Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to an aluminum patio door
assembly.
Condensation on the interior metal surfaces of
aluminum patio doors is a common complaint in Canadian
homes during the winter season. Because aluminum has lower
thermal resistance than single glazing, condensation will
occur on the frame before the glass. The condensation
can cause severe damage to surrounding surfaces. The
result may be stained carpet, rotting or lifting of wood
floors, peeling paint or similar problems, all of which
are unsightly and costly to repair. Another common
complaint isairinfiltration, which causes discomfort and
heat loss.
To deal with the condensation problem,patio doors
assemblies have heen provided in which the fixed lite and
the operatIng sash are both provided with hermetically
sealed double glazing, sometimes in a thermally broken
aluminum frame. This substantially reduces heat conduction
between the outside and inside of the assembly and there-
fore reduces condensation. However, air infiltration throughthe single sliding door often results in substantial heat
loss and discomfort, particularly under windy conditions.
To date the most effective patio door assembly
design to reduce condensation and air infiltration has been
one which employs two single glazed doors and two fixed
lites. In other words, a complete double assembly has been
used. However, this arrangement is expensive and also
requires a frame of substantial depth, typically eight or
nine inches. In house andapartment construction, in which
window frames are four inches F less than depth, and in
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which normal stud or face brick construction is used, the
deep frame create.s a major problem. Special concrete
curbs must be used, and interior finishes and the size
of inside heating con~ector cabinets may be affected.
The present invention solves this difficulty by
providing an aluminum patio aoor assembly having a frame
which includes a full perimeter central thermal barrier
member. Positioned over the thermal barrier member is a
fixed lite which is provided with hermetically sealed
double glazing. Two sliding sashes are located one on
each side of the fixed lite. The operating sashes are at
least single glazed. Because of the compact design,
employing a single fixed lite and a pair of operating sashes,
one on each side of the fixed lite~ the depth of the frame
between the indoorand outdoor sides thereof can be made four
and one half inches or less. Because of the compact frame
depth, the patio door assembly ofthe invention can readily
be matched to existing construction.
Further features and advantages of the invention
will appear from the following description, taken together
with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a view looking toward the outdoor side
of a typical patio door assembly according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a section taken along lines 2~2 of Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a section taken along lines 3-3 of Fig.
l; and
Fig. 4 is a view taken along lines 4-4 of Fig. 1.
Reference is now made to the drawings, which show a
patio door assembly according to the invention and generally
indicated at 10. The patio door assembly 10 includes a
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rectangular exterior frame 12 having a sill 14, a header
16, and a pair of identical jambs 18, 20. Located within
the frame 12 is a fixed lite 22 and a pair of identical
operating sashes 24, 26, one on each side of the fixed
lite 22. A screen door 28 is also shown in all of the
drawings except for Fig. 1. The screen door 28 is located
on the outdoor side of the assembly.
The construction of the frame 12 of the assembly is
as follows. The sill 14 includes(Figs. 3,4)an extruded
lQ indoor section 30 having an indoor vertical edge member 32,
a top member 34 which slopes downwardly towards the outdoor
side of the assembly, a downward step 35, and a half box
member 36 having a U~shaped opening 38 which faces toward
the outdoor side of the assembly. The sill 30 also includes
an extruded outdoor section 40 having a matching half box
member 42 with a U~shaped opening which faces toward the
indoor side of the assembly. The indoor section 40 also
has a downwardly and outwardly sloping top member 46, and a
vertical outdoor edge member 48. A s~uare tubular vinyl
thermal barrier member 50 having four projecting legs 52
is snapped into the opposed U~shaped openings 38, 44 to join
th e indoor and outdoor sections of the sill together. Be-
cause the openings 38, 44 diverge inwardly, and the legs 52
diverge towards their tips, a strong mechanical joint is
achieved.
An indoor rail 54 projects upwardly from the upper
surface of the sill indoor section 30 of the sill and extends
along the entire sill. The rail 54 is approximately centred
on the upper surface of-the sill indoor section 30. A
3Q si~ilar outdoor rail 56 extends upwardly from the upper
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surface of the sill outdoor section 40 and is located at
the same distance from the thermal barrier member 50 as
is the indoor rail 54. The height of the outdoor rail
56 is greater than that ofthe indoox rail 54, so that the
upper surfaces of both rails are located in the same
horizontal plane.
Projecting upwardly from the sill indoor and outdoor
sections 30, 40, between the rails 54, 56, are vertical
members 58, 60 which form a raised frame. The members 58,
60 have channels 62, 64 at their tops. The purpose of the
members 58, 60 will be explained shortly.
To permit escape of water which has condensed or
infiltrated within the assembly, spaced weep holes 66 to
74 inclusive are provided in the rails 54, 56 and in the
vertical members 32, 58, 60, 48. The holes provide a
path for water drainage.
The header 16 is of similar construction to the
sill 14,and primed reference numerals are used to indicate
corresponding parts. The difference between the header 16
and the sill 14 is that the lower members 34', 46' of the
header are entirely horizontal and are not provided with
rails or weep holes. In addition, the indoor section 30'
of the header is provided with a deep vertically extending
pocket 78, defined by members 32' and 58'. The~header
outdoor section 40' is provided with a similar deep vertically
extending pocket 80defined by member 60' and by another
vertically extending member 82.
The constructionof the jambs 18, 20 (Fig. 2) is the
same as that of the header 16, except that the pockets therein
are less deep. Double primed reference numerals indicate
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corresponding parts in the jambs.
The frame 12 is secured to the building in which
it is located by a set of bolts 86 spaced around the indoor
sections of the frame and by another set of bolts 88 spaced
around the outdoor sections of the frame. The heads of the
bolts are located in pockets in the ~rame so that they will
not interfere with operation of the sliding sashes.
The fixed lite 22 includes a hermetically sealed
double glass unit 90 tFigs. 2, 3) bordered by a full perimeter
flexible vinyl glazing spline 92. The vinyl glazing spline
~2 includes opposed outwardly projecting ribs 94 which are
set within the openings of the U-shaped channels 62', 64'
in the header 16 and in the openings of channels 62", and 64"
in the jamb 20 against which the fixed lite rests (the fixed
lite may rest against either jamb). Thus, no separate frame
is needed for the top and one side of the fixed lite.
The bottom of the fixed lite 22 is set into an
extension frame 96 (Fig. 3). The extension frame 96 has an
indoor section 98 and an outdoor section 100. Each section
includes an upper channel 102 having an opening to
accommodate a rib 94 of the vinyl glazing spline, and also
has a vertical wall 106, and a half box section 108 of the
same construction as the box sections 38, 42 of the sill.
A thermal barrier member 110 of the same type as barrier
member 50 joins and spaces apart the indoor and outdoor
sections of the extension frame. Projecting from the
bottom of the extension frame 96 are L-shaped legs 112 which
fit into the channels 62, 64 of the sill. The extension
frame serves to lift the fixed lite so that the bottom of
the glazing thereof will be at the same level as the bottom
of the glazing in the sliding sashes.
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The free vertical edge 117 of the fixed lite 22
is provided ~Fig. 2) with a mullion 116, again consisting
of an indoor section 118 and an outdoor section 120 separated
by a rigid vin~l thermal barrier member 122. The ribs 94 of
the vinyl glazing spline 92 project into opposed U-shaped
channels 124 in the mullion 116 and the free open end of
the mullion is closed by a snap-in vinyl closure 126.
The operating sashes 24, 26 are identical. Each
sash includes single glazing 130 set within a rigid vinyl
glazing spline 132. The single glazing 130 and spline 132
are setwithin extruded aluminum frames 134 having opposed
full perimeter pockets 136 extending therearound. The
pockets 136 contain weather stripping 138 to seal the
sashes against air infiltration. The upper and lower parts
of the sashframes include upper and lower pockets 140, 142
respectively. The lower pockets 142 are provided with
conventional adjustable wheels 144 which ride on the rails
54, 56. An operating handle 146 is provided at one end of
the indoor sash 26, to move the sash 26. The mullions
150 of the sashes include inwardly projecting L-shaped
legs 152 which penetrate into U~shaped recesses 153 in the
mullion 116 of the fixed lite, to limit movement of the
sashes in the direction of arrow A. Resilient bumpers
154 are fixed to the jamb 18 to limit movement of the
sashes in the direction of arrow B.
The screen door 28 includes an exterior frame 156
having upper and lower adjustable wheels 158, 160 respectively.
The wheels 158, 160 ride on third and fourth rails 162, 162'
constituted by the free edges of the vertical edge members
48, 48' of the sill and headersections 40, 40'. Little
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additional frame depth is required for the sreen door,
since more than half of the depth of the screen door
projects outside the frame 12.
It will be seen that although the upper surface of
sill 14 slopes downwardly, the indoor and outdoor rails
S4, 56 have their tops aligned, and therefore identical
sashes can be used on each side of the fixed lite 22. In
addition~ although only a single fixed lite is provided,
it can be caulked and can therefore be sealed effectively
against wind and water infiltration. Because of the movable :
:~ nature of the sashes, it is more difficult to seal them
against wind and water infiltration, but because two are
provided, one on each side of the fixed lite, they are
separated by a substantial air space to provide good thermal
properties, and yet the double sash construction provides
a good barrier against wind and water infiltration.
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