Assembly and method for attaching extruded members

Abstract

An assembly of extruded members including: an extruded housing member including one or more holes formed along at least one side thereof for entry of ends of one or more second extrusions therethrough; and at least one extruded aluminum clamping member including one or more pairs of opposed clamping portions for clamping the ends of the one or more second extrusions therebetween.

Claims

1. An assembly of extruded members, including: a first elongate extruded member or housing having one or more side walls wherein at least one of said side walls includes an opening defined by opposing portions of said side wall or said side walls, said opening extending the entire length of said first elongate extruded member; one or more clamping members maintained in an operative attitude by their engagement with one or more side walls of said first extruded member, said one or more clamping members defining a mouth that is aligned with said opening and two opposing, spaced apart, clamping portions that are each connected to said mouth by a respective inclined guide face and wherein said guide faces diverge inwardly towards one another in the direction of said clamping portions, and a second elongate extruded member having an end portion, and whereby when assembling the extruded members, said end portion shall be extended through said opening and said mouth, and wherein engagement of said end portion with said guide faces shall urge said clamping portions further apart until at least said clamping portions engage said end portion.

2. An assembly of extruded members as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first extruded member includes at least one longitudinally extending retainer that is capable of engaging with a portion of said clamping member.

3. An assembly of extruded members as claimed in claim 1, wherein a beam extends between opposing portions of said first extruded member and wherein said one or more extruded clamping members are engaged with said beam and at least said one or more side walls of said first extruded member.

4. An assembly of extruded members as claimed in claim 1, wherein a beam extends between opposing portions of said first extruded member and said opening is a first opening, said first extruded member being provided with a second opening formed in said side wall or said side walls that extends the entire length of said first extruded member, and wherein said assembly includes one or more additional aluminium extruded clamping members that are maintained in an operative attitude by their engagement with one or more side walls of said first extruded member and said beam, said additional one or more clamping members defining a mouth that is aligned with said second opening and two opposing, spaced apart, clamping portions that are each connected to said mouth by a respective inclined guide face and wherein said guide faces diverge inwardly towards one another in the direction of said clamping portions.

5. An assembly of extruded members as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first extruded member has a substantially square shaped transverse cross-section and includes four side walls, and wherein said first opening and said second opening are located in opposing side walls.

6. An assembly of extruded members as claimed in claim 1, wherein said opposed clamping portions include a detent for engaging a respective stop formed on said second extrusion for preventing withdrawal of said second extrusion from said first extruded member.

7. An assembly of extruded members, including: a first elongate extruded member or housing having one or more external side walls and a plurality of internal walls that divide the interior of said first extruded member being defined by said one or more external side walls and at least one of said internal walls; a plurality of openings in said external side wall or said side walls; one or more aluminium extruded clamping members accessible by one of said openings, said one or more clamping members being maintained in an operative attitude by their engagement with one or more side walls of said first extruded member and at least one of said internal side walls, said one or more clamping members defining a mouth that is aligned with said opening and two opposing, spaced apart, clamping portions that are each connected to said mouth by a respective inclined guide face and wherein said guide faces diverge inwardly towards one another in the direction of said clamping portions, and a second elongate extruded member having an end portion, and whereby when assembling the extruded members, said end portion shall be extended through said opening and said mouth, and wherein engagement of said end portion with said guide faces shall urge said clamping portions further apart until at least said clamping portions engage said end portion.

8. An assembly of extruded members as claimed in claim 7, wherein said internal walls resemble a cruciform.

9. An assembly of extruded members as claimed in claim 8, wherein said openings extend the entire length of said first extruded member.

10. An assembly of extruded members as claimed in claim 9, wherein one of said openings includes at least one longitudinally extending retainer that is capable of engaging with a portion of said clamping member.

11. An assembly of extruded members as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first extruded member has a substantially square shaped transverse cross-section and includes four side walls, each of said side walls including at least one opening through which an end of a respective second extrusion can extend therethrough.

12. An assembly of extruded members as claimed in claim 7, wherein said opposed clamping portions include a detent for engaging a respective stop formed on said second extrusion for preventing withdrawal of said second extrusion from said first extruded member.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following Detailed Description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The Detailed Description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention in any way. The Detailed Description will make reference to a number of drawings as follows:

(2) FIG. 1 Is a view of a top side and front of an assembly of extruded members according to an embodiment of the invention showing a number of second members prior to insertion of their ends into the assembly for clamping by a clamping member therein.

(3) FIG. 1a Is a view of a variation of the assembly of FIG. 1 wherein a single hole is formed as an opening along one side of the housing member.

(4) FIG. 2 is a cross section through an embodiment of the invention at a level of holes formed through two opposed sides of a housing member of the assembly.

(5) FIG. 2a comprises end views of a clamping member and a housing of FIG. 2 prior to insertion of the clamping member into the housing member.

(6) FIG. 3 is an end view of an assembly of extruded members according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

(7) FIGS. 4 to 12a are end views of assemblies of extruded members according to further embodiments of the present invention shown in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(8) In the following description a number of exemplary embodiments of the invention will be discussed. Throughout the discussion like components and features may be identified from embodiment to embodiment with the same identifier numerals used in the figures. Multiple features or groups of features that are similar or which correspond to each other, for example left hand side and right hand side features or groups of features may be specifically referred to with item numbers that have an a, b, c, . . . suffix. In some cases the features or groups of features that are similar or which correspond to each other will be referred to generally without the use of the a or b suffix depending on context.

(9) Referring now to FIG. 1, in a first embodiment an assembly of extruded members 2L includes a first extruded housing member 4, into an end of which an extruded aluminum clamping member 14 has been inserted. Extruded housing member 4 has one or more holes 6 formed along its side 8 for entry of ends 17 of one or more second extrusions 12 therethrough for clamping within the housing member 4 by opposed clamping portions 16 of the clamping member 14. In another embodiment that is illustrated in FIG. 1a the extruded housing member 4a of assembly 2m is formed with a single hole 6a that runs the entire length of side 8 so that housing member 4a has a C-section profile, for example.

(10) Referring now to FIG. 2, a cross section through an assembly of extruded members 2, according to a further embodiment, is depicted. Assembly 2 includes a first extruded housing member 4 into which an extruded aluminum clamping member 14 has been inserted. Extruded housing member 4 has one or more holes 6a, 6b, formed along first and second sides 8, 10 thereof for entry of ends 17a, 17b of one or more second extrusions 12a, 12b therethrough. FIG. 2a shows the housing member 4 and clamping member 14 prior to insertion of the clamping member into an end of the housing member 4.

(11) The first extruded housing member 4 is formed with longitudinal retainers 18a, 18b that are located on opposed internal walls 39a, 39b of the housing member 4 wherein the clamping member 14 includes an elongate transverse member in the form of a beam 20 that extends between the longitudinal retainers 18a and 18b. The beam preferably terminates at either end with a tongue 19a, 19b. The longitudinal retaining members define slots 3a, 3b (best seen in FIG. 2a) that capture tongues 19a, 19b therein.

(12) The extruded aluminum clamping member 14 includes two pairs of opposed clamping portions 16a, 16b, which extend from opposite sides of the beam 20 towards respective holes 6a, 6b, on side walls 8, 10, for clamping the ends 17 of the second extrusions 12 therebetween.

(13) FIG. 3, is an end view of an assembly 2a according to another embodiment of the invention wherein the extruded aluminum clamping assembly 2a is provided in a U-form (or as it might be referred to C shaped) profile and has a single pair of opposed clamping portions 16. In this embodiment the tongue 19 extends away from the clamping portions 16 to be received in a slot 3 defined by the longitudinal retaining formation 18.

(14) Referring now to FIG. 4, there is depicted an end view of an assembly 2b according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the assembly 2b the at least one extruded aluminum clamping member comprises a first aluminum clamping member 14a and a second aluminum clamping member 14b which cooperate to provide a pair of opposed clamping portions 16a, 16b. The assembly 2b is shown in use in FIG. 4 with the end 17 of second member 12 clamped therein. Each of the first and second clamping members 14a, 14b have end portions 19a, 19b remote from clamping portions 16a, 16b which act as tongues that are retained in respective slots 3a, 3b that are defined by L-shaped retaining formations 18a, 18b that extend from an inner side of wall 8 of the housing 4.

(15) FIG. 5 depicts an end view of an assembly 2c according to a further embodiment of the present invention shown in use wherein extruded aluminum clamping member 14 is clamping ends 17a, 17b of second members 12a and 12b, which have been inserted through holes 6a and 6b. In the assembly 2c the extruded aluminum clamping member 14 includes bracing members 22 that extend outwardly from transverse member 20 to make contact with one or more inner walls 21 of the housing member 4 to thereby strengthen the housing member 4.

(16) FIG. 6 depicts an assembly 2d according to a further embodiment of the present invention. The assembly 2d includes a cruciform clamping member 14 wherein ends 25 of the cruciform clamping member 14 are bifurcated and wherein bifurcated portions 27-1, 27-2 of adjacent ends 25 comprise the opposed clamping portions 16a, . . . , 16d.

(17) In assembly 2d the housing member 4 comprises a square cross section extrusion with four series of one or more holes 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d formed along respective ones of each of the four sides 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d. As shown in FIG. 6, the cruciform clamping member 14 clamps the ends of the second extrusions 12a, . . . , 12d, which are radially disposed at 90 degrees therebetween. Consequently the assembly 2d of FIG. 6 is well suited to use as a vertical post for example where it is desirable to set up four screens each comprised of a plurality of the second extrusions (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d) that radiate out from the vertical post as slats of four screens.

(18) FIG. 7 shows a further assembly 2e according to another embodiment of the present invention which includes lateral wings 15a, 15b, to opposed ends of which a balustrade cover 24 is snap-locked. In this assembly the one or more second members 12 act as a vertical post for supporting the balustrade.

(19) FIGS. 8 to 12 depict end views of further assemblies 2f-2k of extruded members 2f-2k according to various embodiments of the invention. In these various embodiments like components to those previously described are item numbered in similar fashion.

(20) In FIG. 8, the at least one clamping member comprises first and second clamping members 14a, 14b and the assembly 2f includes a clamping member retaining assembly 41 (which is generally H shaped in profile in the example of FIG. 8) defining at least first and second longitudinal retainers 18a, 18b for engaging ends 19a, 19b of the first and second clamping members 14a, 14b.

(21) The clamping member retaining assembly 14 is formed with a transverse member in the form of beam which is formed with one or more holes along it for passage of the ends 17 of the one or more second extrusions 12 therethrough.

(22) In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8 the at least one clamping member comprises a first clamping member 14a and a second clamping member 14b wherein the one or more pairs of opposed clamping portions comprises one pair of opposed clamping portions 16a, 16b formed of a clamping portion 16a on the first clamping member 14a and a clamping portion 16b on the second clamping member 14b.

(23) With reference to FIG. 2, in some embodiments that have been described, it will be observed that, the at least one extruded aluminum clamping member 14 includes opposed inwardly converging elongate portions 27, that converge inwardly into the housing member 14 from the one or more openings 6 to the opposed clamping portions 16 which are separated by an unclamped distance d that is is a little less than a width w of the second extrusion for clamping therebetween.

(24) In some embodiments, such as assembly 2 of FIG. 2, the inwardly converging elongate portions 27 are continuous with inwardly diverging elongate portions 29 that diverge inwardly into the first extrusion (to the transverse beam member 20 in the case of assembly 2 of FIG. 2) from the opposed clamping portions 16.

(25) The opposed clamping portions 16 in some embodiments include at least one detent 31, which may be a protrusion that presents a right angle (as shown in FIG. 2) or the end of a clamping portion (as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 for example). The detent is for or engaging at least one respective stop 33 formed on the second extrusions 12 for preventing withdrawal of the second extrusions from the at least one clamping member once the ends 17 of the members have been pushed through the clamping regions a sufficient distance for detent 31 to engage stop 33 as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. Stop 33 is preferably a groove with right-angled side as shown that is cut down the side of second extrusion 12, though it could also be a protrusion with a sawtooth profile, example.

(26) Pushing end 17 of member 12 through clamping portions 16 causes the clamping portions to spread apart and exert a clamping force on end 17 due to their spring-like tendency to move back together in order to return to their rest state.

(27) The housing member and the one or more second members may be made of a synthetic material such as vinyl, a composite material or a metal member such as a steel or aluminum extrusion.

(28) It will be realized that an embodiment provides a method for attaching two members, e.g. a housing member 4 and second member 12 (which may be a horizontal member for a screen for example) to each other. In this embodiment the method includes inserting an extruded clamping member (e.g. clamping member 14) into housing member 4. The housing member 4 may have one or more holes along one or more sides, for example holes 6 as illustrated in FIG. 1 along side 8 of housing member 4. Alternatively the housing member 4 may have one long hole along one side as illustrated in FIG. 1a so that there is an opening along the length of that side.

(29) Ends 17 of one or more second extrusions 12 are inserted through the one or more holes 6 between opposed clamping portions 16 of the extruded aluminum clamping member 14 which has been inserted into the housing 4. Accordingly the ends of the one or more second members are firmly held within the housing 14.

(30) The method may include inserting at least one portion of the extruded clamping member, for example a tongue 19 along a longitudinal retainer, such as a slot, on an inner wall of the first extrusion. The tongue and slot arrangement is not essential and is not present in all embodiments described herein. However the tongue and slot arrangement is preferable as it assists in firmly locating the clamping member within the housing.

(31) In another embodiment a method is provided for attaching a first extrusion in the form of an extruded housing member 4 to one or more second extrusions 12 that involves forming one or more holes 6 along the first extrusion 4, for example by punching with a mandrill. An extruded aluminum clamping member 14 is then inserted along the first extrusion, e.g. by pushing an end of the clamping member 14 into an end of the extruded housing member 4. The method then involves inserting ends of the one or more second extrusions 12 through corresponding ones of the one or more holes 6 and between opposed clamping formations 6a, 6b of the extruded aluminum clamping member 14.

(32) The method may include inserting portions 19a, 19b of the extruded aluminum clamping member 14 into retaining formations 18a, 18b formed along the first extrusion.

(33) In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. The term comprises and its variations, such as comprising and comprised of is used throughout in an inclusive sense and not to the exclusion of any additional features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described herein 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 appropriately interpreted by those skilled in the art.

(34) Throughout the specification and claims (if present), unless the context requires otherwise, the term substantially or about will be understood to not be limited to the value for the range qualified by the terms.

(35) Any embodiment of the invention is meant to be illustrative only and is not meant to be limiting to the invention. Therefore, it should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications can be made to any embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

(36) Features, integers, or groups thereof described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless clearly incompatible therewith.