AU2006100632A4 - A skirting board element - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Applicant: GUENTER QUISKAMP Invention Title: A SKIRTING BOARD ELEMENT The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 A SKIRTING BOARD ELEMENT Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a skirting board element for attaching to an end portion of a skirting board so that a neat appearance is provided to the skirting board.

Background of the Invention It is known to provide a skirting board element for attaching to an end portion of a skirting board and which includes front, rear and lower wall portions which define at least one opening for receiving at least one end portion of at least one skirting board.

However, while such a skirting board element works well in covering end edges of the skirting board and thereby providing the skirting board with a neat appearance, a disadvantage of the element is that, during use, when the skirting board and attached skirting board element are disposed against a wall, a discernable gap is present between the skirting board and the wall because the rear wall of the element stands proud of the rear wall of the skirting board. In some situations, for example in situations wherein a floor adjacent the wall is flat, a gap is also discernable between the skirting board and the floor because the lower wall of the element stands proud of a lower wall of the skirting board.

Summary of the Present Invention In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a skirting board element for attaching to an end portion of a skirting board having a skirting board front surface, a skirting board rear surface, a skirting board end surface, and an elongate channel extending H:\jnelson\keep\speci\P61680 A SKIRTING BOARD ELEMENT Divisional.doc 31/07/06 3 inwardly of the skirting board rear surface and accessible from the skirting board end surface, said element comprising: a wall portion having a front wall portion surface which faces outwardly during use; and at least one projection arranged such that each projection is spaced from upper and lower ends of the front wall portion and is engageable during use in a respective channel of the skirting board; the arrangement being such that during use the or each projection is engaged in a channel, the skirting board end surface is disposed between the wall portion and the or each projection, and such that when the skirting board and attached skirting board element are disposed against a substantially flat wall of a building, the skirting board end surface is hidden from view by the wall portion.

It will be understood that by providing such projections, it is possible to retain the skirting board element relative to the skirting board without the need to provide the skirting board element with a rear wall. The consequence of this is that it becomes possible for the skirting board and the wall portion to define substantially no gap with a building wall during use by configuring the first wall so that the skirting board element is flush with an attached skirting board.

In one arrangement, the skirting board element is an inner corner element or an outer corner element and includes at least two projections for engaging with at least two corresponding channels of a first skirting board and at least two projections for engaging with at least two corresponding channels of a second skirting board.

In an alternative arrangement, the skirting board element is an end element including at least two projections for engaging with at least two corresponding channels of a H:\jneson\keep\peci\P61680 A SKIRTING BOARD ELEMENT Divisional.doc 31/07/06 4 skirting board.

With the first arrangement, the element may include a spine extending centrally and generally longitudinally of the wall portion. The spine may be integral with the wall portion and preferably the at least two projections are integral with the spine and extend from the spine.

With the second arrangement, each projection may be integral with and extend from the wall portion.

Each projection may include one or more side portions tapered so as to increase in width in a direction away from a free end of the projection so as to facilitate ease of insertion of the projection in a corresponding channel and so as to generate a frictional force between the projections, the wall portion and the skirting board sufficient to prevent unwanted detachment of the skirting board from the element.

The wall portion may be arranged such that when a skirting board is engaged with the element, a lower portion of the wall portion is flush with a lower surface of the skirting board. A lower portion of the wall portion may include a base portion, an outwardly facing surface of which is flush with a lower surface of a skirting board when the skirting board is engaged with the element.

Preferably, a profile of an outwardly facing surface of the wall portion matches with a profile of an outwardly facing surface of the skirting board.

Brief Description of the Drawings The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, H:\jnelson\keep\speci\P61680 A SKIRTING BOARD ELEMENT Divisional.doc 31/07/06 5 in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic front perspective view of a skirting board element in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic rear perspective view of the skirting board element shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic rear perspective view of the skirting board element shown in Figures 1 and 2 during use attached to a skirting board; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic front perspective view of a skirting board element in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a diagrammatic rear perspective view of the skirting board element shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a diagrammatic rear perspective view of the skirting board element shown in Figures 4 and 5 during use attached to a skirting board; Figure 7 is a diagrammatic front perspective view of a skirting board element in accordance with a further alternative embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 is a diagrammatic rear perspective view of the skirting board element shown in Figure 7; and Figure 9 is a diagrammatic rear perspective view of the skirting board element shown in Figure 7 and 8 during use connected to a skirting board.

Description of an Embodiment of the Present Invention Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, there is shown a skirting board element 10, in this example an inner corner element for providing an inner corner join between two adjacent skirting boards with a neat appearance.

The skirting board element 10 is for use with a skirting board having a front surface, a rear surface, an end surface and a recess extending inwardly of the rear surface and accessible from the end surface.

H;\jnelson\keep\speci\P61680 A SKIRTING BOARD ELEMENT Divisional.doc 31/07/06 6 The element 10 includes a wall portion 12 having an outwardly facing front wall portion surface 14 shaped so as to match in profile with the profile of an outwardly facing surface of a skirting board, and a rear wall portion surface 16 also shaped so as to match in profile with the profile of an outwardly facing surface of a skirting board.

The wall portion 12 also includes a first rear wall edge 18 and a second rear wall edge 20 which locate against walls of a building during use.

The element 10 also includes a spine 22 shown more particularly in Figure 2 which is integral with and extends generally centrally of the wall portion 12. A first longitudinal end of the spine 22 forms an apex with the first and second rear wall edges 18, 20. A second opposite longitudinal end of the spine 22 is integral with a base portion 24 which locates adjacent a floor of a building during use. However, it will be understood that the base portion 24 is not essential and may be omitted if desired.

Extending from the spine 22 are first and second projections 26 and 28 respectively, the first projections 26 extending in a direction generally parallel to the first rear wall edge 18 and the second projections 28 extending generally parallel to the second rear wall edge 20. In the present example, two first projections 26 and two second projections 28 are provided, although it will be understood that any number of projections may be provided, the important aspect being that the or each projection is engageable in a recess provided in a rear surface of a skirting board so as to locate the element in correct alignment relative to the skirting board and retain the element relative to the skirting board during use.

As shown more particularly in Figure 1, each projection 26, 28 includes a base wall 30 and two upstanding side walls H;\jnelson\keep\speci\P61680 A SKIRTING BOARD ELEMENT Divisional.doc 31/07/06 7 32, each side wall 32 being tapered so as to increase in width in a direction away from a free end of the base wall It will be understood that since the projections are receivable during use in recesses provided in a skirting board, the element 10 can be configured such that, during use, when the skirting board and the element are disposed against a wall of a building, substantially no gap is defined between the wall and the combined skirting board and attached element.

The element 10 is shown in Figure 3 during use attached to a skirting board 34.

As shown in Figure 3, the skirting board 34 includes an outwardly facing front skirting board surface 36, a rear skirting board surface 38, a lower skirting board surface and an end skirting board surface 42. Extending inwardly of the rear skirting board surface 38 and accessible from the end skirting board surface 42 are two elongate recesses 44 which may or may not extend along the whole length of the skirting board 34.

As can be seen in Figure 3, the skirting board 34 is attachable to the element 10 by locating the first projections 26 in the recesses 44 and sliding the skirting board 34 towards the element 10 until the end skirting board surface 42 is disposed between the wall portion 12 and the first projections 26. The tapered side walls 32 of the projections 26 serve to facilitate insertion of the projections 26 in the recesses 44 and to generate a frictional force between the projections 26, the wall portion 12 and the skirting board 34 sufficient to prevent unwanted detachment of the skirting board 34 from the element H:\jne1son\keep\speci\P61680 A SKIRTING BOARD ELEMENT Divisional.doc 31/07/06 8 It will be understood that by providing the element with projections which engage with recesses in the skirting board 34, it is possible to securely connect the element to the skirting board without resulting in a gap during use between the skirting board and an adjacent building wall and, optionally, without resulting in a gap between the skirting board and an adjacent building floor.

Referring to Figures 4 to 6 of the drawings, there is shown an alternative skirting board element 50, in this example an external corner element for providing an external corner join between two adjacent skirting boards with a neat appearance. Like features are indicated with like reference numerals.

It will be understood that the element 50 operates in a similar way to the element 10 shown in Figures 1 to 3 in that, during use, two skirting boards 34 are attachable to the element 50 by locating first and second projections 26, 28 of the element 50 in recesses 44 provided in the skirting board 34 and sliding the skirting board 34 towards the element 50 until an end skirting board surface 42 is disposed between a wall portion 12 of the element 50 and the first or second projections 26.

As with the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 3, by providing the element 50 with projections 26, 28 which engage with recesses 44 in adjacent skirting boards 34, it is possible to securely connect the element 50 to the skirting boards 34 without resulting in a gap during use between the skirting boards and an adjacent building wall and, optionally, without resulting in a gap between the skirting boards and an adjacent building floor.

Referring to Figures 7 to 9 of the drawings, there is shown a skirting board element 56 in accordance with a further alternative embodiment of the present invention, in this H:\jnelson\keep\speci\P61680 A SKIRTING BOARD ELEMENT Divisional.doc 31/07/06 9 example an end element for providing an end of a skirting board with a neat appearance. Like features are indicated with like reference numerals.

It will be understood that the element 56 operates in a similar way to the elements 10, 50 shown in Figures 1 to 6 in that, during use, a skirting board 34 is attachable to the element 56 by locating the projections 26 in recesses 44 of a skirting board 34 and sliding the skirting board 34 towards the element 56 until an end skirting board surface 42 is disposed between a wall portion 12 of the element 56 and the projections 26.

As with the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 6, it will be understood that by providing the element 56 with projections 26 which engage with recesses 44 in a skirting board 34, it is possible to securely connect the element 56 to the skirting board 34 without resulting in a gap during use between the skirting board 34 and an adjacent building wall and, optionally, without resulting in a gap between the skirting board and an adjacent building floor.

It will be appreciated that since an end edge of each skirting board connected to any of the elements shown in Figures 1 to 9 locates between the wall portion 12 and the projections 26, 28, the end edge is thereby obscured from view by the wall portion 12 and as a consequence it is not necessary to exercise great care in cutting the skirting board 34 since a degree of error in both the angle of cut and length of the skirting board is tolerated.

It will also be understood that with the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 6, it is possible to provide a corner join which has a neat appearance without the need to mitre longitudinal ends of adjacent skirting boards 34.

H:\jneson\keep\speci\P61680O A SKIRTING BOARD ELEMENT Divisional.doc 31/07/06 10 Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.

H\jnelson\keep\speci\P61680 A SKIRTING BOARD ELEMENT Divisional.doc 31/07/06

Claims (4)

1. A skirting board element for attaching to an end portion of a skirting board having a skirting board front surface, a skirting board rear surface, a skirting board end surface, and an elongate channel extending inwardly of the skirting board rear surface and accessible from the skirting board end surface, said element comprising: a wall portion having a front wall portion surface which faces outwardly during use; and at least one projection arranged such that the or each projection is spaced from upper and lower ends of the first wall portion and is engageable during use in a respective channel of the skirting board; the arrangement being such that during use when the or each projection is engaged in a channel, the skirting board end surface is disposed between the wall portion and the or each projection, and such that when the skirting board and attached skirting board element are disposed against a substantially flat wall of a building, the skirting board end surface is hidden from view by the wall portion.

2. A skirting board element as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least two first projections for engaging with at least two corresponding channels of a first skirting board and at least two second projections for engaging with at least two corresponding channels of a second skirting board.

3. A skirting board element as claimed in claim 2, wherein the skirting board element is an inner corner element, an outer corner element, or an end element.

4. A skirting board element as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, further comprising a spine extending substantially centrally of the wall portion, each projection being integral with the spine and extending from the spine. H:\jnelson\keep\speci\P61680 A SKIRTING BOARD ELEMENT Divisional.doc 31/07/06 12 A skirting board element substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings. DATED this 31 st day of July 2006 Guenter QUISKAMP By His Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia Hi\jnelson\keep\speci\P61680 A SKIRTING BOARD ELEMENT Divisional.doc 31/07/06