Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02855160 2016-01-14
WALL SIDING CORNER COVER APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND RELATED
METHODS
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present disclosure is generally related to wall siding devices and more
particularly is
related to a wall siding corner cover apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Siding has long been used to protect the exterior walls of structures such as
houses. Such
siding is often made of vinyl or aluminum, and is attached to the exterior
wall of a structure. At
wall junction, such as corners, a corner post is used to retain the ends of
the siding to the wall
and to provide an aesthetically appealing junction between the walls. Corner
posts are generally
elongated structures that are manufactured by extrusion or molding, having an
outside corner
surface, a .1-channel, and an attachment portion having holes or slots for
fastening the corner post
to the wall. During installation, the corner post is positioned on the corner
of the building prior to
installation of the siding and fasteners, such as screws or nails, are
inserted into the holes within
the attachment portion to retain the corner post to the wall. Then the siding
is installed on the
wall sections. with the end of each siding sheet located within the J-channel.
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While corner posts are satisfactory for many uses, they have significant
drawbacks.
Notably, when a corner post becomes damaged, old, outdated and needs
replacing, it can be very
time consuming to replace. The siding sheets must first be removed before it
is possible to gain
access to the fasteners in the attachment portions. It can take hours to
remove and replace a
single corner post which is inefficient and creates significant labor
expenses. Another drawback
of corner posts is that they often lack in aesthetic appeal. Building owners,
especially
homeowners, frequently want to replace the standard corner post with an
upgraded, better-
looking corner post that may increase the aesthetic appeal of the building,
and ultimately
increase the value of the building. Corner posts with larger foot prints are
often more desired,
but they present additional problems with installation, since the siding
sheets must be cut to fit
with the positioning of the J-channels of the larger corner posts. Since it is
time consuming and
difficult to replace these corner posts, the building owners are often left
with the choice of
dealing with the original corner posts or incurring the time, labor, and
expense of fully replacing
the corner post.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the
aforementioned
deficiencies and inadequacies.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a wall siding corner cover
apparatus
having an elongated length. Briefly described, in architecture, one embodiment
of the apparatus,
among others, can be implemented as follows. The apparatus includes a corner
portion formed
from a first side and a second side connected together at proximal ends of
each of the first and
second sides, wherein the first side is positioned substantially perpendicular
to the second side. A
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first ending portion is connected to a distal end of the first side and a
second ending portion is
connected to a distal end of the second side. A first rear leg is connected to
the first ending
portion and a second rear leg is connected to the second ending portion,
wherein each of the first
and second rear legs extends towards the proximal ends of each of the first
and second sides,
respectively, and wherein each of the first and second rear legs terminates in
a position between
the proximal and distal ends of each of the first and second sides,
respectively.
The present disclosure can also be viewed as providing a system for covering a
wall
siding corner post. Briefly described, in architecture, one embodiment of the
system, among
others, can be implemented as follows. A wall siding corner post is connected
to a building
structure with at least one fastener. A plurality of wall siding sections is
positioned proximate to
the wall siding corner post, wherein an end of the plurality of wall siding
sections are positioned
within a channel of the wall siding corner post. A wall siding corner cover
apparatus is
positioned covering the wall siding corner post. The wall siding corner cover
apparatus
comprises a corner portion formed from a first side and a second side
connected together at
proximal ends of each of the first and second sides, wherein the first side is
positioned
substantially perpendicular to the second side. A first ending portion is
connected to a distal end
of the first side and a second ending portion is connected to a distal end of
the second side. A
first rear leg is connected to the first ending portion and a second rear leg
is connected to the
second ending portion, wherein each of the first and second rear legs extends
towards the
proximal ends of each of the first and second sides, respectively, and wherein
each of the first
and second rear legs terminates in a position between the proximal and distal
ends of each of the
first and second sides, respectively, wherein at least one of the first and
second rear legs is
positioned within the channel of the wall siding corner post.
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The present disclosure can also be viewed as providing a method for covering a
wall
siding corner post. In this regard, one embodiment of such a method, among
others, can be
broadly summarized by the following steps: providing a wall siding corner
cover apparatus
positioned covering the wall siding corner post, the wall siding corner cover
apparatus
comprising a corner portion formed from a first side and a second side
connected together at
proximal ends of each of the first and second sides, wherein the first side is
positioned
substantially perpendicular to the second side, a first ending portion
connected to a distal end of
the first side and a second ending portion connected to a distal end of the
second side, and a first
rear leg connected to the first ending portion and a second rear leg connected
to the second
ending portion, wherein each of the first and second rear legs extends towards
the proximal ends
of each of the first and second sides, respectively, and wherein each of the
first and second rear
legs terminates in a position between the proximal and distal ends of each of
the first and second
sides, respectively; and positioning at least one of the first and second rear
legs within a channel
of a wall siding corner post connected to a building structure with at least
one fastener, thereby
covering the wall siding corner post with the wall siding corner cover
apparatus.
Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present disclosure
will be.or
become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following
drawings and
detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems,
methods, features, and
advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the
present disclosure, and
be protected by the accompanying claims.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the
following
drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale,
emphasis instead being
placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure.
Moreover, in the
drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the
several views.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional illustration of a wall siding corner cover
apparatus, in
accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional illustration of the wall siding comer cover
apparatus, in
accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional illustration of the wall siding corner cover
apparatus, in
accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional illustration of a wall siding comer cover
apparatus, in
accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional illustration of a wall siding comer cover
apparatus, in
accordance with the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 6 is the plan view illustration of a wall siding corner cover apparatus,
in accordance
with the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 7 is the plan view illustration of a wall siding corner cover apparatus,
in accordance
with the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for covering a wall siding corner
post, in
accordance with a third exemplary embodiment of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
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FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional illustration of a wall siding corner cover
apparatus 10, in
accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The
wall siding corner
cover apparatus 10, which may be referred to herein as 'apparatus 10' has an
elongated length. A
corner portion 20 is formed from a first side 22 and a second side 24
connected together at
proximal ends 26 of each of the first side 22 and second side 24, wherein the
first side 22 is
positioned substantially perpendicular to the second side 24. First and second
ending portions 32,
34 are connected to the first and second sides 22, 24, respectively, at distal
ends 28 thereof. A
first rear leg 42 is connected to the first ending portion 32 and a second
rear leg 44 is connected
to the second ending portion 34, wherein each of the first and second rear
legs 42, 44 extends
towards the proximal ends 26 of each of the first and second sides 22, 24,
respectively. Each of
the first and second rear legs 42, 44 terminates in a position between the
proximal end 26 and
distal end 28 of the first and second sides 22, 24, respectively.
The apparatus 10 may be used to cover, retrofit, or upgrade a conventional
corner post
used with siding, such as vinyl or aluminum siding. The apparatus 10 has an
elongated length
that commonly greatly exceeds its width. For example, the apparatus 10 may
have a length of 6
feet, 12 feet, 20 feet, or any other length. The apparatus 10 may be
constructed from any material
or materials commonly used in the construction of siding, including but not
limited to vinyl,
PVC, or aluminum. The apparatus 10 may be manufactured in any color, with any
type of
texturing or configuration, such as those commonly selected to imitate
traditional wood grain,
ribbing, or other texturing.
The readily visible portion of the apparatus 10 is formed from the corner
portion 20,
generally designated by the first and second sides 22, 24 connected together
at proximal ends 26
thereof at a substantially perpendicular angle. As can be seen, the connected
portion at the
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proximal ends 26 may be raised for aesthetic purposes, or to house
installation materials, such as
a foam material 80 that assists with installation and prevents insects from
taking up residence
within the apparatus 10. The foam material 80 may positioned between an
interior corner of the
connection of proximal ends of each of the first and second sides 22, 24 and
an exterior corner of
the wall siding corner post 60 connected to the building structure 12. The
first and second sides
22, 24 may extend any length away from the proximal end 26, such as 3 inches,
5 inches, or
another dimension. The first and second sides 22, 24 may also be partially
inset, such that a
portion of each of the first and second sides extends inwards, towards the
first and second rear
legs 42, 44, respectively. The inset may be aesthetically pleasing.
While the first and second arms 22, 24 are positioned substantially
perpendicular from
one another, it is noted that their relative positioning may vary, due to
material flexibility or the
intended used of the apparatus 10. For example, the first and second arms 22,
24 may have a
relative angle that is less than 90 , thereby allowing the first and second
arms 22, 24 to have a
natural bias towards the building wall when installed. It may be understood
that the angle
between the first and second arms 22, 24 may be positioned substantially
between 80 and 1000,
or another angular amount. For instance, if the corner of the building
structure that is being
covered by the apparatus 10 is a non-perpendicular angle, the apparatus 10 may
be designed to
have any relative angle between the first and second arms 22, 24.
At the distal end 28 of the first and second arms 22, 24, first and second
ending portions
32, 34 are formed, generally integrally connected to the first and second
sides 22, 24,
respectively. The first and second ending portions 32, 34 may have an angular
position relative
to the first and second arms 22, 24, respectively, that allows for the
formation of terminating wall
at the distal end 28. On each of the first and second ending portions 32, 34,
a first rear leg 42 and
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a second rear leg 44 are connected thereto, respectively. Each of the first
and second rear legs
42, 44 may be connected integrally with the first and second ending portions
32, 34 and extends
towards the proximal ends 26 of the first and second sides 22, 24,
respectively. Each of the first
and second rear legs 42, 44 may be positioned substantially parallel to each
of the first and
second sides 22, 24, respectively. The first and second rear legs 42, 44
terminate proximate to a
middle portion of the first and second arms 22, 24, respectively, such as a
middle portion
positioned between the proximal end 26 and distal end 28 of the first and
second sides 22, 24,
respectively. The combination of the first and second arms 22, 24, the first
and second ending
portions 32, 34, and the first and second rear legs 42, 44 may form a pocket
50 within each of the
distal ends 28. Furthermore, a channel 52 may be formed between each of the
first and second
rear legs 42, 44 and the first and second arms 22, 24, respectively.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional illustration of the apparatus 10, in accordance
with the first
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The apparatus 10 is depicted
in use on a
structure 12 and connected to a comer post 60. The corner post 60 is
conventionally used with
siding, as is discussed in the background of the present disclosure. As can be
seen the corner post
60 is fastened to the structure 12 with a plurality of fasteners 62. Near
where the fasteners 62 are
located, a channel 64, commonly referred to as a J-channel, is formed by the
corner post 60. The
channel 64 is conventionally used to retain the ends of the siding sheets, as
is depicted relative to
FIG. 3. The apparatus 10 may connect to the corner post 60 by inserting each
of the first and
second rear legs 42, 44 into each of the channels 64 of the corner post 60.
The first and second
rear legs 42, 44 may be biased against the interior surface of the channels 64
to contact the
surface and frictionally retain the apparatus 10 in place. While the contact
between the first and
second rear legs 42, 44 and the channels 64 may be sufficient to hold the
apparatus 10 in place, it
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is noted that a fastener, such as a screw, an adhesive, or a rivet, may be
used to ensure that the
apparatus 10 does not move.
In terms of installation, the apparatus 10 may be installed easily on the
corner post 60 by
flexing the distal ends 28 of the apparatus 10 and inserting the first and
second rear legs 42, 44
into the channels 64. No special tools are needed, nor is removal of the
corner post 60 required.
The overall foot print of the apparatus 10, i.e., the visible length of each
of the first and second
arms 22, 24 is significantly larger than the foot print of the conventional
comer post 60, which
many find to be more aesthetically appealing. Furthermore, even when the comer
post 60 is
damaged, such as by being cracked, faded, or otherwise undesirable, the
apparatus 10 may fully
cover the visible portions of the corner post 60 to prevent their unsightly
appearance.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional illustration of the apparatus 10, in accordance
with the first
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 3 depicts
the apparatus 10 in
use with the corner post 60 and with siding sheets 70, wherein the apparatus
10 is identified with
reference characters described relative to FIGS. 1-2. The siding sheets 70 may
be affixed to the
structure 12 with their ends positioned within the channel 64 of the corner
post 60. The siding
sheets 70 may cover the fastener 62 and abut the first and second rear legs
42, 44 of the
apparatus 10. It can be seen that the apparatus 10 may be installed on the
corner post 60 when the
siding sheets 70 are positioned in the channels 64, since the first and second
rear legs 42, 44 may
be inserted between the siding sheets 70 and the surface of the channel 64.
When viewing the
apparatus 10 and the structure 12 from an exterior position, one will only be
able to see the
exterior surface of the apparatus 10 and the siding sheets 70, thereby
providing an aesthetically
appealing structure covering.
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FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional illustration of a wall siding corner cover
apparatus 110, in
accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG.
5 is a cross-
sectional illustration of a wall siding corner cover apparatus 110, in
accordance with the second
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The wall siding corner cover
apparatus 110,
which may be referred to herein as 'apparatus 110' has an elongated length and
may include any
of the features, structures, or components discussed relative to the first
exemplary embodiment
of this disclosure. In FIG. 4, the apparatus 110 is depicted without
contacting structures, whereas
in FIG. 5, the apparatus 110 is depicted in use on an existing corner post
160.
As is shown in FIGS. 4-5, a corner portion 120 is formed from a first side 122
and a
second side 124 connected together at proximal ends 126 of each of the first
side 122 and second
side 124, wherein the first side 122 is positioned substantially perpendicular
to the second side
124. First and second ending portions 132, 134 are connected to the first and
second sides 122,
124, respectively, at distal ends 128 thereof. A first rear leg 142 is
connected to the first ending
portion 132 and a second rear leg 144 is connected to the second ending
portion 134, wherein
each of the first and second rear legs 142, 144 extends towards the proximal
ends 126 of each of
the first and second sides 122, 124, respectively. Each of the first and
second rear legs 142, 144
terminates in a position between the proximal end 126 and distal end 128 of
the first and second
sides 122, 124, respectively. The combination of the first and second arms
122, 124, the first and
second ending portions 132, 134, and the first and second rear legs 142, 144
may form a pocket
150 within each of the distal ends 128. Furthermore, a channel 152 may be
formed between each
of the first and second rear legs 142, 144 and the first and second arms 122,
124, respectively.
As discussed relative to FIG. 2, the existing corner post 160 is
conventionally used with
siding and includes a channel 164, commonly referred to as a J-channel, formed
by the existing
CA 02855160 2014-06-26
corner post 160. The apparatus 110 may connect to the comer post 160 by
inserting each of the
first and second rear legs 142, 144 into each of the channels 164 of the
existing corner post 160.
The first and second rear legs 142, 144 may be biased against the interior
surface of the channels
164 to contact the surface and frictionally retain the apparatus 110 in place.
The apparatus 110
may be designed such that each of the first and second rear legs 142, 144 is
positioned in contact
with each of the first and second sides 122, 124, respectively, as is shown in
FIG. 4. This contact
may include biased contact, in which the each of the first and second rear
legs 142, 144 applies a
force against each of the first and second sides 122, 124, respectively. With
this design, the
channel 152 may be closed or blocked until the first and second rear legs 142,
144 are biased
away from the first and second sides 122, 124, respectively.
To assist with biasing the first and second rear legs 142, 144, flared ends
146 may be
included. The flared ends 146 may be flared to extend away from each of the
first and second
sides 122, 124, respectively, which may assist an installer of the apparatus
110 in opening the
channel 152 between each of the first and second rear legs 142, 144 and the
first and second
walls 122, 124, respectively. For example, the flared ends 146 may allow for
the installer's
finger tips to conveniently grasp the ends of the first and second rear legs
142, 144. While the
contact between the first and second rear legs 142, 144 and the channels 164
may be sufficient to
hold the apparatus 110 in place, it is noted that a fastener, such as a screw,
an adhesive, or a
rivet, may be used to ensure that the apparatus 110 does not move.
The apparatus 110 may be installed easily on the existing corner post 160 by
flexing the
distal ends 128 of the apparatus 110 and inserting the first and second rear
legs 142, 144 into the
channels 164. No special tools are needed, nor is removal of the existing
comer post 160
required. The overall foot print of the apparatus 110, i.e., the visible
length of each of the first
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and second arms 122, 124 is significantly larger than the foot print of the
conventional corner
post 160, which many find to be more aesthetically appealing. Furthermore,
even when the
existing comer post 160 is damaged, such as by being cracked, faded, or
otherwise undesirable,
the apparatus 110 may fully cover the visible portions of the existing comer
post 160 to prevent
their unsightly appearance.
FIG. 6 is the plan view illustration of a wall siding corner cover apparatus
110, in
accordance with the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In
particular, FIG.
6 depicts the apparatus 110 in use with the existing corner post 160, and
illustrates how the
apparatus 110 covers the existing corner post 160 when it is applied to the
existing corner post
160. As can be seen, a portion of the existing comer post 160 is positioned
within the channels
152 of the apparatus 110, such that the first and second rear legs 142, 144
are positioned within
the channels 164 of the existing corner post 160. Not only does the apparatus
110 cover the
existing corner post 160, but the apparatus 110 also has a larger footprint
area than the existing
corner post 160, which is generally considered to provide a building with
enhanced aesthetics.
FIG. 7 is the plan view illustration of a wall siding corner cover apparatus
110, in
accordance with the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As
is shown, the
apparatus 110 may be used with coupling structures 180 positioned at least
partially within at
least one of the first and second pockets 150 and within the connection
between the first and
second sides 122, 124. The coupling structures 180 may be used to connect two
structures
together, thereby increasing the elongated structure of the apparatus 110. The
coupling structures
180 may extend beyond a terminating end of at least one of the first and
second pockets 150
along a linear length of the apparatus 110. Thus, the coupling structures 180
may engage a
bottom of one apparatus 110 with the top of another apparatus 110. The
coupling structures 180
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may be frictionally retained within the pockets 150 or utilize fasteners,
adhesives, or other
retainment devices.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart 200 illustrating a method for covering a wall siding
corner post, in
accordance with a third exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. It should be
noted that any
-- process descriptions or blocks in flow charts should be understood as
representing modules,
segments, portions of code, or steps that include one or more instructions for
implementing
specific logical functions in the process, and alternate implementations are
included within the
scope of the present disclosure in which functions may be executed out of
order from that shown
or discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order,
depending on the
-- functionality involved, as would be understood by those reasonably skilled
in the art of the
present disclosure.
As is shown by block 202, a wall siding corner cover apparatus is positioned
covering the
wall siding corner post, the wall siding corner cover apparatus comprising a
corner portion
formed from a first side and a second side connected together at proximal ends
of each of the
-- first and second sides, wherein the first side is positioned substantially
perpendicular to the
second side, a first ending portion connected to a distal end of the first
side and a second ending
portion connected to a distal end of the second side, and a first rear leg
connected to the first
ending portion and a second rear leg connected to the second ending portion,
wherein each of the
first and second rear legs extends towards the proximal ends of each of the
first and second sides,
-- respectively, and wherein each of the first and second rear legs terminates
in a position between
the proximal and distal ends of each of the first and second sides,
respectively. At least one of the
first and second rear legs is positioned within a channel of a wall siding
corner post connected to
a building structure with at least one fastener, thereby covering the wall
siding corner post with
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the wall siding corner cover apparatus (block 204). Optionally, an end of a
plurality of wall
siding sections may be inserted within a channel of the wall siding corner
post (block 206).
It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present
disclosure,
particularly, any "preferred" embodiments, are merely possible examples of
implementations,
merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the
disclosure. The scope of the
claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the
examples, but should
be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a
whole.
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