Patent Application
20190264497
During construction, buildings often include openings for placement of exterior doors and windows. Prior to installation of doors and windows, these openings present safety hazards (e.g., fall hazards). Due to these safety hazards, governmental entities such as the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) require establishing a temporary barrier during construction to prevent accidental falls. In one current approach, temporary barriers (e.g., 2″×4″ boards) are directly affixed to interior walls of the building and cover the openings. This approach can disrupt some aspects of construction on the interior and exterior of the building, which can lead to undesirable delays and/or premature removal of the barrier.
A bracket includes a first portion and a second portion separable from the first portion. The first portion can be connected to a structure of a building and the second portion can be connected to a temporary barrier. After use, the second portion can be separated from the first portion.
During use, the bracket 10 and temporary barrier operate to prevent accidental falls through an opening. For example, OSHA standards require a temporary barrier to withstand 250 pounds of weight without failure in the event a person falls against the temporary barrier. After use, the temporary barrier and second portion 14 are separated from the first portion 12 such that the first portion 12 remains in place.
In the embodiment illustrated, bracket 10 is formed of a single, unitary body. In other embodiments, bracket 10 can be formed of multiple elements and connected together in various ways. Bracket 10 can be formed of various materials including plastic, fiberglass, metal and/or various materials or combinations of materials. The first portion 12 includes a first, external segment 20 and a second, intermediate segment 22. In addition, the second portion 14 includes a third segment 24 having an optional barrier support 26. A separation joint or portion 28 connects the first portion 12 to the second portion 14.
Segments 20 and 22 are generally planar and positioned orthogonal to one another. In other embodiments, segments 20 and 22 are connected at other angle such as an acute angle between the segments 20 and 22 (i.e, any angle between 0 and 90 degrees). For example, the angle can be about 10-30 degrees, about 30-50 degrees, about 50-70 degrees or other angles as desired.
During use, segments 20 and 22 can be secured to a building portion such as a wall panel or other structure using fasteners (e.g., screws, nails) extending through apertures 30 within the segments 20 and 22. In other embodiments, only one of the segments 20 and 22 can be secured to the building portion. For example, segment 20 can form a lip without apertures for fasteners, yet serve to easily engage the building portion so as to locate the second portion 14 at a selected distance from the position where segment 20 engages the building portion. Alternatively, segment 22 can be formed without apertures for fasteners, wherein segment 20 is secured to the building portion.
Segment 24 can be secured to a temporary barrier. To that end, segment 24 can include a barrier support 26, herein embodied as a trough, or other element used to support a temporary barrier. In the embodiment illustrated, barrier support 26 can be U-shaped in cross-section and sized to fit a standard 2″×4″ board that serves as a temporary barrier.
Separation joint 28 connects segment 22 to segment 24. In the embodiment illustrated, segment 22 can form a first, planar portion 32 and a second, lip portion 34 that extends from the planar portion 32 to the separation joint 28. The lip portion 34 can extend a selected distance from the planar portion 32 depending on a thickness of a door or window jamb (e.g., ½″, ⅝″, ¾″, etc.). The separation joint 28 can take several forms such as a perforated score line, pin and slot connection, v-shaped trough, buckle and others. In other embodiments, lip portion 34 can be eliminated wherein separation joint 28 is flush with a surface of planar portion 32
Bracket 10 is useful in providing a support for a temporary barrier within an opening.
In the embodiment illustrated, each segment 52A and 52B includes sidewalls 54A and 54B and a barrier support 56 connecting the side walls 54A and 54B. Together, the sidewalls 54A, 54B and barrier support 56 form an “H” configuration. Based on this configuration, segments 52A, 52B are operable to support a barrier in a first orientation, where segment assembly 58A is located on an upper side of the bracket 50 and a second orientation, where bracket 58B is on an upper side of the bracket 50. Accordingly, bracket 50 is operable to be positioned on a left side of an opening or a right side of an opening. In other embodiments, the segments 52A and 52B are similar in construction to segment 24 described above.
The first portion 51 optionally includes multiple segment assemblies 58A and 58B that are similar in construction to segments 20 and 22 discussed above. A first vertical extension 60 spaces segment 52A from a first edge 62 of the bracket 50 and a second vertical extension 64 spaces segment 52B from a second edge 66 of the bracket 50. A third intermediate vertical extension 68 spaces segments 52A and 52B from one another. In one embodiment, a length of vertical extension 60, vertical extension 62 and vertical extension 68 are selected to position barrier supports 56 at selected heights such that the barrier supports 56 are located at heights required by OSHA standards. For example, in one embodiment, each of the barrier supports 56 are spaced from their respective edges 62 and 66 a distance of 17.5″. Additionally, the barrier supports are spaced apart from one another a distance of 21″. During installation of bracket 50, an installer can align edge 62 or edge 66 with an edge of a wall panel or similar structure so barrier supports 56 are then positioned at selected, desired heights.
Various embodiments of the invention have been described above for purposes of illustrating the details thereof and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. The details and features of the disclosed embodiment[s] are not intended to be limiting, as many variations and modifications will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to be interpreted broadly and to include all variations and modifications coming within the scope and spirit of the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62635861 | Feb 2018 | US |
