Patent Publication Number: US-9428954-B1

Title: Corner pad and entryway having the same

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates generally to entryways allowing ingress and egress from a building. More particularly, this disclosure relates to sealing pads or strips that help form a watertight seal between a door and one or more frame members of the entryway when the door is closed. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Designers seek to avoid exterior doors that stick or catch when being opened or closed. When doors stick, the user is required to assert an undesirably large force to open and close the door. On the other hand, designers seek a tight seal around the door and other entryway components to avoid air drafts or water leaks. A variety of threshold and weather-strip designs exist that attempt to balance the desired seal with the desired movability of a door to varying degrees of success. 
     A drafty entryway is undesired because the unwanted passage of air from the interior to the exterior of a building, or vice versa, negatively affects the efficiency of heating or cooling the building, increasing the energy costs for the owner. 
     An entryway that is not properly sealed against water intrusion can lead to infiltration within the interior of the building. The water can cause damage, most often to the interior floor or subfloor, if water is able to get into the building and remain unaddressed. Water infiltration may be particularly acute in a high wind rain storm, where the wind can force rain water against and around a closed door, then through gaps between a closed door and the frame members surrounding the door. 
     One known system for at least partially sealing around a closed door is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,971, which is commonly owned with the present disclosure. As seen in  FIG. 1 , the system includes a weather-strip  100  extending vertically along a side jamb  110 . The side jamb  110  extends upward from a sill assembly  120 . A sealing pad  130  is provided adjacent to the weather-strip  100  just above the sill assembly  120  to assist with a seal of the joint between the side jamb  110 , sill assembly  120  and a bottom side edge of a door panel (not shown). 
     There remains a continued effort to improve the sealing and water management functions of entryway systems to prevent unwanted water intrusion into the interior of a building through gaps around a door panel. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure include a corner pad for an entryway. The corner pad may have a mounting surface configured for attachment to a frame member. The corner pad may also have a sealing surface opposite from the mounting surface. At least a portion of the sealing surface corresponds with a sealing region designed to seal against a stile of a door panel. A profile of the sealing surface within the sealing region is non-linear. Thus the profile creates a varied thickness of the corner pad within the sealing region to provide varying levels of compression when sealing with the stile, and to accommodate variations in a margin between the frame member and the stile. 
     Other embodiments of the present disclosure include a corner pad comprising a mounting surface configured for attachment to a frame member. The corner pad may also comprise a sealing surface opposite to the mounting surface. At least a portion of the sealing surface corresponds with a sealing region configured to seal against a stile of a door panel. A profile of the sealing surface creates a varied thickness of the corner pad. In these embodiments, a maximum thickness of the corner pad is within the sealing region. 
     Yet other embodiments of the present disclosure describe an entryway comprising a threshold, a frame member extending upwardly relative to the threshold, a door panel, a weather-strip attached along a height of the frame member, and a corner pad mounted to the frame member adjacent to the threshold. The corner pad comprises a mounting surface configured for attachment to the frame member. The corner pad may also comprise a sealing surface opposite to the mounting surface, where at least a portion of the sealing surface corresponds with a sealing region configured to seal against a stile of the door panel. A profile of the sealing surface within the sealing region is non-linear. This may create a varied thickness of the corner pad within the sealing region to provide varying levels of compression when sealing with the stile, and to accommodate variations in a margin between the frame member and the stile. 
     These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiments, when considered in conjunction with the drawings. It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a portion of an entryway according to the prior art. 
         FIG. 2  shows a portion of an entryway according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a partial cross sectional view of the entryway shown in  FIG. 2  through plane III-III. 
         FIG. 4  shows the view of  FIG. 3  with a door panel in the closed position. 
         FIG. 5  is a front isometric view of a corner pad according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a profile view of the corner pad shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described below and illustrated in the accompanying figures, in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views. The embodiments described provide examples and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. Other embodiments, and modifications and improvements of the described embodiments, will occur to those skilled in the art and all such other embodiments, modifications and improvements are within the scope of the present invention. Features from one embodiment or aspect may be combined with features from any other embodiment or aspect in any appropriate combination. For example, any individual or collective features of method aspects or embodiments may be applied to apparatus, product or component aspects or embodiments and vice versa. 
     Turning to  FIG. 2 , several elements of a door unit assembly  1  form an entryway through a building or other structure. As previously discussed, the door unit assembly  1  may typically include a threshold  10 , a frame member  20 , and a weather-strip  30 . The threshold  10  may include a sill deck  12  and a cap  14 , which may be adjustable. A cap  14  that is adjustable could help accommodate changes or differences in the gap between the threshold  10  and a door panel  40  (see  FIG. 4 ). 
     In one embodiment, the frame member  20  may be a side jamb extending vertically upward from above or adjacent to the threshold  10 . A side jamb is generally a frame member  20  used between the building and the edge of the entryway. The frame member  20  may also be referred to as a mullion, or simply a mull. A mull may have the same or similar inward facing profile as a side jamb. A mull is generally used in a fixed position between door openings or in a fixed position between a door opening and a side-light opening. In yet other embodiments, the frame member  20  may be an astragal attached to a passive door of a double door entryway. The surface of the astragal facing an active door panel  40  may be substantially similar to the side jamb illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIGS. 2-4  illustrate an in-swing door unit. As used herein the terms “interior”, “exterior”, “inner”, etc. are used to describe the relative position of features and elements as they relate to the illustrated in-swing embodiment. These terms found in the specification should not be considered as limiting the scope of the disclosure. Particularly, many of the features and embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applicable to out-swing door units. It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that when applied to an out-swing door unit, the terms “interior”, “exterior”, etc. may be reversed. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the frame member  20  may include an inner edge  22  and an outer edge  24  defined relative to the through-direction of the entryway. The frame member  20  may include a stop portion  26  extending into the entryway opening. The stop portion  26  provides an abutment for the door panel  40  ( FIG. 4 ) and may include a kerf  28  for attachment of the weather-strip  30  to the frame member  20 . 
     Often, a weather-strip  30  extends substantially along the full height of the frame member  20 . The weather-strip  30  is compressed by a closed door panel  40  as shown in  FIG. 4 . The weather-strip  30  seals primarily with the exterior face  42  of the door panel  40  in the illustrated in-swing embodiment. It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the opposite is true for an out-swing embodiment that remains within the scope of this disclosure. The weather-strip  30  may include an attachment portion  32  configured for mounting of the weather-strip  30  to the frame member  20 . The weather-strip  30  may also include an exterior leg  36  and an interior leg  38 . The interior leg  38  is flexed by the door panel  40  toward the exterior leg  36  when the door panel  40  is closed. 
     Continuing with  FIG. 4 , a door panel  40  may be defined by an exterior face  42 , an interior face  44 , and stiles  46  extending between edges of the faces  42 ,  44 . One stile may represent a free side of the door panel  40  and an opposite stile may represent a hinged side of the door panel  40 . The weather-strip  30  may be positioned to contact one or both of the free and hinged sides of the door panel  40 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2-6 , the present disclosure further comprises a corner pad  50  added to the door unit assembly  1  to improve the seal at the location where the threshold  10 , the frame member  20  and the door panel  40  come together. In other words, the corner pad  50  preferably is attached near the bottom of the frame member  20 . As discussed above, this location adjacent to the lower corners of a closed door panel  40  is often the most highly susceptible area for water and air intrusion. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the corner pad  50  includes a mounting surface  52 . In one embodiment an adhesive layer  54  is applied to the mounting surface  52 . Prior to installation, a paper backing may be provided over the adhesive layer  54  to removably protect the adhesive layer  54 . When the paper backing is removed, the adhesive layer  54  may be used to attach the mounting surface  52  to the frame member  20 . In some embodiments, the mounting surface  52  will be substantially planar in shape. 
     The corner pad  50  is used to fill a portion of the gap between the frame member  20  and the stile  46  of the door panel  40 . The corner pad  50  may be described in terms of having a sealing surface  56  opposite to the mounting surface  52 . The corner pad  50  may also have side surfaces that define opposite edges of the corner pad  50 . The edges may be referred to as an interior edge  58  and an exterior edge  60 . These names are given for ease of description and not necessarily for limiting the scope of the application. For example, in several embodiments, the corner pad  50  maybe reversible or “non-handed” in which case the interior and exterior sides may be reversed. The corner pad  50  also includes end surfaces  62 . 
     In some embodiments the corner pad  50  is comprised of foam forming a core. All or some of the surfaces of the corner pad  50  may be laminated with a durable cover such as polyethylene. In some embodiments, the foam may be of a low-wick type to reduce the tendency for the foam to absorb moisture. 
     The corner pad  50  may be described as including one or more regions as shown in  FIG. 6 . The regions discussed below may be interchangeably referenced with respect to the corner pad  50  or with respect to portions of the sealing surface  56 . With this in mind, the corner pad  50  includes at least a sealing region  65 . The sealing region  65  will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art as the region of the corner pad  50  intended to contact the stile  46  of the door panel  40 . The sealing region  65  may be considered as extending between the most interior to the most exterior points of contact  66  with the stile  46 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . Therefore not every point between the most interior and most exterior points of contact need to be sealing with the closed door panel  40 . Further, any portion of the corner pad  50  that is positioned outward of the exterior face  42  would not generally constitute part of the sealing region  65 . 
     Continuing with the top view of the corner pad  50  as shown in  FIG. 6 , the profile of the sealing surface  56  can be further described. As shown, the profile of the sealing surface  56  may be non-linear within the sealing region  65 . As a result, the thickness T of the corner pad  50 , understood as the measured distance from the mounting surface  52  to the sealing surface  56  along a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface  52 , varies along the width direction W of the corner pad  50 . As should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the thickness T is important for filling the margin D between the stile  46  and the frame member  20 , at least in the sealing region  65 . 
     As should be well understood from  FIG. 6 , the use of a non-linear profile within the sealing region  65  creates a varied thickness of the corner pad  50  within the sealing region  65 . When in use with a closed door, the varied thicknesses provide varying levels of compression with the stile  46 . Providing areas of varied compression improves the overall seal by accommodating angled or radiused door stile profiles. 
     Another advantage of designing the sealing region  65  with a varied thickness is that the corner pad  50  is able to accommodate a greater degree of variations in the margin between the frame member  20  and the stile  46 . For example, each entryway  1  is designed with an optimal margin D (see  FIG. 4 ). However, assembly, installation, temperature variance, wear, and other factors result in a true margin that is slightly different from the optimal. Many of the factors result in the margin D changing over time. 
     In the illustrated embodiment of  FIGS. 2-6 , the profile of the sealing region  65  provides a pair of spaced apart areas of local maximum thickness  67  along the width direction W of the corner pad  50 . The areas of local maximum thickness  67  are separated by a thin portion  69  that provides the separation. In the embodiment shown, the thin portion  69  has a concave shape. In other embodiments, three or more areas of local maximum thickness  67  may be provided within the sealing region  65 , each separated by a thin portion  69 . 
     In still other embodiments, the profile of the sealing region  65  may be solely convex or have a peak between linear sides, resulting in only a single location of maximum thickness within the sealing region  65 . While a single location of maximum thickness is contemplated, use of two or more areas of local maximum thickness  67  may result in a widening of the sealing region  65  compared to prior art wedge-shaped sealing pads as shown in  FIG. 1 . The widening of the sealing region  65  may provide an improved seal. The relative widening of the sealing region  65  may be especially pronounced when the margin D (as shown in  FIG. 4 ) between the door panel  40  and the frame member  20  is relatively large. 
     The sealing region  65  includes one or more areas of local maximum thickness  67 . In one example, the entire sealing region  65  provides the one area of local maximum thickness. In this embodiment, the seal region  65  may be considered as forming a flat-topped plateau relative to a clearance region  75  or a recess region  85  that are discussed below. In most embodiments, at least one of the areas of local maximum thickness  67  within the sealing region  65  will constitute the thickest part of the corner pad  50  overall. Put another way, the thickest portion of the corner pad  50  outside of the sealing region  65 , such as within the clearance region  75  or the recess region  85 , is thinner than the thickest portion of the corner pad  50  within the sealing region  65 . 
     In some embodiments, the sealing region  65  may be mirror symmetric about a reference plane P that is perpendicular to the mounting surface  52 . The reference plane P may be a mid-plane M that bisects the corner pad  50  between the interior edge  58  and the exterior edge  60 . When the reference plane P is the mid-plane M, the entire corner pad  50  has mirror symmetry. 
     In addition to the sealing region  65 , the corner pad  50  may include a clearance region  75  adjacent to the exterior edge  60  of the corner pad  50 . The exterior edge  60  may be configured to be positioned relatively toward an exterior of an entryway, adjacent to the weather-strip  30 . The thickness T of the corner pad  50  within the sealing region  65  is greater than the thickness within the clearance region  75 . The clearance region  75  may be described as a thin flange configured to extend behind the weather-strip  30 , i.e. between the weather-strip  30  and the frame member  20 , as seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The clearance region  75  extends a distance from the exterior edge  60  that is sufficient to position the sealing region  65  relatively interior to the weather-strip  30  when the exterior edge  60  abuts the attachment portion  32  of the weather-strip  30 . Preferably, the clearance region  75  extends a distance from the exterior edge  60  to position the sealing region  65  interior to the interior leg  38  when the interior leg  38  is not compressed. 
     In one embodiment, the clearance region  75  allows for a sufficient free-space volume to collect moisture adjacent to the weather-strip  30  to counteract the effects of wind driven moisture at the intersection of the threshold  10 , the door panel  40  and the frame member  20 . Applicants have appreciated that attempts to make a perfect gap-free seal can result in narrow pin-hole gaps due to variations in assembly, installation, or shifting of door components within a door unit assembly  1 . Blowing water during a storm, i.e. water under pressure, is then more likely to travel through a pin-hole than through other relatively larger gaps. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the corner pad  50  according to some embodiments of the present disclosure leaves open a void  34  between the legs  36 ,  38  of the weather-strip  30 . Additionally, an open volume, referred to herein as a reservoir zone  77 , may form in a volume defined between the weather-strip  30  and the sealing region  65  on opposite sides, and between the stile  46  and the clearance region  75  on opposite sides, when the door panel  40  is closed. To provide the reservoir zone  77 , it should be appreciated that the thickness of the corner pad  50  along the clearance region  75  is less than the margin D. 
     The reservoir zone  77  and the void  34  provide a large enough volume that the weight of water held within the volume reduces or eliminates the tendency for wind driven moisture to travel upward, then across the top of the corner pad  50  into the building interior. In most embodiments, the void  34  and the reservoir zone  77  do not have a defined top wall. In some embodiments, when the door panel  40  is closed, the reservoir zone  77  may have a substantially uniform cross section relative to planes perpendicular to the height direction. The substantially uniform cross section should be understood to occur when the corner pad  50 , or at least the sealing region  65 , is provided with a uniform profile. Put another way, each cross section of the reservoir zone  77  taken parallel with a width direction W of the corner pad  50  at each point along the height of the corner pad  50  is substantially identical. 
     In some embodiments, the corner pad  50  also includes a recess region  85  as part of the sealing surface  56 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . The recess region  85  may be considered adjacent to the interior edge  58  of the corner pad  50 . The recess region  85  provides a thin region relative to the thickness of the sealing region  65 . In some embodiments the uncompressed thickness of the recessed region  85  may be less than the width of the margin D. 
     Providing the thin recess region  85  adjacent to the interior edge  58  allows the door panel  40  to travel further during closing before contacting the corner pad  50 . This delays contact between the door panel  40  and the corner pad  50  until the stile  46  contacts the sealing region  65  closer to the final closed position of the door panel  40 . As a result, a shear load on the corner pad  50  is provided when the corner pad  50  is engaged with the stile  46  of the door panel  40 . The shear load on the adhesive bond between the mounting surface  52  and frame member  20  is better positioned to resist having the corner pad  50  pulled off of the frame member  20  after repeated opening and closing of the door panel  40 . In other words, the recess region  85  may minimize the peel action on the adhesive layer  54 . 
     In some embodiments, the recess region  85  may be configured to assist with the proper installation of the corner pad  50  within the door unit assembly  1 . For example, the width of the recess region  85  may be sufficient to position the sealing region  65  adjacent the stile  46  when the interior edge  58  is aligned with an inner edge  22  of the frame member  20 . 
     As discussed above, the corner pad  50  may be mirror symmetric with respect to a mid-plane M. When mirror symmetry exists, inclusion of a recess region  85  results in the necessary inclusion of a clearance region  75  of substantially identical structure. As should be understood, if a corner pad  50  with a clearance region  75  is mirror symmetric, the corner pad  50  would necessarily have a recess region  85 . 
     The mirror symmetric embodiment illustrated could provide benefits with respect to the ease of installation and manufacturing. Mirror symmetry allows for the corner pad  50  to be non-handed. This means that the corner pad  50  may be installed on a frame member  20  that forms either the left or right side of an entryway opening. Mirror symmetry also provides for reversibility so that the installer does not have to be concerned with differentiating an interior edge  58  from an exterior edge  60 . Further, installers may be provided with positioning cues by aligning the interior edge  58  with the inner edge  22  or abutting the exterior edge  60  with the attachment portion  32 . These cues may assist with the proper placement of the sealing region  65  relative to the stile  46  for the optimum seal. The non-handed reversibility of a corner pad  50  that is mirror symmetric may also allow the manufacturer to create and distribute a reduced number of unique parts. 
     Some embodiments, especially the mirror symmetric embodiment illustrated may also be described has having a uniform profile. Particularly, a cross section taken parallel with the width direction W at any point along the height of the corner pad  50  may produce the same profile. Designing the corner pad  50  with a uniform profile, with or without symmetry, can allow for the shape of the corner pad  50  to be provided by an extrusion process, where each corner pad  50  can then be cut to length, without additional modification to the shape of the corner pads  50 . 
     The corner pad  50  described above may provide for novel methods of installing a corner pad  50  within a door unit assembly  1 . These methods may be understood from the preceding disclosure to include alignment of an interior edge  58  of a corner pad  50  with an inner edge  22  of a frame member  20 . Additionally or alternatively, the installation may include the method step of aligning or abutting the exterior edge  60  of the corner pad  50  with a portion of a weather-strip  30 . These installation methods may or may not be limited to performance by embodiments where the corner pads  50  are mirror symmetric about the mid-plane M. 
     Use of corner pads  50  from one or more embodiments disclosed herein may facilitate a method of sealing the margin D (as shown in  FIG. 4 ) between a stile  46  and a frame member  20  that uses pooled water to counter wind-blown water from traveling across a top of the seal and into the building. The method may comprise forming a reservoir zone  77  for the accumulation of pooled water between an interior leg  38  of a weather-strip  30  and an exterior boundary of a sealing region  65  of a corner pad  50 . The weight of water allowed to pool in the reservoir zone  77  may balance the pressure exerted on the water from the outside air, e.g. the wind during a storm. 
     Although the above disclosure has been presented in the context of exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.