Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02868499 2014-10-22
DOOR SILL ASSEMBLY, DOOR SILL AND KIT THEREFOR
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates generally door frames and in
particular,
to a door sill assembly, door sill and kit therefor.
Background of the Invention
[0002] In the field of door framing, improved door frame designs are
continually being developed to provide better resistance to weather elements,
such as
wind and rain. At the same time, new regulatory standards that require door
frames to
have increased resistance to water penetration are continually being
introduced. As
water penetration is typically greatest at the bottom of the door frame,
improvements
to the design of the door sill assembly are often critical to increasing the
overall
weather resistance of the door frame.
[0003] Door sill assemblies have been previously described. For example,
Canadian Patent No. 2,775,167 to Gilbert et al. discloses a door sill assembly
that
comprises a sill threshold defining an upper step portion and a lower step
portion. A
sweep is connected to a bottom of a door slab of a door, the sweep comprising
deflectors projecting downwardly from the door slab. An outermost deflector is
vertically aligned with and spaced apart from the lower step portion when the
door is
closed to form a pressure-equalized zone open to the exterior. A second
deflector is
vertically aligned and in contact with the upper step portion when the door is
closed.
A seal is positioned interiorly relative to the deflectors and is vertically
aligned with
the upper step portion to form a sealed zone with the second one of the
deflectors and
the upper portion when the door is closed.
100041 U.S. Patent No. 8,448,384 to Wernlund et al. discloses a doorway
with
a sill attachment that increases a sill DP rating that includes spaced
vertical jambs, a
head jamb, and a sill that together form a door frame. The sill is a
substantially
hollow contain-and-drain type sill, with nosing provided with drainage
openings. A
hollow sill attachment is mounted to and extends along the nosing, and
projects
downwardly to a position below the drainage openings in the nosing of the
sill. The
drainage openings communicate with the interior. Weep holes that communicate
with
the environment are located in the sill attachment at a position below the
drainage
openings in the nosing of the sill. The attachment increases the column height
of
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water that can be accommodated by the sill before leakage occurs, and thus
enhances
the DP rating of the sill.
[0005] Improvements are generally desired. It is therefore an object to
provide a novel door sill assembly, door sill and kit therefor.
Summary of the Invention
[0006] In one aspect, there is provided a door sill assembly, comprising:
a
door sill comprising: a sill crown comprising an upper longitudinal ridge, a
drain
trough interior of the longitudinal ridge having one or more upper drain
apertures
defined therein, and an internal, inclined drainage surface defining a
drainage channel
in fluid communication with the one or more upper drain apertures and one or
more
lower drain apertures defined in an exterior surface of the longitudinal
ridge, a sill
tread defining a stepping surface, and a sill support at least partially
supporting the sill
crown and the sill tread, each of the sill crown, the sill tread, and the sill
support being
separately formed.
[0007] The door sill assembly may further comprise a door sweep
configured
to be fitted to the bottom of a door. The door sweep may comprise a
longitudinal seal
configured to engage the longitudinal ridge for providing a fluid barrier. The
door
sweep may further comprise a longitudinal deflector configured to engage the
longitudinal ridge exterior of the longitudinal seal for providing an
additional fluid
barrier. The longitudinal deflector may be moveable and configured to be
rotated
downwardly into engagement with the longitudinal ridge when the longitudinal
seal is
brought into engagement with the longitudinal ridge. The door sweep may
further
comprise an additional longitudinal seal configured to engage the sill crown
interior
of the drain trough for providing an additional fluid barrier. The door sweep
may
further comprise one or more downwardly depending flaps configured to engage
the
sill crown for each providing an additional fluid barrier. At least one of the
downwardly depending flaps may engage the drain trough interior of the one or
more
upper apertures. The door sweep may comprise an interior longitudinal flap
configured to abut an interior-facing surface of the sill crown for providing
an
additional fluid barrier.
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[0008] The door sill may further comprise a transverse seal at each
longitudinal end of the door sill for providing a fluid barrier. The each
transverse seal
may be a gasket fabricated of a resilient material.
[0009] The sill tread may be formed of extruded aluminum alloy. The sill
crown may be formed of extruded polymer. The door sweep may be formed by
coextrusion of a first polymer and a second polymer, the second polymer having
a
lower hardness than the first polymer, the longitudinal seal being formed of
the
second polymer.
[00010] The sill support may comprise a machined board. The sill support
may
be formed of wood, a wood/plastic composite, or a plastic composite.
[00011] In another aspect there is provided a door sill comprising: a sill
crown
comprising an upper longitudinal ridge, a drain trough interior of the
longitudinal
ridge having one or more upper drain apertures defined therein, and an
internal,
inclined drainage surface defining a drainage channel in fluid communication
with the
one or more upper drain apertures and one or more lower drain apertures
defined in an
exterior surface of the longitudinal ridge; a sill tread defining a stepping
surface; and a
sill support at least partially supporting the sill crown and the sill tread,
each of the sill
crown, the sill tread, and the sill support being separately formed.
1000121 In another aspect, there is provided a kit for assembling a door
sill,
the kit comprising: a sill crown comprising an upper longitudinal ridge, a
drain trough
interior of the longitudinal ridge having one or more upper drain apertures
defined
therein, and an internal, inclined drainage surface defining a drainage
channel in fluid
communication with the one or more upper drain apertures and one or more lower
drain apertures defined in an exterior surface of the longitudinal ridge; a
sill tread
defining a stepping surface; and a sill support configured to at least
partially
supporting the sill crown and the sill tread when the sill crown, the sill
tread and the
sill support are connected to each other, each of the sill crown, the sill
tread, and the
sill support being separately formed.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
[00013] Embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
[00014] Figure 1 is a schematic, perspective view of an assembled door
frame
comprising a door sill assembly;
[00015] Figure 2 is an elevational side view of the door sill assembly of
Figure
1, showing a portion of a door in a closed position;
[00016] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a door sill forming part of the
door
sill assembly of Figure 2;
[00017] Figure 4 is an elevational side view of the door sill of Figure 3;
[00018] Figure 5 is a top plan view of the door sill of Figure 3;
[00019] Figure 6 is an elevational side view of a door sweep forming part
of the
door sill assembly of Figure 2;
[00020] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the
assembled
door frame of Figure 1;
[00021] Figure 8 is an elevational side view of the door sill of Figure 3,
showing a first sill tread extension and a second sill tread extension
connected thereto;
[00022] Figures 9A and 9B are elevational side views of other embodiments
of
first sill tread extensions; and
[00023] Figure 10 is an elevational side view of another embodiment of a
second sill tread extension.
Detailed Description of the Embodiments
[00024] Turning now to Figure 1, an assembled door frame of an exterior
doorway of a building is shown and is generally indicated by reference numeral
20.
The door frame 20 comprises two (2) door jamb portions 22, a lintel portion 24
connected to upper ends of the door jamb portions 22, and a door sill assembly
26
installed at the lower end of the door frame 20. A door 28 having an interior
swing is
rotatably connected to onc of the door jamb portions 22 by hinges (not shown),
and
operably engages the door frame 20 for providing a closed position of the
door, as
shown in Figure 1.
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1000251 The door sill assembly 26 may be better seen in Figures 2 to 7.
Door
sill assembly 26 comprises a longitudinal door sill 30 that is configured to
be
connected to the lower ends of the door jamb portions 22. The door sill 30 has
a
generally composite construction, and comprises a sill tread 32, a sill crown
34, and a
sill support 36, all of which are separately-formed parts that are configured
to be
connected to each other during assembly of the door sill 30. The door sill 26
is
configured to be supported by an underlying support surface (not shown), such
as for
example a concrete slab.
[00026] The sill tread 32 is formed by extrusion and has a generally
longitudinal shape, and in this embodiment the sill tread 32 is formed of
extruded
aluminum alloy. The sill tread 32 has an inclined stepping surface 42, which
in the
embodiment shown has a plurality of longitudinal ridges 44 extending the
length
thereof for providing grip. Extending from an underside of the stepping
surface 42 is
a curved, longitudinal flange 46 configured to be supported by an upper
surface of the
sill support 36. The sill tread 32 also comprises a longitudinal bead 48
which,
together with the longitudinal flange 46, define a longitudinal channel 49 for
connection to the sill crown 34. The sill tread 32 also comprises a downwardly-
extending longitudinal rib 50 having a pair of inwardly extending longitudinal
flanges, namely an upper longitudinal flange 52 and a lower longitudinal
flange 54,
for connection to the sill support 36, and for being supported by the
underlying
support surface. The sill tread 32 further comprises an upper front
longitudinal bead
56 defining a longitudinal exterior channel 57 and a lower front longitudinal
flange 58
defining a longitudinal exterior channel 59.
[00027] The sill crown 34 is formed by extrusion and has a generally
longitudinal shape. The sill crown 34 is configured to be connected to the
sill tread
32, such that the sill tread 32 and the sill crown 34 together define an outer
surface of
the door sill 30. In this embodiment, the sill crown 34 is formed of extruded
polyvinyl carbonate (PVC) having an ultraviolet (UV) light stabilizing
additive
combined therewith for increasing resistance of the sill crown 34 to
degradation by
UV light. The sill crown 34 has an upper longitudinal ridge 60 that extends
the length
thereof. The longitudinal ridge 60 comprises an upwardly extending
longitudinal rib
62, a inclined longitudinal surface 64 that slopes downwardly and exteriorly
from the
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upper edge of the longitudinal rib 62, and a generally vertical face 66 that
extends
downwardly from the inclined longitudinal surface 64. For clarity, the
interior and
exterior are indicated in Figure 2. The vertical face 66 has a plurality of
lower drain
apertures 67 defined therein. In this embodiment, the lower drain apertures 67
are
arranged as a single row, as may be seen in Figure 3. At the base of the
vertical face
66 is a longitudinal connector flange 68 configured to engage the longitudinal
channel
49, for connecting the sill tread 32 to the sill crown 34.
1000281 The sill crown 34 also comprises a longitudinal trough 71
positioned
interiorly adjacent of the longitudinal ridge 60. The longitudinal trough 71
has a
longitudinal trough floor 74 that has a plurality of upper drain apertures 75
defined
therein. In this embodiment, the trough floor 74 is inclined. Also in this
embodiment,
the upper drain apertures 75 are arranged as a single row, as may be seen in
Figure 5.
1000291 The sill crown 34 further comprises an internal, inclined
longitudinal
surface 76 beneath the longitudinal ridge 60 and the longitudinal trough 71,
and
extending the length of the sill crown 34. The inclined longitudinal surface
76
provides an internal drainage channel between the upper drain apertures 75 and
the
lower drain apertures 67. Interior of the inclined longitudinal surface 76,
the sill
crown 34 comprises a longitudinal support surface 78 configured to be
supported by
the upper surface of the sill support 36. The sill crown 34 also comprises a
downwardly-extending longitudinal rib 82 having an inwardly extending
longitudinal
flange 84 for connection to the sill support 36, and to be supported by the
underlying
support surface.
1000301 The sill support 36 has a generally longitudinal shape and is
formed by
machining a slab of material, and in this embodiment the sill support 36 is
formed of
machined wood. The sill support 36 comprises a planar upper surface for
supporting
the longitudinal flange 46 of the sill tread 32 and the longitudinal support
surface 78
of the sill crown 34. An underside of the sill support 36 comprises a first
longitudinal
groove 85 configured to receive the longitudinal flange 54 of the sill tread
32, and a
second longitudinal groove 87 configured to receive the longitudinal flange 84
of the
sill crown 34. The underside of the sill support 36 is configured to be
supported by
the underlying support surface
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[00031] The door sill assembly 26 also comprises an "active" door sweep 88
that is configured to be fastened to the underside of the door 28, and that is
configured
to cooperate with the door sill 30. The door sweep 88 is formed by extrusion
and has
a generally longitudinal shape. In this embodiment, the door sweep 88 is
formed of
extruded PVC having a UV light stabilizing additive combined therewith for
increasing resistance of the door sweep 88 to degradation by UV light. Door
sweep
88 comprises a rigid base 89 having two (2) upwardly extending barbed members
90.
Each barbed member 90 is configured to engage a respective groove defined in
the
underside of the door 28, for fastening the door sweep 88 to the door 28. The
door
sweep 88 also has a longitudinal member 91 depending therefrom that extends
the
length of the door sweep 88, and which comprises a first longitudinal seal 92
in the
form of a longitudinal tube and a longitudinal deflector 94. The first
longitudinal seal
92 is configured to engage the longitudinal ridge 60 of the sill crown 34 for
forming a
fluid barrier, and the longitudinal deflector 94 is sized and positioned to
engage the
inclined longitudinal surface 64 exteriorly adjacent the first longitudinal
seal 92 for
shielding the longitudinal seal 92 from fluid, during use. The door sweep 88
also
comprises a plurality of flexible, downwardly depending longitudinal flaps 96
that are
configured to contact the trough floor 74 of the sill crown 34, during use.
The door
sweep 88 further comprises a second longitudinal seal 98 in the form of a
longitudinal
tube that is configured to engage an upper surface of the sill crown 34
interior of the
longitudinal trough 71, during use, and an interior longitudinal flap 99 that
is
configured to abut an interior-facing surface of the sill crown 34, during
use.
1000321 The longitudinal member 91, first longitudinal seal 92, the
longitudinal
deflector 94, the longitudinal flaps 96, the second longitudinal seal 98, and
the interior
longitudinal flap 99 are all fabricated of low-hardness PVC and are formed by
coextrusion during extrusion of the door sweep 88. As will be understood, the
low-
hardness PVC allows each of the longitudinal member 91, the first longitudinal
seal
92, the longitudinal deflector 94, the longitudinal flaps 96, the second
longitudinal
seal 98, and the interior longitudinal flap 99 to be flexible, which enables
these
features to better provide a barrier to fluid, such as water (e.g. rain,
melted snow, etc.)
and/or air (e.g. wind). In this embodiment, the durometer of the low-hardness
PVC
has a value of fifty-five (55).
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1000331 During assembly of the door frame 20, an assembled door sill 30 is
connected to the door jamb portions 22 by placing a gasket 100 into a
respective
cutout formed at the bottom end of each door jamb portion 22, one of which may
be
seen in Figure 7, and by inserting each end of the assembled door sill 30 into
the
cutout and against the gasket 100. Each gasket 100 is fabricated of a
resilient
material, and is configured to provide a fluid barrier between the assembled
door sill
30 and the door jamb portion 22. The assembled door sill 30 is fastened to
each door
jamb portion 22 by inserting fasteners (not shown) through the door jamb 22
and the
gasket 100 and into the sill support 36, and in this embodiment the fasteners
are
screws. The door sweep 88 may then be fitted onto the bottom of the door 28 to
complete the installation of the door sill assembly 26 in the door frame 20.
[00034] In use, the door sill assembly 26 prevents or generally limits
fluid, such
as water and/or air, from passing therethrough into the interior of the
building when
the door 28 is in the closed position. Specifically, when the door 28 is swung
into the
closed position, the first longitudinal seal 92 engages the longitudinal ridge
60 of the
sill crown 34, and in response, the longitudinal member 91 "actively" flexes
in a
direction towards the interior, causing the longitudinal deflector 94 to move
downwardly into a generally vertical orientation and engage the inclined
longitudinal
surface 64, and causing the first longitudinal seal 92 to flexibly conform to
the
longitudinal ridge 60. Additionally, when the door 28 is in the closed
position, the
longitudinal flaps 96 engage the trough floor 74, the second longitudinal seal
98
flexibly conforms to an upper surface of the sill crown 34, and the interior
longitudinal flap 99 abuts an interior-facing surface of the sill crown 34, as
shown in
Figure 2.
1000351 As will be understood, when the door 28 is in the closed position,
the
longitudinal deflector 94 and the longitudinal ridge 60 cooperate to provide
an
exterior fluid barrier. Water flowing down the exterior side of the door 28
either drips
directly onto the inclined longitudinal surface 64, or is directed by the
longitudinal
deflector 94 onto the inclined longitudinal surface 64, after which it flows
down the
inclined longitudinal surface 64 and onto the inclined stepping surface 42 of
the sill
tread 32. The first longitudinal seal 92 and the longitudinal ridge 60 provide
another
fluid barrier interior of the longitudinal deflector 94. Any fluid that does
pass
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between the first longitudinal seal 92 and the longitudinal ridge 60 is
directed
downward into the trough 71 by the longitudinal flaps 96. Any water that
accumulates in the trough 71 enters the upper drain apertures 75, and flows
down the
inclined longitudinal surface 76 and out of the lower drain apertures 67,
after which it
flows down the inclined stepping surface 42 of the sill tread 32. The second
longitudinal seal 98 conforming to the upper surface of the sill crown 34
provides still
another fluid barrier interior of the trough 71, and the interior longitudinal
flap 99
abutting the interior-facing surface of the sill crown 34 provides still yet
another fluid
barrier interior of the second longitudinal seal 98. As a result, the door
sill assembly
26 prevents or generally limits fluid, such as water and/or air, from passing
therethrough into the interior of the building when the door 28 is in the
closed
position.
[00036] As will be appreciated, the sill tread 32, the sill crown 34, and
the sill
support 36 and the door sweep 88 may all advantageously be manufactured using
known manufacturing techniques.
[00037] Other configurations of the door sill are possible. For example,
the sill
tread 32 may be extended by connecting one or more sill tread extensions
thereto. For
example, Figure 8 shows the door sill 30 of Figure 1, with a first sill tread
extension
102 connected to the sill tread 32, and a second sill tread extension 104
connected to
the first sill tread extension 102. The first sill tread extension 102 has an
inclined
stepping surface and comprises a longitudinal connector flange 106 configured
to
engage the longitudinal exterior channel 57 of the sill tread 32, and a
longitudinal clip
member 108 configured to engage the lower front longitudinal flange 58 and the
longitudinal exterior channel 59 of the sill tread 32. The first sill tread
extension 102
also comprises an upper front longitudinal bead 110 defining a longitudinal
exterior
channel 111 and a lower front longitudinal flange 112 defining a longitudinal
exterior
channel 113. The second sill tread extension 104 has an inclined stepping
surface and
comprises a longitudinal connector flange 114 configured to engage the
longitudinal
exterior channel 111 of the first sill tread extension 102, and a longitudinal
clip
member 116 configured to engage the lower front longitudinal flange 112 and
the
longitudinal exterior channel 113 of the first sill tread extension 102.
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[00038] Other sill tread extensions may be used. For example, Figure 9A
shows another embodiment of a first sill tread extension, which is generally
indicated
by reference numeral 202. First sill tread extension 202 is generally similar
to first
sill tread extension 102 described above, but has a lesser width. The first
sill tread
extension 202 has an inclined stepping surface and comprises a longitudinal
connector
flange 206 configured to engage the longitudinal exterior channel 57 of the
sill tread
32, and a longitudinal clip member 208 configured to engage the lower front
longitudinal flange 58 and the longitudinal exterior channel 59 of the sill
tread 32.
The first sill tread extension 202 also comprises an upper front longitudinal
bead 210
defining a longitudinal exterior channel 211 and a lower front longitudinal
flange 212
defining a longitudinal exterior channel 213, both of which are configured to
connect
to a second sill tread extension.
[00039] Figure 9B shows another embodiment of a first sill tread
extension,
which is generally indicated by reference numeral 302. First sill tread
extension 302
is generally similar to first sill tread extension 102 described above, but
has a lesser
width and is not configured to connect to a second sill tread extension. The
first sill
tread extension 302 has an inclined stepping surface and comprises a
longitudinal
connector flange 306 configured to engage the longitudinal exterior channel 57
of the
sill tread 32, and a longitudinal clip member 308 configured to engage the
lower front
longitudinal flange 58 and the longitudinal exterior channel 59 of the sill
tread 32.
1000401 Figure 10 shows another embodiment of a second sill tread
extension,
which is generally indicated by reference numeral 404. Second sill tread
extension
404 is generally similar to second sill tread extension 104 described above,
but has a
greater width. Second sill tread extension 404 has an inclined stepping
surface and
comprises a longitudinal connector flange 414 configured to engage a
longitudinal
exterior channel of a first sill tread extension, such as the longitudinal
exterior channel
111 of the first sill tread extension 102. The second sill tread extension 404
also
comprises a longitudinal clip member 416 configured to engage a lower front
longitudinal flange and a longitudinal exterior channel of a first sill tread
extension,
such as the lower front longitudinal flange 112 and the longitudinal exterior
channel
113 of the first sill tread extension 102.
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[00041] Still other configurations of the door sill are possible. For
example,
although in the embodiment described above, the durometer of the low-hardness
PVC
has a value of fifty-five (55), in other embodiments, the durometer of the low-
hardness PVC may alternatively have another suitable value.
[00042] Although in the embodiment described above, the longitudinal
member, the first longitudinal seal, the longitudinal deflector, the
longitudinal flaps,
the second longitudinal seal, and the interior longitudinal flap are formed by
coextrusion during extrusion of the door sweep, in other embodiments, one or
more of
the longitudinal member, the first longitudinal seal, the longitudinal
deflector, the
longitudinal flaps, the second longitudinal seal, and the interior
longitudinal flap may
alternatively be formed separately from the door sweep and fastened to the
door
sweep by a suitable method. For example, in one embodiment, the interior
longitudinal flap may alternatively be formed separately and fastened to the
door
sweep using one or more fasteners, such as for example, glue, staples, rivets,
and the
like, or by insertion into one or more apertures, such as a groove, a slot,
and the like.
[00043] Although in the embodiment described above, the sill tread is
formed
of extruded aluminum alloy, in other embodiments, the sill tread may
alternatively by
formed by extrusion of another suitable material, such as for example PVC or
another
extrudable polymer, extruded aluminum, or pulltruded fiberglass composite.
100044] Although in the embodiment described above, the sill crown and the
door sweep are foimed of extruded PVC, in other embodiments, one or both of
the sill
crown and the door sweep may alternatively be formed of another suitable
extrudable
polymer. In still other embodiments, one or both of the sill crown and the
door sweep
may alternatively be fabricated of extruded aluminum, extruded aluminum alloy,
or
pulltruded fiberglass composite.
1000451 Although in the embodiment described above, the sill support is
formed of machined wood, in other embodiments, the sill support may
alternatively
be formed by machining a slab of another suitable material, such as for
example,
plywood, medium-density fibreboard (MDF), particle board, PVC, foamed PVC, or
a
PVC composite material comprising one or more of wood, flour and rice. In
other
embodiments, the sill support may alternatively be formed by another method,
such as
for example by molding a suitable material (e.g. by injection molding of a
polymer),
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or by extrusion of a suitable material (e.g. by extrusion of an extrudable
polymer,
extruded aluminum, extruded aluminum alloy, or pulltruded fiberglass
composite). In
one example, a sill support formed by extrusion may have any of a hollow
configuration, a solid configuration, a generally "webbed" configuration, and
a
combination thereof.
[00046] It will be understood that the cross-sectional profiles of the
sill tread
and the sill crown are not limited to that of the embodiment described above,
and in
other embodiments, one or both of the sill tread and the sill crown may
alternatively
have a different cross-sectional profile. For example, the sill tread may
alternatively
have a different rib configuration than that shown.
[00047] Although in the embodiment described above, the sill crown, the
sill
tread, and the sill support each comprise features that extend the respective
length
thereof, in other embodiments, one or more of these features may alternatively
not
extend the respective length thereof
[00048] Although in the embodiment described above, the sill crown
comprises
a plurality of lower drain apertures, in other embodiments, the sill crown may
alternatively comprise only one lower drain aperture. Although in the
embodiment
described above, the sill crown comprises a plurality of upper drain
apertures, in other
embodiments, the sill crown may alternatively comprise only one upper drain
aperture.
1000491 The invention also contemplates a kit of parts which, when
assembled,
forms the door sill of the embodiment described above. The invention also
contemplates a kit of parts which, when assembled, forms the door sill
assembly of
the embodiment described above.
1000501 Although embodiments have been described above with reference to
the accompanying drawings, those of skill in the art will appreciate that
variations and
modifications may be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined
by
the appended claims.
