Cover or wall profile

Abstract

A cover profile system for forming a walking surface, roof surface, wall, wall surface or retaining wall, which is formed from a plurality of generally flat, elongated hollow profile bodies, each comprising a first wall, a second wall, a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge, wherein the first longitudinal edge is provided with a first longitudinal strip having holes for attachment, wherein one of either longitudinal edges is provided with a second longitudinal strip, which at the side of the first strip that faces the first wall, extends over the first strip to at least the opposite longitudinal edge. Resilient members are provided between adjacent profile panels to avoid incorrect installation by installers and to enable traverse expansion to avoid damage or buckling of the product.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of Netherlands patent application NL 1022956 filed Mar. 18, 2003, and U.S. provisional application 60 / 459,815, filed Apr. 2, 2003, and is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 801,491, filed Mar. 16, 2004, all of which are relied on and incorporated herein by reference.INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND [0002] The invention relates to an improved cover or cladding profile or section system for forming a variety of structures such as decking, roof and floor surfaces or siding, walls, a wall surface or a retaining wall. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improvement whereby a resilient member is placed at selected locations in the profile to avoid incorrect installation of the profiles and to enable traverse; i.e., side to side, expansion caused by initial moisture uptake of wood fibres. [0003] Known cover profile systems comprise elongated elements, at first only in ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] Applicant has now improved on the system described and illustrated in the earlier U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 801,491 filed Mar. 16, 2004 by configuring the space for accommodating the edge area of the first longitudinal strip of a matingly engaged profile body as a groove to also accommodate a resilient member. The resilient member helps to avoid incorrect installation by inexperienced workers and also makes possible traverse expansion of the adjacent profile panels to prevent damage or buckling caused by change in moisture content of the wood fibres. Further, the improved system described herein provides for the second longitudinal strip, which at the side of the first strip that faces the first wall, to extend over the first longitudinal strip into a space. Optionally, that space can also contain a resilient member. This embodiment of the invention provides for a resilient member such as a foam strip that provides expansion possibility in the width direction.

[0013] Thus, according to the improved embodiment of the earlier invention, the same advantages from the standpoint of resistance against penetration by water are obtained. Due to the arrangement of the second longitudinal strip extending over the first strip of an adjacent profile into or in abutment against an imaginary longitudinal plane in the longitudinal wall of the adjacent profile that is perpendicular to the first and second wall, this results in covering of the first strip provided with the attachment holes. This arrangement of parts largely prevents water from entering the attachment holes so that the underlying construction space is kept free from the leakage of water. As also pointed out in the earlier application, this arrangement also prevents dirt from entering and accumulating there, which would affect the construction parts. The strip of flexible and resilient material such as foam, located in the groove space to matingly receive the first longitudinal strip, is partly compressed during and after installation to assure a snug fit between adjacent panels.

[0014] The stiffness and dimensioning of the resilient member or strip is so chosen that this will hardly undergo a compression when the boards are installed but with the high expansion forces that may occur later will certainly do so, preventing buckling at a later stage, which may take place with conventional compositions due to lack of expansion possibilities between boards.

Problems solved by technology

It has been observed that sometimes the installers do not correctly install the earlier described profile system of our above patent application.

With mechanical means it often happened that the installer forced the boards or planks too close to each other for the reason that typical installation personnel are accustomed to installing normal wooden planks tight to each other as it would be expected that fresh wooden planks would shrink due to release of moisture.

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