Entry system with water infiltration barrier

• US 8,127,500 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2007
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Therma-Tru Corp. (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Therma-Tru Corp. (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meeks, James W., Braun, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Strimbu, Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US11/732,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20070227076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,799 Days
• Field of Search: 494/751, 494/791, 494/761, 495/04, 495/06
• US Class Current: 49/479.1
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 7/14 Measures for draining-off condensed water or water leaking-in frame members for draining off condensation water, throats at the bottom of a sash

Abstract

Entry systems that minimize water infiltration due to a wind driven rain. In one embodiment, the entry system includes a corner pad that includes an upper portion that seals against the weather strip when the door is closed and a lower portion that is spaced apart from the weather strip to form a gap between the lower portion and the weather strip. The lower portion seals against the door when the door is closed.

Claims

1. An entryway comprising:

a vertical door jamb having a bottom end and a stop extending along the door jamb;

a door hingedly connected to the vertical door jamb;

a weather strip extending along the stop;

a seal positioned at the bottom end of the vertical door jamb, the seal being defined by first, second, and third lateral side edges, the seal including an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion is defined by said first and said second lateral side edges, wherein an end of said upper portion extends between said vertical door jamb and said weather strip and seals against the weather strip when the door is closed, wherein said lower portion extends downward from the upper portion, wherein the lower portion is defined by said first lateral side edge and said third lateral side edge that is laterally between said first and second lateral side edges, wherein the lower portion does not extend between said vertical door jamb and said weather strip such that said lower portion is spaced apart from the weather strip to form a gap between the third lateral side edge of the seal and the weather strip, and wherein the lower portion seals against the door when the door is closed.

2. The entryway of claim 1 wherein the gap is larger than a distance that can be spanned by a drop of water.

3. The entryway of claim 1 wherein the seal has a tapered cross-section.

4. The entryway of claim 1 wherein the seal is attached to the door jamb with an adhesive.

5. The entryway of claim 1 wherein the seal is formed of a foam polymer material.

6. The entryway of claim 5 further comprising a polymer film that covers the foam polymer material.

7. The entryway of claim 1 further comprising a tape with adhesive on two sides of said tape that adhesively attaches the seal to the door jamb.

8. The entryway of claim 1 wherein a lower edge of said upper portion is located at least one inch above a lower edge of the lower portion.

9. The entryway of claim 1 wherein a lower edge of said upper portion is located 2 inches to 4 inches above a lower edge of the lower portion.

10. The entryway of claim 1 wherein the seal is attached to the bottom end of the vertical door jamb.

11. A method of providing a seal between a lower end of a door jamb and a lower end of a door while inhibiting water wicking up a channel defined between two legs of a door weather strip mounted to said door jamb comprising:

attaching a corner seal to the door jamb such that an upper portion of the corner seal extends between the door weather strip and the door jamb and a lower portion of the corner seal does not extend between the door jamb and the weather strip such that the lower portion is spaced apart from the weather strip to form a gap between the weather strip and the lower portion that is too large to be spanned by a drop of water;

the corner seal being defined by first, second, and third lateral side edges, wherein the upper portion is defined by said first and said second lateral side edges, wherein said lower portion extends downward from the upper portion, wherein the lower portion is defined by said first lateral side edge and said third lateral side edge that is laterally between said first and second lateral side edges.

12. An entryway comprising:

a vertical door jamb having a bottom end and a stop extending along the door jamb;

a door hingedly connected to the vertical door jamb;

a weather strip extending along the stop;

a seal positioned at the bottom end of the vertical door jamb, the seal being defined by first, second, and third lateral side edges, the seal including an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion is defined by said first and said second lateral side edges, wherein an end of said upper portion extends between said vertical door jamb and said weather strip and seals against the weather strip when the door is closed, wherein said lower portion extends downward from the upper portion, wherein the lower portion is defined by said first lateral side edge and said third lateral side edge that is laterally between said first and second lateral side edges, wherein said third lateral side edge extends from said upper portion to a bottommost surface of the seal, wherein the lower portion does not extend between said vertical door jamb and said weather strip such that said lower portion is spaced apart from the weather strip to form a gap between the third lateral side edge of the seal and the weather strip, and wherein the seal seals against the door when the door is closed.

13. The entryway of claim 12 wherein the gap is larger than a distance that can be spanned by a drop of water.

14. The entryway of claim 12 wherein a lower edge of said upper portion is located 2 inches to 4 inches above said bottommost surface of the seal.

15. The entryway of claim 12 wherein the seal has a tapered cross-section.

16. The entryway of claim 12 wherein the seal is attached to the door jamb with an adhesive.

17. The entryway of claim 12 wherein the seal is formed of a foam polymer material.

18. The entryway of claim 17 further comprising a polymer film that covers the foam polymer material.

19. The entryway of claim 12 further comprising a tape with adhesive on two sides of said tape that adhesively attaches the seal to the door jamb.

20. The entryway of claim 12 wherein a lower edge of said upper portion is located at least one inch above said bottommost surface of the seal.

21. The entryway of claim 12 wherein a lower edge of said upper portion is located above said bottommost surface of the seal.