Patent Application
20150368913
In a construction environment, it is often desirous for aesthetic and functional purpose to protect an underlying bare surface, such as a wall or floor, from dirt, grime, grease, bacteria, animals, and any other deleterious elements. For example, in a commercial environment such as a; restaurant, cafeteria, food stand, etc., finishing items are generally installed over a bare surface to create a finished or working surface. Generally, such finishing items cover and treat bare surfaces using various wall board, sheet rock, plaster, backsplashes, tile, wallpaper, carpeting, wood, paneling, vinyl, etc.
With the installation of these finishing items, it is typical to install construction trim elements, like baseboards, crown molding, wainscoting, etc., to cover or seal a transition from one finishing item to the other. Such construction trim elements have inherent flaws that allow or promote the above mentioned deleterious elements. For example, almost all of these construction trim elements are installed using nails, staples, glues, caulks and the like that are ineffective to completely seal the finishing items. Moreover, such trim elements may degrade, peel, warp, etc., by using standard securing techniques. What is needed is a construction trim element that can operate to seal and/or operate as a transition from one surface finishing item to another, and prevent any of the fore mentioned deleterious materials from contacting the underlying base surfaces.
Among various representative embodiments, a construction (trim) element may comprise a span of continuous sheet material, generally stainless steel, having a leading top edge folded back upon itself in a fashion to form an integrated leading top edge groove to accept an edge of a first planar material within the leading top edge groove. The construction element may further comprise a leading bottom edge folded back upon itself in a fashion to form an integrated leading bottom edge groove to accept an edge of a second planar material within the leading bottom edge groove. In an embodiment; the construction element, the first planar material, and the second planar material assemble to comprise a continuous barrier for a bare or base surface, such as a wall, floor, or both.
Among various representative embodiments, the span of continuous sheet material may be dimensioned to operate as at least one of a baseboard construction element, a crown molding construction element, a wainscoting construction element, or any other construction element now known or developed in the future. Representative embodiments may comprise a leading top edge groove and a leading bottom edge groove to be substantially co-planar, substantially normal to one another, or comprise any other variable acute or obtuse angles between them. Some representative embodiments may comprise a construction element to comprise one or more mid-body grooves and/or breaks to support large spans of sheet material from flexing and/or to provide a groove to support other attaching elements.
Among other representative embodiments, a construction element may comprise a span of continuous sheet material having a first edge portion folded back upon itself in an “S” shaped pattern to form an integrated first edge portion groove to accept an edge of a planar material within the first edge portion groove. The construction element may also comprise a leading second edge portion, opposite the first edge portion, folded back upon itself to form a bull nosed configuration.
Among various representative embodiments, methods of the construction element may comprise a method for manufacturing, packaging, marketing, distributing, and/or selling the construction element.
A more complete understanding of a construction element may be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the following illustrative Figs. In the following Figs., like reference numbers refer to similar elements and steps throughout the Figs.
Elements and/or any steps among the Figs. are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been rendered according to any particular sequence. For example, steps that may be performed concurrently or in different order may be illustrated in the Figs. to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the construction element. Moreover, elements may be constructed in various combinations and/or permutations.
A construction element may be described herein by terms of various functional elements and various method steps. Such functional elements may be realized by any number of hardware components adapted to perform generalized or specific functions to achieve various results. For example, the construction element may employ various construction element components, e.g., various materials, such as stainless steel, standard steel grades, aluminum, copper, various alloy combinations, vinyl, and any other natural and/or synthetic materials whether now known or developed in the future. Moreover, the construction element may comprise various structural configurations, for example, tongue and grooves, slots, laps, welds, snaps, latches, wells, and the like, which may carry out a variety of functions. And each structural configuration may comprise any number or permutations of configurations, for example, various scale, gauge, finish, size, geometry, surface texture, and the like may be employed.
Those skilled in the art will understand that the construction element may be practiced as part of any variety of construction element and/or finishing applications, whether for commercial, industrial, and/or residential, purpose; and any particular system, method, and/or purpose described is merely exemplary for the construction element. Those skilled in the art will further understand that the construction element may be practiced by any number of other applications and environments, whether now known or developed in the future. Finally, those skilled in the art will understand that the construction element may employ any number of conventional techniques for manufacturing, installing, packaging, marketing, distributing, and/or selling the construction element.
Various representative implementations of the construction element may be applied to any construction system. Referring now to
Among various exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that construction elements disclosed herein may comprise various materials, preferably stainless steel, but other materials such as, standard steel grades, aluminum, copper, various alloy combinations, vinyl, and any other natural and/or synthetic materials whether now known or developed in the future, may likewise be used.
Turning now to
Those skilled in the art will understand that among various exemplary embodiments, construction elements may comprise grooves having dimensions to accommodate planar materials, such as first planar material 212 and second planar material 217, so that the planar materials fit securely within the grooves. For example, if first planar material 212 comprised a dimensional thickness of a few millimeters, then groove 104 would comprise a similar width such that first planar material 212 would fit tightly within groove 104.
Returning to
Returning again to
Turning now to
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of a construction element and with reference to
Among various exemplary embodiments of a construction element, a span, such as spans 101 and 401, are depicted as comprising a substantially smooth, planar configuration, but those skilled in the art will understand that the spans may comprise any regular or irregular configuration to accommodate a particular application. For example, instead of being planar, the spans may comprise bends, breaks, a parabolic shape, a domed shape, a concave configuration, etc. Furthermore, the spans may comprise various finishes, such as, a preferable polished finish, but also a textured surface, a patterned surface, an etched surface, etc. Moreover, the spans may be bent, with respect to either one or both of the leading top edges and leading bottom edges to account for any underlying surface anomalies, such as out of plumb, or to accommodate any obstructions, other construction elements, or design requirements.
Among various exemplary embodiments of a construction element, edge grooves, such as edge grooves 104 and 105, are shown in a normal (perpendicular) position, relative to one another. But, as shown in
In a preferred embodiment of a construction element, the construction element comprises a stainless steel material configuration. While any material may be used for the construction element and any such material falls within the ambit of this disclosure, stainless steel imparts preferable qualities, such as corrosion resistance, strength, ease of cleaning, etc.
In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, construction elements, such as construction elements 100, 300, 400, and/or 500, may comprise a configuration that accommodates various construction specifications. For example,
In somewhat similar fashion,
In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, a construction element may be configured to operate as a finishing trim element. For example, and with reference to
In accordance with still another exemplary embodiment, and with reference to
Among the various exemplary embodiments disclosed, it is evident that the configuration of the construction element lends itself to comprise various advantages over currently used construction elements. For example, other construction elements are generally mounted flush to an underlying surface. The herein disclosed construction elements, though, comprise a configuration when installed that may result in a gap between the construction element's span and the underlying surface. This may beneficially allow for ambient air to flow freely behind the construction element, thereby deterring any stagnant environment that might promote the growth of bacteria, mold, odors, etc. Moreover, and as can be seen best by
Among the various exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, those skilled in the art will understand that the specific configurations of construction elements discussed, such as spans, leading edges, leading edge grooves, etc., are not limited in such specific regard. For example, a construction element may comprise any number and/or combination or permutation of configurations discussed, such as grooves, bull nosed folds, S-Shaped folds, U-shaped folds, bends, breaks, hems, and the like, or none at all.
In accordance with an exemplary method of a construction element, a user may assemble a barrier for a surface by providing a construction element comprising a span of continuous sheet material, preferably stainless steel, comprising a leading top edge folded back upon itself in a fashion to form an integrated leading top edge groove to accept an edge of a first planar material within the leading top edge groove. In accordance with this exemplary method, the construction element may further comprise a leading bottom edge folded back upon itself in a fashion to form an integrated leading bottom edge groove to accept an edge of a second planar material within the leading bottom edge groove. The user may then assemble; the construction element, the first planar material, and the second planar material to comprise a continuous barrier for the surface, for example, at least one of a wall and a floor.
Among various exemplary embodiments, a span of continuous sheet material may be dimensioned to operate as at least one of a baseboard trim construction element, a crown molding construction element, and a wainscoting construction element. Moreover, a leading top edge groove and a leading bottom edge groove may be comprised to form grooves that are; substantially co-planar to one another, substantially normal to one another, and any other obtuse or acute angle. Additionally, a construction element may comprise a formed mid-body groove to support the span of the sheet material from flexing, and a construction element may be folded at a leading top, bottom or any other perimeter edge, to comprise an “S” shape, a “U” shape, a bull-nosed shape configuration, or not folded at all.
In the foregoing specification, construction elements have been described with reference to a number of exemplary embodiments. Various modifications and changes may be made, however, without departing from the scope of the construction element as set forth in the claims. The specification and figures are illustrative, rather than restrictive, and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of any construction element. Accordingly, the scope of any construction element should be determined by the claims and their legal equivalents rather than by merely the exemplary embodiments described.
For example, the steps recited in any method or process claims may be executed in any order and are not limited to the specific order presented in the claims. Additionally, the components and/or elements recited in any physical embodiment claims may be assembled or otherwise operationally configured in a variety of permutations and are accordingly not limited to the specific configuration recited in the claims.
Benefits, other advantages and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to particular embodiments; however, any benefit, advantage, solution to problem or any element that may cause any particular benefit, advantage or solution to occur or to become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required or essential features or components of any or all the claims.
As used herein, the terms “comprise”, “comprises”, “comprising”, “having”, “including”, “includes”, “is” or any variation thereof, are intended to reference a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, composition, system, device, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements recited, but may also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, composition, system, device, or apparatus. Other combinations and/or modifications of the above-described structures, arrangements, applications, proportions, elements, materials or components used in the practice of a construction element, in addition to those not specifically recited, may be varied or otherwise particularly adapted to specific environments, manufacturing specifications, design parameters or other operating requirements without departing from the general principles of the same.
