Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Molding for rectanguLar panels, such as vanity tops, cabillet
doors, picture mountings and l:he like màde from strips of metal
7~,j' ha~ing a channel-like cross ~sec~ion are well known ill the art.
,~ The Spertus Patent No. 3,388,491 is an example of this type of
i~ molding wherein a single ~etal strip is bent into the rectangular
'~ shape of the panel to be enclosed, having first been mitred to bend
~' at the corners of the panel. Fx~rudecl molding such as shown in
,~, the Kulicke Patent NOn 27777,232 and in the Peach Patent No.
`~. 3,060,606 is also known. The Kulicke device has a hook shaped
cross section adapted to engage a slot on the backside of ~ panel~
abut the edge of the panel and ext~nd a flat portion over the edge
surface of ~he front face of the panel. Peach is a U-s~aped extrusion
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which depends on deflection of one of the legs of the
U-shaped aevice to sandwich a panel there between. E:ach of
these prior art moldings performs essentially khe same
function, i.e. to encase a panel with a plain substantially
flat rectangular frame. None of these prior art moldings
relate to decorative paneling strips with -the three dimen-
sional look, nor to the problems required to be solved in
securely attaching such decorative pane:L strips to panels.
In accordance with the present invention, there is
provided a contoured decorative trim strip for a panel
core hav.ing flat parallel front and back surfaces, straight
side surfaces, and detents on the front surfaces parallel
to the side surfaces comprising: an elongated extrusion
having one straight flat side portion adapted to abut
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against a.straight side surface of the ~m~; the flat side
portion having a first rear rib extending therefrom to
engage the back surface of the panel; a second front rib
parallel to and spaced apart from the first rib and extend-
ing from the flat side portion to engage the front surface
of the panel; a flexible decorative generally convex
contoured front portion extending from the front edge of
the flat side portion laterally thereof to project over
the front surface of the core to define therewith an
enclosed space therebetween; finger means projecting back-
wardly from the decorative contoured front portion remote
from the front edge adapted to engage a panel detent when
the contoured portion is flexed and thereby extended
against the panel; the strip being mitred at opposite ends
to align with like adjacent mitred strips when also flexed
into detent engagement with the panel.
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It is therefore an object of this invention
to provide a novel inexpensive but attractive decorative
trim strip for picture frames, cabinet doors, and similar
such multi-sided panels requiring so called tllree dimen-
sional decorative framing.
It is another object of this invention to pro- ~;
vide a novel decorative trim strip for panel cores which
can be assembled and disassembled without use of special
tools.
It is yet another object of this invention to
provide a novel decorative trim strip suitable for profess-- ~
ional application by cabinet makers and picture framers ~ ;
yet within the skill of amateur craftsmen.
It is still another object of this invention to
provide a novel decorative trim strip which may be easily
snapped onto a panel core to make a mitred fit of profess-
ional caliber with adjacent trim strips.
It is a further object of this invention to provide
novel decorative trim strips which may be readily snapped
onto a panel core in a manner which stabili~es a mitred
joint between strips.
With the foregoing and other objects and features
of the invention
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i which will ~ecome evident9 ~he invention consists of certain novel
features of design and arrangemen~ as illustrated in ~he accompany-
ing drawings~ and particularly pointed ou~ in ~he appended claims,
lt being understood that various changes in the form, proportion,
size and minor details of the invention may be made without de-
parting from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages,
of the invention.
For the purpose o~ facilitating an understanding of my inven-
tion, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings preferred
embodiments thereof, from an inspection of which when considered
in connection with the following description, my invention, its
mode of construction, assembly and application and many of its
advantages should be readily understoodO
Reference is now made to the drawings ln which the same
characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding
or similar parts throughout the several figures o~ the drawings
in which:
FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a decorative panel
according to the invention;
FIGURE 2 is a ~ront elevational view of a panel core in accord-
ance with one preferred embodiment of the invention showing trim
ætrip groove detents adapted to receive contoured decorative paneling
trim strip edges;
FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3
of FIGURE l;
FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion
of FI~URE 3, showing the relationship between a trim strip detent
engaging finger and a panel core detent groove;
FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view similar to
FIGURE 4 showing the relationship between a trim strip detent en-
gaging finger and a panel core detent rib;
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FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIGURE
3, showing a modified embodime-nt of the invention;
FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIGURE
3j showing another e~bodimen~ of the inven~ion;
FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional view simLlar to FIGURE
3, showing a special adaptation of the invention .Eor use in picture
framing;
FIGURE 9 is a front elevational view of a panel core showing
trim strip rib detents adapted to engage contoured decorative
paneling trim strip edges;
FIGURE 10 is a plan view of a mitre cutting fixture showing
a trim strip being mitred in accordance with the inven~ion; and,
FIGURE 11 is a sectional view taken along the line 11-11 of
FIGURE 10 showing the unflexed and flexed cross sections of the
trim strip before and after engagement with the detent groove of
the mitring~fixture.
Referring now to the drawings in greater specificity, a pre-
ferred embodiment of the in~ention is shown in FIGIJRES 1 and 3 com- ;
pr~sing a panel core member 10, having flat parallel front and back ,
~urfaces 12 and 14 respectively; straight sides 16; and detent grooves
13 scored on the front face 12 and parallel to sides 16. An elongated
transversely flexible plastic extruded trim strip 20 has one straight
flat portion 22 adapted to abut against a straight core side 16. Fro1nt
~d back edges 24 and 26 respectively of flat portion 22 are straight
a~d parallel. A rib 28 extends from front edge ~4 to bear against
front surace 12~ A rib 30 extends from back edge 26 to bear against
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back surface 14. The distance between ribs 28 and 30 is equal
to or preferably slightly less than the distance between core
surfaces 12 and 14 so as to provide a snug fit between the core
10 and the ribs 28 and 30. A decorative contoured front portion 32
extends upwardly from edge 24 and then across the front surface
12 of core 10 to edge 34. Extending downwardly from edge 34 is
detent engaging portion 36 terminating in a detent engaging finger
38 which engages detent groove 18. In the preferred embodiment,
shown enlarged in FIGURE 4, outside edge 42 of detent groove 18
is met by external edge 44 of finger 339 or preferably, as shown
in FIGURE 6, finger edge 44 slightly overlaps detent groove edge 42
to conceal the groove 18. ~n lieu of the groove detent 18, a rib
41, FIGURE 5 may be secured to front surface 12, to be engaged by
edge 43 of finger 38. In either event, extremity 43 of finger 38
pressure engages detent groove wall.surface 45, FIGURE 4, or detent
rib surface 47, FIGURE 5. For finger 38 to be brought into detent :
engagement, trim strip 20 is transversely extended by flexing to
make snap-in engagement with detent groove 18 or rib 41. If detent
ribs 41 are used, they, of course, would be positioned, such as
shown in FIGURE 9, so as not to interfere with.trim strip ribs 28.
FIGURE 11 illustrates the flexed and unflexed cross sectional con-
figuration of the trim strip 20.
It will be noted that a space 46 is intermediate contoured
portion 32 and front surface 12, FIGURE 3, to provide the three
dimensional look valued in decora~ive panels. To emphasize the
sculptured effect, co~toured portion 32 may be e~ended downwardly
~o ma~e contact wi~h front surface 12, as shown i~ FIGVRE 6~ By
bringing co~toured portion 32 into pressure contact with surface 12,
~ib ~8 m~y be dispensed w~th. In FIGURE 77 pressure contact is main- .
tained w~h fron~ surface 12 by rib 48 extending dow~ from the
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lowermost point 50 of contoured portion 32.
Whereas the embodiments of FI~URES 1 through 7 are par~
ticularly suitable for decorative panels, the embodiment of
FIGURE 8 is particularly adapted for picture framlng. The trim
strip of FIGURE 8 is substantially as shown and described with
reference to FIGURES 1 through 7, however, a third rib 52 is pro-
vided to 13terally extend from detent engaging po-rtion 36 to grip
a picture 54 and/or its mat 56 snugly between rib 52 and core front
surface 12.
The distance between core side 16 and detent groove surface 45
is greater than the width of trim strip 20 measured from f].at por-
t~on 22 to finger extremity 43 in its normal unflexed stat . This
.3relationship is illustrated in another context in FIGURE -~ showing
the trim strip flexed in solid lines and unflexed in broken lines.
Accordingly, in order to snap engage finger 38 with groove 18 it is
necessary to laterally extend or flex the trim strip until engage-
ment can be made. There are a wide range of plastics well known
to those skilled in the art which may be selected to provide a
trim strip reasonably stiff yet sufficiently flexible for the pur-
pose of this inNention. An important basis of selection is that ~ -
the plastic have a sufficiently 8atisfactory modulus of elasticity
that the trim strip is maintained in tension be~ween the core side
16 and the groove wall surface 45. The same dimensional relation-
ships also exist between the core 10 and the trim strip 20 with
the use of a rib detent 41 wherein the same resultant dynamic re
lationship exists therebetween.
¦ In order to obtain a mitre fit of professional quality be~ween
adjacen~ trim strips, the strip must be cut in its flexed state.
For this purpose a fixture 60, FIGURES 10 and 11, includes si~nulated
core side 62, simulated detent groove 63 and wall 64 and slmulated
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core front and back surfaces 66 and 68 respectively, which have
the same dimensions and dimensional relationships as core side 16 9
detent groove 18, wall ~5 and core front and back surfaces 12 and
140 Mitre cutting blade guides 70 and 72 hold mitre blade 74 in
proper cutting alignment. After the trim strip 20 has been cut
under tension as shown in FIGURE 10, removal and re~engagement with
an actual core results in perfect alignment between trim strip abutting
mitred edges.
It is believed that the invention, its mode of fabrication and
assembly and its advantages will be understood rom the foregoing
description, and it i5 further believed tha~ while several pre-
ferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described
for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless
capable of variation within the intent and scope of the invention
as deflned in the appended claims.
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