Granted Patent B2

US 7,770,334 · App. 11/091,620 · Granted Aug 10, 2010

Assignee: Lifetime Products, Inc.

Abstract

Claims (79)

1. A door assembly for an enclosure primarily constructed from plastic, the enclosure including a floor, a roof and a plurality of walls primarily constructed from plastic, the door assembly for the enclosure comprising:

a door constructed from plastic, the door including a front surface, a rear surface, a first side, a second side and a height;

a hinge member receiving portion disposed along the first side of the door, the hinge member receiving portion comprising an opening extending the entire height of the door, the hinge member receiving portion including a generally circular opening in a lower portion of the door and an upper portion of the door, the hinge member receiving portion being generally disposed between a plane aligned with the front surface of the door and a plane aligned with the rear surface of the door;

a metal hinge member disposed within the hinge member receiving portion, the hinge member comprising an elongated member with a generally circular configuration including a lower end that is inserted into an opening in the floor and an upper end that is inserted into an opening in the roof to pivotally connect the door to the enclosure;

a reinforcing member attachment portion disposed along the second side of the door, the reinforcing member attachment portion generally disposed between the plane aligned with the front surface of the door and the plane aligned with the rear surface of the door, the reinforcing member attachment portion comprising:

a first groove formed in the door;

a first surface forming an outer perimeter of the door; and

a second surface forming an outer perimeter of the door, the second surface disposed generally perpendicular to the first surface; and

a metal reinforcing member attached to the reinforcing member attachment portion, the reinforcing member comprising:

a first portion that contacts the first surface of the reinforcing member attachment portion;

a second portion that contacts the second surface of the reinforcing member attachment portion; and

a first inwardly extending flange that contacts and is at least partially disposed within the first groove of the reinforcing member attachment portion.

2. The door assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing member attachment portion further comprises a second groove formed in the door; and

wherein the metal reinforcing member further comprising a second inwardly extending flange that contacts and is at least partially disposed within the second groove of the reinforcing member attachment portion.

3. The door assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing member has a generally U-shaped configuration.

4. The door assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the first groove of the reinforcing member attachment portion is formed in the front surface of the door; and

wherein a second groove of the reinforcing member attachment portion is formed in the rear surface of the door;

wherein the first groove and the second groove are generally aligned on opposing sides of the door.

5. The door assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the only portion of the hinge member that is exposed is the upper end and the lower end;

wherein a body of the hinge member between the upper end and the lower end is enclosed within the hinge member receiving portion and is not exposed; and

wherein the reinforcing member is exposed along the second side of the door.

6. The door assembly as in claim 1 , further comprising a third surface of the reinforcement member attachment portion; and

further comprising a third portion of the reinforcing member;

wherein the first portion, the second portion and the third portion of the reinforcing member enclose the first surface, the second surface and the third surface of the reinforcing member attachment portion.

7. The door assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing member has a generally U-shaped configuration with a first outer surface generally aligned with the front surface of the door and a second outer surface generally aligned with the rear surface of the door.

8. The door assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing member has a generally U-shaped configuration with the first inwardly extending flange disposed on one side of the reinforcing member; and

wherein a second inwardly extending flange is disposed on an opposing side of the reinforcing member.

9. The door assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the hinge member and the reinforcing member are spaced apart by a generally constant distance;

wherein the hinge member and the reinforcing member are disposed in a parallel configuration;

wherein the hinge member is almost entirely disposed within the door except for the upper end and the lower end; and

wherein the reinforcing member is almost entirely exposed along the second side of the door except for the flange disposed within the groove.

10. The door assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the door, the hinge member receiving portion and the reinforcing member attachment portion are constructed from plastic and integrally formed as part of a unitary, one-piece construction.

11. The door assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the hinge member receiving portion is formed on the first side of the door and the reinforcing member attachment portion is formed on the second side of the door.

12. The door assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the reinforcing member engages the first surface of the reinforcing member attachment portion;

wherein the second portion of the reinforcing member engages the second surface of the reinforcing member attachment portion; and

wherein the first flange engages the first groove of the reinforcing member attachment portion.

13. The door assembly as in claim 12 , further comprising a third surface of the reinforcing member attachment portion and a third portion of the reinforcing member; and

further comprising a second groove of the reinforcing member attachment portion and a second flange of the reinforcing member;

wherein the third portion of the reinforcing member engages the third surface of the reinforcing member attachment portion; and

wherein the second flange engages the second groove of the reinforcing member attachment portion.

14. The door assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing member attachment portion and the reinforcing member have a symmetrical configuration about a central axis; and

wherein the reinforcing member encloses at least three sides of the reinforcing member attachment portion.

15. The door assembly as in claim 1 , further comprising a flange extending outwardly from the hinge member receiving portion, the flange being sized and configured to prevent water from unintentionally entering the enclosure.

16. The door assembly as in claim 1 , further comprising a flange outwardly extending from the hinge member receiving portion, the flange comprising a thin strip of plastic that is integrally formed with the hinge member receiving portion and the door as part of a unitary, one-piece construction, the flange including a generally planar outer surface that is disposed parallel to the front surface and the rear surface of the door, the flange being sized and configured to cover at least a portion of a seam between the door and an adjacent part of the enclosure when the door is in a closed position.

17. The door assembly as in claim 16 , wherein the generally planar outer surface of the flange is generally aligned with and disposed coplanar with the front surface of the door.

18. The door assembly as in claim 16 , wherein the flange has a length that is approximately equal to the height of the door.

19. The door assembly as in claim 16 , wherein the flange has a width that is approximately equal to a width of the hinge member receiving portion.

20. The door assembly as in claim 1 , further comprising a flange outwardly extending from the hinge member receiving portion, the flange comprising a thin strip of plastic that is integrally formed with the hinge member receiving portion and the door as part of a unitary, one-piece construction, the flange including a generally planar outer surface that is disposed parallel to the front surface and the rear surface of the door, the flange being sized and configured to cover at least a portion of a seam between the door and an adjacent part of the enclosure when the door is in a closed position.

21. A door assembly for an enclosure, the door assembly comprising:

a door constructed from molded plastic,

a hinge member receiving portion formed on a first side of the door, the hinge member receiving portion comprising a generally circular opening that extends from a lower portion of the door to an upper portion of the door;

a metal, generally cylindrical hinge member disposed within the hinge member receiving portion, a lower end of the hinge member and an upper end of the hinge member pivotally connecting the door to the enclosure;

a reinforcing member attachment portion disposed along a second side of the door, the reinforcing member attachment portion generally disposed between a plane aligned with a front surface of the door and a plane aligned with a rear surface of the door, the reinforcing member attachment portion comprising:

a first groove formed in the front surface of the door;

a second groove formed in the rear surface of the door;

a first surface disposed proximate the first groove;

a second surface disposed proximate the second groove; and

a third surface disposed between the first surface and the second surface; and

a metal reinforcing member attached to the reinforcing member attachment portion, the reinforcing member comprising:

a first inwardly extending flange that is at least partially disposed within the first groove of the reinforcing member attachment portion;

a second inwardly extending flange that is at least partially disposed within the second groove of the reinforcing member attachment portion

a first portion that contacts the first surface of the reinforcing member attachment portion;

a second portion that contacts the second surface of the reinforcing member attachment portion; and

a third portion that contacts the third surface of the reinforcing member attachment portion.

22. The door assembly as in claim 21 , wherein the reinforcing member has a generally U-shaped configuration.

23. The door assembly as in claim 21 , wherein the first groove and the second groove are generally aligned on opposing sides of the door.

24. The door assembly as in claim 21 , wherein the only portion of the hinge member that is exposed is an upper end and a lower end;

wherein a body of the hinge member between the upper end and the lower end is enclosed within the hinge member receiving portion and is not exposed; and

wherein the reinforcing member is exposed along the second side of the door.

25. The door assembly as in claim 21 , wherein the first portion, the second portion and the third portion of the reinforcing member enclose the first surface, the second surface and the third surface of the reinforcing member attachment portion.

26. The door assembly as in claim 21 , wherein the reinforcing member has a generally U-shaped configuration with a first outer surface generally aligned with a front surface of the door and a second outer surface generally aligned with a rear surface of the door.

27. The door assembly as in claim 21 , wherein the hinge member and the reinforcing member are spaced apart by a generally constant distance on opposing sides of the door;

wherein the hinge member and the reinforcing member are disposed in a parallel configuration;

wherein the hinge member is almost entirely disposed within a first side of the door except for an upper end and a lower end; and

wherein the reinforcing member is almost entirely exposed along a second side of the door except for the first flange disposed within the first groove and the second flange disposed within the second groove.

28. The door assembly as in claim 21 , wherein the door, the hinge member receiving portion and the reinforcing member attachment portion are constructed from plastic and integrally formed as part of a unitary, one-piece construction.

29. The door assembly as in claim 21 , wherein the reinforcing member attachment portion and the reinforcing member have a symmetrical configuration about a central axis; and

wherein the reinforcing member encloses at least three sides of the reinforcing member attachment portion.

30. The door assembly as in claim 21 , further comprising a flange extending outwardly from the hinge member receiving portion, the flange being sized and configured to prevent water from unintentionally entering the enclosure, a generally planar outer surface of the flange being generally aligned with and disposed coplanar with a front surface of the door.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (10)