This invention relates to a railing system and method generally, and particularly a glass railing system coupled to a construction structure for affixing a railing system and a method of building and assembling the same.
Modern building design for high-rise apartments and other types of building structures often have concrete balconies. These balconies allow the residents to enjoy outdoor space attached to their dwelling units or offices. For safety purposes, these balconies have railing systems installed. Typically, these guardrails are fabricated from metal, glass, wood and/or concrete. Guardrails fabricated using metal are usually either surface mounted to the top of the slab using a base plate or mounted into a core pocket. Although these designs work and provide the necessary protection, they are not the most aesthetically pleasing constructions. Metal guardrails also present obstruction to the visual field. Also, structural metal railing systems increase the amount of maintenance associated with the railing such as cleaning for debris and inspection for wear or erosion in hinges and fasteners.
Glass panel railing systems that utilize thick, glass panels as the sole vertical support are widely used as guardrails and handrails in the construction of commercial and residential building structures. These systems are typically found on elevated surfaces, acting as functional and aesthetically pleasing guardrails. Moreover, structural glass railing systems are preferred by many over other systems utilizing vertical support posts because they present much less obstruction to the visual field. Additionally, structural glass railing systems have less exposed metal in the system, which serves to lower the amount of maintenance associated with the railing.
Guard or hand railings are typically located proximate to a periphery of a balcony, deck, as a divisional barrier or along stairs. Such railings typically include a top railing and a barrier portion comprising a plurality of spindles or a barrier sheet of glass, wood or the like.
Conventional railings have several limitations. Railings constructed of metal or wood for the posts, spindles or handrails restrict the visibility of people attempting to see through them. In addition, railings of a conventional construction need to be cut to size and assembled on site to suit the particulars of the installation. The necessity to assemble the many components of a railing on location is time consuming. The widespread use of railing systems in industrial, commercial, and residential installations has led to the requirement for aesthetically pleasing structures which are readily installed at a variety of sites with a minimum of effort. Ease of installation is usually attained by fabricating as much of a railing system as is practical within the manufacturing facility, thereby minimizing the number and complexity of operations in the field. However, such procedures generally sacrifice the flexibility of tailoring the railing system on site to meet any special requirements peculiar to a particular installation. Various attempts to provide railing systems which can be built-up of standard component parts in the field to meet the needs of a particular site often become complex, ungainly, and somewhat lacking in aesthetic appeal. Some systems require special tools or special procedures which go beyond what may be available to a worker in the field having limited skills and facilities.
Other methods of setting and installing railings after a building is finished pose hazardous conditions to workers, and require additional equipment to ensure that a crew and systems/devices are on the outer side of the building allowing the crew access to the external face of the building to attach the railing system to the base of a foundation such that the glass railing or other transparent railing does not obstruct the view of a user and their enjoyment thereof.
Accordingly, there is a need for a railing system that makes use of glass panels to reduce the obstruction of view and amount of maintenance and the need for a method that allows installation of part of the railing system or railing system as a whole without the need to have a crew on the outer side of the building to attach the railing system from hazardous conditions.
There is also a need for a railing system whose components can be assembled and fabricated as much as possible before the installation on site without complex procedures.
There is yet another need for a railing system that can be tailored made for the specific requirements peculiar to a particular installation site.
The present invention relates to railing system coupled to a base comprising: a plurality of first railing supports and a railing. The railing support includes a bracket and at least one rebar configured to couple the bracket with the base. At least a majority of the rebar is disposed substantially horizontally in the concrete base. The railing includes a panel, a plurality of bracket couplers, and a panel coupler configured to couple the panel and the bracket coupler. The bracket coupler is configured to be at least partly inserted in the inner space of the bracket. The panel is oriented vertically next to the concrete base.
The railing is configured to couple with the first railing support by inserting the bracket coupler in the inner space of the bracket. The bracket coupler includes a coupler body that corresponds to an inner space of the bracket and at least one extension extending horizontally from the coupler body to be coupled with the panel and the panel coupler. The bracket further includes a slot configured to allow the extension to pass through when the coupler body is inserted in the inner space of the bracket. The bracket coupler further includes a stopper disposed on one end of the coupler body and wider than the inner space of the bracket. The stopper contacts a top portion of the bracket when the coupler body is inserted in the inner space of the bracket from above.
The panel includes at least one coupler opening for the extension of the bracket coupler to pass through. The panel coupler includes: a pair of washers coupled with the extension and located on two opposite sides of the panel respectively; and a panel cap configured to couple with an end of at least one of the extensions passing through the coupler opening of the panel. One of the washer is preferably located between the panel and the panel cap and another one of the washer is located between the panel and the body portion of the bracket coupler. In another embodiment, the panel coupler includes a plurality of panel caps each configured to couple with one of the extensions of the bracket couplers. In yet another embodiment, the panel cap has a longitudinal shape and is configured to couple with a plurality of the extensions of the bracket couplers.
The bracket includes one rebar opening configured for the rebar to pass through and couple with the bracket. In another embodiment, the rebar and the bracket are welded together.
In one embodiment, the railing system includes a second railing support disposed next to the base. The second railing support includes a flush portion disposed below the base and the support member; and an upright portion connected to the flush portion and located next to the base. The first upright portion includes a plurality of support openings each configured to fit the first railing supports. In yet another embodiment, the second railing support can include a plurality of ribs disposed between the upright portion and the flush portion.
In a different embodiment, the railing system includes a bracket groove formed on the side of the base and configured to fit one of the brackets, wherein three sides of the bracket are adjacent to the base.
In one aspect of the present disclosure, the disclosure is embodied in a method of coupling a railing system to a base including the steps of disposing one or more brackets on or adjacent to a plane or foundation/flooring, attaching the one rebar to each one of the brackets, wherein the rebars are oriented horizontally and located above the plane, and forming a base by pouring wet/unset concrete on the plane and casting the rebar into the wet concrete. The method also includes the steps of providing a railing which in turn comprises a panel, one or more bracket couplers configured to be at least partly inserted in an inner space of the bracket and then couple with the bracket, a panel coupler configured to couple the panel and the bracket coupler, and coupling the railing to the brackets so that the panel is oriented vertically next to the base.
In one embodiment, the method of installing the railing system consists of laying a base of wet and unset concrete, casting the one or more brackets into the wet concrete, where the rebars are well inside the wet and unset concrete and where the brackets are on the outer edge of base. Once the base and concrete is set and dry, attaching the rest of the railing system including the railing, the panel and the bracket coupler inside the bracket.
It should be noted that the drawing figures may be in simplified form and might not be to precise scale.
The embodiment and various other embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description of the embodiments, which are presented as illustrated examples of the embodiment defined in the claims. It is expressly understood that the embodiment as defined by the claims may be broader than the illustrated embodiments described below. Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments.
The railing system includes a plurality of first railing supports 100 and a railing 200 to be coupled with the first railing supports 100. The first railing support 100 includes a bracket 110 to be attached to one side of the base 300. The first railing support 100 further includes at least one rebar 120 (not illustrated in
The railing 200 in
Further, in the embodiment illustrated in
Step 930 involves providing a railing to be coupled with the brackets attached on the base. The railing in step 930 is substantially identical to the ones described above and illustrated in
In one aspect of the present disclosure, the disclosure is embodied in a method of coupling a railing system to a base including the steps of disposing one or more brackets on or adjacent to a plane or foundation/flooring, attaching the one rebar to each one of the brackets, wherein the rebars are oriented horizontally and located above the plane, and forming a base by pouring wet/unset concrete on the plane and casting the rebar into the wet concrete. The method also includes the steps of providing a railing which in turn comprises a panel, one or more bracket couplers configured to be at least partly inserted in an inner space of the bracket and then couple with the bracket, a panel coupler configured to couple the panel and the bracket coupler, and coupling the railing to the brackets so that the panel is oriented vertically next to the base.
In one embodiment, the method of installing the railing system consists of laying a base of wet and unset concrete, casting the one or more brackets into the wet concrete, where the rebars are well inside the wet and unset concrete and where the brackets are on the outer edge of base. Once the base and concrete is set and dry, attaching the rest of the railing system including the railing, the panel and the bracket coupler inside the bracket.
Here, the first step would be to lay a foundation or base of wet and unset concrete, such that the base has an outer perimeter. At one end of the perimeter, and the end outwardly facing an outside view (external view), cast the rebars portion of the bracket into the wet and unset concrete, allow for the concrete base to dry and set, and once the concrete base is set and dry, sliding the panel with attached bracket coupler into the complementary slot of the bracket already cast into the concrete and securing the panel with the railing system. In one embodiment, this method also includes the step of coupling the railing to the bracket includes inserting the bracket coupler in the inner space of the bracket, where the bracket coupler includes a coupler body that corresponds to an inner space of the bracket, and an extension extending horizontally from the coupler body to be coupled with the panel and the panel coupler where the bracket includes a slot configured to allow the extension to pass through when the coupler body is inserted in the inner space of the bracket.
In another embodiment, the step of coupling the railing to the bracket further includes disposing a stopper on one end of the coupler body, where the stopper is wider than the inner space of the bracket, the stopper contacts a top portion of the bracket when the coupler body is inserted in the inner space of the bracket from above. In yet another embodiment, the step of providing the railing includes forming at least one coupler opening on the panel for the extension of the bracket coupler to pass through, coupling a pair of washers with the extension and disposing the washers on two opposite sides of the panel respectively, and coupling a panel cap with at least one of the extensions passing through the coupler opening of the panel, where one of the washers is located between the panel and the panel cap and another one of the washer is located between the panel and the body portion of the bracket coupler.
In another embodiment, the method also includes the steps of coupling the panel cap with the extension which in turn includes having one or more of the panel caps each corresponds to one of the extensions of the bracket couplers, and coupling each of the panel caps with one of the extensions of the bracket couplers.
The foregoing descriptions of specific implementations have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teaching. The exemplary implementations were chosen and described to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and its implementations with modifications as suited to the use contemplated.
It is therefore submitted that the invention has been shown and described in the most practical and exemplary implementations. It should be recognized that departures may be made which fall within the scope of the invention. With respect to the description provided herein, it is submitted that the optimal features of the invention include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function, manner of operation, assembly, and use. All structures, functions, and relationships equivalent or essentially equivalent to those disclosed are intended to be encompassed by the invention.
This application claims priority to Provisional Patent Application U.S. Pat. No. 63/323,455 filed on Mar. 24, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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63323455 | Mar 2022 | US |