# US 2019/0169854 A1 · Decorative balusters

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- Number: US 2019/0169854 A1
- Document ID: US20190169854A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/875,811
- Filed: 2018-01-19
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01
- Assignees: 1461043 Ontario Limited
- Applicants: 1461043 Ontario Limited
- Inventors: CARLOS PACHECO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190169854A1

## CPC

- E04F 11/1842: {Balusters; Grille-type elements}
- F21V 33/006: {General building constructions or finishing work for buildings, e.g. roofs, gutters, stairs or floors; Garden equipment; Sunshades or parasols}
- G02B 6/0075: {Arrangements of multiple light guides (G02B6/0028 takes precedence)}
- G02B 6/0081: {Mechanical or electrical aspects of the light guide and light source in the lighting device peculiar to the adaptation to planar light guides, e.g. concerning packaging}
- G02B 6/0088: {of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package}
- E04F 2011/1872: {illuminated}
- E04F 2011/1897: {mainly of organic plastics with or without reinforcements or filling materials}
- E04F: FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS (windows, doors E06B)
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

A longitudinally elongated resilient plastic wrapping for wrapping around a railing baluster, has a tubular shape, a longitudinally extending end-to-end slit, and a decorative surface pattern. In a balustrade, a wrapping may be provided around each of the balusters. To install a wrapping, it is opened along its longitudinal slit so that the wrapping can receive a baluster, it is placed over the baluster and worked the wrapping so that it snugly receives said baluster.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A longitudinally elongated resilient plastic wrapping for wrapping around a railing baluster, said wrapping having a tubular shape, a longitudinally extending end-to-end slit, and a decorative surface pattern.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The wrapping of claim 1 wherein said wrapping curls in on itself such that longitudinal edges of said wrapping along said longitudinal slit overlap.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The wrapping of claim 2 wherein said wrapping is a round tube.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The wrapping of claim 2 wherein said wrapping is a square tube.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The wrapping of claim 4 wherein said longitudinal slit bisects a planar face of said square tube.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The wrapping of claim 2 wherein said wrapping comprises a side emitting light guide.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The wrapping of claim 6 wherein said side emitting light guide comprises a resilient plastic substrate supporting a thin film light guide.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The wrapping of claim 6 further comprising a light engine coupled to said light guide.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The wrapping of claim 8 further comprising a collar for surrounding said wrapping at a lower end of said wrapping, said light engine contained within said collar.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The wrapping of claim 9 wherein said collar is a two-piece collar, with one piece of said collar joined to another piece of said collar to complete said collar.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The wrapping of claim 8 wherein said thin film light guide covers a portion of said resilient plastic substrate and leaves another portion of said resilient plastic substrate free of said thin film light guide so as to provide a pattern on said resilient plastic substrate.

### Claim 12

A balustrade comprising:
a plurality of balusters;
a plurality of longitudinally elongated wrappings, each wrapping having a longitudinally extending end-to-end slit and a decorative surface pattern, each wrapping wrapped around one of said balusters.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The balustrade of claim 12 wherein the decorative surface pattern of a given wrapping is different from the decorative surface pattern of an adjacent wrapping.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The balustrade of claim 12 wherein the decorative surface patterns of a given plurality of adjacent wrappings differ from one another so as to create a composite image.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The balustrade of claim 12 wherein each wrapping is a resilient plastic tube.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The balustrade of claim 12 wherein each wrapping is a heat shrunk plastic wrap.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The balustrade of claim 12 wherein longitudinal slits of each of the wrappings are aligned with each other and with a centre line of the balusters.

### Claim 18

A method of finishing a balustrade comprising, for each of a plurality of balusters:
opening a tubular wrapping of a plurality of tubular wrappings along a longitudinal slit of said wrapping so that the wrapping can receive a baluster of said plurality of balusters;
placing the wrapping over said baluster;
working the wrapping so that the wrapping snugly receives said baluster.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18 wherein said wrapping is a resilient plastic wrapping such that said opening said wrapping comprises overcoming a recovery force imparted by the resilient plastic wrapping and wherein said working the wrapping comprises releasing the wrapping after placing the wrapping over said baluster so that said wrapping recovers to snugly receive said baluster.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18 wherein said wrapping is a heat shrinkable plastic wrapping and wherein said working comprises applying heat to said wrapping until said wrapping snugly receives said baluster.

### Claim 21 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17 wherein each of said plurality of wrappings has a different decorative surface pattern.