U.S. patent application number 11/062551 was filed with the patent office on 2006-08-24 for post trim system.
This patent application is currently assigned to GSW INC.. Invention is credited to Stephen R. Handley, Carlo L. Robb.
Application Number | 20060185270 11/062551 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36911126 |
Filed Date | 2006-08-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060185270 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Handley; Stephen R. ; et
al. |
August 24, 2006 |
Post trim system
Abstract
A component for forming a post wrap about a rectangular support
member comprises an elongate plastic extruded component having two
arms defining a generally "L" shaped cross section with an interior
corner rounded recess at a junction of said arms. One of said arms
includes a female connector extending the length of said arm and
the other arm includes a male connector at a free end thereof. The
male connector extends outwardly and at an angle to the other arm
and is sized for receipt in the female connector. The component
further includes a rounded corner transition joining the male
connector to the other arm with the rounded corner transition
forming a finished exterior surface of the component. Two of these
components can be placed about a post after it is secured in place
to provide a sleeve about the post. A trim frame can be provided to
provide a finished periphery about the sleeved post at a horizontal
surface.
Inventors: |
Handley; Stephen R.;
(Barrie, CA) ; Robb; Carlo L.; (Barrie,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Dennison Associates
Suite 301
133 Richmond Street West
Toronto
ON
M5H 2L7
CA
|
Assignee: |
GSW INC.
|
Family ID: |
36911126 |
Appl. No.: |
11/062551 |
Filed: |
February 23, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/169.14 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F 11/1814 20130101;
E04C 3/30 20130101; E04F 13/0733 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/169.14 |
International
Class: |
E02D 19/00 20060101
E02D019/00 |
Claims
1. A component for forming a post wrap about a rectangular support
member comprising an elongate plastic extruded component having two
arms defining a generally "L" shaped cross section with an interior
corner rounded recess at a junction of said arms, one of said arms
including a female connector extending the length of said arm and
the other arm including a male connector at a free end of said
other arm and extending in the length of said component, said male
connector extending outwardly and at an angle to said other arm and
sized for receipt in said female connector, said component further
including a rounded corner transition joining said male connector
to said other arm with said rounded corner transition forming a
finished exterior surface of said component.
2. A component as claimed in claim 1 wherein said male and female
connector are sized to be within the thickness of said arms.
3. A component as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of said arms
include at least two inwardly facing ribs intermediate the interior
corner and the ends of the respective arms, and wherein said
connectors are of a thickness within the thickness of said arms at
said inwardly facing ribs.
4. A component as claimed in claim 3 wherein said male connector
has a Christmas tree shape.
5. A component as claimed in claim 4 wherein said female connector
has a Christmas tree recess with a circular cavity at an interior
portion thereof and joining with said Christmas tree recess.
6. A component as claimed in claim 3 wherein said male connector is
elongate with a stepped edge profile defining a camming face and a
latching surface and said female connector has a recess for
receiving and retaining said male connector.
7. A post wrap comprising first and second extruded plastic
components forming an exterior surface about a structural member,
said first and second components cooperating to join with one
another forming a tube structure, each of said components having a
male connector along one longitudinal edge thereof that is received
and retained within a female connector provide along an opposite
longitudinal edge, said first and second components connecting with
one another to one side of a corner portion of said post wrap.
8. A post wrap as claimed in claim 7 wherein said first and second
components are of the same cross section.
9. A post wrap as claimed in claim 8 wherein said connectors
cooperate to form a generally rectangular post wrap.
10. A post wrap as claimed in claim 8 wherein each connector has an
outer surface defined by planar surfaces joined by rounded corner
portions and the interior surface of each connector has a stepped
cross section with at least two inwardly extending stand off ribs
running the length of each planar section and located intermediate
a width thereof.
11. A post wrap as claimed in claim 10 wherein each of said
connectors are formed within the thickness of the components
measured through the component at a standoff rib.
12. A post wrap as claimed in claim 12 wherein the maximum
thickness of said components is less than 0.25 inches.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to trim systems for posts and
in particular to a post wrap arrangement and a collar
arrangement.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] It is common with many building projects to use wood
products for both the vertical support structure as well as
horizontal support surfaces. Outdoor wood decks and fencing
projects typically use standard sized wood products such as a
4.times.4 post for vertical supports. More recently it has been
proposed to use plastic extruded products with respect to decking.
The advantage of a plastic extruded product is weather resistance
and quality control. In spite of the number of advantages
associated with plastic extruded building components, wood products
are often the material of choice particularly for home handyman
applications. Plastic systems continue to make in-roads and in some
cases a combination of different products are used such as a wood
deck in association with a plastic railing system.
[0003] Other products have used the traditional wood structure
member and provided an outer plastic sleeve thereabout. Often a
wood post such as a 4.times.4 post or 6.times.6 post is used and an
outer tubular sleeve is provided thereabout to define the exterior
surface. This extruded tube is of a thin walled section and slides
on the post prior to securing the post in place. The plastic
extruded tube provides the advantages of a weather resistant
surface while the user enjoys the convenience of working with
traditional wood products.
[0004] Although wood products are sold in standard sizes for
example 4.times.4 or 6.times.6 posts, variations occur in these
dimensions. Variations can occur due to different manufacturers of
the wood product, due to warpage of the wood product or the
presence of knots etc. This variation leads to difficulty in
producing a plastic sleeve that confirms to the wood post.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0005] The present invention provides a post sleeve system
comprising first and second extruded plastic components which are
connectable one to the other to form a tubular wrap about a
structural component such as a wood post. Preferably, each of these
components has a male connector along one longitudinal edge and a
female connector provided along an opposite longitudinal edge.
[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the first and second extruded
components are the same component and are connectable with one
another by reversing the orientation thereof.
[0007] In a preferred aspect of the invention, each extruded
plastic component has a thin profile male and female connector
which are positioned on opposite longitudinal edges of the
component. These connectors are of a relatively shallow thickness
allowing the overall thickness of the post sleeve to be relatively
low. The recess port for the female connector is several times
deeper than the width of the opening and the male connector has a
series of engaging surfaces along its length to improve the
mechanical connection. Preferably, the male and female connectors
are of a thickness less than 0.25 inches. Basically, the extruded
component includes a series of standoff ribs intermediate the
length of planar surfaces of the component and these ribs serve to
add strength as well as act as stand off faces along the planar
surface. These ribs are provided on the interior of the component
whereby the outer surface of the component is smooth. With this
arrangement and with a particular curved corner portion of reduced
thickness, the component has the ability to flex and accommodate
minor variations in the configurations of the post. The thin
profile male/female connector allows the post sleeve to be kept in
close proximity to outer faces of the post. The male/female
connector has a number of securing points and if necessary some
extensions of the sleeve is provided by using only the first
securing point without compromising securement.
[0008] The present invention is also directed to the component for
forming a post wrap. The component is an elongated plastic extruded
component having two arms defining a generally L-shaped cross
section with an interior rounded recess at the junction of the
arms. One of the arms includes a female connector extending the
length of the arm and the other arm includes a male connector at
the free end of the other arm. The male connector extends outwardly
at an angle to the other arm and is sized for receipt in the female
connector. The component further includes a rounded corner
transition joining the male connector to the other arm and the
rounded corner transition forms a finished exterior surface of the
component.
[0009] As previously noted, the component as outlined above is
reversible such that a post wrap can be formed by two of these
components.
[0010] Preferably, the interior rounded recess at the junction of
the arms is of reduced thickness. This structure acts like an
integral hinge.
[0011] Preferably, the male and female connectors are sized to be
within the thickness of the arms. In this way the component may be
used to wrap a post with the component lying in close proximity to
the surface of the post.
[0012] In a preferred aspect of the invention each of the arms
include at least two outwardly facing ribs intermediate the
interior and the ends of the respective arms. The connectors are of
a thickness within the thickness of the arms at the inwardly facing
ribs. Thus the arms of the component are of varying thickness and
the thickness of the arms between the ribs is reduced.
[0013] In yet a further aspect of the invention the male connector
is of an elongate Christmas tree shape and the female connector has
a similar shaped recess with a circular cavity at an interior
portion thereof to allow some flexing of the recess. The female
cavity basically has two arms which flex outwardly and resiliently
close either side of the male connector.
[0014] In yet a further aspect of the invention the post wrap is
used in combination with a mechanically connected collar provided
about the base of the post sleeve system and any top portion as may
be necessary. This basically provides a finished frame about the
post sleeve and hides any cut edges in the post sleeve.
[0015] In an aspect of the invention the mechanically connected
frame has four V-shaped sections of the same structure with the
V-shaped section having a male connector on one arm thereof and a
female connector on the other arm. The same frame component when
reversed positions the male component adjacent to the female
component for mechanical connection. Preferably this mechanical
connection is a female connector having a pair of resilient arms
joined at a circular recess and a male connector defined by a post
inserted between the resilient arms.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The above as well as other advantages and features of the
present invention will be described in greater detail according to
the preferred embodiments of the present invention in which;
[0017] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of the post sleeve
system;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a post sleeve secured about a
post;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a partial end view showing the male/female
connectors;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the post sleeve
system secured about a post with upper and lower trim frames;
[0021] FIG. 5 is a top view of a series of components of a trim
frame;
[0022] FIG. 6 is a top view of an assembled trim frame for a
4.times.4 post;
[0023] FIG. 7 is a top view of an assembled trim frame for a
5.times.5 post; and
[0024] FIGS. 8, 9, 10 and show details of the mechanical securement
of the trim frame components.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION ACCORDING TO THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE
PRESENT INVENTION IN WHICH
[0025] FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 show the post sleeve system 2 defined by
the two-piece post sleeve 4 and the post collars 6. As each of
these components are of a split configuration they can be applied
about a post once it is secured in place.
[0026] The post sleeve 4 comprises a reversible extruded component
8 which joins to a reversed like component due to a male connector
10 provided at one edge of the component which is received within a
narrow elongate female recess 12 provided on the opposite arm. The
component includes a first arm 14 and a second arm 16 joined by a
curved recess portion 18. Each of the arms 16 and 14 include
standoff ribs 20 which are of a thicker section with the stand off
ribs joins by thinned portions 22. The second arm 16 is of a
slightly reduced width with respect to arm 14 as the male connector
includes a small transition segment that extends arm 16 when the
male connector is joined with the female connector.
[0027] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the standoff rib 20 and the
thickness of the female recess 12 are approximately the same
whereby the male and female connector are elongate but relatively
thin to lie within the thickness of the arms when the components
are in their final assembled condition. The preferred thickness is
less than 0.25 inches. The male connector 10 preferably has a
Christmas tree shape and is generally perpendicular to the arm 14.
It is connected to the arm 14 by a curved corner recess 24 which
forms a corner of the post sleeve. The exterior surface of the
extruded component 8 is smooth to provide a pleasing outer
appearance.
[0028] The standoff ribs 20 have angled walls to blend into the
thinned portions 22. This helps to avoid sink lines on the smooth
outer surface of the post sleeve.
[0029] Details of the male and female connectors are shown in FIG.
3. Once again, the female connector 12 includes a symmetrical
recess 26 which is of a greater depth than width. This recess has
the Christmas tree configuration for engagement with the male
connector 10 and has a series of cam surfaces 28 either side
thereof and engagement surfaces 30. It is preferred that this
recess 26 is symmetrical to provide mechanical connection on both
sides of the recess 26. At the inner most portion of the recess a
cylindrical cavity 32 joins with the elongate recess and provides a
resilient flexing of the arms 34 and 36 of the female connector.
Several securing points are provided to allow limited extension of
the sleeve, if necessary while still achieving positive
securement.
[0030] The male connector 10 has been spaced to one side of the
curved corner 24 to allow this corner portion to be of reduced
thickness. Basically, the male/female connection requires a certain
thickness and this thickness has been reduced by shifting the
connection to one side of the corner portion 26 and by elongating
the male and female connectors. There can often be some variation
in the corner of a wood post and therefore it is desired to provide
some additional tolerance to the interior of the post sleeve as
shown in FIG. 2 where the curved portions 18 and 24 are offset from
the corners 13 of the post 15.
[0031] The male connector is spaced to one side of the corner
portion 26 to also assist in ease of securement. The end user can
push the male connector into the female recess which are aligned
with the arm 16. This orientation of the connection is easier than
a corner connection.
[0032] The assembled post sleeve and collars are shown in FIG.
4.
[0033] Once the post sleeve 4 has been applied about the post 15 it
is desirable to provide a trim frame 60 about a bottom junction
point and a top junction point. The top junction point could be a
top rail or it could be a top beam. The bottom collars is typically
provided at a deck or support surface level.
[0034] FIGS. 5 through 7 show the multi-piece frame 60 for
securement about a post. The frame 60 in its smallest configuration
has four components 64 which cooperate and interlock with each
other to form the frame 65 shown in FIG. 6. This frame could be for
a 4.times.4 post. The component 64 forms a corner portion of the
frame. A male connector 66 is provided on one arm 67 and a female
fork connector 68 is provided on the arm 69. Basically the female
connector 68 includes two spring arms 70 and 71 which spring
outwardly and engage the center post 72 of the male connector. This
center post is spaced slightly upwardly from a support surface such
that the arms can spring inwardly and lock with the bottom surface
of the post. The two female arms have a common connection at the
rounded transition 75 that engages the opposite rounded edge 77 of
the post 72. This provides positive vertical support of the joined
components 64 to each other to maintain alignment. Also the length
of the two arms 70 and 71 of the female connector 68 are such to
terminate at the approximate level of the support surface 73 of the
component 64.
[0035] The male connector also includes the outwardly shifted
flange 82 which is spaced from the vertical edge 84 of the
component the thickness of the two spring arms 70 and 71. Thus the
spring arms 70 and 71 are captured between the flange 82 and
vertical edge 84 and the connection cannot pull apart as the spring
arms are locked in position. This connection provides a positive
locking of one frame component to the other while maintaining
alignment of the top surfaces of the members to reduce the
visibility of the seam therebetween.
[0036] In the preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 5 the frame can
be provided with additional spacer elements 90 also having a
male/female connector which act as extensions for the trim frame.
In this way the trim frame can be adjusted in length for
accommodating different structures. For example, a 4.times.4 frame
and a 5.times.5 frame can be formed as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. A
different length spacer or additional spacer can be provided for a
6.times.6 post.
[0037] A two-piece frame 80 is shown in FIG. 11 where each section
82 is of a generally U-shape. In this structure only 2 mechanical
connections 84 are required.
[0038] The particular mechanical fastener used with this frame is
also useful for connecting of other plastic molded components for
decking and railing systems. It is found to be particularly strong
connection of the components such that they cannot separate in the
longitudinal direction while providing positive locking thereof due
to the spring arms as well as providing common support surface such
that the components remain in alignment. In this way the visibility
of seams between components is reduced.
[0039] Although various preferred embodiments of the present
invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by
those skilled in the art that variations may be made without
departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the
appended claims.
* * * * *