Railing system and support assembly

Abstract

A railing system includes a railing assembly featuring a hollow tubular railing member, and a mounting assembly for mounting the railing member to a support structure. A pair of channels are formed along the railing wall and extend inwardly into the railing member, forming longitudinal grooves on the exterior of the railing wall. An optional cap rail is mountable over the railing member in a snap-fit connection without the need for tools. Optional decorative strips are also mountable to the railing member in a snap-fit connection. The mounting assembly includes a back plate and a railing mount that extends from the back plate. A trim cover formed of one or more trim pieces is connected around the perimeter of the railing member and over the back plate when the railing member is connected with the railing mount.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An assembly for mounting a hollow railing member to a support structure having a mounting surface, said mounting assembly comprising: 
 A. a back plate configured for attachment to the mounting surface;    B. a railing mount extending from the back plate and configured for connection with the hollow railing member to connect the railing member with the mounting surface;    C. a trim cover adapted for connection around the perimeter of the railing member and over the back plate when the railing member is connected with the railing mount, said trim cover comprising a first trim piece and a second trim piece that connects with the first trim piece over the back plate to substantially conceal the back plate.    
     
     
         2 . The mounting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first trim piece is molded with the back plate to integrally connect the first trim piece with the back plate.  
     
     
         3 . The mounting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first trim piece forms a bore adapted to receive a screw fastener through the first trim piece to secure the mounting assembly to the support structure.  
     
     
         4 . The mounting assembly of  claim 3  comprising a generally cylindrical cap configured for insertion into said bore, said cap having a resiliently flexible side wall and an end wall, said side wall when separated from the bore having a diameter that is slightly larger than the diameter of the bore and a track slot extending through the side wall of the cap, said side wall further being inwardly flexible to permit the cap to be inserted into the bore to enclose the fastener, said cap being inserted into the bore in a compressed condition in which the side wall is biased outwardly into frictional engagement with the interior wall of the bore.  
     
     
         5 . The mounting assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the first trim piece has an exterior contour, and the end wall of the cap has an exterior face that conforms to the exterior contour of the first trim piece surrounding the bore.  
     
     
         6 . The mounting assembly of  claim 4 , wherein said bore comprises an interior wall and an aperture extending through the interior wall, said cap comprising a resilient flexible spring tab having a tapered face that slidably engages the interior wall of the bore as the cap is inserted into the hole, said spring tab being configured to flex inwardly in a biased condition during insertion into the bore and snap outwardly when the spring tab is aligned with the aperture in the interior wall of the bore.  
     
     
         7 . The mounting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting surface comprises a curved section, and the trim cover comprises a curved rear edge adapted to conform with and fit flush against the curved section on the mounting surface.  
     
     
         8 . The mounting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second trim pieces are generally U-shaped, each trim piece having a pair of connector ends.  
     
     
         9 . The mounting assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the connector ends on the first trim piece comprise tabs, and the connector ends on the second trim piece comprise sockets adapted to receive and engage the tabs to connect the trim pieces together.  
     
     
         10 . The mounting assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the tabs comprise a first set of ratchet teeth and the sockets comprise a second set of ratchet teeth that cooperatively engage the first set of ratchet teeth.  
     
     
         11 . The mounting assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the first trim piece and the second trim comprise a one-way adjustable coupling that permits one of said trim pieces to slide over the other of said trim pieces in a direction parallel to the mounting surface.  
     
     
         12 . The mounting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the back plate comprises a recessed central section and a slot extending through the recessed central section, said slot being adapted to receive a screw fastener through the slot to secure the back plate to the support structure, said back plate further comprising a pair of side flanges extending generally vertically along the recessed central section, said side flanges projecting outwardly from the mounting surface and forming a clearance space between the flanges and the mounting surface when the central section is attached to the mounting surface.  
     
     
         13 . The mounting assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second trim pieces each comprise a hollow channel and a channel wall, said hollow channel adapted to slide over one of said side flanges on said back plate, and said channel wall configured to slide into the clearance space between said side flanges and said mounting surface, said trim pieces being slidably displaceable over the side flanges to connect the trim pieces over and substantially conceal the back plate.  
     
     
         14 . The mounting assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second trim pieces form a solid continuous enclosure to conceal the back plate and slot.  
     
     
         15 . The mounting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the railing mount comprises a generally rectangular tubular hub that projects from the back plate, said tubular hub comprising a hub face that extends normally relative to the orientation of the back plate.  
     
     
         16 . The mounting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the railing mount comprises a generally rectangular tubular hub that projects from the back plate, said tubular hub comprising a hub face that extends at an acute angle relative to the orientation of the back plate.  
     
     
         17 . The mounting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the railing mount forms a tubular socket adapted to receive an end of the railing member, said railing member being configured for insertion into said socket, said socket having an inner wall that frictionally engages the exterior of the railing member.  
     
     
         18 . A railing system for mounting to a support structure, comprising: 
 A. a hollow tubular railing member having a railing wall and a hollow conduit extending longitudinally through the railing member;    B. a first side on the railing wall and a second side on the railing wall opposite the first side, said first and second sides each comprising a channel portion extending inwardly into the hollow conduit and forming a longitudinal groove on the exterior of the railing wall;    C. a reinforcing member extending longitudinally through the hollow conduit in the railing member in frictional engagement with an inner surface of the railing wall.    
     
     
         19 . The railing system of  claim 18  comprising a cap rail detachably connected with the railing member.  
     
     
         20 . The railing system of  claim 19 , wherein said cap rail comprises a body portion forming a channel slot adapted to receive said railing member, and a pair of resilient flexible extensions extending longitudinally along said channel slot, each of said extensions comprising a detent that conforms with one of said longitudinal grooves, wherein the distance between the detents of the extensions is less than the minimum width of the railing member.  
     
     
         21 . The railing system of  claim 20 , wherein the extensions are resiliently flexible and displaceable between an outward position, in which the extensions are displaced outwardly and away from the railing wall, and an inward position, in which the extensions are displaced inwardly, said extensions being biased inwardly toward the inward position, said extensions being configured to flex outwardly as the cap rail is pressed onto a top portion of the railing member, said detents on the extensions configured for slidable engagement with the first and second sides of the railing member as the cap rail is pressed onto the railing member, wherein the inward bias on the resilient flexible extensions is operable to snap the detents inwardly as the detents align with the grooves in the railing wall to connect the cap rail onto the railing member in a snap-fit arrangement.  
     
     
         22 . The railing system of  claim 18  comprising a decorative insert configured for placement in one of said grooves in the railing member.  
     
     
         23 . The railing system of  claim 22 , wherein the decorative insert comprises a extruded strip of resilient flexible material.  
     
     
         24 . The railing system of  claim 22 , wherein the decorative insert comprises a decorative trim applique that projects outwardly from the groove.  
     
     
         25 . A railing system for mounting to a support structure having a mounting surface, said railing system comprising: 
 A. a hollow tubular railing member having a railing wall and a hollow conduit extending longitudinally through the railing member;    B. a first side on the railing wall and a second side on the railing wall opposite the first side, said first and second sides comprising channel portions extending inwardly into the hollow conduit and forming longitudinal grooves along said first and second sides;    C. a reinforcing member extending longitudinally through the hollow conduit in the railing member in frictional engagement with an inner surface of the railing wall;    D. a back plate configured for attachment to the mounting surface;    E. a railing mount extending from the back plate and configured for connection with the hollow railing member to connect the railing member with the mounting surface; and    F. a trim cover adapted for connection around the perimeter of the railing member and over the back plate when the railing member is connected with the railing mount, said trim cover comprising a first trim piece and a second trim piece that connects with the first trim piece over the back plate to substantially conceal the back plate.