Security Screen Assembly

Abstract

A security screen assembly for a door or window is disclosed herein. The assembly includes a frame with a reinforced lip, a mesh, a plastic insulator to insulate the frame from the mesh and a retaining wedge to hold the mesh in the frame. The characterising feature is that the mesh has cut and punched indentations which abut against the reinforced lip within the plastic insulator to prevent the mesh being withdrawn from the frame once the retaining wedge is in place.

Claims

1. A security screen assembly comprising: (a) a frame with a reinforced lip; (b) a mesh; (c) a plastic insulator to insulate the frame from the mesh; and (d) a retaining wedge to hold the mesh in the frame; wherein the mesh has cut and punched indentations which abut against the reinforced lip and the plastic insulator to prevent the mesh being withdrawn from the frame once the retaining wedge is in place.

2. A method of assembling a security screen, the method comprising: (a) cutting and punching indentations along the edges of a mesh; (b) forming a frame with a reinforced lip; (c) inserting the mesh into each side of a frame so that the indentations abut the reinforced lip; and (d) inserting wedges between the frame and the mesh to retain the mesh in the frame.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the security screen assembly is part of a door, and the door has a strip along its edge adjacent to a door jamb, to prevent the insertion of a tool between the door and the door jamb to prise the door open.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, in which:

[0022] FIG. 1 is mesh screen door assembly showing the product to which the present invention relates.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a section of a prior art mesh door assembly made by Crimsafe Security Systems Pty Ltd.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a section of a prior art mesh door assembly made by ABRA Aluminium Pty Ltd trading as Panther Protect™.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a side section view of a prior art mesh door assembly of KR20110015214A.

[0026] FIG. 5 is a perspective view with close up views of the mesh of a security door screen according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 6 is a side section view of the security door screen assembly according to the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 7 is a close up view of the retaining wedge of the security door screen assembly of FIG. 5.

[0029] FIG. 8 is a side view up view of the door frame of the security screen assembly of FIG. 5.

[0030] FIG. 9 is a side view up view of a window frame of the security screen assembly of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] The components of a security screen assembly 38 according to an embodiment of the present invention are shown in FIGS. 5 to 9. A stainless steel mesh 40 has indentations 42 which are cut and punched at regular intervals along the perimeter of the mesh 40. The indentations 42 are anchored against a reinforced lip 44 of an aluminium frame 46 (see FIG. 6). A plastic insulator 48 is positioned between the stainless-steel mesh 40 and the aluminium frame 46 so that the dissimilar metals do not come in contact. The cut and punched indentations 42 are regularly spaced along all sides of the mesh 44 so that all edges of the mesh 40 can be effectively anchored to the frame 46.

[0032] The indentations 42 are press formed (i.e. cut and punched) with either a manual machine or a large hydraulic machine capable of automatically pressing all indentations for one side in a single action. This method of constructing the security screen 38 is significantly more efficient than the prior art method of putting screws at each anchor point.

[0033] An intruder may attempt to force entry through the door by pushing on the mesh. However, as more force is applied on the mesh, the distortion of the indentations increases which locks the mesh more tightly to the frame. By contrast, previous mesh door assemblies such as use a mesh with a folded edge which can be more easily pulled from the frame. When the folded edge is placed under load it flattens back out to its original shape. However, this cannot occur with the cut and punched indentations of the present invention. The indentations cannot return to their original shape when the mesh is placed under load.

[0034] In the prior art, the screws are generally spaced every 150 mm along each edge of the frame. An average door would have thirty to forty screws in it, which are time consuming to install. As the number of indentations do not affect manufacturing time of the present invention, the size to indent ratio can be adjusted to maximise the strength of the security screen. For example, a good strength to indent ratio is provided by having each cut approximately 40 mm long and spaced 70 mm apart along the perimeter of the mesh 40.

[0035] A toothed wedge 50 (see FIG. 6) is inserted between the mesh 40 and the frame 46 in order to hold the mesh 40 into the frame 46.

[0036] FIG. 8 shows another aspect of the present invention which is a plastic strip 52 which limits the ingress of a jimmy bar or other similar tool (such as screwdriver) between the security door and the door frame to prise the door open.

[0037] FIG. 9 shows a security screen assembly 54 adapted for a window, rather than a door.

[0038] The method of assembling the security screen of the present invention comprises: [0039] (a) cutting and punching regularly spaced indentations along the perimeter of a mesh; [0040] (b) forming a frame with a reinforced lip; [0041] (c) inserting the mesh into each side of a frame so that the indentations abut the reinforced lip; and [0042] (d) inserting wedges between the frame and the mesh to retain the mesh in the frame.

[0043] The present invention therefore has no points at which the frame and mesh come in contact which could allow corrosion. All edges of the mesh 40 are secured into frame 46, including the top edge which increases its resistance to forced intrusions. The method of manufacturing the present invention confers a substantial contribution because it provides a faster and stronger manufacturing process.

[0044] In the present specification and claims (if any), the word ‘comprising’ and its derivatives including ‘comprises’ and ‘comprise’ include each of the stated integers but does not exclude the inclusion of one or more further integers.

[0045] Reference throughout this specification to ‘one embodiment’ or ‘an embodiment’ means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrases ‘in one embodiment’ or ‘in an embodiment’ in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more combinations.

[0046] In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims (if any) appropriately interpreted by those skilled in the art.