Abstract:
A trim assembly for use in concealing open spaces created by siding materials, wherein the assembly comprises a trim member configured to cover and conceal the terminal edges of the siding while simultaneously creating an expansion channel which allows the siding to expand or contract without causing premature bulging, bowing, splintering, cracking, and the like. The assembly may further comprise an insert wherein the insert is configured to readily engage with the trim member, and where the insert in combination with the trim member creates the look of butted cedar siding. The insert is configured to allow the siding to expand and contract in both a horizontal and a vertical direction.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/177,345 filed on May 12, 2009. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to trim surrounding structural features, such as, doors, walls, windows, and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a trim assembly formed around structural features, such as doors, walls, windows, and the like, wherein the trim assembly covers the siding and allows the siding to expand and contract according to its natural characteristics, while simultaneously enhancing the overall aesthetics of the siding. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     A popular form of plastic siding is made to resemble clapboarding, and consists of a number of elongated pieces which are applied in overlapping relationship, similar to wooden clapboards, so as to shed water. Such synthetic siding has a tendency to buckle, bow, splinter, and crack when it is fixed too tightly to a wall or when it is otherwise restrained. Accordingly, when applying trim around such synthetic siding, consideration must be paid to the siding&#39;s inherent expansion/contraction characteristics. Furthermore, trim is typically applied by using caulking and/or adhesive materials. As such materials are messy and difficult to work with, what is needed is a trim that can be installed without the need for such materials. 
     Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a trim assembly which can allow the siding to expand and contract according to its inherent characteristics, and which can simultaneously enhance the overall aesthetics of the siding. Also needed is a trim assembly that can be installed relatively simply without the need for caulking and adhesives. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The above-discussed drawbacks and deficiencies of the prior art are eliminated by a trim assembly for use in concealing open spaces created by siding, wherein the trim assembly comprises a trim member configured to conceal the terminal edges of the siding while simultaneously creating an expansion channel which allows the siding to expand and contract according to the siding&#39;s natural characteristics. The trim assembly may further comprise an insert wherein the insert is configured to readily engage with the trim member, and further wherein the insert in combination with the trim member creates the look of butted cedar siding. The insert is further configured to allow for the two-directional expansion and contraction of the siding, i.e., expansion and contraction in both the horizontal and vertical directions. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic depicting an exemplary piece of siding; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic depicting an elevational view of a front side of an exemplary trim member; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic depicting an elevational view of a back side of the trim member depicted in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic depicting a side view of an exemplary insert; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic depicting a front side of the insert depicted in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic depicting a back side of the insert depicted in  FIGS. 4 and 5 ; 
         FIGS. 7 and 8  are schematics depicting an exemplary trim assembly and siding interaction; and 
         FIGS. 9 and 10  are schematics depicting another exemplary trim assembly and siding interaction. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The trim assembly of the present invention comprises a trim member which is configured to serve as a cornice, baseboard, molding, or other like border, such that the trim member may frame the edges of one or more courses of siding. Although the configuration and materials constituting the siding, which is framed by the inventive trim assembly disclosed herein, may vary to a wide degree, an exemplary siding is configured to resemble traditional “cedar shingle siding”, or a “seaside style” of clapboards, wherein the lay of such siding is characterized by a series of vertically overlapping courses of siding. Additionally, the siding may be made out of a variety of materials, wherein exemplary materials include, for example, cellular polyvinylchloride (“cellular PVC”), wood, fiber cement, vinyl, metal, and the like, wherein cellular PVC is especially preferred. An exemplary siding configuration, with which the inventive trim assembly is particularly compatible, is depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a siding  10  comprises a face  12  distinguished from a top portion  14  by a longitudinally extending head rabbet  16 . Face  12  has a terminal lateral edge  15  opposite to a terminal lateral edge  17 , and has as its uppermost boundary an upper edge  18 , and has as its lowermost boundary a bottom edge  20 , wherein bottom edge  20  turns rearward towards a back side  22  of siding  10  to form a bottom side  23 . Bottom side  23  turns upwardly to form a longitudinally extending foot rabbet  24  on back side  22 . Just upward of foot rabbet  24  moving towards top edge  24 , back side  22  has longitudinally extending grooves  26  and  28  formed therein, wherein grooves  26  and  28  are separated by a longitudinally extending tongue  30 . Foot rabbet  24  extends rearward past tongue  30 . Lateral sides of siding  10  include lateral side  32  and lateral side  34 . Lateral sides  32  and  34  gradually widen from top edge  24  to bottom edge  20  such that face  12  has an upward slope moving from upper edge  18  to bottom edge  20 . In application, foot rabbet  24  is engaged with a head rabbet of another clapboard to give an overlapping visual effect to the paired clapboards. 
     The inventive trim member is configured to conceal siding which has at least one of lateral sides  32  and  34  exposed when the siding is properly installed. Not only is the trim member configured to improve the overall appearance of the siding when installed, for example, on a wall of a building, but it is also configured to allow the siding to expand and contract according to the siding&#39;s natural tendencies when exposed to fluctuating temperatures and humidity levels, thereby reducing the likelihood that the siding will prematurely bulge, splinter, crack, weather, and the like. 
     An exemplary trim member  100  shall be described with reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Trim member  100  comprises a longitudinally extending, and substantially planar front side  102  opposite to a longitudinally extending back side  104 , and a longitudinally extending lateral side  106  opposite to a longitudinally extending lateral side  108 , and a vertically extending lateral side  110  opposite to a vertically extending lateral side  112 . 
     Back side  104  comprises three regions: an adaptor region  114 , a guide region  116 , and a base region  118 . Guide region  116  is coterminous with and primarily extends rearward past adaptor region  114  via a step  115  of guide region  116 , and base region  118  is coterminous with and extends rearward past guide region  116  via a step  117  of base region  118 . Adaptor region  114  is coterminous with lateral sides  106 ,  110  and  112 , guide region  116  is coterminous with lateral sides  110  and  112 , and base region  118  is coterminous with lateral sides  108 ,  110 , and  112 . 
     Adaptor region  114  comprises a substantially planar surface  120  having a protrusion  122  extending outwardly, i.e., rearward, from a midsection thereof, wherein protrusion  122  extends along a length of substantially planar surface  120 , i.e., extends along surface  120  from lateral side  110  to lateral side  112 . Protrusion  122  divides planar surface  120  into a subsection  119  and a subsection  121 . As will be understood in greater detail below, adaptor region  114  may be fitted with an inventive insert to create the appearance of butted cedar clapboard. 
     Guide region  116  comprises a substantially planar surface  124  having a groove  126  formed therein, wherein groove  126  divides surface  124  into a subsection  128  and a subsection  130 . Groove  126  is formed approximately one third of the way down from a top edge  127  of subsection  128  such that subsection  128  is approximately one third a height of subsection  130 . Groove  126  extends along a length of substantially planar surface  124 , i.e., extends along surface  124  from lateral side  110  to lateral side  112 . 
     As will be explained in greater detail below, groove  126  provides a position reference for the positioning of at least one of lateral sides  32  and  34  of siding  10  along trim member  100 . When siding  10  is properly positioned relative to trim member  100 , the distance between subsection  130  and groove  126  creates an expansion channel  129  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 7 ) which allows siding  10  to undergo its normal expansion and contraction thereby reducing the likelihood that siding  10  will buckle, bulge, bow, splinter, crack, and the like. 
     Again referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , base region  118  comprises a step  117  which is coterminous with and extends perpendicularly rearward from subsection  130  of guide region  116 . Base region  118  further comprises a substantially planar surface  134 , which is coterminous with lateral sides  108 ,  110 , and  112 , which turns perpendicularly downwards from step  117 , and which terminates at longitudinally extending lateral side  108 . As will be understood in greater detail below, substantially planar surface  134  may abut a portion of a wall to which there is no clapboard attached, i.e., an exposed portion of such wall, and longitudinally extending lateral side  108  may lie flush with an edge of such exposed portion of such wall. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , trim member  100  may be positioned over vertically overlapping siding  50  installed on a wall by aligning, e.g., terminal lateral edge  15  of siding  10  with groove  126  of trim member  100  such that expansion channel  129  is formed between lateral side  32  and step  117 . A portion of face  12 , which is coterminous with terminal lateral edge  15 , rests against subsection  128  of guide region  116  of trim member  100  thereby leaving a gap between face  12  and subsections  119  and  121  of adaptor region  114 . Additionally, where the siding is installed on a wall of a building, trim member  100  may be installed such that lateral side  108  is positioned flush with an edge  302  of a wall  300 , and substantially planar surface  134  of base region  118  abuts a surface  304  of wall  300 . 
     It is noted herein that it is further contemplated that trim member may be configured as a corner board as well, wherein, in this configuration, the trim member could comprise two trim members joined perpendicularly to each other at the bottom of the base regions of the two trim members, wherein the trim members could comprise all, or substantially all, of the same elements as described above with reference to trim member  100 . 
     The trim assembly of the present invention may further comprise an insert which works in cooperation with the trim member to create the look of butted cedar clapboard. An exemplary insert is depicted in  FIGS. 4-6 . Referring to  FIGS. 4-6 , an exemplary insert  200  comprises a longitudinally extending front side  202  opposite to a longitudinally extending back side  204 , and a longitudinally extending lateral side  210  opposite to a longitudinally extending lateral side  212 . Front side  202  comprises a longitudinally extending, substantially planar surface having a longitudinally extending groove  214  formed therein, wherein groove  214  bisects the substantially planar surface into a longitudinally extending first portion  216  and a longitudinally extending second portion  218 . Groove  214  is configured to receive protrusion  122  of adaptor region  114  of trim member  100  such that second portion  218  of insert  200  abuts subsection  121  of trim member  100  and first portion  216  of insert  200  abuts subsection  119  of trim member  100  (see  FIG. 10 ). 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , back side  204  of insert  200  is profiled to conform to a plurality of vertically overlapping siding  60  installed on a structure, such as, for example, an exterior wall. Accordingly, referring to  FIGS. 4 ,  6 ,  9 , and  10 , back side  204  comprises siding engaging members  220 ,  220 ′, and  220 ″. Each of siding engaging members  220 ,  220 ′, and  220 ″ respectively comprises a top edge  222 ,  222 ′, and  222 ″, and a substantially planar surface  224 ,  224 ′, and  224 ″. Substantially planar surface  224  slopes downwardly towards substantially planar surface  224 ′ until it terminates at top edge  222 ′; substantially planar surface  224 ′ slopes downwardly towards substantially planar surface  224 ″ until it terminates at top edge  222 ″; and substantially planar surface  224 ″ slopes downwardly towards a foot  230  which turns outwardly away from surface  224 ″ and away from front side  202 , and which is configured to fit underneath and against bottom side  23  of siding  10 . Accordingly, insert  200  is configured such that siding engaging member  220 ″ overlaps siding engaging member  220 ′, and siding engaging member  220 ′ overlaps siding engaging member  220 . 
     As previously stated, insert  200  works in combination with trim member  100  to create the effect of butted cedar clapboard. Accordingly, when used, bottom side  23  of an installed siding  10  abuts a respective top edge  222 ,  222 ′, and  222 ″, and face  12  rests against respective substantially planar surfaces  224 ,  224 ′, and  224 ″. Furthermore, groove  214  of insert  200  engages with protrusion  122  of trim member  100  while terminal lateral edge  15  of siding  10  is aligned with groove  126  of guide region  116  of trim member  100 . 
     Although the trim member and the insert may be formed of a variety of materials, in an exemplary embodiment, the trim member and the insert are formed from cellular PVC. 
     The present invention has many advantages over the prior art. For example, as would be appreciated by those of skill in the art based on the present disclosure, the trim member can be applied to the wall without the need for caulks and/or adhesives. Additionally, the trim member provides ample space between the trim and the clapboard to thereby allow the clapboard to undergo its typical expansion and contraction without causing the clapboard to unnecessarily bulge, bow, splinter, fracture, and the like. The trim member also provides an aesthetically appealing trim for use with synthetic clapboards. 
     When used with the insert, the trim assembly further achieves the look of traditional butted cedar siding. Additionally, the insert may be easily snapped into the trim, thereby eliminating the need for extraneous materials, i.e., caulking and adhesives, to install the assembly. The insert is also configured to provide the siding with ample room along a horizontal and a vertical direction to allow the siding to expand and contract according to its natural characteristics. 
     Although the principles of the present invention have been illustrated and explained in the context of certain specific embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that various modifications beyond those illustrated can be made to the disclosed embodiment without departing from the principles of the present invention.