AU2006100242A4

AU2006100242A4 - Screen assembly

Info

Publication number: AU2006100242A4
Application number: AU2006100242A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Tasman Norman John Henry
Original assignee: MOONBUSH Pty Ltd
Current assignee: MOONBUSH Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2005-05-24
Filing date: 2006-03-29
Publication date: 2006-04-27
Anticipated expiration: 2014-03-29

Description

SCREEN ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION S This invention relates to screen assemblies for openings such as doors and windows, and in particular to a screen assembly having a retention strip that holds a security mesh within a frame.

S Screen assemblies typically involve an aluminium frame that fits within an opening in a building and retains a security mesh such as Amplimesh. A flyscreen is also typically

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included in parallel with the mesh to exclude insects.

Consumer demand for coloured frames and black security mesh has created a requirement for a screen assembly that allows a security mesh to be securely attached to a pre-assembled frame.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide a screen assembly that meets this requirement, or I least to provide an alternative to existing assemblies.

In one aspect the invention may be said to reside in a screen assembly including: a frame defining an opening and having a slot around at least part of the opening, a retention strip having a shoulder and a leg which engage the slot, and a mesh held in position across the opening by the frame and the strip.

Preferably the slot is formed by a pair of parallel ribs on a flange that extends from the frame into the opening. Preferably one of the ribs includes an edge in the bottom of the slot while the other of the ribs includes a lip at the mouth of the slot. Preferably the leg of the retention strip includes a foot which engages the edge in the bottom of the slot, and a shoulder which engages the lip at the mouth of the slot. Preferably the edge and the lip are on opposed sides of the slot, with the lip being closer to the frame and the edge being closer to the opening.

Preferably the side of the slot with the lip is flexible relative to the side of the slot with the edge, to enable insertion of the leg in the slot when the screen assembly is constructed.

NO

0 o In practice, the retention strip is located on the inside of the opening and a force exerted on the mesh perpendicular to the frame from outside the building is resisted by the engagement between the strip and the frame. Similarly the frame and the retention strip contact opposite S sides of the edge of the mesh, and the engagement between the strip and the frame is adapted to resist rotation or translation of the strip away from the mesh. The engagement between the foot of the retention strip and the edge of the slot resists rotation of the strip about the engagement between the shoulder of the strip and the lip of the slot.

S The invention also resides in separate frame and retention strip components of the kind

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indicated above, and in a method of manufacturing a screen assembly.

LIST OF FIGURES Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 shows a typical screen door, Figures 2, 3, 4 show insertion of a retention strip in the door, Figure 5 shows a flyscreen in place in the door, and Figure 6 shows a distribution of forces on the door.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings it will be appreciated that the invention may be implemented in a variety of ways to give a range of different screen assemblies for doors, windows or similar structures.

Figure 1 shows a screen door having a screen assembly formed by a frame 10, a security mesh 11 and a retention strip 12 that holds the mesh within the frame. A flyscreen 13 with a corresponding spline 14 are also provided. The frame has two side edge pieces 15, a top piece 16 and a bottom piece 17 that lie in a common plane and define an opening for the screen.

The retention strip is provided in pieces that substantially match equivalent pieces of the frame. A fitting 18 including a handle and a lock for the door is also provided on one of the frame edge pieces in this example.

0 o In Figure 1, pieces of the frame and strip are typically made of extruded aluminium while the security mesh is typically an expanded aluminium mesh or cast aluminium panel, often with a diamond shaped lattice. The shape, dimensions, materials and fittings of the overall door and S the screen assembly that forms the door are readily varied and could be considerably different when forming a screen for a window.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view showing part of a typical piece of the frame 10 in Figure 1, with one edge of the security mesh 11 in place on the frame, and the retention strip 12 separate from the frame. Figures 3 and 4 show how the retention strip engages the frame to retain the mesh, preferably by way of a snap-in action. The frame may take a variety of cross sectional structures and in this example is a rectangular tube portion 20 with a flange 21 extending inwards. The flange supports the mesh and typically extends entirely around the inside of the frame of an assembled screen. A screen assembly having a structure of this kind is also generally installed in a building with the flange facing outwards, preventing outside interference with the strip. Both the frame and the retention strip preferably include contact portions 22 and 32 with serrations or similar means that contact opposed surfaces of the mesh and enhance the degree to which the mesh is retained.

SIn Figure 2, a channel or slot 23 is formed on the frame by two generally parallel ribs 24 and preferably on the flange and outwardly of the contact portion 22. Mouth 26 of the slot opens generally perpendicular to the frame and receives the retention strip 12 as a snap fit.

Outer rib 24 includes a lip 27 while inner rib 25 includes an edge 28. The retention strip includes a junction 30 with a shoulder 31 extending generally away from the contact portion 32, and a leg 33 with foot 34, extending approximately perpendicular to the contact portion 32. Foot 34 on the retention strip is shaped to engage edge 28 in the slot while shoulder 31 is shaped to match lip 27 at the mouth of the slot. Outer rib 24 may be formed to be more flexible than rib 25 in a direction outwards on the frame and transverse to the slot. A channel or slot 50 is provided for attachment ofa flyscreen.

Figure 3 shows how the retention strip 12 is pushed into place on the frame 10 to retain the mesh 11, as indicated by arrow A. The overall structure of slot 23 requires portion 32 of the strip to contact the mesh before the strip has fully engaged the slot. In this example, an upper portion of the leg contacts lip 27 at the same time as foot 34 contacts an upper portion of the I edge 28. Additional force is now required to flex rib 24 outwardly and allow foot 34 to slide

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o over the edge. An adhesive or other settable composition may be provided between either or both of the contact portions 22, 32 and the mesh before the process shown in this figure is commenced.

Figure 4 shows the retention strip 12 fully engaged as a snap fit with the frame 10 to retain the mesh 11. Foot 34 of the retention strip engages edge 28 of the slot 23 while shoulder 31 of the strip contacts lip 27. Rib 24 urges the foot under the edge by way of the contact between the shoulder and lip. Contact portions 22 and 32 on the flange and the strip are urged into contact with the mesh by engagement of the foot under the edge. Leg 33 of the strip may

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be relatively stiff to assist the snap action. In an assembled screen, pieces of the retention strip are engaged with corresponding slots around most and preferably all, of the frame.

Figure 5 shows how flyscreen material 13 may be attached to the frame 10 using a spline 14.

The flyscreen material is forced into the slot 50 around the frame by the spline which is typically a strip or tube of flexible or malleable material. The slot retains the spline by way of contact portions 51 and 52, shown as teeth in this example.

Figure 6 shows how a screen constructed from a frame 10, mesh 11 and retention strip 12 may resist an external force indicated by arrow B. The external force tends to urge the strip linearly away from the frame, as indicated by arrow C, and rotationally about edge 28 in slot 23, as indicated by arrow D. Foot 34 engages the edge 28 to resist movement C while shoulder 31 engages lip 27 to resist movement D. These components of the strip are sufficiently strong and rigid about junction 30 to resist deformation and secure the screen" over a wide range of forces that might be applied from outside a door or window.

Claims

1. A screen assembly including: a frame defining an opening and having a slot around at least part of the opening, a retention strip having a shoulder and a leg which engage the slot, and a mesh held in position across the opening by the frame and the strip.

2. An assembly according to claim I wherein the slot is formed by a pair of parallel ribs on a flange that extends from the frame into the opening. 0

3. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein one of the ribs includes an edge in the bottom of the slot while the other of the ribs includes a lip at the mouth of the slot.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein the leg of the retention strip includes a foot which engages the edge in the bottom of the slot, and a shoulder which engages the lip at the mouth of the slot. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein the edge and the lip are on opposed sides of the slot, with the lip being closer to the frame and the edge being closer to the opening.