1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an astragal boot for mounting onto a lower end of an astragal disposed at a free end of a semi-active door in a double-door set disposed over a threshold.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various astragal assemblies are known in the prior art to include an astragal and an astragal boot attached to the astragal. The astragal assembly is disposed between an active door and a semi-active door of a double-door set. The double door set is disposed over a threshold in a door opening of a building.
Typically, the astragal is mounted onto a free end of the semi-active door such that the astragal moves with the free end as the semi-active door is swung between an open position and a closed position. The astragal presents a lower end proximal to the threshold when the semi-active door is in the closed position and walls extending upwardly from the lower end defining a profile.
The astragal boot typically includes a platform and a plurality of projections complimentary to the profile projecting upwardly from the platform into engagement with the walls for retaining the astragal boot to the lower end of the astragal.
Door sweeps are mounted on a bottom edge of the semi-active door and the active door. The door sweeps seal between the bottom edge of the doors and the threshold to prevent penetration of elements, i.e. water, draft, and debris, into the building. The prior art discloses an astragal boot that includes fins extending downwardly from the platform of the astragal boot to overlap the door sweeps on the semi-active door and the active door and to seal against the threshold. Specifically, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2004/0256858 to Governale discloses an astragal boot including a platform and two head fins projecting downwardly from the platform to overlap and engage the door sweeps on the active door and the semi-active door and to seal against the threshold. The head fins are flexible to flex against the threshold to seal against the threshold and to minimize the effort required to close the semi-active door over the threshold. A pair of lateral fins are spaced from one another and project downwardly from the platform and perpendicularly to the head fins. The lateral fins are not joined to the head fins. Because the head fins are flexible, it is possible for water to leak between the head fins and the door sweeps. In addition, due to the flexibility of the head fins, it is possible for the head fins to be obstructed by debris thereby preventing a water-tight seal against the threshold and allowing water to leak past the head fins. Because the lateral fins are not joined to the head fins, water that leaks past the head fins may leak into the building between the astragal boot and the threshold.
It is desirable to manufacture an astragal boot that seals between the door sweeps on the active door and the semi-active door while also providing a water-tight seal between the astragal boot and the threshold to prevent the penetration of water between the astragal boot and the threshold. In addition, it is desirable to manufacture an astragal boot that seals against the threshold while minimizing the effort required to close the semi-active door.
The present invention is an astragal boot for mounting onto a lower end of an astragal disposed on a free end of a semi-active door in a double-door set disposed over a threshold. The astragal boot includes a platform and a pair of spaced lateral fins. The spaced lateral fins are flexible and project downwardly from the platform for sealing engagement with the threshold. The astragal boot includes a first primary fin being flexible and projecting downwardly from the platform a greater distance than the lateral fins. The first primary fin is joined to and extends between the lateral fins for flexing against the threshold in sealing engagement with the threshold to form a cavity between the lateral fins and the first primary fin and the platform for disposition over the threshold.
Accordingly, the first primary fin provides a water-tight seal against the threshold because the first primary fin is joined to and extends between the lateral fins. Additionally, because the first primary fin projects downwardly from the platform a greater distance than the lateral fins, the lateral fins hold the first primary fin into sealing engagement with the threshold as the first primary fin flexes against the threshold to seal against the threshold. The lateral fins hold the first primary fin into engagement with the threshold because the first primary fin is thinner than the lateral fins thereby minimizing the effort required to close the semi-active door over the threshold.
Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, an astragal assembly is shown generally at 20.
As shown in
As seen in
As shown in
A strike plate 68 and a deadbolt strike 70 are mounted on the first inside surface 62 of the astragal 46. The strike plate 68 is aligned along the first inside surface 62 to receive a latch from a door knob assembly on the active door 40 when the active door 40 and the semi-active door 38 are in the closed position. When both the active door 40 and the semi-active door 38 are in the closed position, the latch from the door knob assembly engages the strike plate 68 on the semi-active door 38 to engage the active door 40 to the semi-active door 38. A door knob 72 on the door knob assembly may be turned to disengage the latch from the strike plate 68 thereby disengaging the active door 40 from the semi-active door 38. Likewise, the deadbolt strike 70 is aligned along the first inside surface 62 to receive a deadbolt from a deadbolt assembly 74 on the active door 40 when the active door 40 and the semi-active door 38 are in the closed position and the deadbolt is in a locked position.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The platform 80 defines a hole 102 spaced from the straight edge 86 of the head portion 84 of the platform 80 and from the distal extremity 92 of the base portion 90 of the platform 80 for sliding a lock bolt 104 through the hole 102 to secure the semi-active door 38 in the closed position. The lock bolt 104 is slideable within the astragal 46. When the semi-active door 38 is in the closed position the lock bolt 104 may be slid along the astragal 46 and through the hole 102 in the platform 80 to engage a keeper in the threshold 42. The semi-active door 38 may not rotate relative to the threshold 42 when the lock bolt 104 is engaged with the keeper. The semi-active door 38 may rotate relative to the frame 24 of the door assembly 22 when the lock bolt 104 is disengaged with the keeper in the threshold 42.
As seen in
The plurality of base fins 106 are flexible and project downwardly from the base portion 90 of the platform 80 for sealing engagement with the threshold 42. More specifically, the plurality of base fins 106 includes a curved fin 108 joined to and extending across the curved distal extremity 92 of the base portion 90 and between the sides 52 of the base portion 90 and a pair of spaced lateral fins 110 extending from the curved fin 108 along the sides 52 of the base portion 90. The lateral fins 110 are in parallel relationship to one another. The curved fin 108 and the lateral fins 110 project an equal distance from the platform 80 and the lateral fins 110 seal against the threshold 42 when the semi-active door 38 is in the closed position. The door sweeps 94 on the active door 40 and the semi-active door 38 seal against the lateral fins 110 such that elements may not penetrate between the door sweeps 94 and the lateral fins 110 and into the building 30.
The head fin 112 is flexible and projects downwardly from the platform 80 between the opposite ends 88 of the straight edge 86 of the head portion 84 of the platform 80 for parallel and overlapping sealing engagement with the door sweeps 94.
The skirt 122 projects downwardly from the platform 80 and extends around the head portion 84 complimentary to the head fin 112 between the opposite ends 88 of the straight edge 86 of the head portion 84.
The plurality of primary fins 114 are flexible and project downwardly from the platform 80 a greater distance than the base fins 106 and are joined to and extend between the lateral fins 110. As alluded to above, the plurality of primary fins 114 more specifically include a first primary fin 116, a second primary fin 118, and a third primary fin 120. The first primary fin 116 is flexible and projects downwardly from the platform 80 a greater distance than the lateral fins 110. The first primary fin 116 is joined to and extends between the lateral fins 110 for flexing against the threshold 42 in sealing engagement with the threshold 42 to form a cavity 124 between the lateral fins 110 and the first primary fin 116 and the platform 80 for disposition over the threshold 42. More specifically, the cavity 124 is further defined by a first cavity 126 and a second cavity 128. These first and second cavities 126, 128 are described additionally below. It should be appreciated that the primary fins 114 may be continuous with, i.e., integral with, and attached to the lateral fins 110. Alternatively, the primary fins 114 may be discontinuous with the lateral fins 110 and adjacent to and in contact with the lateral fins 110. For example, the primary fins 114 may be discontinuous from the lateral fins 110 and tightly pressed against the lateral fins 110. It should also be appreciated that the number of cavities 124 formed in the astragal boot 48 vary depending on the number of primary fins 114 that exist in the particular astragal boot 48. As already described above, the number of primary fins 114 can vary and, therefore, the number of cavities 124 segregated by the primary fins 114 can also vary.
The second primary fin 118 is flexible and projects downwardly from the platform 80 a greater distance than the lateral fins 110 and is joined to and extends between the lateral fins 110 in spaced relationship to the first primary fin 116 to form the first cavity 126 between the lateral fins 110 and the first primary fin 116 and the second primary fin 118 and the platform 80 for disposition over the threshold 42. Likewise, the third primary fin 120 is flexible and projects downwardly from the platform 80 a greater distance than the lateral fins 110 and is joined to and extends between the lateral fins 110 in spaced relationship to the second primary fin 118 to form the second cavity 128 between the lateral fins 110 and the second primary fin 116 and the third primary fin 120 and the platform 80 for disposition over the threshold 42.
More specifically, the first primary fin 116 and the second primary fin 118 and the third primary fin 120 are in parallel relationship with one another. The lateral fins 110 are generally perpendicular to the primary fins 116, 118, 120 and the head fin 112 is in parallel relation with the primary fins 116, 118, 120. When the semi-active door 38 and the active door 40 are in the closed position, the astragal boot 48 completes the seal against the threshold 42 between the door sweep 94 on the semi-active door 38 and the door sweep 94 on the active door 40 to continuously seal against the threshold 42 between the first vertical member 32 and the second vertical member 34 of the frame 24 to prevent penetration of elements into the building 30.
The head fin 112 prevents a major portion of the elements from penetrating between the astragal boot 48 and the threshold 42 into the building 30. The first primary fin 116 and the lateral fins 110 prevent further penetration of elements that penetrate between the head fin 112 and the threshold 42 from penetrating below the astragal boot 48 and into the building 30. More specifically, the primary fins 116, 118, 120 flex against the threshold 42 and the lateral fins 110 hold the primary fins 116, 118, 120 in contact with the threshold 42 because the primary fins 116, 118, 120 are thinner than the lateral fins 110 and the primary fins 116, 118, 120 are joined to the lateral fins 110 and project away from the platform 80 farther than the lateral fins 110. Likewise, the effort required to swing the semi-active door 38 to the closed position is minimized because the primary fins 116, 118, 120 are thinner than the lateral fins 110 and may flex easily against the threshold 42.
If the first primary fin 116 becomes worn or obstructed, then the elements that penetrate below the main fin may also penetrate between the first primary fin 116 and the threshold but will be prevented from penetrating into the building 30 by the second primary fin 118. Likewise, if both the first primary fin 116 and the second primary fin 118 are worn or obstructed then the elements that may penetrate below the main fin and the first primary fin 116 and the second primary fin 118 is prevented from penetrating into the building 30 by the third primary fin 120.
The head fin 112 is spaced from the first primary fin 116 to define a channel 130 between the head fin 112 and the first primary fin 116 for receiving the head fin 112 in the channel 130 when the head fin 112 flexes against the threshold 42 and into the channel 130 when the head fin 112 passes over the threshold 42. More specifically, when the semi-active door 38 and the astragal assembly 20 are swung from an open position to a closed position, the head fin 112 passes over the threshold 42. Over portions of the threshold 42 the head fin 112 contacts the threshold 42 and flexes against the threshold 42 and into the channel 130 as the swing of the semi-active door 38 and the astragal assembly 20 is continued.
Finally, it is to be understood that the astragal boot 48 can be an integral component, i.e., a one-piece component, or can be formed of more than one component. Where the astragal boot 48 is formed of more than one component, the astragal boot 48 is typically two components where the platform 80 of the astragal boot 48 is a generally rigid component and the fins 106, 112, 114 and/or the skirt 122 are generally flexible components formed of a polymeric material that is molded over the platform 80. In this scenario, the fins 106, 112, 114 and/or the skirt 122 can be co-molded with the platform 80.
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings, and the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.