Vinyl control joint

Abstract

A Vinyl Control Joint assembly for concrete structures having an outer surface includes an elongated and rigid fin or plate place in the middle of the device for extending two inches into either or both sides of newly formed concrete at a pre determined location from the surface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Ser. No. 60/504462

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates, in general, to a device and method for inducing controlled cracks in concrete to avoid random cracking on the interior and exterior surface of concrete structures.

As concrete shrinks during the curing period, stress in the concrete is relieved by cracking. In most structural concrete, cracking is expected and is not a problem unless the surface is subject to water intrusion, is exposed to view, or both. Then, the issue of cracking becomes an issue.

An important characteristic of exposed concrete is that it has pleasing visual surfaces. When a surface is marred by unsightly cracking, or cracking which is leaching white salts, it becomes displeasing and ugly.

Cracking can be reduced through attention to the design of reinforcement, optimum mix, and high quality placement and curing procedures. A wall of the same profile and construction throughout, will crack every in periodic locations.

In addition, cracks may appear due to isolated restraint or weakening of the wall. Restraint due to additional reinforcement, such as in-the-wall column reinforcing or intersecting wall bars, or whether the volume of the wall is reduced by openings or offsets in thickness, may also cause cracks.

There are very specific and positive ways of planning and executing concrete work relating to crack control. since cracking is a natural part of a concrete surface, it is desirable to control it so that the cracks occur in a location where they are acceptable to the appearance and also so that they can be sealed against moisture.

Unfortunately, the method most often used to address cracks in both design and construction is temporary fillers or injected materials. Since cracking is inevitable, it is easy to dismiss the issue and hope that the cracking will not deter from the appearance or allow moisture to enter the structure.

Ignoring cracking in exposed concrete work may suffice for a time. However, cracks will start to show. The inevitable signs of streaking where weather darkens the cracks, where white salts are brought to the surface or by leakage when water penetrates into the interior of a building, soon appear.

Allowing cracking to appear without any control is only effective when the concrete surface is heavily textured and is not exposed to weather. In this case, the texture is such a dominant feature that the cracks do not detract from the appearance and, of course, there is no water to affect the surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Cracking can be controlled by creating a vertical weakened section in the wall within every 20 feet. This allows the shrinkage stresses to be received at the weakened joints, inducing a crack and controlling where the crack occurs.

Construction joints are crack control joints. However, to require them at such short intervals is not practical for effective construction except in very limited circumstances. The most effective methods of inducing cracks are by creating week areas in the concrete wall. By placing the vinyl control joint device between two concrete forms, from the top to bottom, a week area is created. The vinyl control joint protrudes two inches into the concrete from both sides reducing the wall integrity by twenty percent. This controlled weakness will allow the wall to crack, if necessary, in a previously determined location. The device creates a weakened vertical strip inside the concrete acting to reduce the thickness similar to the use of reveals.

In addition to using reveals or vinyl control joint, cracking can further be insured, if the structural integrity allows, by interrupting up to 50% of the temperature reinforcing steel.

Crack control materials such as wood, neoprene or nylon reveals are readily available from local supply houses. The vinyl control joint of the invention are cut to fit on a job-custom bases for specific use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of inducing cracks in the volume of concrete at a location spaced away from the outer surface of the concrete, by imbedding in the concrete an elongated vinyl control joint in the concrete at a location spaced inwardly from the outer surface of the concrete.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a vinyl control joint assembly and method which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture while being effective to control the cracking in concrete structures.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and. scope of the present invention.

Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new Vinyl Control Joint device apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the closures mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a Vinyl Control Joint device which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art tool guides, either alone or in any combination thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new Vinyl Control Joint device which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new Vinyl Control Joint device which is of a durable and reliable construction.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new Vinyl Control Joint device which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such Vinyl Control Joint devices economically available to the buying public.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new Vinyl Control Joint device which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.

These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1. A Vinyl Control Joint device to be placed in newly poured concrete walls and structures creating a weak spot in the wall in order for a controlled crack to appear if and when any expansion/contraction and structural movements during and after concrete curing of the wall.

2. A Vinyl Control Joint device according to claim 1 wherein the device embodies an elongated barb at the end of the interior fin to hold it position within the concrete.

3. A Vinyl Control Joint device according to claim 1 wherein the device interior fin extends two inches into the concrete from the surface.

4. A Vinyl Control Joint device according to claim 1 wherein the device embodies a center exterior fin to be attached to the concrete forms or to be used as an attachment point for removal.

5. A Vinyl Control Joint device according to claim 1 wherein the device is manufactured of vinyl or plastic.

6. A Vinyl Control Joint device according to claim 1 wherein the device is cut to length at the point of use.

7. A Vinyl Control Joint device according to claim 1 wherein the device is placed inside of concrete forms prior to the pouring of the concrete.

8. A Vinyl Control Joint device according to claim 1 wherein the device is installed in newly poured concrete walls from the top of the wall to the bottom.

9. A Vinyl Control Joint device according to claim 1 wherein the device does not extend beyond two inches into the concrete wall.