Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – Framed type
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-30
2004-10-12
Purol, David (Department: 3634)
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
Framed type
C160S392000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06802357
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to screen assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
This invention has particular but not exclusive application to a security screen assembly for doors and windows of buildings including domestic residences and such like, and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to such application. However, it its to be understood that this invention could be used in other applications, such as security screens for motor vehicles including those used by police to detain persons. This invention may also be used in the construction of insect screens for doors and windows as well as screens for covering openings in drains, air conditioning vent and such like, or as a wall or petition for structures such as bus shelters and telephone boxes. The screen assembly may also be used in the construction of cages and such like which may be used to detain animals or prisoners.
Typically security screens include a frame, consisting of a plurality of frame members, and a sheet of stainless steel mesh secured to adjacent frame members by clamping members. The clamping members are usually fastened to the frame members using a plurality of threaded fasteners or rivets spaced along the length of the frame members. The fasteners are typically hidden from view by a cover strip made from a plastics material which is not very aesthetic, the cover strip being mounted on the internal face of the frame member.
Unfortunately security screens of this type described above are not always effective in preventing intruders passing through a window or door fitter with same. For example thieves who may have gained entry into the house may use a cold chisel to sever the heads of rivets used to fasten clamping members to the frame members thereby enabling thieves to dislodge the stainless steel mesh. Similarly, a screw driver may be used to unscrew the threaded fasteners used to secure the mesh to the screen.
Furthermore, the pressure applied to the fasteners to the mesh is not evenly distributed along the length of the mesh and wherein as a consequent the screens include weak spots located between adjacent fasteners.
Other screens may include gaps between the clamping members and the mesh and/or frame member which are wide enough to allow persons to insert a screw driver or such like there between so as to prise the mesh apart or dislodge the clamping members.
It is also noted that the clamping members and the frame members are usually manufactured from aluminum and wherein the fasteners are manufactured from a variety of metals including steel and brass. Contact between dissimilar metals, such as between the clamping members and the stainless steel mesh, or the brass screws and the clamping members, often leads to galvanic corrosion of at least one of the elements of the screens referred to above which in turn has a detrimental effect on the efficiency and aesthetics of same. For example, due to the corrosive effects of sea air, the fasteners often become brittle and whereby their ability to withstand blows to the stainless steel mesh is severely inhibited.
It is noted that security screens of the type described above are time consuming to manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims to alleviate at least on of the above disadvantages and to provide a screen assembly which will be reliable and efficient in use. Other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter become apparent.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in a security screen assembly including:
a sheet of mesh like material having an edge portion;
a frame assembly including a plurality of elongate frame members which are assembled in such a manner that they define an opening which is a least partially closed by said sheet of mesh like material and wherein at least one of said frame members includes an elongate slot;
an elongate fastener closely received in said elongate slot, said elongate fastener having an elongate opening which closely received said edge portion of said mesh like material.
Preferably the edge portion extends along the entire length or width of the sheet of mesh like material and wherein the entire edge portion is retained by the elongate fastener.
Preferably, the elongate fastener is frictionally retained within the slot and wherein the fastener may be constructed from a deformable material.
In one embodiment, the fastener may be constructed from two materials. For example, the material which bears against the mesh like material may be easily deformed and may readily conform to the shape of the mesh like material. Furthermore, some of the material that bears against the mesh like material may be deformable that it may in fact penetrate the gaps between adjacent wefts or adjacent warps.
The material that bears against the frame member however may be harder than the material that bears against the mesh like material. For example, the fastener may include a hardened skin which may also be useful in guarding against penetration of a object, such as a screw driver, between the frame member and the mesh like material.
Preferably, the attachment means consists of gripping means adapted to grip opposing sides of an edge portion of the sheet of mesh like material and a recess associated with one of the frame members which is adapted to retain the gripping means. For example, in one embodiment the gripping means may be jammed into the slot which may be a recess. However, in other embodiments the gripping means may be retained within the recess by the use of suitable adhesive applied preferably to the entire length of the gripping means.
In another aspect this invention relates to a screen assembly including:
a sheet of mesh like material;
gripping means adapted to grip opposing sides of an edge portion of said sheet of mesh like material;
a frame assembly including a plurality of frame members which are assembled in such a manner that they define an opening which is at least partially closed by said sheet of a mesh like material and wherein at least one of said frame members includes retaining means having an opening which is adapted to receive said gripping means.
Preferably the retaining means is a recess and the gripping means is jammed into the recess. However it will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the gripping means may be retained within the recess by the use of a suitable adhesive or plurality of mechanical fasteners, such as screws or rivets.
In another aspect this invention relates to a screen assembly including:
a sheet of a mesh like material;
gripping means adapted to hold an edge portion of said sheet of a mesh like material:
a frame assembly including a plurality of frame members which are assembled in such a manner that they define a opening which is at partially closed by said sheet of a mesh like material, and
mounting means associated with one of said frame elements for mounting said gripping means to said frame element.
In a preferred embodiment the gripping means acts like a plug and said mounting means includes a recess which is adapted to receive said plug. Preferably the gripping means is jammed in to the recess and is retained therein.
In yet another aspect this invention relates to a screen assembly including:
a sheet of a mesh like material;
a plug like means associated with an edge portion of said sheet of mesh like material;
a frame including a plurality of frame elements which are arranged in a manner such that they define an opening which is at least partially closed by said sheet of a mesh like material, and receiving means associated with one of said frame elements which is adapted to receive and retain said plug like means.
In one embodiment the plug like means may include an edge portion of the mesh like material which has been deformed in some way so as to render it thicker than the central portion of the mesh like material. For example the mesh like material may be included folded or enlarged edge portions which may be used as a plug.
In
Edlin Andrew Craig
Taylor Peter Syme
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Purol David
Security Inventions Pty. Ltd.
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