Abstract:
A system and method for installing trim around a window in a construction application where the jambs of the window are not as wide as the wall in which the window is being installed. The system uses jamb mounting elements attached to the jambs of the window. Trim mounting elements are either attached to the trim or its functional equivalents milled into the wood of the trim. When the trim is mounted to the wall surrounding the window, the jamb mounting elements and the trim mounting elements overlap, thereby eliminating any gaps between the trim and the jambs of the window. By overlapping the jamb mounting elements and the trim mounting elements, these two elements can be adapted to fill in the gaps between the trim and the window jambs across a large range.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     In general, the present invention relates to the installation of windows and doors. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for trimming a window or door after it has been installed in a wall that has a thickness that differs from that of the jamb of the window or door. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     In modern construction, windows and doors are typically bought as preassembled units. The windows and doors are then installed into rough framed openings that are constructed in the walls of a building. Once the window or door is installed, trim is applied to the wall surrounding the window or door. The trim covers the jamb surrounding the window or door and provides an aesthetically pleasing transition between the construction of the window or door jamb and the wall. 
     Windows and doors are manufactured with jambs that have a plurality of different thicknesses. In this manner, the thickness of the window or door jamb can be matched to the thickness of the wall in which the window or door is being installed. When the jamb of a window or door matches the thickness of the wall in which it is installed, the jamb of the window or door terminates in the same plane as does the face of the wall. In other words, the jamb of the window or door lays flush with the wall. In such a circumstance, the window or door is very easy to trim. Trim is simply nailed to the frame of the window or door, wherein the trim overlaps both the jamb and the face of the wall surrounding the jamb. 
     However, the framework within walls are most commonly built from lumber. Lumber used in framing a wall is seldom cut to exacting tolerances. Furthermore, lumber warps, shrinks, and expands after it is cut. Consequently, when a construction crew frames a wall using lumber, the wall is seldom the exact thickness that one would hope it would be. As a result, when window frames and door frames are placed into a wall, it is not uncommon for the wall to terminate in a plane that is different from the jamb of the window or door. 
     If the jambs of a window or door are thicker than the wall, the jamb can be cut to match the contour of the wall. However, when the thickness of a wall is greater than that of a window jamb or door jamb, wood must be measured, cut and added to the jambs. Alternatively, the wall must be made thinner by shaving or crushing the sheathing used to cover the wall. 
     A need therefore exists for a simplified system and method of installing trim around a window or a door, align with the wall. This need is met by the present invention as it is described and claimed below. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a system and method for installing trim around a window in a construction application where the jambs of the window are not as wide as the wall in which the window is being installed. The is system uses jamb mounting elements attached to the jambs of the window. Trim mounting elements are either attached to the trim or its functional equivalents milled into the wood of the trim. When the trim is mounted to the wall surrounding the window, the jamb mounting elements and the trim mounting elements overlap, thereby eliminating any gaps between the trim and the jambs of the window. By overlapping the jamb mounting elements and the trim mounting elements, these two elements can be adapted to fill in the gaps between the trim and the window jambs across a large range. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of exemplary embodiments thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention system shown in conjunction with a window and a framework of trim; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmented cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 4 is a fragmented cross-sectional view of a second alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Although the present invention system and method can be used for the installation of any premanufactured door that is pre-hung in a jamb, the present invention system and method are especially well suited for use in the installation of premanufactured windows. As such, by way of example, the present invention system and method will be described in an application where they are used to install trim around a premanufactured window. Such an application is merely exemplary and is presented as the most likely use of the invention. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention system  10  is shown in conjunction with a preassembled window  12 . The window  12  is manufactured as a complete assembled unit with a surrounding jamb  14  that is used to mount the window  12  in a wall opening  15 . The jamb  14  has a predetermined width W 1  which is selected to match the wall thickness of a wall  16  that is fabricated using modern lumber and sheathing dimensions. However, due to variances in lumber and carpentry techniques, a wall  16  may have a width W 2  that is wider than the width W 1  of the window jamb  14 . Furthermore, the discrepancies in widths between the window jamb  14  and the wall  16  may vary from place to place. For example, when the window  12  is installed, the window jamb  14  may be one inch shy of the face of the wall, as measured from the top of the window  12 , but two inches shy of the face of the wall, as measured from the bottom of the window  12 . The present invention is a jamb extension system and method that selectively extends the jambs  14  of the window  12  so that the jambs  14  of the window  12  terminate in the same plane as the face surface of the wall  16 . The jamb extension system  10  is a multi-component system consisting of jamb mounted elements  20  and trim mounted elements  22 . 
     The jamb mounting elements  20  are elements that mount directly to the jambs  14  of the window  12 . Each jamb mounting element  20 , accounting for corner overlap, has the same length as the section of the window jamb  14  that the jamb mounting element  20  is covering. The jamb mounting elements  20  are screwed, nailed and/or adhesively attached to the inwardly facing edge  17  of each of the jambs  14 . The jamb mounting elements  20  have the same thickness as do the jambs  14 . As a result, once the jamb mounting elements  20  are installed, the effective width of each of the jambs  14  has been increased by the width W 3  of the jamb mounting elements  20 . 
     The back edge  21  of each of the jamb mounting elements  20  is flat so that the jamb mounting elements  20  can mount flush to the inwardly facing edge  17  of the jambs  14 . The opposite front edge  23  of each jamb mounting element  20  is not flat. Rather, a groove  24  is formed along the entire length of each of the jamb mounting elements  20 . 
     The trim mounting elements  30  are matched in pairs with the jamb mounting elements  20 . For each jamb mounting element  20 , there is a corresponding trim mounting element  30  that matches that jamb mounting element  20  in length. Extending from the rear edge of each trim mounting element  30  is a tongue  32 . The tongue  32  is flush with the interior edge of each trim mounting element  30 . As such, the presence of the tongue  32  forms a half-lap joint configuration along the length of each of the trim mounting elements  30 . The tongue  32  on each trim mounting element  30  extends into the groove  24  of the opposite jamb mounting element  20 , wherein the tongue  32  is free moving in and out of the groove  24 . The groove  24  in each jamb mounting element  20  is as deep as the tongue  32  extending from each trim mounting element  30  is wide. As such, it will be understood that when joined, any section or all of the tongue  32  on the trim mounting elements  30  can be advanced into the groove  24  on the jamb mounting elements  20 . 
     Since the tongue  32  on each trim mounting element  30  is free to move in and out of the jamb mounting elements  20 , distance between the forward edge  31  of the trim mounting element  30  and the window jamb  14  can be selectively altered. Consequently, the trim mounting elements  30  can be selectively arranged so that the forward edge  31  of each trim mounting elements  30  terminates in the plane of the face surface of the wall  16 . 
     The forward edge  31  of the trim mounting elements  30  are attached to the window trim  40  using nails, screw or adhesive. The window trim  40  is then mounted to the face surface of the wall  16  using conventional techniques. The result is that the jamb extension system  10  eliminates all gaps between the original window jambs  14  and the window trim  40  without the need for extensive carpentry. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the depth to which the tongue  32  on the trim mounting element  30  extends into the groove  24  (FIG. 1) on the jamb mounting element  20  can vary along the length and width of the window. In the shown example, the combined jamb mounting element  20  and trim mounting element  30  have a combined length L 1  at the top of the window. However, as the jamb mounting element  20  and the trim mounting element  30  progress down the window  12 , these elements separate. Finally,at the bottom of the window  12 , the combined jamb mounting element  20  and trim mounting element  30  have a length L 2  which can be up to fifty percent larger than the top combined length L 1 . This enables the present invention system to work when installing windows and doors in walls having varying thicknesses. 
     In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the jamb mounting elements  20  and the trim mounting elements  30  interconnect using a tongue and groove arrangement. Such an arrangement is merely exemplary and can be altered. Referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that both the jamb mounting elements  50  can be manufactured with a half lap joint and the trim mounting element  52  can be a straight section of wood. The half lap joint of the jamb mounting elements  50  overlap the trim mounting elements  52  and prevent gaps from occurring between the jamb mounting elements  50  and the trim mounting elements  52  as these two elements are adjusted relative each other. As such, no gaps are left between the trim  40  and the window  12 . 
     The system shown in FIG.  1  and FIG. 3, uses two separate elements to interconnect a section of window jamb  12  to the trim  40 . Such a two piece system is preferred if the gap between the window  12  and the trim  40  is at least five centimeters long. However, in many installation applications, a carpenter may find that the jamb of a window or door many only be one or two centimeters out of alignment. In such situations, it is more practical to combine the trim and the trim mounting element into a single piece, in order to consume less space. 
     Referring to FIG. 4, it can be seen that the system uses jamb mounting elements  60  that attach to the window jamb  14  in the manner previously described. Each jamb mounting element  60  contains a groove  62  that runs along the length of that jamb attachment element  60 . The jamb mounting element  60  contains a flat back edge  63  so that the jamb mounting element  60  can be attached flush to the window jamb  14 . The side and the front of the jamb mounting element  60  can be contoured so as to appear to be part of the trim  65  around the window  12 . 
     In FIG. 4, there is no separate trim mounting element as there is in the embodiment of FIG.  1 . Rather, in the shown embodiment, the trim  65  is custom routered in order to function as the trim mounting element. The back surface of the trim  65  is routered to form a tongue  66 . The tongue  66  is sized to engage the groove  62  formed in the jamb mounting element  60 . When the trim  65  is placed on the wall  16 , the tongue  66  formed in the trim  65  passes into the groove  62  formed in the jamb mounting element  60 . The contours of the trim  65  blend with the contours on the jamb mounting element  60 , thereby creating the appearance of a solid segment of milled trim. 
     The tongue  66  extending from the trim  65  is free to move in and out of the groove  62  on the jamb mounting element  60  without creating a gap. As a result, if the plane of the original window jamb  14  does not align with the face surface of the wall  16 , the misalignment can be compensated for by the jamb mounting element  60  and the tongue  66  of the trim  65  that extends into the jamb mounting element  60 . The result is that the jamb extension system eliminates all gaps between the original window jambs  14  and the window trim  65  without the need for extensive carpentry. 
     It will be understood that the embodiments of the present invention described and illustrated herein are merely exemplary and a person skilled in the art can make many variations to the embodiments shown without departing from the scope of the present invention. All such variations, modifications and alternate embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.