Patent Application
20080295410
1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates generally to sealing systems for use with panels, such as a door or a window, within a frame and, more specifically, to a combination acoustic/thermal break and framing system for a panel and frame of a door/window system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Certain types of panels, such as doors and windows, are positioned within openings of a wall and/or other structures using a frame. These panels may also open and close by pivoting relative to the frame. Alternatively, the one or more panel may slide relative to the frame. An issue associated with these types of panels is the integrity of the seals between the panels and the frame. In many instances, these seals are an insufficient barrier in preventing the transfer of such environmental elements as noise, weather, water, and insects from one side of the panel to the other side of the panel.
Attempts have been made to address these issues by using various types of weather stripping between the panels and frame. For example, the weather stripping may be strip of felt, foam, or a pile of flexible synthetic material. In many instances, however, this weather stripping fails to act as a sufficient seal between the panels and frame. Another issue prevalent associated with the seals between a frame and panel or between adjacent panels is that these seals can become disjoined. Either intentionally or unintentionally, the alignment between the frame and panel or between adjacent panels may be disturbed which can degrade the quality of the seal, since, in many instances, the integrity of the seal relies upon these members having certain positional relationships relative to one another.
Another issue associated with the movement of one or more panels relative to the frame is structural integrity and/or security of the panels relative to the frame. While in certain circumstances, allowing the panel to move relative to the frame is desirable, in other circumstances, not allowing the panel to move relative to the frame is desirable for the purpose of preventing undesired access through the panel. Means for providing these separate functionalities, however, can be incompatible with one another, and the means employed to provide both functions often involve tradeoffs that reduce the effectiveness of both functions. There is, therefore, also a need for a framing system to provide structural support for sealing system used to allow both a panel to move relative to the frame and also to selectively prevent movement of the panel relative to the frame.
Embodiments of the invention address deficiencies of the art with respect to effectively creating a frame and thermal/acoustic break within a panel and/or a frame. In this regard, a framing system for use with the panel and/or the frame of a door/window system includes inner and outer portions, inner and outer extensions, and an insert. The inner portion is connected to an inside face of the panel and/or the frame. The outer portion is connected to an outside face of the panel and/or frame. The inner extension extends from the inner portion towards the outer portion, and the outer extension extends from the outer portion towards the inner portion. The insert is formed from an insulating material and is positioned between and connects the inner portion to the outer portion.
In certain aspects of the framing system, Both the inner extension and the outer extension are combs having inter-engaging teeth. The inner portions of the teeth define a channel into which the insert is positioned. At least one of the inner and outer extensions is attachable, respectively, to the inner and outer portions, and least one of the inner and outer extensions is fixed, respectively, to the inner and outer portions.
The insert prevents movement of the inner extension relative to the outer extension in at least one direction. Alternatively, the insert prevents movement of the inner extension relative to the outer extension in one or two different sets of two directions being opposite from one another. In certain aspects, the inner extension and the outer extension do not directly contact each other, yet in other aspects, inner extension and the outer extension directly contact each other.
Additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The aspects of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The embodiments illustrated herein are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein:
The door/window system 100 is not limited in the manner in which the panel 110 moves relative to the frame 120. For example, the panel 110 may linearly slide relative to the frame 120. In certain aspects of the door/window system 100, however, the panel 110 pivots relative to the frame 120 about a hinge 190. Many types of hinges 190 are capable of allowing the panel 110 to pivot relative to the frame 120, and any hinge 190 so capable is acceptable for use with the present door/window system 100.
The frame 120 may include a header 130, jambs 140, and a sill 150. A header 130 is a structural member that spans an upper portion of the window/door opening. Jambs 140 are the outermost vertical side members of the frame 120. A sill 150 is a threshold or structural member that spans a lower most portion of the window/door opening. As recognized by those skilled in the art, different terms may also be associated with the above-structure identified as the header 130, jambs 140, and sill 150.
Each panel 110 may include a sash 160 that surrounds a pane 170. The pane 170 is not limited as to a particular material. For example, the pane 170 may be translucent, such as glass or plastic, opaque, such as with wood or metal, or any combination thereof. The sash may include a header rail 175, jamb or stile rails 180, and a sill rail 185. As recognized by those skilled in the art, different terms may also be associated with the structure identified as the header rail 175, the jamb or stile rail 180, and sill rail 185.
The sealing system 200 (see
Additionally, although the present door/window system 100 is described herein with particular types of sealing systems 200 being positioned in particular locations, the door/window system 100 is not limited as to a particular type of sealing system 200 or a particular location of the sealing system 200. For example, a sealing system 200 may be positioned within the frame 120 and/or the sash 160.
To prevent the forced opening of the panel 110, the sealing systems 200 are not limited as to a percentage of coverage between particular members of the frame 120 and/or panel 110. For example, the sealing systems 200 may only cover a fractional number (e.g., 10%, 50%, 85%) of the length between particular members of the frame 120 and/or panel 110. However, in certain aspects, the sealing systems 200 provide substantially complete coverage between the sash 160 of a panel 110 and the frame 120. In so doing, the combined sealing systems 200 can provide a seal substantially, completely around the panel 110.
Referring to
Although many different profiles are capable of preventing movement of the panel 110 past a particular position, in certain aspects of the sealing system 200, the mating profiles 125, 165 respectively include surfaces 260, 270 and 265, 275 that are at an angle that is not tangent to an arc created by the rotation of the panel 110. As illustrated in
Although the sealing system 200 is not limited in this manner, the one or more matched pairs of angled surfaces 260/265, 270/275 may include seals on one or both surfaces. However, in certain aspects of the sealing system 200, the seals (hereinafter referred to as 260, 270) are located on the frame mating profile 125 of the frame 120.
The seals 260, 270 act to retard the movement of air, water, etc. and/or noise across the seals 260, 270 and any seal so capable is acceptable for use in the sealing system 200. However, in certain aspects of the sealing system 200, the seals 260, 270 are formed from a compressible material, such as foam and include T-shaped bases, which fit into T-shaped channels in the frame mating profile 125. As the panel 110 moves from the open position to the closed position, the angled surfaces 265, 275 of the sash 160 engage and compress the seals 260, 270.
Upon the panel 110 being disposed in the closed position (e.g.,
The active seal 205 can perform one or more of at least two functions, which may be performed separately or together. One of these functions is to create a seal between the movable member 210 and the opposing face 255. The other of the two functions is enhance and/or engage passive seals located between other portions of the frame 120 and sash 160. Unlike the active seal 205, which has both a completely unlocked/disengaged configuration and a locked/engaged configuration while the panel 110 is in a single position relative to the frame 120 (e.g.,
Referring to the first function, the movable member and/or opposing face 255 may include seals on one or both surfaces. However, in certain aspects of the active seal 205, the seal (hereinafter referred to as gate seal 250) is located on the movable member (hereinafter referred to as seal gate 210). Similar to the previously described seals 260, 270, the gate seal 250 can be any type of seal capable of acting to retard the movement of air, water, etc. and/or noise across the gate seal 250.
Referring to the second function, the gate seal 250 presses against the opposing face 255, and in so doing, causes one or more other seals (for example, seals 260, 270) to engage or further engage. For example, as the gate seal 250 presses against the opposing face 255, the generated force includes a component in a direction parallel that causes the sash 160 and panel 110 to moved into the closed position relative to the frame 120, thereby compressing the seals 260, 270. Alternatively, this generated force may drive a portion of either the sash 160 or frame 120 into the seals 260, 270, thereby engaging or further engaging the seals 260, 270.
The active seal 205 is not limited in the manner by which the gate seal 250 engages the opposing face 255. For example, the seal gate 210 may operate as a linearly-traveling piston. However, in certain aspects of the active seal 205, the seal gate 210 pivots about a seal pivot 220. The manner in which the seal gate 260 itself is driven in not limited. For example, the seal gate 210 may be directly driven, for example, at the seal pivot 220. Alternatively, in certain aspects of the active seal, the seal gate 210 is driven using a drive gate 230 that causes the seal gate 210 to rotate about the seal pivot 220.
Although not limited in this manner, the drive gate 230 pivots about a drive pivot 240 and is itself driven by a drive system 300 (see discussion with regard to
In certain aspects of the sealing system 200, the active seal 205 is positioned either between two other seals 260, 270 and/or positioned behind one seal 270 relative to an outside portion of the door/window system 100. Since the active seal 205 includes at least one movable member 250, the active seal 205 may be more susceptible to environmental effects, such as water and/or excessive heat/cold. By positioning the active seal 205 between two other seals 260, 270 and/or positioning the active seal 205 behind one seal 270 relative to an outside portion of the door/window system 100, the one or more seals 260, 270 can reduce the impact of these adverse environmental effects on the active seal 205.
Referring to
How the drive system 300 moves the sealing system 200 from the unlocked configuration to the locked configuration (and back again) is not limited as to a particular manner and/or device. As can be readily envisioned, the configuration and operation of the drive system 300 may be determined by the configuration and operation of the sealing systems 200. Although the illustrated drive system 300 is shown as being driven with a manual device, other devices capable of driving a sealing system 200 are commonly known, such as a magnetic, mechanical, and electromechanical devices.
As previously described, the present sealing system 200 operates using a drive gate 230, which urges a seal gate 210 against an opposing face 255 to form a seal between the frame 120 and sash 160. Any drive system 300 capable of driving the drive gate 230 in this manner is acceptable for use with the present door/window system 100. In a present aspect of the door/window system 100, the drive system 300 employs a knob 310, which rotates a threaded shaft 330 about a bearing 320. A thread gear 340 is positioned about the threaded shaft 330, and rotation of the threaded shaft 330 moves the thread gear 340 up or down relative to the threaded shaft 330. The thread gear 340 is attached to the drive gate 230 about a gear pivot 350.
Referring to
The opposite movement of the thread gear 340 from a higher position to a lower position on the threaded shaft 340 rotates the drive gate 230 in an opposite direction about the drive pivot 240. Many techniques or devices can be used to return the seal gate 210 to its fully unlocked position (i.e.,
Referring to
Many types of transfer systems are capable of transferring motion from one drive element 280A to another drive element 280B, and the door/window system 100 is not limited as to transfer system 290 so capable. For example, as illustrated, the transfer system 290 may include a set of inter-engaging gears respectively attached to the drive elements 280A, 280B to transfer rotation from one drive element 280A to the other drive element 280B.
Referring to
In additional aspects, the framing system 400 also functions to provide a thermal and/or acoustical break between an outer portion 470 of the framing system 400 and an inner portion 460 of the framing system 400. Although not limited in this manner, the framing system 400 and certain portions of the sealing system 200 may be formed from a metal, such as aluminum. These types of materials readily conduct heat and/or transmit sound. Therefore, it is advantageous to “break” the thermal and/or acoustical connection from an outer portion 470 to an inner portion 460 to respectively reduce the transmission of heat/cold and noise across the framing system 400.
Many types of framing systems 400 are capable of reducing the transmission of heat/cold and noise across the framing system 400, and the door/window system 100 is not limited as to a particular framing system 400 so capable. However, in certain aspects of the framing system 400, the framing system 400 includes a pair of combs 410, 420, which are respectively attached to the outer and inner portions 470, 460 of the framing system 400.
Each of the combs 410, 420 includes multiple teeth 480 having a first side 485, a second side 490, and a gap 495 between the first side 485 and the second side 490. The teeth 480 of the combs 410, 420 loosely inter-engage with one another to form a channel 440, which is comprised of portions of the gaps 495 of the teeth 480 of both the first comb 410 and the second comb 410. The tightness or looseness of the fit between the inter-engaged combs 410, 420 is not limited as to a particular clearance. However, preventing any contact between the combs 410, 420 increases the effectiveness of the thermal and/or acoustical break. Conversely, close contact between the combs 410, 420 may increase the structural integrity of the framing system 400.
An insert 430 is position within the channel 440 formed by the inter-engaging of the combs 410, 420. The insert 430 acts as the thermal and/or acoustical break between the combs 410, 420 and, thus, the outer and inner portions 470, 460 of the framing system 400. The insert 430 may also provide structural support to prevent the combs 410, 420 from being pushed together and/or pulled apart. Thus, the material from which the insert 430 is formed may vary depending upon the desired combination of functionality of the framing system 400. For example, if minimal structural support is required, then a material, such as large-celled solid foam having low thermal and/or acoustical transmissive properties may be selected for the insert 430. Alternatively, if greater structural support is required, a more solid material, such a high-density plastic, may be selected for the insert 430. Many materials have these combinations of desired characteristics, and the present framing system 400 is not limited to a material of the insert 430 so capable.
One or both of the combs 410, 420 may be attachable to or integral with the outer and inner portions 470, 460 of the framing system 400. In certain aspects of the framing system 400, however, one of the combs 410 is integrally formed with one portion 470 of the framing system 400, and the other of the combs 420 is attachable to the other portion 460 of the framing system 400 to aid in the assembly of the framing system 400. Although not limited in this manner, the comb 420 is attachable to the framing system 400 using barbed hooks 450.
Referring to
