Decking Clip and Decking Attachment System

The present application claims the benefit of Australian Provisional Application No. 2024901798 filed on 13 Jun. 2024 and Australian Application No. 2025202868 filed on 23 Apr. 2025, which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to an improved decking clip and decking attachment system for attaching decking boards to decking support members and relates particularly, though not exclusively, to such a decking clip and decking attachment system used for attaching decking boards to joists of an outdoor deck.

Outdoor decks are very popular in Australia as they provide a more comfortable area for seating and hosting groups of people outdoors when the weather permits. Some decks are simply designed to provide a place for the family to eat outdoors, for example, next to a gas or electric BBQ or wood-fired pizza oven. Other decks are designed to provide an area beside an outdoor swimming pool and are used for lounging around the pool and enjoying the sunshine. Traditionally, outdoor decks are made with wooden boards on a wooden foundation, and this type of construction is still popular. However, increasingly outdoor decks are made using boards made from various types of composite materials, which are generally more durable.

For example, ModWood® decking boards are an Australian made and owned wood composite product made from a mixture of ground sustainable wood waste and plastic from recycled milk bottles. ModWood® products are environmentally friendly, as they contain no formaldehyde or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). ModWood® wood composite decking has excellent levels of moisture resistance to keep them from swelling, so they stay strong through damp conditions.

One of the advantages of using composite decking boards is that they can be readily extrusion moulded with either a grooved or squared edge profile. The grooved profile has grooves provided in both side edges of the board which allow for attachment to a deck frame using a concealed fixing system. This provides a more aesthetically pleasing finish as no nails or screws are visible on the top of the board. It has the added benefit that any metal screws or nails used for the concealed fixing system are less exposed to the weather and the potential for rust damage is minimised.

A prior art example of a concealed fixing system for decking boards is the decking clip described in AU 2018201248 by Klevaklip Systems Pty Ltd (hereinafter ‘KlevaKlip®’). The KlevaKlip® decking clip has an elongate plastic body strip provided with a number of openings to receive fasteners for attaching the body strip to a support assembly. A plurality of upstands are provided at spaced intervals over the length of the body strip and extend substantially perpendicularly from the body strip. Each upstand has at least two opposed decking board engagement arms, one arm extending at an acute angle from a first lateral side of each upstand and a second arm extending at an acute angle from a second lateral side of each upstand. Each engagement arm and/or the upstand is resiliently deformable to allow a portion of a decking board to pass and to retain the decking board on the support assembly in a spaced apart, non-overlapping configuration.

There are several disadvantages of the prior art KlevaKlip® decking clip and system. The two opposed decking board engagement arms of the KlevaKlip® decking clip are relatively long, and therefore due to the resiliently deformable nature of the material from which the clips are made, and acute angle at which they extend into the grooves, the arms can flex to a small extent even after installation. This means that the attachment of the boards to the deck support assembly is not as firm as it could be and sometimes permits some small movement of the boards when walked on as the arms are alternatively compressed and relaxed. Another disadvantage of the KlevaKlip® decking clip and system is that longitudinal/sliding movement of the decking boards occurs since the decking boards aren't totally secured to the deck support assembly.

The present invention was developed with a view to providing an improved and more effective decking clip and decking attachment system that is less susceptible to the disadvantages of the prior art. Although the invention will be described with particular reference to a decking clip and decking attachment system used for attaching decking boards to joists for an outdoor deck, it will be understood that the same clip and attachment system may be employed in other similar types of structures with only minor modifications.

References to prior art in this specification are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not to be taken as an admission that such prior art is part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an improved decking clip for attaching a decking board to a decking support member, the decking clip comprising:

a substantially planar base portion adapted to be attached to the decking support member by suitable fastening means, the base portion having a clip member, the clip member having an upright portion extending in a substantially perpendicular direction from an upper surface of the base portion; and, the clip member having a protruding portion proximate it's upper extremity which protrudes from one side of the upright portion wherein, in use, the protruding portion on the clip member is adapted to engage with a side edge of the decking board to retain the decking board on the decking support member.

Preferably the protruding portion of the clip member has a planar surface extending substantially perpendicularly from the upright portion wherein, in use, the planar surface of the protruding portion engages with a planar surface of a groove provided in the side edge of the decking board.

Preferably the upright portion of the clip member is a resiliently movable upright portion extending in a substantially perpendicular direction from an upper surface of the base portion when in the rest position. Advantageously, the base portion is provided with a rounded channel extending along a side of the upright portion where it is joined to the base portion to improve its flexibility during installation of a decking board. Preferably the base portion is also provided with another rounded channel extending along the opposite of the upright portion where it is joined to the base portion.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an improved decking clip for attaching first and second adjacent decking boards to a decking support member, the decking clip comprising:

Preferably the protruding portion of each clip member has a planar surface extending substantially perpendicularly from the upright portion wherein, in use, the respective planar surfaces of the protruding portions on the first and second clip members engage with a planar surface of a respective groove provided in the side edges of the respective first and second decking boards respectively.

Advantageously, the base portion is provided with a rounded channel extending along a respective side of each upright portion where it is joined to the base portion to improve its flexibility during installation of a decking board. Preferably the base portion is also provided with a central rounded channel extending between the respective upright portions of the first and second clip members where they are joined to the base portion.

Preferably the base portion is provided with a second pair of opposing clip members, identical to and adjacent to the first pair of opposing clip members.

According to third aspect of the present invention there is provided an improved decking attachment system for attaching a plurality of decking boards to a decking support member, the decking attachment system comprising:

Advantageously the decking attachment system further comprises:

Preferably each one of the second set of apertures in the elongate spacing strip has a central boss, and each spike plate is provided with a connection aperture provided centrally of the base plate, which is designed to align with the boss.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided an improved spike plate for a decking attachment system for attaching a plurality of decking boards to a decking support member, the spike plate comprising:

In a preferred embodiment four spikes are formed on the base plate.

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Likewise the word “preferably” or variations such as “preferred”, will be understood to imply that a stated integer or group of integers is desirable but not essential to the working of the invention.

A first embodiment of the improved decking clipin accordance with the invention, as illustrated in, is designed for attaching first and second adjacent decking boards,to a decking support member(see). The decking clipcomprises a substantially planar base portionadapted to be attached to the decking support memberby suitable fastening means. The base portionis of substantially rectangular configuration and is provided with first and second fixing aperturesandfor receiving suitable fasteners therethrough.

The base portionis provided with a pair of opposing first and second clip membersand, each clip memberhaving a respective resiliently movable upright portion,extending in a substantially perpendicular direction from an upper surfaceof the base portionwhen in their rest position. In the present embodiment, as can be seen most clearly in, the base portionis provided with a second pair of opposing clip members, identical to and adjacent the first pair of opposing clip membersand

One advantage of having two adjacent pairs of opposing first and second clip memberson each decking clipis that should one of the clip members get damaged or fail, the adjacent clip member will continue to function to retain the decking boardon the decking support member. Another advantage is that the decking boardscan be joined end to end with the join on the centre line of the joist. In that case, one clip memberattaches one board and the second clip memberattaches the new adjoining board. By having a separate clip memberfor each board, variations between the board widths can be catered for and it ensures that each board is held by the clip.

Each clip memberhas a protruding portionproximate it's upper extremity which protrudes from the upright portion. In use, the protruding portionon the first clip memberis adapted to engage with a side edge of the first decking board, and the protruding portionon the second clip memberis adapted to engage with a side edge of the second decking boardto retain the first and second decking boards,on the decking support member.

As can be seen most clearly inthe decking boardsandare provided with a groovein each side edge. Preferably the protruding portionof each clip memberhas a planar surfaceextending substantially perpendicularly from the upright portion. In use, the respective planar surfacesandof the protruding portionsandon the first and second clip membersandrespectively engage with a planar surface,of the respective grooves,provided in the side edges of the respective first and second decking boards,respectively. Each of the protruding portions,is also formed with a respective upwardly facing inclined surface,, as can be seen most clearly in. The inclined surfaces,allow the edges of decking boardsto ride over and move the protruding portions,more easily during installation. A method of installing and attaching the decking boardsto the decking support memberwill be described in more detail below with reference to.

A second embodiment of the improved decking clipin accordance with the invention, as illustrated in, is designed for attaching a decking boardto a decking support member. Typically, the decking clipis used for attaching a decking boardto the end of a decking support memberat the edge of a deck. The decking clipis effectively a half-clip version of the decking clip, and therefore the like parts will be identified using the same reference numerals as in the decking clip. The decking clipalso has a substantially planar base portionadapted to be attached to the decking support memberby suitable fastening means. The base portionis of substantially rectangular configuration and is provided with a fixing aperturefor receiving a suitable fastener therethrough.

The base portionin this embodiment is provided with a single clip member, (instead of a pair of opposing first and second clip members). The clip memberhas an upright portionextending in a substantially perpendicular direction from an upper surfaceof the base portion. The clip memberhas a protruding portionproximate it's upper extremity which protrudes from one side of the upright portion. In use, the protruding portionon the clip memberis adapted to engage with a side edge of the decking boardto retain the decking board on the decking support member. In the present embodiment, as can be seen most clearly in, the base portionis provided with a second clip member, substantially identical to and adjacent to the first clip member.

Because the decking clipis designed to attach a decking boardto a decking support memberat the edge of a deck, the upright portionpreferably remains substantially stationary after installation, in use, acting as a stop for the decking boardat the edge of the deck. For this reason, the upright portionis provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribson the opposite side of the upright portionto that of the protruding portion. As with the first embodiment, the protruding portionof the clip memberhas a planar surfaceextending substantially perpendicularly from the upright portion. In use, the planar surfaceof the protruding portionengages with a planar surfaceof a groove provided in the side edge of the decking boardat the edge of the deck.

The decking clips,are preferably manufactured from a suitable plastics material, for example, UV stabilized polyamide.

Whilst the decking clips can be attached directly to a supporting memberwith suitable fasteners received through the openings, in this embodiment the clips are designed to be connected to a spacing stripprior to fastening to the supporting member. For this purpose, the base portionof the clipis formed with two connector portions,at each end of a main body of the base portion, each connector portionhaving a rectangular aperture provided therein for connection to the spacing strip.

A preferred embodiment of an improved decking attachment systemfor attaching a plurality of decking boardsto a decking support memberwill now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The decking attachment systemcomprises a plurality of decking clips,as described above, and an elongate spacing stripas shown in. The spacing striphas a plurality of apertures,at predefined uniform spacings throughout its length.

A first set of clip aperturesin the spacing stripare adapted to receive one each of the plurality of decking clipsortherein. The clip aperturesare designed to provide a guide or template for positioning and fixing the decking clipsorat the predefined spacings. The clip aperturesin this embodiment are uniformly spaced 143 mm apart, which will ensure a 4.8 to 6.0 mm gap between the decking boardsafter installation (each board in this example has a width of between 137.0 to 138.2 mm). In this embodiment the spacing stripseach have four full-size clip apertures,,and, for receiving the decking clipstherein, and two half-size clip aperturesandfor receiving the decking clipstherein. When two spacing stripsare abutted end to end, as shown in, the two half-size clip apertures together form a full-size clip aperture.

The clip aperturesextend through the whole thickness of the spacing stripto form rectangular cut-outsof a size and shape to receive the main body of the base portionof the decking clips,therein. The spacing stripis of the same thickness (4.0 mm) as the main body of the base portion. On each side of the rectangular cut-outare side recesses formed in the spacing strip with a pair of parallel elongate clip membersprovided therein, which are designed to engage with the rectangular aperture of each connector portionof the decking clip to form a clip-on connection. The side recesses are 2.0 mm deep, and the thickness of the connector portionsis also 2.0 mm. The manner in which a decking clipis inserted and connected to the spacing stripis illustrated in. The base portion of the clipis simply aligned with one of the aperturesand pressed down into the aperture until the clip membersandengage with the rectangular apertures of the connector portionsandrespectively to form the clip-on connection.

Advantageously the decking attachment systemfurther comprises a plurality of spike plates, as illustrated in. Each spike platehas at least one spikeprotruding upwards from a base plateand adapted to penetrate an undersurface of a decking board. In this embodiment the spike platesare manufactured from 0.6 mm thick stamped stainless steel, and four spikes,,andare formed on the base plate. A central connection apertureis also provided centrally of the base plate, which is designed to align with a bossprovided in the spacing strip.

As can be seen inthe elongate spacing striphas a second set of aperturesadapted to receive one each of the plurality of spike platestherein. The aperturesare in the form of five rectangular recesses or pockets,,,andin the top surface of the spacing strip. Centrally of each pocketis a bosson which the central connection apertureof a spike plateis received. The number and spacing of spike plateson a spacing stripwill vary depending on the application. The spike platesare designed to be wedged in the pocketsof the spacing stripvia a tight friction-fit connection. When a decking board is installed, the spike plates are designed to penetrate into the boards to prevent them from sliding longitudinally (perpendicular to the deck joists).

A preferred method of attaching decking boardsto decking support membersusing the decking attachment systemwill now be described with reference to. Advantageously, as shown in, four full-clip decking clipsand one half-clip decking clipare clipped onto a spacing stripfor easier preassembly prior to fastening to a decking support member. The four full-clip decking clipsare clipped into the respective clip apertures,,, and, and a half-clip decking clipis clipped into either one of the half-size aperturesor. If the preassembled spacing stripis to be located between two other spacing strips(rather than at the start of end of the decking support member), then no half-clip decking clipis used. Instead, a full-clip decking clipis used where two spacing strips abut, as shown in.

In this embodiment the decking support members are timber joists. The decking attachment systemcan be used on timber, aluminium and steel joists. The half-clip decking clipsare used at the start or end of the joist. Different fasteners will used for attaching the decking clips to the joists depending on the material of the joists.

In this embodiment five spike platesare also wedged into position in each of the five rectangular recesses or pockets,,,andduring preassembly of the spacing strip, as shown in. The preassembled spacing stripis then placed on the joist, with one end abutting as adjacent strip, as shown in(the preassembled spacing stripis shown in exploded view infor clarity). Two screw fasteners are used to attach the decking clipson the preassembled spacing stripto the joist. In this embodiment(4.2 mm)×25 mm button wafer head or countersunk timber screwsare used.

The installation of the decking boardsstarts from a half-clip decking clipat one end of each the joists, once all the joists have the preassembled spacing stripsfixed in place. It is recommended that each decking boardis first angled into one side of a decking clip, as shown in, so that the planar surfaceof the protruding portionon the upright portionof a clip memberengages with the planar surfaceof the grooveprovided in the side edge of the decking board. The decking boardis then positioned in the direction of arrow A, as shown in, so that a bevelled edge of the decking boardengages with the inclined surfaceof the protruding portionof a clip memberof an adjacent decking clipin the spacing strip. The decking boardcan then be stepped on or ‘walked in’ from above, forcing the upright portionof the clip memberto resiliently move in the direction of arrow B, as shown in.

As the decking boardis located in the direction of arrow A into the space between adjacent decking clips, the protruding portionof the upright portionwill ride over the edge of the decking board until it engages with the groovein the side edge of the decking board. When the planar surfaceof the protruding portionof the clip memberengages with the planar surfaceof the grooveprovided in the side edge of the decking board, as shown inthe decking boardis effectively locked into position on the joist. At the same time as the decking boardis being stepped on or ‘walked in’ from above, the spike platesare forced down into the pocketsand the spikespenetrate into the underside of the board. The spikespenetrate about 1.5 mm into the decking board as the board is installed and also during use of the deck. The pockets or recessesallow the spike platesto only move laterally one or two millimetres with the decking board as the board self-centres between the decking clips during installation. Lateral movement of a spike plateis allowed because the spike plate begins engaging with the decking board on an angle as it is pressed in at Point A. If the spike plate is locked in position it does not allow the board to move along the axis of the joist, which results in uneven gaps depending on which edge was angled into the clip. The sliding/moving spike plate allows the board to centre itself based on a balancing of force provided by the opposing clip forces. This helps to ensure the gaps between the decking boards are kept as consistent as possible. Each of the decking boards,,, etc is stepped on or ‘walked in’ consecutively, from one end of the deck to the other, in the direction of arrow C as shown in.

A third embodiment of the improved decking clipin accordance with the invention, as illustrated in, is designed for attaching first and second adjacent decking boards,to a decking support member(see). The decking clipis similar in many respects to the first embodiment of the decking clip, shown in, and therefore the like parts will be identified with the same reference numerals as in the decking clip. The decking clipcomprises a substantially planar base portionadapted to be attached to the decking support memberby suitable fastening means. The base portionis of substantially rectangular configuration and is provided with first and second fixing aperturesandfor receiving suitable fasteners therethrough.

The base portionof decking clipis provided with a pair of opposing first and second clip membersand, each clip memberhaving a respective resiliently movable upright portion,extending in a substantially perpendicular direction from an upper surfaceof the base portionwhen in their rest position. In the present embodiment, as can be seen most clearly in, the base portionis provided with a second pair of opposing clip members, identical to and adjacent the first pair of opposing clip membersand

Each clip memberof the decking cliphas a protruding portionproximate it's upper extremity which protrudes from the upright portion. In use, the protruding portionon the first clip memberis adapted to engage with a side edge of the first decking board, and the protruding portionon the second clip memberis adapted to engage with a side edge of the second decking boardto retain the first and second decking boards,on the decking support member.

The main differences between the decking clipand the decking clipis in the arrangement of the clip membersin connection with the base portion. Each resiliently movable upright portion,in the design of the decking cliphas a somewhat limited degree of pivoting movement in relation to the base portion. During trials of the clip, some fractures and breakages were observed at the base of the clip upright portions,due to over-stressing of the clip upright during board installation. A number of different types of materials/grades were trialed to combat the problem before any design changes were made. Design changes were then undertaken to reduce the stress at the base of the clip upright portions,during board installation.

In the design of the decking clip, the length of the upright portions,has been extended by creating a gapbetween the upright portions,that extends down into the base portion, terminating in rounded centre channel, as can be seen most clearly in. Respective rounded side channelsandhave also been formed in the base portionon the outside of the respective upright portions,. The thickness of the base portionof the decking clipwas increased from 4 mm to 5 mm to accommodate the respective rounded channels,and. The extra room created on either side at the base of the upright portion,allowed greater flexing and for the pivot point of the clip upright portions to be lowered, effectively increasing the length of the upright portions while reducing the stress on the clip during board installation. In other respects the decking clipis substantially identical to the decking clipand the like parts will not be described again in detail.

illustrate the manner in which the decking clipis positioned in the spacing strip. This is similar to the way in which the decking clipis positioned in the spacing stripas described above with reference toand therefore will not be described again in detail here. However, the spacing striphas also been slightly thicker to accommodate the increased thickness of the base portion. In addition, two rectangular recesses,have been formed on either side of the first set of clip aperturesto receive the external profiles of the side channelsand

A further modification to the spacing stripcan be seen most clearly in. The second set of clip aperturesin the spacing strip, designed to receive the spike platestherein, have also been slightly modified. At the centre of each apertureis a bosson which the central connection apertureof a spike plateis received. In the modified design of the spacing strip, shown in, a plurality of thin crush ribsare provided on the circumference of the bossto help locate and secure the spike plate in the spacing stripprior to installation. The crush ribshelp to ensure the spike platesdo not fall out of the aperturesor become dislodged prior to or during installation. The crush ribsdo not prevent the spike platesfrom moving laterally one or two millimetres with the decking board as the board self-centres between the decking clips during installation.