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 an elongated vinyl corner guard member angled to fit over the corner formed by the intersection of two wall surfaces, the corner member being comprised of two different colors of vinyl plastic material that have been co-extruded to form a single, integrated product. The multi-colored corner guard provides an aesthetically improved corner guard that may be used in a wide range of interior designs. Additionally, the improved corner guard disclosed herein may be used a part of a system of color-coding the hallways of a large hospital or other institutional facility. The corner guard of the present invention may be constructed as either a tape-on corner guard that is mounted by an adhesive directly to the wall surfaces, or constructed as an assembly comprised of a base plate and cover guard.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/598,795, filed Jun. 21, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,630, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a corner guard for protecting the corners of walls in institutional facilities, and relates in particular to a multi-colored, co-extruded corner guard. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     In institutional facilities such as hospitals, elderly care centers, and other public buildings, the corner of building walls are exposed to damage from impact resulting from forceful contact with various kinds of wheeled vehicles, such as stretchers, wheelchairs, dining carts and the like. For this reason, the corners of the building wall are commonly provided with a corner guard that will protect the wall surfaces from damage resulting from the impact. 
     Conventional corner guards are normally comprised of an elongated plastic member that is angled to fit over the corner formed by the intersection of two walls. The corner guard may be fastened to the wall with an adhesive, such as double-sided adhesive tape. Alternatively, the corner guard may be comprised of an assembly that includes a base plate which overlays the wall surfaces at the corner, and further includes a cover member that is attached over the base plate. For both the adhesive and mounted types of corner guards, the outer plastic corner guard member from damage due to impacts by wheeled carts and that like that occasionally hit the walls and corners of hallways. 
     Examples of conventional corner guard assemblies include the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,717,968 issued to Robert W. Olsen, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,883 issued to Claude P. Balzer et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,617 issued to Donald W. Miller. 
     Conventional corner guards and corner guard assemblies are typically manufactured by extruding a plastic resin into long pieces of a desired shape and color. Thus, conventional corner guards are comprised of a single grade and color of plastic material. Such single color corner guards are commonly considered bland and aesthetically undesirable. There is of course a continual demand to improve upon the aesthetic features and interior design of living and work spaces. Additionally, in hospitals and other large institutional facilities, the hallways are often color-coded to designate particular departments and locations within the building. The color-coding of hallways also provides a means of directional marking to assist users and visitors traversing through the building. Single-color corner guards, however, conform to the color scheme of one hallway or the other, but normally not both. 
     Accordingly, a corner guard that has improved aesthetic qualities and that will enhance the color-coding schemes of large institutional facilities is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An improved corner guard designed especially for use in institutional type facilities is presented. The corner guard of the present invention includes an elongated vinyl corner member angled to fit over the corner formed by the intersection of two wall surfaces, the corner member being comprised of two different colors of vinyl plastic material that have been co-extruded to form a single, integrated product. The corner guard of the present invention provides an aesthetically improved corner guard that may be used in a much wider range of interior designs. Additionally, the improved corner guard disclosed herein may be used a part of a system of color-coding the hallways of a large hospital or other institutional facility. The corner guard of the present invention may be constructed as either a tape-on corner guard that is mounted by an adhesive directly to the wall surfaces, or constructed as an assembly comprised of a base plate and cover guard. 
     The present invention protects the corner of intersecting hallways from impacts and collisions, provides a visual enhancement to the interior design of buildings, and provides a multi-colored component for use in the color-coding of hallways and passageways in buildings. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, together with the accompanying drawings, sets forth by way of illustration and example certain preferred embodiments of the present invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The drawings, which constitute a part of this specification and include an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, include the following. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the corner guard of the present invention assembled to the corner of a building wall. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating the corner guard of the present invention and the manner in which it is assembled to the corner of a building wall. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross section view of the corner guard of the present invention, shown assembled to the corner of a building wall. 
     FIG. 4 is an end view of the corner guard of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the inner surfaces of the corner guard that are applied the surface of the building walls. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a second embodiment of the corner guard of the present invention and the method that it is assembled to the corner of a building wall. 
     FIG. 7 is an end view of a third embodiment of the corner guard of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2  and  3 , a corner  10  of a building wall is defined by the intersection of two wall surfaces. The corner may be formed by assembling at right angles a first panel  11  and a second panel  12  of drywall, sheetrock, or the like. The walls define hallways and corridors for directing pedestrians and wheeled vehicles such as carts, mobile tables, wheelchairs and the like through the building. Thus the corner is subject to impact from such vehicles occasionally striking the corner of the wall with various degrees of force. Accordingly, a corner guard  20  is applied to the corner of the building wall. 
     The present invention of a multi-colored co-extruded corner guard  20  is comprised of a corner guard member  21  and a means for fastening the corner guard member  21  to the corner  10  of the building wall. The corner guard member  21  is an elongated member that is comprised of a first flat planar portion  25  and a second flat planar portion  26 . The two flat planar portions, which intersect each other at an apex  22 , extend the entire length of the corner guard member  21 . The first flat planar portion  25  is applied over the first wall surface  11 , and the second flat planar portion  26  is applied over the second wall surface  12 . The apex  22  abuts directly against the sharp corner  10  of the intersecting wall surfaces  11  and  12 . The apex  22  preferably has small radius to provide a smoother finish to the corner of the wall. 
     The first flat planar portion  25  intersects the second flat planar portion  26  preferably at an angle that corresponds to the angle of intersection of the first and second wall surfaces  11  and  12 , which normally should be about 90°. The corner guard member  21  is made preferably of a thermoplastic material, preferably an extruded polyvinyl chloride plastic material (PVC). In the construction of building walls, the two intersecting wall surfaces  11  and  12  that form the corner  10  are occasional assembled together in a manner that does not form a precise right angle. In that event, the thermoplastic corner guard member  21  may be flexed a slight amount in order to properly fit over the corner of the building wall to which the corner guard  20  is being applied. 
     As mentioned, the corner guard member  21  is fabricated preferably from a rigid PVC material. Rigid polyvinyl chlorides normally have little or no plasticizer added to the material. One particular grade of material that is known to work satisfactorily is Synergistics Polycor D1015 Natural. The material comes in pellets that are melted and extruded through a die to form the retainer member. The properties of this material include a Shore D hardness scale according to ASTM Standard D2240 of about 80, and a tensile strength according to ASTM Standard D638 of about 6800 psi. This particular material is also available in a variety of colors. Other comparable materials having similar characteristics may be available in the market. 
     The corner guard member  21  is further comprised of at least two colors of thermoplastic material that are simultaneously co-extruded and bonded together in order to form a single integrated product. The corner guard member  21  of the present invention may be fabricated by thermo-bonding one layer of one color thermoplastic material to a second layer of a second color of thermoplastic material in such a manner that both layers are exposed to the outer surface  27  of the corner guard and thus visible from the hallways. Additionally, the layers are bonded to each other so that the final product has a constant thickness across its entire width. 
     Specifically, the first flat planar portion  25  includes a first outer portion  31  adjacent the edge  35  of the corner guard member  21 , and the first flat planar portion  25  further includes a first inner portion  33  adjacent the apex  22  of the corner guard member  21 . Additionally, the second flat planar portion  26  includes a second outer portion  32  adjacent the other edge  36  of the corner guard member  21 , and the second flat planar portion  26  further includes a second inner portion  34  also adjacent the apex  22  of the corner guard member  21 . A first layer  23  of thermoplastic material forms a main substratum of the corner guard member  21 . In the areas of the first and second outer portions  31  and  32 , the first layer  23  has a primary thickness, herein designated a first thickness. In the areas of the first and second inner portions  33  and  34 , the first layer  23  has a reduced thickness, herein designated a second thickness. A second layer  24  of thermoplastic material is applied onto the areas of reduced thickness of the first layer  23  of thermoplastic material and thereby forms the first and second inner portions  33  and  34  of the corner guard member  21 . The second layer  24  of material has a thickness designated herein as a third thickness. When the second layer  24  is applied to the area of reduced thickness of the first layer, the total thickness of the corner guard member  21  in that area is equal to the primary thickness of the first layer of thermoplastic material. In other words, the first thickness of the first layer of thermoplastic material is equal to the second thickness of the first layer plus the third thickness of the second layer. The corner guard member  21  thereby has a constant thickness throughout its entire width. 
     The reduced thickness of the first layer is preferably, thought not necessarily, greater than one half of the primary thickness of the first layer. In other words, the second thickness is preferably greater that one half of the first thickness. The thickness of the second layer is preferably, though not necessarily, less than one half of the primary thickness of the first layer. In other words, the third thickness is preferably less than one half the first thickness. Thus, in a corner guard that has a primary thickness of, for example, 0.080 inches thick, the reduced thickness of the first layer of thermoplastic material, i.e., the second thickness, is preferably about 0.045 inches thick, and the thickness of the second layer of thermoplastic material, i.e., the third thickness, is preferably about 0.035 inches thick. Of course, the actual thickness of the materials may be modified depending on the particular material used and its application. 
     The first and second layers of thermoplastic material are comprised of two different colors of material. Furthermore, the second layer  24  is applied over the first layer  23  in a manner that will expose both layers of material, and thus both colors to view from the hallways. In reference to FIG. 3, the corner guard member  23  has an outer surface  27  and an inner surface  28 . On the inner surface  28 , the first layer  23  extends completely from one side edge  35  of the corner guard to the other side edge  36 . The second layer  24  is applied onto outer surface of the first layer. Consequently, the first layer  23  of the first color of thermoplastic material is exposed to the outer surface  27  of the corner guard member  21  in the area of the first outer portion  31  of the first flat planar portion  25  and it is exposed in the area of the second outer portion  32  of the second flat planar portion  26 . Additionally, the second layer  24  of the second color of thermoplastic material is exposed to the outer surface  27  of the corner guard member  21  in the area of the first inner portion  33  of the first flat planar portion  25  and it is exposed in the area of the second inner portion  34  of the second flat planar portion  26 . 
     The relative widths of the inner and outer portions of the corner guard member, which are composed of the first and second colors of thermoplastic material, are preferably proportioned to provide a visual balance between the two colors. The relative widths are actually visually balanced better when the width of the inner portions is slightly less than the width of the adjacent outer portion. In a corner guard member that is, for example, three inches wide, meaning that the distance from the corner apex to the edge of the corner guard member measures three inches, the width of the inner portion is preferably about one-and-three-eighths inches wide (1⅜ inches), and the width of the outer portion is preferably about one-and-five-eighths inches wide (1⅝ inches). Because the inner portions are adjacent to each other, together they appear to be proportionally equal to the combined widths of the two outer portions of the corner guard member. The actual widths can of course be modified depending on the particular application of materials and the particular colors used. 
     The multi-colored corner guard of the present invention may be fastened to the corner of the building wall with conventional double-sided, pressure sensitive adhesive tape. Referring to FIG. 5 in particular, the inner surface  28  of the corner guard member  21  is provided with two strips of adhesive tape. Specifically, a first strip  41  of adhesive tape is applied onto the inner surface  28  of the first flat planar portion  25  of the corner guard member  21 , and a second strip  42  of adhesive tape is applied onto the inner surface  28  of the second flat planar portion  26  of the corner guard member. The corner guard is applied to the corner of a building wall by removing the liner on the adhesive and pressing the apex  22  of the corner guard member  21  tightly against the corner  10  of the building wall and thereby bonding the first flat planar portion  25  to the first wall surface  11  and further bonding the second flat planar portion  26  to the second wall surface  12 . 
     A second embodiment of the corner guard of the present invention is illustrated on FIG.  6 . In FIG. 6, a corner guard assembly  120  is comprised of a retainer member  121 , a plurality of fasteners  122  for fastening the retainer member to the corner  110  of the building wall, a corresponding cover member  123  assembled over the retainer member, and end caps  124  assembled to the upper and lower ends of the assembly. 
     The retainer member  121  is an elongated member including a first flat planar portion  125  and a second flat planar portion  126 , the two flat planar portions each extending the entire length of the retainer member. The first flat planar portion  125  is applied over the first wall surface  111 , and the second flat planar portion  126  is applied over the second wall surface  112 . The first flat planar portion  125  intersects the second flat planar portion  126  preferably at an angle that corresponds to the angle of intersection of the first and second wall surfaces  111  and  112 , which normally should be about 90°. The retainer member  121  may be made from a metallic material, which is typically aluminum, or it may be made of a thermoplastic material, preferably an extruded polyvinyl chloride plastic material (PVC). In the construction of building walls, the two intersecting wall surfaces  111  and  112  that form the corner  110  are occasional assembled together in a manner that does not form a precise right angle. In that event, a retainer member  121  made from a thermoplastic material may be flexed a slight amount in order to properly fit over the corner  110  of the building wall to which the corner guard assembly  120  is being applied. 
     On the retainer member  121 , the first flat planar portion  125  has an offset edge portion  127  and the second flat planar portion  126  has a similar second offset edge portion  128 . When the retainer member  121  is applied to the corner  110  of the wall, the first offset edge portion  127  is raised a slight distance from the surface of the first wall surface  111  of the building wall. Likewise, the second offset edge portion  128  is raised a slight distance away from the second wall surface  112 . The first and second raised edge portions  127  and  128  form edges around which the cover member  123  is assembled. The retainer member  121  is fastened to the corner  110  of the building wall as illustrated in FIG. 6 with a plurality of fasteners  122 , preferably self-tapping screws 
     The cover member  123  is comprised of a first flat portion  131  and a second flat portion  132 , the first and second flat portions intersecting at a rounded corner portion  130 . The cover members  123  further includes a first inwardly turned, hooked shaped end portion  133  on the edge of the first flat surface  131 , which hooks around for engagement to the first raised edge portion  127  of the retainer member  121 . Likewise, a second inwardly turned, hooked shaped end portion  134  on the edge of the second flat surface  132  of the cover member  123  hooks around for engagement over the second raised edge portion  128  of the retainer member  121 . Being vinyl, the cover member  123  is capable of deforming a slight amount to bend the two hook shaped end portions  133  and  134  apart from each other to fit over the opposing edges  127  and  128  of the retainer member  121 , and then return to its original shape. Accordingly, the cover member  123  snaps in place and fits snugly over the retainer member  121 . End caps  124  are applied to the upper and lower ends of the corner guard assembly. 
     Aside from the structural differences that make the cover member  123  capable of attachment to the retainer member  121 , the cover member  123  illustrated in FIG. 6 is constructed in substantially the same manner as the corner guard member  20  discussed above and illustrated in FIGS. 1-5. That is, the first flat portion  131  of the cover member  123  illustrated in FIG. 6 is likewise comprised of a first outer portion  135  adjacent the edge of the cover member  123 , and further comprised of a first inner portion  137  adjacent the rounded corner portion of the cover member  123 . The second flat portion  132  is similarly comprised of a second outer portion  136  adjacent the other edge of the cover member  123 , and further comprised of a second inner portion  138  also adjacent the rounded corner portion of the cover member  123 . The cover member  123  is further comprised of a first layer of thermoplastic material that forms a main substratum, and a second layer of thermoplastic material of a different color applied over the first layer in a manner that will expose both layers of material, and thus both colors to view from the hallways. 
     A third embodiment of the corner guard  220  of the present invention is illustrated in FIG.  7 . The corner guard member  221  has a first flat planar portion  225  and a second flat planar portion  226 , which intersect each other at an apex  222 . The corner guard member  221  is identical to the first preferred embodiment of the corner guard member  21  except that a second layer  224  is applied to a first layer  223  at only one of the first flat planar portion  225  and the second flat planar portion  226 . Elements of the corner guard  220  of FIG. 7 corresponding to elements of the corner guard  20  of FIGS. 1-5 are, accordingly incremented by  200 . In a preferred embodiment, the second thermoplastic layer is applied to the entire length of one of the planar portions  225 ,  226 . This results in the first color being present on one side of the corner guard member  221  and the second color being present on the other side of the corner guard member  221 . An advantage of this is that one hallway can be color coded with a first color and an intersecting hallway can be color coded with another color. This is particularly useful in situations where hallways are color coded to indicate, for example, a route or a wing designation within a building. 
     The at least two colors of thermoplastic material of the corner guard member  221  are simultaneously co-extruded and bonded together in order to form a single integrated product. The corner guard member  221  of the present invention may be fabricated by thermo-bonding the first layer  223  of a first color thermoplastic material to the second layer  224  of a second color of thermoplastic material. Additionally, the layers are bonded to each other so that the final product has a constant thickness across its entire width. 
     A fourth embodiment of the corner guard of the present invention is a corner guard assembly and is like that illustrated on FIG.  6 . However, in the fourth embodiment, the cover member is comprised of a first layer of thermoplastic material that forms a main substratum, and a second layer of thermoplastic material of a different color applied over the first layer in a manner that will expose a first layer of material on one side of the cover member and a second layer of material on the other side of the cover member. 
     The corner guards  20  and  220  and corner guard assemblies  120  disclosed herein may used as individual elements of a wall protection system, or used as components of a wall protection and color-coded marking system for both protecting the wall surfaces from damage and also for making specified locations within the building. Referring to FIG. 1, a wall protection and color-coded marking system may be comprised of color coordinated handrails, wall cove base and corner guards. The system may be comprised, for example, of a first handrail  14  and a first wall cove base  15  of a first color in a first hallway, a second handrail  16  and second wall cove base  17  of a second color in a second hallway, and a corner guard  20  of the present invention wherein the outer portions of the corner guard are of the first color, which matches the color of the first handrail and first wall cove base, and the inner portions of the corner guard are of the second color, which matches the color of the second handrail and second wall cove base. The colors of the walls  11  and  12  may also be coordinated to match the colors of the various components. 
     The multi-colored, co-extruded corner guard disclosed herein has a very desirable aesthetic appearance. Additionally, it may be used as part of a comprehensive system for designating and marking portions of buildings with color-coded components that also serve to protect the walls from damage. Of course, specific structural details disclosed above are not to be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention, but represented merely as a basis for the claims and for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in any appropriately detailed structure. Changes may be made in the specific structural details of the particular embodiment disclosed above without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims.