The present invention relates to doors and doorglass assemblies.
Doors and doorglass assemblies are well known and widely used, especially in residential construction. Essentially, a doorglass assembly is a window installed within a door.
One common type of doorglass assembly includes a doorglass (e.g. an insulated glass or IG) and two frame halves for supporting the doorglass within a door. The two frame halves are secured together to sandwich both the doorglass and the door, and thereby to support the doorglass within the door.
Although this doorglass assembly has many advantages, it also has drawbacks. First, installation of the doorglass assembly within a door is labor intensive and consequently expensive. Second, if screws are used to connect the frame halves, the installation is even more labor intensive. Third, if the frame halves snap together (i.e. “screwless”), multiple fasteners must be aligned before the frame halves can be snapped together. If the frame halves are not aligned properly before installation, the snap-fit fasteners may break destroying either or both frame halves. Fourth, sealing the multiple pieces of the doorglass assembly to each other and to the door can be challenging.
The aforementioned drawbacks are overcome in the present invention in which a doorglass is supported directly by a door. More specifically, the door defines (a) a doorglass opening extending through the door and (b) a slot opening through an edge of the door. The opening and the slot are aligned with one another from transverse directions. The doorglass is supported within the door through the slot.
In the current embodiment, the slot and/or the doorglass includes glides/seals, which facilitate relative movement of the doorglass within the slot and/or which provide a weather-tight seal between the doorglass and the slot. Further in the current embodiment, the slot opens through the top edge of the door, although the slot can open through any edge of the door. Yet further in the current embodiment, a cap is installed in the open end of the slot—after the doorglass is installed—to further retain and seal the doorglass within the door.
The present invention has several advantages. First, the invention provides an assembly of relatively low complexity and cost. Second, the invention can be assembled relatively quickly. Third, the invention provides a “flush” design in which no portion of the assembly extends beyond the surfaces of the door. Fourth, the invention provides an effective seal between the doorglass and the door.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the description of the current embodiment and the drawings.
A door/doorglass assembly constructed in accordance with a current embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and generally designated 10. The assembly 10 includes a door 12, a doorglass 14, and a cap 16. The door may be for exterior and/or interior applications.
As seen in
The door 12 defines a doorglass opening 32 extending transversely through the door including the first skin 24 and the second skin 26. The door 12 also defines a slot 30 extending partially through the door from the top edge 20 to the bottom 22 of the door. The slot 30 opens through the top edge 20 of the door 12. Alternatively, the slot can open through a side edge of the door, or even through the bottom edge of the door. The slot 30 is aligned with the opening 32, and the slot and the opening intersect transversely. The slot 30 is wider and taller than the opening 32. The top of the door 20 (or whichever edge the slot opens through) further defines a countersunk opening 21 for receiving the cap 16. The opening 21 is aligned with the slot 30.
As shown in
The door 12 includes a plurality of seals 34 providing two functions. First, the seals facilitate the insertion of the doorglass 14 into the door 12. Second, the seals 34 provide a weather-tight seal between the doorglass 14 and the door 12. The current seals 34 are the material sold by Schlegel Systems, Inc. under the trademark Prolon. Alternatively, the seals 34 may be any suitable sealing product or material, now known or later developed. The seals 34 may be spring-loaded, or comprised of a material with sufficient resilient elasticity to allow flexing of the seals 34 during installation of the doorglass 14. In the current embodiment, the seals 34 provide approximately 90% of the flexibility necessary to install the doorglass within the door 12; and the skins 24 and 26 provide approximately 10% of the necessary flexibility. Of course, different materials may result in a different allocation.
The doorglass 14 is generally well-known to those skilled in the art. The current doorglass is an insulated glass (IG). Alternatively, the doorglass could be a single panel. If the doorglass is an IG, the doorglass may include a decorative panel, a blind, a shade, or something else between the two panels of the IG. The doorglass 14 preferably extends the full width of the slot 30, and also preferably extends the full height between the block 50 and the top cap 16. Consequently, the doorglass 14 completely fills and extends beyond the opening 32; and the edges of the doorglass 14 are concealed within the slot 30.
The top cap 16 includes a plug portion 42 and a pair of shoulders 40. The plug 42 may be solid or hollow and preferably is dimensioned to closely fit within the slot 30 thereby closing the slot and sealing the glass within the door 12. The cap 16 is inserted into the slot 30 until (a) the plug 42 engages the top edge of the doorglass 14 and (b) the shoulders 40 engage the countersunk ledge 21. The cap 16 may be wood, composites, metals, rubber, other materials, or any combination of the foregoing. For example, the cap 16 may be co-molded to form shoulders 40 of one material and plug 42 of another material. The cap 16 includes fasteners 44 or other means for securing the cap 16 to the door 12. Other suitable means include without limitation snap-fit fasteners and adhesives. Potentially, the cap 16 and the door 12 may be dimensioned to create a friction fit adequate to retain the cap 16 within the door.
The door 12, the doorglass 14, and the top cap 16 are fabricated using conventional techniques in view of the specifically selected materials. Appropriate techniques will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. The slot 30 and the doorglass opening 32 are formed in the door 12 using cutting, milling, or any other suitable method. Alternatively, the door 12 may be constructed out of separate pieces that are joined to define the slot 30 and opening 32. The seals 34 are manufactured and attached to the door 12 within the slot 30. The seals 34 are secured within the slot 30 using any suitable securing means including without limitation adhesives, barbs, and T-slots. The doorglass 14 is inserted into the door 12 and specifically into the slot 30 until the bottom edge of the doorglass engages the support 50. The cap 16 is installed in the slot 30 until plug 42 engages the top edge of the doorglass 14 and the shoulders 40 engage the countersunk edge 21. The fasteners 44 are installed through the shoulders 40 and into the door 12 to secure the top cap 16 and therefore the doorglass 14 within the door 12.
The above description is that of a current embodiment of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents.