Door assembly
AssigneeTherma-Tru Corporation
InventorJohn F. Thorn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved door assembly having compression molded frame skins defining a central opening, compression molded panel skins in said central opening and a unitary foam core for the panel and the frame is provided. The frame skins and panel skins define cavities which communicate with each other. The panel skins may occupy all or only a portion of the central opening and may be formed in a number of different configurations.
Claims26
A door assembly comprising:
- (a) a frame having first and second compression molded skins each having an exterior edge and an interior edge, said first and second skins, when joined together, defining a cavity for receiving a foam core, said interior edges cooperating to define a central opening;
- (b) a central panel within said central opening, said central panel including inner and outer compression molded skins, said inner and outer skins cooperating to define a cavity for receiving a foam core and having exterior edges engaged to the interior edges of the first and second skins;
- (c) means for positioning said central panel in the central opening of said frame;
- (d) means in said frame and said central panel providing communication between the cavities of the frame and the central panel;
- and,
- (e) a foam core extending throughout said frame and central panel cavities.
A door assembly comprising in combination a rectangular frame defining an opening and a central panel in said opening
- (a) said frame including first and second compression molded skins, said skins having interior peripheral edges defining said opening and exterior peripheral edges, means for joining said exterior peripheral edges while leaving a gap between said interior peripheral edges, said skins with said joined exterior peripheral edges cooperating to define a cavity;
- (b) said central panel including inner and outer compression molded skins having peripheral edges joined to the interior peripheral edges of the respective first and second skins, at least a portion of each of said inner and outer panel skins peripheral edges positioned within said gap and having means for maintaining them in spaced relationship to each other, said panel inner and outer compression molded skins cooperating to define a panel cavity communicating with the cavity defined by said frame skins, and
- (c) a foam core extending throughout both the frame cavity and panel cavity and bonded to said frame skins and said panel skins.
For use with a frame having first and second compression molded skins, each having a generally rectangular exterior edge and a generally rectangular interior edge, said first and second skins, when joined together, defining a cavity for receiving a foam core,
- a central panel comprising inner and outer compression molded skins having exterior edges, said inner and outer skins cooperating when joined together to define a cavity for receiving a foam core;
- a plurality of spaced apart tabs extending from the exterior edges of at least one of said panel skins in a direction toward the opposing panel skin
- (a) to maintain the exterior edges of said panel skins in spaced relationship to each other when said panel skins are joined together and,
- (b) when assembled with said first and second compression molded skins, providing means for communication between the cavity of said frame and the cavity of the panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.