Abstract:
The present invention is a sealing pad between the perimeter of a door and its surrounding structure, such as a doorjamb. In particular, the present invention provides a sealing pad that is adjustably mounted to a bottom corner of the doorjamb.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND CLAIM TO PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/288,541, filed Jan. 29, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to sealing structures between the perimeter of a door and a surrounding structure such as a doorjamb. In particular, the present invention relates to a sealing pad that is adjustably mounted to a bottom corner of a doorjamb. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    In many building structures it is highly desirable to provide effective sealing action to prevent or limit contact between the bottom of a doorjamb with insects or moisture. Typically, a relatively compressible fibrous material or plastic or rubber material has been widely employed for this purpose, e.g. by applying the material to the bottom of the doorjamb, such as with an adhesive. This method, however, does not allow the sealing material (corner seal) to be adjusted after it is applied to the doorjamb. Adjustability of the sealing material may be necessary for several reasons. For example, many door jambs are installed unfinished; i.e., unpainted. To be able to paint the jambs, the sealing material is usually removed by the painter, but the adhesive sealing material cannot be reinstalled on the door jamb after painting is complete. Also, removal of an adhesively attached corner seal may cause the seal to become damaged during removal, possibly requiring a new seal Further, many door sill assemblies have an adjustable threshold cap, so that overtime as the house settles and the flexible sweep on the bottom of the door wears, the threshold cap may be adjusted to maintain a proper seal. The method of using adhesive to affix the corner seal does not allow it to be moved and adjusted as the threshold cap is adjusted, resulting in the corner seal being improperly positioned after adjustment of the threshold cap. 
         [0004]    Therefore, there remains a need for a corner seal whose position on the doorjamb is adjustable after it is applied to the doorjamb and/or after the door has been permanently secured or removed and reinstalled. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    An object of the present invention is to provide a sealing pad that is applicable to the bottom of a doorjamb to effectively seal it from insects and/or moisture. The sealing pad contains a base and at least three lobes formed on top of the base, an inside lobe closest to an inside edge of the sealing pad, an outer lobe farthest away from the inside edge, and a middle lobe in between the inside and outer lobes. Preferably, the thickness of the sealing pad increases from the inside lobe to the middle lobe to accommodate the swinging arc of the door, so that as the door swings to a close position, the leading edge of the door does not catch and stop or tear the sealing pad. The base contains a tail, preferably a barbed tail, at the inside edge opposing and extending away from the outside lobe. 
         [0006]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for installing the sealing pad. The method involves inserting the tail into a channel in the door jamb and tucking the outer lobe under the adjacent weather strip. Because adhesive is not used to affix the sealing pad to the door jamb, the position of the sealing pad may be adjusted by sliding it along the channel and the weather strip. 
         [0007]    Other aspects of the invention, including apparatus, devices, kits, processes, and the like which constitute part of the invention, will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The foregoing background and summary, as well as the following detailed description of the drawings, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the bottom corner of a door jamb and threshold assembly; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a side view partially in section of the bottom corner of a door jamb and threshold assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the sealing pad; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of  FIG. 1  taken through the sealing pad. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of an embodiment the sealing pad; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5B  is a perspective view of another embodiment the sealing pad; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the bottom of an entryway opening with the door mounted and the weather strip removed; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the bottom of an entryway opening with the door mounted on the opposing vertical jamb and the weather strip removed. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Referring now in more detail to the drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views,  FIGS. 1, 2, 6, and 7  illustrate a door jamb and threshold assembly  11  that embody 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 vertical side jamb  12 . The threshold and sill assembly  13  preferably 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 door jamb and threshold assembly  11 . It will be understood that a second, opposing 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. A door  600  may be mounted on the vertical side jamb  12  by hinges  602 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , or on the opposing vertical side jamb, as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0018]    The vertical side jamb  12 , which can be milled of wood, formed of extruded plastic, 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 vertical side jamb  12 . The vertical side jamb  12  has an inside edge  19  that may be in contact with a decorative casing  21 , such as a brickmold. In a typical installation, baseboard  22  may abut the bottom of the decorative casing  21 . 
         [0019]    A weather strip  17  (shown in  FIGS. 1-2 ), preferably made of a polymeric material, is mounted to the vertical side jamb  12  and extends around the inside periphery thereof along the raised stop  16 . The weather strip  17  extends upwardly from the door jamb and threshold assembly  11  in front of the threshold cap  24  and extends around the perimeter of the entryway opening in which the door  600  pivots. The weather strip  17  may be 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. 
         [0020]    A sealing pad  27 , configured according to the principles of this invention, is secured to the inset surface  18  of the vertical side jamb  12  at the bottom end thereof where the vertical side jamb meets the threshold cap  24 . The sealing pad  27 , described in greater detail below and as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , has a generally tapered body with an exposed surface  28  and an inside edge  29 . The sealing pad  27  is formed with a raised portion  310  that extends behind the weather strip  17  to reinforce the weather strip from its underside and provide a watertight seal. The sealing pad  27  may be applied at both of the bottom corners, as shown in  FIG. 6 , of the entryway opening to provide a seal at both locations, although it may be applied to only one corner if desired. 
         [0021]      FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrates the configuration and function of the sealing pad  27  in greater detail. In an exemplary embodiment as best shown in  FIG. 3 , the sealing pad  27  contains a base  300  and at least three lobes formed on the base  300 , including an inside lobe  302  closest to the inside edge  29 , an outer lobe  306  farthest away from the inside edge, and a middle lobe  304  between the inside and outer lobes  302 ,  306 . The base  300 , preferably rectangular in shape, contains a barbed tail  308  extending at an angle, preferably a right angle, from the base  300 , and opposing and extending away from the inside lobe  302 . Preferably, the tail  308  forms approximately a right angle with the base  300  and has a plurality of axially spaced barbs extending therefrom which are resiliently deflectable to provide frictional engagement when the sealing pad  27  is positioned in the vertical side jamb  12 . The tail  308  may extend the full length of the base  300 , as shown in  FIG. 5A , or may extend only portion of the length of the base  300 , as shown in  FIG. 5B . As used herein, the “length” of the tail  308  refers to the distance of the tail that extends along the base. Preferably, the thickness of the sealing pad  27  increases between the inside lobe  302  and middle lobe  304 , such that the thickness t of the inside lobe  302  is less than the thickness T of the middle lobe  304 . The thickness increase is accommodates the swinging arc of the door, so that as the door swings to a closed position, the leading edge of the door does not catch and stop or tear the sealing pad  27 . Moreover, the thickness of the middle lobe  304  and the outer lobe  306  are configured to seal against the edge of the door, when the door is closed. Typically, a margin between the door and the door jamb is about 0.09-0.2 inches. The middle lobe  304  and the interior portion of the outer lobe  306  may be the same thickness to give two sealing points on the edge of the door. The outer lobe  306  contains a raised portion  310  that is configured to fit behind the weather strip  17  to provide a continuous sealing surface, as best shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0022]    The sealing pad  27  may be formed from one or more flexible polymeric materials, e.g., by 3-D printing, extrusion, or injection molding. In one embodiment, the sealing pad  27  may be formed as a unitary piece. In another embodiment, the lobes  302 ,  304 ,  306  and the base may be formed separately and subsequently assembled, e.g. by adhesive, to form the sealing pad  27 . The lobes  302 ,  304 ,  306  may be solid, hollow, or filled with a foam material. The material forming the base  300  and the lobes  302 ,  304 ,  306  may be the same or different. The materials may be selected, e.g., to provide sufficient rigidity to the base  300  and the tail  308  while allowing the lobes  302 ,  304 ,  306  to remain flexible. The tail  308  may be formed from the same material as the base  300  or a combination of the base material and the flexible lobe material. The polymeric material may be, but is not limited to, a thermoplastic elastomer, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or combinations thereof. 
         [0023]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 , the sealing pad  27  is to be fixed to the inset face  18  of the vertical side jamb assembly  12 . Unlike prior art sealing pads which fix their pads to the inset face  18  with adhesive, the sealing pad  27  of the present invention requires no adhesive to fix the sealing pad  27  to the inset face  18 . In an exemplary embodiment, as best illustrate in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , the sealing pad  27  is fixed to the inset face of the vertical side jamb assembly  12  by inserting the tail  308  into a channel  400  carved, milled or otherwise formed into the inset face  18  of the door jamb assembly  12  and by locating the outer lobe  306 , particularly the raised portion  310  of the outer lobe  306 , under the weather strip  17 . The channel  400  preferably has a length that is longer than the length of the tail  308  along the inside edge  29  of the sealing pad  27 , such that the position of the sealing pad  27  on the inset face  18  may be adjusted by sliding the pad long the length of the channel  400  and the weather strip  17 . Further, the width of the channel  400  should be sufficiently narrow to retain the tail  308  in the channel  400  without allowing the tail  308  to pull away. The barbs on the tail  308  allow the tail to be frictionally retained in the channel  400 . Preferably, the barbs extend from tail  308  a distance that is greater than the width of channel  400 . The outer lobe  306  or a portion thereof is configured to interlock with the weather strip  17 , and to allow the sealing pad  27  to slide on the inset face  18  for adjusting the position of the sealing pad  27 . Preferably, the outer lobe  306  is preferably shaped and positioned to be disposed between a fixed leg  38  and a flexible leg  39  of the weather strip  17 . Preferably, the raised portion  310  of the outer lobe  306  is shaped to conform to the angle that is formed by the fixed and flexible legs  38 ,  39  of the weather strip  17 . In this way, the weather strip  17  may be reinforced and stiffened by the outer lobe  306  at the bottom corners of the entryway. As known in the art, the weather strip  17  may be retained on the vertical side jamb assembly  12  by inserting its mounting leg  402  in a groove  404  formed at the junction of the stop  16  and the inset face  18 . The outer lobe  306  may also be configured to be used with weather strips  17  having profiles different from the one shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0024]    Although certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been specifically described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that variations and modifications of the various embodiments shown and described herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the applicable rules of law.