Abstract:
Disclosed is an otherwise conventional wood molding that has a keyhole slot milled along its length on the mounting side thereof. Special mounting plates are attached to the wall via nails or other fasteners and include a specially designed key protrusion that mate with the keyhole slot. Inserting the key into the keyhole slot, the molding can be attached to and removed from the wall quickly, easily and repetitively without damaging either the molding or the wall.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to molding trim for doors, windows and the like, and more specifically to molding trim that attaches to a wall or other surface in a removable, snap-on manner. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     For those of us who have attempted to perform some home remodeling without professional assistance, the phrase “he makes it look easy” takes on a whole new meaning. Carpenters, electricians, plumbers and the like are all skilled tradesmen who spend years honing their skills to a point where professional-quality results are produced routinely in a short amount of time. However, when attempting these functions on their own, do-it-yourselfers can turn seemingly simple projects into monumental tasks which can lead to a waste of time and money as well as a great deal of frustration. A prime example of this phenomenon involves interior painting where one attempts to paint around the various window and door moldings used to trim their respective openings. In doing so, the painter often gets paint on the wood molding material, forcing them to clean the molding. Others choose to use the painstaking method of masking the trim prior to painting. Regardless, the painter spends a great deal of time navigating his or her paintbrush around the trim pieces throughout the room. Accordingly, there is a need for a means through which persons of average skill can paint a room easily, producing attractive and quality results without spending a great deal of time navigating around window and door molding. The development of the present invention fulfills this need. 
     A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, several references trim molding and other molding type devices were discovered. These devices neither anticipate nor disclose any embodiment that would preclude the novelty and the utilitarian functionality of the features of the present invention. 
     The following patents describe a J-trim corner piece for holding a screen frame, or the like. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,992, issued in the name of Strick et al.; and 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,705, issued in the name of Guillemet. 
     The following patents describe a corner piece for a miter joint/molding trim. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,318 issued in the name of Anderson; 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,439 issued in the name of Sakashita; 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,069,289 issued in the name of Swendsen et al.; 
     U.S. Pat. No. Des. 388,884 issued in the name of Karnoski; 
     U.S. Pat. No. Des. 378,422 issued in the name of Howe; and 
     U.S. Pat. No. Des. 175,229 issued in the name of Neufeld. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,464, issued in the name of Forster, discloses an apparatus for making corner joints for molding trim for windows, doors, etc. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,861, issued in the name of Rasmussen, describes a trim arrangement with separate slip-fit corner pieces. 
     While several features exhibited within these references may be incorporated into this invention, alone and in combination with other elements, the present invention is sufficiently different so as to make it distinguishable over the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional trim molding is nailed directly to the supporting wall surface. As a result, removing the molding is difficult, if not impossible without causing some damage to either the molding itself or the wall. The present invention consists of otherwise conventional wood molding that has a keyhole slot milled along its length on the mounding side thereof. Special mounting plates are attached to the wall via nails or other fasteners and include a specially designed key protrusion that mate with the keyhole slot. Inserting the key into the keyhole slot, the molding can be attached to and removed from the wall quickly, easily and repetitively without damaging either the molding or the wall. Thus, one can remove the molding in order to paint the walls quickly and easily, without having to navigate door and window trim. As a result, use of the present invention allows those with average painting skills to achieve professional-quality results. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide snap-on wood trim molding that removably attaches to a supporting wall surface, allowing for removal during wall painting, washing or other routine maintenance functions. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide snap-on wood trim molding in which an anchoring device attaches to a wall or other support surface in a strong and secure manner, allowing for the removable attachment of individual lengths of trim molding strips thereto. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide snap-on wood trim molding that has an attractive, wood-like appearance resembling that of traditional trim moldings. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide snap-on wood trim molding that is constructed of a material that will accept paint and/or stains in order to alter or adjust its appearance. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide snap-on wood trim molding in which a variety of designs and styles are available to match those of conventional wood trim moldings. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide snap-on wood trim molding that is attached and removed easily from the supporting wall surface. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide snap-on wood trim molding in which a close tolerance fit between the molding and supporting wall surface is formed. 
     Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide snap-on wood trim molding that may be constructed of materials including wood, pressed wood, plastic, fiberglass, or other like synthetic material. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is an plan view of a room depicting the installation of the snap-on wood trim molding, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of the snap-on wood trim molding, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the snap-on wood trim molding, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a end sectional view of the snap-on wood trim molding, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a rear view of the snap-on wood trim molding, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a front view of the anchoring plate for use in conjunction with the snap-on wood trim molding, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the anchoring plate for use in conjunction with the snap-on wood trim molding, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a end elevation view of the anchoring plate for use in conjunction with the snap-on wood trim molding, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 9 is a rear view of the anchoring plate for use in conjunction with the snap-on wood trim molding, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 10 is a end sectional view depicting the use of the anchoring plate to support the snap-on wood trim molding from a wall or other like support surface, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS 
       20  Room 
       21  Snap-On Molding 
       22  Door 
       23  Window 
       24  Base Board 
       25  Miter Joints 
       26  Wall 
       30  Outer Surface 
       31  Back Surface 
       35  Support KeyWay 
       36  Insertion Aperture 
       37  Clip Receiving Cavity 
       38  Anchor Recess 
       40  Anchoring Plate 
       41  Base 
       42  Locking Clips 
       43  Nail Holes 
       44  Insertion Corner 
       45  Support Corners 
       46  Insertion Surfaces 
       47  Support Surfaces 
       50  Nails 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     1. Detailed Description of the Figures 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, depicted is a typical room  20  wherein the use of the snap-on wood trim molding, hereinafter snap-on molding  21 , is shown trimming a door  22 , a window  23  and a base board  24 . The snap-on molding  21  has a variety of additional uses such as chair molding, crown molding and other similar conventional molding types. The installation and function of the snap-on molding  21 , however, is the same regardless of the particular type of molding being used. In these applications, the snap-on molding  21  is cut to length, forming miter joints  25  that allow the entire perimeter to be trimmed, fastening each piece of snap-on molding to the wall  26  or other support surface. 
     Referring now to FIGS.  2 - 5 , depicted is the snap-on molding  21  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. As depicted most clearly in FIG. 4, the shape or contour of the snap-on molding  21  is that of conventional window or door casing type moldings. It should be noted that there are literally hundreds of different styles and types of molding available on the market today, most, if not all of which can be incorporated into the design of the snap-on molding  21 . The particular type chosen for the Figures is merely a representative sample chosen to illustrate the function of the present invention. Furthermore, the material construction of the snap-on molding  21  can vary widely, incorporating materials such as wood, pressed wood, particle board, plastic, fiberglass and a variety of other like synthetic materials. Regardless of the material construction, however, the function of the snap-on molding  21  is identical. 
     The snap-on molding  21  has a contoured, decorative outer surface  30  and a flat back surface  31  that mates against the wall or other support surface upon which the snap-on molding is secured. A support key way  35  is milled or otherwise formed along the entire length of the snap-on molding  21 . Viewed best in FIG. 4, the support key way  35  consists of a insertion aperture  36  that leads to an enlarged clip receiving cavity  37 . The support key way  35  itself is recessed from the back surface  31  in an anchor recess  38 . 
     Referring now to FIGS.  6 - 9 , depicted is an anchoring plate  40  that is used to support the snap-on molding  21  from a wall  26  or other similar support structure. The anchoring plate  40  consists of a base  41  used to support at least one spring biased locking clips  42 . A pair of nail holes  43  are bored through the base  41 , allowing the anchoring plate  40  to be fastened to the wall  26  using nails  50  or other like fasteners. 
     In the Figures, the use of three locking clips  42  are depicted on the anchoring plate  40 , although it is realized that any number locking clips  42  would be sufficient. The locking clips  42  are generally square or rectangular in shape and are rotated approximately 45 degrees with respect to the surface of the base  41 , attached thereto such that an insertion corner  44  of the rectangular shape lies opposite the point of attachment to the base  41 , in between a pair of support corners  45 . The length of material between the insertion corner  44  and the support corners  45  define a pair of insertion surfaces  46 . The length of material between the support corners  45  and the base  41  define a pair of support surfaces  47 . The material used in the construction of the locking clips  42  must be such that they distort under a compression force, yet return to the original shape when the compression force is removed. Realizing that hardness and thickness are the main factors that will determine the flexibility and resilience of the locking clips  42 , there are a variety of combinations that will produce the desired result. 
     The locking clips  42  are designed to be inserted into the support key way  35 , fastening the snap-on molding  21  to the wall  26  adjacent to the window  23  or door  22  being trimmed. Inserting the insertion corner  44  through the insertion aperture  36  and into the clip receiving cavity  37 , an interference is created between the locking clips  42  and the support key way  35 . As the snap-on molding  21  is pressed onto the anchoring plate  40 , the interference between the insertion aperture  36  and the locking clips  42  creates a compression force that acts perpendicularly to the back surface  31  of the snap-on molding  21 . The angled orientation of the insertion surfaces  46  with respect to the direction of the compression force causes the force to be broken into component forces that compress the locking clip  42  such that the support corners  45  are drawn together, allowing the locking clip  42  to enter the clip receiving cavity  37  of the support key way  35 . Once the locking clip  42  has entered the support key way  35 , the interference fit is relieved, allowing the locking clip  42  to expand to its original form under the resiliency of its material construction. Expanded within the clip receiving cavity  37 , the support surfaces  47  create an interference fit with the insertion aperture  36  that retains the locking clip within the support key way  35 . Designed to have close to zero tolerance between the internal dimensions of the clip receiving cavity  37  and the outside dimensions of the locking clip  42 , the attachment of the snap-on molding  21  to the anchoring plate  40  is tight and secure, rather than loose, and is not prone to shake or rattle. 
     Removing the anchoring plate  40  from the support key way  35 , an interference is again created between the locking clips  42  and the support key way  35 . As the snap-on molding  21  is pulled from the anchoring plate  40 , the interference between the insertion aperture  36  and the locking clips  42  creates a compression force that acts out from the support key way  35 , perpendicularly to the back surface  31  of the snap-on molding  21 . The angled orientation of the support surfaces  47  with respect to the direction of the compression force causes the force to be broken into component forces that compress the locking clip  42  such that the support corners  45  are drawn together, allowing the locking clip  42  to leave the clip receiving cavity  37  of the support key way  35 , thus separating the anchoring plate  40  from the snap-on molding  21 . 
     2. Operation of the Preferred Embodiment 
     In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention and as shown in FIG. 10, the snap-on molding  21  is used to provide removable trim that allows for easy painting, cleaning or maintenance. The anchoring plate  40  is fastened to a wall  26  using nails  50  that are passed through the nail holes  43 . As each individual style or design of the snap-on molding  21  will be milled such that the support key way  35  lies in the same position with respect to the edges, the anchoring plates  40  can be properly positioned quickly and easily using a variety of conventional template methods. Once the anchoring plate  40  is secured to the wall  26 , the snap-on molding  21  can be pressed into place, inserting the locking clips  42  into the support key way  35 . Removal of the snap-on molding  21  is achieved by simply prying or otherwise pulling in order to separate it from the anchoring plates  40 . 
     While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown, illustrated, and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in this field that various modifications may be made in these embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It is for this reason that the scope of the invention is set forth in and is to be limited only by the following claims.