Decorative moulding assembly and method of manufacturing and assembling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12305407-B2
Application number	US-202217584784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2022
Priority date	Jan 26, 2022
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A decorative moulding assembly for a wall or ceiling in an interior space. The decorative moulding assembly may include a first moulding piece and a second moulding piece each having an ornamental front surface, a rear surface, and a channel in the rear surface and a connector for connecting the first and second moulding pieces together. The connector may include a first portion that nests within the channel of the first moulding piece and a second portion that nests within the channel of the second moulding piece. The first portion of the connector may include a U-shaped body having first and second legs that deflect inwardly towards one another as the first portion of the connector is being inserted into the first channel of the first moulding piece.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A decorative moulding assembly comprising:
a first moulding piece comprising a first end, a second end, a front surface, and a rear surface, a first channel formed into the rear surface and extending from the first end to the second end, the first channel comprising:
a U-shaped cross-sectional area;
a first axis;
an inner surface that defines the first channel, the inner surface comprising a first portion on a first side of the first axis and a second portion on a second side of the first axis; and
a first locking groove formed into the first portion of the inner surface and a second locking groove formed into the second portion of the inner surface, wherein a U-shaped portion of the inner surface that extends between the first and second locking grooves is smooth and free of grooves and protuberances;

a second moulding piece comprising a first end, a second end, a front surface, and a rear surface, a second channel formed into the rear surface and extending from the first end to the second end, the second channel having a U-shaped cross-sectional area; and
a connector comprising a first elongated portion and a second elongated portion that intersect in an L-shape, each of the first and second-elongated portion comprising a U-shaped body, wherein the first elongated portion of the connector nests within the first channel of the first moulding piece to couple the connector to the first and second moulding pieces and thereby couple the first and second moulding pieces together and the second elongated portion of the connector nests within the second channel of the second moulding piece.

2. The decorative moulding assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second moulding pieces are extruded and wherein the connector is injection molded.

3. The decorative moulding assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second ends of each of the first and second moulding pieces are mitered.

4. The decorative moulding assembly according to claim 1 further comprising:
the first axis extending in a direction between the front surface and the rear surface of the first moulding piece,
wherein the first elongated portion of the connector is symmetric about a third axis, the first elongated portion of the connector comprising a first leg having an inner surface and an outer surface and a second leg having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surfaces of the first and second legs being spaced apart from one another by a third channel, and further comprising a first locking protuberance extending from the outer surface of the first leg and a second locking protuberance extending from the outer surface of the second leg; and
wherein the first elongated portion of the connector is snap-fit connected to the first moulding piece such that the first and second locking protuberances of the first elongated portion nest within the first and second locking grooves of the first moulding piece, respectively.

5. The decorative moulding assembly according to claim 4 wherein the first and second legs of the first elongated portion of the connector flex inwardly into the third channel as the first elongated portion of the connector is snap-fit connected to the first moulding piece, the first and second legs of the first elongated portion of the connector biasing back to their natural position upon the first elongated portion of the connector being fully nested within the first channel of the first moulding piece.

6. The decorative moulding assembly according to claim 4 wherein the first leg of the first elongated portion of the connector comprises a distal-most portion that extends outwardly away from the third axis so that a first nesting groove exists between the distal-most portion of the first leg and the first locking protuberance, wherein the second leg of the first elongated portion of the connector comprises a distal-most portion that extends outwardly away from the third axis so that a second nesting groove exists between the distal-most portion of the second leg and the second locking protuberance, wherein the first moulding piece comprises a first tab located on the first portion of the inner surface of the first channel between the first locking groove and the rear surface of the first moulding piece and a second tab located on the second portion of the inner surface of the first channel between the second locking groove and the rear surface of the first moulding piece, the first and second tabs nesting within the first and second nesting grooves of the first and second legs of the first elongated portion of the connector, respectively.

7. The decorative moulding assembly according to claim 1 wherein each of the first and second elongated portions of the connector comprises a first leg and a second leg that are spaced apart from one another, and wherein the first and second legs of the first and second elongated portions of the connector flex inwardly towards one another as the connector is being snap-fit connected to the first and second moulding pieces and bias back to their natural position after being fully inserted into the first and second channels, respectively.

8. A decorative moulding assembly comprising:
a first moulding piece comprising a front surface and a rear surface, a first channel formed into the rear surface, the first channel having a closed top end, an open bottom end, and a first engagement feature;
a second moulding piece comprising a front surface and a rear surface, a second channel formed into the rear surface, the second channel having a closed top end, an open bottom end, and a second engagement feature; and
a connector comprising a first elongated portion and a second elongated portion that intersect in an L-shape, the first elongated portion having a U-shaped body comprising first and second legs that are spaced apart from one another by a third channel having a closed top end and an open bottom end and the second elongated portion having a U-shaped body comprising first and second legs that are spaced apart from one another by a fourth channel having a closed top end and an open bottom end, the first elongated portion comprising a third engagement feature and the fourth elongated portion comprising a fourth engagement feature;
wherein the first elongated portion of the connector is snap-fit connected to the first moulding piece by inserting the first elongated portion into the first channel so that the closed top end of the third channel of the first elongated portion of the connector is adjacent to the closed top end of the first channel of the first moulding piece and the open bottom end of the third channel of the first elongated portion of the connector is adjacent to the open bottom end of the first channel of the first moulding piece and the third engagement feature of the first elongated portion of the connector mates with the first engagement feature of the first channel of the first moulding piece; and
wherein the second elongated portion of the connector is snap-fit connected to the second moulding piece by inserting the second elongated portion into the second channel so that the closed top end of the fourth channel of the second elongated portion of the connector is adjacent to the closed top end of the second channel of the second moulding piece and the open bottom end of the fourth channel of the second elongated portion of the connector is adjacent to the open bottom end of the second channel of the second moulding piece and the fourth engagement feature of the second elongated portion of the connector mates with the second engagement feature of the second channel of the second moulding piece; and
wherein an entirety of the connector is configured to be located within the first and

Assignees

• Mcs Industries Inc

Inventors

• Kressin Matthew Scott
• Fragoso Martin Zamorano
• Coyle Jr Robert Terry

Classifications

• E04B1/5825

  with a closed cross-section · CPC title

• E04B2001/5856

  using the innerside thereof · CPC title

• E04F19/02 Primary

  Borders; Finishing strips, e.g. beadings; Light coves (for protecting edges of plaster E04F13/06) · CPC title