Joints and connections – Interfitted members – Enlarged head in complementary recess – e.g. – dovetail – etc.
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-11
2002-06-11
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3627)
Joints and connections
Interfitted members
Enlarged head in complementary recess, e.g., dovetail, etc.
C248S220220
Reexamination Certificate
active
06402419
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixture to be employed as a fastening member for connecting boards such as siding boards to each other in a top and bottom relationship through a shiplap joint.
Recently, a large number of decorative siding boards having various surface patterns and designs are now employed 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 an underlayment using screws or nails, to the external wall of housing with the longitudinal direction of the siding boards being oriented 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.
2. Description of the Related Arts
In a prior art, with a view to overcome the aforementioned problems, a fixture
30
as shown in
FIG. 5
has been proposed as a fixture (for example, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication H9-203184). This fixture
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 tip edge of the horizontal portion
32
, and a downwardly inclined hook portion
33
B obliquely extended downward from the tip edge of the horizontal portion
32
. The fixture of this type is usually manufactured by means of the extrusion molding of aluminum in view of the moldability thereof.
As shown in
FIG. 6
, this fixture
30
(metallic fixture) is adapted to be fixed to an underlayment
61
by making use of screws
62
which are to be screwed into vis holes
34
formed in the substrate
31
. In this case, four sides of the siding boards
40
A and
40
B constituting building boards to be connected together are respectively formed into a rabbeted portion for forming a shiplap connection. Specifically, the upper side and one lateral side of each siding board
40
A or
40
B are respectively formed into an underlying rabbeted portion, while the lower side and the other lateral side each siding board
40
A or
40
B are respectively formed into an overlying rabbeted portion. In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 6
, the lower side of the upper siding board
40
A to be connected 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. This overlying rabbeted portion is provided with an overlying tongue pattern portion
41
constituting the front side of the overlying rabbeted portion, an overlying tongue engaging portion
42
constituting the rear side of the overlying rabbeted portion, and a groove portion
43
formed between the overlying tongue pattern portion
41
and the overlying tongue engaging portion
42
.
On the other hand, the underlying rabbeted portion thereof is formed at the upper side of the siding board arranged below, covered by the overlying tongue pattern portion
41
, and consisted of an underlying tongue engaging portion
44
being attached to the metallic fixture
30
.
The installation of the siding boards can be performed as follows. First of all, the tip 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 by a substrate
31
, a horizontal portion
32
and a downwardly inclined hook portion
33
B) of the metallic fixture
30
which has been attached in advance to the underlayment
61
, thereby fixing the lower siding board
40
B to the underlayment
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 by a substrate
31
, a horizontal portion
32
and an upwardly inclined hook portion
33
A) of the metallic fixture
30
, thereby fixing 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 each other 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 nails, and at the same time, the existence of the metallic fixture
30
cannot be externally recognized, thus making it possible to provide a very preferable external appearance of board siding.
There is also known, as another type of a fixture, a structure shown in FIG.
9
. Namely, this fixture
70
is formed of a single piece of metal plate which has been bent into a prescribed configuration. Namely, one end portion of a metal plate
71
is horizontally bent thereby to form a first horizontal portion
72
, the tip portion of which is further obliquely bent upward, thereby forming an upwardly inclined engaging portion
73
. Further, the other portion of a metal plate
71
is horizontally bent thereby to form a second horizontal portion
74
, the tip portion of which is further bent downward, thereby forming a downwardly inclined engaging portion
75
. The first horizontal portion
72
and the second horizontal portion
74
are disposed to face each other, leaving a slight gap C therebetween, thus permitting the upwardly inclined engaging portion
73
and the downwardly inclined engaging portion
75
to be moved independently without interfering with each other (see Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication H10-148024).
This fixture
70
can be employed in the same manner as that shown in
FIGS. 5 and 6
. However, since the entire body of the fixture
70
is constructed through a bending work of a single metal plate
71
, it exhibits a higher resistance to bending or breakage as compared with that manufactured by the extrusion molding of an aluminum material. Furthermore, since the horizontal portion thereof is constituted by a couple of horizontal portions, i.e. the first horizontal portion
72
and the second horizontal portion
74
, any deformation due to the weight of siding boards to be fastened can be advantageously prevented to some extent.
By the way,
FIG. 7
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 at the top side and the right side thereof and with overlying rabbeted portions at the bottom side and left side thereof. More specifically, an underlying tongue engaging portion
44
A is formed horizontally at the top side of the siding board
40
, while an underlying tongue engaging 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 tongue engaging 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.
FIG. 8
is a perspective view illustrating partially a connected state of siding boards shown in
FIG. 7
which are connected 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 shiplap-connected with the underlying rabbeted portion formed at the top side of the lower siding board
40
B. On this occasion, a gap Sl is formed 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 sections) of the these siding boards
40
A and
40
B. In this case, the overlying tongue pattern portion
41
A formed perpendicularly at the left side of the siding board is fittingly connected with the underlying tongue engaging portion
44
B 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 perpendicularly between these siding boards. As seen from
FIG. 8
, t
Browne Lynne H.
Cottingham John R.
Lowe Hauptman & Gilman & Berner LLP
Nichiha Corporation
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