U.S. patent number 3,696,857 [Application Number 05/108,456] was granted by the patent office on 1972-10-10 for panel and frame assembly.
Invention is credited to Frank M. Le Tarte.
United States Patent |
3,696,857 |
Le Tarte |
October 10, 1972 |
PANEL AND FRAME ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A panel and frame assembly and method for producing same in
which the frame is provided with a longitudinally extending channel
facing the area to be panelled. The panel is secured by a strip
extending longitudinally of the frame and engaging the channel in
snap-fitting relationship. In securing solid panels in the frame,
the strip is secured in the channel by a cam-locking relationship
between the strip and the frame. The strip has three distinct
spring actions in which two portions of the strip act as separate
compression springs, while another portion acts as a tension
spring. In securing fabric panels into the frame, the spring and
cam actions are the same as in securing solid panels. Additionally,
the portion of the strip which acts as the cam-lock engages the
fabric.
Inventors: |
Le Tarte; Frank M. (Smith
Creek, MI) |
Family
ID: |
22322331 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/108,456 |
Filed: |
January 21, 1971 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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799579 |
Feb 17, 1969 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
160/371; 52/773;
160/395; 52/775; 160/403 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E06B
3/5821 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E06B
3/58 (20060101); E06b 009/24 () |
Field of
Search: |
;160/371,383,391-395,397,399,403 ;52/502,401,475 ;49/466,463 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Williamowsky; David J.
Assistant Examiner: Kannan; Philip C.
Parent Case Text
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser.
No. 799,579, Filed Feb. 17, 1969.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In combination, a frame enclosing an area to be panelled, a
panel and a strip for securing said panel to said frame, said frame
having a channel defined by a first surface portion facing the area
to be panelled, a lip projecting from one edge of said surface
portion toward the area to be panelled and a second surface portion
facing said lip and projecting at an acute angle from the other
edge of said first surface portion, said channel receiving a
portion of said strip, said received portion of said strip
cooperating with said lip and said portions of said channel to
define compression cam-lock means, said strip including a resilient
portion of Y-shaped cross-section, the two legs of said Y defining
first compression spring means and the stem of said Y and one leg
thereof defining second compression spring means, and another
resilient portion of V-shaped cross-section defining tension spring
means and comprising the stem of said Y whereby said tension spring
means engages said panel and compresses both of said compression
spring means to urge said cam-lock means into locking condition in
said frame.
2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said panel
comprises a solid panel.
3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said panel
comprises a fabric panel, and wherein said channel includes a slot
in said first surface thereof, said slot extending longitudinally
of said frame and having a transverse dimension extending away from
the area to be panelled, the terminal edges of said fabric panel
extending into said slot, said first compression spring means
resiliently engaging said panel.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method of panelling a frame and the
resulting assembly, and more particularly to a method of securing a
panel in a frame by means of an elongated strip snapped into a
channel facing the area to be panelled. The strip has a unique
cross-sectional contour in which one cross-sectional portion of the
strip snaps into the channel and co-operates with the frame to
define a cam-lock securing the strip to the frame, and two portions
of the strip, as viewed in cross-section, act as compression
springs while another portion of the strip, as viewed in
cross-section, acts as a tension spring. When the strip is employed
to secure fabric panels, the cam-lock portion additionally engages
and locks the fabric between the strip and the frame. The strip is
preferably formed from plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride, and has
a generally "Y" shaped cross-section in which two legs of the "Y"
form a compression spring; one of the legs and a portion of the
stem of the "Y" form a second compression spring; and the other of
the legs and the entire cross-section of the stem form a tension
spring.
The frame, as viewed in cross-section, is provided with a generally
"L" shaped channel having a base or foot portion which faces the
area to be panelled. This foot portion is bounded on one edge by a
stem portion including a longitudinally extending inclined surface
and a terminal portion in the form of a flat surface substantially
perpendicular relative to the base portion. The terminal portion
provides a bearing or resting surface for the panel. The foot
portion is bounded on the opposite edge by a lip portion lying in
the plane containing the frame facing and projecting toward the
area to be panelled.
In one embodiment, the channel includes a recess or slot extending
longitudinally of the frame. The slot is in the foot portion of the
channel and has a transverse dimension extending away from the area
to be panelled. This slot aides the fastening of fabric by
receiving the terminal edges or margins of the fabric. Positioning
the fabric in this manner assures that the fabric will be lockingly
engaged between the cam-lock portion of the strip and the frame
when the strip is snapped in position. Advantageously, both frame
and strip embodiments are capable of receiving and anchoring solid
and fabric panels in a range of thicknesses. Also advantageously,
one edge of the strip is a portion of one of the compression
springs and resiliently engages the panel. This plastic strip
permits forces on the panel to partially compress the compression
spring and thus impart a certain limited resilience to the panel.
This apparent resilience reduces the possibility of damage to the
panel due to blows or pressures such as are produced by children
and small animals. One of the particular advantages of this
combination is that with fiberglass screen panels, the resilience
of the strip is imparted to the fabric and obviates the principle
disadvantage of fiber-glass, namely, its relative inelasticity. An
advantage of this compression spring-frame slot co-operation is
that it permits the strip to co-operate with frames having varying
tolerances of slot dimensions. This occurs, for example, when the
frame is made from extruded metal, such as aluminum, and the
extrusion die becomes worn.
These and various other objects, features and advantages of the
invention will be more clearly understood from the reading of the
detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the
drawings in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of the door embodying the
invention;
FIG. 2 is a view in section, to an enlarged scale, taken along the
lines 2--2 of FIG. 1 and rotated 90.degree. clockwise;
FIG. 3 is a view in section, to the same scale as FIG. 2, taken
along the lines 3--3 of FIG. 1 and rotated 90.degree.
clockwise;
FIG. 4 is a view in section, to the same scale as FIGS. 2 and 3,
taken along the lines 4--4 of FIG. 1 and rotated 90.degree.
clockwise; and
FIGS. 5 through 7 are isometric views of plastic strips shown in
FIGS. 2 through 4, to an enlarged scale relative to FIGS. 2 through
4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings, there is depicted in FIG. 1, a
closure member in which, in this particular instance, is a door 10
including a master frame member 12 having a top mullion bar 14, and
a bottom mullion bar 16. The door also includes three types of
panels, namely, a glass plate 18, a screen or fabric 20, and a kick
plate 22, each of which is secured in position by four lengths of a
plastic fastening strip 24, extending peripherally of, and snapped
into identically cross-sectioned channels 23 in frame member 12,
and mullion bars 14 and 16. Mullion bar 14 includes a similar
channel 23-A for receiving strip 24. FIG. 2 is a view in section,
taken along the lines 2--2 of FIG. 1, to an enlarged scale and
showing a resilient strip snapped into channel 23 in the frame, and
resiliently holding a screen panel in the frame. As viewed in
cross-section, the plastic strip 24 is generally "Y" shaped in
which one elongated portion 25 and another elongated portion 26
define legs of the "Y" and in which the remaining portion 27 is an
angularly disposed stem portion of the "Y." The stem portion 27 can
be considered as being divided into two portions, a first portion
28 connected to and angularly depending from legs 25, 26 and a
second portion 29 angularly depending from first portion 28.
Advantageously, legs 25 and 26 co-operate to define a compression
spring. Leg 25 and first stem portion 28 define another compression
spring. Legs 25 and 26 co-operate with surfaces in channel 23 to
define a cam-locking engagement, as will be subsequently described.
The entire stem portion 27 and leg 26 effectively define a tension
spring which will also be subsequently described in detail.
FIG. 3 is a view in section which shows the master frame 12, a
fragmentary portion of the glass 18 and plastic strip 24 snapped
into a generally "L" shaped frame channel 23 in which strip 24
resiliently holds glass 18 in master frame 12. In this particular
instance, master frame 12 is a hollow extrusion which may be
quickly and economically produced from any readily extrudable
metal, such as aluminum. It is not essential, however, that the
master frame be formed of aluminum, for it may, in fact, be formed
from wood or any other convenient construction material.
The "L" shaped channel 23 in master frame 12 includes a pair of
surfaces 33, 34 separated by an intervening slot 35. Surface 34
faces perpendicularly relative to the area covered by glass panel
18. The channel surfaces 33 and 34 form the base or foot of the
"L." Surface 34 is bounded by an outer lip 40, lying in the plane
of the door facing and projecting substantially perpendicularly
inwardly toward the panelled area or glass panel 18. The edge of
surface 33 is remote from lip 40 and is connected to the stem of
the "L" which includes a surface 42 projecting at an acute angle
relative to the edge of surface 33 and a flat terminal portion 43
positioned normally to surface 34 and defines a bearing surface for
the solid or fabric panel.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view, in section, taken along the lines
4--4 of FIG. 1 to an enlarged scale and showing mullion bar 14
having a kick-plate panel 22 resiliently held thereon by means of
resilient strip 24 snapped into a channel 23-A and also having a
screen panel 20 resiliently supported thereon by a second plastic
strip 24 snapped into channel 23. The upper portion of FIG. 4 shows
mullion 14 as having a panel supporting surface 50 depending
therefrom and connected thereto by an angularly disposed surface
52. Mullion 14 includes a surface 54 facing kick-plate 22 and
terminating in a lip portion 56 which projects from the mullion 14
in a plane parallel to the plane containing kick-plate 22. From
this view, it is seen that only the edge of strip portion 29 of the
stem portion 27 engages kick-plate 22 over all of its length, and
that the tension spring defined by stem portion 29, stem portion 28
and arm portion 26 is under substantial stress. The edge of arm
portion 26 is wedged against surface 52 and does not reach surface
54. Thus this edge of arm portion 26 is able to move toward surface
54 if surface 52 is nearer to lip 56, as occurs when the surfaces
of the extrusion die wears and the wall behind surface 52 and the
lip 56 becomes thicker. Also, the compression spring defined by
arms 25 and 26 of strip 24 is somewhat compressed. The strip can be
manually installed without the use of tools or with the assistance
of a hand tool, such as a screwdriver. Specifically, finger
pressure can be applied to ridge 57, defining the junction of stem
portions 28, 29. Alternatively, a screwdriver blade may be pressed
into the "V" defined by stem portion 28 and arm 25. In either
instance, arm portion 26 slides downwardly along surface 52 toward
surface 54 until the edge of arm portion 25 snaps beneath lip 56.
When this occurs, a cam-locking relationship exists between strip
24, lip 56 and surface 52. A similar situation occurs when the
strip 24 is inserted in the lower portion of mullion 14 to retain
screen panel 20.
In the right-hand portion of FIG. 4, it is seen that the mullion
bar 14 contains a channel 23 similar in cross-section to the
channel in master frame 12 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this channel,
a plastic strip 24 is resiliently mounted to retain screen panel 20
resiliently against mullion 14 in a manner similar to the
engagement of strip 24 in the master frame 12 of FIG. 2. The
compression spring defined by arms 25 and 26 provides a resilient
engagement between the frame and the screen panel 20 and also
diminishes the requirement for critical tolerances in the width of
this channel.
FIGS. 5 through 7 are isometric views of plastic strip 24, to an
enlarged scale relative to FIGS. 2 through 4. In FIG. 7, the edge
59 of strip 24 is mitered and the arm portion 26 is notched at
surfaces 60, 62 so that strip 24 may terminate in a mitered corner
snugly fitting with a second mitered strip 24 to define a
substantially fluid-tight corner. The notch defined by surfaces 60,
62 permits the strip to extend over the junction defined by the
mullion bar 14 and the frame member 12.
In FIG. 5, strip 24 is shown in perspective in its unstressed
state, to an enlarged scale relative to FIGS. 2 through 4. Strip 24
is generally "Y" shaped in cross-section (the "Y" is rotated
180.degree. clockwise relative to an upright position). It is the
relative thickness of the connecting apex portions such as along
ridge 57 and the junction of arms 25, 26 which controls the spring
tension of the strip 24 on panels 18, 20 and 22. In the instance of
the screen, resilient engagement between the plastic strip, the
screen and the frame member is produced to prevent the screen
member from being pulled loose from the frame while permitting
limited movement of the screen as a result of pressure or impacts.
Thus, fiberglass panels may be employed and they will exhibit the
resilience produced by the strip 24.
While several illustrative embodiments of the invention have been
described in detail, it is understood that the concepts thereof may
be utilized in various ways, numerous modifications and alterations
being contemplated, it being understood that the embodiment shown
in the drawing is given merely for the purpose of explanation and
illustrating without intending to limit the scope of the claims to
the specific details involved.
* * * * *