This disclosure relates generally to doors and more specifically to door systems, door hardware components, and to the installation thereof.
Traditionally, installation of doors, such as, e.g., storm doors, has not been a simple matter. For example, some doors can be non-handed, meaning that they can be installed with their hinges either on the right or on the left as desired, depending on the installation and user preference for which way the door opens. Positioning and attaching the hinges on the desired side of some door frames (e.g., storm doors) requires significant time and skill and can result in an improperly positioned door panel if not done precisely.
Installation of a handle assembly, closer assembly, and/or strike plate may be problematic, whether they are being installed with a new door or being installed to replace existing hardware on a previously-installed door.
The door systems and door hardware components described herein include one or more features that may potentially make installation of an entire door system and/or the door hardware components easier to install than traditional doors, traditional doors, and/or door hardware components.
As used herein, The term “door system” is used to describe an assembly that includes a door panel (such as, e.g., a storm door panel) and a pair of jamb members making up a door frame for the door panel and an optional header that is configured to extend between the jambs above the door panel. In some embodiments, the door panel may be hingedly attached to the one of the jambs, and in such a door system, the door system may be described as a “pre-hung door system”. The door systems described herein may, in some embodiments, include one or more of the various door hardware components that are described herein, such as, e.g., a bottom spacer, drip cap mounting flanges, a door latch assembly, a closer bracket assembly, etc.
Although the various illustrative embodiments are described in the context of storm doors, it should be understood that the features may be implemented in any suitable door system (e.g., entry doors, etc.)
In some embodiments of the door systems described herein, the jamb on the latch side of the door panel may be shaped to define an elongated channel along at least a portion of its length, wherein the channel is configured to retain a latch bolt of a latch assembly on the door panel. A strike surface may also extend along the channel for restraining the latch bolt within the channel anywhere along its length.
Among the differences from conventional installation, installation of the door systems described herein may be referenced to the sill of an opening during assembly rather than to the header of the opening. In some embodiments, a bottom spacer may be used to provide automatic adjustment of the sweep relative to the sill of the opening. In some embodiments, the bottom spacer may also apply a corrective rack to the assembly to counter the natural sag of a door panel due, for example, to loose hinges.
In some embodiments of the door systems described herein, a drip sap assembly that can accommodate different width gaps at the top of the door may be used.
The door latch assemblies described herein may be used on both newly installed door systems as well as existing doors. The door latch assemblies preferably include two (e.g., interior and exterior) escutcheon plates. One or both of the escutcheon plates may include a keyway configured to receive the keyed end of a door handle such that the handle can be inserted into the keyway in one or more insertion orientations, but cannot be detached from the escutcheon plate when the door handle is not in the one or more insertion orientations. In some embodiments, a door handle rotatably attached to an escutcheon plate by a keyed end located in a keyway is not, when moved through the range of positions needed to operate the door latch assembly properly, in any of the insertion orientations such that it could be inadvertently detached from the escutcheon plate. Retention of the door handle using a keyed end and keyway may provide the ability to assemble and retain the keyed door handle on the escutcheon plate without requiring the use of tools, thus potentially simplifying installation of the door latch assembly.
The closer bracket assemblies described herein may be used with both the door systems described herein, as well as with existing doors. The closer bracket assemblies described herein include a base that is attached to the jamb of a door opening by, e.g., screws. If screws are to be used to fasten the base to a jamb, it may be preferred that the base be designed such that no two screws are aligned vertically such that they would be positioned along the same or similar grain line if the jamb is made of wood with vertically-oriented grain lines. A closer bracket is designed to be attached to the base, with the closer cylinder being attached to the closer bracket. In some embodiments, proper positioning of the closer bracket relative to the door may be obtained by butting the base against the jamb of one of the door systems described herein. In other embodiments in which the closer bracket assembly is to be used with an existing door, the base of the closer bracket assembly may be configured to abut the door panel itself to provide proper positioning of the closer bracket attached to the base. In some embodiments, the closer bracket may be attached to the base using a combination of interlocking tabs and slots in the base and closer bracket and a threaded fastener. In other embodiments, the closer bracket may be attached to the base without the need for threaded or other fasteners, i.e., the closer bracket may be attached only by the mechanically interlocking structures of the base and the closer bracket.
The words “preferred” and “preferably” refer to embodiments that may afford certain benefits, under certain circumstances. However, other embodiments may also be preferred, under the same or other circumstances. Furthermore, the recitation of one or more preferred embodiments does not imply that other embodiments are not useful, and is not intended to exclude other embodiments from the scope of the invention.
As used herein, “a,” “an,” “the,” “at least one,” and “one or more” are used interchangeably. Thus, for example, a mounting flange may be used to refer to one, two, three or more mounting flanges.
The term “and/or” means one or all of the listed elements or a combination of any two or more of the listed elements.
The above summary is not intended to describe each embodiment or every implementation of the door systems, door hardware components, and methods described herein. Rather, a more complete understanding of the door systems, door hardware components, and methods described herein will become apparent and appreciated by reference to the following Description of Illustrative Embodiments and claims in view of the accompanying figures.
In the following description of illustrative embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying figures which form a part hereof, and in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the door systems, door hardware components, and methods may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
As shown in
In some embodiments of the closer bracket assemblies described herein, the base 42 may be “self-aligning” such that the closer bracket assembly 41 can be properly spaced from the door panel as described herein. In the depicted embodiment, the length of the base 42 and the placement and engagement of the detachable closer bracket 43 with the base 42 ensures proper and precise horizontal positioning of the closer bracket assembly relative to the door because the base 42 is sized such that by abutting the base 42 against the jamb to which the door panel is hingedly attached when the base 42 is attached to the opening properly spaces the base 42 and the closer bracket 43 relative to the door panel when the closer bracket 43 is attached to the base 42.
If the closer bracket assembly is installed on an existing door, the self-aligning base 42 may be configured to about the door panel itself to provide proper positioning of the closer bracket assembly relative to the door panel for proper operation for a closer attached to the closer bracket assembly.
The closer bracket 43 attached to the base 42 has, in the depicted embodiment, an elongated body with a free end having a hole for receiving the pin attaching a closer cylinder to the bracket. The closer bracket 43 is configured to be removably attached to the base 42. As used to describe attachment of the closer bracket 43 to the base 42, “removably attached” means that the closer bracket 43 can be removed from the base without requiring destruction, deformation (e.g., cutting, bending, etc.) or other permanent changes to the base such that the closer bracket 43 can be re-attached to the base 42 from which it was removed.
In some embodiments of the closer bracket assemblies described herein, the closer bracket 43 mechanically interlocks with the base 42. For example, in the depicted embodiment the closer bracket 43 includes tabs 46 having recesses 50. The tabs 46 are configured to be inserted into the slots 44 of the base 42. The interlocking structure of the tabs 46, recesses 50 and slots 44 can be used to mechanically interlock the closer bracket 43 with the base 42. More specifically, the tabs 46 are inserted into the slots 44 and the bracket 43 is slid to the left as seen in
In addition, in those embodiments that use one or more tabs and one or more slots to mechanically interlock the base and the closer bracket, the tabs and the slots may be provided on either part, i.e., the tabs are not required to be found on the closer bracket nor are the slots required to be on the base. Any arrangement of the mechanically interlocking structures may be used as long as the structures perform the mechanically interlocking functions required to attach the closer bracket to the base.
One or both of the exterior handle 54 and the interior handle 55 may preferably be rotatably attached to the corresponding escutcheon plate using one or more keyways 57 formed in the escutcheon plate and a complementary keyed hub 56 formed on the door handle.
The keyways provided in one or both of the escutcheon plates may be configured to receive the keyed end of a door handle such that the handle can be inserted into the keyway in one or more insertion orientations, but cannot be detached from the escutcheon plate when the door handle is net in the one or more insertion orientations. In some embodiments, a door handle rotatably attached to an escutcheon plate by a keyed end located in a keyway is not, when moved through the range of positions needed to operate the door latch assembly properly, in any of the insertion orientations such that it could be inadvertently detached from the escutcheon plate. Retention of the door handle using a keyed end and keyway may provide the ability to assemble and retain the keyed door handle on the escutcheon plate without requiring the use of tools, thus potentially simplifying installation of the door latch assembly.
In the depicted embodiment, the keyways and keys are configured such that the handles can be attached to their respective escutcheon plates when the handles are oriented downwardly (e.g., typically towards the floor or ground) and rotated up to their operative position shown in
When the two escutcheon plates of the handle assembly are mounted to the door panel of the storm door with the latch mechanism of the assembly between there, a driving rod extends through the latch mechanism in the door panel between the interior and exterior door handles. In some embodiments of the door latch assemblies described herein, the handles may not (during normal operation, i.e., when the latch assembly is operational), rotate completely to the insertion orientation (e.g., the downward position), so that the interior handle 55 remains attached to the escutcheon plate 53 and the exterior handle 54 remains attached to the exterior escutcheon plate 52. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the handles may be attached to their respective escutcheon plates easily, quickly, and without the use of a troublesome set screw or tools.
In some embodiments of the door systems described herein, the door system may be referenced, when mounted in an opening, to the bottom or sill of the opening rather than to the top or header of the opening. In other words, to install the door system in an entry opening, it is positioned in the opening with the bottoms of its vertical jambs resting on the sill as opposed to being raised up to engage the drip cap with the header as in prior art systems.
In some embodiments of the door systems described herein, a resulting gap at the top of the door may preferably be covered and compensated for with an appropriate drip cap mounting flange attached to the drip cap of the storm door assembly as discussed in more detail below with reference to
Referencing the door system to the sill rather than the header may, in some embodiments (e.g., in pre-hung door systems), provide an opportunity to compensate for any potential sag of the door panel within its frame when installed.
After the jambs 72 of the door system are attached with screws (or other fasteners) to the brick mould or other trim around the opening, the bottom spacer 73 can be removed. In some embodiments, removal of the spacer 73 allows the door panel 71 to sag slightly on hinges attaching the door panel 71 to the hinge side jamb 72b, preferably enough to form an acceptable gap between the top of the door panel 71 and the drip cap along the top of the frame. Thus, inherent play in the hinges may be compensated for by removal of the bottom spacer 73.
Although the bottom spacer 73 is, in the depicted embodiment, attached to the door panel 71, it should be understood that in other embodiments, a bottom spacer could be attached to the latch-side jamb 72a, with a portion of the bottom spacer being positioned underneath the bottom edge of the door panel 71 such that, when the door system is being installed, the bottom spacer would still be positioned between the bottom edge of the door panel 71 and the sill 74 to provide the racking as described herein.
Another feature that may be included in some embodiments of the door systems described herein is shown in
In some embodiments of the door systems described herein, this problem may be addressed by configuring the latch-side jamb of the door frame (sometimes referred to as a “Z-bar”) to incorporate the features of a strike plate and strike surface. In some embodiments, the strike plate and stride surface may be provided along only a portion of the length of the latch-side jamb, while in other embodiments the strike plate and strike surface may extend along the entire length of the latch-side jamb.
In the illustrative embodiment of
In some embodiments, the channel 86 may be open only at its top and bottom ends, i.e., the latch-side jamb 72a may be free of any openings that would allow, e.g., a latch bolt 83, the extend through the latch-side jamb 72a. In other words, the door opening jamb (which would be covered by the latch-side jamb 72a) cannot be viewed through any opening in the channel 86.
In some embodiments, the latch-side jamb 72a may include the strike surface 84 and strike bar 85 that extend over only a portion of the length of the latch-side jamb 72a. For example, the strike surface 84 and strike bar 85 may extend over a limited distance of the length of the latch-side jamb 72a in which the latch bolt would ever be expected to operate. For example, the strike surface 84 and strike bar 85 may extend over a distance of, e.g., 3 inches or less, 6 inches or less, or even 12 inches or less. In some embodiments, the latch-side jamb may be formed as a continuously extruded part (of, e.g., aluminum, polymer, etc.) and, in such an embodiment, the features that form the strike surface 84, strike bar 85 and channel 86 may inherently extend along the entire length of the latch-side jamb 72a. In such an embodiment, filler strips may be provided to occupy the channel 86 of the latch-side jamb 72a above and/or below the region in which the latch bolt may be expected to enter the channel 86, such that a latch bolt may be received and retained in only those portions of the channel 86 that are not occupied by the filler strips. In other embodiments, the portion of the latch-side jamb 72a that contains the strike surface 84 and strike bar 85 may simply be constructed differently that the remainder of the latch-side jamb 72a.
Incorporating strike plate functions into the latch-side jamb itself may offer some advantages such as, e.g., eliminating of the need for a separate strike plate, elimination of the need to provide a hole in the jamb to receive the latch bolt, elimination of the need to position a strike plate on the latch-side jamb, compensation for any future racking or sagging of the door panel within its frame, etc.
Referring to
The drip cap mounting flanges described herein are preferably configured for attachment above the drip cap/header of the door systems described herein so that the mounting flanges overlap with at least a portion of the drip cap/header to close any gap above the drip cap/header and the top of the opening. In some embodiments, the mounting flanges may, in addition to overlapping the drip cap, be configured to interlock with the drip cap.
In the embodiment depicted in
In those embodiments of the door systems described herein that are referenced to and that sit on the sill of an opening during installation, the sweep on the bottom of the door panel may preferably be spaced properly from the sill when installed. It may also be beneficial to protect the sweep fins along the bottom of the sweep during shipment and installation. Protection of the sweep fins as described herein means that the sweep fins are not deflected (or bent) by outside forces acting on the sweep fins (forces such as, e.g., the weight of the door pressing the sweep fins against a shipping container or a door sill during installation.
To accomplish this, the bottom spacer may, in some embodiments, be configured to serve as a sweep fin protector, one embodiment of which is shown in
In the depicted embodiment, the bottom spacer 73 may be formed with a spacer portion 95 and a sweep fin cover portion 96. Once the door system is installed in an opening, the adjustable sweep 92 can be adjusted downwardly until the spacer portion 95 rests on the sill so that the sweep fins 93 operate properly in conjunction with the sill. The bottom spacer 73 may also be used (as described above in connection with
Although the door panels depicted in
The other end of the depicted embodiment of the closer bracket 117 is formed with an elongated hole 121 at one end and one or more tabs 119 extending from its other end. Referring to the middle image of
As shown in the lower image of
The base 110 may be secured to the door jamb by any suitable technique. In depicted embodiment, the base 110 is attached to the jamb using two screws 123 driven through two holes of the base 110 and into the jamb as illustrated. The one or more tabs 119 of the bracket 117 are then inserted into the one or more slots 114 of the base and the bracket 117 is pivoted (or otherwise moved) into the base about the tabs. A third screw 124 is then driven through the elongated hole 121, through the aligned forward hole 116 of the base, and into the jamb as illustrated. Thus, as with the prior embodiment, the closer bracket 117 and the base mechanically interlock with each other as a part of the installed closer bracket assembly. In addition, the closer bracket 117 and the base 110 are also preferably “removably attached” as is discussed above in connection with the closer bracket assembly depicted in
As with the embodiment of the closer bracket assembly depicted in
The door panel of some embodiments of the door systems described herein may preferably be held securely within the frame of the door system to help hold the unit in a configuration in which the latch-side jamb on the latching side of the door panel is properly spaced from the edge of the door panel. In addition to protecting the door system during shipping, holding the frame of the door system in such a manner may allow an installer to place the door system in an opening and attach the jambs of the door system to the sides of the opening without requiring the installer to adjust the position of the jambs relative to the door panel to obtain proper spacing between the door panel edge and the iambs of the door system. This can, in some embodiments, be accomplished with one or more shipping clips removably attached between the door panel and the frame to secure the door system during shipment and installation. Such clips can be installed at, e.g., the openings that ultimately will receive the door latch assembly.
The shipping clips that may be used in connection with some embodiments of the door systems described herein may be attached to the door panel using any suitable fastener or fasteners. One embodiment of a potentially suitable fastener is depicted in
The fasteners 141, as seen in
To secure the clip 152 to the door panel 171, the fastener 141 is pressed through the hole in the clip 152 and the aligned hole in the door panel 171 and, once in place, its head 144 is depressed. This causes the expansion lobes 143 to expand such that the fastener 141 is retained within the hole. In some embodiments, it may be preferred that the fasteners 141 wedge tightly within the holes to secure the shipping clip 152 firmly in place. One embodiment of this arrangement is seen in, e.g.,
As discussed herein, the clip 152 can also be used to retain the latch-side jamb 181 in place against the edge of the door panel 171. In the depicted embodiment, the clip 152 includes retainer portion 153 configured to retain the curved strike bar 185 of the latch-side jamb 181 as a part of retaining the latch-side jamb 181 in position on the edge of the door panel 171.
It may be preferred that the clip 152 retain the latch-side jamb 181 in a position relative to the edge of the door panel 171 that is within the range of acceptable spacing between the latch-side jamb 181 and the edge of the door panel 171 for operation of the door after installation. In such an embodiment, the clip 152 is preferably retained on the door panel 171 with the latch-side jamb 181 secured in place. After the latch-side jamb 181 has been attached to the side of the opening in which the door panel 171 is being installed, the clip 152 can be removed from both the latch-side jamb 181 and the door panel 171.
As shown in
Any references and publications cited herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety into this disclosure, illustrative embodiments of the door systems, door hardware components, and methods are discussed and reference has been made to possible variations. These and other variations and modifications in the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the door systems, door hardware components, and methods described herein, and it should be understood that this invention is not limited to the illustrative embodiments set forth herein. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the claims provided below and equivalents thereof.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/183,507 filed on Jun. 15, 2016 (pending), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/512,794 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,382,751 B2), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/218,884 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,857,105 B2), which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/377,231 filed on 26 Aug. 2010, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15183507 | Jun 2016 | US |
Child | 15493250 | US | |
Parent | 14512794 | Oct 2014 | US |
Child | 15183507 | US | |
Parent | 13218884 | Aug 2011 | US |
Child | 14512794 | US |