The present invention relates to a wall bead for applying across two adjoining surfaces of a wall, such as a corner, prior to the application of a surface coating thereto.
It is well known to apply a surface coating of plaster or other render material, to ceilings and other wall surfaces in buildings. Generally, prior to applying the plaster or the material, an elongate bead of metal is applied along external corners where two intersecting surfaces meet, in order to enable a good finish to be achieved to the corner. The bead also acts to strengthen and protect the corner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,837 discloses a typical corner bead which is formed from an elongate strip of sheet metal and comprises a rounded nose and two mounting flanges extending perpendicular to each other from the opposite sides of the nose. The mounting flanges are apertured to provide a key for the overlying plaster or render.
The corner bead is applied to a corner by passing nails or screws through the apertured mounting flanges into the underlying wall material. However, a disadvantage of this arrangement is that the underlying wall material is often too hard or too soft to readily accept nails or screws and thus the process of applying corner beads can be difficult and time consuming. In order to overcome this problem, it is has been proposed to attach corner beads using an adhesive. However, the corner beads have to be held in place whilst the adhesive sets and it will be appreciated that this is equally as difficult as permanently securing the corner beads. Another disadvantage of using adhesive is that the adhesive has to be allowed to set before the underlying wall is plastered or rendered.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,617 discloses a corner bead which attempts to overcome the above-mentioned problems and which comprises a plurality of integral pre-formed barbs along its length for securing the corner bead to underlying wall surfaces formed of plasterboard or other drywall material. In use, when a corner bead is applied to the plasterboard the barbs penetrate the outer layer of the plasterboard and temporarily secure the corner bead to the corner whilst it is plastered over. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that the barbs extend substantially perpendicular to the bead and so once the bead has been fixed to the wall surface it can be very difficult to remove or reposition the bead without unduly damaging the underlying plasterboard.
Additional disadvantages shared by the previous solutions include the rigidity of the outwardly projecting flanges. Such flanges are unsuitable for walls having corners or varying shapes or angles and such, the purpose of the bead to provide a neat, continuous and robust corner of the wall, is eliminated.
It is therefore desirable to provide a solution which overcomes the disadvantages of the current wall beads. Particularly it is desirable to provide a solution which provides improved ease of attachment to a wall, and in some cases more difficult removal, while providing improved flexibility.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wall bead, the wall bead comprising: a central longitudinally extending portion having a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge opposing the first edge; a first planar panel extending from the first edge; a second planar panel extending from the second edge; a first connection portion extending from the first panel; and a second connection portion extending from the second panel; wherein the first connection portion and the second connection portion each comprise a plurality of teeth protruding therefrom and distributed along a longitudinal length thereof; and wherein the first and second panel each comprise a flexible mesh or woven material such that the first and second panel are arranged to conform to a contour of a wall surface.
The mesh panels of the present invention preferably provide a level of flexibility in wall beads not previously permitted, with a robust wall attachment mechanism in the form of the teeth protruding from the connection portions. The term “mesh” will be understood by the skilled addressee in the context of the present invention as an interlaced net or lattice structure. A material, such as stainless steel, which is arranged in an interlaced network provides improved flexibility relative to the equivalent material arranged as a substantially continuous, unmeshed structure. Current wall beads may provide panels having regularly interspaced apertures specifically arranged to receive nails or screws. The skilled addressee will appreciate the difference between such panels and the panels of the present invention comprising a mesh or woven material.
In some embodiments, the first panel and the second panel may each comprise a plurality of mesh portions separated by one or more solid portions. The surface area of the first and second panels to be occupied by said mesh portions may be selected during manufacturing to control a flexibility of said panels. A requirement for greater flexibility will require a greater surface area of said panels being formed of said mesh. An embodiment requiring maximum flexibility, for a particularly aggressive or acutely-angled wall corner for example, may comprise first and second panels formed entirely of said mesh. An embodiment requiring semi rigidity, such as for a gentle or curved wall corner may comprise first and second panels each having a first elongate mesh panel portion and a second elongate mesh panel portion separated by a solid panel portion located therebetween. In most embodiments the elongate mesh panel portions will be understood to extend along the length of the wall bead. The term “solid panel portion” will be understood to differentiate from the term “mesh panel portion” due to a lack of, or reduced number of, apertures of the solid panel portion relative to the mesh panel portion.
In some embodiments, the first panel and/or the second panel may comprise teeth. In such embodiments said teeth may protrude from the mesh or, in embodiments comprising first and second panels having one or more solid panel portion, said teeth may protrude from said solid panel portions. In embodiments wherein the first and/or second panel comprises teeth, the teeth are preferably substantially the same as the teeth located on the connection portions. Embodiments will be appreciated wherein the teeth are not the same as the teeth located on the connection portions. For example, teeth located on mesh portions of the panels may be formed during formation of the mesh during manufacture. Punching apertures into the mesh may accompany formation of teeth during said punching process. In embodiments wherein the first and second panels comprise teeth, some preferable examples of said embodiments may comprise teeth opposing the teeth of the corresponding connection portion. For example, teeth protruding form the first panel may in some preferable embodiments oppose the teeth protruding from the first connection portion. Said opposing teeth preferably provide for a more robust connection of the wall bead to a wall surface such that the wall bead requires greater force to disconnect from said wall surface.
In some embodiments the central portion may comprise one or more teeth. Preferably teeth located on the central portion may protrude from a surface of the central portion intended to engage a wall surface. In such embodiments, preferably the central portion comprises an elongate curved portion having a first and second longitudinal edge, a first planar portion extending from the first longitudinal edge and a second planar portion extending from the second longitudinal edge. Preferably the first and second planar portions form guide which aid in aligning the edge of the wall bead with a surface of a wall and also preferably provide improved lateral restraint. Preferably the central portion comprises teeth located on the elongate curved portion, the first planar portion and the second planar portion. Said teeth preferably aid in providing improved connection of the wall bead to a wall surface, and therefore providing more difficult removal.
Embodiments will be appreciated wherein the first and second panels comprise a plurality of panel sections distributed along the length of the respective longitudinal edge of the central portion separated by a space. Wall beads having panels comprising a plurality of panel section preferably provide greater flexibility of the wall bead.
In some embodiments, the teeth may comprise a first set of teeth arranged to extend from a surface of the first connection portion and the second connection portion, and a second set of teeth arranged to extend from a surface of the first connection portion and the second connection portion, the first set of teeth and the second set of teeth positioned in spaced pairs at longitudinal positions along the first connection portion and the second connection portion. In some embodiments, the teeth may comprise a first set of teeth arranged to extend from a surface of the first connection portion and the second connection portion, and a smaller second set of teeth, collocated with the first set of teeth and formed therefrom.
In said embodiments, the second set of teeth may optionally extend from the surface at an angle of less than 90° relative to the surface.
In some preferable embodiments, the teeth may be arranged to protrude from the respective connection portion in a single longitudinal direction along the respective connection portion. In such embodiments, the teeth may optionally extend from the respective connection portion surface at an angle of less than 90° relative to the surface.
In some embodiments, the teeth may each comprise a pointed distal end and are generally triangular in shape. In other embodiments, the teeth may each comprise a generally straight distal end and generally trapezoid in shape. In some such embodiments, the teeth may each comprise a serrated edge having a non-linear profile. Embodiments will be appreciated wherein the teeth are any suitable shape and are arranged to puncture the surface of a wall substrate, such as for example plasterboard, following external force being applied thereto.
The teeth may comprise a first portion proximate the connection portion or the mesh, and a second portion distal to the connection portion or the mesh, the first portion and the second portion being positioned at an angle relative to one another. In such embodiments, the second portion of the teeth is preferably angled relative to the first portion, the angle preferably being obtuse. The term “obtuse” in the context of the present invention will be understood to mean greater than 90° but less than 180°. Teeth comprising said angle preferably provide a more robust connection between the connection portion and the surface of a wall, such that once connected to a wall surface, the wall bead is more difficult to disconnect from said wall surface.
Preferably a front surface of the first and second panels are angularly spaced about the central portion by an angle of less than 180°. More preferably, the angle is substantially 90°.
Preferably the flexible mesh or woven material comprises one selected from the group: stainless steel; mild steel; galvanised metal. Such a material may be a minimesh.
In preferable embodiments, the first connection portion and the second connection portion each comprise a connection portion material which is a continuous, unmeshed material.
Preferably the connection portion material is one selected from the group: stainless steel; mild steel; galvanised metal.
In preferable embodiments, the central portion comprises a central portion material which is a continuous, unmeshed material. Preferably the central portion material is one selected from the group: stainless steel; mild steel; galvanised metal.
In the context of the present invention, the term “flexible” will be understood by the skilled addressee to mean flexible relative to the connection portion and/or the central portion, which in preferable embodiments are a continuous, unmeshed material. It will be appreciated that the first panel material and the second panel material may be the same as the central portion material and/or the connection portion material, but in such embodiments the mesh of the first panel material and the second panel material imparts greater flexibility upon the panels relative to the central portion and/or the connection portion.
Preferably the central portion provides a bridging connection between the first panel and the second panel. In preferable embodiments the bridging connection comprises a generally semicircular profile.
Specific embodiments will now be described by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to
The wall bead 100 of the embodiment shown further comprises a first connection portion 108 extending from the first panel 104. The first connection portion 108 is affixed to the first panel 104 along a longitudinal edge of the first panel 104 distal to the central portion 102. The first connection portion 108 comprises a plurality of apertures 112 spaced evenly along the length of the first connection portion 108. The apertures 112 comprise an aperture diameter sized to receive a nail driven therethrough during fixing of the wall bead 100 to a corner surface of a plasterboard wall. Spaced evenly along the first connection portion 108, and protruding in a single longitudinal direction therefrom, are a plurality of teeth 114, taking the form of stainless steel barbs each formed using a notch in the first connection portion 108. As can be seen from
Extending from the second panel 106, and affixed along a longitudinal edge thereof, is a second connection portion 110 which is substantially a mirror image of the first connection portion 108. The second connection portion 110 is affixed to an edge of the second panel 106 distal to the central portion 102.
As can be seen from the sectional plan view of
In use, the wall bead 100 shown is affixed to a corner of a plasterboard wall (not shown) prior to coating said plasterboard wall with plaster. The central portion 102 acts to form a neat, continuous corner of a wall which is robust to wear and tear compared to the underlying plasterboard. The barbs 114 enable affixing of the bead 100 to the plasterboard with minimal effort and without specifically requiring the addition of nails through the apertures 112. The first and second panels 104, 106 of the bead 100 are highly flexible by virtue of the mesh. The enhanced flexibility of the first and second panels 104, 106 permits the bead 100 to conform to a surface of the corner of plasterboard wall easily and with minimal effort. The bead 100 may therefore be specifically suited to applications requiring a flexible beading with enhanced securing/affixing properties, such as those using a bespoke wall shape which may have, for example, a convex, concave, or otherwise non-flat surface. Simultaneous conforming of the bead to the non-flat plasterboard wall surface while fixation occurs is therefore provided. Said simultaneous action is key to providing a solution which is suited to applications requiring simple, fast and effective application of a wall bead to a non-flat surface of a plasterboard wall corner.
In use, the wall bead 200 shown in
Referring to
Additional sectional plan views of alternative embodiments of the present invention can be seen in
In the embodiments 500, 550 of
Referring to
Referring to
In use, the solid panel portions 712 of the example embodiment 700 of
Referring to
In use, the first and second planar panels 804, 806 of the central portion form guides for affixing the wall bead 800 to a corner of a wall (not shown). The teeth 808 act as anchor points for the wall bead 800 in the wall and provide lateral restraint against removal of the wall bead 800 from said wall. Upon rotation of the first panel 804 and first mesh portion 810 in the direction 818 shown, a rotational force 820 about the central portion causes the opposing second panel 806 and the teeth 808 thereon to engage with the wall more rigorously. As such, said consequent rotational action 820 preferably acts to cause the wall bead 800 to grip the wall surface more robustly and is therefore more difficult to remove. As an advantage, such an embodiment is preferably more difficult to move on or remove from a wall surface by accident during subsequent preparation of the wall surface to be coated with, for example, plaster. It will be understood that opposite forces to those described will cause equally improved gripping by teeth 808 of the opposing panel 804 of the central portion.
Referring to
The plan sectional view shown in
It will be appreciated that the above described embodiments are given by way of example only and that various modifications may be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, in the embodiments shown and described, a right angle wall bead is represented. Embodiments of the present invention will be appreciated wherein the wall bead comprises an acute or obtuse angle to better suit a wall to which the bead is intended to be applied. The corner of the wall to which the wall bead is applied may comprise a different angle at one point along the length of the corner compared to an angle at another point along the length of the corner. The present wall bead, comprising the flexible mesh, is therefore arranged to suit a corner of any angle, or of mixed angles, and is preferably ideally suited to corners having a surface thereof which is non-flat, such as concave or convex. Embodiments of the present invention will be appreciated wherein the wall bead is a rounded, or bullnose bead for producing a rounded corner of a wall. Other suitable forms of wall bead will be appreciated. Embodiments are shown having apertures extending along the connection portion or the solid panel portions intended for, for example, screws or nails. Embodiments will be appreciated wherein the formation, structure or frequency of the teeth is such that no other affixing means are required to affix the wall bead to a wall surface and such said embodiments may not comprise said screw or nail apertures.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1910659.0 | Jul 2019 | GB | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/GB2020/051331 | 6/3/2020 | WO |