Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Openwork; e.g. – truss – trellis – grille – screen – frame – or... – Three-dimensional space-defining
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-14
2001-02-27
Stephan, Beth A. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Openwork; e.g., truss, trellis, grille, screen, frame, or...
Three-dimensional space-defining
C052SDIG001, C052S079120, C052S204100, C052S222000, C052S591100, C052S656700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192643
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to the art of building construction. More particularly, it relates to a construction system for building a pool enclosure of modular components where various utilitarian parts are covered by aesthetically-pleasing components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
All pool enclosures heretofore known are utilitarian structures lacking aesthetic appeal. The art has long provided pool enclosures where fastening screws, screen-retaining rubber splines, and the like are exposed to view. These structures are often attached to beautiful homes and serve to cheapen the home. Attractive or pleasing-to-the-eye pool enclosures having aesthetic means for covering utilitarian bolts and the like are not found in the prior art.
Pool enclosures of the prior art are also custom-built structures that are not easy to erect. They are made of generic aluminum posts and beams that have no particular means facilitating their interconnection with one another. Thus, the parts must be cut to size and fastened together with unsightly fastening means and, as already mentioned, those fastening means are exposed to view.
There is a clear need in the pool enclosure industry for a system that provides a pool enclosure having the appearance of a work of art rather than just a utilitarian structure. Moreover, there is a need for an aesthetic structure of modular construction so that aluminum beams could be interlocked with one another in a way that would reduce the number of fastening means needed and in a way that would enable the fastening means to be hidden from view. The needed pool enclosure would enhance the appearance of the finest homes and add significant value thereto, rather than detract therefrom as is the case with the systems known prior to this disclosure.
However, at the time the present invention was made, the need for aesthetics was not apparent to the pool enclosure industry, nor was there anything in the art that would have suggested to workers of ordinary skill in the art how a beautiful pool enclosure could be built.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The long-standing but heretofore unrecognized and unfulfilled need for an aesthetically-pleasing modular pool enclosure system having posts and beams and other miscellaneous parts that interlock with one another with a minimum of fastening members and which includes means for hiding such fastening members is now met.
The novel pool enclosure includes a plurality of extrusion members for providing posts and beams that collectively form a pool enclosure when assembled; each of the extrusion members has at least a first wall with an attachment means formed thereon along a predetermined extent thereof.
A plurality of aesthetic cover members of differing constructions are adapted for snap-fit engagement with the attachment means and serve to conceal the attachment means to which they are engaged. Each aesthetic cover member of the plurality of cover members has a first side adapted to snap-fittingly engage an associated attachment means and a second side provides an aesthetic cover.
The plurality of aesthetic cover members includes a pair of confronting cover members especially designed for engaging the edge of a screen in a highly aesthetic way. Specifically, each member of the pair has a first side adapted to snap-fittingly engage an associated attachment means of a post or beam and a second side providing an aesthetic cover that conceals the screen-engaging means. In this way, the attachment means between adjoining posts and beams and the screen-engaging means for all screen edges are concealed from view when the pool enclosure is fully assembled.
More particularly, each cover member of the pair of confronting cover members has an outboard end and an inboard end, and the respective inboard ends of the confronting cover members includes screen-engaging means for engaging an edge of a screen.
An aesthetic top cover member has a first side adapted to snap-fittingly engage the attachment means of a sloped or level roof beam along a predetermined extent thereof. It also has an aesthetic second side including a uniquely positioned screen-engaging means for engaging an edge of a screen that forms a part of a roof of the pool enclosure. The screen-engaging means of the top cover member is positioned adjacent an edge of the aesthetic first side of the top cover member and the second side of the top cover member is snap-fittingly engaged only to beams that form a part of a roof of the pool enclosure. The edge-mounting of the screen-engaging means positions a screen in substantially flush relation to the beams that form a part of the roof so that debris atop the roof is not retained by the top cover member.
The attachment means has two primary structural types, each designed to snap-fittingly engage the other. In the first type of attachment means, there are two pairs of inwardly turned flanges and in the second type of attachment means, there are two pairs of outwardly turned flanges. Each pair of inwardly turned flanges creates a pair of overhangs which respectively receive a mating pair of outwardly turned flanges that occupy the respective overhang areas and which are locked therewithin when an extrusion member having an attachment means of the first type is snap-fittingly engaged to an extrusion member having an attachment means of the second type.
The invention further includes a novel screen door construction and numerous other unique features that will be introduced in the detailed description that follows.
It is the primary object of this invention to revolutionize the pool enclosure industry by providing the first modular pool enclosure system having a revolutionary degree of aesthetic appeal.
A more specific object is to provide a pool enclosure system where all utilitarian fastening members are hidden from view and covered by aesthetically-appealing cover members.
A still more specific object is to provide screen-engaging means that conceal from view the rubber strips required to retain screen edges in place.
Another specific object is to provide screen-engaging means, used in the roof part of a pool enclosure, that do not trap debris such as leaves atop said roof part.
Another major object is to provide a modular pool enclosure system where the majority of the parts are snap-fittingly engaged to one another, making the structure very easy to assemble.
Another important object is to provide a pool enclosure system that is highly versatile so that it can be erected in almost unlimited environments.
These and other important objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as this description proceeds.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
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Glessner Brian E.
Smith Ronald E.
Smith & Hopen , P.A.
Stephan Beth A.
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