Patent ID: 8341920

Claim:
A metal door, comprising: a pair of sheet metal door panels, each having a central body portion with top, bottom and opposing side edges; an integral flange along each side edge of each panel extending perpendicular to the central body portion; an integral inturned lip along each flange extending substantially parallel to the central body portion; said door panels being positioned with said central body portions in opposing spaced apart relation to one another with said flanges adjacent to and aligned with one another and with said inturned lips positioned in contacting relation; an elongate connector overlying each contacting pair of inturned lips; said elongate connector and contacting pair of inturned lips crimped together along a length of the door panels to define at least one crimped section, the at least one crimped section securing the door panels in an assembled relation; top and bottom rails positioned between the door panels and extending respectively along the top and bottom edges thereof, wherein each rail includes a central body portion and an integral flange along each side edge of each rail and extending perpendicular to the central body portion and a 180 degree U-bend formed in the sheet metal of said door panels along said top and bottom edges, so that a portion of the sheet metal of the door panel adjacent said bend overlies and clamps onto said integral flange of each rail; and a cover element comprising (i) a central body portion with a first pair of opposing side edges and a second pair of opposing side edges, wherein said first pair of opposing side edges are shorter than said second pair of opposing side edges; (ii) an integral flange along each side edge of said first pair of opposing side edges and extending perpendicular to the central body portion of the cover element; and (iii) an integral outturned lip along each flange extending substantially parallel to the central body portion of the cover element; said cover element being positioned so that each outturned lip is parallel and adjacent to a portion of the central body portion of the top rail and said integral flanges are parallel and adjacent to a portion of the sheet metal adjacent said 180 degree U-bend.