FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to mobile home skirting and more particularly to a guard for protecting the skirting.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Manufactured homes, also known as mobile homes, modular homes or pre-manufactured homes have been known for many years and are commonly installed by being placed on concrete slabs or concrete footings or even on cinder blocks. Typically, the peripheral lower edges of the manufactured home are not continuously supported and stretches of same are unsupported. This leaves a gap between the unsupported lower edges and the ground. In the past this gap has been covered by a non-load bearing “skirt” fabricated from a synthetic materials to provide a more pleasing appearance for the manufactured home. The bottom edge of the skirt typically sits in a “base” that is fastened to the ground or other footing to prevent the bottom edge of the skirt from moving around and breaking. However, over extended periods of time, the lower edges of the skirts are typically damaged by many things including weed whacker lines, lawn mowers, other gardening tools and children's toys because the skirts are not structurally strong enough to prevent such damage.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a “skirt guard” that is attached to the lower edge of a mobile home skirt and provides protection for the standard skirt against weed whacker lines, lawn mowers, toys, gardening tools, etc. In addition, there is a need for a skirt guard that is cost effective, provides a pleasing appearance to the existing skirting, and is dependable for many years. In addition, there is a need for a skirt guard that may be used to cover existing damage to the bottom edge of skirts and thus improve their aesthetic appearance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing need in the prior art for a “skirt guard” that is attached to the lower edge of a mobile home skirt is satisfied by the present invention. The novel skirt guard disclosed and claimed herein is preferably made of a tough thermoplastic, provides protection for standard mobile home skirts against weed whacker lines, lawn mowers, toys, gardening tools, etc., provides a pleasing appearance to existing skirts, and covers existing damage to the bottom edge of skirts and thereby improves their aesthetic appearance. In addition the skirt guard is easily installed.
The “skirt guard” is made of a tough thermoplastic that is preferably extruded in long strips for cost savings. The skirt is shipped in a standard length of eight feet, but other lengths may be provided.
A conventional manufactured home skirt is attached to the peripheral lower edge of a mobile home structure. To support the bottom edge of the skirt a “skirt base” is fastened to the ground or to a concrete slab on which the mobile home sits. The bottom edge of the skirt sits within a channel in the skirt base and this prevents the bottom edge of the skirt from moving around and breaking. The bottom edge of the skirt guard is inserted into the skirt base alongside the skirt, and the top edge of the skirt guard is typically fastened to the skirt using fasteners.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be better understood upon reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the drawing in which:
FIG. 1 shows a prior art “skirt” and “skirt base”;
FIG. 2 shows an end view of a prior art skirt mounted in a skirt base;
FIG. 3 is a front view of a “skirt guard” as it is obtained for use;
FIG. 4 is an end view of a skirt guard as it is obtained for use;
FIG. 5 is an end view of a skirt guard after it has been configured for use;
FIG. 6 is an end view of a prior art skirt mounted in a skirt base with a skirt guard also mounted in the skirt base against the skirt;
FIG. 7 is an end view of a prior art skirt mounted in a skirt base with a skirt guard also mounted in the same skirt base against the skirt with a fastener used to fasten the top edge of the skirt guard against the skirt; and
FIG. 8 is an end view of an alternative embodiment of the skirt guard that is manufactured for end use.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the following description the term mobile home is used but the invention can also be used with other manufactured housing. In the drawings the scaling of the skirt, skirt guard and skirt base with respect to each other are deliberately out of scale to better show details of the elements. For example, in FIGS. 6 and 7 skirt guard 10 appears to be over half the height of skirt 20 which is incorrect. Skirt 20 is well over a foot high while skirt guard 10 is only six inches high. For another example, in FIG. 1 skirt base 22 is shown out of scale (larger) with respect to skirt 20 to better see the details of skirt base 22. The bottom edge 26 of skirt 20 normally sits in the generally “U” shaped area of skirt base 22 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.
Referring to FIG. 1, therein is shown a prior art “skirt” 20 and “skirt base” 22. As shown, skirt 20 is not perfectly flat but has a corrugated surface that aids in its rigidity. Skirt 20 is shown positioned above skirt base 22 in preparation for inserting the bottom peripheral edge 26 of skirt 20 into skirt base 22. Skirt base 22 has two generally perpendicular walls or legs 21 and 25 that form a “U” channel therein. The top edge 23 of the skirt base front wall 25 that is seen from outside a mobile home is formed over and downward in an inverted “J” shape. The inverted “J” shape facilitates mounting skirt 20 in the “U” channel of skirt base 22. The top 24 of the skirt base rear wall 21 not seen from outside a mobile home is angled outward to facilitate the insertion of the bottom peripheral edge 26 of skirt 20 into skirt base 22.
FIG. 2 shows an end view of prior art skirt 20 mounted in a prior art skirt base 22. In this position skirt 20 pushes outward on the top 23 of the skirt base front wall 25 which deflects it slightly and thereby facilitates firmly holding the bottom peripheral edge 26 of skirt 20.
FIG. 3 shows a front view of my new “skirt guard” 10 as it is obtained from a supply house for use. Skirt guard 10 is typically extruded flat, as shown, from a high-density thermoplastic and is tough to withstand normal abuse without being damaged. Skirt guard 10 is preferably 7 inches high by 8 feet long and between 0.060 and 0.80 inches thick. A groove 12 in the surface and along the length of skirt guard 10 defines an upper portion 11 of the skirt guard that is six inches in height, and defines a lower portion 11a of the skirt guard that is one inch in height. However, other materials and dimensions may be preferable for specific applications. Skirt guard 10 is made in different colors and decorative patterns may be printed thereon for aesthetic purposes.
Groove 12 is better shown in FIG. 4 and is used to prepare skirt guard 11 for use as will be better understood upon reading further in this detailed description. The dimension from the middle of groove 12 to the top peripheral edge of skirt guard 10 is six inches and defines the upper, visible portion 11 of the skirt guard. The dimension from the middle of groove 12 to the bottom peripheral edge of skirt guard 10 is one inch and defines the lower portion 11a of the skirt guard.
FIG. 4 shows an end view of a skirt guard 10 as it is obtained for use. Groove 12 is best shown in this figure. Groove 12 is shown as being semicircular but it may be part of an oval shape. The purpose for groove 12 is to provide a strain relief point that permits the lower portion 11a of the skirt guard 10 to be folded in the direction of arrow D to the “J” shape shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 5 shows an end view of a skirt guard 10 after its one inch wide lower edge 11a is folded to form a cross-sectional “J” shape. This “J” shaped bottom edge of skirt guard 10 is used to fasten the bottom edge of skirt guard 10 to skirt base 21 as is better seen in and described with reference to FIG. 6.
FIG. 6 shows an end view of a skirt guard 10 after it is inserted into a skirt base 22 alongside a skirt 20. Initially, skirt guard 10 is placed flat against the side of a skirt 20 and then is pushed downward in the direction of arrow D2. The “J” shaped bottom edge of skirt guard 10 first contacts the inverted “J” shaped edge 23 at the top of the front wall 25 of the skirt base 22 and as skirt guard 10 is pushed further downward the top edge 23 is deformed away from skirt 20 permitting the “J” shaped bottom edge of skirt guard 10 to pass inside skirt base 22. At this point top edge 23 partially returns toward skirt 20 and thereby locks the “J” shaped edge of skirt guard 10 inside skirt base 22 as shown in FIG. 6.
FIG. 7 is the same as FIG. 6 except the upper portion of skirt guard 10 is securely fastened to skirt 20. Along the length of skirt guard 10 a plurality of spaced holes are drilled through skirt guard 10 and skirt 20. Through each of these holes (not shown) a push through anchor 13 is inserted to thereby lock skirt guard 10 to skirt 20. In FIG. 7 only one of these anchors 13 is shown due to the figure being an end view.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 8 skirt guard 10 is not manufactured flat (FIG. 3) with a groove 12, but rather is manufactured already having the shape shown in FIG. 8, or having a shape very similar.
While what has been described herein is the preferred embodiment of the invention those skilled the art will recognize that numerous changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Patent Grant
7685781
