Protective strip assembly
AssigneeMcCue Corporation
InventorsDavid S. McCue, Roland M. Gebhardt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a protective strip assembly for use in protecting walls, cabinets, display stands, and the like from impact by shopping carts and the like in retail outlets. The assembly comprises an elongate base member and an overfitting protective trim member held together by opposed interlocking ridges and notches. The overfitting protective trim member absorbs shock as opposed leg members resiliently spread transversely to the axis of the strip assembly at interfitting sliding surfaces. Optional inwardly deformable latching elements may be included in the base member to permit the trim member to be fitted during installation directly adjacent an abutting wall or other obstruction.
Claims8
A protective strip assembly comprising in combination
- a) an elongate base member having a longitudinal axis and comprising
- i) a mounting element defining a mounting surface and an opposing pair of acutely, inwardly angled first latch walls transverse to and extending along said axis;
- ii) means for attaching said mounting element to a wall;
- iii) an opposing pair of outwardly angled second latch walls extending along said axis;
- and
- iv) an opposing pair of latch elements, extending along said axis, connecting each said first and second latch walls, and defining an opposing pair of latch notches therebetween;
- v) an opposed pair of acutely inwardly angled latch flanges mounted on said opposing pair of latch elements and wherein said latch elements and latch flanges are resiliently deformable transverse to said axis;
- wherein said base member further defines a pair of elongate opposed clefts each of which define a portion of an inner wall of said latch elements;
- and
- b) a protective trim member in interlocking engagement with said base member comprising
- i) an elongate top portion extending along said axis, connected to a pair of opposed leg members, each of which is resiliently spreadable transverse to said axis and define opposed inner and outer leg walls;
- ii) each of said leg member terminating in a first sliding surface extending upwardly and inwardly from said outer leg wall for sliding contact transverse to said axis with said first latch wall;
- and
- iii) a pair of elongate, opposed, inwardly disposed latch ridges interfitted with each said latch notch;
- whereby application of force to said top portion of said trim member in a direction transverse to said axis causes said first sliding surface of each leg member of said trim member to downwardly slidably contact each said latch flange thereby to absorb said force;
- and
- wherein said latch elements deform inwardly transverse to said axis to interfit each of said latch ridges with each of said latch notches upon application of force to said protective trim member during assembly of said strip assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.