Patent Abstract:
An apparatus for providing a watertight seal at the bottom corners of an entryway is provided. The apparatus includes a flexible pad at each of the bottom corners of the opening where the side jambs meet the threshold cap. The pads extend partially behind the weather strip and are formed with a projection that extends between the legs of the weather strip. The weather strip is thus reinforced and held firmly against the bottom corners of a closed door, the front of the threshold cap beneath the door, and the space therebetween. A secure watertight seal is thus created.

Full Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of the filing date of pending U.S. provisional application serial No. 60/092,548 filed Jul. 13, 1998. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to entryways and more particularly to a jamb and threshold assembly that forms a watertight seal at the bottom corners of the assembly when the door of the entryway is closed. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Sealing a closed entryway against the leakage of water has long been a problem for designers of such entryways. The problem is particularly acute in a blowing rain storm, where the wind can easily blow rain water between a closed door and the jamb or threshold of the entryway. One common location for such leakage to occur is at the bottom corners of the door where the vertical jambs of the entryway meet the threshold cap of the sill assembly. This is because water tends to collect in these corners during a blowing rain storm and can be blown between the lower corners of the door and the jamb and into the building. While modern weather stripping seals well around most of the periphery of the door, it has nevertheless not proven effective at the bottom corners of the door where the weather stripping spans the space between the bottom of the door and the door sill assembly. Accordingly, there exists a need for a method and apparatus for providing a watertight seal at the bottom corners of an entryway door when the door is closed. It is to the provision of such a method and apparatus that the present invention is primarily directed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention, in one preferred embodiment thereof, comprises a door jamb and threshold assembly that forms a watertight seal at the bottom corners of a door when the door is closed. The assembly comprises a pair of spaced vertical side jambs and a door sill and threshold assembly that spans the bottom ends of the jambs. A head jamb spans the tops of the side jambs to frame the opening. Flexible rubber or foam weather stripping is provided around the periphery of the opening and is positioned so that it becomes compressed between the stop of the jambs and a closed door to provide a seal around the periphery of the door. 
     A rubberized or foam pad is fixed to the side jambs at each of the bottom ends thereof where the jamb meets the threshold and sill assembly. The pad has a tapered portion that is positioned to be compressed between the bottom of the outside vertical edge of the door and the door jamb when the door is closed to provide a seal. In addition, the pad includes a projection that is positioned between the fixed and flexible legs of the weather stripping at the bottom corners of the side jambs. When the entryway door is closed, the weather stripping seals around the perimeter of the door as usual. At the bottom corners of the door, the projections of the pads between the legs of the weather stripping reinforces the weather stripping in this region causing it to bear with greater force and seal better against the door. 
     A portion of the projection formed as a part of the pad extends downwardly beyond the lower extent of the door to reinforce the weather stripping that rests against the front edge of the threshold cap beneath the closed door. Thus, when the door is closed, the weather stripping at the bottom corners of the door is compressed tightly against the door and the continuation of the weather stripping below the door is compressed tightly against the front of the threshold cap. In addition, the portion the weather stripping that spans the space between the bottom of the door and the threshold cap is pressed into and conforms to the shape and contours of the space. As a result, a watertight seal is formed at the bottom corners of the door and rain water is prevented from entering the dwelling, even in a blowing rain storm. These and other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon review of the Detailed Description set forth below taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described as follows. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bottom corner of a jamb and threshold assembly illustrating the configuration and placement of a sealing pad that embodies principles of this invention in a preferred form. 
     FIG. 2 is a top cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 1 taken through the sealing pad. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a sealing pad that embodies principles of the invention in a preferred configuration. 
     FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b  illustrate alternate embodiments of the sealing pad that forms part of this invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a top cross-sectional view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1 illustrating a door closed against the weather stripping and sealing pad. 
     FIG. 6 is a side cross sectional view of the entryway showing the closed door and the water tight seal created by the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now in more detail to the drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates a door jamb and threshold assembly that embodies principles of this invention in a preferred form. The door jamb and threshold assembly  11  comprises a vertical side jamb  12  and a horizontal threshold and sill assembly  13  that is secured to the bottom of the side jamb  12 . The threshold and sill assembly  13  has a downwardly sloped outside sill  23  for the drainage of water and a threshold cap  24  that underlies a closed door of the entryway framed by the jamb and sill assembly. It will be understood that a second vertical side jamb (not shown) is spaced from the jamb  12  on the other side of the entryway to form, along with the head jamb, the entryway opening. The present invention preferably is applied at both of the bottom corners of the entryway opening to provide a seal at both locations, although it ay be applied to only one corner if desired. 
     The vertical jamb  12 , which can be milled of wood, formed of extruded plastics, or be fabricated from a combination of materials, is configured to define a vertical support member  14  that forms a raised stop  16  with respect to an inset surface  18  of the jamb. The jamb has an inside edge  19  and decorative casing  21  is shown attached to the jamb. In a typical installation, baseboard  22  abuts the bottom of the decorative casing  21 . 
     A weather strip  17  is mounted to the jamb and extends around the inside periphery thereof along the stop. The weather strip  17  extends upwardly from the sill just in front of the threshold cap  24  and extends around the perimeter of the opening. The weather strip, which is described in more detail below, is a flexible foam or rubberized material that becomes captured and compressed between a closed door and the stop  16  to form a weather seal around the periphery of the door. 
     A sealing pad  27 , configured according to the principles of this invention, is secured to the inset surface  18  of the jamb  12  at the bottom end thereof where the jamb meets the threshold cap  24 . The sealing pad  27 , described in greater detail below, has a tapered body with an exposed surface  28  and an inside edge  29 . The sealing pad  27  is formed with a projection that extends behind the weather strip  17  to reinforce the weather strip and provide a watertight seal as described in detail below. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the configuration and function of the sealing pad  27  in greater detail. The sealing pad  27  is seen to be fixed by an appropriate adhesive or the like to the inset face  18  of the door jamb assembly  12 . The exposed surface  28  of the sealing pad faces inwardly and the body of the pad is tapered from a narrow inside edge  29  to a wider outside edge portion  42  (FIG.  3 ). The sealing pad  27  is further formed with an upwardly projecting ear  31  (best seen in FIG.  3 )and a downwardly projecting ear  32 . The bottom edge portion  30  of the sealing pad  27  is configured to conform to the shape of the threshold cap  24  with the downwardly projecting ear  32  extending in front of the outside surface of the threshold cap. Thus, it will be seen that the bottom  33  of the downwardly projecting ear  32  rests against the sill  23  in front of the threshold cap. 
     As best seen in FIG. 2, the outside edge portion  42  of the sealing pad  27  extends behind the weather strip  17  of the assembly. An elongated lobe or projection  41  is formed along the outside edge portion  42  of the sealing pad. The projection  41  is shaped and positioned to be disposed between the fixed leg  38  and the flexible leg  39  of the weather stripping. In this way, the weather stripping is reinforced and stiffened by the projection  41  at the bottom corners of the entryway. 
     While FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a sealing pad  27  having an elongated projection  41  that is generally cylindrical in shape, other shapes of the projection are obviously possible. The cylindrical shape of the preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 4 a . However, in FIG. 4 b , the projection  41  is seen to be generally cone shaped to conform to the space between the fixed and flexible legs of the weather stripping  17 . Many other shapes of the projection  41  are possible and are contemplated to be within the scope of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates the function of the present invention when a door  46  is closed in the entryway. The sealing pad  27  is seen to have been compressed between the outside edge  47  of the door and the inset surface  18  of the jamb, thus providing a seal between the door and the jamb. The weather strip  17  is seen to be captured and compressed between the door  46  and the stop  16  formed in the jamb. The projection  41  formed on the sealing pad  27  is captured and compressed between the fixed leg  38  and the flexible leg  39  of the weather stripping. Since the sealing pad  27  and its projection  41  preferably are formed of a rubberized or foam material, this has the effect of reinforcing and substantially stiffening the weather strip  17  in the region of the bottom corner of the door. Thus, the weather strip  17  is compressed more tightly between the door  46  and the stop  16  to provide a dependable and reliable seal even against blowing rain. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 6, the seal is completed by the downwardly projecting ear  32  of the sealing pad  27 , which extends downwardly beyond the bottom edge of the door to the sill  23  itself. Thus, the weather strip  27  is reinforced and enhanced not only in the area where the weather strip meets the door but also in the area where the weather strip meets the front leg  51  of the threshold cap  24 . The result is that when the door is closed, the weather strip is held firmly against the bottom corner of the door to provide a seal against the door and also is pressed and held firmly against the outside leg  51  of the threshold cap  24  to form a seal against the threshold cap. The reinforcement provided by the projection extending into the weather strip  17  causes the weather strip to be pressed against and conform to the shape of to the bottom edge of the door and also the front leg  51  of the threshold cap providing a watertight seal. In addition, the weather strip is also pressed tightly into the space between the door and the threshold cap to fill and seal this space as the door is shut and compresses the weather strip. The result is a water tight seal at the bottom corners of the threshold and sill assembly for preventing any seepage of rain water into the dwelling, even in a blowing rain storm. 
     The present invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments and methodologies. Obviously, various additions, deletions, and modifications might well be made to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the sealing pad of the invention has been illustrated as being formed of a rubberized or foam material. It might also be formed of other materials such as felt and might be formed from two or three or more individual components that make up the entire pad. It is the seal created between the door and the jamb and the enhancement of the weather strip that provides the advantages of the present invention and any physical configuration of the pad that performs this function and process is considered to be within the scope of the present invention. The process of the invention encompasses the steps of enhancing the weather stripping of the entryway at the bottom corner of the entryway to provide a seal. These and other modifications might well be made within the scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4