Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02638098 2008-07-18
TITLE
SNAP FIT HANGING PANEL AND LOCKING APPARATUS THEREFORE
IDENTIFICATION OF APPLICATION
This is a provisional application.
INTRODUCTION
This invention relates to a hanging panel assembly
and to a locking mechanism for such a panel assembly and,
more particularly, to a hanging panel assembly which allows
an easy snap-fit type assembly configuration and to a
locking assembly which facilitates locking of such panel
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assembly when movement is not desired.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Exterior sliding doors or panels which are opened
and closed by sliding within a groove and which are
maintained in their generally vertical position during the
sliding movement are ubiquitous in residential and
commercial construction. However, disadvantages in the use
and installation of such panels are well known. First, if
the sliding members are heavy, hanging such members is
difficult and two or more specialized installers may be
required. Second, continued and proper adjustment of the
sliding panels is important for proper operation of the
panels or doors and, again, skilled labor may not be readily
available. Third, existing sliding members generally have
their entire weight acting on bearings located on the bottom
of the door which run on a rail. The rail is raised from
the surface of the exterior and interior floors which causes
access problems for carts and disabled users. The bearings,
being on the bottom of the door, attract water and other
debris which contacts the door and falls downwardly into the
bearing area over time. The debris may enter the bearings,
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prohibit smooth movement of the doors and cause premature
wear. In,an effort to prevent this contamination, friction
brushes are often used which, in turn, interfere with the
smooth movement of the sliding members. Fourth, the weight
of such doors may act in an unbalanced way on the bearings
if they are not precisely positioned. Thus, one set of
bearings may receive more loading than a second set of
bearings which affects the operation of the doors and the
bearing life. Finally, subsequent service to the sliding
members after installation typically requires a number of
service personal to raise the doors off their track for
cleaning, item replacement and the like. Thereafter, the
panel members will require installation and adjustment.
This is unnecessarily expensive, time consuming and
inconvenient for the user.
SIINIlIARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention, there is
provided a hanging panel system having a core of metal
material and a covering material extending about at least a
portion of the perimeter of said core, said covering
material having extending legs and a retaining member which
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cooperate with a first member to retain and maintain said
first member adjacent said covering material, said first
member having a snap-lock fit with said covering material.
According to a further aspect of the invention,
there is provided a locking member for a hanging panel
assembly having a longitudinal latch which engages and
disengages with a sill assembly, a rotatable keyway for
rotating an interference member into and out of operable
contact with said longitudinal latch and a disabling member
operable to move said interference member out of an operably
contacting relationship with said longitudinal latch.
According to yet a further aspect of the
invention, there is provided an adjustable sill sliding
member mounted for adjustment within a fitting generally
fixed to the bottom of a panel or door assembly, said sill
sliding member being secured within said fitting by
fasteners between said sill sliding member and said fitting
and adjustable screw members mounted between said sill
sliding member and said fitting to move said sill sliding
member away from or towards said fitting throughout the
length of said sill sliding member.
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According to still yet a further aspect of the
invention, there is provided a sill sliding member mounted
for movement within a sill, said sill being mounted on or
mounted within a guide support channel, said guide support
channel being snap-fastened within a drain tube, said drain
tube being snap fitted into a shoe, said guide support
channel being reversible so as to allow said sill to be
raised or lowered relative to the height of the surface
within which said shoe is positioned.
According to yet a further aspect of the
invention, there is provided a sill assembly installed in a
structure with doors or panels moving above said sill
assembly, the top of said sill assembly being flush with the
finished surface of said structure wherein said sill
assembly is installed, said doors or panels being sliding
panels or doors, folding doors or panels or swinging doors
or panels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
Specific embodiments of the invention will now be
described, by way of example only, with the use of drawings
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in which:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic isometric and cutaway
view of two(2) adjacent sliding doors moving within adjacent
drain tubes and which sliding doors incorporate the
teachings of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic end view of the sliding
doors particularly showing the bearing mounting and the sill
construction in which the sliding doors are guided according
to a further aspect of the invention;
Figures 3A and 3B are partial diagrammatic front
and side views, respectively, of a door panel according to a
further aspect of the invention;
Figure 4 is,a diagrammatic sectional view taken
along IV-IV of Figure 3 but which further illustrates an
adjacent door panel according to the invention;
Figure 5 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a
pair of door panels taken along IV-IV of Figure 3 but
particularly illustrating the pair of door panels at the
_.-~.._:..-__. _... .._~
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bottom of the door panels;
Figure 6 is a diagrammatic sectional view taken
along VI-VI in Figure 3 and which particular illustrates the
vertical members of the door panel according to the
invention;
Figure 7 is a diagrammatic isometric view of the
core of the hanging panel or door assembly with a covering
material in place on the outside of the core in a further
embodiment of the invention;
Figures 8A through 8H are diagrammatic enlarged
and partially sectional views of the core and covering
material and illustrating further and various members
specific to the function of the hanging panel assembly;
Figure 9 is a diagrammatic enlarged view of two
hanging panel assemblies particularly illustrating the
interlock jambs used between the hanging panel assemblies to
prevent further movement;
Figures 10A-10C are diagrammatic front, side
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sectional and enlarged side sectional views, respectively,
of the locking mechanism in its locked configuration
according to a further aspect of the invention;
Figures 11A-11C are diagrammatic front, enlarged
side sectional and side sectional views of the locking
mechanism of Figures 10A-I0C showing the locking mechanism
in_its disabled configuration;
Figures 12A-12E are diagrammatic isometric and
partial sectional views of the locking mechanism
particularly illustrating the rotating keyway and
interference member; and
Figures 13A-13E are diagrammatic side views of the
locking mechanism according to Figures l0A-I0C but
illustrating the condition of the locking mechanism in the
unlocked, locked and disabled configurations, respectively.
DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, a set of sliding
doors, in this case, two(2) such doors 11, 12 is generally
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shown at 10 in Figure 1. The first and second doors 11, 12,
respectively, move within respective guide strips 13, 14 and
are each hung from a pair of upper hanging assemblies, one
such hanging assembly being generally illustrated in detail
at 20. A lower guide or sill assembly is generally
illustrated at 21 in Figure 2, it being understood that the
upper hanging assemblies 20 and the lower guide or sill
assembly 21 are the same for each of the sliding doors 11,
12.
A support bracket conveniently in the form of an
aluminum extrusion 22 is mounted in the frame of the house
or other structure (not shown). The support bracket 22
includes two(2) bearing guide paths 23 to allow the rotating
bearings 24 of the bearing assembly 20 to move therein as
will be described. The support bracket 22 also conveniently
includes brush housings 30 which hold removable mohair
brushes 31 used to provide a brushing action against the top
frame member 32 of door 11 and thereby to prevent the
ingress of water and debris and to remove loose foreign
material from the door 11 during the sliding operation.
A second extrusion, conveniently a plastic drain
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tube 33, is similarly mounted in the frame of the house or
other structure and forms the principal member of the sill
assembly 21. The drain tube 33 contains side drain holes 44
and/or bottom drain holes 50 to allow the drainage of
moisture and other debris to the outside environment. The
drain tube 33 also allows for the entrance and retention of
several shims or ribs 34. The shims 34 (Fig. 2) extend
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the drain tube 33
and are relatively narrow. The shims 34 provide support for
the guide strips 40 which are removably mounted on the shims
34 and within the drain tube 33. The guide strips 40 also
contain brush housings 41 which allow the entry of removable
mohair brushes 42. The brushes 42 bear on a guide or key 43
which is connected to the lower portion of the door 11 and
which guide or key 43 provides a degree of stability during
the sliding movement of the panel members 11, 12. The guide
43 extends substantially the entire length of the bottom of
the door 11 and may take,the form of a T-section which is
bolted to the bottom of the door 11 at several different
locations to ensure connection integrity. It will be noted
that the upper surface of the drain tube 33 may conveniently
be level with both the interior and exterior floor surfaces
66, 67 thereby allowing carts, wheelchairs and the like to
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easily move along the floor surfaces 66, 67 and over the top
of the drain tube 66 without difficulty although the upper
surface may also be raised or lowered relative to the floor
surfaces if desired.
The bearing assembly 25 includes the rotatable
bearings 24 which are conveniently heavy duty and made from
a TEFLON material in order to reduce the friction between
the bearings 24 and the bearing guide paths 23 when the
bearings 24 are moving within the guide paths 23. The
bearings 24 conveniently number three (3) and rotate about
respective axes 51. Bearings 24 are connected on each side
of a hanger 52 which extends downwardly and centrally
between the bearings 24 thereby to reduce or eliminate any
moment acting on the bearings 24 by the hanging members 11,
12 which are each connected to the hanger 52 as will be
described.
Hanger 52 terminates in an enlarged female member
53 which is mounted for reciprocal and longitudinal movement
within a wedge member 54. The hanger 52 extends downwardly
from the forward most bearing 24 as viewed in Figure 1 a
distance "dl" which distance "d1" is longer than the
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distance "d2" from the rearward one of the bearings 24 as
also seen in Figure 1. The slope between the two distances
dl, d2 matches the slope of a wedge member 54 in which the
female member 53 moves. Wedge member 54 is connected to an
anchor plate 60 (Figures 1 and 2) which anchor plate 60 is
mounted to the top of the door 11 and which has bolts 55
extending there through. Wedge member 54 therefore moves
with door 11 and anchor plate 60 and remains stationary
relative to the door 11 and anchor plate 60.
A threaded hole 61 extends through the female
member 53 of hanger 52 and a threaded bolt 62 is threadedly
connected through hole 61. A socket 64 in the end of the
threaded bolt 62 allows the entry of a complementary
matching member on the end of a tool (not shown) which is
used to rotate the bolt 62. The bolt 62 is held by a collar
63 mounted for stationary position within wedge member 54
which collar 63 allows the bolt 62 to rotate freely within
the threaded hole 61 of wedge member 54 while not moving the
bolt 62 longitudinally and thereby drawing the hanger
assembly 25 along the wedge member 54 which, because of the
connection between the wedge member 54 and anchor plate 60
to the door 11, allows the panel member or door 11 to be
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easily moved upwardly and downwardly relative to the door
bearing assembly 25 and the support bracket 22 as the
installation may require in order that the door 11 hangs
cleanly and moves freely.
A recess 65 is provided in the support bracket or
aluminum extrusion 22 at the end of the bracket 22 mounted
in.the frame of the moving panels 11, 12 (Figure 1). It
will be understood that a further and second recess 64 is
provided at the opposite end of the support bracket 22 which
is not illustrated in Figure 1. The recess 65 is formed by
cutting away material previously forming the bearing guide
paths 23 formed on either side of the longitudinal axis of
the bracket 22. By removing the guide path material to form
the recess 65, the bearing assembly 25 is easily inserted
into the support bracket 22 and the bearings 24 can then
move freely on the bearing guide paths 23. To prevent the
bearings 24 from moving into the recess 65 during sliding
movement and operation of the door 11, the wedge member 54
and anchor plate 60 are mounted to the door 11 at a position
where, with the door 11 in its limiting positions of
movement within lower drain tube 33 and upper support
bracket 22, the bearings 24 remain a distance away from the
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recess 65 thereby avoiding any unnecessary stress in the
bearing guide paths 23 adjacent the recess 65 and thereby
avoiding the recess 65 entirely.
OPERATION
In operation, it will be assumed that the upper
support bracket 22 and the lower drain tube 33 have been
installed in the frame of the structure into which the
sliding panel or door assembly 10 is to be installed and
that it is now intended to install the panel or door
assembly 10 (Figure 1).
The anchor plates 60, one for each of the bearing
assemblies 25, which bearing assemblies 25 are mounted at
opposite ends of each panel or door 11, are mounted to the
top of each of the doors 11,. 12 as seen in Figure 1 and the
key member 43 is attached to the bottom of the doors 11, 12
again by bolting the key member 43 to the door 11. The
wedge members 54 are then connected to the anchor plates 60
by bolts 71 extending into the anchor plates 60. One wedge
member 54 is mounted to each of the anchor plates 60; that
is, one anchor plate 60 and one wedge member 54 are mounted
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to each end of each door 11, 12.
The lower guide strips 40 will be placed into
position within drain tube 33 and will rest on the shims 34,
the shims 34 being placed perpendicular to the longitudinal
axis of the drain tube 33 and spaced intermittently along
its length.
The doors 11, 12 will then be manually moved into
their general installation position by placing the key 43 on
the bottom of the door 11 into the guide strip 40 and
allowing the door 11 to remain substantially vertically in
its resting position on the drain tube 33. The top of the
door 11 will be inserted into and retained by the sides of
the support bracket 22 to prevent the door 11 from moving
sidewardly and falling from its temporary and upright
position.
An installer will then begin the final hanging.
The installer will insert a bearing assembly 25 into each of
the wedge assemblies 54 by inserting the rotating bearings
24 into the guide paths 23 through the recess 64 (Figure 1).
He will then move the door 11 until the hanger 52 and male
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member 53 are aligned with the recess 72 in the wedge member
54 (Figure 3A) and the bolt 62 is rotated with the
installation tool (not shown) which rotates the bolt 62
through its end socket 64 until the wedge assembly is fully
engaged. A similar procedure will take place between the
second bearing assembly 25 and the second wedge member 54 at
the opposite end of the door 11. The installer will then
raise or lower the door 11 relative to the guide paths 23 by
appropriately rotating the bolt 62 at each end of the door
11 so that the key 43 reciprocates freely within the guide
strips 40 with the mohair brushes 42 suitably brushing the
key 43 as the movement of the door 11 takes place and so
that the door il is suitably level within the upper
extrusion 22 and so that the vertical ends 73 of the door 11
match the vertical sides (not shown) of the door frame.
It will be appreciated that the bearings 24 act on
either side of the longitudinal axis 70 of the upper support
bracket 22 and that the door 11 hangs vertically from the
hanger 52 which is connected to the bearings 24. Thus, the
weight of the door 11 acts generally vertically downwardly
and generates little if any moment on the bearings 24 and
bearing assembly 25. The key 43 thereby also moves freely
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within the guide strips 40 and allows the mohair brushes 40
to brush debris and foreign material off the key 43 which
debris is disposed of through the bottom and side drain
holes 50, 44, respectively, in the drain tube 33. The key
43 also serves to block the egress of wind and water driven
from the outside environment. Any such wind, water or
debris will fall into the guide strips 40, thence to the
guide tube 33 and out to the outside via drain tubes 44, 50.
The use of the wedge member 54 to move the door 11
upwards and downwards will allow a single installer to
provide the finished door installation in which the door 11
may be centered and raised or lowered as necessary so the
loading of the door 11 will fall on the bearings 24 of the
bearing assembly 25 and so that the door 11 may be
appropriated fitted within the door frame to provide a close
matching fit with the door frame. The panel-or door members
11, 12 may also be easily,raised relative to the guide tube
33 by a user using the described tool to rotate bolt 62 and
thereby raise the panel members 11, 12 relative to the guide
tube 33. If the user intends to clean the guide tube 33 and
drain tubes 40 of the sill assembly 21, it is convenient to
do so without the necessity of removing the heavy door or
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panels 11, 12. All the members making up the sill assembly
21 can be,easily replaced if necessary.
Many modifications will readily occur to those
skilled in the art to which the invention relates. For
example, the use of relative movement between the wedge
member 54 and the bearing assembly 25 so as to lift and
lower the door 11 relative to the extrusion 22 may suitably
be modified by allowing the bearing assembly 25 to remain
stationary relative to the door 11 and by moving the wedge
member 54 relative to the door 11 and bearing assembly 25.
All that is needed is relative movement between the bearing
assembly 25 and the wedge member 54 in order to provide the
necessary adjustment. Likewise, while it is apparent that
the use of heavy sliding doors, used in exteriorly exposed
position, will most often make use of the invention, it is
intended to cover sliding panel members as well.
It is further contemplated that, of course,
portions of the sill assembly can be raised if desired such
that the sill assembly may project above the surfaces of the
exterior and interior floors.
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A further embodiment of the invention is
illustrated in Figures 3-6 which collectively illustrate a
thermal broken door panel system generally illustrated at
100. This door system 100 conveniently utilizes a steel
core 101 which provides rigidity and strength against
exterior wind-loading pressures and which steel core 101 is
made possible because of the hanging door assembly described
and illustrated herein. The steel core 101 extends around
the circumference of the panel 100 as best seen in Figure 3.
The steel core 101 comprises four separate members 102 which
are welded together at the end portions 103 to form a
substantially continuous periphery of the door system 100.
The steel core 101 can, of course, be varied depending on
the structural loading requirements which may also be
affected by environmental considerations such as exposure to
wind.
The top of each,of the sliding door panels 100 is
seen in detail in Figure 4. A U-shaped bracket 104 is
connected to the upper surface of steel core 101 as by
bolts, screws or other known techniques. The U-shaped
bracket 104 is designed to run within an aluminum extrusion
110 which is connected to the top of the door frame (not
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illustrated) and which includes mohair brushes 111 which
brush the,bracket 104 to maintain cleanliness within the
extrusion 110 to keep contamination from entry therein. A
hanging assembly generally illustrated at 113 includes a
plurality of flexible wheels 112 run within the aluminum
extrusion 110 which allow the panel systems 100 smooth
movement relative to the aluminum extrusion 110. The
hanging assembly 113 is connected to a further extrusion 114
which is fixedly mounted within the U-shaped bracket 104
with bolts or screws (not illustrated).
A further aluminum extrusion 120 is mounted
beneath the steel core 101 as seen in Figure 4. This
extrusion 120 serves as the upper female member for
receiving the upper or top of window 121.
An outside piece of clad aluminum material 122 is
fitted to extend horizontally the length of the panel 100
and to cover the steel core 101. The clad aluminum material
122 is exposed to outside weather conditions and is
therefore intended to be relatively robust in construction.
An insulating member, conveniently made from LEXAN
(Trademark) material 123, is positioned between the steel
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core 101, upper U-shaped bracket 104 and lower U-shaped
extrusion,120. The insulating member 123 isolates the
temperature of the clad aluminum material 122 from the steel
core 101, the upper U-shaped bracket 104 and the bottom
extrusion 120.
A preferred interior material, conveniently wood,
granite, marble or other attractive material 124 is mounted
directly to the steel core 101 and upper U-shaped bracket
104. Because of the thermal barrier in the form of the
LEXAN spacer 123, the interior material 124 is isolated from
the outside temperatures with the result that it is exposed
to interior temperatures only and will not suffer from the
exterior weather conditions which would otherwise dictate
against it's use. Insulated filler material, conveniently
laminated wood pieces 130 may be positioned between the
LEXAN spacer 123 and the lower extrusion 120 and between the
interior material 124 and the lower extrusion 120 as is
illustrated.
Referring now to Figure 5, the assembly of the
bottom of the panel system 100 is similar to that of the
upper portion of the panel system described in relation to
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Figure 4. The window 121 is fitted into a lower L-shaped
extrusion 131 which is mounted to the steel core 101,
conveniently with the use of bolts 132. The interior
material 124 is likewise connected directly to the steel
core 101, conveniently by gluing. An angle 134 is connected
to the steel core 101 using screws 140 and a spacer made
from LEXAN material 141 is positioned outside the angle 134
to_serve the aforementioned insulating function. The
aluminum exterior cladding 142 is formed so that a leg 143
extends into a continuous guide 144 which is positioned
within the finished floor 150 of the structure in which the
panel system 100 is to be installed. Mohair brushes 151
brush the leg 143 to prevent the ingress of contamination
and to maintain the leg 143 in a generally vertical
orientation. Insulating material, conveniently laminated
wood 151, is positioned between the steel core 101 and the
angle 134 with contact being made with the interior material
124 and further insulating material, likewise laminated wood
152 is positioned between the steel core 101 and the outside
cladding 131 as is illustrated in Figure S.
Referring now to Figure 6, the vertical steel core
101 is shown with a similar construction to that described
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in association with Figures 4 and S. A steel or aluminum
extrusion,153 is mounted directly to the concrete wall 154
of the structure in which the panel system 100 is installed.
Weather stripping is provided between the extrusion 153 and
the panel system 100 since there is no movement of the panel
system in Figure 6 and it remains stationary relative to
extrusion 153. The interior material 124 is mounted
directly to the steel core 101 and an angle 160 is connected
directly to the steel core 101 with the use of screws 161.
Angle 160 accommodates the entry of the window 121. The
outside cladding material 162 is formed to extend from the
window 1321 to the interior material 124 and a LEXAN spacer
163 extends vertically in contact with the steel core 101
and laminate material 164 and between the steel core 101 and
the outside classing 162 as is illustrated. Additional
insulating material 170 may conveniently be positioned
between the window 121 and the steel core 101 and the
outside cladding 162 as is illustrated.
For ease of transport and handling, the welded
steel cores 101 can be shipped and installed as skeleton
frames. The thermal breaks or LEXAN insulating material
described can be applied on-site since they are surface
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applied and the necessity for a crane to lift the material
is obviated which is useful in sites which may be
inaccessible to a crane or where weight considerations are
important.
Various interior and exterior cladding options are
likewise available since the interior and exterior cladding
are thermally isolated from each other and despite the
variation of thermal expansion of the different materials,
such different materials may readily be utilized according
to the desires of the user or designer. Similarly, although
the system is particularly advantageous and has been
described in association with windows, it is clear that the
system is useful for non-window movable panels or a
combination of solid wall panels as well as windows.
Yet a further embodiment of the invention is
illustrated in Figures 7,and S. In this embodiment of the
invention, reference is initially made to Figure 7 which
diagrammatically illustrates the hanging panel assembly
generally shown at 200. The hanging panel assembly 200
comprises a steel core 201 being generally square in cross-
section (see Figure 8A) which extends about the perimeter of
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the panel assembly 200. A piece of PVC material or fitting
202 is mo,lded in a configuration which allows the PVC
material 202 to be flexibly press fitted onto the steel core
201 on three sides with the outside surface 203 of the steel
core 201 not being covered or encompassed by the PVC fitting
202 as described hereafter. There are four(4) pieces of PVC
material 202 fitted to the steel core 201 with the closed
side being positioned on the inside of the perimeter of the
steel core 201. One or top piece 210 (Figure 7) of PVC
material is fitted to the top portion of the steel core 201.
Second and third side pieces 211, 212 of PVC material are
mounted to the sides of the hanging panel assembly 200. A
bottom piece 213 of PVC material is likewise mounted on the
bottom of the steel core 201.
Each of the pieces of PVC material has at least
one T-shaped protuberance 204(Figure 8A) which runs the
length of each piece of PVC material which runs along and
encompasses the steel core 201 as described. The T-shaped
protrusions 204 and the corner extension pieces 220 allow
for the retention of four(4) aluminum assembly fittings 213,
214, a pair of which are mounted on each side of the T-
shaped protrusion 204 and which are simply fitted under the
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head lip of the T-shaped protrusion 204 and within the
corresponding corner extension pieces 220. Each of the
assembly fittings 213, 214 includes an external and
longitudinal extension piece 222, the purpose of which will
be explained in greater detail hereinafter.
The aluminum assembly fittings 213, 214 are
adapted to receive various fittings depending upon the
location and function of the fittings 213, 214. For
example, the end of the panel 200 shown in Figure SB which
extends generally vertically has a fitting 223 which is
generally flat and which snaps fit with aluminum fitting
213. Likewise, where a window member 224 is to be held
within the fitting 214 as also is shown in Figure SB, a
member 230 is snap fitted into the fittings 213, 214 which
allows the window 224 to be securely held.
Figure SB also illustrates the decorative cladding
253 which has a stop member 255 which engages with a
corresponding stop member 256 on the decorative cladding 257
of the second door panel, which stops 255, 256 prevent
further movement between the door panels in a first
direction. In order to prevent further movement in the.
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opposite direction, the cladding members 253, 257 may
conveniently and simply be reversed in position without
removal and re-installation of the heavy door panels 200.
It will also be observed that because of the general
reversibility features, the heavy panels 200 may be hung
only and the decorative and functional fittings may be
assembled on the doors or panels 200 sometime thereafter by
simply adding the cladding and fittings when the final door
or panel configuration and operating characteristics have
been decided.
As seen in Figure 8C, where the hanger assembly
(not illustrated) is to be fitted to the top of the panel
assembly 200, a fitting 231 is adapted to fit under the T-
shaped protrusion 204 and within the vertical legs 233.
This fitting allows for the holding of the hanger assembly
206 which is positioned within the fitting 231 (Figure 8F).
As viewed in Figure 8D, the fittings 240, 241 are
adapted to fit within T-shaped protrusion 204 and vertical
legs 233, 234. These fittings 240, 241 are adapted to allow
the sill sliding member 242 to be accommodated within
fitting 240 and for strengthening and integrity purposes,
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fitting 240 may be attached through fitting 233 and into
steel core 201 by way of a screw 280.
It may sometimes be the case that the steel core
201 is not true and straight. If this is so, an adjustment
is provided in the sill sliding member 242 relative to the
fitting 240 which will generally follow the configuration of
the steel core 201. A plurality of screws 247
intermittently located along the length of the sill sliding
member 242 are threadedly engaged with and secure the sill
sliding member 242 to fitting 240, as illustrated. In
addition, a plurality of hex bolts 248 are likewise
positioned intermittently along the length of the sill
sliding member 242 and bear on the inside surface 249 of the
fitting 240. By rotating the hex bolts 248 and by
tightening and loosening the screws 247, the distance of the
sill sliding member 242 from the inside surface 249 of the
fitting 240 may be varied throughout the length of the.
fitting 240 so that the sill sliding member 242 runs true in
the sill 246. It will also be observed that reversing the
positions of the fittings 240, 241 will allow assembly of
the sill sliding member 242 from either side of the panel
assembly 200.
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Again with reference to Figure 8D, the sill
assembly generally illustrated at 207 has a shoe 215
installed in the structure 216 with pane head screws (not
illustrated). The shoe 215 is shimmed as necessary until it
is level and straight about the drain 218. Small
indentations 281 are formed in the shoe 215 which show the
user where the pan head screws may be installed to secure
the shoe 215 to the structure 216 in which the shoe 215 is
mounted. Following the installation of the shoe 215, the
drain tube 217 is positioned within the shoe 215. Holes may
be cut at various locations in shoe 215 so that water
accumulating within the shoe 215 moves to the drain 218
which in turn drains outwardly of the structure 216 as is
known. The drain tube 217 allows guide support channels 219
to be fitted into the shoe 215 and the intermittent guide
support channels 219 are snap-fitted into the drain tube
217.- The guide support channels 219 are reversible if the
height of the sill 207 needs to be varied so that the.sill
207 and, more particularly, the sill guides 246 are
threshold free and flush with the finished floor surface of
the structure 216 within which te sill 207 is installed.
The continuous sill guides 246 are then mounted on or in the
guide channels 219 and the continuous sill member 227 is
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then snap fitted into contact with the channels 219 and
guides 246. The sill assembly 207 is then complete.
Reference is made to Figure 8E where the receiving
jamb is generally illustrated at 243. The fittings 244, 245
are again adapted to fit within the T-shaped protrusion 204
and the legs 250, 251 of the PVC material. The additional
receiving jamb 243 is adapted to snap fit into the fittings
244, 245. In an alternative embodiment relating to the male
and female jambs 243, 246, the end receiving jamb 246 may be
replaced with the end receiving jamb 247 as illustrated in
Figure 8G. Receiving jamb 247 is advantageous because it
can be snap-fitted into the structure of the adjacent panel
rather than being attached with screw or other mechanical
connections. It is also easily replaceable in the event of
wear or damage. If the receiving jamb 247 is to be used, a
new fitting 248 (Figure 8H).is also conveniently used as a
replacement for fitting 243. Rubber or other flexible impact
material 249 as shown in phantom in Figure 8H is mounted
within the groove 256 and acts to cushion impact between
fitting 248 and receiving jamb 247.
Thus, it will be seen that around the
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circumference of the panel member 200, there is provided a
PVC material 202 which surrounds three sides of the steel
core 201 of the panel member 200 which allows the easy
insertion and retention of aluminum and usually identical
fittings which allow the further insertion of members which
are specific to the function which is served by the
particular portion of the panel 200 of interest; that is,
the sides, the top and the bottom. All of the assembly of
the aluminum fittings to the PVC material is done without
threaded attachment screws or bolts although they certainly
may be used where additional reinforcement or strength is
deemed necessary.
Following the assembly of the fittings to the PVC
material 202 and the installation of the window 224 (Figure
8B) if desired, the hanger assembly 206 (Figure 8F) and the
sill assembly generally shown at 207 in Figure 8D, the door
jamb 243 as shown in Figure 8E, the hanging panel assembly
200 may remain in its partially completed configuration
without the attachment of the decorative cladding 253
(Figure 8B) which completes the assembly.
This is done for several reasons. It is
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frequently the case that a structure under construction
needs to be closed in as soon as possible due to inclement
weather interfering with construction of the structure.
While the structure itself may be then enclosed, the
decorative aspects of the interior and exterior may be
decisions to be made that are months away. Similarly, if
the decorative panels 253 are installed on the panel 200
when the panel 200 is initially installed, they are subject
to abuse and damage due to the ensuing construction of the
structure in which building materials and tools may impact
the final decorative cladding 253.
Following the completion of the structure or when
the decorative aspects of the construction are ready for
consideration, the decorative panels 253 may then be
installed. Reference is made to Figure 8A where the panel
members 253 are installed on the fitting 214-by way of a
press connection over the protruding legs 260, 261. In this
embodiment, it will be clear that the inside cladding 253 is
insulated by member 213 and is removed from the steel core
203 so cladding 253 is warm or at close to room temperature
to the touch. The outside cladding 253 may contact the
steel core 201 or preferably, a membrane (not illustrated)
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is installed between the cladding 253 and the steel core
203. The=inside decorative cladding 253 may be one of
several materials as desired by the owner, for example,
wood, steel, aluminum, or composite material and it need not
have weather resistant properties. In contradistinction,
the outside panel 254 being exposed to outside conditions,
will have properties that are conductive to weather
resistance such as aluminum.
Reference is now made to Figure 9 which
illustrates first and second sliding panel or door members
generally illustrated at 262, 263. Each of the sliding
panel or door members 262, 263 include respective interlock
members 264, 265 which are intended to make contact and
prevent further relative movement between the two panels
262, 263 when they make contact on the insides of the
sliding panels 262, 263. The interlock members 264, 265 are
conveniently incorporated into the cladding 270, 271 which
snap onto the extending legs 272, 273 of the fittings 274,
275.
Thus, the components described fit together in a
snap lock type configuration rather than being mounted to
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the steel core or frame 201, 203 with mechanical fittings
which allows efficient assembly and less expertise required
on behalf of the installers. In addition, since the
materials used may be different, the coefficients of
expansion may likewise be different. The use of mechanical
fasteners or adhesive can, over time, build up fatigue and
stress since relative movement between the various materials
may be prohibited by such use. This snap fit installation
removes this problem since relative movement between the
different materials is allowed.
Reference is now made to the locking mechanism
generally illustrated at 300 in Figure 10A. The locking
mechanism 300 consists of four(4) principal apparatuses,
namely the longitudinal latch 301, the rotating knob handle
302 which moves the longitudinal latch 301 vertically into
and out of engagement with the sill (not shown), the lock
disabling member 303 and the key lock 304 (Figure lOC) which
is disabled by the disabling member 303.
The key lock 304 and the disabling member 303 are
best seen in an isometric view in Figures 12A-12E. The key
lock 304 has a flat 310 (Figure 12A) which matches a
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corresponding flat 311 in the door handle 312 (Figure lOB)
which maintains the circumference of the key lock 304 is a
stationary position within the door handle 312. The key
lock 304 rotates within the circumference and has a keyway
313 (Figure 12A) which is rotated by the insertion of a key
(not illustrated).
The keyway 313 is connected to a shaft 314 (Figure
lOC) which rotates with keyway 313. Shaft 314 extends from
the keyway 313 to a position within a circumference 320
(Figure 12C) of disabling member 303 but the end of which is
positioned a distance from the end 321 of the internal
circumferential cavity 320 so as to allow for movement of
the disabling member 303 relative to the shaft 314 as will
be explained. An L-shaped collar 322 is mounted on a flat
of shaft 314. The flat (not illustrated) dictates that the
collar 322 moves circumferentially with the keyway 313 when
the keyway 313 is rotated,but which flat also allows the
collar 322 to move longitudinally relative to shaft 314. A
spring 323 is mounted between a nut 324 mounted on the end
of the keylock 304 and the collar 322 which spring 323
provides compression force on the collar 322 and maintains
it in contact with the disabling member 303.
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The rotating handle 302 is connected to
longitudinal latch 301 by a pin 330 (Figure lOB) which
extends through the longitudinal latch 301, which rotates
with handle 302 and which moves within a complementary and
horizontally extending slot (not illustrated) in
longitudinal latch 301. Thus, as the rotating handle 302 is
rotated, pin 330 acts on longitudinal latch 301 to lift the
latch 301 out of engagement with the bottom sill (not
illustrated) within which the panel 331 moves and which
extends the latch 301 into engagement with the sill. The
rotating handle 302 also includes an attached and protruding
longitudinal member 332 which is easily grasped by the
fingers of a user and which allows easy rotation when so
grasped from either side of the door or panel 331.
The disabling member 303 is conveniently made from
aluminum. It is mounted within a corresponding recess 333
in door 331 (Figure 10C),and has a series of ribs 341 which
allow good traction and contact between the finger or thumb
of a user and the disabling member 303. Disabling member
303 is maintained in contact with the L-shaped collar 322 by
the compressive force of spring 323. The disabling member
303 is maintained within its recess 333 by two lands 334,
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335 which each are complementary to a land 340 on the
disabling,member 303.
In operation, it will first be assumed that the
locking mechanism 300 is in the unlocked position as is
illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 13A with the L-shaped
.collar 322 generally extending horizontally from the shaft
314. In such a position, the longitudinal latch 301 will be
readily moved by rotating knob member 302 to engage or
disengage with the sill since the L-shaped collar 322 will
offer no interference to such movement of the longitudinal
latch 301.
If the user now desires to lock the door 331 so
that movement in the sill is prohibited, a key (not shown)
will be inserted in the keyway 313 (Figure 12A) on the
outside of the door 331 and.the keyway 313 is then rotated.
Such rotation will rotate,L-shaped collar 322 downwardly
through ninety degrees until the L-shaped collar 322 assumes
the position shown in Figure 13B. In this position, as seen
in Figure lOC, if the knob 302 is rotated from either side
of the door 331, the longitudinal latch 301 will be unable
to move upwardly out of engagement with the sill because of
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contact being made between the top of latch 301 and the L-
shaped collar 322.
Safety and statutory provisions dictate that the
door 331 must be configured so as to open from the inside in
the event of fire or other adverse event within the
structure where the door 331 is located. If the user
desires to open the door 331 from the inside, pressure will
be applied inwardly on disabling member 303 (Figure 11B) by
contact between the fingers of a user and the ribs 341 of
the disabling member 303. Such contact and inwardly
directed force on the disabling member 303 will move the
disabling member 303 rightwardly against the force of spring
323 and will likewise move the L-shaped collar 322
rightwardly against the spring force of spring 323.
The land 335 on disabling member 303 will move
into contact with land 334 of the door handle 312 and remain
in an inwardly located configuration as best seen in Figure
11B. In this configuration, the L-shaped collar 322 is
located rightwardly of the longitudinal latch 301 and offers
no resistance or interference to vertical movement of the
latch 301 when the rotating handle 302 is rotated to unlock
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the longitudinal latch 301 and remove it from the sill so as
to allow the panel or door 331 to slide or move relative to
the sill. Thus, the door 301 may be unlocked from inside
the structure without the necessity of rotating the keyway
313.
To reinstate the locked position, the disabling
member 303 is moved downwardly with reference to Figure 11B.
The longitudinal latch 301 is moved downwardly into its
locked position by the rotation of handle 302 and the force
from spring 323 will move the disabling member 303 back into
its initial position as best seen in Figure 10C. The L-
shaped collar 322 will similarly move leftwardly. In such a
position, it will offer interference to any movement of the
longitudinal latch 301. Thus, the door 331 will be returned
to its locked condition.
Thus, it will be seen that the locking mechanism
300 may be locked or unlocked by a simple rotation of the
key lock 304 together with the L-shaped collar 322. More
specifically, the longitudinal latch 301 is not connected to
the L-shaped collar 322 so that the locking and unlocking
actions move a minimal number and mass of mechanisms. This
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reduces the unlocking force required and electrical locking
and unlocking would be quite convenient with a small
solenoid used to rotate the key lock 304 and L-shaped collar
322. And a remote locking transmitter (not illustrated)
could also convenient be used to wirelessly command the
solenoid to rotate and unlock the door.
Many modifications will readily occur to those
skilled in the art to which the invention relates. For
example, the disabling member 303 while being disclosed as
being of a resilient material offering good contact with the
fingers of a user, could take various configurations and
conditions to provide the rightwardly directed movement on
the L-shaped collar 322 which will move the collar 332 out
of its interference position with the longitudinal latch
Z5 301.
In addition, while the sill 207 and sill guides
246 have been disclosed as being flush with the finished
structure surface within which the shoe 215 and sill 207 is
positioned, particularly in association with sliding panels
or doors as described, it is further contemplated that these
teachings would be equally applicable with swinging and
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folding doors or panels as well.
Many further modifications will readily occur to
those skilled in the art to which the invention relates and
the particular embodiments herein described should be taken
as illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting
its scope as defined in accordance with the accompanying
claims.
