Patent Application
20050204657
This invention relates generally to entryway systems and more specifically to nailing fins, head flashing, and construction covers for entryway systems.
The door frame of a traditional pre-hung entryway system typically includes a threshold or sill, a pair of vertical jambs projecting upwardly from the ends of the sill, and a horizontal head jamb or header spanning the top ends of the vertical jambs. Brick mold usually extends around the outer edges of the jambs and header and frames the outside periphery of the entryway. In some cases, the brick mold is made of traditional milled wood. However, extruded plastic or extruded composite brick mold and other jamb components have become more prevalent in recent years. The prior art includes, for example, a combination wood and extruded plastic jamb as disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,582 and an all-extruded plastic composite jamb as disclosed in my U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/273,009.
Particularly prevalent in entryways having extruded plastic components, but also found in all-wood entryways, is a laterally projecting nailing fin that surrounds the frame of the entryway. During installation, the nailing fin is attached to the outside facade of a building surrounding the framed-in opening to secure the pre-hung entryway assembly in the opening. In many cases, the nailing fin is made of plastic, such as PVC, and is provided with pre-punched nailing holes along its length. Such nailing fins may be co-extruded with the plastic brick mold or may be separate components attached to the brick mold surrounding the door frame.
In traditional construction, it often has been common to flash the header of a door frame to prevent rainwater from seeping behind the frame and deteriorating underlying framing and siding. Flashing may be provided, for instance, by a strip of metal extending from behind the siding and over the top of the head jamb brick mold. In other cases, flashing may be provided by a wood or plastic drip edge applied to the top of the brick mold. In any case, the goal is to provide a barrier preventing water from seeping between the head jamb brick mold and the siding.
Another common problem in building construction is that entryways, which typically are installed prior to the end of construction, can easily become damaged as construction workers carry heavy materials and tools through the entryway. Recently, removable plastic construction covers have become common on thresholds and these covers protect the thresholds from damage during construction. However, protection of brick mold and jamb components has been meager at best, and sometime includes nothing more than a thin layer of removable tape, which provides little if any protection.
Problems with traditional nailing fins, header flashing, and construction covers are many. For example, these components, especially flashing and construction covers, have heretofore been separately installed, when installed at all, and such installation is time consuming and requires a measure of carpentry skill. Construction covers for jambs and headers have generally been ineffective and do not tend to provide much protection from damage.
Accordingly, a need exists for an entryway system that incorporates nailing fins, head flashing, and an effective easily removable construction cover to protect brick mold from construction damage. These elements should be an integral part of a pre-hung entryway system and should require no additional time or skill for their installation and use. It is to the provision of such an entryway system that the present invention is primarily directed.
Briefly described, the present invention, in one preferred embodiment thereof, comprises a frame for a window or door. The frame has side jambs, a head jamb, and a decorative brick mold that extends around the perimeter of the frame along the outside edge portions of the jambs. An extruded plastic member is mounted to at least the head jamb and extends along the length thereof. The plastic member is profiled to define a flashing strip that overlies and covers the top of the brick mold along the head jamb. A downwardly projecting barbed tab extends along the bottom of the flashing strip and fits into a corresponding groove in the top of the brick mold to fasten the plastic member securely to the brick mold.
A downturned drip edge extends along the outside edge of the flashing strip and the drip edge covers the upper outside corner portion of the brick mold. A plastic construction cover is attached to the drip edge by means of a co-extruded tear-away connection and the construction cover projects downwardly to cover the outside face of the brick mold. Thus, the construction cover protects the brick mold during construction of a building in which the frame is installed. When construction is complete, the construction cover is torn away along the tear-away connection and discarded, revealing the clean protected brick mold beneath. The tearing away of the construction cover leaves the drip edge in tact, which thereafter functions to divert water away from the frame to prevent leakage and consequent damage.
The extruded plastic member also is formed with an integral nailing fin that is attached to the flashing strip along its inside edge. The nailing fin may be attached to the flashing strip by means of a co-extruded flexible hinge so that the nailing fin can lie flat for storage and shipment and be erected and secured to framing members for mounting the frame in a roughed-in opening. Alternatively, the nailing fin can itself be extruded entirely of a flexible material.
The side jambs of the frame also may be provided with a construction cover attachment similar to that of the head jamb described above. In the case of side jambs, however, it likely is not desirable to provide a drip edge that overlies the outside corners of the brick mold because such a drip edge at this location is not particularly functional and may be considered unsightly. Therefore, the side jambs may be provided with an attached extruded plastic member having a flashing strip without a drip edge. The construction cover is removably attached to the flashing strip at a location recessed from the outside edge of the brick mold. In this way, the construction cover overlies and protects the brick mold of the side jambs but, when torn away after construction, does not leave exposed a drip edge or other exposed part of the flashing strip.
Thus an improved frame for a window or door is now provided that offers distinct advantages over the prior art. Specifically, the frame includes unitary co-extruded plastic members mounted around the peripheral brick mold of the frame that simultaneously provide flashing strips, nail fins, and tear away disposable construction covers. The construction covers overlie and protect the faces of the brick mold during building construction. After construction, the construction covers are simply torn away and discarded, revealing the clean protected brick mold beneath and leaving a flashing strip and drip edge along the head jamb. These and other objects features and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon review of the detailed description set forth below taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures, which are briefly described as follows.
Referring now in more detail to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views,
A co-extruded plastic member 36, configured according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, is securely mounted to the brick mold and also extends along the length thereof. The plastic member 36 is formed with a flashing strip 37 that overlies and covers the top surface 27 of the brick mold. A depending barbed tab, described in more detail below, is formed along the underside of the flashing strip and is positioned and sized to be received in the elongated groove 41 for securing the plastic member 37 firmly to the brick mold. A nailing fin 22 is attached along the inside edge of the flashing strip 37 by means of a co-extruded flexible hinge 48. The flexible hinge 48 allows the nailing fin 22 to be folded down for storage and shipment of the door assembly 11 and then folded up, as shown in
A depending drip edge 21 is formed along the outside edge of the flashing strip 37 and projects downwardly to cover the upper outside corner and a small area at the top of the front face 28 of the brick mold. The drip edge is formed with a lip 20 (
The construction cover 39 is attached to the bottom edge portion of the drip edge 21 by means of a tear-away connection 49 (
The plastic member of the present invention can be made of any appropriate combination of plastic materials as is known in the art of plastics extrusion. For instance, the more rigid portions of the member, such as the flashing strip, nailing fin, and construction cover, may be formed of PVC plastic while the flexible hinge and tear-away connection may be formed of a lower durometer and more flexible plastic. The present invention is not limited to any particular combination of plastic and all combinations known in the plastics extrusion art are explicitly included within the scope of the invention.
The invention has been described herein in terms of preferred embodiments and methodologies considered to represent the best mode of carrying out the invention. The illustrated embodiments, however, should not be considered to be limiting since numerous changes and additions may be made within the scope of the invention. For instance, the construction cover is shown in the illustrated embodiments covering and protecting the outside face of the brick mold. The cover can alternatively be configured to extend inwardly to cover a portion or the entirety of the brick mold and stop member 24 for protecting this entire component from damage. These and other additions, deletions, and modifications might well be made by those of skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.
