Abstract:
A kit for installing a door assembly including a plurality of door frame brackets adapted to be attached to a door frame and to a wall having an opening in which the door assembly is to be installed and a lockset bracket adapted to be attached to a lockset hole formed in an edge surface of the door and to the door frame, the lockset bracket being operable to fix the door in relation to the door frame and the door frame brackets being operable to fix the door assembly relative to the opening.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part of the co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/113,834 filed Apr. 25, 2006. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to pre-hung doors and, in particular, to a kit for installing a pre-hung residential door assembly that allows for improved, easier installation of a pre-hung door assembly adjacent an opening in a residential wall.  
         [0003]     A typical pre-hung residential door assembly includes a substantially rectangular door frame having a preferably wood door hingedly attached thereto. The door assembly is configured for attachment to walls of a rough opening formed in a residential wall, for example in a house, a garage, or the like. These pre-hung door assemblies are advantageous in that the frame and the door are pre-aligned, requiring only the frame to be attached and aligned to the rough opening and eliminating the step of aligning the orienting the door to the frame.  
         [0004]     The following U.S. patents and published patent application are relevant to pre-hung door assemblies and/or installation of pre-hung doors, the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,919,798, 3,301,820, 3,411,240, 3,473,265, 3,584,416, 3,599,373, 4,718,195, 4,739,561, 5,159,782, 5,365,697, 5,655,332, 6,170,198, 6,725,604, and the U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0060241.  
         [0005]     While pre-hung door assemblies are advantageous and eliminate the step of aligning and orienting the door to the frame, properly aligning and orienting the door assembly in the rough opening remains a difficult and often time-consuming task due in part to the weight of the door assembly and in part to the need to shim the assembly in the opening. Often, after the shims have been inserted, some or all of the shims move or fall out when the door is opened to test the fit.  
         [0006]     It is desirable, therefore, to allow for easier and quicker installation of a pre-hung door assembly that maintains the alignment between the door frame and the door while installing the pre-hung door assembly.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention concerns a kit for installing a pre-hung door assembly to a rough opening in a residential wall.  
         [0008]     A kit for installing a door assembly including a plurality of door frame brackets adapted to be attached to a door frame and to a wall having an opening in which the door assembly is to be installed, a plurality of door brackets adapted to be attached to a door and the door frame, and a lockset bracket adapted to be attached to a lockset hole formed in an edge surface of the door and to the door frame, the door brackets and the lockset bracket being operable to fix the door in relation to the door frame and said door frame brackets being operable to fix the door assembly relative to the opening.  
         [0009]     The kit in accordance with the present invention is adapted to engage with a pre-hung residential door assembly, which includes a substantially rectangular door frame having a preferably wood door hingedly attached thereto. The door assembly is configured for attachment to walls of a rough opening formed in a residential wall, for example in a house, a garage, or the like.  
         [0010]     The kit in accordance with the present invention includes at least one and preferably a plurality of door frame brackets, at least one and preferably a plurality of door brackets and at least one lockset bracket. Each bracket is preferably adapted to be attached to a predetermined location on the pre-hung residential door assembly.  
         [0011]     The kit in accordance with the present invention allows for improved, easier, and quicker installation of a door assembly and advantageously keeps the door frame and the door aligned during installation of the door assembly. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     The above, as well as other advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of a kit in accordance with the present invention shown attached to a pre-hung door assembly;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a fragmentary perspective view of the lock area of the door shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a door frame bracket of the kit in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the door frame bracket of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a door bracket of the kit in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the door bracket of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a lockset bracket of the kit in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a lockset bracket in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0021]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a pre-hung door installation kit in accordance with the present invention is indicated generally at  10 . The kit  10  includes at least one and preferably a plurality of generally F-shaped door frame brackets  12 , at least one and preferably a plurality of door brackets  14 , and at least one lockset bracket  16 .  
         [0022]     The brackets  12 ,  14 , and  16  of the kit  10  are adapted to be attached at various locations on a pre-hung door assembly  18 , best seen in  FIG. 1  and discussed in more detail below. The door assembly  18  includes a substantially rectangular door frame  20  having a preferably wood door  22  hingedly attached thereto. The door assembly  18  is configured for attachment to surfaces  24  of a rough opening  26  formed in a residential building wall  28 , for example in a house, a garage, or the like. The wall  28  may be an interior wall or an exterior wall and the door assembly  18  may be configured as an interior door (with a typically wood door  22 ) or an exterior door (with a typically steel door), as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The door  22  includes a lockset hole  30 , best seen in  FIG. 2 , formed in a side edge surface thereof. The lockset hole  30  extends to a door knob hole  32  formed through front and rear surfaces of the door  22 .  
         [0023]     Referring now to  FIGS. 3-4 , the kit  10  includes at least one and preferably a plurality of the generally F-shaped door frame brackets  12 . The door frame brackets  12  include a base  34  and a pair of arms  36  extending from the base  34  that are spaced apart by a predetermined distance, indicated by an arrow  38 . The predetermined distance  38  is preferably sized to provide a snug fit for the door frame bracket  12  against the frame  20  of the door assembly  18 , discussed in more detail below. The base  34  defines an elongated hole or slot  40  extending through upper and lower surfaces thereof. The hole  40  is sized to accept a fastener (not shown) or the like when the kit  10  is used to attach the door assembly  18  to the surfaces  24  of the rough opening  26 . The base  34  may also define an aperture  41  in a portion of the base  34  between the arms  36  for receiving a fastener or the like.  
         [0024]     Referring now to  FIGS. 5-6 , the kit  10  includes at least one and preferably a plurality of the door brackets  14 , which include a first generally C-shaped door-engaging portion  42  that is adapted to engage with the door  22  and a second generally L-shaped frame-engaging portion  44  extending from the first portion  42  that is adapted to engage with the door frame  20 . The first portion  42  includes a pair of arms  46  extending from a base  48  that are spaced apart by a predetermined distance, indicated by an arrow  50 . The predetermined distance  50  is preferably sized to provide a snug fit for the door bracket  14  against the peripheral surface of the door  22  of the door assembly  18 , discussed in more detail below. The second portion  44  includes an arm  52  having a first section  54  extending from the base  48  in a direction opposite the arms  46  and second bent over section  56  that defines a space, indicated by an arrow  58 , between the bent over section  56  and the base  48 . The predetermined distance  58  is preferably sized to provide a snug fit for the door bracket  14  against the frame  20  of the door assembly  18 , discussed in more detail below.  
         [0025]     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , the kit  10  includes at least one lockset bracket  16  which includes a generally C-shaped body having a pair of arms  60  extending from a base  62  that are spaced apart by a predetermined distance, indicated by an arrow  64 . The predetermined distance  64  is preferably sized to provide a snug fit for the lockset bracket  16  against the frame  20  of the door assembly  18 , discussed in more detail below. A projection  66  extends outwardly from an outer surface of one of the arms  60 . The projection  66  is adapted to engage with the walls that define the lockset hole  30  formed in the peripheral surface of the door  22 . While illustrated as substantially C-shaped, the projection  66  may conform to the outer surface of the arm  60  and is preferably sized to engage with the walls of the lockset hole  30  so as to prevent the door  22  from moving with respect to the door frame  20  during use of the kit  10 , discussed in more detail below.  
         [0026]     The door frame brackets  12 , the door brackets  14 , and the at least one lockset bracket  16  are preferably formed from a plastic material by, for example, an injection molding process. A suitable plastic material for one-time use of the kit is ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene). A suitable material for a reusable kit is glass filled nylon. Similar plastic materials also can be used. By forming the door frame brackets  12 , the door brackets  14 , and the at least one lockset bracket  16  from a plastic material, the kit  10  may be made advantageously light weight and easy to manipulate during the installation of the pre-hung door assembly  18 , discussed in more detail below. Alternatively, the door frame brackets  12 , the door brackets  14 , and the at least one lockset bracket  16  are formed from any material having suitable material strength characteristics for use in a pre-hung door installation kit  10 .  
         [0027]     The predetermined distances  38 ,  50 , and  64  may be any distance as determined by the type of door assembly  18  (such as an internal or external residential door assembly), as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.  
         [0028]     When ready to install the door assembly  18 , the door frame brackets  12  are engaged with the door frame  20  by placing the arms  36  of the bracket  12  on opposing sides of the frame  20  and placing the base  34  between the arms  36  into close proximity with the outer surface of the frame  20 . Preferably, the door frame brackets  12  are attached to the frame  20  of the door assembly  18  prior to placing the door assembly  18  adjacent the rough opening  26 . The door frame brackets  12  may be secured to the frame  20  by placing a fastener, such as a wood screw or the like, through the aperture  41  to ensure that the door frame brackets  12  remain in a fixed location with respect to the frame  20  during use of the kit  10 .  
         [0029]     The door brackets  14  are engaged with the door  22  by placing the arms  46  of the first portion  42  of the bracket  12  on opposing sides of the door  22  and placing the base  48  between the arms  46  into close proximity to the peripheral surface of the door  22 . This is preferably done while the door  22  is in a position swung away from the door frame  20 . The door brackets  14  are then engaged with the door frame  22  by swinging the door  22  to a closed position and placing the second section  56  of the arm  52  and the base  48  on opposing sides of the frame  20  and placing the first section  54  of the arm  52  into close proximity with the outer surface of the frame  20 .  
         [0030]     The lockset bracket  16  is engaged with the door  22  by placing the projection  66  of the bracket  16  into engagement with the surfaces defined by the lockset hole  30  on the peripheral surface of the door  22 . This is preferably done while the door  22  is in a position swung away from the door frame  20 . Preferably, the projection  66  engages with the surfaces in an interference or press-type fit. The lockset bracket  16  is then engaged with the door frame  20  by swinging the door  22  to the closed position and placing the arms  60  on opposing sides of the frame  20  and placing the base  62  into close proximity with the outer surface of the frame  20 . Preferably the door brackets  14  and the lockset bracket  16  are engaged with the door  22  and the lockset hole  30 , respectively, in succession prior to swinging the door  22  to the closed position.  
         [0031]     After the brackets  12 ,  14 , and  16  are engaged with frame  20  and the door  22  of the assembly  18 , the assembly  18  is then placed adjacent the rough opening  26 . The door frame brackets  12  are then attached to the walls  28  adjacent the rough opening  26 , such as by placing a fastener such as a nail, a drywall screw, or the like (not shown) through the elongated holes  40  of the brackets  12  and extends into the walls  28 . Preferably, the fasteners are placed to allow for movement of the assembly  18  within the rough opening  26 . As seen in  FIG. 1 , the brackets  12  are placed on the opposing sides (the left and right sides as seen in  FIG. 1 ) of the frame  20 , which allows for horizontal adjustment of the assembly  18  with respect to the opening  26  and on the upper or top side of the frame  20 , which allows for vertical adjustment of the assembly  18  with respect to the rough opening  26 . When the fasteners are placed in the brackets  12  and extend into the walls  28 , the brackets  12  and fasteners support the weight of the assembly  18 , advantageously allowing the user of the kit  10  to more easily manipulate the assembly  18  into a desired orientation within the rough opening  26 .  
         [0032]     While the user of the kit  10  aligns the assembly  18  with respect to the surfaces  24  and the walls  28  of the rough opening  26 , the door brackets  14  and the lockset bracket  16  maintain the relationship between the door  22  and the frame  20  while the user makes adjustments to the assembly  18 , such as leveling, aligning, and orienting the door assembly  18  with respect to the surfaces  24  and the wall  28  of the rough opening  26  including the use of shims and the like (not shown). Because the lockset hole  30  is formed in the door  22  at a predetermined location with respect to the frame  20  when the door  22  and the door frame  20  are manufactured to form the assembly  18 , the lockset bracket  16  of the kit  10  advantageously makes use of this relationship and maintains correct alignment between the door frame  20  and the door  22  during use of the kit  10 .  
         [0033]     After the assembly  18  is aligned in a desired position, the frame  20  is fixedly attached to the surfaces  24  of the rough opening  26  such as by nailing or the like. After the assembly  18  is attached to the surfaces  24 , the kit  10  is removed, and the assembly  18  is typically framed with molding (not shown) or the like that attaches to the walls  28  and covers the exterior surface of the frame  20  of the door assembly  18  to provide a pleasing appearance as is known in the art.  
         [0034]     In an embodiment of the kit  10 , there are seven of the door frame brackets  12 , two of the door brackets  14  and one lockset bracket  16 . Preferably during use of the kit  10 , three of the door frame brackets  12  are located on each of the sides of the frame  20  and one of the brackets is located on the top of the frame  20 . Preferably during use of the kit  10 , the door brackets  14  are located above and below the door knob hole  32  and the lockset bracket is located in the locket hole  30 .  
         [0035]     The kit  10  in accordance with the present invention allows for improved, easier, and quicker installation of a pre-hung door assembly  18  and advantageously keeps the door frame  20  and the door  22  aligned during installation of the door assembly  18 . In addition, the kit  10  is advantageously reusable such that a plurality of pre-hung door assemblies  18  may be installed utilizing the same kit  10 , making the kit  10  particularly advantageous for finish carpenters and the like during new home construction or remodeling projects.  
         [0036]     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , an alternative embodiment of a kit (not numbered) includes at least one lockset bracket  72  which includes a generally C-shaped body having a pair of arms  74  extending from a base  76  that are spaced apart by a predetermined distance, indicated by an arrow  78 . The predetermined distance  78  is preferably sized to provide a snug fit for the lockset bracket  72  against the frame  20  of the door assembly  18 , discussed in more detail below. A projection  80  extends outwardly from an outer surface of one of the arms  74 . The projection  80  is adapted to engage with the walls that define the lockset hole  30  formed in the peripheral surface of the door  22 . While illustrated as substantially C-shaped, the projection  80  may conform to the outer surface of the arm  74  and is preferably sized to engage with the walls of the lockset hole  30  so as to prevent the door  22  from moving with respect to the door frame  20  during use of the alternative kit, discussed in more detail below. The alternative lockset bracket  72  includes at least one aperture  82  extending through the base  76  thereof. The bracket  72  also includes at least one aperture  84  extending through one of the arms  60  and at least one aperture  86  extending through the other of the arms  60 . The apertures  84  are preferably of a smaller diameter than the apertures  86  and the apertures  84  and  86  are preferably coaxial such that an elongated tool, such as a screwdriver or the like, may pass through both the apertures  84  and  86 .  
         [0037]     The apertures  84  and  86  allow a fastener (not shown) such as a screw, a nail, or the like to fixedly attach the lockset bracket  72  directly to the walls of the lockset hole  30 . The aperture  86  allows a tool and fastener, such as a screwdriver and a screw or the like, to pass therethrough and to insert the fastener through the apertures  84  to attach the lockset bracket  72  to the walls of the lockset hole  30 . Similarly, the aperture  82  allows a fastener (not shown), such as a screw, a nail, or the like, to attach the lockset bracket  72  directly to the door frame  20 .  
         [0038]     Similar to the door frame brackets  12 , the door brackets  14 , and the at least one lockset bracket  16 , the lockset bracket  72  is preferably formed from a plastic material by, for example, an injection molding process. A suitable plastic material for one-time use of the kit is ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene). A suitable material for a reusable kit is glass filled nylon. Similar plastic materials also can be used.  
         [0039]     The alternative kit in accordance with the present invention does not include the at least one door bracket  14  shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  but rather includes a plurality of door frame brackets  12  and the alternative embodiment of the lockset bracket  72  shown in  FIG. 8 . When ready to install the door assembly  18 , the door frame brackets  12  are engaged with the door frame  20  by placing the arms  36  of the bracket  12  on opposing sides of the frame  20  and placing the base  34  between the arms  36  into close proximity with the outer surface of the frame  20 . Preferably, the door frame brackets  12  are attached to the frame  20  of the door assembly  18  prior to placing the door assembly  18  adjacent the rough opening  26 . The door frame brackets  12  may be secured to the frame  20  by placing a fastener, such as a wood screw or the like, through the aperture  41  to ensure that the door frame brackets  12  remain in a fixed location with respect to the frame  20  during use of the alternative kit.  
         [0040]     The lockset bracket  72  is engaged with the door  22  by placing the projection  80  of the bracket  72  into engagement with the surfaces defined by the lockset hole  30  on the peripheral surface of the door  22 . This is preferably done while the door  22  is in a position swung away from the door frame  20 . Preferably, the projection  80  engages with the surfaces in an interference or press-type fit. A fastener (not shown) is passed through the apertures  84  and  86  to removably attach the lockset bracket  72  to the walls of the lockset hole  30 . The lockset bracket  72  is then engaged with the door frame  20  by swinging the door  22  to the closed position and placing the arms  74  on opposing sides of the frame  20  and placing the base  76  into close proximity with the outer surface of the frame  20 . A fastener (not shown) is then passed through the aperture  82  to removably attach the lockset bracket  72  to the frame  20 .  
         [0041]     After the brackets  12  and  76  of the alternative kit are attached to the pre-hung door assembly  18 , the user of the alternative kit aligns the assembly  18  with respect to the surfaces  24  and the walls  28  of the rough opening  26  and fixedly attaches to the surfaces  24  of the rough opening  26  such as by nailing or the like in a manner similar to the kit  10  outlined above. After the assembly  18  is attached to the surfaces  24 , the alternative kit is removed, and the assembly  18  is typically framed with molding (not shown) or the like that attaches to the walls  28  and covers the exterior surface of the frame  20  of the door assembly  18  to provide a pleasing appearance as is known in the art.  
         [0042]     The combination of utilizing at least one fastener to fixedly attach the lockset bracket  72  to the walls of the lockset hole  30  and at least one fastener to fixedly attach the lockset bracket  72  to the door frame  20  advantageously provides a potentially more robust connection to prevent the door  22  from moving with respect to the door frame  20  than the combination of the interference or press-type fit of the projection  80  engaging ith the walls of the lockset hole  30  and placing the base  76  into close proximity with the outer surface of the frame  20 .  
         [0043]     Similar to the kit  10 , the alternative kit in accordance with the present invention allows for improved, easier, and quicker installation of a pre-hung door assembly  18  and advantageously keeps the door frame  20  and the door  22  aligned during installation of the door assembly  18 , while advantageously utilizing fewer parts than the kit  10 . In addition, the alternative kit is advantageously reusable such that a plurality of pre-hung door assemblies  18  may be installed utilizing the same kit, making the alternative kit particularly advantageous for finish carpenters and the like during new home construction or remodeling projects.  
         [0044]     In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.