Window or door facade

Abstract

The invention concerns a custom made magnetic pad having a sheet, the sheet having a first side having a magnetic material and a second side. The second side displays a graphic representation. The graphic representation is chosen from a window or door and includes a grille and a plurality of geometric panels.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a window or door facade, and more specifically, to magnetic window or door facades that are applied to the exterior or interior of buildings.

2. Description of the Related Art

A recent innovation in garage doors has been the inclusion of a series of decorative windows incorporated usually in the upper section of the garage door. These windows are formed in individual panels of the upper section and provide daylight illumination of the closed garage. A window opening is formed in each panel. Conventionally, a rather cumbersome window and window framework system is then inserted in the opening.

However, many homeowners are hesitant to cut openings in their garage doors, especially if they desire the aesthetic effect of a window, but have no utilitarian need for windows in their garage door.

Moreover, many garage doors provide insulating capabilities, and cutting through a panel may compromise its insulating properties.

In recent years, the building codes regulations of some states in the United States of America either do not permit garage doors to have windows, or the window must meet stringent wind codes because of the potential risk of hurricanes. Thus, the homeowner is either stuck with a windowless garage door, or pay for expensive windows that meet the building codes regulations. This represents an inconvenience to the homeowner who is use to the aesthetic effect of windows in their garage door.

The prior art teaches a method for creating the appearance of garage door windows in which an array of dark-colored shapes is painted on the door to create the desired illusion. Unfortunately, homeowners may not wish to undergo the chores of handling paints, brushes, and the associated cleaning. Furthermore, painting an array of consistent looking windows requires great skill and labor.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,345 entitled “Garage Door Window Facade” to Pelusio discloses a garage door window facade is constructed from a flat panel having a plurality of apertures shaped to resemble small window openings. The assembly is rigidly secured to a standard garage door by security means such as bolts, screws, adhesive, or the like to give the illusion that the garage door has windows.

A disadvantage of the windows of the Pelusio reference is that once engaged, the security means are very difficult to remove in the event any component of the window requires replacement. In addition, the number of components that constitute the window provides a product that is difficult to assemble as well as to disassemble. Also, the increased costs involved with the various components, along with the labor required for its assembly, limit its universal application for all garage door installations.

United States Published Patent Application No. US20020157294A1, entitled “Magnetic Decorative Appliqués” to Stanley, discloses multiple magnetic decorative appliqués for attaching to a garage door. Each appliqué includes a sheet having a magnetic material on one side and a smooth layer on the other side. The smooth side includes painted or printed decorative matter in the form of alpha/numeric indicia.

Unfortunately, the Stanley published patent application is only directed to seasonal decorations and not to a window facade that provides the illusion of real windows.

Consequently, there is a need in the art for an inexpensive garage door window facade that is easily constructed and installed. There is a further need in the art for a garage door window facade that provides the illusion of real windows.

Accordingly, many homeowners wish to provide a more pleasing aesthetic appearance to their garage door without incurring significant expense and without sacrificing the structural integrity of their existing garage door.

There is a further need in the art for a garage door window facade that is resistant to the elements of weather and retains its appearance over time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention offers at least one of the following advantages:

• provides an aesthetically-pleasing metallic surface having the appearance of windows or doors formed therein without incurring the expense of installing real windows.
• provides a window or door facade that may be installed without cutting openings into a pre-existing metallic surface.
• provides a door or window facade that is resistant to the effects of long-term exposure to the elements.
• provides a window or door facade that is easy to apply and remove from a metallic surface without additional means of support and without causing damage to the support surface.
• provides safety and security to the homeowner by not having glass incorporated in the design of the product.
• provides the homeowner with a product that it not subject to stringent Hurricane wind codes/regulations implemented by various US coastal counties.

The present invention satisfies the need of the homeowner of having windows in their garage door in places where the stringent Hurricane wind codes/regulations do not permit the garage to have windows.

The present invention solves significant problems in the art by providing a magnetic window or door facade that is easy to install, attractive in appearance, inexpensive to manufacture, and resistant to various weather conditions.

The invention concerns to a magnetic pad comprising:

• a sheet, the sheet having a first side having a magnetic material and a second side,
• wherein the second side displays a graphic representation; and
• wherein the graphic representation is chosen from a window or door.

In addition, a protective coating is added to the second side.

The graphic representation is applied to the pad by screen-print, digital print, paint, stencil, ink, or vinyl film. Furthermore, the pad is shaped by die-cut or manually to the shape of the graphics.

The graphic representation includes a grille and a plurality of geometric panels.

Furthermore, the present invention concerns a method for enhancing the appearance of a metallic surface comprising:

• placing a window or door facade on the metallic surface, wherein the window or door facade is cut to a user-defined shape and size and comprises:
• a sheet, the sheet having a first side having a magnetic material and a second side,
• wherein the second side displays a graphic representation; and
• wherein the graphic representation the graphic representation is includes a grille and a plurality of geometric panels.

The grille and the plurality of geometric panels are color-coded to match the metallic surface.

In addition, the present invention concerns a custom made window or door facade comprising:

• a sheet cut to a user-defined shape and size, the sheet having a first side having a magnetic material and a second side,
• wherein the second side displays a graphic representation; and
• wherein the graphic representation includes a grille and a plurality of geometric panels.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood, and so that the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter, which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the concept and the specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other window facade for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The description of the invention, together with the accompanying drawings, should not be construed as limiting the invention to the example shown and described, because those skilled in the art to which this appertains will be able to devise other forms thereof within the ambit of the appended claims.

FIG. 1a illustrates the invention as installed on a typical garage door.

FIG. 1b illustrates the invention as installed on an alternate door.

FIG. 2 shows embodiments of the design for the window facade according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows more embodiments of the designs for the window facade according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of the magnetic window facade according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention offers significant improvements over prior art attempts to provide a metal surface with a window facade in an outdoor surface of a building. The advantages include:

• • No tools are needed for installation or removal;
  • The materials of construction are weather-, rust- and stain-resistant;
  • Installation is readily accomplished by merely allowing the magnetic pad to stick to the metallic surface;
  • A tight seal around the perimeter of the metallic surface is attained;
  • All components are capable of being color-coded together to match the color of the dwelling surrounding architecture;
  • No interference occurs with the metal surface operation;
  • The enclosure can roll up for storage; and
  • The overall cost to manufacture is low since there are no moving parts and the enclosure is lightweight.

The window facade of the present invention is custom designed to fit a specific door. Thus, unlike the prior art decorations, the window facade according to the present invention will not work on all doors, and need to be custom designed to fit the manufactures dimension specification of the garage door. In addition, the window facade provides the customer with the color to match their home/environment.

The present invention concerns a magnetic pad 10 comprising:

• a sheet 20, the sheet having a first side having a magnetic material 30 and a second side 40,
• wherein the second side displays a graphic representation 50; and
• wherein the graphic representation is chosen from a window or door.

The invention process would implement a new use for flexible magnetic material sheeting of any gauge or color held by magnetic attraction against a support surface. The graphic surface would have colors applied permanently by means of, but not limited to, screen-print, digital print, paint, stencil, ink, or vinyl film. The invention would be either die-cut or manually cut to the shape of the graphics.

Furthermore, the magnetic pad 10 comprises a protective coating layer 60 on top of the graphic representation. Coating layer 60 protects the graphics from environmental conditions in case the magnetic pad 10 is used outside of the building.

The graphic 50 of the window or door facade includes a grille 70 and a plurality of geometric panels 80, each of which is formed with a predetermined geometric profile creating the illusion of a true window. Preferably, panels 80 are dark or black in color, but may be any other color that provides the illusion of depth. Panels 80 may have perfectly flat surfaces, or it may be textured to enhance the illusion of depth.

The grille may be any color; thus, the grille can match the color of the home/environment.

The use of magnetic means enables the window or door facade to be easily fitted to the metallic surface without the need for tools and without drilling into, or otherwise affecting, the existing metallic surface, and thus, can avoid impinging on any manufacturer's warranties, especially of garage doors.

The window or door facade may be easily removed from the metallic surface for servicing; and in the event that the metallic surface, such as a door, breaks down and needs replacing, it is a simple matter to remove the window or door facade from the metallic surface and attach it to a replacement metallic surface.

As the door or window facade is placed outdoors, and therefore exposed to various weather conditions, it is recommended that all the materials of the window or door facade are non-corrosive, resistant to color change, and inexpensive to manufacture.

The window facade according to the present invention is a durable product made to withstand all environmental conditions including, but not limited to wind, rain, snow, direct sunlight, and earthquakes.

FIG. 1a illustrates the invention as installed on a typical garage door. FIG. 1b illustrates an alternate door is illustrated which is still metal, and, as previously described, the arrangement of the magnetic facade may be of any pattern selected by the user.

FIG. 2 shows embodiments of the design for the window facade according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows more embodiments of the design for the window facade according to the present invention

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the magnetic pad 10 of the invention.

Tight surface-to-surface contact between the magnetic sheet and the metallic door provides an effective seal along the full length of the pad.

The shape of the magnetic pad may take the form of a window or door facade and the choice of colors, lines, and denotations is at the selection of the user.

The magnetic pad of the present invention may be used on metal metallic surfaces, particularly, but not limited to, garage doors, doors of mobile homes, motor homes, or the like, refrigerator doors, file cabinets.

The window or door facade is easy to put on and take off because of the magnetic attraction, and no electricity is required. The window facade of the invention is very light in weight and weather resistant.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

A casual inspection of the metallic surface will not reveal that the window or door is not real. The metallic surface equipped with the novel invention has a greatly enhanced aesthetic appeal, and the homeowner has not been required to cut holes in the metallic surface to retrofit windows or doors thereto, or to incur the expense of a new garage door.

Moreover, since the magnetic pad, according to the invention, is thin in structure, the window or door facade is almost flush with the metallic surface and does not interfere with the opening and closing of the metallic surface such as a door.

The invention solves a need for window or door facade that are easily installed and removed, space-saving, timesaving, weatherproof, durable, non-invasive, low maintenance, conveniently stored, and functions outdoors and indoors. It may be used in residential or commercial setting on any ferrous surface.

For installation, the consumer would clean the support surface with soap and water and dry completely using a clean dry cloth and then allow to air dry. The invention is then applied flush with the support surface.

The present invention also concerns a method for enhancing the appearance of a metallic surface comprising:

• placing a window or door facade on the metallic surface, wherein the window or door facade is cut to a user-defined shape and size and comprises:
• a sheet, the sheet having a first side having a magnetic material and a second side,
• wherein the second side displays a graphic representation; and
• wherein the graphic representation the graphic representation is includes a grille and a plurality of geometric panels.

The grille and the plurality of geometric panels are color-coded to match the metallic surface.

Furthermore, the present invention concerns a custom made window or door facade comprising:

• a sheet cut to a user-defined shape and size, the sheet having a first side having a magnetic material and a second side,
• wherein the second side displays a graphic representation; and
• wherein the graphic representation is includes a grille and a plurality of geometric panels.

Finally, the present invention concerns a custom made window or door facade comprising:

• a sheet;
• at least one magnet attached to the sheet; and
• a graphic representation placed on the sheet;
• wherein the graphic representation includes a grille and a plurality of geometric panels.

The users may change the decorations as frequently as desired without causing damage to the support structure. Also, it is reusable for many years, not just a one-time application.

In addition, the present invention provides protection to the homeowner, because the content behind the structure is not visible to people trying to take a look of the content behind the structure.

The invention has been described in detail with particular emphasis on the preferred embodiments thereof, but it should be understood that variations and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention might occur to those skilled in the art of which the invention pertains.

Claims

1. A custom made magnetic pad comprising:

a sheet, the sheet having a first side having a magnetic material and a second side,

wherein the second side displays a graphic representation; and

wherein the graphic representation is chosen from a window or door.

2. A magnetic pad according to claim 1, further comprising a protective coating adjacent to the second side.

3. A magnetic pad according to claim 1, wherein the graphic representation is applied to the pad by screen-print, digital print, paint, stencil, ink, or vinyl film.

4. A magnetic pad according to claim 1, wherein the pad is shaped by die-cut or manually to the shape of the graphics.

5. A magnetic pad according to claim 1, the graphic representation includes a grille and a plurality of geometric panels.

6. A method for enhancing the appearance of a metallic surface comprising:

placing a window or door facade on the metallic surface, wherein the window or door facade is cut to a user-defined shape and size and comprises:

a sheet, the sheet having a first side having a magnetic material and a second side,

wherein the second side displays a graphic representation; and

wherein the graphic representation the graphic representation is includes a grille and a plurality of geometric panels.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the grille and the plurality of geometric panels are color-coded to match the metallic surface.

8. A custom made window or door facade comprising:

a sheet cut to a user-defined shape and size, the sheet having a first side having a magnetic material and a second side,

wherein the second side displays a graphic representation; and

wherein the graphic representation is includes a grille and a plurality of geometric panels.

9. A custom made window according to claim 8, wherein the grille and the plurality of geometric panels are color-coded.

10. A custom made window or door facade comprising:

a sheet;

at least one magnet attached to the sheet; and

a graphic representation placed on the sheet;

wherein the graphic representation includes a grille and a plurality of geometric panels.