Co-extruded vinyl corner guard assembly

• US 6,354,049 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2000
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inpro Corporation (Inpro Licensing Sarl)
• Original Assignee: Inpro Corporation (Inpro Licensing Sarl)
• Inventors: Bennett, Matthew G
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Beth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Glessner, Brian E.
• Application Number:
  US09/552,902
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 522/871, 522/881, 522/55, 527/161, 527/170.3, 527/170.4, 527/170.5, 527/180.1, 527/180.4
• US Class Current: 52/287.1
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 19/028 used at protruding corners

Abstract

A corner guard assembly for protecting the corner of a building wall particularly in institutional type facilities from damage due to impacts with wheeled vehicles includes a vinyl retainer base plate, a plurality of fasteners for fastening the base plate to the corner of the building wall, a vinyl cover member assembled over the base plate, and endcaps assembled to the upper and lower ends of the assembly. The novel vinyl base plate further includes a rigid main body portion that is applied over the wall surface at the corner combined with a co-extruded flexible impact bumper at the apex of the main body, the impact forces being absorbed by the impact bumper. The geometry of the cover member matches the geometry of the impact bumper to maximize the surface contact area of the two components to further dissipate the impact forces.

Claims

1. A corner guard assembly for protecting a corner of a building wall from impacts, said corner being defined by the intersection of first and second flat wall surfaces, said corner guard assembly comprising:

a retainer member, said retainer member having an elongated main body portion including a first flat planar portion and a second flat planar portion, said first flat planar portion defining a first mounting surface to be applied over the first wall surface, and said second flat planar portion defining a second mounting surface to be applied over the second wall surface, the first and second flat planar portions of the retainer member intersecting at an apex;

a flexible impact bumper on the apex of the retainer member;

the main body of the retainer member being comprised of a rigid extruded vinyl, and the impact bumper being comprised of a co-extruded flexible vinyl;

a plurality of metallic fasteners for fastening said retainer member to said first and second flat wall surfaces;

a decorative cover member which is assembled over the retainer member, said cover member including a first flat cover portion and a second flat cover portion, the first and second flat cover portions intersecting at a rounded corner portion, the rounded corner portion of the cover member defining an inner radius;

the co-extruded impact bumper on the apex of the retainer member including a rounded outer radius that corresponds to the inner radius of the corner portion of the corner member such that, in the event the cover member is struck with sufficient force to cause the cover member to strike against the retainer member, the inner radius of the rounded corner portion of the cover member will become engaged against the outer radius of the co-extruded impact bumper on the apex of the retainer member.

2. The corner guard assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first flat planar portion of the retainer member intersects the second flat planar portion at an angle, and the first flat planar portion is deformable relative to the second flat planar portion so that the angle of intersection of the first and second flat planar portions matches the angle of intersection of the first and second wall surfaces.

3. The corner guard assembly according to claim 2, wherein the first flat planar portion of the retainer member further includes a first offset edge portion and the second flat planar portion further includes a second offset edge portion such that when the retainer member is applied to the corner of the wall the first offset edge portion is raised a slight distance from the first flat wall surface and the second offset edge portion is raised a slight distance away from the second flat wall surface.

4. The corner guard assembly according to claim 3, wherein the first flat cover portion of the cover member further includes a first inwardly turned, hooked shaped end portion that hooks around for engagement to the first offset edge portion of the retainer member, and the second flat cover portion further includes a second inwardly turned, hooked shaped end portion that hooks around for engagement to the second offset edge portion of the retainer member.

5. The corner guard assembly according to claim 4, wherein the cover member engages over the offset edge portions of the retainer member in a spaced apart relation such that, when assembled, an inner surface of the cover member is spaced apart a short distance from an outer surface of the retainer member.

6. The corner guard assembly according to claim 5, further comprising end caps applied to upper and lower ends of the corner guard assembly.

7. The corner guard assembly according to claim 1, wherein the main body portion of the retainer member being comprised of a rigid polyvinyl chloride material.

8. The corner guard assembly according to claim 7, wherein the rigid polyvinyl chloride material has a Shore D hardness value according to ASTM Standard D2240 of about 80, and a tensile strength according to ASTM Standard D638 of about 6800 psi.

9. The corner guard assembly according to claim 8, wherein said impact bumper is comprised of a flexible polyvinyl chloride material.

10. The corner guard assembly according to claim 9, wherein the flexible polyvinyl chloride material has a Shore A hardness value according to ASTM Standard D2240 of about 80, and a tensile strength according to ASTM Standard D638 of about 1720 psi.

11. A corner guard assembly for protecting a corner of a building wall from impacts, said corner being defined by a first flat wall section intersecting at an angle relative to a second flat wall section, the first and second flat wall surfaces extending substantially from a floor to a ceiling of the building, said corner guard assembly comprising:

a retainer member, said retainer member having an elongated main body portion that includes a first flat planar portion and a second flat planar portion, said first flat planar portion defining a first mounting surface to be applied over the first wall surface, and said second flat planar portion defining a second mounting surface to be applied over the second wall surface, the first flat planar portion intersecting the second flat planar portion at an angle substantially corresponding to the angle of intersection of the first and second flat wall surfaces, the first flat planar portion further including a first offset edge portion and the second flat planar portion further including a second offset edge portion such that when the retainer member is applied to the corner of the wall the first offset edge portion is raised a slight distance from the first flat wall surface and the second offset edge portion is raised a slight distance away from the second flat wall surface;

the intersection of the first and second flat planar portions of the main body portion of the retainer member defining an apex having a co-extruded bumper thereon;

a plurality of metallic fasteners for fastening said retainer member to said first and second flat wall surfaces;

a decorative cover member assembled over the retainer member, said cover member including a first flat cover portion and a second flat cover portion, the first and second flat cover portions intersecting at a rounded corner portion;

the first flat cover portion further including a first inwardly turned, hooked shaped end portion that hooks around for engagement to the first offset edge portion of the retainer member, and the second flat cover portion including a second inwardly turned, hooked shaped end portion that hooks around for engagement to the second offset edge portion of the retainer member, the cover member fitting over the retainer member in a spaced apart relation such that, when assembled, an inner surface of the cover member is spaced apart a short distance from an outer surface of the retainer member;

the rounded corner portion of the cover member defining an inner radius;

the co-extruded bumper on the apex of the retainer member including a rounded outer radius that corresponds to the inner radius of the corner portion of the corner member such that, in the event the cover member is struck with sufficient force to cause the cover member to strike against the retainer member, the inner radius of the rounded corner portion of the cover member will become engaged against the outer radius of the co-extruded bumper on the apex of the retainer member;

the retainer member being comprised of co-extruded vinyl materials comprised of a rigid polyvinyl chloride forming the main body portion and a flexible polyvinyl chloride forming the co-extruded bumper on the apex thereof; and

,

end caps applied to upper and lower ends of the corner guard assembly.

12. The corner guard assembly according to claim 11, wherein the rigid polyvinyl chloride material forming the main body portion of the retainer member has a Shore D hardness value according to ASTM Standard D2240 of about 80, and a tensile strength according to ASTM Standard D638 of about 6800 psi.

13. The corner guard assembly according to claim 12, wherein the flexible polyvinyl chloride material forming the co-extruded bumper of the retainer member has Shore A hardness value according to ASTM Standard D 2240 of about 80, and a tensile strength according to ASTM Standard D638 of about 1720 psi.