Patent ID: 7568323

Claim:
A beam assembly for defining a portion of a frame of a screened enclosure, comprising: a first longitudinal half beam section having a first exterior flange, a first interior flange, and first main portion connecting the first exterior flange to the first interior flange; a first interior lip connected to an inside portion of the first exterior flange, and forming a first interior receptacle with the first exterior flange; a first exterior lip connected to an outside portion of the first interior flange, and forming a first exterior receptacle with the first interior flange; a second longitudinal half beam section having a second interior flange, a second exterior flange, and second main portion connecting the second interior flange to the second exterior flange; a second exterior lip connected to an exterior portion of the second interior flange, and forming a second exterior receptacle with the second interior flange; a second interior lip connected to an interior portion of the second exterior flange, and forming a second interior receptacle with the second exterior flange; wherein a free end edge of the first exterior flange of the first longitudinal half beam is received in and restrained by the second exterior receptacle of the second longitudinal half beam while a free end edge of the first interior flange of the first longitudinal half beam is inserted into the second interior receptacle of the second longitudinal half beam, and wherein a free end edge of the second interior flange of the second longitudinal half beam is received in and restrained by the first interior receptacle of the first longitudinal half beam section while a free end edge of the second exterior flange of the second longitudinal half beam section is inserted into the first exterior receptacle of the first longitudinal half beam section, wherein said first exterior flange and said second exterior flange each define a step surface for engaging said respective exterior lip, and wherein each said step surface is defined by a rib, the rib projects outwardly from the respective flange so as to have first and second lateral sides, one of which defines said step surface, and an outer surface substantially coplanar with an outer surface of the respective exterior lip, and the rib has a width between said first and second lateral sides that is substantially less than a corresponding dimension of said respective exterior flange.