Patent Application
20250116107
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The disclosure relates to protective caps for diverting moisture from a wooden joist and more particularly pertains to a new covering system for protecting a wooden joist against damage caused by moisture, bugs, and ultraviolet radiation.
The prior art relates to protective caps for diverting moisture from a wooden joist. Some prior art references disclose caps that can be placed over ends of a joist to inhibit penetration of water into the ends. Other protective devices comprise a plurality of strips that extend downwardly and outwardly from an edge of the joist to direct the flow of moisture away from the joist. Protecting wooden joists from water damage can significantly increase the lifetime of the joists thereby increasing the lifetime of decks and other structures built using the joists. Other things, such as bugs and ultraviolet radiation, can also damage the joists and reduce the lifetime of the structures built using the joists. Placing caps over ends of the joists only protects a portion of the joists and does not provide protection for the body between the ends. Thus, there is a need in the art for a water shielding device that can be placed over a joist. There is also a need in the art for a covering that can protect the entire length of the joist from damage. Finally, there is a need in the art for a covering that protects the joist from damage caused by bugs and ultraviolet radiation as well as moisture.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a covering system for a joist having an upper edge. The covering system includes a strip having a top side opposite a bottom side. The strip is positionable over the upper edge. A pair of seams extends along the length of the strip. The strip is foldable along the pair of seams and is U-shaped when folded along the pair of seams. An adhesive covers the bottom side, affixing the strip to the upper edge. The strip inhibits penetration of moisture into the joist when the strip is affixed to the upper edge.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The joist shielding system 10 further comprises a strip 16 that is generally elongated. The strip 16 has a top side 18 opposite a bottom side 20. The strip 16 is positionable over the upper edge 14. The strip 16 has a length corresponding with a length of the joist 12. In embodiments, the strip 16 has a thickness between 1/32 inch and ⅛ inch. In embodiments, the strip 16 is generally designed to cover the upper edge 14 of the joist 12, for example when the joist 12 is positioned beneath flooring panels 11 as shown in
In some embodiments, the strip 16 comprises a plastic material that inhibits penetration of moisture into the upper edge 14 when the strip 16 is positioned over the joist 12. The plastic material may further comprise a thermoplastic that is resistant to damage from ultraviolet radiation. The plastic material may be formed of recycled materials.
In some embodiments, a coating 22 covers the strip 16. For example, the coating 22 may cover the top side 18 of the strip 16. The coating 22 may comprise an insecticide that is configured to repel bugs thereby inhibiting damage to the upper edge which may be caused by bugs or other insects.
In other embodiments, the plastic material may comprise a composite material including a recycled plastic and a wood fiber that is configured to repel bugs or other insects. The composite material may further include an insecticide, either in addition to the wood fiber or as an alternative to the wood fiber.
A pair of seams 24 extending along the length of the strip 16. The strip 16 is foldable along the pair of seams 24. Embodiments of the strip 16 are U-shaped when folded along the pair of seams 24. The pair of seams 24 are spaced from one another to define a medial section 26 between the pair of seams 24. Each of the pair of seams 24 is spaced from a respective lateral edge 28 of the strip 16 to define outer sections 30 of the strip 16 between each of the pair of seams 24 and the respective lateral edge 28 of the strip 16. The medial section 26 generally has a width corresponding to a width of the upper edge 14. For example, the width of the medial section 26 may be between 1½ inch and 4½ inches. Each of the outer sections 30 generally has a width between ½ inch and 1 inch. When the strip 16 is folded into the U-shape and positioned over the upper edge 14, each of the outer sections 30 extends downwardly from the medial section 26 to cover at least a portion of the sidewall 15 on either side of the upper edge 14 of the joist 12.
An adhesive 32 covers the bottom side 20. The adhesive 32 affixes the strip 16 to the upper edge 14. For example, the adhesive 32 may comprise a petroleum-based epoxy or any other suitable adhesive material.
The joist shielding system 10 further includes an end member 34 having a top portion 36 opposite a bottom portion 38. The end member 34 is foldable over the joist 12 and the strip 16 when the strip 16 is adhered to the joist 12. The end member 34 may be positioned at an intersection 40 between the joist 12 and a second joist 42 thereby inhibiting penetration of moisture into the intersection 40. The end member 34 may comprise the same materials, composites, or combinations of materials as the strip 16. For example, the end member 34 may comprise a smaller piece of the strip 16 and be configured to inhibit penetration of moisture as well as damage from bugs or ultraviolet radiation. In other embodiments, the end member 34 may comprise a different material that is configured to inhibit penetration of moisture into the intersection 40. In one example embodiment, the end member 34 comprises a square measuring between 2.0 inches and 4.0 inches on each side. The adhesive 32 covers the bottom portion 38. The adhesive 32 can affix the end member 34 to the strip 16 and the joist 12.
When folded over the joist 12 and the strip 16, the end member 34 may have a medial portion 44 that is similar to the medial section 26 of the strip 16 and that is positioned over the upper edge 14 and the medial section 26. The end member 34 may further have a pair of outer portions 46 that are similar to the outer sections 30 of the strip. When folded, the outer portions 46 may extend downwardly from the medial portion to partially cover the sidewalls 15 and the outer sections 30. For example, the outer portions 46 may be between ½ inch and 1 inch long.
A cover 48 may be removably affixed to the adhesive 32, extending across the bottom side 20 of the strip 16 and the bottom portion 38 of the end member 34. The cover 48 is generally configured to protect the adhesive 32 from being damaged before use. The cover 48 may be easy to peel off of the adhesive 32 when the joist shielding system 10 is being used. In embodiments are intended for single use, the cover 48 does not need to be replaceable on the adhesive 32 after use. In other embodiments which may be intended for re-use, the cover 48 may be replaceable on the adhesive 32.
In use, the strip 16 can be positioned on the upper edge 14 of the joist 12. The pair of seams 24 may be visible, aiding the user in positioning the medial section 26 along the upper edge 14 so that the outer sections 30 can fold downwardly toward the sidewalls 15 of the joist 12. The cover 48 can be peeled away from the adhesive 32 so that the adhesive 32 can contact the joist 12 and secure the strip 16 to the joist 12. As shown in
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
