Decorative cover for retrofit door reinforcement plate

• US 6,679,004 B1
• Filed: 06/06/2000
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edward Wayne, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Edward Wayne, Inc.
• Inventors: Allen, David W., Olberding, Ronald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Strimbu, Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US09/587,863
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 494/60, 495/04, 522/10, 522/11, 527/341, 527/381, 527/303
• US Class Current: 49/460
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 15/0205 Striking-plates, keepers, staples means for reducing friction E05B17/007; electric strikers E05B47/0046; staples for padlocks E05B67/383; strikers for espagnolettes E05C9/1808
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/2084 Means to prevent forced opening by attack, tampering or jimmying E05B15/1614 takes precedence; for ignition or steering locks B60R25/023
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/0018 Anti-tamper devices
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/11 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/10 Additional functions
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/302 for built-in appliances
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 1/34 Coverings, e.g. protecting against weather, for decorative purposes
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 1/524 Mullions; Transoms

Abstract

The door reinforcement assembly includes a reinforcement plate secured to the interior surface of one of the door jambs in an overlying relationship with a projection of the door hardware. A portion of the reinforcement plate is visible when it has been secured to the door jamb, and a decorative cover is retained on the plate to conceal the visible portion thereof. The decorative cover and reinforcement plate are preferably configured so that the cover is retained without the use of fasteners (e.g., the cover snaps onto the reinforcement plate). The door hardware associated with the reinforcement plate may comprise a strike plate or an inventive high security door hinge. The high security door hinge includes a door plate fastened to the door, a jamb plate fastened to the corresponding jamb and pivotally interconnected with the door plate, and a reinforcement projection projecting transversely from each of the plates to engage and extend along the interior surface of the door or jamb.

Claims

1. A door assembly comprising:

a door frame including a pair of spaced apart jambs, with each of said jambs including opposite interior and exterior surfaces,

at least one of said jambs including a bolt-receiving opening spaced between the interior and exterior surfaces thereof;

a door swingably mounted on the frame for swinging movement into and out of a closed position, with the door swinging past one of the surfaces of said at least one of said jambs as the door moves into and out of the closed position;

a bolt shiftably mounted to the door and being receivable within the bolt-receiving opening when the door is in the closed position;

an elongated reinforcement plate having a pair of outwardly facing side faces with a recess being formed in at least one of said side faces, said reinforcement plate secured against said one of the surfaces of said at least one of the jambs, with at least a portion of the reinforcement plate being visible;

a strike plate including a substantially flat body and a bolt-receiving hole defined in the body, with the bolt-receiving hole being at least substantially aligned with the bolt-receiving opening and configured to receive the bolt therein,

said strike plate including a cam element that projects from the body and is adapted to engage the bolt as the door moves into the closed position,

said strike plate including a projection that extends generally transversely from the body between the cam element and the bolt-receiving hole,

said projection engaging said reinforcement plate and extending along said one surface so as to be disposed between the reinforcement plate and said one surface; and

a decorative cover retained on the reinforcement plate in an overlying relationship relative thereto so that the visible portion of the reinforcement plate is at least substantially concealed from view.

2. The door assembly as claimed in claim 1,

said decorative cover being formed of a paint grade plastic.

3. The door assembly as claimed in claim 1,

said decorative cover including an outer stainable faux wood laminate.

4. The door assembly as claimed in claim 1,

said cam element projecting outwardly beyond said one surface of said at least one jamb.

5. The door assembly as claimed in claim 1;

a second elongated reinforcement plate secured against one of the surfaces of the other jamb, with at least a portion of the second reinforcement plate being visible; and

a second decorative cover retained on the second reinforcement plate in an overlying relationship relative thereto so that the visible portion of the second reinforcement plate is at least substantially concealed from view.

6. The door assembly as claimed in claim 1;

and

a sidelight assembly extending alongside said one of the jambs of the door assembly.

7. The door assembly as claimed in claim 1,

said reinforcement plate extending along the full length of said one of the jambs.

8. The door assembly as claimed in claim 7,

said reinforcement plate being formed of metal.

9. The door assembly as claimed in claim 1,

said decorative cover and reinforcement plate being configured in such a manner that the decorative cover is automatically retained on the reinforcement plate when the decorative cover is positioned in said overlying relationship.

10. The door assembly as claimed in claim 9,

said visible portion of the reinforcement plate including a flat front face and said pair of side faces extending rearwardly from the front face,

the other of said side faces including a recess spaced from the front face.

11. The door assembly as claimed in claim 10,

said decorative cover comprising a flexible elongated body that includes a longitudinally extending front wall and a pair of spaced apart side walls projecting rearwardly from opposite side margins of the front wall to receive the reinforcement plate therebetween,

said flexible elongated body further including a pair of lips that extend inwardly toward one another from the side walls, with each of the lips being received in a corresponding one of the recesses to thereby retain the decorative cover on the reinforcement plate.

12. The door assembly as claimed in claim 11,

said front and side walls presenting corresponding outer surfaces that are substantially flat.

13. The door assembly as claimed in claim 11,

said recesses extending the full length of the reinforcement plate,

said decorative cover and reinforcement plate being coextensive, with said lips extending the full length of the decorative cover.

14. The door assembly as claimed in claim 11,

each of said side walls presenting a rear edge spaced from the front wall, with each of the lips projecting from the rear edge of the corresponding side wall.

15. The door assembly as claimed in claim 1,

said jambs cooperatively presenting opposed faces between which the door is located when in the closed position,

each of said opposed faces being defined between the exterior and interior surfaces of the respective jamb,

said bolt-receiving opening disposed in the opposed face of said at least one jamb.

16. A door assembly comprising:

a door frame including a pair of spaced apart first and second jambs, with each of said jambs including opposite interior and exterior surfaces,

said first jamb including a bolt-receiving opening spaced between the interior and exterior surfaces thereof;

a door swingably mounted on the frame for swinging movement into and out of a closed position, with the door swinging past one of the surfaces of the first jamb as the door moves into and out of the closed position;

a bolt shiftably mounted to the door and being receivable within the bolt-receiving opening when the door is in the closed position;

an elongated reinforcement plate having a pair of outwardly facing side faces with a recess being formed in at least one of said side faces, said reinforcement plate secured against one of the surfaces of the second jamb, with at least a portion of the reinforcement plate being visible;

a door hinge swingably mounting the door on the second jamb, with the door hinge including a jamb attachment member,

said jamb attachment member including a jamb plate fastened to the second jamb and a projection extending generally transversely from the jamb plate,

said projection directly engaging said reinforcement plate and extending along said one surface of the second jamb so as to be disposed between the reinforcement plate and said one surface of the second jamb; and

a decorative cover retained on the reinforcement plate in an overlying relationship relative thereto so that the visible portion of the reinforcement plate is at least substantially concealed from view.

17. The door assembly as claimed in claim 16,

said jambs cooperatively presenting opposed faces between which the door is located when in the closed position,

each of said faces being defined between the exterior and interior surfaces of the respective jamb,

said bolt-receiving opening disposed in the face of the first jamb,

said door presenting an outer face that is opposite the face of the second jamb when the door is in the closed position,

said door having opposite interior and exterior surfaces,

said outer face of the door being defined between the interior and exterior surfaces thereof,

said door hinge including

a door attachment member including a door plate pivotally interconnected with the jamb plate and fastened to the outer face of the door,

said jamb plate being fastened to the face of the second jamb.

18. The door assembly as claimed in claim 17,

said projection being mortised in to the interior surface of the second jamb.

19. The door assembly as claimed in claim 17,

said door attachment member including a reinforcement projection that projects transversely from the door plate and engages and extends along the interior surface of the door.

20. The door assembly as claimed in claim 17,

said jamb plate presenting opposite sides,

said projection being positioned between the sides of the jamb plate.

21. The door assembly as claimed in claim 20,

said attachment members each including a sleeve that presents an axial pin-receiving opening;

and

a pivot pin received in the pin-receiving opening of each sleeve so as to interconnect but permit relative swinging of the attachment members.

22. The door assembly as claimed in claim 21,

said jamb plate having the sleeve projecting from one of the sides of the jamb plate and a plurality of screw-receiving openings defined therein between the projection and the other side of the jamb plate.

23. The door assembly as claimed in claim 16, and

a sidelight assembly extending alongside the second jamb of the door assembly.

24. The door assembly as claimed in claim 16,

said reinforcement plate extending along the full length of the second jamb.

25. The door assembly as claimed in claim 24,

said reinforcement plate being formed of metal.

26. The door assembly as claimed in claim 16,

said decorative cover being formed of a paint grade plastic.

27. The door assembly as claimed in claim 16,

said decorative cover including an outer stainable faux wood laminate.

28. The door assembly as claimed in claim 16,

said decorative cover and reinforcement plate being configured in such a manner that the decorative cover is automatically retained on the reinforcement plate when the decorative cover is positioned in said overlying relationship.

29. The door assembly as claimed in claim 28,

said visible portion of the reinforcement plate including a flat front face and said pair of side faces extending rearwardly from the front face,

the other of said side faces including a recess spaced from the front face.

30. The door assembly as claimed in claim 29,

said decorative cover comprising a flexible elongated body that includes a longitudinally extending front wall and a pair of spaced apart side walls projecting rearwardly from opposite side margins of the front wall to receive the reinforcement plate therebetween,

said body further including a pair of lips that extend inwardly toward one another from the side walls, with each of the lips being received in a corresponding one of the recesses to thereby retain the decorative cover on the reinforcement plate.

31. The door assembly as claimed in claim 30,

said front and side walls presenting corresponding outer surfaces that are substantially flat.

32. The door assembly as claimed in claim 30,

said recesses extending the full length of the reinforcement plate,

said decorative cover and reinforcement plate being coextensive, with said lips extending the full length of the decorative cover.

33. The door assembly as claimed in claim 30,

each of said side walls presenting a rear edge spaced from the front wall, with each of the lips projecting from the rear edge of the corresponding side wall.

34. The door assembly as claimed in claim 16;

a second elongated reinforcement plate secured against said one surface of the first jamb, with at least a portion of the second reinforcement plate being visible; and

a second decorative cover retained on the second reinforcement plate in an overlying relationship relative thereto so that the visible portion of the second reinforcement plate is at least substantially concealed from view.