Patent Application
20250163707
The present invention relates generally to the field of decking. More specifically, the present invention relates to a deck board end cap device that can be placed around the end of a deck board to provide a more aesthetic finish and protection to the unfinished ends of deck boards. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices, and methods of manufacture.
Decks, patios, and other outdoor structures attached to buildings commonly involve the installation of numerous boards. These boards often have an unfinished end cap, which may present an unsightly and unprofessional appearance. The lack of finishing on these ends not only detracts from the aesthetic appeal of the structure but also leaves them more vulnerable to damage from harsh weather conditions. Unprotected and exposed, these unfinished ends can deteriorate more rapidly, leading to issues of durability and safety. Further, owners of these structures may find themselves increasingly dissatisfied with the overall appearance and longevity of their decks or patios due to this oversight in construction. The exposure of these unfinished ends can result in a decrease in the structural integrity of the outdoor living space, raising concerns about its long-term usability and maintenance requirements.
Therefore, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a device that covers the unfinished ends of decking boards. More specifically, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a deck board end cap device that can adhere to any size plank of decking board, especially sizes typically used in deck construction. Furthermore, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a deck board end cap device that provides an aesthetically pleasing cover to the ends of decking board to protect the board from inclement weather conditions.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a deck board end cap device. The device is comprised of a generally rectangular body that can be positioned around the end of a deck board to provide a more aesthetic finish and protection to the unfinished ends of deck boards. A side wall of the body may fit around the end of the deck board, allowing the device to snap onto the deck board for ease of use. The device may further be comprised of any texture, pattern, or other indicia that allows the device to match the deck board material of the entire deck.
In this manner, the deck board end cap device of the present invention accomplishes all the foregoing objectives and provides a device that covers the unfinished ends of boards used to construct a deck. More specifically, the deck board end cap device can adhere to any standard-size deck board typically used in the construction of decks, patios, and other structures on the exterior of houses. Furthermore, the deck board end cap device can protect the unfinished ends of deck boards from inclement weather conditions while providing an aesthetic finish to the board ends.
The following presents a simplified summary to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a deck board end cap device primarily comprised of a body, a fastener, and a side wall. The device is designed to attach to an end of a decking board to provide a more finished look as well as protection from inclement weather conditions.
The device is comprised of a generally rectangular body made from a material that is commonly used to construct decks, patios, or other home exterior structures. The body may be further comprised of a plurality of indicia that allow the device to match the color, texture, grain pattern, etc., of the decking board from which the device is attached around.
The body is further comprised of a top wall and at least one side wall. A bottom surface of the top wall may be further comprised of at least one fastener that allows the device to securely adhere to an end of a decking board. The side wall preferably forms a lip around the decking board, allowing the device to snap onto the end of the decking board to adhere via an interference fit.
The present invention is also comprised of a method of using the device. First, a device is provided primarily comprised of a body, a fastener, and a side wall. Then, the device may be snapped onto an end of a decking board such that the bottom surface of the top wall is securely coincident with the end of the decking board.
The present invention is also comprised of a second method of using the device. First, a device is provided primarily comprised of a body, a fastener, and a side wall. Then, a fastener of the bottom surface of the top wall in the form of an adhesive is prepped is pressed onto an end of a decking board such that the fastener can secure the device to the decking board.
Accordingly, the deck board end cap device of the present invention is particularly advantageous as it provides a device that covers the unfinished ends of boards used to construct a deck. More specifically, the deck board end cap device can protect the unfinished ends of deck boards from inclement weather conditions while providing a pleasing and aesthetic finish to the deck board ends. Furthermore, the deck board end cap device can fit onto any standard-size deck board typically used in the construction of decks, patios, or other home exterior structures. In this manner, the deck board end cap device overcomes the limitations of existing end cap devices known in the art.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.
As noted above, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a device that covers the unfinished ends of decking boards. More specifically, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a deck board end cap device that can adhere to any size plank of decking board, especially sizes typically used in deck construction. Furthermore, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a deck board end cap device that provides an aesthetically pleasing cover to the ends of decking board to protect the board from inclement weather conditions.
The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is comprised of a deck board end cap device. The device is primarily comprised of a body, a fastener, and a side wall. The device is designed to attach to an end of a decking board to provide a more finished look as well as protection from inclement weather conditions.
More specifically, the device is comprised of a body that may be made from any material that is commonly used to construct decks, patios, or other home exterior structures. The body is further generally rectangular to conform to the decking board from which the device may be attached. The body is further comprised of a top wall. A bottom surface of the top wall may be further comprised of a fastener that allows the device to attach to the end of the decking board of a deck. The fastener may be any fastener known in the art but is preferably an adhesive.
The body of the device is further comprised of an at least one side wall. The side wall preferably fits around a decking board in an interference fit that allows the device to easily snap onto the end of the decking board. In one potential embodiment of the device, an interior surface of the side wall may be comprised of an adhesive or other fastener that may provide additional attachment to the decking board. Further, any surface of the body of the device may be comprised of a plurality of indicia such as patterns, logos, emblems, images, symbols, designs, letters, words, characters, animals, advertisements, brands, etc.
The present invention is also comprised of a method of using the device. First, a device is provided primarily comprised of a body, a fastener, and a side wall. Then, the device may be snapped onto an end of a decking board such that the bottom surface of the top wall is securely coincident with the end of the decking board.
The present invention is also comprised of a second method of using the device. First, a device is provided primarily comprised of a body, a fastener, and a side wall. Then, a fastener of the bottom surface of the top wall in the form of an adhesive is pressed onto an end of a decking board such that the fastener can secure the device to the decking board.
Accordingly, the deck board end cap device of the present invention is particularly advantageous as it provides a device that covers the unfinished ends of boards used to construct a deck. More specifically, the deck board end cap device can fit onto any standard-size deck board that is commonly used to construct new decks or other home exterior structures. Furthermore, the deck board end cap device can provide protection to any unfinished ends of deck boards from inclement weather conditions, rot, or other forms of decay while providing an aesthetic finish to the deck board ends. In this manner, the deck board end cap device overcomes the limitations of existing end cap devices known in the art.
Referring initially to the drawings,
The device 100 is comprised of a body 110 that is preferably made from a material commonly used to construct decks, such as, but not limited to, pressure-treated wood, hardwood, composite wood, plastic, PVC, vinyl, etc. The body 110 is further generally rectangular to attach around the decking board 10. In differing embodiments, the body 110 may be any length, width, and depth dimensions such that the device 100 may fit onto and/or around any decking board 10 of any size.
Further, any surface of the body 110 of the device 100 may be comprised of a plurality of indicia 140 such as patterns, logos, emblems, images, symbols, designs, letters, words, characters, animals, advertisements, brands, etc. The indicia 140 may match the color, texture, pattern, wood grain, or other aesthetic of the decking board 10 from which the device 100 is attached to provide a finished look in one embodiment.
The side wall 130 is further comprised of an interior surface 132 that sits flush with the sides (i.e., top, bottom, front, back) of the decking board 10 when attached, as best seen in
The present invention is also comprised of a method 200 of using the device 100, as seen in
The present invention is also comprised of a second method 300 of using the device 100, as seen in
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “deck board end cap device” and “device” are interchangeable and refer to the deck board end cap device 100 of the present invention.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the deck board end cap device 100 of the present invention and its various components can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that they accomplish the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration, and material of the deck board end cap device 100 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the deck board end cap device 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the deck board end cap device 100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the deck board end cap device 100 may be of any size, shape, and/or configuration that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/601,240, which was filed on Nov. 21, 2023, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63601240 | Nov 2023 | US |
