Corner apparatus and method for forming corners of wallboard constructed walls

A corner apparatus for forming inner or outer corner areas of wall structures. The apparatus comprises an elongated corner section having two planar panel portions attached by a living hinge. The two panel portions and living hinge are extruded from a high strength plastic. The living hinge enables the panel portions to be placed at a desired angle relative to each other to form an inner corner of a wall. When forming an outer corner, an elongated, generally L-shaped metal corner member is inserted into grooves formed in distal end portions of each of the planar panel portions of the corner section. This holds the planar panel portions in a desired angular orientation and provides a very straight corner edge for forming the outer corner area. The apparatus significantly reduces the time to form and finish corner areas of walls which are finished with drywall, thereby significantly reducing the cost of construction of the structure. The apparatus is lightweight, and can easily be laid flat for shipping purposes. In another preferred embodiment, various corner section members are used for forming a corner between three perpendicular wall sections which meet, such as two vertical walls and a ceiling.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Technical Field
 This invention relates to apparatuses for forming corners of drywall or
 wallboard constructed wall segments, and more particularly to a method and
 apparatus for forming inner and outer corners between two drywall or
 wallboard sections during a construction process.
 2. Discussion
 In the construction of buildings it is now common to use drywall or
 wallboard (hereinafter simply referred to as "drywall") on the interior of
 the structure to finish interior walls of the structure. The edges of
 adjacent sections which meet along a flat portion of a wall or ceiling
 (i.e., not at a corner) are relatively easy to finish, even by individuals
 without expertise in drywall finishing. The edges are tapered such that
 when two drywall sections are positioned adjacent one another a "cove" or
 depression is formed. The cove is first filled with mud and then tape is
 pressed into the mud along the full length of the cove. More mud is then
 placed over the tape before the first sanding of the resulting joint is
 performed.
 When finishing corner areas where two sections of drywall meet and form a
 corner, however, the finishing process is time consuming and highly
 dependent upon the skill of the drywall finisher. The corner area, whether
 an interior or exterior corner, has to be taped, mudded and then sanded.
 The mudding and sanding process is usually performed several times, even
 by an experienced and highly skilled drywall finisher, before the corner
 joint takes on the appearance of a cleanly, integrally formed corner area
 with no visually perceptible joint areas. The corner areas are especially
 difficult to form at the areas where the walls meet the ceiling of a
 structure. As will be appreciated, this adds to the overall cost of
 constructing any structure where drywall is used and increases the time
 needed for drywall finishing.
 The above finishing process can be particularly troublesome for home
 remodeling applications undertaken by "do-it-yourself" persons. By this
 term, it is meant those individuals who do not have extensive experience
 in working with drywall finishing and have not acquired the necessary
 skill to finish inner and outer corner areas of a structure in a manner
 that produces clean, well-finished corner areas free from visual
 imperfections. Whereas the portions of adjacent drywall panels that meet
 at a flat point along a wall or ceiling can usually be finished adequately
 by even a "do-it-yourself" person, the inner and outer corner areas are
 usually very difficult and time consuming for such persons to finish.
 When forming outer corners between two drywall sections, it has previously
 been necessary to nail or screw a metal corner section over the corner
 before taping and mudding the corner. Obviously, the metal corner member
 has to be attached carefully such that it forms a straight vertical edge.
 If this component is not attached properly, a "wavy", non-linear edge will
 be formed, requiring even further finishing efforts.
 It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide an
 apparatus and method for enabling inner and outer drywall corners to be
 quickly and easily constructed without having to tape and mud these corner
 areas when working with drywall panels.
 It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an
 apparatus and method which is inexpensive to produce, easy to ship and
 install, and which further does not add appreciably to the overall
 construction costs when working with drywall panels, and which further
 enables the drywall finishing process to be performed much more quickly
 and efficiently.
 It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus
 and method which can be readily adapted for forming either an inner corner
 or an outer corner area between two drywall panels, with the only
 requirement being the use or non-use of an additional metal member which
 is attached to the apparatus before the apparatus is installed in the
 corner area to thereby form a clean, straight vertical corner line over
 which taping and mudding may be performed.
 It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a corner
 apparatus which enables rounded inner or outer corners to be formed
 without any mudding and taping at the corners.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The above and other objects are provided by a corner apparatus and method
 in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention. The
 corner apparatus, in one preferred embodiment, comprises a pair of
 extruded plastic panel portions which are attached by a thin, living
 hinge. The two panel portions and the living hinge are extruded from high
 strength plastic to form a relatively low cost, lightweight assembly that
 can be laid flat for shipping purposes. Each of the panel portions has a
 thickness of preferably either 3/8" or 1/2", depending upon the thickness
 of the drywall panels with which the apparatus is intended to be used to
 form a corner area. Each of the panel portions further has an outer
 surface and an inner surface, with each of these surfaces having a
 slightly tapered distal end portion to allow the edges of each panel
 portion to be blended in with adjacently positioned drywall panels to form
 a clean corner area with no visually perceptible joint lines. Thus, the
 only finishing required is along the outer distal ends of each of the
 panel portions which meet adjacently positioned drywall sections, which
 are relatively easily and quickly finished.
 In the preferred embodiment the inner ends of each panel portion are formed
 with a groove extending the entire length thereof. The groove accepts the
 arm portions of a metal corner member. The arm portions of the metal
 corner member are slid into the grooves which lock the two panel portions
 in a corner configuration. The metal corner member itself presents a very
 straight longitudinal outer corner edge which does not need to be nailed
 or screwed to the panel portions. Taping and mudding may then be performed
 more accurately and easily, even by unskilled persons, to form a clean,
 straight outer corner edge.
 The apparatus of the present invention does not require the above-mentioned
 metal corner member if an interior corner is being formed. In that
 instance, the panel portions are simply secured to studs in the corner
 area. Each of the front and rear surfaces of the panel members further
 include drywall paper laminated thereon so no finishing is needed
 whatsoever at the inner corner formed by the two panel portions. The
 living hinge enables the panel portions to be secured at a range of angles
 relative to each other in the event that the inner corner formed is not a
 perfect 90.degree. corner.
 In yet another alternative preferred embodiment, two panel portions are
 provided which are connected by a thin flexible section of plastic along
 the entire length of each panel. The thin section of plastic permits a
 rounded inner or outer corner to be formed. The two panel portions
 comprise sections of plastic which are also extruded with the thin
 flexible section as a single piece component which is lightweight and
 which can be laid flat for shipping purposes.
 Various corner assemblies are also disclosed for more quickly and easily
 forming a corner at the intersection of three perpendicular wall sections.
 Assemblies for forming ninety degree corners and radiused corners are both
 disclosed.
 The various preferred embodiments enable inner and outer corners of wall
 structures to be more easily and quickly finished by either a professional
 drywall installer or by an individual without extensive drywall finishing
 experience. The various preferred embodiments further enable angled or
 rounded corners to be easily created.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a corner apparatus 10 in accordance
 with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The corner apparatus
 10 generally comprises a section 12 having a first planar panel portion 14
 and a second planar panel portion 16 connected by a thin living hinge 18
 which extends along the entire length of the panel portions 14 and 16.
 Preferably, the entire corner section 12 is extruded as a single piece
 component from a suitably high strength plastic such as polypropylene. As
 will be discussed further, the apparatus 10 further includes a generally
 L-shaped metal corner member 20 which is attached to the corner section 12
 when the apparatus 10 is being used to form an outer corner. Component 20,
 however, is not needed when corner section 12 is used to form an interior
 corner of a wall area.
 Referring further to FIGS. 1 and 2, panel portion 14 includes a groove 22
 formed in a distal end portion 14a, where the groove 22 extends along the
 entire length of the panel portion 14. Similarly, panel portion 16
 includes a groove 24 formed in a distal end portion 16a thereof which
 extends along the entire length of panel portion 16.
 The panel portion 14 further includes a front surface 14b and a rear
 surface 14c. Panel portion 16 similarly includes a front surface 16b and a
 rear surface 16c. A distal end 14d of panel portion 14 includes tapered
 areas 14e forming "coves" or depressions to help in blending the panel
 portion 14 in with an adjacently positioned portion of drywall. Similarly,
 panel portion 16 includes a distal end portion 16d having tapered portions
 16e which form coves to help in blending in the distal end portion 16d
 with an adjacently positioned section of drywall when taping and mudding
 the joint between these panels. Each of the front and rear surfaces 14b,
 14c and 16b, 16c of each panel portion further have drywall paper 17
 laminated thereon.
 The metal corner member 20 includes arm portions 20a and 20b and a corner
 edge portion 20c. Arm portions 20a and 20b are adapted to be slid into the
 grooves 22 and 24 from one end of the panel portions 14, 16 when the
 apparatus 10 is being used to form an outer corner of a wall. Thus, the
 metal corner member 20 does not need to be secured with drywall screws or
 nails to any adjacent section of drywall.
 Referring now to FIG. 4, the metal corner member 20 is illustrated attached
 to the panel portions 14 and 16. Each of the panel portions 14 and 16 are
 further secured either by nails or threaded drywall screws 26 to wooden
 studs 28 at the corner area of a wall structure 30 formed by the studs.
 The corner edge 20c provides an extremely straight edge which is used with
 conventional taping and mudding techniques to provide a corner for the
 wall area. The material which the panel portions 14 and 16 are constructed
 from also preferably allows a slight degree of deformation to be produced
 around the head of each nail or drywall screw 26 when the nail or screw is
 driven through its associated panel portion 14 or 16 tightly into a
 supporting wood stud 28. This allows the head to be driven down into the
 panel portion 14 or 16 slightly such that the head is slightly below the
 outer surface of the panel 14 or 16. This enables these areas to be
 patched easily during the finishing process. Polypropylene allows for this
 slight degree of deformation.
 With further reference to FIG. 4, in use the metal corner member 20 is
 inserted into the grooves 22, 24 which holds the panel portions 14, 16 at
 the desired angular orientation. The panel portions 14 and 16 are then
 secured to the studs 28 and additional drywall sections 32, 34 are abutted
 up against the distal ends 14d, 16d of the panel portions 14, 16. Taping
 and mudding is then performed to finish the outer corner area 36 and the
 joints between the drywall sections 32, 34 and the distal ends 14d, 16d of
 the panels 14, 16.
 It will be appreciated that the corner section 12 can be extruded in
 different lengths to meet the needs of specific applications. The panel
 portions 14, 16 and the living hinge 18 could be co-extruded from
 different materials if desired to lower material costs or weight. It is
 anticipated that in most instances the corner section 12, together with
 the metal corner member 20, will be cut to lengths of 8 feet, 10 feet or
 12 feet, which are most commonly used in the construction industry. Each
 of the panel portions 14 and 16 preferably has a width of about 2.0"-3.0",
 but it will be appreciated that this dimension could be varied as needed.
 The thickness of each panel portion 14, 16 is selected to match that of
 the drywall being used. In most instances this will be either, 0.375 inch,
 0.5 inch or 0.625 inch, which are the thicknesses of drywall most commonly
 used. Preformed openings could also be included for the drywall screws or
 nails 26 at points along the length of each panel portion 14 and 16 if
 desired. The metal corner member 20 may be made from other suitably strong
 materials which can be formed in a generally L-shaped configuration, or in
 any other desired angular configuration.
 Referring now to FIG. 5, the apparatus 10 is shown being used to form an
 inner corner area 38. The living hinge 18 of the corner section 12 allows
 the panel portions 14 and 16 to be articulated into a 90.degree. angle and
 placed in the corner area 38 against the wood studs 28. The living hinge
 18 further permits the angle between the panel portions 14 and 16 to be
 adjusted as needed in the event a corner which is not precisely 90.degree.
 is being finished. It will also be appreciated that when forming an inner
 corner area such as shown in FIG. 5, the metal corner member 20 will not
 be needed. However, the corner member 20 could just as easily be
 incorporated as illustrated in FIG. 4 to abut the corner of the wall and
 provide additional support to the area defined by the living hinge 18, if
 so desired.
 Referring now to FIG. 6, a corner apparatus 40 in accordance with an
 alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.
 The apparatus 40 comprises panel portions 42 and 44 which are
 substantially identical to panel portions 14 and 16 of the corner section
 12, with the principal difference being that instead of a thin living
 hinge 18, an elongated, thin length of plastic 46 is formed between the
 panel portions 42 and 44. The panel portions 42, 44 and the plastic
 connecting section 46 also have drywall paper laminated thereon on all
 surfaces. The length of plastic 46 is flexible such that either a rounded
 inner corner or a rounded outer corner can be formed.
 The desired radius of curvature can be obtained by manufacturing
 apparatuses 40 having varying lengths of plastic portions 46 as needed to
 enable corner portions to be formed having a precise radius of curvature.
 For example, manufacturing the corner apparatus 40 with a connecting
 section 46 having a length of 1 inch could allow a corner to be formed
 having a 0.5 inch radius of curvature, whereas a length of 2 inches could
 enable a 1.0 inch radius of curvature corner to be formed. Thus, any
 desired radius of curvature could be accommodated by providing either a
 longer or shorter plastic connecting section 46. Depending upon the
 thickness of the connecting section 46 and the material the apparatus is
 constructed from, the radius of curvature could also be adjusted simply by
 moving the panel portions 42 and 44 closer to a corner edge 48 of one of
 the studs 28 at the corner of the wall section.
 The panel portions 42 and 44 each include tapered surfaces 42a and 44a,
 respectively, to enable them to be readily blended in with adjacently
 positioned drywall panels 50. The panel portions 42, 44 and the thin
 plastic connecting section 46 are preferably extruded from high strength
 plastic such as polypropylene to form a single component which can be laid
 flat for shipping purposes. If desired, the connection section 46 and the
 panel portions 42, 44 could be co-extruded from different materials to
 either reduce material cost or weight.
 Referring now to FIGS. 7-9, a corner assembly 54 is shown which includes
 three corner sections 56, 58 and 60. Sections 56 and 58 are adapted to
 interengage to form a clean wall/ceiling interface, and section 60 abuts
 portions of sections 56 and 58 to complete the three way corner. To
 facilitate the engagement of sections 56 and 58, section 58 includes a
 notched portion 58a. Notched portion 58a allows a corner portion 56a of
 section 56 to blend in with section 58, as seen in FIGS. 8 and 9. Thus,
 the components enable a corner area at the intersection of three
 perpendicular walls to be formed quickly and easily. It will be
 appreciated that each of components 56, 58 and 60 may be identical in
 construction to section 12 shown in FIG. 1 but need not incorporate the
 grooves 22 and 24. If the grooves 22 and 24 are incorporated, however, the
 metal corner member 20 could also be used to provide support to the living
 hinge area of the component incorporating the grooves. Also, while
 components 56, 58 and 60 have been illustrated without the tapered
 portions 14e and 16e, it will be appreciated that these tapered surfaces
 could, and in most cases will, be incorporated on sections 56, 58 and 60
 to facilitate blending in with adjacently positioned drywall panels.
 Referring now to FIGS. 10-12, another corner assembly 62 is illustrated.
 Corner assembly 62 comprises corner sections 64, 66 and 68 which are each
 identical to sections 56, 58 and 60, respectively, with the exception of
 the mitered corners 64a and 66a of sections 64 and 66, respectively. The
 assembled components 64, 66 and 68 are shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. Again,
 components 64, 66 and 68 could incorporate the tapered edge portions 14e
 and 16e shown in FIG. 1 if desired. It would also be possible to form each
 of components 64 and 66 with scribe lines defining the mitered corners 64a
 and 66a, which would enable a user to precisely cut the mitered corners
 with a utility knife.
 Referring now to FIGS. 13-15, another corner assembly 70 is illustrated for
 forming a radiused corner where three perpendicular walls meet. Assembly
 70 includes corner sections 72, 74, 76 and 78. Sections 72, 74 and 76 are
 identical in construction to corner apparatus 40 of FIG. 6. Section 78 is
 preferably a one-piece molded member which may be formed from the same
 material as sections 72, 74 and 76 or, alternatively, from a different
 material. Of course, the thickness of this member, as defined by
 dimensional arrows 80, should be the same as the thickness of the panels
 72a, 74a and 76a of components 72, 74 and 76 so that the member 78 will
 blend in smoothly with the surfaces of components 72, 74 and 76. It will
 also be appreciated that tapered edges such as edges 14e and 16e shown in
 FIG. 1 could be incorporated with each of components 72, 74 and 76.
 Further, each of the corner sections shown in FIG. 7-15 are preferably
 covered with laminated on drywall paper.
 Each of the embodiments shown herein could be formed with scalloped or
 relief portions in one surface thereof to save material costs. In this
 instance, it would be necessary to designate a corner apparatus as an
 "inner" or "outer" section so that the surface having the scalloped or
 relief portions can be placed against the studs 28 (FIGS. 4-6) during
 installation and will therefore not be visible, and will not require
 additional finishing efforts.
 It will also be appreciated that the use of the various preferred
 embodiments described herein will require that the corner areas be
 addressed first by attaching the components of the present invention at
 the inner and outer corner areas of a structure. Subsequently, the larger
 drywall panels may be installed such that their edges abut the edges of
 the corner sections described herein. This is generally the opposite of
 the traditional drywall construction process, which typically involves
 placing large drywall sheets up to form the walls first, and then forming
 the corners of intersecting perpendicular walls.
 Each of the preferred embodiments described herein provides a quick and
 easy means for forming inner and outer corner areas of wall structures.
 The preferred embodiments of the present invention eliminate or
 substantially simplify taping and mudding at the corner areas of wall
 structures, which is typically a very time consuming operation requiring
 highly skilled drywall finishing persons. Thus, the overall cost of
 construction is reduced because the entire drywall finishing process can
 be performed in less time. Furthermore, even individuals without extensive
 drywall finishing experience can construct clean, professional looking
 corners using the preferred embodiments of the invention described herein.
 The ability to lay the panel portions of each apparatus described herein
 flat for shipping purposes further enables the apparatus to be shipped and
 handled easily. Moreover, each of the preferred embodiments can be quickly
 installed at a work site with little or no modifications to standard
 construction procedures.
 Those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoing description
 that the broad teachings of the present invention can be implemented in a
 variety of forms. Therefore, while this invention has been described in
 connection with particular examples thereof, the true scope of the
 invention should not be so limited since other modifications will become
 apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings,
 specification and following claims.