Patio door assembly with extruded plastics components

• US 6,968,657 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2001
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deceuninck Nv (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Deceuninck Nv (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Hauberg, Jonathan C., Schmidt, Donald F., Cox, Dennis D., Siudzinski, Paul A., Stammen, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): A, Phi Dieu Tran, A, Phi Dieu Tran
• Application Number:
  US09/993,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 522/07, 522/045.1, 522/045.7, 522/045.8, 522/047, 522/045, 163/54, 163/87, 493/65, 493/66, 494/09, 495/04, 160/90, 160/92, 160/119
• US Class Current: 52/207
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 1/28 Hollow frames E06B1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 1/524 Mullions; Transoms
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/22 Hollow frames E06B3/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/9636 for frame members having longitudinal screw receiving channels

Abstract

Sections of extruded rigid plastics material form a rectangular main frame including a pair of vertical jamb members, a top head member and a bottom sill member connected by welded mitered corners. An extruded plastic astragal member is spaced between the jamb members and has laterally projecting stop portions and internal walls which are rigidly connected by long screws to the head and sill members. A fixed door panel and a pivotal door panel have extruded plastic rectangular frames with welded mitered corner joints and which surround corresponding glazing panels. A continuous gear hinge has an inactive leaf secured to the astragal member and a slightly shorter active leaf. The door panel frames have internal walls which cooperate with the welded corner joints to maintain each frame flat, and long screws positively connect the leaves of the gear hinge to the pivotal door panel frame and the astragal member.

Claims

1. A patio door assembly comprising a rectangular main frame including a pair of vertical jamb members rigidly connected by a top head member and a bottom sill member, said main frame further including a vertical astragal member spaced between said jamb members and rigidly connected to said head and sill members, a first door panel within said main frame and including a rectangular door panel frame supporting a glass panel, a second door panel within said main frame and including a rectangular door panel frame supporting a glass panel, said astragal member and each of said door panel frames and said members of said main frame comprising extrusions of rigid plastics material, said main frame and each of said door panel frames having welded mitered corner joints, a hinge having an inactive leaf secured to said main frame and an active leaf secured to said frame of said second door panel, said head and jamb members including outwardly projecting double wall exterior portions defining laterally inwardly facing channels, elongated and removable plastic insert strips having an L-shaped cross-sectional configuration and forming snap-fit connections with undercut grooves within said channels, and said strips including laterally inwardly projecting flanges adapted to retain a frame of a sliding screen door within said head and jamb members.

2. A patio door assembly comprising a rectangular main frame including a pair of vertical jamb members rigidly connected by a top head member and a bottom sill member, said main frame further including a vertical astragal member spaced between said jamb members and rigidly connected to said head and sill members, a first door panel within said main frame and including a rectangular door panel frame supporting a glass panel, a second door panel within said main frame and including a rectangular door panel frame supporting a glass panel, said astragal member and each of said door panel frames and said members of said main frame comprising extrusions of rigid plastics material, said main frame and each of said door panel frames having welded mitered corner joints, a hinge having an inactive leaf secured to said main frame and an active leaf secured to said frame of said second door panel, said first door panel frame having spaced inner walls defining a peripherally extending and laterally outwardly facing external groove, said inner walls having opposing ribs projecting inwardly from said inner walls into said groove, a rigid spacer member confined within said groove and projecting outwardly from said groove completely around said rectangular door panel frame, and said spacer member comprises a spacer channel having U-shaped portions engaging said ribs with a snap-fit connection.

3. A patio door assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said hinge extends continuously and vertically from said head member to said sill member, and said inactive leaf of said hinge is longer in a vertical direction than said active leaf of said hinge to provide for quickly and precisely mounting said second door panel in precise vertically spaced relation between said head and sill extrusions.

4. A patio door assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said hinge comprises a continuous gear hinge extending continuously from said head member to said sill member.

5. A patio door assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said astragal extrusion includes parallel spaced opposite vertical side walls integrally connected by interior and exterior vertical end walls, vertical stop portions integral with said side walls and projecting laterally outwardly from said side walls adjacent said frames of said door panels, a plurality of vertical internal walls integrally connecting said side walls, and said internal walls spaced inwardly adjacent said interior and exterior end walls of said astragal extrusion and having longitudinally extending vertical portions defining holes receiving vertical threaded fasteners extending through said head and sill extrusions.

6. A patio door assembly comprising a rectangular main frame of rigid plastic material and including a pair of vertical jamb extrusions rigidly connected by a top head extrusion and a bottom sill extrusion, a vertical astragal extrusion of rigid plastic material and spaced between said jamb extrusions and rigidly connected to said head and sill extrusions, a first door panel within said main frame, a swinging second door panel within said main frame, said first and second door panels each including a rectangular door panel frame of rigid plastic material with welded corners and supporting a glass panel, each of said rectangular door panel frames including peripherally extending elongated door frame extrusions each having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration, each said door frame extrusion having longitudinally extending and parallel spaced outer side walls and spaced inner walls integrally connected by longitudinally extending transverse walls defining a lateral width for said frame extrusion substantially greater than the thickness defined by said outer side walls, each said door frame extrusion including a laterally inwardly projecting integral flange and a removable glazing bead extrusion spaced from said flange and receiving the corresponding said glass panel therebetween, a door latch mechanism disposed between said inner walls of said door panel frame of said second door panel, a hinge having an inactive leaf secured by threaded fasteners to said astragal extrusion, said hinge having an active leaf secured by threaded fasteners threaded into said spaced transverse walls of an adjacent said frame extrusion of said second door panel, a metal approach extrusion mounted on said sill extrusion of plastic material, said approach extrusion having an upwardly projecting horizontal track extending between said jamb extrusions and adapted to support a sliding screen door, said approach extrusion including an integral inner portion defining an inwardly facing groove, and an elongated horizontal door seal extending within said groove within said approach extrusion and having an inwardly projecting flexible portion disposed above a horizontal channel in said sill extrusion and in pressure contact with said door frame.

7. A patio door assembly comprising a rectangular main frame of rigid plastic material and including a pair of vertical jamb extrusions rigidly connected by a top head extrusion and a bottom sill extrusion, a vertical astragal extrusion of rigid plastic material and spaced between said jamb extrusions and rigidly connected to said head and sill extrusions, a first door panel within said main frame, a swinging second door panel within said main frame, said first and second door panels each including a rectangular door panel frame of rigid plastic material with welded corners and supporting a glass panel, each of said rectangular door panel frames including peripherally extending elongated door frame extrusions each having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration, each said door frame extrusion having longitudinally extending and parallel spaced outer side walls and spaced inner walls integrally connected by longitudinally extending transverse walls defining a lateral width for said frame extrusion substantially greater than the thickness defined by said outer side walls, each said door frame extrusion including a laterally inwardly projecting integral flange and a removable glazing bead extrusion spaced from said flange and receiving the corresponding said glass panel therebetween, a door latch mechanism disposed between said inner walls of said door panel frame of said second door panel, a hinge having an inactive leaf secured by threaded fasteners to said astragal extrusion, said hinge having an active leaf secured by threaded fasteners threaded into said spaced transverse walls of an adjacent said frame extrusion of said second door panel, an angular insert strip having a first flange releasably attached by a snap-fit to exterior portions of said head and jamb extrusions, and said strip having a laterally inwardly projecting flange cooperating with said head and jamb extrusions to define a channel adapted to receive an optional sliding screen door frame.

8. A patio door assembly comprising a rectangular main frame of rigid plastic material and including a pair of vertical jamb extrusions rigidly connected by a top head extrusion and a bottom sill extrusion, a vertical astragal extrusion of rigid plastic material and spaced between said jamb extrusions and rigidly connected to said head and sill extrusions, a first door panel within said main frame, a swinging second door panel within said main frame, said first and second door panels each including a rectangular door panel frame of rigid plastic material with welded corners and supporting a glass panel, each of said rectangular door panel frames including peripherally extending elongated door frame extrusions each having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration, each said door frame extrusion having longitudinally extending and parallel spaced outer side walls and spaced inner walls integrally connected by longitudinally extending transverse walls defining a lateral width for said frame extrusion substantially greater than the thickness defined by said outer side walls, each said door frame extrusion including a laterally inwardly projecting integral flange and a removable glazing bead extrusion spaced from said flange and receiving the corresponding said glass panel therebetween, a door latch mechanism disposed between said inner walls of said door panel frame of said second door panel, a hinge having an inactive leaf secured by threaded fasteners to said astragal extrusion, said hinge having an active leaf secured by threaded fasteners threaded into said spaced transverse walls of an adjacent said frame extrusion of said second door panel, each of said door panel frames defines a peripherally extending and laterally outwardly facing external groove each defined by spaced inner walls having opposing ribs projecting into said groove, and a rigid spacer channel having U-shaped portions engaging said ribs with a snap-fit connection.