Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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POST TRIM SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
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
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 4x4 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.
Other products have used the traditional wood
structure member and provided an outer plastic sleeve
thereabout. Often a wood post such as a 4x4 post or 6x6
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.
Although wood products are sold in standard sizes
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for example 4x4 or 6x6 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
The present invention provides a post sleeve
system comprisinq 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.
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.
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 .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
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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 usinq only the first securing point without
compromising securement.
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 arri and the other arm includes a male
connector at the free end of the other arm. The male
connector extend:; 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.
As previously noted, the component as outlined
above is reversible such that a post wrap can be formed
by two of these components.
Preferably, the interior rounded recess at the
junction of the arms is of reduced thickness. This
structure acts like an integral hinge.
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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.
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.
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.
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 portlon as may be necessary. This basically
provides a finished frame about the post sleeve and hides
any cut edges in the post sleeve.
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 ma=Le component adjacent to the female
component for mechanical connection. Preferably this
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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
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;
Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of the post
sleeve system;
Figure 2 is a sectional view of a post sleeve
secured about a post;
Figure 3 is a partial end view showing the
male/female connectors;
Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of the post
sleeve system secured about a post with upper and lower
trim frames;
Figure 5 is a top view of a series of components
of a trim frame;
Figure 6 is a top view of an assembled trim frame
for a 4x4 post;
Figure 7 is a top view of an assembled trim frame
for a 5x5 post; and
Figures 8, 9, 10 and show details of the
mechanical securement of the trim frame components.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION ACCORDING TO THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
OF THE PRESENT INVENTION IN WHICH:
Figures 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.
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 short arm 23 forming a small
transition segment that extends arm 16 when the male
connector is joined with the female connector. The short
arm 23 is connected to the second arm 16 by the cured
corner 24 having a shape corresponding to the curved
portion 18. The short arm includes an abutment face 25 for
engaging the end of the female connector and spacing it
from the curved corner 24.
As shown in Figures 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 .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
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extruded component 8 is smooth to provide a pleasing outer
appearance.
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.
Details of the male and female connectors are shown
in Figure 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.
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 Figure 2 where the curved portions
18 and 24 are offset from the corners 13 of the post 15.
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
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of the connection is easier than a corner connection.
The assembled post sleeve and collars are shown in
Figure 4.
The male connector 10 is spaced from the curved
corner 24 by a short arm 23. The short arm 23 is of a
thickness to act as a standoff rib projecting inwardly.
The connector 10 is centered on an abutment face 25 of the
short arm 23 and is of a thickness less than the thickness
of the short arm. A free end of the female recess 12 abuts
with the abutment face 25. The short arm 23 and the female
connector are of a similar thickness that corresponds to
the standoff ribs 20 and act as standoff ribs.
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 collar is typically provided at a deck or
support surface level.
Figures 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
Figure 6. This frame could be for a 4x4 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
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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.
The male connector also includes the outwardly
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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.
In the preferred embodiment as shown in Figure 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 4x4 frame and a 5x5
frame can be forrned as shown in Figures 6 and 7. A
different length spacer or additional spacer can be
provided for a 6x6 post.
A two-piece frame 80 is shown in Figure 11 where
each section 82 is of a generally U-shape. In this
structure only 2 mechanical connections 84 are required.
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 part__cularly 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.
Although various preferred embodiments of the
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present inventio:ri 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.
