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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    The present application is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 60/216,272, filed Jul. 6, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a modular door and wall panel system that is formed from extruded rigid PVC. More specifically, the present invention relates to a modular door and wall system in which each of the components are formed from extruded rigid PVC such that the components can be used to construct a door, a wall partition system and a shed.  
           [0003]    In many situations, such as an agricultural environment, a need exists for a door and wall system that is formed from a material that can be easily washed and sanitized. For example, in dairy, hog confinement, poultry and clean rooms, it is desirable to have a door and wall system that is formed from a material that will not stain, rot, peel or mildew and can be easily sanitized and cleaned. Currently, one such available material is stainless steel. Although stainless steel can be easily sanitized and cleaned, and is very durable, the cost of forming a door and wall system from stainless steel proves to be prohibitive. Further, the weight and general inflexibility of the material makes stainless steel generally unacceptable for such an agricultural setting.  
           [0004]    In addition to the desire for a door and wall system that can be easily washed and sanitized, it is also desirable for a door and wall system that is easily expandable and configurable based on user requirements without requiring specially manufactured parts. The use of modular components without requiring specialized parts molded to a user requirement increases the flexibility of the system while dramatically reducing the cost.  
           [0005]    As discussed above, it is desirable for a door and wall system that is formed from a material that can be easily washed and sanitized. Although one possible alternative is plastic, plastic doors and wall panels having widths up to 36 inches have presented a formidable challenge in the extruding and molding process.  
           [0006]    As the above comments indicate, a need clearly exists for a modular door and wall system that is durable, inexpensive and can be sanitized. Further, a need exists for a modular door and wall system that is inexpensive, infinitely expandable and configurable, and easy to maintain and assemble.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The present invention is a modular door, wall and shed construction system that is formed entirely from extruded rigid PVC. The door, wall and shed construction system of the present invention are all centered around an extruded wall panel. The extruded wall panel includes a first face surface and a second face surface that are separated from each other by a plurality of center ribs. The center ribs space the first face surface and the second face surface to define a generally hollow interior for the extruded wall panel.  
           [0008]    The extruded wall panel includes a first side and a second side that define the width of the panel. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the wall panel has a width of 36 inches. Both the first side and the second side of the wall panel include a recessed connector channel extending from the top of the wall panel to the bottom of the wall panel. The recess connector channel is formed during the extrusion of the wall panel.  
           [0009]    The recessed connector channel preferably defines the shape of a dovetail mortise and can receive a dovetail end formed on other components of the construction system of the present invention. For example, an end cap can be attached to either side of the wall panel to cover the recessed connector channel.  
           [0010]    In the door construction system of the present invention, the wall panel is used as the actual door. The wall panel is mounted between a door frame formed from a pair of side doorjamb members and a top doorjamb member In accordance with the present invention, each of the doorjamb members is formed from extruded rigid PVC. Each door jamb member includes an extended stopping section that contacts the door when the door is in the closed position. Each of the door jamb members includes a pair of snap grooves that allow various other components to be attached to the doorjamb. For example, a doorjamb extension and a decorative molding can be attached to the opposite snap grooves as desired. The door system further includes a end cap that can be attached to the recessed connector channels formed in each side of the door to provide a clean appearance for the door.  
           [0011]    In addition to allowing for the formation of a door system, the extruded wall panels can be connected to each other to form various partitions and wall assemblies. Specifically, an extended panel adapter having a pair of connectors can be used to securely join a pair of wall panels. The panel adapter can be configured to allow the wall panels to be connected parallel to each other, or the panel adapter can be configured such that the wall panels are connected at any desired angle. Thus, the extruded wall panels of the invention can be used to form a wall partition system by simply joining the panels in an end-to-end configuration.  
           [0012]    The wall panels of the present invention can also be connected end-to-end to form an enclosed shed or storage building. The enclosed shed can include the door assembly of the present invention to allow access to the interior of the enclosed area.  
           [0013]    The shed assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention includes an eave connector mounted to the top end of each wall panel that forms the opposite sidewalls of the shed. The eave connector includes a sloped panel support surface that receives one of the wall panels used to form the roof of the shed. An eave end cap secures the outer end of the wall panel to the eave connector such that the wall panel is secured to the sidewalls to form the roof of the shed.  
           [0014]    A peak connector is positioned between the ends of the wall panels that form the roof to define the peak of the roof. Preferably, the peak connector includes a pair of panel receptacles that are each sized to receive an end of the wall panels used to form the roof. In this manner, the roof connector defines the peak of the roof and secures the wall panels that form the roof.  
           [0015]    In a proposed embodiment of the invention, the peak connector defines a hollow central opening positioned between the pair of the wall panel receptacles. The hollow, central opening is sized to receive an aluminum stiffener such that the aluminum stiffener acts to support the weight of the roof.  
           [0016]    Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention.  
         [0018]    In the drawings:  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view illustrating a door formed from an extruded wall panel and extruded door jamb members constructed in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 is a section view taken along line  2 - 2  of FIG. 1 illustrating the specific configuration of the door and the extruded doorjamb and trim components formed in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 is a section view taken along line  3 - 3  of FIG. 1 illustrating the hinge, door knob and wall panel used to form the door of FIG. 1;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 is a magnified view illustrating the end configuration of the wall panel used to form the door of FIG. 1;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 5 is a magnified view of the hinge and mounting arrangement for the door of the present invention;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 6 is a top view of an extruded wall panel that forms a basis of the present invention;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 7 is a top view illustrating a doorjamb extension;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 8 is a top view of an extruded panel adapter used to join adjacent wall panels;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 9 is a top view of a door jamb including a smooth trim section;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating a molded door sill used in connection with one of the doors;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 11 is an exploded view taken a long line  11 - 11  of FIG. 10;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 12 is a front view and partial section view illustrating a storage shed formed from the wall panels and door assembly of the present invention;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 13 is a section view taken along line  13 - 13  of FIG. 12;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 14 is a section view taken along line  14 - 14  of FIG. 12 illustrating the peak connector used in forming the roof of the shed;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 15 is a section view taken along line  15 - 15  of FIG. 12 illustrating the eave connector used to secure the wall panels that form the roof of the shed illustrated in FIG. 12; and  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 16 is a section view illustrating one corner of the shed of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0035]    Referring first to FIG. 1, thereshown is a door assembly  10  that is formed exclusively from extruded plastic components that form the present invention. In FIG. 1, the door assembly  10  is shown mounted between a pair of conventional walls  12  that are formed from any one of numerous currently available materials, such as conventional wood support beams and drywall. The door assembly  10  of the present invention includes an extruded wall panel mounted to a door frame  15  formed from a pair of side door jamb sections  16  and a top section  17 . In the preferred embodiment of the invention, both the wall panel  14  and the door jambs  16  and  17  are extruded from rigid PVC. The rigid PVC that forms the entire door assembly  16  provides the required durability and can be easily washed and sanitized.  
         [0036]    Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, thereshown are detailed section views of the door assembly of the present invention. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the door itself is formed from a wall panel  14  that has a width extending between a first side  18  and a second side  20 . In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the wall panel  14  has an overall width of approximately 36 inches, although other widths for the wall panel are contemplated.  
         [0037]    As can be seen in FIG. 3, the wall panel  14  is a monolithic structure and includes a first face surface  22  and a second face surface  24  that create a generally open interior  25  and define the thickness of the wall panel  14 . In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the wall panel  14  has a thickness of 1.75 inches, although it is contemplated that other thicknesses of the wall panel are possible.  
         [0038]    As illustrated in FIG. 3, the first face surface  22  and the second face surface  24  are joined by a series of center ribs  26  that extend across the open interior  25  and provide the required rigidity for the wall panel  14 . Several of the center ribs  26  include an integrally formed extruded screw boss  28  that extends along the entire length of the wall panel  14 . The screw boss  28  provides for a point of attachment for various end caps and other components, such that these components can be secured to the top and bottom ends of a length of wall panel  14 .  
         [0039]    The wall panel  14  further includes a series of standoff ribs  30  that extend along the entire length of the extruded wall panel  14 . The standoff ribs  30  are used to support a stiffening device, such as the wood stiffener  32  illustrated in FIG. 3. The standoff ribs  30  space the wood stiffener  32  away from both the first face surface  22  and the second race surface  24  as illustrated.  
         [0040]    Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 6, both the first side  18  and the second side  20  of the wall panel  14  include a recessed connector channel  34  having a shape corresponding to a dovetail mortise. The connector channel  34  is defined by a pair of inwardly angled sidewalls  36  and a back wall  38 . The connector channel  34  extends along the entire length of the wall panel  14 , which allows various components to be slid down the length of the wall panel  14 , the significance of which will be discussed in greater detail to follow.  
         [0041]    Referring back to FIG. 3, the wall panel  14  used to form the door is mounted between a pair of vertical door jamb members  40 , each of which are positioned in contact with a support stud  42 . Each of the door jamb members  40  is formed from extruded rigid PVC and can be formed in any length desired. The extruded doorjamb member  40  provides the required mounting and contact points for opening and closing the door formed from the wall panel  14 .  
         [0042]    Referring now to FIG. 9, thereshown is a detailed view of the door jamb  40 . The door jamb  40  generally includes an exterior wall  44  and an inner wall  46 . The exterior wall  44  and the inner wall  46  are joined by a series of center ribs  48 , several of which include extruded screw bosses  50 . The screw bosses  50  allow various components to be selectively attached to the top and bottom ends of each doorjamb  40 .  
         [0043]    The door jamb  40  further includes a protruding stopping section  52  that includes a stop surface  54 . The stopping section  52  includes a pair of angled weather-strip grooves  56  that receive a portion of a rubberized weather-strip  58 . The weather-strip  58  contacts the door to provide a seal when the door is in its closed position.  
         [0044]    As illustrated in FIG. 9, the inner end  60  of the door jamb member  40  includes at least one snap groove  62 . The snap groove  62  is sized to receive a mating snap  64  formed on an accessory piece, such as the doorjamb extension  66  shown in FIG. 9. Doorjamb extension  66  allows the width of the doorjamb  40  to be extended in situations where the support stud  42  is wider than the door jamb member  40 , such as is shown in FIG. 3.  
         [0045]    Referring back to FIG. 9, the outer end  68  of the doorjamb member  40  also includes a snap groove  70  that receives a snap  72  formed on an exterior trim piece  74 . The exterior trim piece provides for a smooth appearance of the door jamb when viewed from the front. As can be seen in FIG. 4, a decorative door jamb mold  76  including the snap  72  can be attached to the outer end  68  of the door jamb member  40 . The decorative door jamb molding  76  includes a tacking strip  78  that allows the molding  76  to be secured to the wall formed from the support stud  42 .  
         [0046]    Referring back to FIG. 9, the connector channel  34  of the wall panel  14  can receive the protruding connector  80  of an end cap  82 . As illustrated, the connector  80  has the shape of a dovetail such that the connector  80  mates with the dovetail mortise shape of the connector channel  34 . The end cap  82  includes a generally flat trim portion  84  attached to the dovetail connector  80  such that the end cap provides a smooth, finished appearance for the side of the door when the end cap  82  is inserted into the connector channel  34 .  
         [0047]    In addition to receiving the end cap  82 , the connector channel  34  can receive either of the dovetail connectors  86  of the extruded panel adapter  88  shown in FIG. 8. As can be understood in FIGS. 6 and 8, when the dovetail connector  86   a  of the panel adapter  88  is inserted into the connector channel  34  of the wall panel  14 , another wall panel  14  can be connected to the opposite dovetail connector  86   b  of the panel adapter  88  such that successive wall panels can be attached to one another to form a wall structure. In addition to the panel adapter  88  shown in FIG. 8, it is also contemplated by the inventor that various panel adapters can be configured in accordance with the present invention. For example, a panel adapter in which the dovetail connectors  86  are 90° apart from each other would form a corner adapter, while an adapter having four dovetail connectors  86  would allow four panel sections  14  to be connected to each other at a common junction point. Additionally, it is contemplated by the inventor that numerous other angle configurations between the dovetail connectors  86  are possible while operating within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0048]    Referring back to FIGS. 3 and 5, the wall panel  14  that forms the door is connected to the wood support stud  42  by a conventional hinge  90 . The first plate  91  of the hinge  90  is connected to the wall panel  14  by an extended screw  92  that is received within the wood stiffener  32 . A second screw  94  extends through the plate  91  and is received solely in the end cap  82  and the second side  20  of the wall panel  14 .  
         [0049]    The opposite plate  96  of the hinge  90  is connected to the wood stud  42  by a second extended screw  98  that passes through the doorjamb member  40 . A second screw  100  also passes through the doorjamb member  40  and is secured solely to the door jamb member  40 .  
         [0050]    In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 5, the door jamb member  40  includes an extruded aluminum stiffener  102  extending through the hollow interior between a pair of center ribs  48 . The extruded aluminum stiffener  102  provides additional stability for the doorjamb member  40 , especially when the door formed from the wall panel  14  is a significant height, which increases the weight of the door.  
         [0051]    Referring now to FIG. 3, thereshown is a proposed configuration for a door handle  104  used in connection with the door of the present invention. The door handle  104  includes a pair of knobs  106  that are connected to an activation rod  108  including the movable plunger  110 . The plunger  110  is received within a recess  112  formed in a latch plate  114 . The latch plate  114  is mounted to the door jamb member  40  in a conventional manner.  
         [0052]    As can be seen in FIG. 3, the activation rod  108  passes through an internal bore  116  formed in the wood stiffener  118 . Further, the activation rod  108  passes through the connector channel of the wall panel  14  and the end plate attached to the connector channel.  
         [0053]    Referring now to FIG. 2, thereshown is a lengthwise section view of the door assembly and illustrates the top end  120  and the bottom end  122  of the wall panel  14  used to form the door illustrated in FIG. 1. The wall panel  14  can be extruded to almost any length, depending upon the length requirement for the door formed from the wall panel  14 .  
         [0054]    As shown in FIG. 2, both the top end  120  and the bottom end  122  of the wall panel  14  include a weather-strip cap  124  that closes off the open hollow interior of the wall panel  14 . As illustrated in FIG. 2, a series of screws  126  are received within the corresponding screw bosses  28  that are molded within the wall panel  14  and extend along the entire length of the wall panel  14 .  
         [0055]    As shown in FIG. 2, the extruded weather-strip cap  124  includes a pair of channels  128  that extend along the width of the wall panel  14  and each receive a resilient weather-strip  130 . The weather-strip  130  provides a seal between the top end  120  of the wall panel  14  and the inner wall  46  of the door jamb member  40 . In addition to the pair of weather-strips  130 , the top doorjamb  40  also includes a similar weather-strip  58  to further seal the door upon closure.  
         [0056]    As illustrated in FIG. 2, the bottom end  122  of the wall panel  14  that forms the door also includes a pair of lower weather-strips  130  that engage an extended door sill  132 . Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the door sill  132  includes a pair of sloped, serrated surfaces  134  that angle upward to a flat top surface  136 . The flat top surface  136  includes a protruding bead  138  that defines the center of the door sill  132 . In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the entire door sill  132  is an extruded element formed from rigid PVC material.  
         [0057]    Referring now to FIG. 12, thereshown is a shed  140  formed utilizing the extruded wall panels of the present invention. The shed  140  generally includes a pair of sidewalls  142  and  144 , a front wall  146 , and a back wall (not shown). As illustrated in FIG. 12, the walls of the shed  140  support a roof assembly  148  including a right roof panel  149  and a left roof panel  150 . The right roof panel  149  and the left roof panel  150  are each formed from a series of wall panels  14  that are joined together side-to-side. As shown in FIG. 12, the right and left roof panels are joined to define a peak  151 . The opposite sides of each roof panel  149  and  150  are supported on the spaced sidewalls  142  and  144  in a manner to be discussed in greater detail below.  
         [0058]    As can be seen in FIG. 12, a door assembly  10  can be formed in the shed  140 . The door assembly  10  includes a wall panel  14  that functions as the door, which supported between the door frame formed from extruded door jamb members. The door assembly  10  is generally identical to that shown in FIGS.  1 - 11 .  
         [0059]    Referring now to FIG. 13, the outer perimeter of the shed  140  is defined by a shed base  152  that is secured to the ground. The shed base  152  is preferably formed from extruded aluminum and includes a pair of sidewalls  154  and  156 . The sidewalls  154  and  156  are spaced to receive one of the wall panels  14  that forms the walls of the shed  140 .  
         [0060]    Referring now to FIG. 16, each of the sidewalls is formed from a series of wall panels  14  joined to each other by panel adapters  145 . As can be understood in FIG. 16, the length of each wall can be selected by joining together the desired number of wall panels.  
         [0061]    As can be seen in FIG. 16, a corner adapter  158  is used to join a pair of walls at a 90° angle to define one of the corners of the shed. As discussed previously, the corner adapter  158  is formed from extruded rigid PVC and includes a pair of end connectors  160  that are received in the connector channels formed in each of the wall panels. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 16, an extruded aluminum stiffener  161  is positioned within the corner adapter  158  to provide the required rigidity for the shed  140 .  
         [0062]    Referring now to FIG. 15, thereshown is an eave connector  160  used to support the roof on either of the sidewalls  142  or  144 . As shown in FIG. 15, the wall panel of the sidewall  142  is received within the lower portion of the eave connector  160 . Specifically, a pair of spaced eave sidewalls  162  and  164  receive the sidewall  142 .  
         [0063]    The eave connector  160  includes a sloped panel support surface  166  that receives and supports the wall panel  14  used to construct the roof assembly  148 . The panel support surface  166  terminates with an extended lip  168  that contacts an outer end  170  of the end portion  171  attached to the wall panel  14 . The lip  168  prevents the panel  14  from sliding off of the roof.  
         [0064]    In addition to the eave connector  160 , the roof assembly includes an eave cover cap  172  that surrounds the combination of the eave connector  160  and the end portion  171  to provide a smooth, decorative trim and aid in holding the wall panel along the eave connector  160 . The eave cover cap  172  includes a top panel  174  and an end panel  176  that combine to entrap the end  170  of the end portion  171  in contact with the sloped panel support surface  166 . A bottom panel  178  of the eave cover cap  172  contacts the sidewall  164  of the eave connector  160  to further support the wall panel.  
         [0065]    In addition to being supported along each of the sidewalls of the shed, each of the wall panels that form the roof are supported at their opposite end  180  by a peak connector  182 , as illustrated in FIG. 14. The peak connector  182  is formed from extruded rigid PVC and generally defines a first panel receptacle  184  and a second panel receptacle  186  sized to receive the wall panels  14 . The first and second panel receptacles  184  and  186  thus support the ends  180  of the pair of opposed wall panels used to form the roof assembly  148 .  
         [0066]    The peak connector further defines a hollow central opening  188  that is positioned between the pair of panel receptacles  184  and  186 . The central opening  188  is sized to receive an aluminum stiffener  190 , such as shown in FIG. 14. The aluminum stiffener  190  provides additional rigidity for the peak of the roof formed in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0067]    Although not shown in FIG. 14, the peak connector  182  is supported on each of its ends by a support column  192 , such as shown in FIG. 12. The support column  192  aids in supporting the weight of the roof along each of the front and back walls of the shed  140 .  
         [0068]    Various alternatives and embodiments are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention.

Summary:
A modular construction system that utilizes an extruded wall panel formed from rigid PVC to form either a door system, a wall system, or a storage building. The construction system includes an extruded wall panel defined by planar front and back surfaces that define a hollow interior. The wall panel can be configured to act as a door panel for a modular door system. A plurality of wall panels can be joined by a panel adapter to define a wall having a user selected configuration. Further, the wall panels can be joined to define the sidewalls of a storage building. An eave connector formed from extruded plastic supports a series of wall panels on the sidewalls and cooperates with a roof connector to form the roof of the storage building from the extruded wall panels.