Joints and connections – Interfitted members – Enlarged head in complementary recess – e.g. – dovetail – etc.
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-29
2001-11-13
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Joints and connections
Interfitted members
Enlarged head in complementary recess, e.g., dovetail, etc.
C052S235000, C052S506050, C052S547000, C248S300000, C248S301000, C248S304000, C248S220210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06315489
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fastening member to be employed for connecting boards such as siding boards to each other.
Recently, a large number of decorative siding boards having various surface patterns and designs are now put on the market in order to meet the consumer's demands for a more sophisticatedly designed external wall of housing.
In related arts, conventionally, the decorative siding boards are attached, via a underlayment using screws or nails, to the external wall of housing with the longitudinal direction of the siding boards being orientated in the horizontal or vertical direction. However, when the decorative siding boards are fastened using screws or nails, the decorative surface of the decorative siding boards may be damaged due to the screws or nails, thereby spoiling the decorative design of the siding boards.
In a prior art, with a view to overcome the aforementioned problems, a fastening member
30
as shown in
FIG. 7
has been proposed as a fastening member for the horizontal installing of the siding boards (for example, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication H9-203184). This fastening member
30
comprises a substrate
31
, a horizontal portion
32
perpendicularly projected from the substrate
31
, an upwardly inclined hook portion
33
A obliquely extended upward from the distal edge of the horizontal portion
32
, and a downwardly inclined hook portion
33
B obliquely extended downward from the distal edge of the horizontal portion
32
.
As shown in
FIG. 8
, a large number of the fastening members
30
(metallic fastening members) are adapted to be arrayed horizontally and fixed to a backing member
61
such as corner posts and studs by making use of screws
62
which are to be applied through vis holes
34
formed in the substrate
31
. In this case, the siding boards
40
A and
40
B are respectively formed of a laterally elongated shape, four sides of which are respectively formed into a shiplap configuration. Specifically, the upper side and one lateral side of these siding boards
40
A and
40
B are respectively formed into an underlying rabbeted portion, while the lower side and the other lateral side these siding boards
40
A and
40
B are respectively formed into an overlying rabbeted portion. In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 8
, the lower side of the upper siding board
40
A to be joined is formed into an overlying rabbeted portion, while the upper side of the lower siding board
40
B is formed into an underlying rabbeted portion. The overlying rabbeted portion is consisted of a overlying tongue patterning portion
41
constituting the front side of the overlying rabbeted portion, an overlying tongue engaging portion
42
constituting the back side of the overlying rabbeted portion, and a groove portion
43
formed between the overlying tongue patterning portion
41
and the overlying tongue engaging portion
42
. On the other hand, the underlying rabbeted portion is consisted of an underlying tongue engaging portion
44
constituting the back side of the underlying rabbeted portion and adapted to face the overlying tongue engaging portion
42
.
The installation of the siding boards
40
A and
40
B can be performed as follows. First of all, the distal edge portion of the underlying tongue engaging portion
44
of a lower siding board
40
B is fitted in the lower engaging portion
50
B (which is formed with a substrate
31
, a horizontal portion
32
and a downwardly inclined hook portion
33
B) of the metallic fastening member
30
which has been attached in advance to the backing member
61
, thereby securing the lower siding board
40
B in a lateral state to the backing member
61
.
Then, the overlying tongue engaging portion
42
of an upper siding board
40
A is fitted in the upper engaging portion
50
A (which is formed with a substrate
31
, a horizontal portion
32
and an upwardly inclined hook portion
33
A) of the metallic fastening member
30
, thereby securing the upper siding board
40
A to the underlayment
61
. Since the upper siding board
40
A and the lower siding board
40
B are connected in this manner, there is little possibility that the surfaces of these siding boards are damaged as in the case of fastening with screws or vises, and at the same time, the existence of the metallic fastening member
30
cannot be externally recognized, thus making it possible to provide a very preferable external appearance of board siding.
By the way,
FIG. 9
shows a siding board
40
as viewed from the front surface side thereof (the side to which a design is applied), the siding board
40
being provided with underlying rabbeted portions
44
A,
44
B at the top side and right side thereof and with overlying rabbeted portions
41
A,
41
B at the bottom side and left side thereof. More specifically, an underlying rabbeted portion
44
A is formed horizontally at the top side of the siding board
40
, while an underlying rabbeted portion
44
B is formed perpendicularly at the right side of the siding board
40
. A caulking agent
45
A or
45
B is coated on a front surface portion of each of the underlying rabbeted portions
44
A and
44
B, which is spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the inner corner portion of each of the underlying tongue engaging portions
44
A and
44
B. This caulking agent may be applied also to a back surface portion of each of the horizontally extending overlying tongue patterning portion
41
A and the vertically extending overlying tongue patterning portion
41
B (which constitute the bottom side and left side of the siding board
40
, respectively), which is spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the inner corner portion of each of the overlying tongue patterning portions
41
A and
41
B.
FIG. 10
is a perspective view illustrating partially a connected state of siding boards which are piled in the vertical direction. In this case, the overlying rabbeted portion formed at the bottom side of the upper siding board
40
A is fittingly connected with the underlying rabbeted portion formed at the top side of the lower siding board
40
B. At this occasion, a gap S is formed at the connected portion between these siding boards
40
A and
40
B. Further, a number of the siding boards are designed to be laterally placed on both sides (right and left sides) of the these siding boards
40
A and
40
B. In this case, the overlying rabbeted portion formed at the left side of the siding board is fittingly connected with the underlying rabbeted portion formed at the right side of the upper siding board
40
A (and of the lower siding board
40
B). On this occasion, a gap S
2
is also formed at the connected portion between these siding boards. As seen from
FIG. 10
, the gap S
1
extending horizontally becomes contiguous with the gap S
2
extending vertically.
There is a possibility that rain water may leak into these gaps S
1
and S
2
. Since the caulking agent
45
A applied to the front surface portion of the underlying rabbeted portion
44
A of the top side of the lower siding board
40
B is caused to contact with the back surface of the overlying tongue patterning portion
41
A of the bottom side of the upper siding board
40
A so as to form a sealing portion, it is possible to prevent the rain water that has been entered into the horizontal gap S
1
from slipping vertically into the back surface side of the siding board
40
A and
40
B. Likewise, it is also possible to prevent the rain water that has been entered into the vertical gap S
2
from slipping laterally into the back surface side of the siding board
40
A and
40
B.
On the other hand, the rain water that has been entered into the horizontal gap S
1
is caused to move horizontally to reach the vertical gap S
2
and to flow downward through this vertical gap S
2
. By the way, as shown in
FIG. 8
, although the metallic fastening member
30
is disposed at the junction between the siding boards
40
A and
40
B, since the inner surface of the upwardly inclined hook portion
33
A of the metallic fastening member
Browne Lynne H.
Hutton Doug
Lowe Hauptman & Gilman & Berner LLP
Nichiha Corporation
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