Weatherstripping assemblies for garage doors and other applications, associated apparatuses, and associated methods of use
View Patent ↗An apparatus includes: an elongate weatherstrip, which forms in cross-section: a blade; a retainer connector adjacent a first face and partway between opposed ends of the blade; and one or more sealing members along a second face of the blade. A method includes installing a weatherstripping assembly on a door, window, door frame, or window frame, of a building or vehicle.
1. An apparatus comprising:
an elongate weatherstrip, which forms in cross-section:
a blade;
a retainer connector adjacent a first face and partway between opposed ends of the blade; and
one or more sealing members along a second face of the blade, the blade forming a lead section and a tail section, and the second face of the blade forming a door contacting surface or a window contacting surface to permit the tail section of the blade to in use be positioned within a gap between a) a door or a window, and b) a door frame or a window frame, respectively; and
an elongate retainer, which forms in cross-section:
a weatherstrip connector that connects to the retainer connector;
a base part that extends from the weatherstrip connector and defines a fastener insertion zone to permit the apparatus to be attached by a fastener in use to the door frame or the window frame, respectively; and
a sheet receptacle that extends from a front face of the base part and opens toward the fastener insertion zone.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a mounting arm extended from the first face of the blade partway between opposed ends of the blade.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which:
the mounting arm is extended at a junction defined between the lead section and the tail section; and
the one or more sealing members are positioned along the lead section and the tail section.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the blade, the mounting arm, the retainer connector, and the one or more sealing members are integrally formed together of elastomeric material.
5. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the retainer connector forms a bulb that extends from:
the mounting arm;
the blade; or
the mounting arm and the blade.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the bulb extends from a junction defined between the mounting arm and the blade.
7. The apparatus of claim 2 in which:
the mounting arm forms a door frame mount or a window frame mount, respectively.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which:
the tail portion of the blade is positioned within a gap between a) a door or a window, and b) a door frame or a window frame, respectively; and
the base part is mounted on the door frame or the window frame, respectively.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 in which:
a fastener secures the base part to the door frame or the window frame; and
the sheet receptacle extends from a front face of the base part and opens toward the fastener.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which a cladding sheet is positioned within the sheet receptacle and covers the fastener.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the cladding sheet wraps around plural sides of the door frame or the window frame.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 in which:
the tail portion of the blade is positioned within a gap between a garage door and a garage door frame; and
the base part is mounted on the garage door frame.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the elongate weatherstrip forms a uniform shape in cross-section along a longitudinal axis defined between axial ends of the elongate weatherstrip.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the one or more sealing members comprise one or more of a plurality of fins and a hollow compressible part.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the weatherstrip connector, the base part, and the sheet receptacle are formed from a folded sheet.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 in which the folded sheet comprises, in sequence:
a first sheet part that forms the weatherstrip connector;
a second sheet part that is connected at a first bend to the first sheet part;
a third sheet part that is connected at a second bend to the second sheet part, and that is folded back over the second sheet part to define the fastener insertion zone; and
a fourth sheet part that is connected at a third bend to the third sheet part, and that is folded back over the third sheet part toward the second bend to define the sheet receptacle.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the sheet receptacle is located between the weatherstrip connector and the fastener insertion zone.
18. A method comprising installing the apparatus of claim 1 on a door, window, door frame, or window frame.
19. An apparatus comprising:
an elongate weatherstrip, which forms in cross-section:
a blade, having a lead section and a tail section, with the tail section positioned within a gap between a) a window or a door and b) a window frame or a door frame, respectively, and the lead section positioned outside the gap and along the window or door, respectively; and
a retainer connector that extends from the blade partway between opposed ends of the blade; and
an elongate weatherstrip retainer, which forms in cross-section:
a weatherstrip connector connected to the retainer connector;
a base part that extends from the weatherstrip connector along the window frame or the door frame, respectively; and
a sheet receptacle that extends from a front face of the base part.
20. An apparatus comprising:
an elongate weatherstrip, which forms in cross-section:
a blade;
a retainer connector adjacent a first face and partway between opposed ends of the blade; and
one or more sealing members along a second face of the blade; and an elongate retainer, which forms in cross-section:
a weatherstrip connector that connects to the retainer connector;
a base part that extends from the weatherstrip connector and defines a fastener insertion zone; and
a sheet receptacle that extends from a front face of the base part and opens toward the fastener insertion zone;
in which the weatherstrip connector, the base part, and the sheet receptacle are formed from a folded sheet, and the folded sheet comprises, in sequence:
a first sheet part that forms the weatherstrip connector;
a second sheet part that is connected at a first bend to the first sheet part;
a third sheet part that is connected at a second bend to the second sheet part, and that is folded back over the second sheet part to define the fastener insertion zone; and
a fourth sheet part that is connected at a third bend to the third sheet part, and that is folded back over the third sheet part toward the second bend to define the sheet receptacle.