Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to sliding doors and windows, and more particularly an adjustable flush threshold for sliding doors and windows.
Conventional methods and apparatuses for moving windows, doors, and other elements in a frame may include sliding and or positioning an element in and along a track.
There is a need for sliding door systems that accommodate requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act for door thresholds.
Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide solutions to such need and/or other needs.
Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide an adjustable flush sill that is a bottom-supported sliding door threshold that allows for up and down adjustment of the threshold to assure a barrier-free traverse over the threshold even with deflection or settlement in a building structure. The threshold may allow for easy maintenance due to simple removal of a cover strip.
According to one or more embodiments, a sliding door or window system is provided. The sliding door or window system includes a track. The track includes: an outer housing; an inner housing within the outer housing; a guide body provided with the inner housing and configured to guide a sliding movement of a door or a window; and at least one adjustable body that is provided on the outer housing, at least partially within the inner housing, and fixed with respect to the inner housing in a vertical direction, the at least one adjustable body configured to change a height of the inner housing with respect to the outer housing by rotating, such as to change a height of the guide body.
According to an embodiment, the at least one adjustable body includes a threaded body and a body with a threaded hole in which the threaded body is provided.
According to an embodiment, each of the at least one adjustable body is a bolt.
According to an embodiment, the sliding door or window system further includes an intermediate connector that is configured to attach to the door or the window, and to slide on the guide body, wherein a height of the intermediate connector changes with a change of the height of the guide body, due to rotation of the at least one adjustable body.
According to an embodiment, the intermediate connector includes a groove that accommodates the guide body.
According to an embodiment, the inner housing includes at least one roller mechanism that is configured to slidably support the intermediate connector.
According to an embodiment, the inner housing includes at least one first accommodation space that accommodates the at least one adjustable body, and the at least one first accommodation space is at least partially defined by a protrusion that is configured to fix the at least one adjustable body with respect to the inner housing in the vertical direction.
According to an embodiment, the inner housing further includes: at least one roller mechanism; and at least one second accommodation space that accommodates the at least one roller mechanism.
According to an embodiment, one of the at least one first accommodation space and one of the at least one second accommodation space together form a continuous internal space of the inner housing.
According to an embodiment, the at least one adjustable body is a plurality of adjustable bodies, including a pair of the adjustable bodies, each of the pair of the adjustable bodies separated from each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the sliding movement.
According to an embodiment, the inner housing further includes a pair of roller mechanisms, and each of the pair of roller mechanisms separated from each other in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the sliding movement.
According to an embodiment, the plurality of adjustable bodies further includes another pair of the adjustable bodies, each of the another pair of the adjustable bodies separated from each other in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the sliding movement, and the another pair of the adjustable bodies separated from the pair of the adjustable bodies in the direction of the sliding movement.
According to an embodiment, the inner housing further includes a plurality of roller mechanisms, each of the plurality of roller mechanisms provided adjacent to a respective one of the plurality of adjustable bodies.
According to an embodiment, the sliding door or window system further includes the door.
According to an embodiment, the sliding door or window system further includes the window.
According to one or more embodiments, a method of adjusting a track of a sliding door or window system is provided. The method includes: changing a height of a guide body, of the track, that is provided with an inner housing of the track and configured to guide a sliding movement of a door or a window. The changing includes changing a vertical height of at least one adjustable body, of the track, by rotating the at least one adjustable body such that a height of the inner housing and the height of the guide body are changed, wherein the at least one adjustable body is provided on the outer housing of the track, fixed with respect to the inner housing in a vertical direction, and at least partially within the inner housing.
According to an embodiment, the at least one adjustable body comprises a threaded body and a body with a threaded hole in which the threaded body is provided
According to an embodiment, each of the at least one adjustable body is a bolt.
According to an embodiment, the at least one adjustable body is a plurality of adjustable bodies, including a pair of the adjustable bodies, each of the pair of the adjustable bodies separated from each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the sliding movement.
According to an embodiment, the plurality of adjustable bodies further includes another pair of the adjustable bodies, each of the another pair of the adjustable bodies separated from each other in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the sliding movement, and the another pair of the adjustable bodies separated from the pair of the adjustable bodies in the direction of the sliding movement.
Further features, the nature, and various advantages of the disclosed subject matter will be more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which:
The terms used in the description are intended to describe embodiments only, and shall by no means be restrictive. Unless clearly used otherwise, expressions in a singular from include a meaning of a plural form. In the present description, an expression such as “comprising” or “including” is intended to designate a characteristic, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a part or combinations thereof, and shall not be construed to preclude any presence or possibility of one or more other characteristics, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof.
With reference to
The sliding door system 100 may include a track 200, an intermediate connector 300, and a panel 400. The intermediate connector 300 may connect the panel 400 to the track 200, and may be configured to slide with the panel 400 along the track 200, in the sliding direction of the panel 400 (i.e. into and out of the page of
According to an embodiment, the panel 400 may be a glass sliding door. For example, the panel 400 may include one or more panels 410 that are made of glass. However, the panel 400 is not limited thereto, and may be made alternatively or additionally of any material including, for example, metal and/or wood. According to an embodiment, the panel 400 may instead be a window.
The intermediate connector 300 may be formed of one or more bodies 310 that form a main body of the intermediate connector 300. For example, as shown in
According to an embodiment, the first groove 312 may have a shape that is configured to firmly fix the panel 400 therein, such that the panel 400 substantially does not move relative to the intermediate connector 300 during a sliding operation of the panel 400. Alternatively or additionally, the panel 400 may be connected to the intermediate connector 300 by at least one fastener (e.g. nails, screws, bolts, etc.), gasket, or bond.
According to an embodiment, the second groove 314 may have a shape that is configured to receive the guiding body (e.g. the T-wing body 220) of the track 200. For example, the second groove 314 may substantially have a T-shape in which the second groove 314 has an opening at a bottom side of the intermediate connector 300, extends upward from the opening, and extends in two horizontal directions, opposite to each other, that are perpendicular to the sliding direction of the panel 400. However, the second groove 314 may have a different shape depending on a shape of the guiding body of the track 200. The second groove 314 may have a shape that enables the intermediate connector 300, with the panel 400, to slide with respect to the guiding body (e.g. the T-wing body 220) of the track 200 that is within the second groove 314. For example, the second groove 314 may not firmly fix the T-wing body 220 of the track. As an alternative or addition to the second groove 314, the track 200 may include a groove and the intermediate connector 300 may include a projection that is configured to fit into the groove of the track 200, such that the intermediate connector 300 is slidably connected to the track 200.
According to an embodiment, the one or more bodies 310, including the first groove 312 and the second groove 314, may be elongated in the sliding direction of the panel 400, such as to have a length that is shorter, equal to, or longer than the panel 400.
Referring to
The track 200 may include an outer housing 210, a T-wing body 220, a connector 222, roller mechanisms 230 (e.g. bearings), shafts 240, an inner housing 250, and first adjustable bodies 260.
Referring to
The outer housing 210 may be formed of one or more outer housing bodies 211. For example, as shown in
According to embodiments, the outer housing 210, including the inner space and the elongated opening 214, may be elongated in the sliding direction of the panel 400 such as to define at least a sliding length of the panel 400 and the intermediate connector 300. According to embodiments, the outer housing 210 has a length greater than the intermediate connector 300, but the length is not limited thereto.
Referring to
Additionally, each of the inner housing bodies 251 may include a first accommodation portion 257 and a second accommodation portion 258. The first accommodation portion 257 may be an inner space of the inner housing bodies 251 that at least partially accommodates at least one of the roller mechanisms 230. The second accommodation portion 258 may be an inner space of the inner housing bodies 251 that accommodates at least one of second adjustable bodies 262 that are respectively connected to the first adjustable bodies 260.
With reference to
With reference to
According to embodiments, the second accommodation portion 258 may include an opening (defined at a position of a protrusion 255), at a second side of the inner housing 250 opposite to the first side, such that at least one of first adjustable bodies 260 extends from the inner surface 213 (refer to
According to embodiments, the first accommodation portion 257 and the second accommodation portion 258 may together form a continuous internal space. Additionally, the continuous internal space may include at least one protrusion 256 between the first accommodation portion 257 and the second accommodation portion 258. The second accommodation portion 258 may be defined by the at least one protrusion 255 and the at least one protrusion 256. The at least one protrusion 256 and the at least one protrusion 255 may be configured to contact upper and lower faces of the at least one of the second adjustable bodies 262, respectively, such that the at least one protrusion 255 and the at least one protrusion 256 fix the at least one of the second adjustable bodies 262 relative to the inner housing 250 in the vertical direction. Accordingly, as described further below, the second adjustable bodies 262, when adjusted, may cause the inner housing 250 to raise and lower with the T-wing body 220, the intermediate connector 300, and the panel 400.
Referring to
Referring to
According to embodiments, the second adjustable bodies 262 may each include a threaded hole in which the first adjustable bodies 260 (e.g. threaded bodies) are provided. Accordingly, the first adjustable bodies 260 may be rotated with respect to the second adjustable bodies 262 such as to raise and lower with respect to the second adjustable bodies 262, thereby adjusting a height of the inner housing 250. By adjusting locations of the second adjustable bodies 262 on the first adjustable bodies 260, by rotating the first adjustable bodies 260, a height of the threshold (e.g. the top surface of the T-wing body 220) can be adjusted to assure a barrier-free traverse over the threshold even with deflection or settlement in a building structure.
According to embodiments, locations of the second adjustable bodies 262 on the first adjustable bodies 260 may be adjusted during initial installation or after installation. According to embodiments, the first adjustable bodies 260 may be adjusted via access from the top and may be turned in or out to move up or down with respect to the second adjustable bodies 262.
As shown in
According to embodiments, the connectors 212, 222, 252, 320, and 330 may be made of various materials that are the same or different from each other. According to embodiments, any number of the connectors 212, 222, 252, 320, and 330 may be made of a same or different non-conductive material and thereby may act as thermal breaks between one or more portions to which those connectors may be connected so as to resist thermal energy transfer between those portions while maintaining connection therebetween.
According to embodiments, the outer housing bodies 211, the T-wing body 220, the inner housing bodies 251, and the body 310 may be made of various materials that are the same or different from each other. According to embodiments, the outer housing bodies 211, the T-wing body 220, the inner housing bodies 251, and the body 310 are made of a same or different type of metal.
According to embodiments, any number of the first groove 312 and the second groove 314 of the intermediate connector 300; the center groove 259, the first accommodation portion 257, and the second accommodation portion 258 of the inner housing 250; and the elongated opening 214 of the outer housing 210 may be elongated such as to form openings at one or more longitudinal ends of the components in which they are formed.
According to embodiments, up and down adjustment of a threshold is provided to assure a barrier-free traverse over the threshold even with deflection or settlement in a building structure, and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act may be achieved.
It should be noted that although a few non-limiting example embodiments have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible to the example embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is to be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of various example embodiments and is not to be construed as limited to the specific example embodiments described herein.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20220389753 A1 | Dec 2022 | US |