Surface panel assembly with rigid strips to conceal fasteners

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the invention

The invention pertains to a non-sustaining bridge strip over juncture of panels with a cap interfitted with surface section in a recess of the section.

Description of the prior art

More particularly, the invention pertains to a fastener concealing surface panel assembly which secures panels to framing members to form walls or ceilings in buildings. The improvement enables quick and trouble-free insertion of concealing strips to hide unsightly nails or staples and enhance the decorative appearance of the walls and ceilings. Its most important field of use at present appears to be in the construction of ceilings for mobile homes where the ceilings can be pre-assembled before being mounted as a unit on side walls of a mobile home. However, the invention should not be restricted to this field of use.

Heretofore, when a ceiling for a mobile home was assembled, large surface panels were fastened to supporting framing members. However, the exposed fasteners, such as nails, screws, or staples, have presented an unsightly appearance and have spoiled the attractiveness of the ceiling. One answer which has been tried but found to be unsuccessful is the placing of staples in pre-formed grooves or bevels of the panels. Since the staples which are driven into the panels are not always properly aligned in the bottoms of the bevels, an objectionable appearance results. Rosettes or star-shaped pieces of plastic have been used to surround the exposed nail or wood screw heads to minimize their unattractiveness, but the rosettes themselves are objectionable in appearance.

A panel assembly system has been tried in which a flexible strip is inserted into mating grooves in the abutting edges of the panels. The flexible strip, however, does not always move smoothly in the grooves because quite frequently, the fasteners, such as staples or nails, are not properly driven into place and interfere with the forward movement of the strip.

Furthermore, it has been found that a flat strip of material, such as paper, is adversely affected by moisture in the air and tends to wrinkle or sag, presenting an unacceptable finished assembly. Further, while certain of these strips have been shown to be corrugated, the corrugations are not a proper answer to the problem of misplaced staples or fasteners as the bottom edges of the corrugations lie in the same plane as the fasteners and will not clear them.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention pertains to a surface panel assembly in which the panel is grooved to receive rigid strips which cover its fasteners. The strips have a central elevated section with respect to the base of the grooves to move without impediment over misaligned or improperly driven fasteners.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel surface panel assembly in which fasteners for the panels are concealed by a rigid strip.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel surface panel assembly in which fasteners for the panels are concealed by a rigid strip which has a raised, longitudinal central area.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel surface panel assembly in which fasteners for the panels are concealed by a rigid strip which has outwardly extending longitudinal flanges, connected to a central section at an obtuse angle formed with upwardly extending sidewalls.

Other objects and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the accompanying drawing in which like numerals refer to like elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ceiling showing an overall view of an embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a cross section view of the invention taken along lines 2—2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of FIG. 1 with a portion of the area under the concealing strip exposed,

FIG. 4 is a cross section view of the invention taken along lines 4—4 of FIG. 1, and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views of alternative configurations of concealing strips.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1, there is therein shown a perspective view of a ceiling comprising surface panels 10, 11 and 12 having elongated strips 15-18 concealing the fasteners which hold the panels against framing members (not shown). As will be explained in greater detail the concealing strip of the invention is used not only to conceal the fasteners at the edges of abutting panels but also fasteners used in the field of the panel. A trim molding 20 may be nailed in place at the juncture of the ceiling and the walls 25. Thus, FIG. 1 illustrates a ceiling in which the fasteners are concealed and the concealing strips enhance the attractiveness of the ceiling.

FIG. 2 shows in greater detail the securing of the panel and the manner in which the strip clears the fastener. FIG. 2 shows the fastening of a panel 11 to a framing member 30 in its field area and not along one of its edges. By adapting the invention to provide concealment for fasteners in the central or field area of the board, wider panels can be used and a more economical installation is made possible.

Panel 11 may be made of cellulosic fiber in the conventional manner on a modified paper-making machine and is commercially available in lengths of about 10, 11 and 12 feet with widths of 48 inches. Since conventional construction methods call for framing members to be on 16-inch centers, and in some instances on 24-inch centers, it is advantageous to be able to fasten the panel along lines in its central or field area, rather than provide all panels with widths of 16 inches or 24 inches only.

3.545.154

Consequently, the field area of panel 11 has a first groove 32 cut across its width. Groove 32 is formed with channel defining sidewalls 34 and 35 and a bottom wall 36. A pair of grooves 38 and 39 are cut outwardly at the bottom wall 36 of groove 32 forming extensions thereof parallel to the face of the panel 11. The width of groove 32 is generally selected so that staples 40 can be driven through the base portion 36 of the panel. Staples 40 hold the panel tightly against the lower face of framing member 30. If desired from an appearance standpoint, the outer edges 43 and 44 of groove 32 may be bevelled.

The rigid strip 17 is inserted at one edge of panel 11 and because of its rigidity it can be pushed along groove 32 to cover staples 40. Strip 17 which may be made of 15 to 25 mil high impact styrene plastic material has a raised central section 52 with upwardly and outwardly extending sidewalls 54 and 55 integrally connected along respective free edges of the central section. Sidewalls 54 and 55 are disposed at an acute outside angle a with reference to a plane 54 through central section 52 parallel to the face of board 11. Longitudinally extending flanges 57 and 58 extend outwardly along the opposite edges of sidewalls 54 and 55 respectively and are carried in grooves 38 and 39 respectively. Flanges 57 and 58 are connected integrally with sidewalls 54 and 55 at an obtuse angle b with respect to the open end of groove 32.

While the term “upwardly” is applicable to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, it should be recognized that if the panels are installed in a vertical rather than a horizontal position, the direction of the sidewalls from the central section is from the open end of the groove toward its closed bottom.

Although the plastic material of the preferred embodiment is high impact styrene of the ABS type, other suitable materials include PVC, polypropylene, stiff paper or metal.

Because of the relationship of the angles between the sidewalls 54 and 55 and the flanges 57 and 58 and the sidewalls 54 and 55 and the central area 52 of the strip 17 it can be easily seen that the central area 52 is maintained at a spaced distance from the bottom of groove 32. Because the sidewalls 54 and 55 terminate substantially along the lower edges of groove 32, there is sufficient clearance for strip 17 to be pushed into place without interference with improperly driven staples 40.

FIG. 3 shows in greater detail the condition of the ceiling assembly which the invention is designed to overcome. As the strip 17 is pushed (upwardly in the drawing), the various staples 40 which are shown in askew positions can prevent the forward progress of the strip. In practice because of the carelessness with which semiskilled applicators drive the staples, the staples are frequently not driven flush into the bottom of groove 32. As the strip 17 is pushed along groove 32, unless the central section 52 is maintained away from the tops of the staples, it will be stopped and prevented from covering the staples.

Not only can the rigid strip 17 be used to cover the staples or fasteners in grooves across the central section of the panel, but it can be used with equal efficiency at the juncture between two abutting panels as shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows two panels 10 and 11 being nailed to a framing member 30 by nails 65 and 66. To cover the gap between the panels, a strip 16 is inserted in a groove 32 and engages grooves 38 and 39 as in the manner previously described. Again since nails 65 and 66 can be improperly driven, it is advantageous to have the central area 52 of strip 17 maintained away from and clear of the bottom of groove 32.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show only two of the possible alternative variations which may be used. Other variations will be apparent from a consideration of the invention as described. FIG. 5 shows a strip having outwardly extending flanges 38 and 39 with sidewalls 54 and 55 joined along a center line 70. FIG. 6 shows flanges 38 and 39 being connected by a generally hemispherical longitudinal section 75. However, the basic concept is present in these variations.

Reference has been made to a rigid strip. In this invention the rigid strip must be such that it can easily be ⁵ pushed along groove 32 from one edge of the panel to another without jamming or collapsing. Obviously a strip which is flexible enough to be conveniently handled on a reel cannot have the requisite rigidity and the configura, θ tion of the strip in having the central section spaced from its lower flange sections prevents such flexibility. Obviously, the strip need not be so rigid as to permit no flexure at all for lengths of 10 to 12 feet, but it cannot be flexible and have the desired cross sectional configura15 tion. The strips are generally provided in lengths approximately equal to the length of the panel.

In summary, tne invention provides a novel fastener concealing strip whose central section is spaced from the bottom of a receiving groove to permit easy passage over 20 improperly driven fasteners and to improve the appearance of a surface panel assembly.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, modifications, changes and rearrangements will occur to those skilled in the art, 25 and it is intended to cover such modifications, changes and rearrangements within the scope of the appended claims.