Abstract:
Disclosed herein is a paneling system including a first and a second span element each possessing a substantially non-rectangular lateral cross-section and at least one butt end having a surface substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the span element. The paneling system also includes a transition element having a first end defining a first coping profile, the first coping profile being mateable to the butt end of a first span element at substantially a right angle, and a second end defining a second coping profile, the second coping profile being mateable to the butt end of a second span element at substantially a right angle. Also disclosed is a method of installing a paneling system that includes arranging transition and span elements to mate and form miterless corners.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to paneling, and, more particularly, to a system and method of installing trim paneling with corner joints formed without miter cuts.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Generally, paneling systems employ sequentially joined individual paneling elements, which may be used in conjunction with a surface, or are freestanding. For example, casing around a doorjamb includes a number of paneling elements that cover an underlying wall surface. As another example, decorative barriers, e.g. surrounding flowerbeds, typically consist of freestanding panel elements. Further, paneling systems may be employed in a functional manner or as decorative accents.  
         [0003]     Decorative panel elements having complex non-rectangular profiles and designed to cover a surface are often referred to as molding panels or simply moldings. Examples of molding panels include crown molding, base molding, chair molding, and cove molding. Moldings are often employed to visually soften edges and to mask imperfections. For instance, a common use of moldings entails disposing them at a base of a wall that intersects a carpeted floor, such that the edge of carpet adjoining the wall is concealed and the intersection of the floor and the wall is visually softened. As another example, stone or ceramic tiles are a popular medium for surfacing or resurfacing generally flat surfaces on both the interior and exterior of buildings. In order to achieve a visually pleasing appearance after tile installation, it is often desirable to cover imperfections and gaps that are sometimes present when two or more surfaces meet at a boundary by employing moldings.  
         [0004]     Both do-it-yourselfers and professional installers often face difficulties when installing paneling elements around edges, boundaries, corners and joints, because the elements preferably have to be configured to fit snugly in place while forming corners. Various configuring techniques commonly entail cutting paneling elements.  
         [0005]     Various methods exist for configuring paneling elements in and around corners. One known method for forming corners includes making a beveled or mitered cut in the end portions of each of two paneling elements that are to be joined to form a corner, with these two miter cuts forming complements of an approximately right angle. An abutment between elements occurs along the plane of the cut. Referring to  FIG. 1A , in order to form a mitered corner joint, miter cuts are made in end portions of paneling elements  102 ,  104  resulting in mitered planes  106 ,  108 , respectively. Then, elements  102 ,  104  are joined together by positioning a first mitered plane  106  in contact with a second mitered plane  108  to form approximately a right angle. Typically, each element is cut to about 45° and joined together. This configuration is the most common using this technique because the length along which the two elements abut, i.e., the face of the cut, is substantially the same, which simplifies the installation. A drawback to this approach is that an angled cut must be made in each of the paneling elements  102 ,  104  by the end user, and the probability of chipping, cracking, or breaking increases because the paneling material is thin near the intersection of the mitered planes  106 , 108  and the outside surface of the paneling element.  
         [0006]     In another known technique, in order to form a corner joint, an end portion of only one of two paneling elements that are to be joined is configured to mate with the other element without customizing that other element. Referring to  FIGS. 1B-1C , an end portion  122  of a first paneling element  120  is configured to form an inside corner joint with a second paneling element  130  by forming a coping profile  126  in the end portion of the first paneling element shaped to mate with a surface  134  of the second paneling element  130 . As skilled artisans would appreciate, the profile is typically formed by first mitering the end portion with an inside 45°-angle cut. A small saw is then used to remove the cut face from the end portion of the element  120  by using the saw blade to trace the profile of an outside surface  124  of the element  120  across the end portion. Because the contour of the surface  124  is identical to the contour of the surface  134 , the profile  126  is shaped to snugly mate with the surface  134  forming a corner joint without altering an end portion  132  of the paneling element  130  in any way. Thusly, formed corner joints are often referred to as coping joints.  
         [0007]     Yet another category of known techniques for forming corners in a paneling system employs prefabricated corner-turning elements, thereby eliminating the need for mitered cuts or coping profiles. Butt ends of the corner-turning element are configured to match the lateral cross-sectional profiles of the abutting paneling elements. This approach, however, affords limited flexibility to the installer of molding panels because it relies on walls of a building intersecting at exactly a right angle for a snug fit. Even slight deviation from the right angle between the adjoining walls, for example, due to surface imperfections or construction defects, results in flawed fit and poor visual appearance of a corner joint. In addition, many examples of this design require three separate elements to form a corner (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,790).  
         [0008]     As shown above, some of known methods of forming corner joints in a paneling system require the end user to configure the mass-produced paneling elements prior to installation. Techniques that exist to cut the paneling elements, however, require specialized equipment and often risk cracking or otherwise damaging the elements, particularly if manufactured from brittle materials, such as ceramic. Further, pre-installation adjustments to achieve proper fit are often prone to human errors and associated waste. For these reasons, it is desirable to simplify pre-installation adjustments and minimize the number of angled or profile cuts made in the paneling elements. On the other hand, it is also desirable to avoid excessive customization of the paneling systems by mass manufacturers to allow for certain degree of flexibility during installation and reduce manufacturing costs.  
         [0009]     Hence, there exists a need in the art for a cost-effective paneling system that is easy to install with limited amount of customization of paneling elements, as compared to paneling systems known in the art.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a paneling set employing two types of paneling elements, span elements, and at least one transition element. A key feature of the invention involves the transition element having two prefabricated coping profiles configured to mate with a span element at each end of the transition element, i.e. a single prefabricated transition element can be used to form two corners. Depending upon the configuration of the prefabricated coping profile, outside or inside corners, or inside turns may be formed between the transition element and the adjoining span element without any customization of the ends of the paneling elements by the installer.  
         [0011]     During installation, if necessary, the transition element can be cut between the coping profiles to effectively alter its length. Specifically, the distance between two coping profiles can be increased by making a cut between the coping profiles and positioning one or more span elements between the disjoined portions containing coping profiles. Conversely, the distance between two coping profiles can be reduced by making two parallel cuts in the transition element, removing a middle portion, and joining the portions containing coping profiles. Thus, the invention provides the user with the ability to customize the dimensions of the paneling system. As mentioned above, however, no customization is necessary in order to form corner joints themselves.  
         [0012]     Among other benefits, various embodiments of the paneling system of the invention are easy to install with only limited amount of customization by the end user, while at the same time being easy to manufacture by limiting the number of different prefabricated elements in the paneling set.  
         [0013]     While being directed to paneling systems in general, in various embodiments, the paneling system may be employed in conjunction with a plurality of orthogonally-joined planar elements, such as walls of a building. Specifically, the paneling elements of the invention may be used as moldings closely fitting over adjoining walls or around a desired perimeter on a wall.  
         [0014]     Generally, in one aspect, the invention features a paneling set including first and second span elements each comprising a substantially non-rectangular lateral cross-section and at least one butt end having a surface substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the span element. The invention further features a transition element including a first end defining a first coping profile, the first end of the transition element being mateable to the first span element along at least the first coping profile at substantially a right angle, and a second end defining a second coping profile, mating of the second end of the transition element to the second span element along the second coping profile occurring at substantially a right angle. In some embodiments of this aspect of the invention, at least one of the first and second coping profiles is shaped and dimensioned to match a lateral cross-section of the respective span element. In other embodiments, at least one of the first and second coping profiles is shaped and dimensioned to complement a profile of a surface of the respective span element. In a particular embodiment, at least one of the span elements mates with the respective end of the transition element to form a paneling assembly having at least one coping joint, the assembly closely fitting over a surface of a structure comprising at least two orthogonally-joined planar elements, such as, for example, adjoining walls of a building.  
         [0015]     In general, in another aspect, the invention is directed to a transition element for a paneling set, the transition element having a first end defining a first coping profile; and a second end defining a second coping profile, the coping profiles facilitating formation of a coping joint between the transition element and adjoining span elements of the paneling set, each span element having a substantially non-rectangular lateral cross-section. At least one of the first and second coping profiles may be shaped and dimensioned to either match the cross-section of the respective adjoining element of the paneling set, or to complement a profile of a surface of the respective adjoining element of the paneling set.  
         [0016]     In yet another aspect, the invention is directed to a method for installing paneling that includes providing a transition element having first and second ends; providing first and second span elements each comprising a substantially non-rectangular lateral cross-section and at least one butt end having a surface substantially parallel to the cross-section; mating the first end of the transition element with the first span element at substantially a right angle to form a first coping joint there between; and mating the second end of the transition element with the second span element at substantially a right angle to form a second coping joint there between. In various embodiments, the method also includes the step of altering the length of the transition element, for example, in some embodiments, by laterally severing the transition element into at least a first portion and a second portion, the first portion including the first end and the second portion including the second end; and inserting at least one extension element between the first portion and the second portion, or, in other embodiments, by laterally severing the transition element into at least first, second, and third portions, the first portion including the first end and the second portion having the second end, removing the third portion; and linearly abutting the first portion and the second portion. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]     The drawings are not necessarily to scale; instead, the drawings generally place emphasis on illustrative principles of the invention. The advantages of the invention can be better understood by reference to the description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
         [0018]      FIG. 1A  depicts a corner joint formed using miter cuts according to methods known in the art.  
         [0019]      FIG. 1B-1D  depicts a coping joint formed according to methods known in the art, with  FIG. 1B  depicting a paneling element having a coping profile at one end and  FIGS. 1C-1D  depicting formation of a corner joint using the paneling element shown in  FIG. 1B .  
         [0020]      FIG. 2A  depicts a transition element having a coping profile for forming outside corners at each end, according to various embodiments of the invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 2B  depicts an embodiment of the transition element of  FIG. 2A  in which a span element is mated to an end of the transition element at a substantially right angle.  
         [0022]      FIG. 2C  depicts a transition element having a coping profile for forming inside corners at each end, according to various embodiments of the invention.  
         [0023]      FIGS. 3A-3B  depict a transition element forming inside corner turns and configured to mate with adjoining span elements, according to an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0024]      FIG. 4A-4B  depict different ways of effectively altering the distance between the profiled ends of the transition element. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0025]     As mentioned above, various embodiments of the invention feature a paneling set that includes a transition element having two prefabricated coping profiles configured to mate with a span element at each end of the transition element, i.e. a single prefabricated transition element can be used to form two corners.  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIGS. 2A-2B , in one embodiment of the invention, a paneling set  200  includes a transition element  202  and span elements  204  and  206 , whereby the transition element  202  is positioned to form a first corner with a first span element  204  and a second corner with a second span element  206 . The elements of the paneling set have a rear face  214  and a front face  212 . In various embodiments of the invention, the front faces  212  of both the span elements  204 ,  206  and the transition element  202  are designed to be substantially non-planar and decorative, whereas the rear faces are substantially planar, i.e. having a non-rectangular lateral cross-section.  
         [0027]     Generally, configuration of the transition element  202 , i.e. the shape of prefabricated coping profiles  208  and  210  disposed at each end of the transition element, determines whether the particular corner formed is an inside corner or an outside corner. Similarly, configuration of the span elements  204 ,  206  with regards to the shape of the respective ends  220 ,  222  of the span elements  204 ,  206  determines whether the particular corner formed is an inside corner or an outside corner. The ends  220 ,  222  of the span elements  204 ,  206  are oriented in such a fashion so that an imaginary line representing the longitudinal axis of either of the span elements  204 ,  206  would be substantially normal to the surface defined by the respective ends  220 ,  222 . It follows that most joints formed by the paneling set  200  of the present invention will define ninety-degree turns between the transition element  202  and the span elements  204 ,  206 .  
         [0028]     In one embodiment, the transition element  202  and the span elements  204 ,  206  combine to form inside corners, in which the decorative faces  212  of the transition element  202  and the span elements  204 ,  206  face inward. In another embodiment, the transition element  202  and the span elements  204 ,  206  combine to form outside corners, in which the decorative face  212  of the transition element  202  and the span elements  204 ,  206  face outward.  
         [0029]     The paneling elements of the present invention can be manufactured from a variety of materials, including metal, wood, stone, ceramic, plastic, and composite materials according to methods known in the art. In various embodiments, the elements are manufactured by compression or injection molding, with the molds being designed to reflect the desired shape of the elements, including the decorative face and coping profiles of the transition element. In one particular embodiment, the transition element and span elements are manufactured from a ceramic material. In another embodiment, the paneling elements comprise composite material including a plastic portion, such as, for example, polyester, and a metal portion defining the decorative surface, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,124, incorporated herein by reference. In other embodiments, the composite paneling set may include a plastic portion and a stone portion, wherein the stone portion defines the decorative surfaces of the respective elements of the paneling set.  
         [0030]      FIG. 2A  depicts a view of the rear face  214  of the transition element  202  designed to form outside corners, according to one embodiment of the invention. The transition element includes a first end portion  207  defining a first coping profile  208  and a second end portion  209  defining a second coping profile  210 . The configuration of the coping profiles  208 ,  210  at the end portions  207 ,  209  enables the transition element  202  to mate with the span elements  204 ,  206  thereby forming outside corners.  
         [0031]     Specifically, referring now to  FIG. 2B , each of the coping profiles of the transition element is shaped to match the contour of decorative faces  216 ,  218  of the lateral cross-section of the respective span element, as projected onto its end  220 ,  222 . Thus, each of the end portions  207 ,  209  of the transition element  202  is shaped to substantially match the ends  220 ,  222  of the adjacent span element  204 ,  206  with the coping profiles  208 ,  210  substantially coinciding with the contours of the decorative faces  216 ,  218 . In order to form the outside corners, therefore, each of the ends  220 ,  222  of the span elements  204 ,  206  contacts the transition element  202  on its rear face  214  against the respective end portion  207 ,  209  and along the coping profile  208 ,  210 .  
         [0032]     When span elements  204 ,  206  are mated with respective coping profiles  208 ,  210  of the transition element  202 , a corner joint is formed that is substantially smooth. In a particular embodiment of the invention, elements of the paneling set  200  employing outside coping profiles  208 ,  210  form a closed perimeter with the decorative faces  212 ,  216 ,  218  of the transition element  202  and span elements  204 ,  206  on the exterior of the perimeter.  
         [0033]     In one embodiment of the invention, paneling elements are merely disposed adjacent to each other to form a paneling set. In another embodiment, the paneling elements are fastened to other paneling elements. In still another embodiment, the paneling elements are fastened to generally flat planar elements, like the exterior surface of a wall that has no walls adjacent to it or the exterior perimeter of a four-sided structure. In a particular embodiment, in which paneling elements contact a generally flat surface like a wall, the elements are configured to fit snugly against the surface and against other paneling elements.  
         [0034]     Referring to  FIG. 2C , in one embodiment of the invention, coping profiles  208  and,  210  of the transition element  202  are designed to form inside corners with the span elements, wherein the decorative faces  212 ,  216 ,  218  of the transition element  202  and the span elements  204 ,  206  face inwards. In this embodiment, the coping profiles  208  and  210  comprise contoured edges of the transition element  202  that are shaped to mate with a contour of the decorative faces  216 ,  218  of the respective span element  204 ,  206  at a right angle. In a particular embodiment of the invention, elements of a paneling set  200  employing inside coping profiles form a closed perimeter with the decorative faces  212 ,  216 ,  218  of the transition element  202  and span elements  204 ,  206  on the interior of the perimeter. For example, a transition element  202  with inside coping profiles  208 ,  210  and span elements  204 ,  206  could be used as base molding for the perimeter of a wall at its juncture with a floor.  
         [0035]      FIGS. 3A-3B  depict another embodiment of the paneling set  300  of the present invention wherein a transition element  302  forms inside corner joints, referred to herein as inside turns, with adjacent span elements  304  and  306 . In a preferred embodiment, the inside turns formed by the paneling set  300  encompass at least one substantially right angle.  
         [0036]     A pair of end portions  307  and  309  of the transition element  302  has coping profiles  308 ,  310  that are shaped and oriented to substantially coincide with the contour of the ends  320 ,  322  of the span elements  304 ,  306  in a desired perimeter configuration. In various versions of this embodiment, contours of the coping profiles  308 ,  310  lie in a plane that is coplanar with the inward-oriented face of the transition element  302  and perpendicular to the orientation of at least one of the span elements  304 ,  306 , as shown in  FIG. 3A-3B . Paneling sets  300  having inside turn coping profiles according to this embodiment of the invention may be positioned as either an interior or an exterior perimeter. Examples of an interior perimeter include chair molding around the perimeter of an enclosed room. One of the examples of an exterior perimeter is casing around a window opening or a piece of artwork.  
         [0037]     In a particular version of this embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 3B , the transition element  302  is configured such that a decorative face  312  of the transition element  302  contains ninety-degree turns disposed in the end portions  307 ,  308 . Coping profiles  308 ,  310  are shaped and oriented to substantially coincide with the contour of the ends  320 ,  322  of the span elements  304 ,  306 , respectively forming corner joints therewith at substantially right angles. The coping profiles  308 ,  310  are coplanar with an inside face  314  of the transition element  302  and coplanar with the ends  320 ,  322  of the span elements  304 ,  306 . Thus, the coping profiles  308 ,  310  provide contact area for the span elements  304 ,  306  to form a corner with the transition element without requiring the transition element  302  itself to turn a corner and thus become L-shaped.  
         [0038]     This aspect of the present invention obviates the need for a complicated and expensive manufacturing process for making the transition element  302 . That is, the transition element  302  can be manufactured into a substantially linear element and still be coupled to a pair of span elements  304 ,  306 , which is a vast improvement over attempts to manufacture a substantially U-shaped transition element for the same purpose.  
         [0039]     In various embodiments of the invention, an installer may customize paneling elements to fit the area to be paneled by altering the distance between coping profiles of the transition element, while still using a single transition element and at least two span elements to form two corner joints. An installer may customize paneling installation either by cutting the transition element once and inserting at least one span element between the two disjoined ends, each with a coping profile, thereby increasing the distance between coping profiles. Another technique is to remove a middle portion of a transition element and joining the coping profiles thereby reducing the distance between coping profiles.  
         [0040]      FIG. 4A  depicts an exploded view of a transition element  400  divided into a first transition portion  402  and a second transition portion  404  that allows longitudinal expansion between the profiled ends of the transition element  400 . Employing this technique, an installer makes a lateral cut in the transition element and then a span element  406  is placed between the disjoined transition portions  402  and  404 . This technique is not limited to a single span element, and more than one span element  406  may be disposed between the disjoined transition portions  402  and  404 , as necessary.  
         [0041]      FIG. 4B  depicts a view of a customized transition element  400  that is shorter than an originally provided transition element  400 . An installer using this technique decreases the distance between disjoined ends  410  and  412  of a transition element  400  by removing a portion  414  of the transition element  400  from there between. Typically, the removed piece  414  having desired length is produced by laterally cutting the transition element  400  twice.  
         [0042]     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rear faces of a transition element and a plurality of span elements may be substantially flat to engage a substantially planar surface such as an interior or exterior wall of a building in the case of, for example, a molding set. In one embodiment, in which the panel elements are freestanding, the rear faces of a transition element and a plurality of span elements do not contact a generally flat planar element.  
         [0043]     In embodiments in which panel elements contact a generally flat planar element, the paneling elements may be affixed to the planar element or to each other using attachment means including but not limited to adhesives (glue, cement, grout, etc.), driven-force joint means (nails, screws, brads, tacks, pins, staples, etc.), or support means (brackets, braces, holders, etc.).  
         [0044]     While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to specific illustrative embodiments, it should be understood that those skilled in the art can envision various modifications to those embodiments described above without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.