Patent Publication Number: US-2018044924-A1

Title: Decking System

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The disclosure and prior art relates to decking systems and more particularly pertains to a new decking system for facilitating runoff by creation of lengthwise conduits in overlapping planks when assembled to promote runoff. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a plurality of decking planks each having a main section elongated between a first end and a second end. A top connection flange has a proximal section coplanar with a top surface of the plank and a distal section extending perpendicularly from the proximal section defining a downwardly facing channel. A bottom connection flange has a first portion coplanar with the bottom surface of the plank and a second portion extending perpendicularly from the first portion defining an upwardly facing channel. A length of the proximal section is greater than a thickness of the second portion to define a conduit therebetween when a pair of the planks are adjacently positioned with the top connection flange overlapping the bottom connection flange. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top front side perspective view of a decking system according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is an end view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a top front side perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded top front side perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded bottom rear side perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 7  thereof, a new decking system embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 7 , the decking system  10  generally comprises a plurality of planks  12 . A top surface  14  of each plank  12  is textured. The texture may be designed to resemble various forms of wood or another decorative design if so desired. Each plank  12  comprises a main section  16  having a first end  18  and a second end  20 . The main section  16  is elongated between the first end  18  and the second end  20 . The main section  16  of each of the planks  12  is solid between the top surface  14  and a bottom surface  22  of the plank  12 . A top connection flange  24  has a proximal section  26  coplanar with the top surface  14  of the plank  12  and a distal section  28  extending perpendicularly from the proximal section  26  towards the bottom surface  22  of the plank  12 . The distal section  28  of the top connection flange  24  of each plank  12  defines a downwardly facing channel  30 . An outer surface  32  of a junction  34  between the proximal section  26  and the distal section  28  of the top connection flange  24  of each plank  12  is rounded. For each plank  12 , a cross-sectional shape of the top connection flange  24  perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the plank  12  is L-shaped. 
     A bottom connection flange  36  has a first portion  38  coplanar with the bottom surface  22  of the plank  12  and a second portion  40  extending perpendicularly from the first portion  38  toward the top surface  14  of the plank  12 . The second portion  40  of the bottom connection flange  36  of each plank  12  defines an upwardly facing channel  42 . A cross-sectional shape of the bottom connection flange  36  perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the plank  12  is L-shaped such that the bottom connection flange  36  is essentially a mirror image of the top connection flange  24  except that there may be no rounding at a junction between the first portion  38  and the second portion  40 . 
     A length of the proximal section  26  of the top connection flange  24  is greater than a thickness of the second portion  40  of the bottom connection flange  36  wherein the top connection flange  24  and the bottom connection flange  36  define a conduit  44  therebetween when a pair of the planks  12  are adjacently positioned with the top connection flange  24  overlapping the bottom connection flange  36 . 
     Each of a plurality of guide holes  46  extends into the bottom surface  22  of each plank  12 . The guide holes  46  are configured to facilitate securement of each of the planks  12  by fasteners, such as screws or the like, inserted into the bottom surface  22  of the plank  12 . The guide holes  46  are linearly aligned and spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the plank  12 . The guide holes  46  are positioned closer to the top connection flange  24  than the bottom connection flange  36 . 
     In use, the planks  12  are installed overlapping the top connection flange  24  over the bottom connection flange  36  to form the conduits  44 . Securement of the planks  12  from the bottom surface  22  allows the top connection flange  24  to clamp down on the bottom connection flange  36 . Water, or other fluids, can enter the conduits  44  and drain away from the top surface  14  of the planks  12 . The top connection flange  24  and bottom connection flange  36  along lateral sides of a completed deck may be trimmed away. An edge of the completed deck extending along aligned ends of the planks  12  may be left open to prevent obstruction of the conduits  44 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.