Expansion joint and expansion joint cover plate
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- AU · AU
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC
- Filing Date
- 2021-02-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-30
AI Technical Summary
Existing expansion joint cover plates in concrete decking lack aesthetic appeal and customization options, failing to blend seamlessly with surrounding flooring, which affects the visual appeal of large concrete deck structures like retail environments and multi-level car parks.
The use of a powder coating sublimation process to apply images or designs onto expansion joint cover plates and movable members, allowing for a bespoke, high-quality, and durable finish that mimics the appearance of surrounding flooring materials such as woodgrain, thereby enhancing the visual appeal and blending the expansion joints with the surrounding environment.
The solution provides a unique, aesthetically pleasing, and durable finish for expansion joint cover plates, enabling them to blend in with the surrounding flooring, improving the overall visual appeal and making the expansion joints less noticeable, while maintaining functionality in extreme exposure environments.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
EXPANSION JOINT AND EXPANSION JOINT COVER PLATE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to expansion joints for installation into concrete decking, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to an improved bespoke / decorative cover plate of an expansion joint. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION The full patent specifications of AU2010214742, AU2010201482, AU2011101371, AU2013100644 and AU2016202954 are incorporated herein by reference. In the construction of large areas of suspended slabs or concrete deck structures (such as retail environments, multi-level car parks, multi-storey shopping or exhibition spaces, hospitals and so forth) it is necessary to incorporate expansion joints between adjacent sections of the deck structure principally to absorb movement of the structure primarily arising from the temperature variation within the structure and in some cases wind loading under high wind forces which causes the structure to sway and seismic loading. The movement between the sections of the deck structure can be a combination of horizontal, vertical, and sideways movement and the expansion joint which is designed to accommodate the anticipated range of movement is installed in a gap between two adjacent sections. Expansion joints for this purpose typically comprise spaced parallel rails which move together and apart while maintaining a substantially parallel relationship, and a cover plate system comprising one or more cover plates extending across and closing the gap between the two concrete sections throughout the range of anticipated movement. Previously proposed cover plates are typically in the form of aluminium or stainless steel cover plates having an anodized or mill finish. In one example, the cover plates may be in the form of extruded aluminium sections having the visual appearance of the bare aluminium. The applicant has determined that it would be advantageous for there to be provided a decorative expansion joint cover plate having an improved appearance or at least a more customisable / bespoke appearance. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cover plate for an expansion joint, wherein a surface of the cover plate has applied thereto an image. Preferably, the surface of the cover plate is a powder coated surface, and the image is in the form of a sublimation transfer medium on which is printed with sublimable inks a desired image which is transferred to the powder coated surface. More preferably, the sublimation transfer medium is placed against the powder coated surface and pressure is applied between the sublimation transfer medium and the powder coated surface so as to adhere the medium tightly to the powder coated surface. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an expansion joint for installation at adjacent edges of concrete sections, the expansion joint comprising two movable members and a cover plate arranged to cover a gap between the two movable members, wherein the cover plate and at least one of the movable members have applied thereto an image. Preferably, the cover plate and the movable members each have applied thereto an image. More preferably, the cover plate and the movable members each have a powder coated surface, and the image is in the form of a sublimation transfer medium on which is printed with sublimable inks a desired image which is transferred to the powder coated surfaces. Even more preferably, the sublimation transfer medium is placed against the powder coated surfaces and pressure is applied between the sublimation transfer medium and the powder coated surfaces so as to adhere the medium tightly to the powder coated surfaces. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of applying an image to a cover plate for an expansion joint, wherein the method includes the step of using a powder coating sublimation process to apply the image to the cover plate. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of applying an image to an expansion joint for installation at adjacent edges of concrete sections, the expansion joint comprising two movable members and a cover plate arranged to cover a gap between the two movable members, wherein the method includes the step of using a powder coating sublimation process to apply the image to the cover plate and / or at least one of the movable members. The powder coating sublimation process may be in the form of the process as described in AU2016202954. There is also disclosed an expansion joint for installation at adjacent edges of adjacent concrete sections, the joint comprising opposed rails mountable to the respective concrete sections, and a cover plate system linked to the rails for spanning the gap between the concrete sections, the cover plate system comprising at least one cover plate, wherein the cover plate and / or at least one of the opposed rails has applied thereto an image by a powder coating sublimation process. In accordance with another example of the present invention, there is provided an expansion joint for installation at adjacent edges of concrete components to accommodate relative movement between the concrete components, the expansion joint comprising a first movable member and a second movable member, the first movable member being movable relative to the second movable member, wherein at least one of the movable members has applied thereto an image. Preferably, the expansion joint includes a cover plate arranged to cover a gap between the concrete components, and the cover plate has applied thereto the image. More preferably, the cover plate is formed with one of the movable members as a single unitary part. In a preferred form, both movable members have applied thereto the image. In one form, the movable members each have a powder coated surface, and the image is in the form of a sublimation transfer medium on which is printed with sublimable inks a desired image which is transferred to the powder coated surfaces. In a preferred example, the sublimation transfer medium is placed against the powder coated surfaces and pressure is applied between the sublimation transfer medium and the powder coated surfaces so as to adhere the medium tightly to the powder coated surfaces. In accordance with another example of the present invention, there is provided a method of applying an image to an expansion joint for installation at adjacent edges of concrete components to accommodate relative movement between the concrete components, the expansion joint comprising a first movable member and a second movable member, the first movable member being arranged for movement relative to the second movable member, wherein the method includes the step of using a powder coating sublimation process to apply the image to at least one of the movable members. In accordance with another example of the present invention, there is provided a method of applying an image to an expansion joint for installation at adjacent edges of flooring components to accommodate relative movement between the flooring components, wherein the method includes the step of using a powder coating sublimation process to apply the image to the expansion joint. In accordance with another example of the present invention, there is provided a method of applying an image to an expansion joint for installation at adjacent edges of flooring components to accommodate relative movement between the flooring components, wherein the method includes the steps of choosing the image to imitate the visual appearance of flooring surrounding the installed expansion joint; and applying the image to the expansion joint such that the expansion joint blends in to the visual appearance of the flooring surrounding the installed expansion joint. BRIEF DESCIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing adjacent edge portions of concrete deck sections, with an expansion joint installed within rebates formed along those adjacent edge portions; Figure 2 is an end view showing schematically an expansion joint having a cover plate; Figure 3 shows an enlarged detail of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an end view of the cover plate; Figure 5 shows an expansion joint in use in a floor of a retail space; Figure 6 shows an expansion joint in use in a floor surface of a car park; and Figure 7 shows a top perspective view of an expansion joint, including a cover plate, imaged with a woodgrain finish in accordance with an example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCIPTION Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows adjacent edge portions of concrete decking sections 2, 4, each formed within a rebate 6, 8 into which expansion joint 10 is fitted; it will be understood that to facilitate illustration, Figure 1 is only showing a short length of the decking sections and also of the expansion joint. The expansion joint 10 comprises a pair of parallel longitudinal rails 12, 14 in the form of extrusions. The rails 12, 14 are coupled by pivotal links spaced along the length of the rails. Each link comprises a strut having a ball at each end. The balls are pivotally and slidably mounted within part-cylindrical passages in the two rails. The strut is inclined at approximately 45 degrees to the axis of the two rails whereby the two balls of the link are laterally offset. The series of links spaced along the length of the joint maintain the two rails 12, 14 in substantially parallel relationship while allowing the rails to move towards and away from each other upon contraction and expansion of the joint. The gap between the two rails 12, 14 is spanned by a cover plate 22 which engages the upper surface of the two rails and which is secured to the struts at their centre points whereby upon contraction and expansion of the joint by movement of the rails 12, 14, the cover plate 22 will remain centrally located between the two rails. To this basic extent, the design of the joint is substantially conventional, although the rails 12, 14 themselves are of a special design to accommodate brackets which have an important function in the installation of the joint. The expansion joint 10 enables safe transition for pedestrians and wheeled traffic over transitions between adjacent flooring components in a large floor such as in a retail space or car park. The longitudinal rails 12, 14 may be extruded from aluminium. Upper edges of the rails 12, 14 are substantially flush with surface covering applied to the concrete sections. The rails 12, 14 are coupled by pivotal links 24 (see Figure 2) spaced along the length of the rails 12, 14. In the embodiment shown, the cover plate 22 consists of an extrusion likewise of aluminium, for example. To this extent, the expansion joint 10 is substantially conventional. Figures 3 and 4 show detail of the cover plate 22 and, in particular, the cross- sectional shape of the cover plate 22 in accordance with one example. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, for the purpose of the present invention, the cover plate 22 may take other forms including other cross-sectional shapes and forms without gripping inlays. Figure 5 shows an example of a retail space having an elongated expansion joint 10 along the floor surface for accommodating expansion and contraction in concrete components forming the floor. In particular, the applicant has identified that the kind of expansion joint 10 shown in Figure 5 lacks aesthetic appeal and would be improved if the expansion joint 10 were to blend in with surrounding flooring 26. Moreover, the applicant has identified that it would be advantageous to have an expansion joint which is able to be imaged with a form to blend in with a more aesthetically pleasing flooring surface such as a flooring surface formed of polished wooden floorboards. In Figure 6, there is shown a car park having a plurality of concrete components 28 forming a floor surface or the car park, with expansion joints 10 between the adjacent concrete components to accommodate expansion and contraction in the concrete components. Figure 7 shows an expansion joint 10 in accordance with an example of the present invention. In the example shown, the expansion joint 10 has been imaged with a woodgrain finish such that the expansion joint 10 is able to be used to blend in with a surrounding floor having wooden floorboards. The expansion joint 10 has the cover plate 22 and longitudinal rails 12, 14 all imaged with the woodgrain finish. Accordingly, Figure 7 shows a cover plate 22 for an expansion joint 10, wherein a surface of the cover plate 22 has applied thereto an image, being a woodgrain image in the example shown. More specifically, the surface of the cover plate 22 is a powder coated surface (applied to the underlying aluminium), and the image is in the form of a sublimation transfer medium on which is printed, with sublimable inks, a desired image which is transferred to the powder coated surface. The sublimation transfer medium is placed against the powder coated surface and pressure is applied between the sublimation transfer medium and the powder coated surface so as to adhere the medium tightly to the powder coated surface. As will be appreciated, Figure 7 shows the expansion joint 10 suitable for installation at adjacent edges of concrete sections, the expansion joint 10 comprising two movable members (in the form of the longitudinal rails 12, 14) and the cover plate 22 arranged to cover a gap between the two movable members. In the example shown, both movable members as well as the cover plate 22 have the image applied. In particular, the cover plate 22 and the movable members each have a powder coated surface (applied to the underlying aluminium material), and the image is in the form of a sublimation transfer medium on which is printed, with sublimable inks, a desired image which is transferred to the powder coated surfaces. There is also disclosed a method of applying an image to a cover plate 22 for an expansion joint 10, wherein the method includes the step of using a powder coating sublimation process to apply the image to the cover plate. The powder coating sublimation process may be in the form of the process described in the published patent specification of Australian Patent Application No. 2016202954A1. Moreover, there is disclosed an expansion joint 10 for installation at adjacent edges of adjacent concrete sections, the joint 10 comprising opposed rails 12, 14 mountable to the respective concrete sections, and a cover plate system linked to the rails 12, 14 for spanning the gap between the concrete sections, the cover plate system comprising at least one cover plate 22, wherein the cover plate 22 and / or at least one of the opposed rails 12, 14 has applied thereto an image by a powder coating sublimation process. Advantageously, the applicant has identified that powder coating sublimation technology / aluminium photo imaging is able to deliver a unique, high quality, aesthetically pleasing and durable finish for aluminium expansion joint cover plates, there being a particular synergy with this application as it enables a dramatic improvement in the visual appeal of flooring. Furthermore, this enables the provision of bespoke / custom artwork on expansion joint cover plates, possibly made-to-order with images / textures / graphics / logos / designs / photographic images on extruded aluminium. The result is a sharp, accurate reproduction of a chosen image on aluminium. Also, a range of textures may be selected to suit preference and project requirements, including Textured, Satin, Gloss, Matte (low glare), and Graffiti resistant, The imaging process has two steps, as follows: Step 1: The aluminium is powder coated with a bespoke texture / pattern; and Step 2: The selected image / graphic is sublimated into the powder coating, ensuring photographic precision and durability. The present invention enables bespoke / custom finishes for expansion joint cover plates which may be imaged so as to blend in with surrounding flooring. It is proposed that orders will be powder coated as per provided design / artwork. For optimal sublimation on aluminium to take place, the powder coating may be a special type of powder coating that allows for image transfer. The special powder coating used may perform in extreme exposure environments including marine environments. A two-part powder coat process is used, followed by the imaging process. Firstly, after correct pre-treatment, a standard white polyester smooth coating is applied. This is followed by a smooth polyurethane clear powder coating over the standard white coating. The clear polyurethane powder coating allows for accurate image colour transfer as there are no existing pigments in the clear powder coating. A common, versatile and durable finish, powder coating is an excellent option for all types of metal components. Because it is electrostatically applied, it effectively covers the whole of the component, and provides a tougher coat than other typical painting methods. Polyester and polyurethane powder coating may be used, with extensive colour selections. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the expansion joint need not have any particular number of parts. More specifically, the expansion joint may have two (or more) movable members with a separate cover plate covering a gap between the movable members or, alternatively, the expansion joint have only two movable members, with one of the movable members incorporating a cover plate which covers a gap between the flooring components being joined by the expansion joint. As such, the cover plate may be formed integrally with one of the movable members as a single combination unitary part, The movable members may each have a powder coated surface, and the image may be in the form of a sublimation transfer medium on which is printed with sublimable inks a desired image which is transferred to the powder coated surfaces. The sublimation transfer medium may be placed against the powder coated surfaces and pressure may be applied between the sublimation transfer medium and the powder coated surfaces so as to adhere the medium tightly to the powder coated surfaces. Alternatively, the image may be applied to the components of the expansion joint by other methods. Advantageously, the invention broadly provides a method of applying an image to an expansion joint for installation at adjacent edges of flooring components to accommodate relative movement between the flooring components, the method including the step of using a powder coating sublimation process to apply the image to the expansion joint, As mentioned above, it is possible within the scope of the invention for the image to be applied by a method other than a powder coating sublimation process. In that regard, the invention provides a method of applying an image to an expansion joint for installation at adjacent edges of flooring components to accommodate relative movement between the flooring components. The method includes the steps of choosing the image to imitate the visual appearance of flooring surrounding the installed expansion joint, and applying the image to the expansion joint such that the expansion joint blends in to the visual appearance of the flooring surrounding the installed expansion joint. For example, the image may be chosen to imitate the visual appearance of timber, marble, metal, polished concrete or other material of flooring surrounding the installed expansion joint. In this way, the expansion joint when installed may be unnoticeable or at least less noticeable to as to provide a more aesthetically pleasing result to the visual appearance of the entire flooring surface. It is to be understood that the invention is not confined to cover plates for the particular expansion joint described but has applicability to expansion joint cover plates in general ‘While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention should not be limited by any of the above described exemplary embodiments. Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge.
Claims
THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. A cover plate for an expansion joint, wherein a surface of the cover plate has applied thereto an image. 2% A cover plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface of the cover plate is a powder coated surface, and the image is in the form of a sublimation transfer medium on which is printed with sublimable inks a desired image which is transferred to the powder coated surface.
3. A cover plate as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sublimation transfer medium is placed against the powder coated surface and pressure is applied between the sublimation transfer medium and the powder coated surface so as to adhere the medium tightly to the powder coated surface. 4, An expansion joint for installation at adjacent edges of concrete sections, the expansion joint comprising two movable members and a cover plate arranged to cover a gap between the two movable members, wherein the cover plate and at least one of the movable members have applied thereto an image.
5. An expansion joint as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cover plate and the movable members each have applied thereto an image.
6. An expansion joint as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cover plate and the movable members each have a powder coated surface, and the image is in the form of a sublimation transfer medium on which is printed with sublimable inks a desired image which is transferred to the powder coated surfaces.
7. An expansion joint as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sublimation transfer medium is placed against the powder coated surfaces and pressure is applied between the sublimation transfer medium and the powder coated surfaces so as to adhere the medium tightly to the powder coated surfaces.
8. An expansion joint for installation at adjacent edges of concrete components to accommodate relative movement between the concrete components, the expansion joint comprising a first movable member and a second movable member, the first movable member being movable relative to the second movable member, wherein at least one of the movable members has applied thereto an image. 9, An expansion joint as claimed in claim 8, wherein the expansion joint includes a cover plate arranged to cover a gap between the concrete components, and the cover plate has applied thereto the image.
10. An expansion joint as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cover plate is formed with one of the movable members as a single unitary part.
11. An expansion joint as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein both movable members have applied thereto the image.
12. An expansion joint as claimed in claim 8, wherein the movable members each have a powder coated surface, and the image is in the form of a sublimation transfer medium on which is printed with sublimable inks a desired image which is transferred to the powder coated surfaces.
13. An expansion joint as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sublimation transfer medium is placed against the powder coated surfaces and pressure is applied between the sublimation transfer medium and the powder coated surfaces so as to adhere the medium tightly to the powder coated surfaces.
14. A method of applying an image to a cover plate for an expansion joint, wherein the method includes the step of using a powder coating sublimation process to apply the image to the cover plate.
15. A method of applying an image to an expansion joint for installation at adjacent edges of concrete sections, the expansion joint comprising two movable members and a cover plate arranged to cover a gap between the two movable members, wherein the method includes the step of using a powder coating sublimation process to apply the image to the cover plate and / or at least one of the movable members.
16. A method of applying an image to an expansion joint for installation at adjacent edges of concrete components to accommodate relative movement between the concrete components, the expansion joint comprising a first movable member and a second movable member, the first movable member being arranged for movement relative to the second movable member, wherein the method includes the step of using a powder coating sublimation process to apply the image to at least one of the movable members.
17. A method of applying an image to an expansion joint for installation at adjacent edges of flooring components to accommodate relative movement between the flooring components, wherein the method includes the step of using a powder coating sublimation process to apply the image to the expansion joint.
18. A method of applying an image to an expansion joint for installation at adjacent edges of flooring components to accommodate relative movement between the flooring components, wherein the method includes the steps of choosing the image to imitate the visual appearance of flooring surrounding the installed expansion joint; and applying the image to the expansion joint such that the expansion joint blends in to the visual appearance of the flooring surrounding the installed expansion joint.