GB2379676A

GB2379676A - Skirting cover

Info

Publication number: GB2379676A
Application number: GB0216850A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Charles Dudney
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-09-12
Filing date: 2002-07-19
Publication date: 2003-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 2022-07-19
Also published as: GB2379676B; GB0216850D0; GB0122033D0

Abstract

A skirting cover comprises a front wall 28 and an abutment member 30 which extends from an inner face 32 of the front wall 28 and towards a vertical surface 34 adjacent to which the skirting cover is to be fixed, the front wall 28 comprising a vertical portion 36 for extending parallel to the vertical surface 34 and an upper portion 38 which extends towards the vertical surface 34, and the skirting cover being an extrusion which is made from a plastics material. Releasable fixing means 46 is provided comprising a mounting member.

Description

A SKIRTING COVER This invention relates to skirting used at the junction of floors and walls in rooms. More especially, this invention relates to a skirting cover.

It is well known to employ skirting boards at the junction of floors and walls in rooms. The skirting boards are secured to the wall and it is well known to run pipes, cables and wires along the skirting boards. Such pipes, cables and wires are unsightly and it IS aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce this problem.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a skirting cover comprising a front wall and an abutment member which extends from an inner face of the front wall and towards a vertical surface to which the skirting cover is to be fixed, the front wall comprising a vertical portion for extending parallel to the vertical surface and an upper portion which extends towards the vertical surface, and the skirting cover being an extrusion which is made of a plastics material.

The skirting cover of the present invention can be used in place of known skirting boards to cover pipes, cables and wires. In this case, the pipes, cables and wires can be secured directly to a wall, and then the skirting cover can be secured in position over the pipes, cables and wires in order to hide them. Alternatively, where pipes, cables and wires are already in position on existing skirting boards, then the cover can be

secured over the pipes, cables or wires and on the skirting board rather than to the wall. The skirting cover can also be secured to other vertical surfaces where it may be desired to hide pipes, cables or wires. Generally, the skirting cover may be used to hide one or more pipes and/or one or more cables and/or one or more wires.

In one embodiment of the invention, the skirting cover may be one in which the upper portion abuts against the vertical surface when the skirting cover is fixed to the vertical surface. Also, the abutment member may abut against the vertical surface when the skirting cover is fixed to the vertical surface. Such a skirting cover is easily fitted into position because the abutment member is able to abut against the vertical surface such for example as the wall or an existing skirting board. Fixing holes can be drilled as and where appropriate on site in order to enable the skirting cover to be held in position by any suitable and appropriate fixing means such for example as wood screws and fixing plugs where a fixing is direct into a wall, or screws or nails where a fixing is into an existing skirting board. The heads of screws can be concealed with screw caps. The use of the abutment members avoids the need for the pre-fixing of battens or brackets to support the skirting cover.

In another embodiment of the invention, the skirting cover may be one which includes fixing means by which the front wall and the abutment member are fixed in position adjacent to the vertical surface.

The fixing means may comprise a mounting member for being secured to the vertical surface, and an interlocking arrangement for locking the front wall and the abutment member to the mounting member.

The fixing means may be a releasable fixing means. A presently preferred releasable fixing means is a clip fixing means. The clip fixing means may comprise a first arm extending from the mounting member and having a first hook, a second arm extending from the mounting member and having a second hook, a first toothed arrangement on the upper portion for engaging with the first hook, and a second toothed arrangement on the abutment member for engaging with the second hook. The skirting cover may include retainer means for retaining the first and second hooks in engagement with the first and second toothed arrangements respectively.

Preferably, the first and second toothed arrangements each comprise a plurality of teeth. The first and second hooks can then engage on any one of the teeth in the first and second toothed arrangements respectively, thereby to allow horizontal adjustment of the skirting cover with respect to the vertical surface, and thereby to be able to compensate for undulations in the vertical surface along a length of the skirting cover.

Preferably, the skirting cover is one in which the abutment member is positioned on a lower part of the inner face. Also preferably, the abutment member is positioned on the lower part of the inner face and adjacent but removed from a bottom of the inner face. With such an arrangement, the abutment member can easily locate under the pipes, cables or wires.

Advantageously, the abutment member is a shelf which extends at right angles to the inner face. Other types of abutment members may however be employed if desired.

Preferably, the skirting cover is one in which the upper portion has a first part which is inclined at a first angle to the vertical portion, and a second part which extends at a second angle to the vertical portion.

The second angle will normally be greater than the first angle Preferably, the second angle is nearly 90 A preferred plastics material IS unplastictsed polyvinyl chloride.

UPN% Aie% ier r% r r-n r-nr% lr% % tmtA However, any suitable and appropriate plastics materials may be employed.

Ftil Li% l 111 L If III y isivowy% A. The plastics material may be produced in any suitable and appropriate colours such for example as white, mahogany or pine.

Preferably, the plastics material employed is fire retardant, and more preferably self extinguishing in fires. The plastics material is preferably resistant to acids and alkalis, and is colour fast. Advantageously, the plastics material is such that it can used in temperature ranges of minus 100C to plus BOoC.

The present invention also extends to the combination of the skirting cover and corners and/or connectors for the skirting cover.

The corners and/or the connectors may be held In position by an adhesive. The adhesive may be unplasticised polyvinyl chloride solvent In the case where the plastics material for the skirting cover is unplasticised

polyvinyl chloride. Alternatively, the adhesive may be in the form of double sided adhesive tape.

The skirting cover of the present invention can be arranged to be connected to vertical risers.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a first cover against a vertical surface; Figure 2 is a cross section through a second cover against a vertical surface; Figure 3 shows the cover of Figure 2 being fitted in position; and Figure 4 is a cross section through a third cover against a vertical surface.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a skirting cover 2 comprising a front wall 4 and an abutment member 6. The abutment member 6 extends from an inner face 8 of the front wall 4. The abutment member 6 abuts against a vertical surface 10 to which the skirting cover 2 is to be fixed.

The front wall 4 comprises a vertical portion 12 extending parallel to the vertical surface 10, and an upper portion 14 which extends towards the vertical surface 10 and which abuts against the vertical surface 10 during use of the skirting cover 2 as shown in Figure 1.

The skirting cover 2 is an extrusion which is made of a plastics material.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the abutment member 6 is positioned on the lower part of the inner face 8 and adjacent but removed from a bottom 16 of the inner face 8. The abutment member 6 is in the form of a shelf which extends at right angles to the inner face 8.

The upper portion 14 of the front wall 4 has a first part 18 and a second part 20. As can be seen from Figure 1, the first part 18 is inclined at a first angle to the vertical portion 12. The second part 20 is inclined at a second angle to the vertical portion 12. The second angle is greater than the first angle. The second angle is nearly 900 as shown

The actua ! ptastics material employed for the cover 2 ! s white %, III L I-,, IV y unplasticised polyvinyl chloride. This plastics matenal is fire retardant and self-extinguishes. It is resistant to acids and alkalis and is colour fast. Furthermore, the material is able to be used in situations where the temperature may range from minus 10 C to plus 80 C.

In order to fix the skirting cover 2 in position, holes can be drilled in the front wall 4, one such hole being shown as hole 22. The holes such as the hole 22 can be drilled on site in any suitable and appropriate position as determined by a person installing the skirting cover 2. Any suitable and appropriate fixing means can be employed for fixing the skirting cover 2 to the vertical surface 10. Where the vertical surface 10 is a wall as shown, then the fixing means may be traditional wood screws and fixing plugs or, alternatively, frame anchors. If the vertical surface were to be an existing

skirting board rather than an actual wall, then simple wood screws or nails could be employed.

The skirting cover 2 is easily fixed in position and it is able to hide pipes 24 as shown The skirting cover 2 is thus aesthetically pleasing to look at and certainly more aesthetically pleasing than just the pipes 24. Still further, the skirting cover 2 IS easier to clean than the pipes 24 Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, there is shown a skirting cover 26 comprising a front wall 28 and an abutment member 30. The abutment member 30 extends from an inner face 32 of the front wall 28. The abutment member 30 extends towards a vertical surface 34 relative to which the skirting cover 26 is to be fixed.

The front wall 28 comprises a vertical portion 36 extending parallel to the vertical surface 34, and an upper portion 38 which extends towards the vertical surface 34 and which terminates adjacent the vertical surface 34 during use of the skirting cover 26 as shown in Figure 2.

The skirting cover 26 is made of a plastics material. The abutment member 30 is positioned on the lower part of the inner face 32 and adjacent but removed from a bottom 40 of the inner face 32. The abutment member 30 is in the form of a shelf which extends at right angles to the inner face 32.

The upper portion 38 of the front wall 28 has a first part 42 and a second part 44. The first part 42 is inclined at a first angle to the vertical portion 36. The second part 44 is substantially horizontal as shown.

The skirting cover 26 includes fixing means 46 by which the front wall 28 and the abutment member 30 are fixed in position against the vertical surface 34. The fixing means 46 comprises a mounting member 48 which IS secured to the vertical surface 34, for example by screws or nails (not shown) positioned at locations 49. The fixing means 46 also comprises an interlocking arrangement 50 for securing the front wall 28 and the abutment member 30 to the mounting member 48.

The fixing means 46 is a releasable clip fixing means. More specifically, the clip fixing means comprises a first arm 52 extending from the mounting member 48 and having a first hook 54, and a second arm 56 extending from the mounting member 48 and having a second hook 58.

The clip fixing means also comprises a first toothed arrangement 60 on the upper portion 38 for engaging with the first hook 54, and a second toothed arrangement 62 on the abutment member 30 for engaging with the second hook 58. The first and second toothed arrangements 60,62 each comprise four teeth as shown The hooks 54,58 can locate behind any one of these teeth, thereby giving a degree of horizontal adjustment to the skirting cover 26 in order to move the second part 44 closer to or further away from the vertical surface 34 as may be necessary if there are undulations in the vertical surface 34.

The mounting member 48 has ribs 64 and grooves 68 as shown. The ribs 64 can abut against the vertical surface 34. A foot 70 can stand on a floor 72. The abutment member 30 can terminate just short of the foot 70,

or the abutment member 30 can abut the foot 70. The foot 70 helps to ensure that the mounting member 48 is fixed at the same height all along the vertical surface 34.

Referring now to Figure 4, there is shown a skirting cover 74. Similar parts as in Figures 2 and 3 have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding. In Figure 4, the front wall 28 is taller than the front wall 28 shown in the skirting cover 26. In case the first and second hooks 54,58 should slip on the first and second toothed arrangements 60, 62 respectively, the interlocking arrangements 50 shown in Figure 4 are additionally provided with retainer means In the form of a flexible flange 76 which forms a guide channel 78 for guiding the first and second hooks 54,58 in position, and then holding the first and second hooks 54,58 in position. By way of example only, it is mentioned that the skirting cover 72 shown in Figure 4 can be 42mm wide and 150mm tall. Figure 4 also shows how the mounting member 48 can be plain faced so that it is without the ribs 64 and the grooves 68. As shown in Figure 4, the mounting member 48 is provided with apertures 80 for receiving screws, nails or the like.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawing have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the skirting covers 2, 26,74 may be made of a plastics material other than unplasticised polyvinyl chloride. The skirting covers 2,26, 74

may be used to hide cables and/or wires instead of or addition to the pipes 24. The first and second parts 18, 20 may be inclined at angles other than those shown. If desired, the second part 20 may extend at right angles to the vertical portion 12 so that the second part 20 will then be parallel with the abutment member 6. Sections of the skirting covers 2, 26,74 may be connected together by connectors (not shown) and they may extend around corners using corner pieces (not shown). The connectors and corner pieces can be held in position by an appropriate adhesive which may be a plastics solvent adhesive or double sided adhesive tape. The skirting covers 2,26, 74 can a ! so be used with pipe cover vertica ! risers (not shown). The distance by which the abutment member 6 extends from the inner face 8 of the front wall 4 may be varied to suit the profile of the vertical surface 10 and any existing skirting. Other ways of fixing the skirting cover of the invention to the vertical surface 34 may be employed other than those shown in the drawings. The vertical surfaces 10,34 are shown as walls but they may be other vertical surfaces. A knife blade or other device can be used to lever the skirting covers 26,74 apart, for example to inspect pipes for leaks.

Claims

1. A skirting cover comprising a front wall and an abutment member which extends from an inner face of the front wall and towards a vertical surface adjacent to which the skirting cover is to be fixed, the front wall comprising a vertical portion for extending parallel to the vertical surface and an upper portion which extends towards the vertical surface, and the skirting cover being an extrusion which is made of a plastics material.

2. A skirting cover according to claim 1 in which the upper portion abuts against the vertical surface when the skirting cover is fixed to the vertical surface.

3. A skirting cover according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the abutment member abuts against the vertical surface when the skirting cover is fixed to the vertical surface.

4. A skirting cover according to claim 1 and including fixing means by which the front wall and the abutment member are fixed in position adjacent the vertical surface.

5. A skirting cover according to claim 4 in which the fixing means comprises a mounting member for being secured to the vertical surface, and

an interlocking arrangement for securing the front wall and the abutment member to the mounting member.

6. A skirting cover according to claim 5 in which the fixing means is a releasable fixing means.

7. A skirting cover according to claims 6 in which the releasable fixing means is a clip fixing means.

8. A skirting cover according to daim 7 in which the dip fixing means comprises a first arm extending from the mounting member and having a first hook, a second arm extending from the mounting member and having a second hook, a first toothed arrangement on the upper portion for engaging with the first hook, and a second toothed arrangement on the abutment member for engaging with the second hook.

9. A skirting cover according to claim 8 and including retainer means for retaining the first and second hooks in engagement with the first and second toothed arrangements respectively

10. A skirting cover according to claim 8 or claim 9 in which the first and second toothed arrangements each comprise a plurality of teeth.

11 A skirting cover according to any one of the preceding claims in which the abutment member IS positioned on a lower part of the inner face.

12. A skirting cover according to claim 11 in which the abutment member is positioned on the lower part of the inner face and adjacent but removed from a bottom of the inner face.

13. A skirting cover according to any one of the preceding claims in which the abutment member is a shelf which extends at right angles to the inner face.

14. A skirting cover according to any one of the preceding claims in which the upper portion has a first part which is inclined at a first angle to the vertical portion, and a second part which extends at a second angle to the vertical portion.

15. A skirting cover according to claim 14 in which the second angle is greater than the first angle.

16. A skirting cover according to claim 15 in which the second angle is nearly 900.

17. A skirting cover according to any one of the preceding claims in which the plastics material is unplasticised polyvinyl chloride.

18. A skirting cover substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. The combination of the skirting cover according to any one of the preceding claims and corners and/or connectors