Manufacture and method for forming structures and the structures resulting therefrom

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9441657-B2
Application number	US-201614992381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2016
Priority date	Sep 20, 2013
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A clip for assembling corners of hollow members such as the rails and stiles of an extruded aluminum door. The clip has a double L shape. A portion of the clip inserts into the hollow of a first member and is attached thereto. Another U-shaped portion defining the bottom of the double L extends into the other hollow member for attachment thereto to form a sturdy joint without welding. The first member may have a slot that receives the clip and the clip may be shaped to conform to the internal surfaces of one or both members. Clips may be used at each corner.

First claim

We claim:

1. A structure, comprising:
a first member having an open end and an interior hollow, the open end communicating with the interior hollow thereof, a first wall, a second wall and a third wall conjoining with the first wall on opposite sides thereof defining an interior shape of the first member proximate the first wall;
a second member having an interior hollow and an open end, the open end communicating with the interior hollow thereof;
a clip attaching the first member to the second member, the clip having a first leg and a second leg, conjoined at a first angle forming a first conjunction, a third leg attached to the second leg at an end thereof distal to the first leg forming a second conjunction, the third leg extending along the second leg proximate and substantially parallel to a surface thereof in a direction from the second conjunction toward the first leg and a fourth leg extending from a third conjunction with the third leg distal to the second conjunction, the fourth leg extending parallel to the first leg along a portion of the length of the first leg with a spacing between the fourth leg and the first leg accommodating the first wall of the first member therebetween, the first leg inserted into the hollow in the first member and positioned against the first wall of the first member, the first leg of the clip abutting against an interior surface of the first wall of the first member within the hollow, mating with the interior shape of the first member proximate the first wall, and being fastened to the first member, the fourth leg positioned proximate an exterior surface of the first wall and being fastened to the first wall of the first member exterior to the hollow of the first member, the second leg extending outside the interior hollow of the first member past a terminal end of the first wall proximate the open end of the first member, inserting into the open end of the second member and being fastened to the second member.

2. The structure of claim 1 , further comprising a fifth leg attached to the fourth leg at an end thereof distal to the third leg forming a fourth conjunction, the fifth leg extending distal to the first leg and substantially parallel to the direction of extension of the third leg, the third leg, fourth leg and fifth leg forming a U-shape, the second leg, third leg and fifth leg extending into the open end of the second member.

3. The structure of claim 2 , wherein the first, second, third, fourth and fifth legs are each formed from a continuous metal strip.

4. The structure of claim 3 , wherein the second member has first and second substantially parallel walls bridged by a connecting wall, the first wall of the second member fastened to the second leg of the clip and the second wall of the second member fastened to the fifth leg.

5. The structure of claim 4 , wherein the first leg and the fourth leg of the clip have fastener apertures therein that align with an aperture in the first wall of the first member, wherein the second and third legs have apertures that align with an aperture in the first wall of the second member, and wherein the fifth leg has an aperture therein which aligns with an aperture in the second wall of the second member and further comprising a plurality of fasteners extending through the aligned apertures of the clip and the first and second members securing the clip to the first member and the second member.

6. The structure of claim 5 , wherein the fasteners are blind rivets.

7. The structure of claim 2 , further comprising a pair of support wings extending from opposite sides of the first leg, the support wings mating with the interior shape of the first member.

8. The structure of claim 7 , wherein each of the support wings include a connector portion that extends at an angle from the first leg and a lip that extends at an angle from the connector portion.

9. The structure of claim 8 , wherein the connector portion extends at about 90° from the first leg and the lip extends at about 90° from the connector portion.

10. The structure of claim 2 , wherein the first wall of the first member has a slot accommodating the clip at a position spaced above an end of the first member.

11. The structure of claim 10 , wherein the first wall of the first member has a shallow U-shaped cross-sectional shape having a bottom portion and a pair of short end portions and wherein opposing outer edges of the first conjunction are relieved and the widths of the first leg and the first conjunction approximate the width of the bottom portion of the shallow U-shape allowing the first leg to be accommodated between the end portions of the shallow U-shape.

12. The structure of claim 11 , wherein the second member has first and second substantially parallel walls bridged by a connecting wall, the first wall of the second member fastened to the second leg of the clip and the second wall of the second member fastened to the fifth leg and wherein the second wall of the second member has a shallow U-shaped cross-sectional shape having a bottom portion and a pair of short end portions and wherein opposing outer edges of the fourth conjunction are relieved and the width of the fifth leg and the fourth conjunction approximate the width of the bottom portion of the shallow U-shape of the second wall of the second member, allowing the fifth leg to be accommodated between the end portions of the shallow U-shape.

13. The structure of claim 12 , wherein the second member has a fourth wall parallel to and spaced from the connecting wall and bridging between the first wall and the second wall of the second member to define a tubular structure, the second leg and third leg of the clip being fastened to the first wall of the second member, the width of the second leg and the third leg approximating the distance between the fourth wall and the connecting wall of the second member.

14. The structure of claim 1 , wherein
the first wall of the first member has a shallow U-shaped cross-sectional shape having a bottom portion of the U-shape and a pair of short end portions of the U-shape
and the widths of the first leg and the first conjunction approximate the width of the bottom portion of the U-shape allowing the first leg to be accommodated between the end portions of the U-shape, a pair of support wings extending from opposite sides of the first leg, the support wings mating with the interior shape of the first member and overlapping the short end portions of the U-shape.

15. The structure of claim 14 , wherein each of the support wings include a connector portion that extends at an angle from the first leg and a lip that extends at an angle from the connector portion.

16. The structure of claim 15 , wherein the clip has a plurality of fastener apertures formed therein and the first member and the second member each have at least one fastener aperture therein, the plurality of fastener apertures of the clip and the apertures in the first member and the second member being aligned in an assembly orientation, and further including a plurality of fasteners inserted through the aligned fastener apertures of the clip and the first and second members to fasten the first and second members to the clip.

17. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the first and second members are tubular extrusions of aluminum alloy.

18. The structure of claim 17 , wherein the structure is a portion of a door.

19. A structure, comprising:
a first tubular member having an interior hollow and an open end communicating with the interior hollow, a first wall

Assignees

• Alcoa Inc

Inventors

• Hooper William J
• Barbulescu Ion-Horatiu
• Ling William

Classifications

• Y10T403/42

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F16B7/18

  using screw-thread elements {(F16B7/025 takes precedence; for turnbuckles F16B7/06)} · CPC title

• Y10T24/44

  Clasp, clip, support-clamp, or required component thereof · CPC title

• F16B7/22

  using hooks or like elements · CPC title

• B23P15/00

  Making specific metal objects by operations not covered by a single other subclass or a group in this subclass · CPC title