Roof and wall covering with improved corner construction

A plastic molded wall covering that includes a plurality of one piece plastic molded corner moldings mounted in a vertically stacked array. The corner moldings each have a pair of front panels disposed at an angle to each other and formed with simulated building elements, such as hand laid stone. The corner moldings have respective upper and lower interlock devices and internal support and reinforcing walls extending rearwardly of the front panels in interconnecting relation to the interlock devices. The internal support and reinforcing walls have a curved serpentine configuration with a curved junction line with the respective front panels such that any plastic molded sink mark exposed on a front side of the front panels from the integrally formed internal walls similarly is undulating so as to blend into the simulated building elements and not detract from its natural appearance.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to roof and wall coverings comprised of relatively large panels which each are molded or otherwise formed with decorative patterns characteristic of conventional roofing and siding materials such as stone, brick, shake, tile, or the like, and more particularly, to a corner construction for such wall or roof coverings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various synthetic wall and roof coverings are known today, such as those formed of elongated molded thermoplastic wall panels that are nailed or screwed to a wall or roof support surface in horizontal courses or rows in partially overlapping relation to each other so as to provide a substantially water resistant, protective layer over the support surface. Such panels, which usually are identically molded, commonly are formed with one or more rows of simulated building elements, such as stone, brick, or shake shingles. Since the panels are identically molded, a panel-to-panel identity can be easily noticed if the panels are not carefully installed. Installation problems particularly occur when installing such synthetic wall and roof coverings about corners of the roof or sidewalls.

Typically, corner moldings are used to join the wall panels at corners of the wall surfaces. In some prior corner moldings, the wall panels must be positioned into abutting relation with a pre-mounted corner molding prior to installation of the wall panel. Such mounting requires precise cutting of the ends of the panels to ensure good installation, which can substantially increase the time and cost of installation. In other known corner moldings, an end of the wall panel is positioned into a side cavity of the corner molding, which can leave unsightly gaps between the corner molding and wall panel by virtue of excessive tolerances.

The continuing need exists for improving the structural integrity of such corner moldings for enhancing efficient and reliable installation of the corner construction for long-term usage. While it is desirable to provide internal vertical support and reinforcing walls that extend inwardly of the front faces of such corner moldings, a problem with such internal walls or reinforcing flanges in plastic injection molded parts is that they can create sink marks on the exposed outer faces of the corner molding due to non-uniform cooling of the molded plastic material at the juncture between the mating walls. Vertical sink marks are a particular problem with corner moldings which have horizontally disposed building elements, typical of simulated hand laid stone or brick. In that case, unlike vertically-oriented cedar shake and the like, the sink marks noticeably cross perpendicularly to the horizontally-oriented building elements.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a wall covering having corner moldings that facilitate more reliable installation and which are adapted for long-term usage.

Another object is to provide a corner molding of the foregoing type which permits efficient mounting of the corner moldings after installation of the wall panels.

A further object is to provide a corner molding as characterized above which has internal vertical reinforcing and mounting wall structures without noticeable sink marks on the exposed outer faces of the corner molding building elements that detract from the natural and aesthetic appearance of the corner construction.

Still another object is to provide a corner molding of the above kind which has horizontally-oriented simulated building elements, such as simulated hand laid stone or brick, in which sink marks from internal reinforcing and mounting wall structures blend into the outer appearance of the corner molding in a manner that is substantially unnoticeable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown an illustrative wall covering10in accordance with the invention mounted about a corner of sidewall surfaces11of a building structure. The wall surfaces11in this case are at a right angle to each other typical of the exterior corner of a building. The wall covering10comprises a plurality of corner moldings12mounted in vertically or stacked relation to each other and a plurality of wall panels14mounted laterally to each side of the corner moldings12.

The wall panels14may be of a type, such as shown in application Ser. No. 12/511,623 filed simultaneously with the present application, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The wall panels14, which preferably are molded out of relatively thin rigid plastic material, each are formed with simulated building elements, which in this case are in the form of rows of simulated horizontally oriented stone18typical of hand laid stone masonry.

The corner moldings12, which also are plastic injection molded, have front panels16disposed at a right angle to each other, which in this case are formed with simulated stone18in vertically stacked relation to each other separated by horizontal mortar lines19. The stone18protrudes outwardly of the mortar lines19, typical of hand laid stone, and have irregular outer surfaces consistent with natural stone. Peripheral rearwardly extending vertical sides20of the front panels16define ends of the simulated stone and rigidify the sides of the corner molding. While the invention has particular utility in corner molding and panels formed with simulated masonry, such as hand laid stone or brick, it will be understood that other forms of simulated building elements could be used, such as shake shingles, tile, or the like.

The corner moldings12are designed to permit efficient unencumbered mounting of the wall panels14on the wall surfaces11prior to mounting of the corner moldings12. As is known in the art, the wall panels14typically are mounted on the support surfaces11of the building wall or roof structure in horizontal courses, beginning with the lower most course, with the left and right side marginal edge regions in overlying relation to each other and with the lower marginal edge region of the wall panels14in each course overlying the upper marginal edge region of the wall panel in the course immediately below.

For securing the wall panels14to the wall surfaces11, an upper marginal edge mounting flange22of each wall panel14is formed with a row of elongated laterally spaced fastener receiving apertures24. The lower marginal edge region of each panel in this case is formed with a plurality of rearwardly and downwardly directed interlock flanges25that are engageable with the upper marginal edge mounting flange22of the previously mounted panel that is supported in elevated relation to the wall surface11. It will be understood that the overlapping right and left side marginal edge regions of the panels also may be formed with appropriate interlock means, such as disclosed in the aforereferenced simultaneously filed application.

For facilitating positioning and mounting of the corner moldings12in predetermined stacked relation to each other and to the previously installed wall panels14, each corner molding12has a mounting and interlock mechanism25that extends rearwardly and upwardly of the upper marginal edge region of the stone18for cooperation with an interlock member26adjacent a lower end of the corner molding12. The mounting and interlock mechanism25in this case includes a pair of mounting flanges28disposed in right angle planes to each other and an upwardly extending latch and alignment pin29. The mounting flanges28and latch and alignment pin29are supported by an upright structure comprising a right angle wall31extending upwardly from the uppermost simulated stone18of the corner molding12, and a right angle support structure32extending upwardly in recessed relation to the right angle wall31. The latch and alignment pin29extends upwardly from a corner or apex of the right angle support structure32for interlocking engagement with an interlock and alignment aperture34in the lower interlock member26of the next corner molding12in the vertical array. The lower interlock member26in this case is a horizontal plate39extending rearwardly of the corner molding front panels16formed with the interlock and receiving aperture34.

The interlock and alignment mechanism25is designed to both align the corner molding12in relation to a previously mounted corner molding12and to positively retain the corner molding12in engaging relation with the building elements of the adjacent wall panels14. For this purpose, the upstanding latch pin29and interlock aperture34have rectangular cross sections and the lower transverse interlock member26has a depending right angle flange35having side walls that engage and align with corresponding angled walls38formed in an upper transverse plate39of the support structure32. For facilitating interengagement and alignment of the corner panels12during installation, the latch and alignment pin29has an tapered upper end29a, and the upright support structure32has inwardly tapered side walls32a. An upper portion31aof the right angle support wall31is also tapered. Frangible pins40extend rearwardly of the front corner molding panels16for locating the corner molding12in predetermined relation with previously mounted corner molding while allowing for temperature expansion and contraction. Hence, such interlock and locating means allows for easy and reliable aligned interengagement of one corner molding in stacked relation onto the previously mounted corner molding, with a lower peripheral edge41of the corner molding12in closely spaced relation to the uppermost simulated stone18of the previously mounted corner molding without unsightly gaps between the simulated stone of the vertically adjacent corner moldings.

In accordance with a further important aspect of the invention, each corner molding has an internal wall structure that facilitates mounting about the corner wall surfaces and rigidifies the construction of the corner molding without molding sink marks on exposed faces of the simulated building elements that distract from the natural appearance of the simulated building elements. To this end, each corner molding12has integrally formed vertical support and reinforcing walls45that extend vertically substantially the length of the corner molding for both rigidifying its construction and facilitating its mounting about the corner wall surfaces11. The reinforcing and support walls45in this case are located intermediate an apex46and peripheral sides20of the corner molding panels16and extend between and interconnect the upper interlock mechanism25and the lower interlock member26. As can be seen, such vertically extending support and reinforcement walls45extend in substantially transverse relation to the horizontally oriented simulated stone18of the corner molding12.

In carrying out the invention, the support and reinforcing walls48have a curved undulating configuration such that any plastic injection molding sink marks that may occur on a front face of the corner molding12is similarly undulating so as to blend into the simulated stone and not to detract from its natural appearance. The reinforcing and support walls48in this case are serpentine configured with peaks48aand valleys48bof the walls48disposed in opposed relation to each other. The junctures47of the walls48with the rear sides of the front panels14are similarly undulating. For further rigidifying the wall structure, the walls48are formed with longitudinally spaced rigidifying ribs49, which in this case have a rounded configuration, and a pair of horizontal reinforcing flanges50interconnect between the inside apex area of the corner molding12and the reinforcing and support walls48.

In further carrying out this feature of the invention, the support and reinforcing walls48are formed with respective co-planar mounting surfaces49athat are oriented in perpendicular relation to each other for greater area contacting engagement with the wall mounting surfaces11. The co-planar mounting surfaces49ain this case include ends of reinforcing ribs49. In the illustrated embodiment, the rearward edges of the corner side20also are formed with tapered surfaces20afor overlapping engagement with the wall panels14.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the corner moldings of the present invention have both a rigid construction and facilitate aligned interlocking vertically stacked mounting. While the internal reinforcing and support walls extend vertically the substantial length of the corner moldings in substantially transverse relation to the simulated stone of the corner molding, any plastic injection molding sink marks that may occur on the exposed outer faces of the corner molding tend to blend into the simulated stone in a manner that does not detract from the natural and aesthetic appearance of the simulated stone.