Patent Grant
7971400
This invention relates in general to structural framing and cladding systems used in door frames for door assemblies which are used as structural components of buildings. More specifically, the invention relates to frames, frame kits, and jamb substrate coverings made using pultruded fiber reinforced polymeric (FRP), e.g. pultruded fiberglass, structures and wherein frames made from the frame kits, optionally including side light windows, are installed in doorway rough openings which serve as entrance points into a building, and the coverings are installed on door frame substrates.
As used herein, including in the claims which follow, reference to “entry” door frames is directed to doors which are sized and configured to facilitate ingress and egress of people into and out of a building.
As used herein, including in the claims which follow, reference to “garage” door frames is directed to doors which are sized and configured to facilitate ingress and egress of vehicles into and out of a building.
As used herein, including in the claims which follow, reference to “entrance” door frames is directed generically to all doors which facilitate ingress and egress into and out of a building, and thus includes both personnel entry doors as well as vehicular garage doors.
Historically, wood has been used to fabricate door jambs used in residential door frames. Wood has also been used to provide casings, also known as “trim” and “nosings”, as part of a door frame. Wood is stiff, rigid, structurally tough, and readily attached to e.g. structural members of the building using nails, screws, and the like. Wood frames are painted to match the consumer's aesthetic specifications as well as to protect the wood from the effects of weathering. While wood readily accepts paint, wood frames require periodic repainting in order to maintain the aesthetic and protection attributes, especially to prevent the wood from being directly exposed to the weather, such as to ambient moisture, and rotting which accompanies such moisture exposure. So while wood provides a number of desirable qualities, wood also has some properties which are not desirable in an exterior door through which entrance is gained to the building.
As an improvement on painted wood, extruded aluminum cladding has been used to cover over wood frames. Extruded aluminum, however, is susceptible to wear and tear, for example denting and corrosion. While cladding obviates the need for periodic repainting, cladding does not address the issue of water wicking up into the frame from the bottom ends of the side jambs of the frame. Nor does cladding address the potential for rot or other wood deterioration which is typically associated with wicked water. Further, if the cladding is damaged, attempts at on-site repainting of the aluminum achieve less than desired results in terms of aesthetic appearance.
As another way of addressing the problems associated with wood door frames, it is known to use plastic and plastic-coated wood as replacements for wood frames. However, frames made with such materials are typically more expensive, and require more labor to produce and install, and some such structures are subject to undesired levels of expansion and contraction with changes in ambient temperature and/or changes in ambient moisture levels.
Thus, a recognized problem in the conventional art is that residential door frames and cladding require substantial user maintenance to prevent wear and tear, and degradation, and still may not achieve those objectives. Furthermore, previous door frame kit designs, including side light windows, were relatively expensive to produce and maintain. Thus, it is desirable to provide door frames and cladding made from material which is relatively durable and weather resistant. Further, it is desirable to provide consumers with maintenance free door frames and door frame cladding. Still further, it is desirable to provide such door frames which are cost-effective.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,438 Boldt (incorporated herein by reference in its entirety) discloses door frame kits, to be assembled into door frames, and door frames assembled from such kits. The Boldt '438 door frame kits include a top member, and first and second side members configured to be attached to the top member by screws or other connectors. The door frame kits disclosed in Boldt '438 comprise extruded aluminum structures, which define the top and side members of the door frame kit. Each top and side member includes the extruded aluminum structure, and a reinforcing wood insert recessed in a cavity in the extruded aluminum structure. A profile of such extruded aluminum structure defines the cavity which receives the substrate therein, wherein the substrate serves to structurally reinforce the extruded aluminum structure.
The door frames and cladding taught in Boldt '438 have certain disadvantages such as being susceptible to damage after exposure to the elements and from physical impacts by ingress and egress through the doorway, as well as less than desired results from repainting of damaged areas of the aluminum.
What is needed is a door frame and door frame kit and/or cladding kit which has members which are fabricated from a more durable, more maintenance-free material, e.g. the invented pultruded fiber reinforced polymeric material such as pultruded fiberglass. Such pultruded structure provides strength and protection desired of the door frame, as well as aesthetically pleasing appearance. Moreover, pultruded members can be fabricated and assembled to form a door frame, optionally with side light windows. Alternatively a kit containing such members can be provided in disassembled form, and assembled at the installation site. Further, pultruded FRP frame and mullion cladding can be applied to a frame or substrate prior to reaching, or at, an installation site.
These and other needs are alleviated, or at least attenuated, by the novel products and methods of the invention.
The present invention is directed to frames, kits, and coverings constructed from fiber reinforced polymeric materials (FRP), e.g. pultruded fiberglass.
Pultruded fiberglass frames exhibit desirably limited expansion and contraction when exposed to changes in ambient temperatures. In addition, pultruded fiberglass is desirably resistant to denting, weather conditions, and other various wear and tear which is normally experienced by door frames. Pultruded fiberglass is also not subject to undesirable levels of corrosion, is, lighter than wood or aluminum, and is moisture resistant.
In a first family of embodiments, the invention comprehends a building entrance door jamb pultruded structure, adapted to be assembled into a building entrance door and attached to building structural members at a doorway rough opening in an exterior wall of a building. The pultruded structure has a front, a rear, a door-facing side, a building-facing side, a length, a depth between the front and the rear, and a thickness between the door-facing side and the building-facing side. The pultruded structure comprises an elongate fiber-reinforced pultruded polymeric nosing defining a first front cavity extending along the length of the pultruded structure and from the front toward the rear; and an elongate fiber-reinforced pultruded polymeric jamb body comprising a front wall at a front of the jamb body, a closed back wall, and side walls extending from the front of the jamb body to the back wall, the elongate pultruded structure defining a generally closed perimeter, devoid of receptacles capable of receiving a body of a reinforcing substrate.
In some embodiments, the profile has an overall nominal thickness of 0.075 inch to 0.100 inch.
In some embodiments, the jamb body defines a second cavity, open to the first cavity.
In some embodiments, the invention comprehends a building entrance door frame made with a pultruded structure of the invention.
In a second family of embodiments, the invention comprehends a building entrance door frame kit, comprising a top jamb member, and first and second side jamb members configured to be coupled to the top jamb member to make a door frame assembly, and wherein the door frame assembly is adapted to be attached to building structural members at a doorway rough opening in an exterior wall of a building, the top jamb member, and the first and second side jamb members each have a front, a rear, a door-facing side, a building-facing side, a length, a depth, and a thickness. The jamb members comprise an elongate fiber-reinforced pultruded polymeric covering structure having a front, a rear, a door-facing side, and an opposing building-facing side, a length defined along a long dimension of the pultruded structure, a depth between the front and the rear, and a thickness between the door-facing side and the opposing building-facing side. The pultruded structures comprise a nosing defining a first front cavity extending along the length of the pultruded structure, and from the front toward the rear of the respective jamb member, and a jamb cover defining a second rear cavity extending from the nosing toward the rear of the respective said jamb member, and terminating at an elongate rear open end extending along substantially the entirety of the length of the jamb member. The jamb further comprises an elongate generally rigid jamb substrate having a length, a depth, and a thickness, the jamb substrate being received in the rear cavity and extending from the nosing rearwardly through the rear end of the rear cavity and out of the rear cavity to a rear end of the substrate disposed rearwardly of the rear end of the rear cavity; and fasteners adapted to assemble the side jamb members to the top jamb member thereby to fabricate a door frame.
In some embodiments, the elongate substrate is an elongate polymeric substrate.
In some embodiments, the pultruded structure is a one-piece pultruded structure.
In some embodiments, the jamb cover is defined by way of first and second pultruded profiles joined to each other in an assembly process.
In some embodiments, a weather seal strip extends rearwardly of any the pultruded jamb cover.
In some embodiments, the rear cavity is open to the front cavity.
In some embodiments, a pultruded mounting fin is integral with the pultruded covering structure.
In some embodiments, the invention comprehends a building entrance door frame made with a kit of the invention.
In some embodiments, the top jamb member has an arcuate curvature along its length, and wherein the covering structure covering the top jamb member comprises a molded fiberglass profile having an arcuate curvature along its length, corresponding to the arcuate curvature of the top jamb member in place of the pultruded covering structure.
In some embodiments, the top jamb member is a curved fiber reinforced, generally closed-perimeter polymeric jamb, with one or more internal cavities, and optional depth extender.
In a third family of embodiments, the invention comprehends a building entrance door jamb, adapted to be coupled to second and third door jambs to make a door frame assembly, where the door frame assembly is adapted to be attached to building structure members at a doorway rough opening in an exterior wall of a building. The jamb has a front, a rear, a door-facing side and an opposing building-facing side, a length, a depth between the front and the rear, and a thickness between the door-facing side and the building-facing side. The jamb further comprises an elongate fiber-reinforced pultruded polymeric jamb block having a profile extending along the length of the door jamb and comprising a front wall, a closed rear wall, a first side wall on a door-facing side of the jamb, and a second side wall on a building-facing side of the jamb, the first and second side walls extending from the front of the jamb block to the rear wall, the front wall, the rear wall, and the side walls defining a rear cavity. The jamb further comprises an elongate fiber reinforced pultruded polymeric nosing block extending along the length of the door jamb and defining a front cavity, the nosing block having a rear wall in common with the front wall of the jamb block, the elongate jamb defining a generally closed perimeter at the rear of the jamb, devoid of receptacles capable of receiving a body of a reinforcing substrate.
In some embodiments, the nosing has a rear wall in common with a front wall of the jamb block.
In some embodiments, the jamb block further comprises a mounting cavity having a main chamber, and a locking chamber extending from the main chamber.
In some embodiments, the jamb further comprises a weather seal, the weather seal comprising a mounting stud and a seal fin strip extending from the mounting stud, the mounting stud comprising a main body received in the main chamber of the mounting cavity and an ear extending from the main body and into the locking chamber of the mounting cavity.
In some embodiments, the mounting cavity is disposed in the vicinity of the rear wall.
In some embodiments, the jamb further comprises a lock receptor in the vicinity of the rear wall and spaced from the mounting cavity.
In some embodiments, the jamb further comprises an elongate fiber-reinforced pultruded polymeric depth extender, the depth extender having a profile extending along the length of the door jamb, and being mounted to the jamb block.
In some embodiments, the depth extender comprises a rear wall, a third side wall on the door-facing side of the jamb, a fourth side wall on the building-facing side of the jamb, the third and fourth side walls extending from the rear of the depth extender to the front of the depth extender, the third side wall terminating in a mounting finger strip locked in a mounting cavity on the jamb block and the fourth side wall terminating in a locking stud strip locked in the lock receptor on the jamb block, whereby the depth extender is locked to the jamb block, at the rear of the jamb block, by the locking finger strip and the locking stud.
In a fourth family of embodiments, the invention comprehends an elongate fiber-reinforced pultruded polymeric depth extender adapted to be mounted on a jamb base thereby to extend a depth of a door jamb. The depth extender has a front and a rear, and comprises a pultruded rear wall; a pultruded first side wall extending toward the front of the depth extender, on a door-facing side of the depth extender; and a pultruded second side wall extending toward the front of the depth extender, on a building-facing side of the depth extender, the first and second pultruded side walls extending from the rear of the depth extender toward the front of the depth extender, the pultruded first side wall terminating in a mounting finger adapted to be locked in a mounting cavity in the jamb base and the second pultruded side wall terminating in a locking stud adapted to be locked in a lock receptor on the jamb base.
In some embodiments, the first and second pultruded side walls define a central cavity therebetween extending frontwardly from the rear wall, the locking finger and the locking stud extending inwardly toward the central cavity.
In some embodiments, the locking finger extends, from where the locking finger extends inwardly toward the central cavity, toward the front of the depth extender and away from the rear wall.
In some embodiments, the jamb further comprises a mounting cavity spaced from the locking finger.
In some embodiments, the depth extender further comprises a mounting cavity on the first side wall and spaced from the locking finger.
In some embodiments, the depth extender further comprises a lock receptor in the vicinity of the rear wall and spaced from the mounting cavity.
In some embodiments, the depth extender further comprises a lock receptor in the vicinity of the rear wall and spaced from the mounting cavity.
In some embodiments, the depth extender further comprises a corner recess on an inner surface of the first side wall adjacent the mounting cavity.
In a fifth family of embodiments, the invention comprehends a building in-swing personnel entrance door jamb, adapted to be coupled to second and third door jambs to make a door frame assembly, and wherein such door frame assembly is adapted to be attached to building structure members at a doorway rough opening in an exterior wall of a building. The resulting frame has a front, a rear, a door-facing side and an opposing building-facing side, a length, a depth between the front and the rear, and a thickness between the door-facing side and the building-facing side. The door frame further comprises an elongate fiber-reinforced pultruded polymeric jamb block having a profile extending along the length of the door jamb and comprising a front wall, a closed rear wall, a first side wall on a door-facing side of the jamb, and a second side wall on a building-facing side of the jamb, the first and second side walls extending from the front of the jamb block to the rear wall, the front wall, the rear wall, and the side walls defining a rear cavity, further comprising a door latch-side abutment surface on the first side wall and spaced from the front wall; and an elongate fiber reinforced pultruded polymeric nosing block extending along the length of the door jamb and defining a front cavity, the nosing block having a rear wall in common with the front wall of the jamb block, the elongate jamb block defining a generally closed perimeter at the rear, devoid of receptacles capable of receiving a body of a reinforcing substrate.
In some embodiments, the jamb further comprises a strip receiving cavity in the first side wall adjacent the latch-side abutment surface, and a weather seal strip in the strip receiving cavity.
In some embodiments, the jamb further comprises a strip receiving cavity in the first wall adjacent the latch-side abutment surface, and a lock receptor in the vicinity of the rear wall and spaced from the strip receiving cavity.
In some embodiments, the depth extender comprises a second rear wall, a third side wall on the door-facing side of the jamb, a fourth side wall on the building-facing side of the jamb, said third and fourth side walls extending from the second rear wall to the front of the depth extender, the third side wall terminating in a mounting finger strip locked in the strip receiving cavity in the first side wall of the jamb block, and the fourth side wall terminating in a locking stud locked in the lock receptor on the jamb block, whereby the depth extender is locked to the jamb block, at the rear of the jamb block, by the locking finger strip and the locking stud.
In some embodiments, the depth extender further comprises a second mounting cavity in the vicinity of the rear wall of the depth extender.
In some embodiments, the jamb further comprises a second lock receptor in the vicinity of the second rear wall and spaced from the second mounting cavity.
In some embodiments, the jamb further comprises a weather seal mounted in the second mounting cavity.
In a sixth family of embodiments, the invention comprehends a building personnel entrance door frame comprising a top jamb member, and first and second side jamb members configured to be coupled to the top jamb member to make a door frame assembly, and wherein the door frame assembly is adapted to be attached to building structural members at a doorway rough opening in an exterior wall of a building. The top jamb member, and the first and second side jamb members each have a front, a rear, a door-facing side, a building-facing side, a length, a depth, and a thickness. The jamb members comprise an elongate fiber-reinforced pultruded polymeric covering structure having a profile defining a front, a rear, a door-facing side and an opposing building-facing side, a length defined along a length dimension of the pultruded structure, a depth between the front and the rear, and a thickness between the door-facing side and the opposing building-facing side. Such pultruded structures comprise a nosing defining a first front cavity extending along the length of the pultruded structure, and from the front toward the rear of the respective jamb member, and a jamb cover having a front wall, and first and second side walls corresponding with the door-facing side of the pultruded structure and the building-facing side of the pultruded structure, the front wall and the side walls collectively defining a second rearwardly-opening rear cavity extending from the nosing toward the rear of the respective jamb member, the rear cavity having a rear end corresponding with rear ends of the side walls. The jamb further comprises an elongate generally rigid jamb substrate having a depth, and a thickness. The jamb substrate is received in the rear cavity and extends from the nosing rearwardly through the rear end of the rear cavity, and out of the rear cavity to a rear end of the substrate disposed rearwardly of the rear end of the rear cavity, the jamb member further comprising an in-swing door latch-side abutment surface at a rearwardly-disposed portion of the jamb member.
In some embodiments, the latch-side abutment surface is located rearwardly of the rear end of the side wall which is on the door-facing side of the pultruded structure.
In some embodiments, the elongate substrate is an elongate polymeric substrate.
In some embodiments, the top jamb member has an arcuate curvature along its length, and the covering structure covering the top jamb member comprises a molded fiberglass profile having an arcuate curvature, along the length of the jamb, corresponding to the arcuate curvature of the top jamb member in place of the pultruded covering structure.
The present invention will be further appreciated and understood when considered in combination with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following description is given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Certain changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the invention includes all such changes and modifications.
The invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction, or to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various other ways. Also, it is to be understood that the terminology and phraseology employed herein is for purpose of description and illustration and should not be regarded as limiting. Like reference numerals are used to indicate like components.
A door frame of the present invention includes a top member and two side members attached thereto, wherein the top and side members include fiber-reinforced pultruded structures. The two side members are attached to the top member and optionally to a threshold at the bottom of the frame, thereby to define a door frame assembly. The threshold can be either a pultrusion, or conventional aluminum or wood, or combination of any of the above. The members of the resulting door frame, namely the door frame itself, are typically attached to structural members which define a doorway rough opening in a building into which the door frame assembly is inserted. The heights and widths of the top and side members, and the optional threshold, are configured to correspond to the respective heights and widths in the door frame assembly. The top member, the side members, and the threshold can be provided in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes.
The drawings illustrate the invention as door frames made entirely of pultruded structures, and as door frames made with pultruded structures mounted on wood or polymeric substrates. Such substrates, also referred to herein as inserts, optionally as jambs, are sized and configured similar to conventional wood door jambs.
Referring to
Referring to
Pultruded fiberglass covering structure 22 has facing side walls 24, 26, and an end wall 28 which collectively define a rearwardly-disposed elongate cavity 30 therebetween, the rearwardly-disposed cavity being open to the rear of the pultruded structure. Stub wall 32, stub wall 34, front wall 36, and rear wall 37 collectively define a frontwardly-disposed cavity 38, which opens at its rear into rearwardly-disposed cavity 30.
Cavity 30 is generally defined between side walls 24 and 26, from end wall 28 to the open end 40 of the cavity adjacent the rear-most edge 42 of the pultrusion. As defined herein, cavity 30 generally does not include elongate front cavity 38, which extends the length of the pultruded structure between stub walls 32 and 34, front wall 36, and rear wall 37.
An e.g. wood board, sized and configured similar to a conventional wood jamb, is received in cavity 30 as substrate 44, and typically fills the cavity between side walls 24 and 26, and end wall 28, and extends rearwardly in cavity 30 from end wall 28 to a portion 46 of the substrate which extends rearwardly beyond open end 40 of the cavity and beyond rear edge 42 of the pultruded structure 22. Substrate 44 is typically installed in cavity 30 during manufacture of the respective top or side jamb member and is accordingly present in the jamb member when the door frame or door frame kit is shipped from the frame manufacturing facility to, for example, the construction site. Conventional fasteners such as nails or screws can be used, as desired, to aid in securing substrate 44 within cavity 30. Substrate 44 structurally reinforces pultruded fiberglass structure 22 such that the substrate and the pultrusion cooperate and work together to make a strong, dimensionally-stable jamb assembly which is not easily bent or twisted. Typically, substrate 44 substantially fills rearwardly-disposed cavity 30 between the respective opposing side walls 24, 26, thus additively providing its own resistances to compression, bending, and twisting to the compressive, bending, and twisting resistances of pultruded structure 22. Such side or top member has a length, a depth extending from front wall 36 of the nosing to the rear end 47 of substrate 44, and a thickness which extends from side wall 24 to side wall 26.
In a second embodiment illustrated in
As with the embodiments of
Fiberglass pultrusion 22 includes screw receiver channel structure 60, which facilitates positioning side members 14, 16 with respect to top member 12, and thereby facilitates mounting side members 14, 16, to top member 12. Screws 18, 20 (
Fasteners 18, 20, 62 can all extend through the side members into the top member, can all extend through the top member into the side members, or some can extend through the side members into the top member and some through the top member into the side members. Suitable numbers and types of fasteners 18, 20, and 62 can be readily selected by those skilled in the art.
A third embodiment of pultruded fiberglass structure 22 is shown in
An FRP, e.g. fiberglass-based pultruded structure provides significant advantages over any use of aluminum. Specifically, pultrusions provide the needed strength and corrosion resistance, and a desired level of thermal barrier, while providing a door frame which is relatively light in weight.
Certain aspects of the invention are seen when the door frame kit has been assembled to form a door frame assembly 68 (
Door frame 10, including all embodiments shown, is preferably assembled to make a respective door frame assembly 68 prior to inserting the door frame assembly into the doorway rough opening of the building. Thus, the members of door frame kit 10 generally do not interface with, or interact with, the door opening prior to completion of assembly of the door frame. After a kit has been assembled, the completed door frame assembly 68 is inserted, as a unit, into the doorway rough opening of the building 78. The portions 46 of the substrates 44 which extend outwardly from the cavity 30 provide mounting loci for mounting the door frame assembly to the material forming the doorway rough opening of the building (e.g. wood or steel framing). Nails, screws, or like fasteners are typically inserted through substrate 44 and into the material forming the doorway rough opening to secure the door frame assembly to the building, in the doorway rough opening. In the instances of the embodiments of
To aid in positioning the door frame assembly 68 within the doorway rough opening, a positioning strip (e.g. nail fin) 80 can be mounted in a nail fin kerf 81 in pultruded fiberglass structure 22 for interfacing with an outer surface 94 of a member of an outer wall structure of building 78, for thus holding the positioning of the door frame assembly within the doorway rough opening and aligning the door frame assembly with the outer wall of the building. Typically, positioning strip 80 interfaces with the outer surface 94 of sheathing 96 or like layer of the wall which is located interiorly of the outer layer (e.g. siding) of the wall structure.
Pultruded fiberglass structure 22 aids in protecting, from weather and the like, that portion of substrate 44 which is received in cavity 30, while leaving uncovered that portion of the substrate which extends from the cavity. A weather strip assembly 82 as shown in
An exemplary weather strip assembly 82 of the invention is seen in
Channel cover 90 is mounted to channel structure 86 after base structure 84 has been mounted, such as with screws, to the door frame at side wall 24, the channel cover thus covering the channel and the fasteners which fasten the weather strip assembly to the top or side member 12, 14 or 16, after base structure 84 has been mounted to the door frame.
Weather seal strip 92 is inserted into strip mounting structure 93 to provide a weather seal between door frame assembly 68 and the door which operates within the door opening defined by door frame assembly 68. Typically, seal strip 92 is polyvinyl chloride or other suitably flexible polymeric material.
Typically, weather strip assemblies 82 are mounted to top and side members 12, 14, 16 after the top and side members have been joined to each other to form door frame assembly 68, optionally after door frame assembly 68 has been installed in the doorway rough opening.
While not limiting, door frame kits or completed door frame assemblies of the invention are generally sized and configured to serve as door frames (i) for entry and egress of vehicles such as automobiles and trucks into and out of a building, namely to serve as door frames for garage doors, or (ii) for entry and egress of people into and out of a building, namely to serve as frames for entry doors.
For garage door frames, the size of the opening defined between side members 14, 16 of a completed door frame assembly is sufficient to receive a door having a nominal width of at least 72 inches, with widths of at least 84 inches being more typical. Door frame kits and completed door frame assemblies of the invention are readily adapted to receive garage doors having widths of typical double garage doors such as 15 feet width or 18 feet width. Greater widths are contemplated, especially where more robust fiberglass pultrusion structures 22 and/or substrates 44 are employed.
For entry door frames, the opening defined between side members 14, 16 of a completed door frame assembly is typically sized and configured to receive a door having a nominal width of 30 inches to 42 inches, with nominal widths of 36 inches to 42 inches being more typical. Frames for door slabs smaller than 30 inches and greater than 42 inches are contemplated as also being feasible, though less commonly employed.
Referring to
With the frame assembly thus located and aligned in the doorway rough opening, by mounting fins 80, any final positioning adjustments are made, and the door frame assembly is permanently secured to the building at the doorway rough opening by driving nails, screws, or other fasteners through substrates 44, optionally through portions 46 of the substrates 44 which extend outwardly of cavities 30, optionally through side walls 24, 26 and into the building framing elements which form the doorway rough opening in the building. Substrates 44 thus provide mounting loci for mounting the door frame assembly to the building framing elements at the doorway rough opening. Any other effective fastening system can be used to secure the door frame assembly in the doorway rough opening. The e.g. garage door, or personnel door slab, as the case may be, is then hung in the door opening defined within the door frame.
Weather strip assemblies 82 are then mounted to the substrates 44, if not previously mounted. In garage door frames, weather strip assemblies 82 generally cover portions of the substrates 44 which extend from the pultruded fiberglass structures 22 and generally cover those portions which would otherwise be exposed to the weather in a typical building installation. The combination of the pultruded fiberglass structures 22 and the weather strip assemblies 82 result in substantially complete coverage of those portions of the substrate which, in a garage door frame, would otherwise be exposed to the weather, thereby providing a maintenance-free door frame. After the weather strip assembly 92 has been mounted to the frame, channel cover 90 is mounted to the weather strip assembly 82 to cover the respective channel.
The relationship between the finished door frame assembly and the door opening in the building is illustrated in
In another embodiment of the invention illustrated in
In door frames having gussets 102, pultruded structures 22 on top member 12 and the respective side members extend only to the respective gusset 102, and do not cover substrate 44 or sheathing 96 between gusset 102 and the corner “C”. Accordingly, surface 106 of substrate 44 is typically not covered or otherwise protected by any element of door frame assembly 68. Rather, surface 106 is covered by a corner portion of sheathing 96 which extends into the triangular-shaped space defined by gusset 102 and corner portions of the respective top and side members.
Still referring to
In the embodiment illustrated in
As illustrated in
To this point, the invention has contemplated fiber-reinforced pultruded polymeric structures as being used to cover an e.g. solid substrate such as a wood substrate or an extruded polymeric substrate, where the substrate provides a substantial portion of the structural strength of the resultant door jamb, as a member of a door frame, and wherein the substrate provides a substantial portion of the structural strength of the resultant door frame.
Turning now specifically to
Inwardly-disposed jamb block 229 has an outer end defined by common wall 240, an inner end defined by rear wall 242, and sides defined by side walls 224 and 226, all participating in the definition of inwardly-disposed cavity 230. One or more support webs can extend across cavity 230 similar to support webs 66 in
Referring to
Returning to
Referring to
In such mounting, and starting with the relative orientations shown in the combination of
Depth extender 202 is used only as necessary to match the depth of the jamb to the depth of the wall of the building into which the door frame is being installed. Thus, for a relatively thinner wall, no depth extender is net needed. For a relatively thicker wall, jamb extender 202 is used as shown in
Where the desired depth of the jamb has been achieved, seal strip 292 is mounted to depth extender 202 by inserting stud 248 on the seal strip into the distal one, from wall 240, of cavities 246 and 246DE, with ears 247 under locking chambers 268, 269, again as illustrated in
Where depth extender 202 is not used, seal strip 292 is mounted to jamb base 200 at cavity 246 instead of at cavity 246DE.
As is seen in
Where structural inserts are desired, such as in the embodiments of
Referring to
A weather seal strip 114 as in
Outwardly-disposed nosing block 237 has an inner end defined by common wall 240, an outer end defined by front wall 236, and sides defined by side walls 232, 234, all participating in the definition of outwardly-disposed cavity 238. The overall configuration of nosing block 237 is illustrated as that of a brickmold nosing, integral with the jamb block as part of the body of jamb 204. Thus the overall profile of nosing block 237 is in the configuration of a brickmold nosing. The outer appearances of side walls 232 and 234 are configured like conventional brickmold side walls. The outer appearance of front wall 236 is configured like a conventional brickmold front wall. The end wall 228 of brickmold nosing 237 is generally similar to a conventional brickmold end wall. End wall 228 has mounting fin kerf 254 and screw receiver 256. Kerf 254 is compatible with receiving either a flexing polymeric mounting fin as taught in e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,472 Tix, or a deflectable mounting fin such as the aluminum mounting fin 80 illustrated in
Referring to
In such mounting, and starting with the relative orientations shown in the combination of
Depth extender 206 is used only as necessary to match the depth of the jamb to the depth of the wall of the building into which the jamb is being installed. Thus, for a relatively thinner wall, depth extender 206 is not needed. For a relatively thicker wall, depth extender 206 is used. If and as still-additional depth is needed, one or more additional depth extenders can be snap-locked to the assembly as at cavity 246DE.
Where the desired depth of the jamb has been achieved, seal strip 114 is mounted to depth extender 206 by the seal strip anchor 278 into cavity 246DE on the depth extender. The weather seal 114 cooperates with the door and door frame in providing a weather sealing feature.
Where depth extender 206 is not used, seal strip 114 is similarly mounted to jamb base 204 at cavity 246, as illustrated.
As is seen in
Referring now to
Each of the top, bottom, and side frame members, shown in cross-section in
Each of the frame members further defines an outwardly disposed, outwardly opening cavity 346 extending from the outer wall 326 outwardly of the frame opening to a distal end of the outwardly disposed cavity. The outwardly disposed cavity is defined by an inner wall 326 in common with outer wall 326 of inwardly disposed frame block 322, a third side wall 348 extending from inner wall 326 and away from second side wall 340, and a fourth side wall 350 extending from inner wall 326 and away from first side wall 342.
Door frame 353 includes an elongate fiber-reinforced pultruded polymeric jamb adapted to cooperate with the pultruded patio screen door frame in holding the patio screen door frame into assembly with the other framed elements of the sliding patio door. The pultruded jamb comprises an elongate outer plate 354 and an elongate side plate 356 joined to the outer plate. The side plate is in face-to-face relationship with one of the third and fourth side walls of cavity 346. At least one of the side plate 356 and the third 348 or fourth 350 side wall comprises a pile receptacle 358A, 358B which receives a pile strip 360 which serves as a thermal barrier between the sliding surfaces of the side plate and the respective third or fourth side wall.
As illustrated in
Thus, the jamb profile of
Referring to
A weather seal strip 114 as in
Outwardly-disposed nosing block 237 has an inner end defined by common wall 240, an outer end defined by front wall 236, and sides defined by side walls 232, 234, all participating in the definition of outwardly-disposed cavity 238. The overall configuration of nosing block 237 is illustrated as that of an intermediate-width nosing, integral with the jamb block as part of the body of jamb 204, and reflects generally the same profile as that shown in
Referring to
Depth extender 206 is used only as necessary to match the depth of the jamb to the depth of the wall of the building into which the jamb is being installed. Thus, for a relatively thinner wall, depth extender 206 is not needed. For a relatively thicker wall, depth extender 206 is used. If and as still-additional depth is needed, one or more additional depth extenders can be snap-locked to the assembly as at cavity 246DE.
Where the desired depth of the jamb has been achieved, a seal strip 114 is mounted to depth extender 206 by the seal strip anchor 278 (
Where depth extender 206 is not used, seal strip 114 is similarly mounted to jamb base 204 at cavity 246, again as illustrated in
As referred to herein, pultrusion, pultruded structures, and the like, refers to products and processes as commonly recognized in the industry. Thus, a pultruded product or structure or process includes reinforcing fibers embedded in a generally saturating amount of a curable and/or cured or thermoplastic resin, and is included in the general class of materials known as fiber reinforced polymeric structures. Pultrusion is a process which can be used to make continuous lengths of fiber reinforced polymeric products. The starting materials are liquid polymeric resins and fiber structures which reinforce the polymeric resins. As a general statement, the fibrous reinforcing structure is pulled, in a continuous process, through a forming die. In the process, the fibrous structure is impregnated with the polymeric resin, the overall structure is formed into a desired profile, and the resin/fiber composite is “set/cured” in the desired profile by the application of heat to the resin/fiber composite.
More specifically, the fiber is drawn through a resin impregnator where the fiber is saturated with resin. The resin/fiber composite passes from the impregnator to a pre-former which forms the composite into the desired profile. The composite is then passed to a heating die where the resin is cured while the die maintains the composite in the desired profile. The cured product then exits the die and moves to the puller which applies a pulling force to the cured product, which pull passes through the reinforcing fibers back to the creels which feed the fiber materials to the process—thus the moniker “pultrusion”, which pulls product through the forming die and thus through the forming system, compared to “extrusion” which pushes softened e.g. polymeric material or metal through a forming die. On exiting the puller, the product can be cut to length, or otherwise converted to any desired length, width, or other desired form or shape.
For example, glass or other reinforcing fibers are impregnated with resin and pulled through a former and a heated die. The former orients the fibers according to the specified profile such that the fibers are properly positioned in the die, thus to ensure that the pultruded product has consistent reinforcement properties, as desired, across the profile of the pultruded structure. The resulting pultruded structure is continuously pulled from the heated die by the puller. The puller can be a clamp and stroke action from a reciprocating puller, or a consistently-pulling closed-track puller, also known as a caterpillar puller.
Reinforcing fibers used in pultrusions of the invention can be, for example and without limitation, glass fiber, carbon fiber, kevlar fiber, and/or other organic and inorganic filaments and fibers. Reinforcement fibers can take the forms of filament and strand bundles, called rovings. The fibers can also take the forms of yarns, texturized yarns, chopped strand mats, continuous strand mats, knitted mats, woven mats, surfacing veils, and combinations of rovings, yarns, mats, and veils, for example a package of uniform fiberglass reinforcements and continuous filament rovings.
Resins used in pultrusions of the invention can be thermosetting resins such as, without limitation, polyesters e.g. in a styrene solution, or polyurethanes, phenolics, epoxides, thermosetting mixtures and other thermosetting resins. Other resins used in pultrusion can be thermoplastic resins such as polyurethanes, acrylics, polyethylenes, and other thermoplastic resins. Resin used in pultrusion can also be thermoplastic resins which are embedded in fiber structures which are fed into the pultrusion process, and wherein the resins melt inside the pultrusion die.
Resin mixtures in pultrusion can also contain organic, polymeric, and/or inorganic additives provided to achieve certain property modifications such as shrink control or limitation, mold lubrication, coloring, filling, and other specified property features.
Pultruded fiber-reinforced structures are desired both for their strength and their thermal properties. For example, a plastic e.g. PVC frame has insufficient strength for certain personnel door frame and garage door frame applications. A wood frame has sufficient strength but wicks water and is subject to rot and other types of deterioration. Aluminum, for example 6063-tg aluminum, has tensile strength of about 30,000 psi, but has unacceptable thermal conductivity of 1200 btu/ft2/hr/° F./inch thickness. In addition, aluminum can be corroded and pitted when exposed to weather conditions for extended periods of time and can be dented and/or part of a paint coating can be scratched off.
By contrast, pultruded fiberglass-reinforced thermoset polyester has a longitudinal modulus of about 65,000 psi and a transverse modulus of about 10,000 psi. Thermal conductivity is 4.5 btu/ft2/hr/° F./inch thickness.
Frame structures of the invention are sturdy and durable, and have favorable strength and rigidity, and favorable expansion and contraction ratings compared to the alternative materials they replace. The pultruded frame structures tolerate a wide range of temperatures such as are encountered in constructed buildings. The pultruded frame structures are not susceptible to water damage. Such frame structures are less susceptible to corroding under weather conditions to which they are exposed. They exhibit desired thermal properties. Frame kits of the invention are easily transported to the construction site. The frame kits and frames can be mass-produced and do not have to be project-specific, but custom sizes can easily be made.
Any given pultrusion can have a range of thicknesses of the respective walls of its profile. Such range of thicknesses can be related to the expedients of the pultrusion die, specific strength parameters desired for a certain portion of the profile, wall intersections, and the like. However, most pultruded structures used in jambs and door frames of the invention have a generally consistent nominal profile thickness over most of the pultruded structure. The general thickness “T” (
Accordingly, for a jamb where the pultrusion is supported by a substrate, the pultrusion can be relatively thinner, having a nominal thickness “T” of e.g. 0.050 inch to 0.075 inch, more commonly 0.060 inch to 0.065 inch, with a target thickness of about 0.062 inch. Where stiffness and rigidity of the pultrusion is not reinforced by a substrate, nominal thickness “T” of the pultrusion is typically about 0.075 inch to about 0.100 inch, more commonly 0.080 inch to 0.095 inch, with a target thickness of about 0.090 inch. The here-recited thicknesses apply to common-size residential door frames. For example, such garage door frames are typically 7 feet wide to 8 feet wide for a single garage door, and 15-18 feet wide for a double garage door. Exterior entry e.g. personnel doors on a building are typically 36 inches wide to 42 inches wide. Double doors are sometimes used, whereby the entry door frame is even wider.
Although the invention has been described with respect to various embodiments, it should be realized this invention is also capable of a wide variety of further and other embodiments within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Those skilled in the art will now see that certain modifications can be made to the apparatus and methods herein disclosed with respect to the illustrated embodiments, without departing from the spirit of the instant invention. And while the invention has been described above with respect to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is adapted to numerous rearrangements, modifications, and alterations, and all such arrangements, modifications, and alterations are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims.
To the extent the following claims use means plus function language, it is not meant to include there, or in the instant specification, anything not structurally equivalent to what is shown in the embodiments disclosed in the specification.
This Application is a Non-Provisional of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/885,121, filed Jan. 16, 2007.
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