Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02880045 2015-01-26
CONSTRUCTION SAFETY SCREEN SYSTEM
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This non-provisional patent application is based on provisional
patent application
serial no. 61/931,181 filed on January 24, 2014.
Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to safety screens for use during
building
construction and, more particularly, safety screens for preventing
construction workers from
falling from edges of building precipices.
Discussion of the Related Art
[0003] Current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
safety standards
require temporary installment of protective rails at building construction
sites for preventing
construction workers from falling from edges of building precipices, including
windows,
balconies, stair wells and elevator shafts. Generally, an arrangement of two-
by-four boards is
nailed and/or fastened to the deck (e.g., slab) to support a top horizontal
rail at forty-two inches
high in order to at least partially obstruct the opening in order to prevent
construction workers
from accidentally falling. A significant disadvantage of this well known
practice is the limited
coverage of the opening, and limited protection provided by the 42 inch high
protective rail.
Consequently, this widely used method minimizes accidental falls but does not
prevent them.
[0004] While other safety practices utilizing restraints for preventing
accidental falls
have been developed, they have largely remained unused in the construction
industry for various
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, practical reasons. One example of an attempt to address the problems
associated with presently
used 42" protective rails can be found in U.S. Patent No. 6,758,306, which
discloses a
construction safety screen that is securable about worker-area precipices.
However, the '306
construction safety screen requires a variety of different fasteners, which
are not adapted for use
with commonly used tools and can be costly and complicated to install.
Moreover, the '306
construction safety screen includes a net border that is size-specific and
limits flexible use with
different sized openings.
[0005] Accordingly, there remains a need for a construction safety screen
system that is
easy to install and which provides complete floor to ceiling coverage for
preventing accidental
falls.
Objects and Advantages of the Invention
[0006] Considering the foregoing, it is a primary object of the present
invention to
provide a construction safety screen system for preventing accidental falls
from edges of
building precipices.
[0007] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
construction safety
screen system that is adjustable for accommodating different sized openings.
[0008] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
construction safety
screen system that is re-usable.
[0009] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
construction safety
screen system that is lightweight and durable.
[0010] It yet a further object of the present invention to provide a
construction safety
screen system that can be quickly and easily installed and removed using
standard tools.
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400111 These and other objects and advantages of the present invention
are more readily
apparent with reference to the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Summary of the Invention
[0012] The present invention is directed to a construction safety screen
system including
a flexible net member sized to cover an opening of a building, a plurality of
straps attached to the
flexible net member, and a plurality of snap hooks each being securable to the
distal end of one
of the plurality of straps and to one of a plurality of fasteners attached to
the concrete building
structure surrounding the opening.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0013] For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention,
reference should
be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying
drawings in which:
[0014] Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the construction safety
screen system of the
present invention affixed to the opposing side walls, ceiling and floor
portions of a building edge
surrounding a wall opening;
[0015] Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the construction safety
screen system of the
present invention affixed to the opposing side walls and floor portions of a
building edge
surrounding a wall opening;
[0016] Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the construction safety
screen system of the
present invention horizontally affixed to opposing concrete slab portions of a
building edge
surrounding a floor opening; and
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[0017] Figure 4 is an isolated side elevational view, shown in
partical cross-section,
. illustrating a fastener in connection with an oval snap hook.
[0018] Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the
several views of the
drawings.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments
[0019] Throughout the several views of the drawings, the construction
safety screen
system of present invention is shown and is generally indicated as 10.
[0020] Referring initially to Figure 1, the construction safety screen
system 10 includes a
flexible net member 12 sized to cover an opening 100, such as a wall opening,
at the edge of a
building precipice, a plurality of straps 14 attached to the flexible net
member 12, a plurality of
fasteners 16, such as masonry fasteners, each being structured to be anchored
to a building edge
surrounding the opening 100, and a plurality of oval snap hooks 18 each being
securable to the
distal end of one of the plurality of straps 14 and to one of the plurality of
fasteners 16 attached
to a building edge 102 surrounding the opening 100. In one embodiment of the
construction
safety screen system 10, each of the plurality of straps 14 is adjustable for
allowing a user to pull
the flexible net member 12 taut between the edges of the opening 100, thereby
permitting the net
member 12 to be adjusted to accomodate the size of a particular opening 100.
The spacing
between fasteners 16 is dependent upon the tension and shear values between
the fastener and
the specific type of substrate (e.g., concrete slab; concrete masonry unit) to
which the fastener 16
is secured.
[0021] The flexible net member 12 is surrounded by a flexible frame
border 20 made
from a resilient, flexible material, such as nylon rope. The flexible net
member 12 is made from
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g resilient, flexible material, such as polypropelyne, and may be arranged in
a pattern within the
flexible frame border 20 leaving gaps 23 between individual segments 21 of the
resilient, flexible
material. The gaps in net member 12 serve to permit flow of wind therethrough
for avoiding
wind resistance hazards. Moreover, the gaps between individual segments 21 of
the resilient,
flexible material are sufficiently sized to prevent passage of an individual's
body. In one
embodiment, the flexible net member 12 includes individual segments 21 of
resilient, flexible
material aligned in a 2" x 2" grid.
[0022] Still referring to Figure 1, the fasteners 16 are installable to
the ceiling and floor
portions, typically made from concrete slabs 101, of the building edge of a
wall opening 100
using a standard electrically powered drill.
[0023] Referring to Figure 2, the construction safety screen system 10
may be secured to
edges 102 of opposing sidewalls at an opening 100 using fasteners 16 in
connection with straps
14. As further shown in Figure 2, a wire 22 may be used as an attachment point
for securing a
side of the net member 12. A turnbuckle 24 in connection with wire 22 is used
for adjusting the
tension of the wire 22 after installation of the wire 22. A plurality of snap
hooks 18 each in
connection with one of a plurality of straps 14 are releasably securable to
the wire 22. Use of a
wire 22 is ideal for instances wherein there is no ceiling portion to which a
fastener 16 can be
secured to or wherein the ceiling structure is considerably high (e.g., 25'
ceiling) or not suitable
for securing a fastener 16 to (e.g., scaffolding or cat walk structure).
[0024] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a kick plate 26 (as required by OSHA
standards) is
installable above the floor portion to which the fasteners 16 are secured. One
or more apertures
28 are included along the length of the kick plate 26 to permit passage
therethrough of one of the
plurality of straps 14, which is secured to a respective fastener 16 by a snap
hook 18.
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ad
, [0025] Referring to Figure 3, a net member 12 may be horizontally affixed
to opposing
concrete slab portions of a building edge surrounding a floor opening. For
example, exposed
roof and floor openings during construction can be fully covered by a net
member 12 to prevent
a worker from falling through the opening. As shown in Figure 3, the fasteners
16 must be
installed at a sufficient distance away from the opening to permit overlap of
the net member 12
relative to the concrete slab 100 in order to complete cover the exposed
opening.
[0026] Referring to Figure 4, a fastener 16 is shown in conjunction with a
snap hook 18.
In one embodiment, the fasteners 16 are 1/4" diameter, 1-3/4" long fasteners
and the snap hooks
18 are 1/4" diameter oval snap hooks.
[0027] Each of the net member 12, plurality of straps 14, plurality of
fasteners 16, and
plurality of snap hooks 18 are re-usable, making the construction safety
screen system 10 of the
present invention cost efficient.
[0028] The construction safety screen system 10 is designed to meet and
exceed the
standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
standards for
temporary guardrail systems.
[0029] While the present invention has been shown and described in
accordance with
preferred and practical embodiments thereof, it is recognized that departures
from the instant
disclosure are contemplated within the spirit and scope of the present
invention.
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