Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – With mounting – fastening – or supporting means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-03
2001-07-10
Purol, David M. (Department: 3634)
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
With mounting, fastening, or supporting means
C160S354000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257307
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a magnetic customized garage door enclosure, and in particular, to an enclosure using magnetic and metal strips for attachment and having color coding to match the garage door frame and dwelling colors.
BACKGROUND ART
In the prior art, garage door screens have been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,169 to Saulters and U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,917 to Antinone. In the Saulters patent, a screen enclosure is disclosed for attachment to a garage door frame having a passageway, which can be opened and closed using a pair of double-sided zippers. Fasteners such as strips of hooks and loops sold under the trademark VELCRO® are used for attaching the perimeter of the screen to the garage opening.
The Antinone patent discloses a detachable, flexible screen for protecting garages, porches, terraces, and summer houses from annoying pests. Antinone describes the screen as a sheet of mesh screening material, a binding for the screening material with the width of a lower horizontal binding being larger than the vertical or upper horizontal binding, a fastening means, a top flap, and a side flap. The binding should be flexible to allow the screen to be folded. Antinone describes the fastening means as studs, snap buttons, hook, and the like. The screen can include a zipper.
However, these prior art screens are not without their problems. The Antinone screen is disadvantageous in that the zipper travels around the corner of the screen, and the screen is cumbersome to install, maintain, and use. Further, these types of fasteners do not lend themselves to a positive seal and the hardware is unsightly when exposed, i.e., when the screen is not in place.
The screen disclosed in the Saulters patents also has its disadvantages in that it is weighty and therefore cumbersome to install and manipulate. The presence of three panels, two zippers and dowels contribute to the bulkiness and overall cost of the enclosure. The hook and loop fasteners can be adversely affected by the weather, require adjustment during the fitting process and have limited color selection. In addition, the presence of the fasteners on the garage door frame is unsightly when the screen is not in place. Using hook and loop fasteners also creates a non-rigid screen which makes installation difficult.
In view of the numerous drawbacks to the garage enclosures of the prior art, a need has developed to provide an improved garage door screen that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. In light of this need, the present invention provides an improved garage door screen enclosure that provides, inter alia, a tight seal, an enclosure that does not require any tools for installation, and one that is color-coded to the dwelling decor to present a pleasing appearance whether or not the enclosure is installed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a first object of the present invention to provide an improved garage door screen enclosure.
Another object of the present invention is a garage door screen enclosure that utilizes magnetic strips to make a tight seal around the garage door periphery.
Yet another object of the invention is a garage door screen enclosure that can be customized, including being color coded so that the screen enclosure and its mounting hardware match the color of the surrounding framing.
A further object of the present invention is a garage door screen enclosure that retains it configuration for installation, thereby easing the installation process, particularly for shorter users.
A still further object of the invention is a garage door screen enclosure that is easily adjusted after being installed, and has paintable attachment features so that the attachment features can readily color coordinate with a dwelling's décor.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as a description of the invention continues.
In satisfaction of the foregoing objects and advantages, the present invention provides an improved garage door screen enclosure for a door frame having a top door frame portion and two side door frame portions. The enclosure comprises a screen, and a border. The border further comprises a top leg, opposing side legs, and a bottom leg, the border surrounding and connecting to the screen, and being sized to align with the door frame
The enclosure also includes a top magnetic strip, and a pair of side magnetic strips, and a top metal strip, and a pair of side metal strips. Either the magnetic strips or the metal strips are attached to the top leg and opposing side legs of the border. The other of the magnetic strips and the metal strips are then attached to the door frame. In addition, either the metal strips or the magnetic strips, depending on which are attached to the door frame, and at least an outward surface of the border are made or modified so that each generally match a color of the door frame. In this way, a pleasing appearance is presented whether or not the enclosure is in place.
The enclosure can employ one or more zippers for ingress into and egress out of the garage space. Alternatively, one or more handles can be located along a portion of the border to allow a person to move the enclosure for such ingress or egress.
The screen can also match the color of the component attached to the door frame and the border if so desired, or can be reflective for privacy.
The border can include a flap along a bottom leg thereof to further seal the garage space from unwanted insects and the like. The flap can have fasteners to allow attachment in a generally vertical configuration to the bottom leg if it is desired to have the flap off a ground surface. The flap or bottom leg can use an insect repellant such as a no-pest strip to further ward off insects.
The border can be made of any material allowing the color-coding such as a fabric, a polymer such as vinyl, leather, and the like.
The metal strips and the magnetic strips can be attached or mounted to the door frame and/or border using a variety of fastening techniques and devices. In one mode, the metal strip, either as one strip or a number of strips, can be secured to the door frame using double sided weather resistant tape. The magnetic strip or strips located along a periphery of the border can be glued in place or sewn into the border. Similarly, the border can support the metal strip(s) and the door frame can support the magnetic strips.
When installing the enclosure, the components selected for the door frame are mounted thereon and the border with the corresponding strip, magnetic or metal, is then placed adjacent the component-containing door frame. The magnetic attraction between the magnetic strips and the metal strips then draws the border to the door frame to form a tight seal. During the installation, the rigidity of the magnetic strips and/or metal strips helps maintain a rectangular or square shape of the border to more easily align with the door frame.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3004592 (1961-10-01), Norton
patent: 3455366 (1969-07-01), Bogumil
patent: 3763917 (1973-10-01), Antinone
patent: 3805872 (1974-04-01), Lorber
patent: 4100957 (1978-07-01), Shelton
patent: 4510986 (1985-04-01), Schwankl
patent: 4909004 (1990-03-01), Panttila
patent: 5090469 (1992-02-01), Boulanger
patent: 5271449 (1993-12-01), Herrick
patent: 5323835 (1994-06-01), Bachmeier
patent: 5358025 (1994-10-01), Wood
patent: 5427169 (1995-06-01), Saulters
patent: 6079473 (2000-06-01), Ackerson et al.
Clark & Brody
Purol David M.
LandOfFree
Magnetic customized garage door screen enclosure does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Magnetic customized garage door screen enclosure, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Magnetic customized garage door screen enclosure will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2452055