MOLDED PANEL VERTICAL RAILING

Abstract

Aspects hereof provide for a railing barrier having vertical balusters maintained between a top rail and a bottom rail. The vertical balusters are formed of a molded panel including multiple balusters. The molded panel is then positioned between a top rail and a bottom rail.

Claims

1. A railing system comprising: a top rail; a bottom rail; and at least one molded panel including a top crossbar, a bottom crossbar, and a plurality of balusters extending therebetween; wherein the top crossbar, the bottom crossbar, and the balusters are molded as a single panel; and wherein the panel is received in the top rail and the bottom rail.

2. The rail system of claim 1, wherein the top rail has a channel for receiving a plurality of panels.

3. The railing system of claim 2, wherein multiple panels are slidably received in the top rail channel.

4. The rail system of claim 1, wherein the bottom rail has a channel for receiving a plurality of panels.

5. The railing system of claim 4, wherein multiple panels are slidably received in the bottom rail channel.

6. The railing system of claim 1, wherein the balusters of the molded panels are oriented in a vertical configuration.

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. A railing assembly comprising: a first support post and a second support post; a top rail extending between the first support post and the second support post; a bottom rail extending between the first support post and the second support post; and a molded panel positioned between the top rail and the bottom rail, the molded panel comprising a top crossbar, a bottom crossbar, and a plurality of balusters integrally formed therebetween as a single molded unit.

10. The railing assembly of claim 9, wherein the top rail includes a channel extending along a length of the top rail, and wherein the top crossbar is received in the channel.

11. The railing assembly of claim 10, wherein the channel has a trapezoidal shape and the top crossbar has a corresponding trapezoidal shape configured to mate with the channel.

12. The railing assembly of claim 9, wherein the bottom rail includes an upward channel configured to receive the bottom crossbar.

13. The railing assembly of claim 9, further comprising a bracket assembly including a panel bracket member configured to attach to the top rail and a support bracket member configured to attach to the first support post, wherein the panel bracket member includes a pin and the support bracket member includes a pin aperture configured to receive the pin.

14. The railing assembly of claim 13, wherein the support bracket member includes mounting holes for attachment to the first support post.

15. A method of installing a railing system comprising: providing a molded panel having an integral top crossbar, bottom crossbar, and a plurality of balusters extending therebetween; positioning a bottom rail between vertical support posts; connecting the molded panel to a top rail by engaging the top crossbar with the top rail; and positioning the molded panel adjacent the bottom rail by engaging the bottom crossbar with the bottom rail.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein connecting the molded panel to the top rail comprises slidably engaging the top crossbar with a channel in the top rail.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the channel has a trapezoidal shape and the top crossbar has a corresponding trapezoidal shape configured to mate with the channel.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein positioning the molded panel adjacent the bottom rail comprises slidably engaging the bottom crossbar with an upward channel in the bottom rail.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising a step of attaching the top rail to the vertical support posts using a bracket assembly, wherein the bracket assembly includes a panel bracket member attached to the top rail and a support bracket member attached to a vertical support post, and wherein the panel bracket member includes a pin that is received in a pin aperture of the support bracket member.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein attaching the support bracket member to the vertical support post comprises securing the support bracket member through mounting holes using fasteners.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] The present disclosure is described in detail herein with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

[0006] FIG. 1 depicts an example of a molded panel attached to a top rail, in accordance with exemplary aspects hereof,

[0007] FIG. 2 depicts an exploded perspective view of a molded panel railing, in accordance with aspects hereof,

[0008] FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of a molded panel railing, in accordance with aspects hereof,

[0009] FIG. 4 depicts a cross-section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, in accordance with aspects hereof,

[0010] FIG. 5 depicts a cross-section view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 4, in accordance with aspects hereof;

[0011] FIG. 6 depicts a perspective view of an attachment bracket for the molded panel railing, in accordance with aspects hereof,

[0012] FIG. 7 depicts a perspective view of an attachment bracket for the molded panel in a stair configuration, in accordance with aspects hereof,

[0013] FIG. 8 depicts a perspective view of an attachment bracket for the molded panel in a stair configuration, in accordance with aspects hereof,

[0014] FIG. 9 depicts a perspective view of an attachment bracket for the molded panel in a stair configuration, in accordance with aspects hereof,

[0015] FIG. 10 depicts an exploded perspective view of a molded panel railing in a stair configuration, in accordance with aspects hereof; and

[0016] FIG. 11 depicts a cross-section taken along lines 10-10 of FIG. 10, in accordance with aspects hereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Aspects hereof provide apparatuses, systems, and/or methods directed to a molded panel vertical railing structure. Specifically, a structure includes a molded panel having a plurality of balusters molded with a top crossbar and a bottom crossbar. The top crossbar is configured to engage a top rail, and the bottom crossbar is configured to engage a bottom rail. The top crossbar and bottom crossbar can engage the top rail and the bottom rail in any suitable manner, for instance in a sliding arrangement or a nesting arrangement. The sliding and/or nesting arrangement can allow multiple panels to be positioned adjacent to one another and in conjunction with a single top rail and/or a single bottom rail. The bottom rail and the top rail are positioned between and attached to spaced-apart support posts.

[0018] Installation of traditional vertical railing is a labor-intensive process that includes initially mounting a bottom rail between two post members or other structures. The bottom rail typically has holes precut therein to receive the balusters. After the bottom rail is installed, the individual balusters are positioned in the holes on the bottom rail. The top rail is then positioned above the upper ends of the balusters positioned on the bottom rail. The top rail also has precut holes therein that will receive the top ends of the balusters. The top ends of the balusters will have to be aligned with the holes in the top rail as the top rail is put in place between the post members. The balusters during this process are often not maintained in an exact vertical position and may in essence flop around in the holes on the bottom rail. This makes positioning the top rail difficult and labor-intensive, often requiring two people to do the installation. The above type of installation is referred to as a stick build type installation. Another type of traditional installation is a lay flat or prebuilt installation where the balusters are positioned between a top and bottom member or rail and secured thereto, before the railing section is positioned between the vertical posts. This is also a labor-intensive process where the entire railing framework needs to be lifted into place and secured to the posts. This can be particularly unwieldy as the rail sections can be anywhere from 6 to 10 feet long.

[0019] Aspects herein contemplate providing a structure including a molded panel having a plurality of balusters molded with a top crossbar and a bottom crossbar. The top crossbar is configured to engage a top rail, and the bottom crossbar is configured to engage a bottom rail. The top crossbar and bottom crossbar can engage the top rail and the bottom rail in any suitable manner, for instance in a sliding arrangement or a nesting arrangement. The sliding and/or nesting arrangement can allow multiple panels to be positioned adjacent to one another and in conjunction with a single top rail and/or a single bottom rail. The bottom rail and the top rail are positioned between and attached to spaced-apart support posts.

[0020] A single individual can install the molded panel to the top rail and the bottom rail. In fact, they can install multiple panels to both the top rail and the bottom rail. Because multiple balusters can be installed with one panel, the issues associated with stick building a railing are reduced. Still further, in a flat build scenario, manual labor is also reduced because it is not necessary to install numerous balusters, but instead a user can install a relatively small number of molded panels.

[0021] The aspects contemplated will be discussed in greater detail and with respect to the figures.

[0022] Turning to FIGS. 1-5, the drawings depict an example of a molded panel vertical railing system 100 in accordance with aspects hereof. The railing system 100 is comprised of a top rail 102 and a bottom rail 108 that are configured to extend between and be attached to vertical support posts 112 and 114. The railing system 100 also includes a plurality of panels 110 molded with multiple balusters 104 and 106 and with a top crossbar 120 and the bottom crossbar 122. Each panel 110 is a single piece of material, whether that be molded plastic, cast or stamped aluminum, or manufactured vinyl. Any material can be used to form a panel 110. As is apparent, the design of the balusters does not necessarily need to be vertical in a molded panel. In fact, because of the nature of the molded panels 110 and how they are installed, the balusters can take any design between the top crossbar 120 and the bottom crossbar 122. The pattern of the balusters can be, for instance, a crisscross design, a mesh design, a spiral design, and/or a diagonal design. As is apparent, any suitable design can be reflected in panel 110.

[0023] The top rail 102 is formed with channel 124 that extends along the length of the rail. Channel 124 can be formed in a trapezoidal shape so as to receive the top crossbar 120, which can also have a trapezoidal shape. Crossbar 120 can be received in channel 124 in a sliding manner. Multiple panels 110 can be slid into channel 124 and be secured thereto by the mating of the trapezoidal shape of the top crossbar 120 with the trapezoidal shape of the channel 124. The bottom rail 108 includes an upwardly facing channel 126 that is configured to receive the bottom crossbar 122 of multiple panels 110.

[0024] A lower bracket 118 is used to secure the bottom rail 108 to the support posts 112 and 114. The bracket 118 is attached to its respective post 112 or 114 via any suitable structure or fastener. The bracket 118 can be attached to the bottom rail 108 in any suitable manner, for instance, by a fastener 119.

[0025] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 6, the top rail 102 with the panels 110 are attached to the posts 112 and 114 via a bracket 130. The bracket 130 includes a panel bracket member 132 that is configured to be attached to the top rail 102 in any suitable manner, for instance by sliding the panel bracket member 132 into the ends of channel 124, after the panels 110 have been positioned therein. The panel bracket member 132 can be secured to the top rail 102 by any suitable type of fastener or adhesive. The panel bracket member 132 includes a downwardly extending pin 134. The bracket 130 further includes a support bracket member 136 that is configured to be attached to support posts 112 and 114 via holes 138 and any suitable fasteners. The support bracket member 136 includes an aperture 140 for receiving the pin 134 of the panel bracket member 132.

[0026] With reference to FIGS. 2 and 5, the top rail 102 with the panels 110 positioned in channel 124 is secured to the posts 112 and 114 by positioning the pin 134 of the panel bracket member 132 into the aperture 140 of the support bracket member 136. When the top rail 102 is positioned in this manner, the bottom crossbars 122 of the panels 110 are positioned in channel 126 of the bottom rail 108. There can be a friction fit between pin 134 and the aperture 140 to secure the panel system 100 in place. Also, any sort of fastener can be used to keep pin 134 in place within aperture 140.

[0027] With reference to FIGS. 7-11, a stair railing configuration 150 utilizing molded panels 110 is depicted. The stair configuration operates and is constructed in a similar manner to the molded railing system 100. It includes top rail 102, bottom rail 108, and panels 110. The difference is in the angling of these elements to accommodate stairs. An angled stair connecting bracket 152 is depicted in FIGS. 7-9. The bracket 152 can be utilized for securing the railing configuration 150 to the support posts 112 and 114. The bracket 152 has an angled surface 154 to accommodate the attachment of the railing configuration 150 to the support posts 112 and 114.

[0028] Continuing, the top rail 102, the bottom rail 108, and the balusters 104 and 106 may be formed from any materials, such as aluminum, steel, wood, or any sort of plastic (e.g., polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, acrylic, and so forth). The rails and balusters may have any cross-section shape. For example, in some aspects the rails have a U cross-section shape, an H cross-section shape, a T cross-section shape, and the like. The balusters can also have any cross-section shape such as rectangular, circular, or oval. The rails and balusters may be any length (e.g., 4 ft. to 8 ft.). For example, the rails may come in standard lengths, such as 2 ft., 3 ft., 4 ft., 5 ft., 6 ft., 7 ft., 8 ft., 10 ft., 12 ft., or the like.

[0029] From the foregoing, it will be seen that this disclosure is one well-adapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages that are obvious, and which are inherent to the structure. It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

[0030] While specific elements and steps are discussed in connection to one another, it is understood that any element and/or steps provided herein are contemplated as being combinable with any other elements and/or steps regardless of explicit provision of the same while still being within the scope provided herein. Since many possible embodiments may be made of the disclosure without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

[0031] As used herein and in connection with the claims listed hereinafter, the terminology any of clauses or similar variations of said terminology are intended to be interpreted such that features of claims/clauses may be combined in any combination. For example, an exemplary clause 4 may indicate the method/apparatus of any of clauses 1 through 3, which is intended to be interpreted such that features of clause 1 and clause 4 may be combined, elements of clause 2 and clause 4 may be combined, elements of clause 3 and 4 may be combined, elements of clauses 1, 2, and 4 may be combined, elements of clauses 2, 3, and 4 may be combined, elements of clauses 1, 2, 3, and 4 may be combined, and/or other variations. Further, the terminology any of clauses or similar variations of said terminology are intended to include any one of clauses or other variations of such terminology, as indicated by some of the examples provided above.

[0032] The following clauses are aspects contemplated herein.

[0033] Clause 1. A railing system comprising: a top rail; a bottom rail; and at least one molded panel including a top crossbar, a bottom crossbar, and a plurality of balusters extending therebetween; wherein the top crossbar, the bottom crossbar, and the balusters are molded as a single panel; and wherein the panel is received in the top rail and the bottom rail.

[0034] Clause 2. The rail system of clause 1, wherein the top rail has a channel for receiving a plurality of panels.

[0035] Clause 3. The railing system of clause 2, wherein multiple panels are slidably received in the top rail channel.

[0036] Clause 4. The rail system of clause 1, wherein the bottom rail has a channel for receiving a plurality of panels.

[0037] Clause 5. The railing system of clause 4, wherein multiple panels are slidably received in the bottom rail channel.

[0038] Clause 6. The railing system of clause 1, wherein the balusters of the molded panels are oriented in a vertical configuration.

[0039] Clause 7. A method of assembling a railing system including a bottom rail, a top rail, and a molded panel having integral top crossbar, bottom crossbar, and a plurality of balusters, the method comprising: positioning the bottom rail between vertical support surfaces; connecting the panel to the top rail; and positioning the panel adjacent to the bottom rail.

[0040] Clause 8. The railing system of clause 7, wherein the panel is slidably received in the top rail.

[0041] Clause 9. A railing assembly comprising: a first support post and a second support post; a top rail extending between the first support post and the second support post; a bottom rail extending between the first support post and the second support post; and a molded panel positioned between the top rail and the bottom rail, the molded panel comprising a top crossbar, a bottom crossbar, and a plurality of balusters integrally formed therebetween as a single molded unit.

[0042] Clause 10. The railing assembly of clause 9, wherein the top rail includes a channel extending along a length of the top rail, and wherein the top crossbar is received in the channel.

[0043] Clause 11. The railing assembly of clause 10, wherein the channel has a trapezoidal shape and the top crossbar has a corresponding trapezoidal shape configured to mate with the channel.

[0044] Clause 12. The railing assembly of clause 9, wherein the bottom rail includes an upward channel configured to receive the bottom crossbar.

[0045] Clause 13. The railing assembly of clause 9, further comprising a bracket assembly including a panel bracket member configured to attach to the top rail and a support bracket member configured to attach to the first support post, wherein the panel bracket member includes a pin and the support bracket member includes a pin aperture configured to receive the pin.

[0046] Clause 14. The railing assembly of clause 13, wherein the support bracket member includes mounting holes for attachment to the first support post.

[0047] Clause 15. A method of installing a railing system comprising: providing a molded panel having an integral top crossbar, bottom crossbar, and a plurality of balusters extending therebetween; positioning a bottom rail between vertical support posts; connecting the molded panel to a top rail by engaging the top crossbar with the top rail; and positioning the molded panel adjacent the bottom rail by engaging the bottom crossbar with the bottom rail.

[0048] Clause 16. The method of clause 15, wherein connecting the molded panel to the top rail comprises slidably engaging the top crossbar with a channel in the top rail.

[0049] Clause 17. The method of clause 16, wherein the channel has a trapezoidal shape and the top crossbar has a corresponding trapezoidal shape configured to mate with the channel.

[0050] Clause 18. The method of clause 15, wherein positioning the molded panel adjacent the bottom rail comprises slidably engaging the bottom crossbar with an upward channel in the bottom rail.

[0051] Clause 19. The method of clause 15, further comprising a step of attaching the top rail to the vertical support posts using a bracket assembly, wherein the bracket assembly includes a panel bracket member attached to the top rail and a support bracket member attached to a vertical support post, and wherein the panel bracket member includes a pin that is received in a pin aperture of the support bracket member.

[0052] Clause 20. The method of clause 19, wherein attaching the support bracket member to the vertical support post comprises securing the support bracket member through mounting holes using fasteners.