Patent Abstract:
A joint support system for trim members  12  and  14  has a reinforcement member  16  attached to the trim members  12  and  14.  A fastener fastens the trim members  12  and  14  to the reinforcement. An adhering glue may be applied and set between the reinforcement member  16  and trim members  12  and  14  to form a tight joint.

Full Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The field of this invention relates to trim molding for housing construction and a system for supporting a tight joint between trim members. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    One important aspect for making new housing construction or a remodeling project appear well built and add value to a home, condo or other building is the trim molding. Trim molding may be placed about various places within a building including door and window frames as well as around upper edges between walls and ceilings. Other decorative trim moldings such as chair moldings also dress a building to be attractive. 
         [0003]    Often trim molding is made from a plurality of separate trim members that are connected together at a tight joint to form a continuous looking unitary member. The trim can often be shellacked, or painted to further hide and conceal the joint. A poorly installed trim molding that forms a gap within the joint is detractive and undesirable. 
         [0004]    A problem with many installed trim moldings is that while they are often assembled correctly with tight joints that is either invisible or barely noticeable, after the elapse of time, settling of the new underlying construction will often pull apart the joint and form a crack in the paint coating or otherwise make the make the joint noticeably visible with a large unsightly gap. Older settled buildings often have quite large and noticeably unsightly gaps between trim members. While extra nails and screws can secure a joint, the nails and screws are either undesirably exposed or require wood putty to conceal them. The extra wood putty is also undesirable because it does not take stain well or it dries up and pops out. 
         [0005]    The settling and gapping of the trim joint is exacerbated by the common interposition of drywall between the trim member and a supporting stud member or the like. Drywall is not a structural support member. Thus, the spacing of the trim member from the supporting stud member due to the interposition of drywall reduces the lateral rigidity provided by the nail. In other words, the long extension of the nail from the trim member through the drywall and to the stud member reduces the lateral rigidity provided by the nail. 
         [0006]    What is needed is a concealed trim molding system that retains tight trim joints together and resists separation of the trim members. What is also needed is a system that secures the trim members together on the exterior side of any drywall. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0007]    In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a joint reinforcement system mounts two trim members together to a supporting substrate. The joint reinforcement system includes a substrate and a reinforcement member being mounted to the substrate. Two trim members are mounted to abut each other to form a joint with each trim member positioned over a portion of the reinforcement member. The trim members are preferably adheredly mounted to the reinforcement member. A respective fastener pierces the respective trim members and extends through the reinforcement member and engages the substrate. 
         [0008]    Often a layer of drywall may be interposed between the substrate and the reinforcement member. The reinforcement member is at the exterior side of any drywall and is in close proximity of the trim member. Preferably, the reinforcement member is mesh like with a plurality of perforations therethrough. 
         [0009]    The reinforcement member may be made from metal. Preferably, the reinforcement member can be made from an aluminum sheet. The reinforcement member may have a substantially planar section. 
         [0010]    Alternatively, the reinforcement member is bent with two substantially transverse planar sections to have trim members positioned substantially at right angles with respect to each other and secured to the respective transverse planar sections. The trim members may be a side trim member and upper trim member for a door or window opening. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    Reference now is made to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a front plan fragmentary view of an assembled trim assembly according to one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the trim assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a fragmentary view similar to  FIG. 1  with a trim member partially broken away to expose a portion of the reinforcement member; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a cross section view taken along lines  4 - 4  shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is view of another embodiment of the invention showing an exploded view of installation of interior trim molding for example for covering a window jamb. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0017]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-4 , a trim molding assembly  10  has two trim members  12  and  14  connected to a reinforcement member  16  which are all connected to a substrate, for example drywall  18  and other structural underlying members such as a stud  20  or jamb  21  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ). Each trim member  12  and  14  are appropriately cut to provide a tight joint  22 . The reinforcement member  16  is positioned or the exterior side of the drywall  18  to span under both trim members  12  and  14 . By “exterior side”, it is meant the side that is opposite from the one facing the interior hidden section of wall. The shape of the reinforcement member  16  can be varied depending on the configuration of the trim molding. A typical shape can be a planar L-shape for trim members  12  and  14  that are abutted to each other at the top and side of a typical door or window opening  19 . 
         [0018]    The reinforcement member  16  is a thin member that has rigidity against stretching along its main plane. In one preferred embodiment, it is foreseen that the member  16  can be made from a sheet of perforated aluminum that may have a thickness ranging from 1/64 to 1/32 to provide the sufficient rigidity but still allow a nail to be hammered therethrough by manual force. The sheet can be perforated with a plurality of apertures  30 . The apertures  30  may have a size for example to receive a finishing nail  32 . As shown more clearly in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the reinforcement member  16  has two bent corner tabs  24  that are bent substantially perpendicular to the main planar section  25  for tacking into dry wall  18 . 
         [0019]    Installation of the trim joint  22  begins with tacking the corner tabs  24  of the reinforcement member  16  into the exterior side of dry wall  18  at positions  26  indicated in  FIG. 2 . The member  16  has its main planar section  25  abut against the dry wall  18 . A layer of glue  33  suitable for wood and aluminum is then applied to the backside of each trim member  12  and  14  and the trim members are then pressed onto the reinforcement member  16 . As the trim member is pressed onto the reinforcement member, the glue makes contact with the planar outer face  27  of the reinforcement member  16  as well as intruding into the apertures  30 . A finishing nail  28  is then driven through a respective trim member  12 ,  14 , the reinforcement member  16 , the dry wall  18 , and the underlying stud  20  or jamb  21  as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0020]    After the glue sets with the set glue in the apertures  30  and bonding the reinforcement member  16  to each trim member  12  and  14 , the set joint  22  becomes resistant against relative movement in any direction that may cause separation of the trim members  12  and  14 . Caulk may then be conventionally applied to the inner and outer edges  29  between the trim members  12  and  14  and the dry wall  18  to conceal any gap  31  as shown in  FIG. 4  and conceal the reinforcement member  16 . By having many apertures, the surface available for adhesion is greatly increased. 
         [0021]    Another embodiment is shown in  FIG. 5  where the reinforcement member  116  has two planar sections  40  and  42  that are substantially perpendicular to each other. The planar sections  40  and  42  each have one bent corner tab  24  being substantially perpendicular thereto. The corner tabs  24  are used to tack onto the jambs  120  and  121  where planar section  40  substantially abuts side jamb  120  and planar section  42  abuts header jamb member  121 . Trim members  112  and  114  then have their back sides glued and pressed against the respective planar sections  40  and  42 . Finishing nails  28  are then hammered in place to pierce respective trim members  112 ,  114 , planar section  40  and  42  and jambs  120  and  121 . The completed and formed joint  122  will remain tight and resistant to gapping after the glue is cured. 
         [0022]    The substrate member may have other shapes for custom trim installations. It can also be used for base trim members to prevent pull down of the base relative to side trim members or between two base trim members for wide door entrances where two base trim members are used. 
         [0023]    The reinforcement member  16  and  116  by being in close proximity to the trim members and being positioned on the exterior side of the drywall in proximity to the trim members adds lateral rigidity to the trim member. Furthermore, the large area of adhesion provided by the mark planar reinforcement member provides strong support against any direction perpendicular to lateral motion. Thus, an improved joint resistant against relative movement in any direction is provided. The retention of this tight joint is particularly advantageous if the joint is painted or shellacked. The paint or shellac after it is applied and dried has a greater chance of not cracking which is common at conventionally constructed joints. 
         [0024]    Other variations and modifications are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4