US20080178549A1

US20080178549A1 - Interior/exterior universal door upgrade

Info

Publication number: US20080178549A1
Application number: US11/699,661
Authority: US
Inventors: Timothy Donald Hamilton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-01-30
Filing date: 2007-01-30
Publication date: 2008-07-31

Abstract

An additional door face designed to cover over an original door face side that has been damaged or defaced. Manufactured with low density plastic which is thin enough on it's edges to be cut to match any door face size, and after installation allows the door to shut properly. With it's plastic composition, an existing door upgraded or repaired with the present invention becomes virtually indestructable and impervious to scratching and damaging forces.

Description


References Cited
U.S. Paten Documents

5,450,889	Sep. 19, 1995	Jones et al
5,090,648	Feb. 25, 1992	Wood IV
4,239,197	Dec. 16, 1980	Olsta

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

(1) Field of Invention
The invention relates to the upgrading and repair of interior/exterior doors.
So far, no search results have been found in the field of interior/exterior damaged door upgrades or repair. Until the present art, doors that are damaged, chipped, or with holes punched in them have always been replaced with new ones at a costly price. The referenced prior art by Wood, IV, is a device to hold an interior/exterior door for the purposes of painting or working on the like. Not a means of upgrading or repairing a door.
The prior art by Olstad is once again an apparatus for supporting a door to be worked on or painted, and not related to the present art.
The referenced art by Jones et al, pertains to a loading dock door assembly, and not interior/exterior doors designed for human “Hands on” use.
(2) Brief Summary of the Invention
The present art is a complete, one piece door face replacement made of low density plastic, which will come in different colors, appropriate designs, as well as a natural wood grain surface. The installer will also have the option of being able to paint the invention if desired.
With the present art installed onto the old door face with an adhesive, this side now becomes like new and virtually indestructable to any future forces that would damage a normal door.
The present invention could be manufactured and sold to the consumer at a considerably lower cost than a new replacement door.
Especially when the cost and time involved to trimming and hanging the new replacement door are included. Installation of the present invention does not require removal of the door from it's hinges.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail in which like numerals and letters indicate like sections of the present invention throughout the four views, FIG. 1, illustrates the front view of the present invention. 1, illustrates the door knob hole which is cut after installation from the reverse side of the existing door using the existing door knob hole as a pilot hole for a hole saw. 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D indicate by shading, illustrates the area of the four edges of the present invention which measure three inches in width from the outer edge inward. The inside edge of the shaded area is three sixteenths of one inch in thickness, and then uniformly graduates down one inch outward to the thickness of one sixteenth of one inch.

Two inches from the outer edges of the present inventions four sides as indicated by the outer portion of the shaded area are a thickness of one sixteenth of one inch. Referring now to FIG. 2, illustrates the side view of the present invention after it has been installed onto a damaged door face. 1, illustrates the present invention after installation. 2A and 2B illustrates the portion of the present inventions top and bottom outer edges that is one sixteenth of one inch thickness. 3A and 3B illustrates the top and bottom points of the present inventions inner edge that is three sixteenths of one inch thickness. 4, illustrates the existing damaged door now repaired. All remaining area of the present invention not depicted is three sixteenths of one inch thickness. Referring now to FIG. 3 which illustrates the front view of the optional type of the present art, with protruding vertical rectangular designs intended for installation onto an existing damaged door that has similar vertical rectangular or other designs recessed into it's original door face. 1, illustrates the door knob hole, which is cut with a hole saw, after installation from the reverse side of the existing door using the existing door knob hole as a pilot hole for the hole saw. 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D indicated by shading, illustrates a three inch width measurement from the outer edges inward of all four sides. of the present invention. The inside edge of the shaded area indicates a three sixteenths of one inch in thickness. From the inside edge of the shaded area outward one inch in width, the present invention uniformly graduates down in thickness to one sixteenth of one inch in thickness. The remaining outer two inches in width of the present inventions edges remain at a thickness of one sixteenth of one inch. The rest of the inside area, which is not indicated by shading, will be three sixteenths of one inch in thickness with the exception of the vertical rectangular designs. The thickness of these designs, measured horizontally from the installed side of the present invention to the smallest vertical rectangle designs outside center will be approximately one half of one inch.

Referring now to FIG. 4, 1, illustrates a side view of the present invention after it has been installed. 2A and 2B indicates the top and bottom edges which measure one sixteenth of one inch in thickness. 3A and 3B indicates the area that is three sixteenths of one inch in thickness located three inches in measurement width from the top and bottom outer edges. 4, indicated by shading depict the existing damaged door now repaired.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW INVENTION

The present invention will do what no other invention known to it's inventor has ever done before. This is to repair and upgrade one or both side or sides of a doors damaged face.
The present invention is a complete, one piece door face made of low density plastic which will be constructed so that it's edges can be trimmed to match up to any existing door face, and will be manufactured in different sizes to insure a proper match with the existing door.
The present invention will be manufactured in various colors as well as a surface that can be painted, and in various wood grain surfaces in appearance. The manufacture of the present invention will require a process known as plastic injection molding, which is the same process used to manufacture plastic bottles and other durable, one piece plastic items.
To explain this process in detail, large quantities of small low density plastic pellets, known as resin are used.
Resin dye is mixed into the resin to give the present invention the desired color.
This mix is then fed into the extruder. The extruder then melts the resin at a temperature of approximately 360 degrees until it is well melted.
At this time the extruder pressurizes the melted plastic so it can now be injected into mold.
The mold to be used in the manufacturing process will posses all of the dimensions, shapes and features intended for the present invention to posses. The extruder now injects the mold with the pressurized plastic until the mold is filled to capacity.
After the plastic inside the mold has sufficiently cooled, the present invention, made entirely of plastic, is released from the mold and undergoes further cooling and is appropriately packaged for shipping. Installation and use of the present invention are easy to understand and carry out and are as follows:

- (1) First, the installer removes the door knob from the existing door.
- (2) Without removing the door from it's hinges (in most cases), the installer determines the height and width dimensions of the door face to be repaired or upgraded.
- (3) Then these same dimensions are marked on the reverse or mounting side of the present invention, so that the markings are positioned within 2 inches of every edge side of the present invention as indicated by FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D, and FIGS. 3, 2A, 2B,2C, and 2D.
  - If the intended dimensions cannot be positioned within these parameters, a larger or smaller size of the present invention must be obtained.
- (4) The installer then applies a bead of an appropriate liquid adhesive near the edges of the existing door face, as well as the rest of the door face, sufficiently enough to ensure permanent affixing of the present invention.
- (5) Next the installer mounts the present invention in it's appropriately trimmed form onto the side of the existing door face to which the adhesive has been applied, and positions it accordingly so that all four edges of the present invention match up uniformly with the edges of the existing door.
- (6) Next the installer either physically holds the present invention in place, or applies C-clamps to insure that the present invention remains in the proper position until the adhesive can set up to ensure non-movement.
- (7) Then the installer with a rag wipes off any excess adhesive that might exist around the edges of the newly upgraded door, and with a razor knife, trims any edges of the affixed present invention that may not be evenly matched with the existing doors edges.
- (8) Last, the installer will use the existing door knob hole on the door side opposite the affixed present invention side, as a pilot hole to cut the door knob hole in the present invention (FIG. 1.(1) and FIG. 3. (1)) using a hole saw, and then reinstall the door knob itself.

Note: If both door face sides are to be repaired or upgraded, then the door knob hole must be cut after the first present invention is affixed in order to have accurate hole saw access to cut the door knob hole in the second affixed present invention.
With the edges of the present invention (FIGS. 12A, 2B, 2C and 2D, and FIGS. 32A, 2B, 2C and 2D) being only one sixteenth of one inch in thickness, after installation the door will not shut properly and the door knob bolt and dead bolt will still be in alignment, with there respective holes do to the fact that most doors have at least one sixteenth of one inch of space between the door and door stop moldings when the door is closed. In rare cases where there isn't enough space for the door to close properly, all the installer must do is move the door jam, or door stop moldings on the doorway one sixteenth of one inch to correct the problem.
With the present inventions edges (FIGS. 1, 2A, 2 B 2C and 2D, and FIGS. 3, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D) manufactured to taper from three sixteenths of one inch down to one sixteenth of one inch. cosmetically this taper will be virtually undetectable to the human eye.
With the present invention installed onto an existing door, the life of the door is now increased. With both sides of an existing door upgraded with the present invention, the life of the door is increased to an even greater extent and limited only by the current condition of the door structure between the two upgrades. The door can also withstand the abuse that fighting occupants or other incidental forces may do. With the present invention molded of colored plastic, putting scratches into an upgraded door will be almost impossible. Not like an ordinary door where the paint can easily get scratched off, or like a wood finish door which exhibit the effects of scratching. The present invention can also be painted to a desired color.

Claims

1. A solid, one piece, door face manufactured entirely of low density plastic, and thin enough to be permanently glued onto an existing door face in order to cover over damage that was done, as well as to upgrade the door, making it stronger and virtually damage proof in the future.

2. The invention of claim 1. whereas an optional type of the invention manufactured with similar or exact patterns as the door face of an existing doors designs and decorative patterns is offered, which also will install uniformly onto existing door face.

3. The invention of claim 1. and 2. whereby the design incorporates the four edges that are thin enough in thickness to be easily trimmed to the desired size, and in most cases, allow the door to close properly after the present invention is installed.

4. The invention of claim 1. and 2. manufactured in various sizes in order to approximately match most doors in need of repair of upgrade.

5. The invention of claim 1. and 2. manufactured in various colors and with a surface which allows the invention to be painted to a desired color.

6. The invention of claim 1. and 2. manufactured to have an artificial wood grain surface, that has the appearance of a natural wood grain door.