Patent Application
20070283629
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
Referring now to
Referring now more specifically to
The astragal 30 also includes an upper slide bolt 44 and a lower slide bolt 46. The upper slide bolt 44 is carried by the elongate member 40 and is moveable within the slide bolt receiving passageway 42 between a locked position and an unlocked position. Similarly, the lower slide bolt 46 is also carried by the elongate member 40 and is moveable within the slide bolt receiving passageway 42 between a locked position and an unlocked position. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the upper slide bolt 44 may be moved to the locked position to engage a slide bolt receiving recess (not shown) formed in a door header, and the lower slide bolt 46 may be moved to the locked position to engage a slide bolt receiving recess (not shown) formed in a floor or threshold.
The astragal 30 further comprises an upper slide bolt movement member 45 and a lower slide bolt movement member 47. The upper slide bolt movement member 45 is illustratively connected to the upper slide bolt 44, and the lower slide bolt movement member 47 is illustratively connected to the lower slide bolt 46. The upper and lower slide bolt movement members 45, 47 move the respective upper and lower slide bolts 44, 46 between the locked and unlocked positions.
More specifically, the upper and lower slide bolt movement members 45, 47 preferably have a curved shape to accommodate a thumb, or finger, for example, of a user. Those skilled in the art, however, will appreciate that the upper and lower slide bolt movement members 45, 47 may have any shape. Accordingly, the upper and lower slide bolts 44, 46 slidably move between locked and unlocked positions responsive to engagement of the upper and lower slide bolt movement members 45, 47 by a user.
The astragal 30 further illustratively comprises an upper stiffener 50 and a lower stiffener 52. The upper stiffener 50 is carried by the elongate member 40 adjacent an upper portion 48 of the slide bolt receiving passageway 42. Similarly, the lower stiffener 52 is carried by the elongate member 40 adjacent a lower portion 49 of the slide bolt receiving passageway 42. The upper and lower stiffener 50, 52 advantageously enhance security of the double door assembly. More specifically, the stiffeners 50, 52 are preferably made of a rigid aluminum material, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that the stiffeners may, for example, be made of any other type of material having similar strength properties and, preferably be light in weight, such as plastic and other composite materials, for example.
As perhaps best illustrated in
The upper and lower stiffeners 50, 52 preferably have a plurality of lateral passageways 56 formed therethrough. The lateral passageways 56 are positioned to receive fasteners 58 to mount the upper stiffener 50 to the elongate member 40, and to mount the lower stiffener 52 to the elongate member. The fasteners 58 may, for example, be provided by screws, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that any other type of fasteners may be used to fasten the respective upper and lower stiffeners 50, 52 to the elongate member 40. Although a plurality of lateral passageways 56 are illustrated in each of the upper and lower stiffeners 50, 52, those skilled in the art will appreciate that any number of lateral passageways may be formed in the upper and lower stiffeners to receive fasteners to mount the upper and lower stiffeners to the elongate member 40.
The elongate member 40 may have lateral passageways 60 formed therethrough adjacent the upper and lower portions thereof. More specifically, the lateral passageways 60 may be formed through the elongate member 40 adjacent the upper and lower portions of the slide bolt receiving passageway 48, 49. Each of the respective lateral passageways 60 are preferably aligned with the lateral passageways 56 on the upper and lower stiffeners 50, 52 so that the fasteners 58 mount the respective upper and lower stiffeners to the elongate member 40 and the elongate member to an end portion of the inactive door 11a of the double door assembly.
The elongate member 40 further comprises a pair of integrally formed screw boss strikes 62 adjacent a medial portion thereof. A first screw boss strike 62a may be used to engage a dead bolt. A second screw boss strike 62b may be used to engage a door latch. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that although a pair of screw boss strikes 62a, 62b are illustrated, any number of screw boss strikes may be integrally formed into the elongate member 40 of the astragal of the present invention.
The astragal 30 may also comprise strike plates 64 removably connected to the screw boss strikes 62. More specifically, a first strike plate 64a may be used to overlie the first screw boss strike 62a, and a second strike plate 64b may be used to overlie the second screw boss strike 62b. The screw boss strikes 62 advantageously have a finished appearance so that strike plates 64 are not required to complete installation of the astragal 30 of the present invention. The strike plates 64, however, may be selectively used to provide the astragal 30 with a predetermined desired appearance.
Those having skill in the art will appreciate that the screw boss strikes 62 may be used as backing spacers for the strike plates 64 to advantageously prevent the strike plates from bending, collapsing, or moving after fasteners have been installed to fasten the strike plates to the screw boss strikes. Strike plates 64 throughout the industry may have varying hole patterns for receiving fasteners. The screw boss strikes 62 advantageously allow for use of the astragal 30 without the need for strike plates 64 in cases where the hole pattern of the strike plates does not align with holes formed in the screw boss strikes 62 for receiving fasteners.
The astragal 30 also illustratively includes an elongate cover member 70 that engages the elongate member 40 to overlie the slide bolt receiving passageway 42. Additional details of the elongate cover member 70 are provided below.
Referring now, more specifically to
Referring now with specificity to
Each of the stiffeners 50, 52 are positioned to engage the slide bolt receiving passageway 42. More specifically, the guide members 86 on the stiffeners 50, 52 matingly engage portions of the slide bolt receiving passageway 42 so that the stiffeners may be securely carried by the elongate member 40. Referring now with specificity to
The details of the upper and lower stiffeners 50, 52 and the slide bolt receiving passageway 42 formed in the elongate member 40 having been described above, the relationship between the upper and lower stiffeners and the elongate member may now be described in greater detail. More specifically, the top wall 84 of each of the upper and lower stiffeners 50, 52 have an elevation below the pair of lip members 108 of the elongate member 40.
As will be described in greater detail below, the lower elevation of the top wall 84 of the upper and lower stiffeners 50, 52 advantageously allows the elongate cover member 70 to overlie the slide bolt receiving passageway 42 and the stiffeners so that the stiffeners are concealed from view when the astragal 30 of the present invention is mounted to an inactive door 11b. Further, the positioning of the elongate cover member 70 over the slide bolt receiving passageway and the upper and lower stiffeners 50, 52 also advantageously eliminates the need for fastener cover members 28 as used in prior art astragals 10. The elongate cover member 70 further advantageously provides a finished look to the astragal 30 of the present invention along the entire length thereof.
Each of the opposing lip members 108 of the elongate member 40 are now described in greater detail. The opposing lip members 108 each have an upper wall defined as an upper wall 43 of the elongate member 40. In other words, the upper wall of each opposing lip member is integrally formed with the upper wall 43 of the elongate member 40. Further, each of the opposing lip members 108 have a downwardly sloping side portion 112 that slopes downwardly and away from the upper wall 43 of the elongate member 40. Each of the opposing lip members 108 also includes a sidewall 114 extending downwardly from the sloping side portion 112, and a bottom wall 116 extending inwardly from the sidewall. More particularly, the bottom wall 116 extends inwardly to the upper sidewall 106 of the elongate member.
Referring now with specificity to
End portions of the elongate cover member 70 are preferably positioned flush with the upper wall 43 of the elongate member 40 when positioned to overlie the slide bolt receiving passageway 42 and the upper and lower stiffeners. More specifically, end portions of the elongate cover member 70 overlie the downwardly sloping side portions 112 of the lip members 80 so that the end portions may be slightly recessed and sit flush with the top wall 43 of the elongate member 40. The elongate cover member 70 includes an upper wall 72 and a pair of opposing sidewalls 74 connected to and extending downwardly therefrom. The pair of opposing sidewalls 74 comprise outwardly protruding lock members 76 adjacent a bottom portion thereof to engage the respective bottom walls 116 of the lip members 110. The engagement of the lock members 76 with the bottom walls 116 of the lip members 110 lock the elongate cover member 70 to the elongate member 40 when overlying the slide bolt receiving passageway 42 and the upper and lower stiffeners 50, 52.
The lock members 76 include a sloping exterior sidewall 77 and a medial wall 78 connected thereto. The sloping exterior sidewall 77 allows for the elongate cover member 70 to be matingly engaged with the elongate member 40, by simply applying a downward force to the upper wall 72 of the elongate cove member. The medial wall 78 has a horizontal configuration to be positioned adjacent the bottom wall 116 of the elongate member 40 allowing the elongate cover member to be locked in place when positioned to overlie the slide bolt receiving passageway 42 and the upper and lower stiffeners 50, 52.
As perhaps best illustrated in
The upper and lower stiffeners 50, 52 also illustratively include a channel 89 for receiving the elongate cover member 70. The channel 89 is preferably defined as a space between the respective opposing sidewalls 82 of the upper and lower stiffeners 50, 52 and the respective opposing guide members 86.
A method aspect of the present invention is for installing an astragal 30. The method includes positioning the elongate member 40 adjacent an end portion of an inactive door 11a on a double-door assembly. The method also includes positioning stiffeners 50, 52 adjacent respective upper and lower portions of the elongate member 40.
The method further includes mounting the stiffeners 50, 52 to the elongate member 40 and mounting the elongate member to the door 11. The stiffeners 50, 52 are mounted to the elongate member 40 and the elongate member is mounted to the door 11 using fasteners 58 that are passed through the lateral passageways 56 formed in the stiffeners and the elongate member. More specifically, the lateral passageways 56 in the stiffeners 50, 52 are aligned with the lateral passageways in the elongate member 40 so that the fasteners 26 may be passed through the passageways to readily mount the elongate member to the inactive door 11a on the double door assembly.
The method also advantageously includes matingly engaging the elongate cover member 70 with the elongate member 40 to overlie the slide bolt receiving passageway 42 and the upper and lower stiffeners 50, 52. More specifically, the elongate cover member 70 is positioned so that end portions of the upper wall of the elongate cover member are positioned flush with the upper wall 43 of the elongate member 40. This advantageously enhances the aesthetics of the astragal 30 of the present invention as it provides the astragal with a finished look throughout. The elongate cover member 70 also advantageously eliminates the need for fastener cover members 28 as required in prior art astragals 10.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.
