Clip for a door frame system

• US 6,253,507 B1
• Filed: 01/20/1999
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: M.D.F., Inc. (DavCo Restaurants LLC)
• Original Assignee: M.D.F., Inc. (DavCo Restaurants LLC)
• Inventors: Martino, Ralph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kent, Christopher T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thissell, Jennifer I.
• Application Number:
  US09/233,190
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 522/11, 522/13, 522/045.5, 522/14, 522/045.7, 526/561, 526/567, 526/564, 526/569, 526/58, 526/31, 522/041, 495/04, 495/01, 403/404, 403/403
• US Class Current: 52/211
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 1/06 Wooden frames
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/984 specially adapted for frame members of wood or other material worked in a similar way E06B3/99 takes precedence

Abstract

A door frame clip is provided for interconnecting first and second door frame members when a longitudinal end of the first door frame member bears against a surface of the second door frame member at a portion of the surface which is adjacent to a longitudinal end of the second door frame member. The door frame clip comprises an apex, a first arm extending from the apex, and a second arm extending from the apex in a direction which is substantially orthogonal to the first arm. The second arm is significantly longer than the first arm to enable the second arm to reach the first door frame member when the apex engages an outside edge of the longitudinal end of the second door frame member. Also provided is a door frame system. The door frame system comprises a first leg member, a second leg member, a header, a first door frame clip, and a second door frame clip. The second leg member is substantially parallel to the first leg member. The header has opposite longitudinal ends which bear against respective surfaces of each of the leg members near a first edge of each of the respective surfaces. The first clip is for interconnecting the first leg member and the header, and the second clip is for interconnecting the second leg member and the header. Also provided is a method of securing a header of a door frame to a first leg member and a second leg member of the door frame.

Claims

1. A door frame clip for interconnecting first and second door frame members when a longitudinal end of said first door frame member bears against a surface of said second door frame member at a portion of said surface which is adjacent to a longitudinal end of said second door frame member, said door frame clip comprising:

an apex;

a first arm extending from the apex; and

a second arm extending from the apex in a direction which is substantially orthogonal to said first arm, said second arm being significantly longer than said first arm to enable said second arm to reach said first door frame member when said apex engages an outside edge of said longitudinal end of the second door frame member, said first and second arms having distal ends which project toward one another to engage grooves in the first and second door frame members, respectively, said apex having a configuration that is substantially a right angle.

2. The door frame clip of claim 1, wherein said second arm is at least three times as long as said first arm.

3. The door frame clip of claim 2, wherein said first and second arms have distal ends which project toward one another to engage grooves in said second and first door frame members, respectively.

4. The door frame clip of claim 1, wherein said first and second arms are substantially flat.

5. A door frame system comprising:

a first leg member;

a second leg member which is substantially parallel to said first leg member;

a header having opposite longitudinal ends which bear against respective surfaces of each of said leg members near a first edge of each of said respective surfaces;

a first clip for interconnecting said first leg member and said header, said first clip including an apex, a first arm extending from said apex, and a second arm extending from the apex in a direction which is substantially orthogonal to said first arm, said second arm being significantly longer than said first arm to enable said second arm to reach said header when said apex engages an outside edge of said first leg member; and

a second clip for interconnecting said second leg member and said header, said second clip including an apex, a first arm extending from the apex of the second clip, and a second arm extending from the apex of the second clip in a direction which is substantially orthogonal to said first arm of the second clip, said second arm of the second clip being significantly longer than said first arm of the second clip to enable said second arm of the second clip to reach said header when said apex of the second clip engages an outside edge of said second leg member.

6. The door frame system of claim 5, further comprising:

a door frame base having opposite longitudinal ends which bear against said respective surfaces of each of said leg members near a second edge of each of said respective surfaces, said second edge of each of said respective surfaces being longitudinally opposite to said first edge of each of said respective surfaces;

a third clip for interconnecting said first leg member and said door frame base, said third clip including an apex, a first arm extending from said apex of the third clip, and a second arm extending from the apex of the third clip in a direction which is substantially orthogonal to said first arm of the third clip, said second arm of the third clip being significantly longer than said first arm of the third clip to enable said second arm of the third clip to reach said door frame base when said apex of the third clip engages a longitudinally opposite outside edge of said first leg member; and

a fourth clip for interconnecting said second leg member and said door frame base, said fourth clip including an apex, a first arm extending from the apex of the fourth clip, and a second arm extending from the apex of the fourth clip in a direction which is substantially orthogonal to said first arm of the fourth clip, said second arm of the fourth clip being significantly longer than said first arm of the fourth clip to enable said second arm of the fourth clip to reach said door frame base when said apex of the fourth clip engages a longitudinally opposite outside edge of said second leg member.

7. The door frame system of claim 6, wherein said second arm of each of said first, second, third and fourth clips is at least three times as long as said first arm of each of said first, second, third, and fourth clips.

8. The door frame system of claim 6, wherein said first and second arms of at least one of said first, second, third, and fourth clips have distal ends which project toward one another.

9. The door frame system of claim 6, wherein said first and second arms of said first clip project toward one another to engage grooves in said first leg member and said header, respectively;

wherein said first and second arms of said second clip project toward one another to engage grooves in said second leg member and said header, respectively;

wherein said first and second arms of said third clip project toward one another to engage grooves in said first leg member and said door frame base, respectively; and

wherein said first and second arms of said fourth clip project toward one another to engage grooves in said second leg member and said door frame base, respectively.

10. The door frame system of claim 6, wherein said first leg member has a first outside groove which is offset from said outside edge of the first leg member by a distance corresponding to a distance between the apex of said first clip and a distal end of said first arm of the first clip;

wherein said distal end of said first arm of the first clip is adapted to engage said first outside groove of the first leg member;

wherein said first leg member has a second outside groove which is offset from said longitudinally opposite outside edge of the first leg member by a distance corresponding to a distance between the apex of said third clip and a distal end of said first arm of the third clip;

wherein said distal end of said first arm of the third clip is adapted to engage said second outside groove of the first leg member;

wherein said second leg member has a first outside groove which is offset from said outside edge of the second leg member by a distance corresponding to a distance between the apex of said second clip and a distal end of said first arm of the second clip;

wherein said distal end of said first arm of the second clip is adapted to engage said first outside groove of the second leg member;

wherein said second leg member has a second outside groove which is offset from said longitudinally opposite outside edge of the second leg member by a distance corresponding to a distance between the apex of said fourth clip and a distal end of said first arm of the fourth clip;

wherein said distal end of said first arm of the fourth clip is adapted to engage said second outside groove of the second leg member;

wherein said header has a first outside groove which is offset from a first of said opposite longitudinal ends of said header by a distance corresponding to the difference between;

a distance from the apex of said first clip to a distal end of said second arm of the first clip, and

a thickness of the first leg member;

wherein said distal end of said second arm of the first clip is adapted to engage said first outside groove of the header;

wherein said header has a second outside groove which is offset from a second of said opposite longitudinal ends of said header by a distance corresponding to the difference between;

a distance from the apex of said second clip to a distal end of said second arm of the second clip, and

a thickness of the second leg member;

wherein said distal end of said second arm of the second clip is adapted to engage said second outside groove of the header;

wherein said door frame base has a first outside groove which is offset from a first of said opposite longitudinal ends of said door frame base by a distance corresponding to the difference between;

a distance from the apex of said third clip to a distal end of said second arm of the third clip, and

a thickness of the first leg member;

wherein said distal end of said second arm of the third clip is adapted to engage said first outside groove of the door frame base;

wherein said door frame base has a second outside groove which is offset from a second of said opposite longitudinal ends of said door frame base by a distance corresponding to the difference between;

a distance from the apex of said fourth clip to a distal end of said second arm of the fourth clip, and

a thickness of the second leg member; and

wherein said distal end of said second arm of the fourth clip is adapted to engage said second outside groove of the door frame base.

11. The door frame system of claim 10, wherein said distal end of said first arm of the first clip has a projection which is receivable by said first outside groove of the first leg member;

wherein said distal end of said first arm of the third clip has a projection which is receivable by said second outside groove of the first leg member;

wherein said distal end of said first arm of the second clip has a projection which is receivable by said first outside groove of the second leg member;

wherein said distal end of said first arm of the fourth clip has a projection which is receivable by said second outside groove of the second leg member;

wherein said distal end of said second arm of the first clip has a projection which is receivable by said first outside groove of the header;

wherein said distal end of said second arm of the second clip has a projection which is receivable by said second outside groove of the header;

wherein said distal end of said second arm of the third clip has a projection which is receivable by said first outside groove of the door frame base; and

wherein said distal end of said second arm of the fourth clip has a projection which is receivable by said second outside groove of the door frame base.

12. The door frame system of claim 5, wherein said second arm of each of said first and second clips is at least three times as long as said first arm of each of said first and second clips.

13. The door frame system of claim 5, wherein said first and second arms of at least one of said first and second clips have distal ends which project toward one another.

14. The door frame system of claim 5, wherein said first and second arms of said first clip project toward one another to engage grooves in said first leg member and said header, respectively;

and

wherein said first and second arms of said second clip project toward one another to engage grooves in said second leg member and said header, respectively.

15. The door frame system of claim 5, wherein said first leg member has a first outside groove which is offset from said outside edge of the first leg member by a distance corresponding to a distance between the apex of said first clip and a distal end of said first arm of the first clip;

wherein said distal end of said first arm of the first clip is adapted to engage said first outside groove of the first leg member;

wherein said second leg member has a first outside groove which is offset from said outside edge of the second leg member by a distance corresponding to a distance between the apex of said second clip and a distal end of said first arm of the second clip;

wherein said distal end of said first arm of the second clip is adapted to engage said first outside groove of the second leg member;

wherein said header has a first outside groove which is offset from a first of said opposite longitudinal ends of said header by a distance corresponding to the difference between;

a distance from the apex of said first clip to a distal end of said second arm of the first clip, and

a thickness of the first leg member;

wherein said distal end of said second arm of the first clip is adapted to engage said first outside groove of the header;

wherein said header has a second outside groove which is offset from a second of said opposite longitudinal ends of said header by a distance corresponding to the difference between;

a distance from the apex of said second clip to a distal end of said second arm of the second clip, and

a thickness of the second leg member;

wherein said distal end of said second arm of the second clip is adapted to engage said second outside groove of the header.

16. The door frame system of claim 15, wherein said distal end of said first arm of the first clip has a projection which is receivable by said first outside groove of the first leg member;

wherein said distal end of said first arm of the second clip has a projection which is receivable by said first outside groove of the second leg member;

wherein said distal end of said second arm of the first clip has a projection which is receivable by said first outside groove of the header; and

wherein said distal end of said second arm of the second clip has a projection which is receivable by said second outside groove of the header.

17. The door frame system of claim 16, wherein said first leg member is adapted to carry a door striker and said second leg member is adapted to carry door hinges;

wherein said first leg member includes a first inside groove which is offset from said first edge of the respective surface of the first leg member by said distance corresponding to the distance between the apex of said first clip and said distal end of said first arm of the first clip, so that said first leg member can be rotated 180 degrees about a longitudinal axis thereof to effect a conversion between right-hand and left-hand door opening configurations, said projection of the distal end of said first arm of the first clip being receivable by said first inside groove of the first leg member when rotation of said first leg member about its longitudinal axis causes said first inside groove of said first leg member to swap positions with said first outside groove of said first leg member; and

wherein said second leg member includes a second outside groove which is offset from a longitudinally opposite outside edge of the second leg member by said distance corresponding to the distance between the apex of said second clip and said distal end of said first arm of the second clip, so that said second leg member can be inverted to effect a conversion between said right-hand and left-hand door opening configurations, said projection of the distal end of said first arm of the second clip being receivable by said second outside groove of the second leg member when inversion of said second leg member causes said second outside groove of said second leg member to swap positions with said first outside groove of said second leg member.

18. The door frame system of claim 16, wherein said first outside groove of the header is offset from said first of said opposite longitudinal ends of said header by a distance which is substantially equal to the thickness of the first leg member, whereby said distance from the apex of said first clip to a distal end of said second arm of the first clip is substantially equal to twice the thickness of said first leg member;

and

wherein said second outside groove of the header is offset from said second of said opposite longitudinal ends of said header by a distance which is substantially equal to the thickness of the second leg member, whereby said distance from the apex of said second clip to a distal end of said second arm of the second clip is substantially equal to twice the thickness of said second leg member.

19. The door frame system of claim 18, wherein said first outside groove of said first leg member is offset from said first outside edge of said first leg member by a distance which is substantially equal to half of said thickness of the first leg member;

and

wherein said first outside groove of said second leg member is offset from said first outside edge of said second leg member by a distance which is substantially equal to half of said thickness of the second leg member.

20. The door frame system of claim 19, wherein said first leg member, said second leg member, and said header are of substantially equal thickness.

21. The door frame system of claim 15, wherein said first leg member is adapted to carry a door striker and said second leg member is adapted to carry door hinges;

wherein said first leg member includes a first inside groove which is offset from said first edge of the respective surface of the first leg member by said distance corresponding to the distance between the apex of said first clip and said distal end of said first arm of the first clip, so that said first leg member can be rotated 180 degrees about a longitudinal axis thereof to effect a conversion between right-hand and left-hand door opening configurations, said distal end of said first arm of the first clip being adapted to engage said first inside groove of the first leg member when rotation of said first leg member about its longitudinal axis causes said first inside groove of said first leg member to swap positions with said first outside groove of said first leg member; and

wherein said second leg member includes a second outside groove which is offset from a longitudinally opposite outside edge of the second leg member by said distance corresponding to the distance between the apex of said second clip and said distal end of said first arm of the second clip, so that said second leg member can be inverted to effect a conversion between said right-hand and left-hand door opening configurations, said distal end of said first arm of the second clip being adapted to engage said second outside groove of the second leg member when inversion of said second leg member causes said second outside groove of said second leg member to swap positions with said first outside groove of said second leg member.

22. The door frame system of claim 15, wherein said first outside groove of the header is offset from said first of said opposite longitudinal ends of said header by a distance which is substantially equal to the thickness of the first leg member, whereby said distance from the apex of said first clip to a distal end of said second arm of the first clip is substantially equal to twice the thickness of said first leg member;

and

wherein said second outside groove of the header is offset from said second of said opposite longitudinal ends of said header by a distance which is substantially equal to the thickness of the second leg member, whereby said distance from the apex of said second clip to a distal end of said second arm of the second clip is substantially equal to twice the thickness of said second leg member.

23. The door frame system of claim 22, wherein said first outside groove of said first leg member is offset from said first outside edge of said first leg member by a distance which is substantially equal to half of said thickness of the first leg member;

and

wherein said first outside groove of said second leg member is offset from said first outside edge of said second leg member by a distance which is substantially equal to half of said thickness of the second leg member.

24. The door frame system of claim 23, wherein said first leg member, said second leg member, and said header are of substantially equal thickness.

25. The door frame system of claim 5, wherein said first and second arms are substantially flat.

26. A method of securing a header of a door frame to a first leg member and a second leg member of the door frame, said method comprising the steps of:

locating said header between said first and second leg members so that said first and second leg members are substantially parallel to one another and so that opposite longitudinal ends of said header bear against respective surfaces of each of said first and second leg members near a first edge of each of said respective surfaces;

connecting said first leg member to said header using a first clip, said first clip including an apex, a first arm extending from said apex, and a second arm extending from the apex in a direction which is substantially orthogonal to said first arm, said second arm being significantly longer than said first arm to enable said second arm to reach said header when said apex engages an outside edge of said first leg member; and

connecting said second leg member to said header using a second clip, said second clip including an apex, a first arm extending from the apex of the second clip, and a second arm extending from the apex of the second clip in a direction which is substantially orthogonal to said first arm of the second clip, said second arm of the second clip being significantly longer than said first arm of the second clip to enable said second arm of the second clip to reach said header when said apex of the second clip engages an outside edge of said second leg member.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said first leg member has a first outside groove which is offset from said outside edge of the first leg member by a distance corresponding to a distance between the apex of said first clip and a distal end of said first arm of the first clip;

wherein said second leg member has a first outside groove which is offset from said outside edge of the second leg member by a distance corresponding to a distance between the apex of said second clip and a distal end of said first arm of the second clip;

wherein said header has a first outside groove which is offset from a first of said opposite longitudinal ends of said header by a distance corresponding to the difference between;

a distance from the apex of said first clip to a distal end of said second arm of the first clip, and

a thickness of the first leg member;

wherein said header has a second outside groove which is offset from a second of said opposite longitudinal ends of said header by a distance corresponding to the difference between;

a distance from the apex of said second clip to a distal end of said second arm of the second clip, and

a thickness of the second leg member; and

wherein said step of connecting said first leg member to said header and said step of connecting said second leg member to said header include the steps of;

engaging said first outside groove of the first leg member with said distal end of said first arm of the first clip;

engaging said first outside groove of the second leg member with said distal end of said first arm of the second clip;

engaging said first outside groove of the header with said distal end of said second arm of the first clip; and

engaging said second outside groove of the header with said distal end of said second arm of the second clip.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said distal end of said first arm of the first clip has a projection which is received by said first outside groove of the first leg member during said step of engaging said first outside groove of the first leg member with said distal end of said first arm of the first clip;

wherein said distal end of said first arm of the second clip has a projection which is received by said first outside groove of the second leg member during said step of engaging said first outside groove of the second leg member with said distal end of said first arm;

wherein said distal end of said second arm of the first clip has a projection which is received by said first outside groove of the header during said step of engaging said first outside groove of the header with said distal end of said second arm of the first clip; and

wherein said distal end of said second arm of the second clip has a projection which is received by said second outside groove of the header during said step of engaging said second outside groove of the header with said distal end of said second arm.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

locating a door frame base between said first and second leg members so that opposite longitudinal ends of said door frame base bear against said respective surfaces of each of said leg members near a second edge of each of said respective surfaces, said second edge of each of said respective surfaces being longitudinally opposite to said first edge of each of said respective surfaces;

connecting said first leg member to said door frame base using a third clip, said third clip including an apex, a first arm extending from said apex of the third clip, and a second arm extending from the apex of the third clip in a direction which is substantially orthogonal to said first arm of the third clip, said second arm of the third clip being significantly longer than said first arm of the third clip to enable said second arm of the third clip to reach said door frame base when said apex of the third clip engages a longitudinally opposite outside edge of said first leg member; and

connecting said second leg member to said door frame base using a fourth clip, said fourth clip including an apex, a first arm extending from the apex of the fourth clip, and a second arm extending from the apex of the fourth clip in a direction which is substantially orthogonal to said first arm of the fourth clip, said second arm of the fourth clip being significantly longer than said first arm of the fourth clip to enable said second arm of the fourth clip to reach said door frame base when said apex of the fourth clip engages a longitudinally opposite outside edge of said second leg member.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of converting between lefthand-opening and right-hand-opening configurations of the door frame by inverting one of said first and second leg members and providing a 180 degree rotation of the other of said first and second leg members about a longitudinal axis thereof.