Patent Abstract:
A molding system and method for installation that covers existing molding. The molding system covers existing trim for doorways and floors with a more decorative molding. The invention includes a molding overlay. An upper corner block covers the intersections of the existing doorway molding, and a lower corner block covers a section of the existing doorway molding with the existing baseboard, eliminating the need to cut mitered angles in the overlay molding. Recesses in the backside of the corner blocks allow the corner blocks to receive the old molding. The molding overlay abuts the corner blocks, thereby avoiding the requirements for making any cuts other than perpendicular cuts.

Full Description:
This is a non-provisional application claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/601,410 filed Aug. 13, 2004. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of The Invention 
   Applicant&#39;s invention relates to a system and method for covering existing moldings around doorways and along walls and baseboard moldings in existing homes, and, more particularly, to a system and method for installing said system for attaching doorway overlay molding and baseboard encapsulate to existing doorway and baseboard molding. This system substantially improves the appearance of baseboard molding and molding around the doorways and walls by covering the existing molding with a more decorative molding. This system and method is user friendly such that an amateur or “do-it-yourself” person working alone can install these new molding designs with less costs and less frustration, and still create an expensive look. The examples presented are primarily for doors and are shown for purposes of illustration and not limitation. It is understood that this system and method could apply to other openings and architectural features such as baseboards, railings, stairs, windows, skylights, attic openings, etc. 
   2. Background Information 
   In many homes, builders and general contractors generally use inexpensive type of trim around the doors and other openings, and along the floor. This molding is used to conceal imperfections that occur during the construction of the home around doorways and bases of walls, specifically where the wall meets the doorway or the floor. Because these walls and doorways have various corners, such as corners of doorways or corners where two walls meet, in order to install molding completely around a doorframe or where two walls meet and form an internal or external corner, it is necessary to cut the molding at various angles using a miter box so that the corners of the molding fit smoothly together around the corners. Furthermore, when the molding is installed, the molding is usually set back from the opening edge to form a reveal. This reveal is used to overcome the problems with trying to match flush edges. Wood moves and changes shape through the course of time. Because of this characteristic, it is impossible to get edges to stay flush when aligning molding to a doorway or wall. Stepping molding back to form reveals causes shadow lines and creates different planes that make it harder for the eye to pick up discrepancies. Creating this reveal when replacing molding so that the reveal is consistent and aesthetically pleasing is a complicated task. This molding is complicated and is usually installed by professionals. 
   Once the average consumer purchases a home, he/she may be inclined to change the standard trim used by the builder in favor of molding that is much more attractive and aesthetically pleasing. However, this creates a dilemma: Having spent a substantial amount of money in order to obtain the home, is the desire to upgrade the old molding around the doors and along the floor strong enough to justify spending even more money to have professionals come in and completely remove all the trim along the floor and around the doors and then install new trim? Additional expenses inevitably incur during this removal and installation process because of the difficulty of removing items that were intended by the builder to be permanent fixtures. Inherent in the removal process of the mold trim are damages in the forms of nicks, scrapes, dents, scratches, and even holes to the wall surface adjacent to the trim being removed. Furthermore, replacing molding does not merely consist of removing the old molding and attaching new molding. In addition to removing the old molding, one must clean the surfaces where the old molding left paint and caulk, measure and cut the new molding, sand and paint the new molding, align the new molding to insure that the corners align and the molding is square, and only then may the molding be attached to the wall or doorway surface. Even then the molding should be set back from the doorway or wall to form the reveal. This is an arduous process requiring a great deal of time and many tools, such as a hammer, a pry bar, nails, a hand saw, a miter box, a tape measure, and sanding and painting supplies, just to name a few. Furthermore, if great care is not taken, the consumer may well have to hire other professionals, such as painters or sheet-rockers, incurring an additional unanticipated expense in order to obtain the final upgraded “look” the consumer initially had in mind. The result is a costly renovation project. 
   The same concerns occur with the owner of an older home. In the course of time, the molding will become nicked, scraped, dented or scratched. This molding system allows the old molding to be covered with an upgraded more decorative molding with a minimum effort. 
   Obviously, most consumers are not in a position financially to undergo such a costly renovation shortly after purchasing their home or renovating an older home. Indeed, many consumers wait years before they may even consider such an expensive project. There are still others who, because of the cost and expense involved, remain complacent with their old molding. 
   There exists in the art the general concept of molding that would cover preexisting molding. Several patents relate to this field. These include: U.S. Pat. No. 871,028 to Brian; U.S. Pat. No. 2,887,739 to Bensman; U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,859 to Smith; U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,237 to Juntunen; U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,718 to Wicks; U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,619 to Mansson; U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,276 to Pinto, et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,576 to Balmer. Of these patents, only Pinto, et al., come close to the present invention. However, as home owner&#39;s interest in “do-it-yourself” projects increase coupled with increasing costs of skilled labor, there still does not exist a system for the average consumer, working alone, to easily install and maintain aesthetically pleasing and attractive molding in their homes with a minimum of tools. 
   One problem “do-it-yourselfers” face include the need for precise measurement of corner pieces on the top corners of the doorframes and the left and right bottom portions of the doorframe as well as places where two walls meet in a corner to minimize any gaps or overlaps. Another is the skill involved in cutting these components using a specialized tool such as a miterbox. Yet another problem is the realistic notion that a “do-it-yourselfer” would most likely not have any assistance from other people during the project. 
   Although the Pinto patent teaches the general concept of having a new baseboard molding that is more decorative to cover inexpensive baseboard molding, this patent does not disclose or solve the problems encountered by the “do-it-yourself” homeowner previously discussed such that it minimizes or entirely eliminates the use of skilled craftsmen, complicated tools and machinery (such as a miterbox), and minimal assistance required. Additionally, none of the other patents mentioned overcome the disadvantages and problems associated with “do-it-self” door and base molding renovation projects. Nor do any present an integrated system to solve the problem created when one type of molding transitions into another, such as occurs at the bottom of a door when baseboard molding meets doorway molding, or where two walls meet to form an external or internal corner. 
   The present invention substantially improves and solves the problems discussed above because it can be completed by a single “do-it-yourself” homeowner without the use of professional craftsmen or complicated tools and machinery. The final result is a dramatically improved appearance of existing door, baseboard, and baseshoe molding over the currently installed molding. The use of this system and method thus now enable the average consumer and “do-it-yourself” homeowner to fully renovate all the door and baseboard moldings at less cost, less hassle, less frustration, and less time than would have previously been possible, and with a high degree of confidence in the results. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a molding that is applied over existing molding without the removal of the existing molding. 
   It is further an object of the present invention to provide a molding system that eliminates the need of a miter box to make angled cuts. 
   It is another object of the present invention to at least partially cover existing moldings. 
   It is another object of the present invention to cover existing molding of varying widths and thicknesses. 
   It is still further an object of the present invention to have a molding design that can be easily installed by the “do-it-yourselfer” market with very little effort, so there will be no need for the use of a miterbox to cut angles when installing this system. 
   It is another object of the present invention to use existing doorway molding as a base point for establishing a reveal. 
   It is yet another object of the present invention for such molding to be much more decorative in nature. 
   The miterless molding design system has three primary components: (a) overlay molding that follow along the doorways; (b) baseboard encapsulate that follow along the floors; and (c) corner blocks that seamlessly connect molding where the walls meet at an interior or exterior angle, or a corner is encountered around the doorway. The corner blocks eliminate any need for a miterbox to cut angles when installing the system. All the individual user has to do is cut the proper lengths of molding required. Recesses are cut into the backside of the corner blocks which allow the corner blocks to receive the old molding. With the corner blocks in place around the doorway, the overlay molding and baseboard encapsulate can attach to existing molding and be butted against the corner blocks, thus eliminating any need for angle cutting. 
   For dealing with moldings going around corners where two walls meet at an internal or external approximate right angle, a right angle block is used. A recess is cut into the right angle block in order to receive the existing baseboard at the internal corner. For dealing with moldings and walls forming corners where two walls meet at an external right angle, a right angle corner block with an additional recess is used to receive the exposed corner of the wall above the existing molding where the two walls meet. 
   By using the corner blocks and right angle blocks, right angles can be cut in every piece of molding for installation. If there are any openings at the corner blocks or right angle blocks, those openings between the molding and corner blocks would be calked. The design illustrated on the figures below are merely for illustrative purposes and not for limitation purposes. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 1  along section lines  2 - 2 . 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 1  along section lines  3 - 3 . 
       FIG. 4  is a front elevation view of another embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an upper corner block of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6R  is a perspective view of a right lower corner block of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6L  is a perspective view of a left lower corner block of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of a right angle block for internal right angles of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 7B  is a perspective view of a right angle corner block for external right angles of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   An embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of a doorway  10  in a wall surface  12  that has a doorway overlay  14  therearound and a baseboard encapsulate  16  extending therefrom. The baseboard encapsulate  16  is abutted against the wall surface  12  and meets with a floor  20 . 
   A cross-sectional view of  FIG. 1  along section lines  2 - 2  is depicted in  FIG. 2 . The doorway overlay  14  attaches and thus covers the existing doorway molding  18 . A side edge  26  of the doorway overlay  14  aligns distantly from the doorway  10 . The recessed abutting inside portion  24  of the doorway overlay  14  is disposed over a length  130  of the existing doorway molding  18  and attaches along vertical and upper horizontal peripheral edges of the doorway  10  by a pair of vertical members (not shown). A corner formed by a wide end  126  and the length  130  of the existing doorway molding  18  is bedded into and recessed inside a corner  30  of the doorway overlay  14 . A small dead space  132  is created and enclosed by the wide end  126  of the existing doorway molding  18 , an angled inside portion  22  of the doorway overlay  14 , and the wall surface  12 . A small end  128  is aligned proximately to the doorway  10 . The new doorway overlay  14  includes an outer decorative surface  28  shown merely for illustrative purposes and not for limitation purposes. 
   Although the wide end  126  is described as embedded into the corner  30  of the doorway overlay  14 , it is understood that a typical spacer (not shown) could be inserted between the corner  30  and the wide end  126  to accommodate doorway moldings of different widths. In this configuration, the small end  128  of the doorway overlay  14  continues to be set back from the existing doorway molding  18 , exposing a small portion of the existing doorway  18 , forming a reveal. 
   A cross sectional view of  FIG. 1  along section lines  3 - 3 , as seen in  FIG. 3 , illustrates the existing baseboard  32  covered by the baseboard encapsulate  16 . An upper angled wall abutting portion  34  of the baseboard encapsulate  16  is fitted over a top surface  156  of the existing baseboard  32 . A recessed inside corner  36  gives room for thicker than normal existing baseboards. A recessed angled lower portion  38  of the baseboard encapsulate  16  allows the baseboard encapsulate  16  to accommodate existing baseboard  32 . A bottom surface  40  of the baseboard encapsulate  16  is flat and is disposed adjacent the floor  20 . A dead space  42  is created and defined by the recessed angled lower portion  38  of the baseboard encapsulate  16 , the floor  20 , the existing baseboard  32 , and the recessed inside corner  36  of the baseboard encapsulate  16 . 
   The baseboard encapsulate  16  and the doorway overlay  14  cover the existing baseboard  32  and the existing doorway molding  18 , respectively, and adhere the to wall surface  12  through a securing means such as a nail (not shown). In particular, it is preferable to use headless nails to minimize the nail&#39;s appearance on the baseboard encapsulate  16 . Headless nails may also be tapped into the molding for further concealment. Additionally, wood putty or other similar substance may be used to cover the nail entirely. 
   An alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . In this figure, the baseboard encapsulate  16  is separated from the doorway overlay  14  by a lower left corner block  48  and a lower right corner block  50 . At the lower left hand side of the doorway  10 , the baseboard encapsulate  16  abuts a side edge  134  of the lower left corner block  48 . A bottom surface  136  is disposed adjacent the floor  20 . A top surface  76  joins the doorway overlay  14 . The doorway overlay  14  then continues upward in a longitudinal direction until it abuts a bottom surface  142  of the upper left corner block  46 . A side edge  144  of the upper left corner block  46  abuts the doorway overlay  14  which then extends in a latitudinal direction until it abuts the right upper corner block  150  at a side edge  146 . The doorway overlay  14  is then joined at a bottom surface  148  of the right upper corner block  150  and extends downward in a longitudinal direction to align with a lower right corner block  50  along a top surface  64 . A side edge  70  of the lower right corner block  50  then joins the baseboard encapsulate  16 . A bottom surface  138  of the lower right corner block  50  is disposed adjacent the floor  20 . 
   The upper corner blocks  46  and  150  are used in the upper left and right corners of the doorframe. Their use eliminates the need to make angle cuts other than perpendicular cuts in order for the doorway overlay  14  to join together at the corners. A more detailed description of the upper left corner block  46  and the upper right corner block  150  follows. 
     FIG. 5  shows A backside  52  of the upper corner block  46 . Although the numbering for the corner blocks for  FIG. 4  differentiated an upper left corner block  46  from the upper right corner block  150 , the corner blocks are identically designed so as to be able to be used with either the left or right upper corner; the only difference being its orientation. The use of different numbers for the upper left and right corner blocks in  FIG. 4  was merely for convenience. Therefore both the upper left and upper right corner blocks are from here forward described as the upper corner block  46 . The backside  52  of the upper corner  46  rests against the wall surface  12 . A recess  54  is cut into the back side  52  of the upper corner block  46 . The cut is made at an angle  140 . This angle  140  then can be fixed snuggly over the inward angle (not shown) of the existing doorway molding  18 . A recessed edge  60  and a recessed edge  62  wrap snuggly around the corners of the existing doorway molding  18 . The bottom surface  142  and a side edge  58  then become the receiving surfaces for the doorway overlay  14 . The doorway overlay  14  then extends downward in a longitudinal direction until it aligns with either the lower left corner block  48  or the lower right corner block  50 . The lower left corner block  48  and the lower right corner block  50  are similarly designed, but accommodate the doorway overlay  14  and the baseboard encapsulate  16  as detailed below. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 6L , a wall abutting surface  82  of the lower left corner block  48  rests against the wall surface  12 . A second recess  86  cut therein allows the existing baseboard  32  to be received therein. The baseboard encapsulate  16  then fits over the existing baseboard  32  and abuts the lower left corner block  48  along the side edge  134 . A side edge  84  faces the doorway  10 . A first recess  78  cut therein receives the existing doorway molding  18 . The existing doorway molding  18  is further secured by an inside corner  80 . The first recess  78  is cut at an angle  152  in order to accommodate the angles typically associated with existing doorway molding. The doorway overlay  14  connects with the lower left corner block  48  along the top surface  76 , while the bottom surface  136  is disposed adjacent the floor  20 . 
   Referring to the lower right corner block  50 , as depicted in  FIG. 6R , a wall abutting surface  68  rests against the wall surface  12 . A second recess  72  cut therein receives the existing baseboard  32  therein. A first recess  66  cut therein receives the existing doorway molding  18  therein. The first recess  66  is cut at an angle  154  in order to accommodate the angles typically associated with existing doorway molding. The existing doorway molding  18  resting inside the first recess  66  is further secured by an inside corner  88 . The baseboard encapsulate  16  covering the existing baseboard  32  couples to the lower right corner block  50  along a side edge  70 . A side edge  74  faces toward the doorway  10 . The doorway overlay  14  aligns with the lower right corner block  50  at the top surface  64 , while the bottom surface  138  is disposed adjacent the floor  20 . 
   The concept of blocks placed over corners may also be used where two wall surfaces meet, creating an internal or external corner.  FIG. 7A  illustrates a right angle block  90 . The right angle block  90  is used when two wall surfaces meet perpendicularly at substantially internal right angles to each other. The right angle block  90  is positioned such that a recess, formed by a surface  100  and a surface  102  cut therein receives the existing baseboard  32 . The baseboard encapsulate  16  is placed over the existing baseboard  32  and abuts the right angle block  90  at a side edge  96  and a side edge  98 . A bottom surface  104  of the right angle block  90  is adapted to be positioned adjacent the floor  20 . An outside decorative surface  94  is also included on the right angle block  90 , while a top surface  92  remains unobstructed. 
   A similar design is used when two walls meet at substantially perpendicularly external right angles to each other, forming an external corner.  FIG. 7B  illustrates a right angle block  106  with a recess, formed by a surface  120  and a surface  122  cut therein, to receive the existing doorway molding  18 . Additionally, a second recess defines a first surface  112  and a second surface  114 , and is adapted to receive a portion of the wall corner disposed above the existing baseboard  32 . The baseboard encapsulate  16  abuts the right angle block  106  along a side edge  116  and a side edge  118 . A bottom surface  124  is adapted to be positioned adjacent the floor  20 , while a top surface  108  remains free from obstruction. The right angle block  106  also includes an outside decorative surface  110  (similar to the outside decorative surface  94  for the inside lower corner block  90 ). Thus, after installation, the right angle block  90  covers the existing baseboard  32  and abuts the baseboard encapsulate  16  at internal corners. Similarly, after installation, the right angle block  106  covers the existing baseboard  32  and abuts the baseboard encapsulate  16  at external corners.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4