the visible face via a setback having a
overhanging nose.
13. A device according to claim 1, wherein the slat has first and
second transverse edges, each of which is provided with a groove
formed under the visible face, and wherein the device further
comprises an assembly strip suitable for being inserted into said
grooves, the width of said strip being such that, when said strip
is inserted in one of said grooves, said strip projects from said
groove over a width greater than a depth of the other groove.
14. A device according to claim 13, wherein, when the strip is
inserted in one of said grooves, said strip projects from said
groove over a width substantially equal to a sum of the width of
the visible margin and of the depth of the other groove.
15. A device according to claim 13, wherein a thickness of slat
between the groove and the visible face over the transverse edges
is substantially equal to a depth of the set-back between the
visible face and the visible margin over the first longitudinal
edge of said slat.
16. A device according to claim 13, wherein a thickness of slat
between the groove and the visible face over the transverse edges
is substantially equal to a depth of the set-back between the
visible face and the visible margin over the first longitudinal
edge of said slat and wherein, when the strip is inserted in one of
said grooves, said strip projects from said groove over a width
substantially equal to a sum of the width of the visible margin and
of the depth of the other groove.
17. A device according to claim 13, wherein the slat has a front
wall and a back wall, respectively having the visible face and the
back face and interconnected by interconnecting webs, and wherein
said grooves are formed by notches cut in the interconnecting
webs.
18. A device according to claim 13, wherein the strip and the
visible margin have the same decoration.
19. A device according to claim 14, wherein the strip and the
visible margin have the same decoration.
20. A device according to claim 15, wherein the strip and the
visible margin have the same decoration.
21. A device according to claim 16, wherein the strip and the
visible margin have the same decoration.
22. A device according to claim 13, further comprising a plurality
of analogous shaped-section slats and a sheet of assembly strips,
said sheet being formed of assembly strips interconnected by
pre-cut means making it possible to separate the strips from one
another.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a shaped-section slat
device comprising a shaped-section slat which has a visible face, a
first longitudinal edge of the slat having male assembly means and
a second longitudinal edge of said slat, opposite from said first
edge, having female assembly means, suitable for co-operating by
inter-fitting with the male assembly. means on the first
longitudinal edge of another, analogous slat.
[0002] In particular the shaped-section slat is a slat made of an
extruded plastics material. Such slats are manufactured in long
lengths and they are designed to be placed on a support, in
particular a wall or a ceiling, while being assembled together via
their longitudinal edges.
[0003] The assembly should be as attractive in appearance as
possible. In particular, the assembly is attractive in appearance
if the slats are assembled together accurately. In generally, when
the slats are assembled together, the boundaries between them are
quite visible and form recessed lines between their visible faces.
To achieve such assembly, the male assembly means of one slat are
inserted in the female assembly means of the. adjacent slat. In
this situation, the visible faces of the two slats are disposed
edge-to-edge. However, the boundary between said visible faces can
be seen and is in the form of a recessed line. Such a line is not
always attractive in appearance, and, depending on the conditions
under which the various slats are assembled together, the recessed
lines are not always mutually identical. That can be due to the
depth to which the male assembly means penetrate into the female
assembly means, which depth naturally determines the width of the
recessed line of assembly.
[0004] An object of the invention is to provide a shaped-section
slat device that improves the conditions under which the slats are
assembled together, and in particular the attractiveness of the
appearance of the resulting assembly.
[0005] This object is achieved by that fact that the male assembly
means are connected to the visible face via an intermediate zone
having a plane visible margin set back relative to said visible
face and situated in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of
said visible face, said male assembly means themselves being set
back relative to said visible margin.
[0006] By means of these provisions, the visible margin can be seen
between to adjacent slats, assembled together via their
longitudinal edges. Said margin is set back relative to the visible
faces of the slats and the eye is more sensitive to the presence of
the visible margin, which is of substantially constant width, than
to detecting the exact position of the join between the slats
(which join is situated at the end of the female assembly means of
one slat and at the edge of the visible margin which is connected
to the male assembly means of the other slat).
[0007] In addition, the depth to which the male assembly means of
one slat penetrate into the female assembly means of the other slat
is limited by the edge of the visible margin from which said male
assembly means are set back.
[0008] Advantageously, said edge forms a step which constitutes an
abutment so that the male assembly means of all of the slats
penetrate into the female assembly means to exactly the same
depth.
[0009] In addition, the visible margin is itself set back relative
to the visible face by being advantageously connected to said face
via another step. When two slats are assembled together, the eye is
sensitive to the step formed between the visible margin and the
visible face of the first slat. The eye is also sensitive to
another step formed between the adjacent edge of the second slat
(in which edge the female assembly means are formed), and the
visible margin of the first slat.
[0010] The eye cannot distinguish easily between the two steps, so
that, from some distance away, it is not easy to determine which of
the two slats is the slat of which the visible margin is part. In
other words, the recessed line usually formed by edge-to-edge
assembly between the edge of the second slat and the male assembly
means of the first slat is no longer noticeable, but rather it is
the visible margin flanked by two steps that look identical to each
other that catches the eye. Thus, the assembly is more clear-cut
and thus more attractive in appearance.
[0011] Advantageously, the shaped-section slat has first and second
transverse edges, each of which is provided with a groove formed
under the visible face, and the device further comprises an
assembly strip suitable for being inserted into said grooves, the
width of said strip being such that, when it is inserted in one of
said grooves, it projects from said groove over a width greater
than the depth of the other groove.
[0012] The assembly strip makes it possible to assemble together a
plurality of slats via their respective transverse edges, by
disposing them end-to-end. For example, the shaped-section slats
can be cut to the desired length, and they can then be assembled
together so that they look like tiling with large tiles, the
longitudinal edges of the slats being interconnected by the
above-mentioned male and female assembly means, while their
transverse edges are interconnected by the strips inserted in the
grooves in the facing edges of the slats.
[0013] In such an assembly, the visible margins are visible at the
longitudinal joins between the slats, as mentioned above, while
middle zones of the strips are also visible, because the width of
each of the strips is greater than the sum of the widths of the
grooves in which it is inserted.
[0014] Very advantageously, when the strip is inserted in one of
said grooves, it projects from said groove over a width
substantially equal to the sum of the width of the visible margin
and of the depth of the other groove.
[0015] By means of this characteristic, when a plurality of slats
are assembled together as mentioned above, the visible widths of
the strips are substantially equal to the widths of the apparent
margins. Insofar as the visible margins are set back, while the
strips are also set back because they are inserted in the grooves,
the visible margins and the visible widths of the strips have, as
seen from some distance away, an appearance analogous to the
appearance of tiling grouting recessed relative to the tiles.
[0016] In an advantageous embodiment, the shaped-section slat has a
front face and a back face respectively having the visible face and
the back face and interconnected by interconnecting webs, and the
grooves are formed by notches cut in the interconnecting webs.
[0017] When the slats are extruded, it is frequent for them to have
a front wall and a back wall interconnected by interconnecting
webs. In the invention, the slats extruded in this way can be cut
to the desired lengths and, in order to form the grooves, it is
necessary merely to cut notches in the interconnecting webs on the
transverse edges of the slats. The notches can be formed very
easily by means of a cutting tool of the milling cutter type, the
position and actuation of which are adjusted so that the notches
are formed immediately underneath the front wall of the slat.
[0018] In an advantageous configuration, the device comprises a
plurality of analogous shaped-section slats and a sheet of assembly
strips, said sheet being formed of assembly strips interconnected
by pre-cut means making it possible to separate the strips from one
another.
[0019] This configuration makes it possible for the slats to be
packaged easily for the purpose of selling them. All of the slats
can be cut to the same length or else they can be cut to different
lengths, and their transverse edges are provided with the
above-mentioned grooves. The assembly strips can be formed by
extruding assembly sheets having score lines which form said
pre-cut means. A strip is then formed between two score lines, and
the strips can be separated from one another by manually breaking
up the sheet along the score lines, or else by cutting it up using
a tool operated by the final user and guided by the score
lines.
[0020] The invention will be well understood and its advantages
will appear more clearly on reading the following detailed
description of an embodiment shown by way of non-limiting example.
The description is given with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a cross-section view of a shaped-section slat that
is part of a device of the invention;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal-section view showing how two
shaped-section slats are assembled together via their respective
longitudinal edges;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a cross-section view showing how two
shaped-section slats are assembled together via their respective
longitudinal edges;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a shaped-section slat that is part
of the device of the invention;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of a sheet made up of a
plurality of assembly strips; and
[0026] FIG. 6 shows an assembly of a plurality of shaped-section
boards on a support such as a wall.
[0027] The shaped-section slat 1 in FIG. 1 has a front wall 10 and
a back wall 12 interconnected by interconnecting webs 14. By
convention, the visible face 10A of the slat is the front face of
the front wall, while the back face 12A is the back face of the
back wall 12. The first longitudinal edge 16A of the slat has male
assembly means 18 while the second longitudinal edge 16B has female
assembly means 20.
[0028] In the plan view of FIG. 4, the visible face 10A is disposed
on the top and it can be seen that the male assembly means 18 are
in the form of a continuous tongue along the length of the
shaped-section slat, while the female assembly means are in the
form of a groove formed under said visible face, along the
longitudinal edge 16B of the slat, in which groove the tongue of
the male assembly means can be disposed.
[0029] The male assembly means are connected to the visible face
10A via an intermediate zone 17 which has a visible margin 2 set
back relative to the visible face 10A. The visible margin 22 is a
plane margin that is substantially parallel to the visible face 10A
and that remains visible when the male assembly means are inserted
in the female assembly means of another, adjacent slat, as can be
seen in FIG. 3. As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 3, the male
assembly means 18 are connected to the visible margin 22 by a riser
24 (or step) formed at an undercut angle (for example, the undercut
angle a relative to a direction D perpendicular to the plane of the
visible margin is about 300). The visible margin 22 is also
connected to the visible face 10A of the slat via a step 23 or
riser.
[0030] As can be seen in FIG. 3 for the shaped-section slat 1' to
which the shaped-section slat 1 provided with the male assembly
means 18 is connected, the female assembly means 20 are connected
to the visible face 10'A via a setback having an overhanging
(re-entering) nose 26. As a result, the contact between the slats 1
and 1' takes place over zones of very small area, and thus forms a
clear-cut contact line. In addition, as seen from a direction D
perpendicular to the visible faces of the slats, the top edge 26A
of the overhanging nose 26 masks the edge of the visible margin 22.
When looking at the slats in the direction D, it is not possible to
discern the zones of interruption between the slats, but rather it
is merely observed that the visible margin 22 is set back relative
to the visible faces 10A and 10'A, setbacks being formed along the
two longitudinal edges of the visible margin.
[0031] Behind the intermediate zone 17, the back face 12A has a
set-back portion 12B and a projection 12C. The projection 12C rests
on the tab 12' which is part of the shaped-section slat 1' and
which is formed at the edge 16'B of said shaped-section slat, under
the groove 20 of the female assembly means of which said tab
defines the bottom. Thus, the projection 12C can rest on the tab
12' while making provision for the back faces of both of the slats
1 and 1' to rest on the same bearing plane P. By means of the
set-back zone 12B, an empty space 13 remains above the tab 12',
which makes it possible for the zone 17 to be moved to a small
extent, so that it can be positioned correctly relative to the slat
1'.
[0032] As can be seen in FIG. 3, the male assembly means 18 do not
quite reach the end wall of the groove 20 because the contact
between slats takes place via the edge of the visible margin and
the above-mentioned overhanging nose. Similarly, the tab 12' does
not come into contact with the setbacks 13' from which the set-back
portion 12B is formed. The set-back portion and the projection 12C
are disposed in succession in the direction going towards the
tongue 18.
[0033] The shaped-section slat 1 has two transverse edges,
respectively 28A and 28B, each of which is provided with an
assembly groove. More precisely, and as seen in FIG. 2, the
transverse edge 28A has a groove 30. The opposite transverse edge
is provided with an analogous groove. FIG. 2 shows how the slat 1
is assembled with another, analogous slat 1", via their respective
transverse edges 28A, 28"B, situated facing each other. It can be
seen that the transverse edge 28"B of the slat 1" is provided with
a groove 30" analogous to the groove 30.
[0034] An assembly strip 32 is inserted in the grooves 30 and 30".
In this situation, it can be seen that it reaches the end walls of
the grooves but that a middle portion 32A of said strip remains
visible, from the side on which the visible faces 10A and 10"A of
the two slats are situated. Preferably, the width a of said portion
32A is substantially equal to the width b of the visible margin 22
which can be seen when the slats 1 and 1' are assembled together as
shown in FIG. 3. For this purpose, when the strip is inserted in
the groove 30, it projects from said groove over a width
substantially equal to the sum of the width b of the visible margin
plus the depth of the other groove 30" in the other, analogous
slat. Considering the same slat, the grooves 30 in its two
transverse edges can have the same depth, or different depths. What
is important is that the width of the strip is determined
accordingly. When referring above to the depths of the grooves 30,
30", the important concept is actually the depth to which the strip
32 penetrates into the grooves, which penetration depth can be
limited by abutments other than then end walls of the grooves (e.g.
steps formed on the strip).
[0035] Advantageously, the thickness e of the slats, between the
groove 30 and the visible face 10A over the transverse edges of the
slat (see FIG. 2) is substantially equal to the depth E of the
set-back between the visible face 10A and the visible margin 22
over the first longitudinal edge of the slat. Thus, when various
slats are assembled together, the visible portions 32A of the
strips 32 and the visible margins 22 are situated substantially in
the same plane parallel to the bearing plane of the slats, so that
the visible potions of the strips and of the visible margins look
like grouting between tiles.
[0036] In this example, the shaped-section slat is not a solid
slat, but rather the interconnecting webs impart apparent thickness
to it. In order to form the grooves, it is necessary merely to cut
out notches in the interconnecting webs 14 as can be seen in FIG.
2. As can also be seen in FIG. 2, the grooves 30 are advantageously
formed immediately underneath the front wall 10 of the slat. In
other words, over a small thickness corresponding to the thickness
of the groove 30, only the tops of the interconnecting webs 40 that
connect said webs to the wall 10 are cut off. In which case, the
depth E of the set-back between the visible margin 22 and the
visible face 10A is itself substantially equal to the thickness of
the wall 10. In the regions of the corners formed between the
transverse edges and the first longitudinal edge 16A of the margin,
the male assembly means and the grooves 30 meet. Under these
circumstances, as can be seen in FIG. 4, the grooves 30 locally
remove the ends of the visible margin, the bottoms of the grooves
being situated substantially in the same plane as the top face 18A
of the tongue 18, which face is the face that faces towards the
visible face 10A.
[0037] The assembly strips can have a length substantially equal to
the width L of the slat 1, as measured between its longitudinal
edge on which the male assembly means are situated and the free
edge of the visible margin 22, or else it can have a longer length.
In which case, it is possible to assemble together a plurality of
groups of slats with the same strip.
[0038] However, as can be seen in FIG. 6, the invention makes it
possible to assemble together shaped-section slats by offsetting
them relative to one another in the length direction. This avoids
giving the assembly a monotonous appearance. For example, it can be
seen that the slat 1 is assembled to a slat 1' over its
longitudinal edge, while it is assembled to the slat 1" via a
transverse edge, and while the transverse edge of the slat 1' is
substantially in the middle of the length of the slat 1. The join
zones between the various slats are formed by the visible margins
22 and by the visible portions 32A of the strips, which margins and
portions have substantially the same width (thickness of the "false
grouting") and lie substantially in the same plane, set back
relative to the plane of the visible faces of the slats as
connected together.
[0039] Preferably, the strips and the visible margins have the same
decoration, which can be the same as the decoration on the visible
faces of the slats or that can be slightly different therefrom. For
example, the slats can be printed and varnished with a pattern
reproducing a particular appearance, e.g. the appearance of stone
or of wood, while the visible margins and the strips can be plain,
in order to look like grouting. Insofar as the visible margins are
set back relative to the visible faces, it is easy to ensure that,
while the visible faces of the slats are being decorated, the
decoration is not also applied to the visible margins. As for the
strips, they are manufactured separately, and decorating them poses
no difficulty.
[0040] FIG. 5 shows a sheet 34 of assembly strips 32 which are
interconnected by pre-cut means formed by score lines 33.
Advantageously, in the regions of the score lines, the edges of the
strips are slightly beveled or rounded so as to make it easier to
insert them into the grooves 30 in the slats.
* * * * *