Cement masonry unit cover

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/608,531, filed Sep. 10, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to residential construction materials, and particularly to a clip-on plate used as a cement masonry unit cover for cement block walls in order to prevent the passage of small animals therethrough, yet still allowing for proper drainage.

2. Description of the Related Art

Hollow core cement masonry units (CMUs), such as concrete blocks, cinder blocks and the like are frequently used in many building and construction applications. Typically, a wall or foundation that is constructed using CMUs is built with the hollow cores oriented vertically, with the solid faces of the CMU facing outwardly to form a solid wall. The hollow cores are then often filled with insulation or grout. In certain situations, a cinder block wall is constructed such that the hollow cores of the CMU face outward for the purpose of drainage, to provide an open port, or for aesthetic reasons.

When a cinder block wall has an opening formed therethrough for drainage, there can sometimes be undesirable consequences, such as snakes or other animals penetrating the wall. It is thus necessary to provide a covering for the open cores of cement blocks which will allow for the drainage of water and other fluids, while preventing the passage therethrough of animals, which can cause a great deal of destruction to both the wall and the building. It is further necessary to provide a cover which cannot be easily removed and which may be shaped or decorated dependent upon the aesthetic needs and desires of the builder.

Thus, a cement masonry unit cover solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cement masonry unit cover is a substantially flat plate of rigid material which covers the open cores of cement masonry blocks. The rigid material used in the cement masonry unit cover may be metal, plastic or any other suitable material, dependent upon the needs and desires of the user. The cement masonry unit cover is attached to the block through use of a friction clip extending from the back of the plate, or through any other suitable means, such as fasteners or adhesives. The cement masonry unit cover may be perforated to allow for the passage of drain water while preventing the passage of animals and contaminants through the cement masonry unit cover. Alternatively, the cement masonry unit cover may be formed as a solid plate, without perforation, and may be covered with user-selectable indicia.

These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a cement masonry unit cover according to the present invention shown attached to a single block.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cinder block wall having one cement masonry unit cover of the present invention attached thereto.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cement masonry unit of the prior art.

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a perforated cement masonry unit cover according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of an imperforated cement masonry unit cover according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of a cement masonry unit cover for a concrete block having a single hollow core.

FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of a cement masonry unit cover according to the present invention, showing the position of retaining clips.

FIG. 8 is a top view of a retaining clip suitable for use with a cement masonry unit cover according to the present invention.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a cement masonry unit cover, referred to herein as the “cover” and designated generally as 10 in the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the cover 10 attached to a hollow core cement masonry unit (“CMU”), designated generally as 12. A CMU 12 is also commonly referred to as a cinder block, concrete block, etc. The various components of, a CMU are shown in FIG. 3. A hollow core CMU includes a front face 14, a rear face 15 (facing downward in FIG. 3, with the block being symmetrical), opposite ends 17, an upper edge 18, an opposed lower edge, a breaker 22, and two hollow cores 24 and 26.

FIG. 2 shows a wall 30 constructed from a plurality of hollow core CMUs 12. The CMUs 12 are typically stacked so that the front face 14 and rear face 15 are directed outward to present a solid surface. The hollow cores 24 and 26 thus form a vertical passage within wall 30 into which grout or insulation is placed during the construction process. In some applications, a CMU 12 is built into the wall where upper edge 18 and the opposed lower edge face outward and the upper and lower faces are oriented upward and downward, respectively, as shown by the blocks 32 and 34 in FIG. 3. By having the cinder blocks positioned in an orientation similar to that of CMUs 32 and 34, the hollow cores 24 and 26 allow passage through a block wall for drainage, light, aesthetic reasons, or any other similar functions, as desired by the user. Block 32 shows a hollow core CMU 12 without a cover, and block 34 shows a CMU with the preferred embodiment of cover 10 of the present invention.

The cover 10 serves the purpose of blocking an opening in a masonry block wall, such as wall 30 of FIG. 2. The cover 10 is a substantially flat plate which covers an opening formed by a core in one of the blocks in a masonry block wall. The cover 10 may have flanges, a skirt, or sidewalls 16 extending normal to the plate to raise or offset the cover 10 away from the cement masonry unit 12, as shown in FIG. 1. Cover 10 may be rectangular, or may have other contouring, depending on the needs and desires of the user. Cover 10 may also have convex or otherwise irregular surfaces.

As shown best in FIG. 4, the cover 10 is perforated by a plurality of drainage holes 40, the number of holes 40 corresponding generally to the dimensions of the corresponding hollow core. Drainage holes 40 allow for the passage of water while preventing the passage of snakes or other animal life.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate embodiment of cover 10, wherein the cover 10 is formed as a solid plate, i.e., lacking the perforations of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4. It is contemplated that ornamental indicia 50 may be placed on the cover 10, as shown in the embodiment presented in FIG. 5.

The embodiments of the cover 10 thus described have been designed to be used with a cement masonry unit 12 having two hollow cores, as shown in FIG. 3. The cover 10 can also be utilized on cement masonry units having one hollow core or on cement masonry units having a multiplicity of hollow cores. A cover designed for use on a cement masonry unit with a single hollow core is shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, the single CMU cover 60 is shown with drain holes 40 formed therethrough, similar to those shown in the embodiment of FIG. 4.

The cover 10 can be attached over the cores 24 and 26 in a masonry wall by various means. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, a friction clip 70 extends from the rear of a cover 10 such that the arms 72, 74 of the friction clip 70 resiliently engage the opposite sides of the breaker 22 of cement masonry unit 12. FIG. 8 shows a top view of friction clip 70, which may be attached to cover 10 in any conventional manner, such as through screws, bolts, welding or the like. Other means of attaching a cover 10 over the cores 24 and 26 in a wall include, but are not limited to, adhesives, fasteners and sizing the cover 10 to frictionally fit in an aperture in a wall made of cement masonry units 12.

A cover, such as cover 10, provides for the passage of drainage water and other fluids which may be harmful to the building under construction. Further, such a cover provides for the passage of light and has desirable aesthetic qualities, while simultaneously blocking passage of animals and contaminants. The cover may be formed of metal, plastic or any other suitable material, dependent upon the needs and desires of the user.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.