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US 6,622,449 B2Granted
Door panel and method of forming same
AssigneeMDF, Inc.
InventorsRichard D. Smith, Eugene R. Vogler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A door panel is disclosed that includes first and second doorskins each formed from two metal stile elements including a longitudinal flange and two rail elements including a pair of U-shaped projections defining narrow grooves, wherein the rail elements are connected to the stile elements by placing the stile element flanges into the rail element grooves and, piercing the U-shaped projections to form a permanent mechanical bond between the stile and rail elements. A method of forming such a door panel is also disclosed.
Claims25
A door panel comprising:
- a hinge stile;
- a latch stile;
- and
- first and second doorskin assemblies each having a central opening connected to opposite sides of said hinge stile and said latch stile;
- wherein each of said doorskin assemblies comprises first and second stile elements and first and second rail elements, said first and second stile elements each having a first side including an L-shaped projection and a second side including a flange having first and second ends, said first and second rail elements each comprising a planar body portion and first and second ends having a narrow groove, said first end of said first stile element flange being received in said first rail element first end narrow groove and permanently secured thereto and said first end of said second stile element flange being received in said first rail element second end narrow groove and permanently secured thereto.
2 more elements
A method of forming a door panel comprising the steps of:
- providing a first stile element having a first side including an L-shaped projection and a second side including a flange having a first end and a second end;
- providing a top rail element having a planar central portion and first and second ends each having a narrow groove;
- inserting said first end of said first stile element flange into said top rail element first end narrow groove;
- piercing said top rail element first end groove to drive a portion of the wall defining said top rail element first end groove into said first stile element flange first end in said groove;
- providing a bottom rail element having a planar central portion and first and second ends each having a narrow groove;
- inserting said second end of said first stile element into said bottom rail element first end groove;
- piercing said bottom rail element first end groove to drive a portion of the wall defining said bottom rail element first end groove into said first stile element flange second end in said groove;
- providing a second stile element having a first side including an L-shaped projection and a second side including a flange having a first end and a second end;
- placing said first end of said second stile element flange in said top rail element second end groove;
- placing said second end of said second stile element flange in said bottom rail element second end groove;
- piercing said top rail element second end groove to drive a portion of the wall defining said top rail element second end groove into said second stile element flange first end in said groove;
- piercing said bottom rail element second end groove to drive a portion of the wall defining said bottom rail element second end groove into said second stile element flange second end in said groove;
- attaching a latch stile to said first stile element L-shaped projection;
- attaching a hinge stile to said second stile element L-shaped projection;
- and
- attaching a doorskin to said latch stile and said hinge stile.
13 more elements
A door panel comprising:
- a hinge stile including a longitudinal groove;
- a latch stile including a longitudinal groove;
- top and bottom rails connected between said hinge stile and said latch stile;
- and
- first and second doorskin assemblies each having a central opening connected to opposite sides of said hinge stile and said latch stile;
- wherein each of said doorskin assemblies comprises first and second stile elements and first and second rail elements connected between said first and second stile elements, said first and second stile elements each having a first side including an integrally formed L-shaped projection and a second side including a flange having first and second ends, said first and second rail elements each comprising a planar body portion and a first end having a first edge and a second end having a second edge and a first U-shaped projection defining a groove and extending from said first end near said first edge and a second U-shaped projection defining a groove and extending from said second end near said second edge, said first end of said first stile element flange being received in said first rail element first end groove and permanently secured thereto by piercing and said first end of said second stile element flange being received in said first rail element second end groove and permanently secured thereto by piercing;
- and
- wherein said first U-shaped projection includes an inner leg having a first length and an outer leg having a second length less than said first length.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.