Patent Publication Number: US-6219982-B1

Title: Joint cover and sealing device for concrete panels

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/059,518, filed Apr. 13, 1998. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the construction of buildings with precast concrete panels, it is common to form or cast tilt-up concrete wall panels on a preformed concrete floor slab and then tilt the wall panels to upright vertical positions. Usually, the adjacent wall panels have gaps between the opposing edge surfaces of the panels, and the gaps may range from ½″ to 1¼″. The gaps are usually filled from the exterior side of the wall with a resilient rod and a sealant material which bonds to the rod and the edge surfaces of the concrete panels and provides for the necessary expansion and contraction of the panels. When the inner surfaces of the concrete wall panels are exposed, for example, in a factory or warehouse, it is desirable to cover the exposed joints or gaps between the wall panels to provide the wall with a more attractive inside appearance. 
     There have been a number of systems either proposed or used for covering and sealing the joints or gaps between structural panels of concrete and other materials, such as the joints between vertical wall panels or the joints between horizontal floor or deck panels. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,544 and No. 4,067,155 disclose joint sealing systems for wall panels and which include generally T-shaped sealing gaskets or members having multiple teeth or wings. The teeth or wings engage serrations within extruded members forming the opposing edge surfaces of the panels or within an opposing a joint member inserted into the gap from the opposite sides of the panels. U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,278 and No. 5,197,250 disclose expansion joint systems for use between horizontal concrete panels or slabs which form a horizontal surface or deck. 
     In any joint cover and sealing system for use with precast concrete panels, which may or may not have internal insulation layers, it is desirable for the joint cover to form a positive and dependable joint connection and cover which can accommodate a wide variety of gap profiles, for example, ranging from ½″ to 1¼″, and to be installed without any special edge preparation of the concrete panels. It is also desirable for the joint cover to be self-centering within gaps which are not perfectly linear and to provide for positively gripping the concrete edge surfaces of the panels. It is further desirable for the joint cover to be of economical construction and to be easily and quickly installed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an improved joint cover and sealing device for use between structural panels and which is ideally suited for sealing and covering the joints or gaps between precast concrete wall panels which are tilted up from horizontal positions where the concrete panels are poured and cured. The joint cover of the invention provides all of the desirable features mentioned above, and more specifically, is durable and inexpensive in construction, may be used with a wide range of gap profiles, provides for positive gripping the concrete panels, may be conveniently cut to length and extruded in a variety of colors, and may also be used for inside and outside corner joints. 
     In accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention, a joint cover device comprises a one piece elongated body of extruded semi-rigid plastics material and including a longitudinally extending cover section and a longitudinally extending stem section with both sections having a generally uniform wall thickness. The stem section has a flat center wall with a plurality of longitudinally extending and generally parallel spaced flexible fins which project from opposite sides of the center wall towards the cover section, and the width of the fins gradually decreases towards the distal end of the stem section. Each of the fins has a plurality of parallel spaced gripping ribs on the surface facing away from the cover section for gripping the opposing edge surfaces of the concrete panels. The cover section is slightly crowned or angular or curved inwardly and has opposite tapering edge portions which engage the adjacent interior side surfaces of the concrete panels. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a short length of a joint cover and sealing device constructed in accordance with the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a full size end view of the cover device shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a reduced end view of the cover device and shown installed within a gap between two adjacent concrete panels; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a typical flexible fin on the cover device shown in FIGS. 1-3; 
     FIGS. 5 &amp; 6 are views similar to FIGS. 1 &amp; 3 of a cover device constructed in accordance with a modification of the invention for an outside corner; 
     FIGS. 7 &amp; 8 are views similar to FIGS. 1 &amp; 3 of a joint cover device constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the invention for an inside corner; and 
     FIGS. 9 &amp; 10 are views similar to FIGS. 7 &amp; 8 of a joint cover device constructed in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, also for use with an inside corner joint. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A joint cover and sealing device  15  is shown in FIGS. 1-3 for covering a gap  17  defined between generally parallel surfaces  18  of two concrete wall panels  20  each having an interior surface  22 . The actual size of one cover device  15  is shown in FIG.  2  and includes a one-piece body of extruded semi-rigid plastics material such as polyvinylchloride (PVC). The device  15  includes a generally flat cover section  26  having an intermediate portion  28  integrally connecting opposite tapered edge portions  31 . The intermediate portion has a slight crown configuration with a radius of about 10.5 inches, and each of the edge portions  31  forms an obtuse angle of about 150° with the intermediate portion  28 .  50  includes a cover section  62  formed by a generally flat center portion  64 , opposite edge portions  66  and right angular wall portions  68  integrally connecting the center portion  64  to the edge portions  66 . The angular wall portions  68  extend generally parallel to the corresponding concrete panel surfaces  59 , and the edge portions  66  taper inwardly from the wall portions  68  on an angle of about 30° to engage the outer surfaces  59 . The cover device  50  also includes a stem portion  34  which is extruded as an integral part of the cover device and is constructed the same as the stem portion  34  described above in connection with FIGS. 1-3 and accordingly, carries the same reference numbers. 
     Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a joint cover and ceiling device  70  is constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the invention for covering and sealing a joint or gap  72  defined between parallel end surfaces  74  of two concrete wall panels  76  and  78  having corresponding interior surfaces  79  forming an inside vertical corner between the concrete panels. The cover device  70  is extruded with a cover section  82  including an intermediate portion with a uniformly curved center portion  84  and tapered opposite edge portions  86  connected to the center portion  84  by flat wall portions  88  extending generally parallel to the panel surfaces  79 . The cover device  70  also includes a stem section  34  which is extruded integrally with the cover section  82  and is identified with the same reference numbers used above for the stem section  34 . As shown in FIG. 8, the center of wall  35  of the stem section  34  extends within a plane P which passes through the center of curvature  91  for the curved center wall portion  84 . 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate another form or modification of a joint cover device  100  constructed in accordance with the invention for covering and sealing a joint gap  102  defined between an end surface  104  of a concrete panel  105  and a side surface  106  of a concrete panel  108 . In a typical building structure, the panel  108  might be an outside concrete wall panel, and the panel  105  might be an inside wall panel or a floor panel. The panels  102  and  105  define an inside corner joint having the gap  102  which is covered by an integrally extruded cover section  110 . The section  110  has a uniformly curved center wall portion  112  with a center of curvature  113 . Opposite tapered edge portions  116  are integrally connected to the center wall portion  112  by corresponding flat wall portions  118  extending generally parallel to the adjacent surfaces of the concrete panels  105  and  108 . 
     As apparent from FIG. 10, the cover device  100  also includes a stem section  34  extruded integrally with the cover section  110  and having the same construction as the stem section  34  described above. As also apparent from FIG. 10, the center wall  35  of the stem section  34  extends within the plane P which is generally parallel to the flat wall portion  118  of the cover section  110  and the concrete panel surface  106 . The plane P forms an acute angle of about  60  with a plane P′ defined by the center of curvature  113  and the intersection of the wall portions  35  and  112 . 
     From the drawings and above description, it is apparent that a joint cover device constructed in accordance with the present invention, provides desirable features and advantages. For example, the cover device is ideally suited for use with joints between precast concrete panels and which frequently define gaps with substantial variation in width. The device requires no special preparation of the opposing concrete surfaces defining the gap and positively grips the surfaces to assure that the device remains in place, especially over a period of years with thermal expansion and contraction of the concrete panels. The device of the invention also effectively seals against the flow of air through the joint or gap and may be conveniently extruded in different shapes for covering inside and outside corner joints as well as joints between in-line concrete panels. 
     In addition, the cover device of the invention is self-centering within the gap, may be easily cut to length during installation, is easily and quickly installed, and may be extruded in a variety of colors according to the color of the inside surfaces of the concrete panels. The arrangement and position of the fins  36 - 39  on each stem section  34  and the sharp ribs  43  provide for positively gripping the concrete surfaces defining a variety of gap profiles, and the flexibility of the stem wall  35  and the fins  36 - 39  provides for using the device in covering gaps which are not perfectly linear and/or change in width along the length of the joint. 
     While the forms of joint covering device herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of device, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.