Patent Publication Number: US-9845638-B1

Title: Garage door stop mould

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to sealing around external doors. More specifically, this invention relates to weather stripping or flashing for providing a seal around garage doors. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Most garage doors consist of panels guided by wheels in rails. A series of panels have rollers on them which ride in the rails. At one end, the rails terminate close to the floor near the door opening. At the other end the rails terminate above the door opening. The panels are guided into position by the rollers and rails to cover the door opening. When the garage door is opened, the rollers and rails guide the panels away from the garage door opening to a position out of the way. 
     The size of the door opening and the manner in which the roller and rails bring the panels into the closed position have led to special products for sealing between the building structure, or door frame, and the door panel, or panels. These products are comprised of a firm elongated strip having a rectangular cross section and a soft flap extending along the length of the strip. The firm strip is placed on the structure of the building in a position for the soft flap to contact the garage door. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,167,657 and 6,360,489 by Burge, et al., disclose such weather stripping. 
     Although current products provide an adequate seal between the door frame and the door, they require manual sealing at the external edge of the firm strip and also have cosmetic issues. When the weather strip is installed, a bead of caulking is applied along the edge of the weather strip that faces away from the garage door. This is a manual operation and requires a certain level of skill to apply the caulking effectively and efficiently. Removing this step from the installation process would greatly increase the speed with which the weather stripping could be installed which would result in a substantial labor cost savings. 
     In addition to the issue of installation, current products present cosmetic issues. The strips are installed with fasteners such as nails and screws. The weather stripping comes in colors to match the doors, or door frames, or both. To prevent the head of the fasteners from being obviously visible against the color of the weather strip, the fasteners must match the color of the weather strip, or the fastener and weather strip must be painted. If the fasteners match the color of the weather strip, fasteners that match the color of weather strip must be kept on hand. Keeping matching fasteners for each possible color of weather strip leads to an inventory problem. Either a large inventory of fasteners must be kept or a mismatch of colors will occur. This is not cosmetically acceptable to end customers. Alternatively, if the weather stripping and fasteners are painted, this is an additional labor and material cost. Frequently, even when a fastener initially has a coating matching the color of the weather strip, it lasts only to the time of installation. For nails, a few strikes of a hammer can remove the coating, and for screws, a slip of the driver can remove the coating. Finally, even if the weather stripping and fasteners match in color initially and the coating survives installation, extended exposure to weather can oxidize fasteners. For strength and cost effectiveness, fasteners typically contain some iron alloy. Extended exposure can change the color of the fasteners and cause them to stand out visually from the weather stripping, or the oxidation may cause streaks to run from the fasteners and cause even more visible discoloration of the weather stripping. 
     RELEVANT ART 
     U.S. Pat. No. 9,068,391 by Peck, et al., is for “Adjustable garage door jamb trim.” In Peck &#39;391, an adjustable garage door jamb trim system includes an interior door jamb trim, and an exterior door jamb trim. The interior door jamb trim and exterior door jamb trim are secured to a door jamb. The interior door jamb trim and exterior door jamb trim form an adjustable mating configuration that seal the interface between the interior door jamb trim and the exterior door jamb trim when the interior door jamb trim and exterior door jamb trim are secured to a door jamb having a width within a given range of widths. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 9,045,937 by Peck, et al., is for a “Garage door stop and seal system.” In Peck &#39;937, a garage door stop and seal system is disclosed. The door stop and seal system of Peck &#39;937 is intended to allow for expansion and contraction, enable replacement of the seal, and provide hidden, or concealed, fasteners. The system includes a door stop that removeably snaps into a receiver, wherein the door stop conceals the fasteners used to connect the receiver to a door jamb. Additionally, the door stop includes a receiving space for a replaceable seal. The replaceable seal presses against a garage door to seal the gap between the door jamb and the garage door when the garage door is shut. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,560 by Dischiant, et al., is for a “WEATHER STRIP FOR DOORS”. Dischiant discloses a sealing device for a garage door for sealing the door and frame to exclude the elements. A first part, or base, mounts to a supporting surface such as a door jamb. A second part is constructed to removeably attach to the first part. The second part carries a sealing element. The sealing element presses against the garage door to create a seal. 
     As may be seen from relevant art, there remains a need for a weather strip that provides sealing at both the internal and external edges without additional labor and which is more cosmetically pleasing by eliminating exposed fasteners from the exterior surface. 
     SUMMARY FOR EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the weather stripping for garage doors are comprised of an elongated base with a first flexible strip along a top edge, or corner, of the base and a second flexible strip along the side of the base opposite to the first flexible strip. The first flexible strip extends upward and outward from the base to contact a garage door in its closed position to provide a seal around the garage door. The second flexible strip extends downward and outward from the base to seal against the structure to which the base is attached. The second flexible strip provides a seal near the external edge of the base. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Additional utility and features of the invention will become more fully apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following drawings, which illustrate some of the primary features of preferred embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  is an end view of an embodiment of a garage door stop mould mounted in position. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a garage door stop mould with the base mounted and the seal strip in position above the base. 
         FIG. 3  is an end view of an embodiment of a garage door stop mould mounted in position. 
         FIG. 4  is an end view of an embodiment of a garage door stop mould mounted in position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following detailed description, similar elements are numbered with similar numbers. Although there are differences between the embodiments of  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , like numbers are used for similar elements. In  FIG. 3 , a two-hundred series of numbers is used for similar elements. In  FIG. 4 , a three-hundred series of numbers is used for similar elements. 
       FIG. 1  is an end view of an embodiment of a garage door stop mould  10  mounted in position.  FIG. 1  shows a profile, or shape, which extends the length of door stop mould  10 .  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a garage door stop mould  10  with base  20  mounted and seal strip  50  in position above base  20 .  FIG. 2  illustrates the profiles of base  20  and seal strip  50  extending the length of door stop mould  10 . Referring to both  FIGS. 1 and 2 , base  20  of garage door stop mould  10  is attached to door jamb  90  and casing  91  proximal to garage door  92 . In  FIG. 1 , seal strip  50  is connected to base  20 , and seal strip  50  has a door seal edge  52  and a jamb seal edge  54  opposite to door seal edge  52 . Door seal edge  52  is configured to seal against garage door  92  when seal strip  50  is mounted to base  20  and garage door  92  is closed. Jamb seal edge  54  is configured to seal against door jamb  90  when seal strip  50  is mounted to base  20 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , in particular, the far edges of seal strip  50  are angled to better seal against the respective surfaces. 
     Panel  22  of base  20  has a bottom surface  24 , a top surface  26 , two opposing edges  28  and  30 , and two opposing ends  32  and  34 . Ends  32  and  34  in  FIG. 2  define the length of base  20 . In  FIG. 2 , base  20  is depicted as being relatively short. However, base  20  can be long enough to match the length needed to frame a garage door, or alternatively multiple sections of base  20  can be combined to achieve a desired length. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , seal strip  50  attaches to base  20  at three locations. Three grooves  36 ,  38 ,  40  extend from top surface  26  of base  20 . Grooves  36 ,  38 ,  40  have openings  42  at their tops and are closed where they join panel  22 . In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , grooves  36  and  40  are proximal to first and second edges  28 ,  30  and in those embodiments, define sides of base  20 . 
     Seal strip  50  has a bottom surface  56  and a top surface  58 . Ends  60  and  62  in  FIG. 2  define a length of seal strip  50 . Tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68  extend from bottom surface  56  of seal strip  50 . Tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68  are generally centrally located on bottom surface  56  of seal  50  and spaced to align with grooves  36 ,  38 ,  40  of base  20 . In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , grooves  36 ,  38 ,  40  and tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68  are arranged and spaced generally symmetrically. Grooves  36 ,  38 ,  40  are approximately the same height, and tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68  are approximately the same height. Other embodiments may not be symmetric and may have variance among their grooves and tabs. 
     Grooves  36 ,  38 ,  40  and tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68  are configured such that when tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68  of seal strip  50  are inserted into grooves  36 ,  38 ,  40  of base  20 , seal strip  50  is maintained fixed to base  20 . In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , grooves  36 ,  38 ,  40  have smaller openings  42 ,  44 ,  46  at their tops and larger cross-sections below. Tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68  have smaller tips  70 ,  72 ,  74  and larger cross-sections above. Smaller tips  70 ,  72 ,  74  facilitate the insertion of tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68  into openings  42 ,  44 ,  46  of grooves  36 ,  38 ,  40 . The larger cross-sections of grooves  36 ,  38 ,  40  and tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68  compliment each other to retain tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68  in grooves  36 ,  38 ,  40 . Grooves  36 ,  38 ,  40  and tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68  are made of material sufficiently resilient to maintain seal strip  50  on base  20 . In particular, grooves  36 ,  38 ,  40  are made of material sufficiently resilient to resist excessive flexing and resulting expansion of openings  42 ,  44 ,  46 . In some embodiments, grooves  36 ,  38 ,  40  and tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68  are made of different material. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , in some embodiments, tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68  may have ribs  76  running along their lengths. Ribs  76  provide additional gripping force between tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68  and grooves  36 ,  38 ,  40 , while also allowing less precise manufacturing standards in the fit between grooves  36 ,  38 ,  40  and tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68 . Ribs  76  typically extend from the sides of tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68  are of the same material as tabs  64 ,  66 ,  68 . 
     Additionally, both base  20  and seal strip  50  may have different sections of their parts made of different materials. In  FIG. 2 , seal strip  50  has seams  78  to each side of a central section  80 . Seams  78  denote a change in material from central section  80  to door seal section  82  and jamb seal section  84 . The production of base  20  and seal strip  50  with different materials in different sections may be accomplished by co-extrusion of the different sections, among other production processes. The embodiment of  FIG. 2 , with its sections comprising different materials, may be contrasted with the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 1 , seal strip  50  is continuous and without seams from door seal edge  52  to jamb seal edge  54 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , seal strip  50  is shaped outside the width of tabs  64  and  68  to have door seal edge  52  seal against garage door  92  jamb seal edge  54  seal against jamb  90 . 
     Base  20  can be attached to jamb  90  in any way deemed appropriate by the installer. In  FIG. 2 , heads of fasteners  93  are visible. Fasteners  93  may be nails or screws. In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , base  20  has groove  38  along its centerline. Therefore, fasteners  93  are offset from center and staggered along the length of base  20 . Referring back to  FIG. 1 , it may be seen that, in some cases, the ability to place fasteners off-center will allow an installer to avoid crevasses in the underlying structure. This greatly increases the staying power and rigidity of the installation. In other applications, an installer may use an adhesive. In still other applications, it is possible that an additional substrate could be mounted to jamb  90  to provide a quick mount for base  20 . The substrate would be structured to receive base  20  and may have other features relating to framing a garage door. 
       FIG. 3  is an end view of an embodiment of a garage door stop mould  210  mounted in position. In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , base  220  has two grooves  236 ,  240  spaced to each side of base  220 . With only two grooves, base  220  can be attached to jamb  90  with fasteners in the middle of base  220 . Grooves  236 ,  240  are not the same height, with groove  236  being shorter than groove  240 . Seal strip  250  has two tabs  264  and  268  spaced to match grooves  236  and  240 . With groove  236  being shorter than groove  240 , the section of seal strip  250  between tab  264  and jamb seal edge  254 , which is distal from garage door  92 , can be shorter. This can improve the seal between jamb seal edge  254  and jamb  90  since that section deflects less over the shorter length. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the distal section leading to jamb seal edge  254  is also thicker to provide further stiffness. 
     In the embodiment of seal strip  250  of  FIG. 3 , the section of seal strip  250  proximal to garage door  92  between tab  268  and door seal edge  252  is longer and more flexible than the distal section of seal strip  250 . This is similar to the embodiments of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and allows door seal edge  252  to seal against a movable garage door when it is closed. Seal strip  250  of  FIG. 3  may also be made of different material in different sections to provide differences in stiffness. For example, it may be desirable that the section of seal strip  250  distal from the garage door be stiffer to seal against jamb  90 , while it may be desirable that the section of seal strip  250  proximal to a garage door be more pliable to seal against the garage door but not scratch it from repeated sliding contact. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 3 , with groove  236  being shorter than groove  240 , base  220  is not symmetrical. This requires that base  220  be mounted with a particular orientation. The groove of base  220  that will support the part of seal strip  250  that will extend to seal against a garage door must be positioned proximal to the garage door. 
       FIG. 4  is an end view of an embodiment of a garage door stop mould  310  mounted in position. In the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , base  320  has three grooves  336 ,  338 ,  340 . In  FIG. 4 , groove  338  is shaped to accommodate a fastener  93  at the center. Groove  338  has a flat bottom and its sides are shaped to facilitate the insertion of fastener  93  and the insertion and retention of center tab  366  of seal strip  350 . The shape of center tab  366  may be different than tabs  364  and  368  to either side on seal strip  350 . Center tab  366  may have a more bulbous, flatter end to accommodate fastener  93  and still provide holding action. 
     In addition to the shape of center tab  366 , seal strip  350  has other unique features. Seal strip  350  has seam  378  between door seal edge  352  and the center section that has tabs  364 ,  366 ,  368  extending from its bottom surface  356 . Seam  378  indicates a change in material from door seal edge  352 , proximal to the garage door, and the center section of door seal strip  350 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the distal section of seal strip  350 , which has jamb seal edge  354 , turns down sharply to contact jamb  90  and provide a seal at the distal side of garage door stop mould  310 . 
     Garage door stop mould  10 ,  210 ,  310  may be made by any applicable processes and materials. However, a common process used for items having a consistent profile over the length of the article is extrusion. Materials which may be used in an extrusion process include: extruded flexible vinyl; Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC); polypropylene; and plastics in general. As discussed above, some embodiments of seal strip  50 , and/or base  20  may be composed of more than one material. For these embodiments, a coextrusion process may be used to create a profile that has different materials in different sections. Coextrusion is known in the art. Other materials that may be used include fiber reinforced polymeric materials (FRP), e.g. pultruded fiberglass and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). Pultrusion is a process known in the art, as are pultruded materials. The materials used may be colored during production with dyes, or alternatively, the materials used may be paintable materials. 
     It is to be understood that the embodiments and arrangements set forth herein are not limited in their application to the details of construction and arrangement of the components set forth in the description and illustrated in the drawings. Rather, the description and the drawings provide examples of the embodiments envisioned, but the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments. The embodiments disclosed herein are further capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways, including various combinations and sub-combinations that may not have been explicitly disclosed. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting the claims. 
     Accordingly, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which the application and claims are based may be readily utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the embodiments and claims presented in this application. It is important, therefore, that the invention be regarded as including such equivalent constructions.