1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to improvements in security systems for sliding glass doors and windows with movable elements, which allow air to flow therethrough while preventing human entry into a structure. More particularly, the invention pertains to security insert panels installed in vertically stacked relation, within the open portion of a door or window frame, securely engaging channels within the frame as well as the movable door or window element.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
Sliding glass doors are appreciated because they provide abundant light, convenient ingress and egress, and fresh air ventilation to a home or other structure. A slideable screen door is usually provided as well, to work in conjunction with the slideable glass door. Windows with slideable elements also provide light and ventilation, and they are typically provided with fixed screens to keep out insects and to some degree block the full intensity of the sun's rays. However, screens provided on sliding glass doors and windows provide little security from intruders, as they can easily be penetrated and unlocked or removed.
For the purpose of providing additional security for sliding glass doors and windows that have a movable element, the prior art teaches a number of different approaches. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,868, granted to Riise, a Sliding-Door Security Screen is shown. In one embodiment of the invention, a unitary rigid lattice structure is installed between the upper and lower trackways of a sliding door, one vertical side of the lattice structure abutting the door jamb and the other vertical side abutting the outer edge of the sliding door. A second embodiment includes a hinge between upper and lower parts of the same lattice structure, to facilitate handling and storage. See,
A Security Ventilation System is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,049, issued to Maust. This arrangement relies upon metal grills which are fashioned to fit either a sliding glass door or a window. The metal grills are held in place on one side by means of a vertical channel fitted to the left channel of the door frame. The other side of the grills are secured within a plurality of vertically-aligned channels fastened to the left-hand stile of the open door. It is evident that Maust requires drilling and modification to the existing door frame and door, for the installation of his system.
Similarly, in Patent Application Publication US 2011/0225887, filed by Manier for Fresh Air Safety Bars, mounting plates welded or bolted to the hinge assembly for the safety bars, must be mounted on the interior wall of the building, immediately adjacent the respective window or sliding-glass door to be fitted with the bars.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,024,820, issued to Dustin, a Sliding Door Security Assembly is illustrated. This single-piece insert fits into an opening made when a sliding door is partially opened to define an opening between the door jamb and the stile of the facing sliding door. Dustin relies upon a locking shim between the upper transverse member of the insert and the upper track to prevent insert removal. Locking pins, attached to the insert frame and inserted into a mating hole in the facing sliding door style, are provided. A height adjustability feature is shown in
It is an object herein to disclose a security insert system employing two separate, but cooperating, security insert panels, for sliding glass doors or windows.
It is a further object to provide security insert panels for sliding glass doors and windows which are easy to handle, adjust, install, remove, and store.
It is also an object herein to disclose a security insert panel which is adjustable in height, yet retains full strength and structural integrity throughout its range of adjustability.
It is also an object herein to teach security insert panels which are easily adjustable to fit a vertical opening in a sliding glass door, ranging from approximately 6.5 feet to approximately 8 feet.
It is further an object herein to disclose security insert panels which may be utilized without any modifications or additions to the existing sliding glass door or window, into which they are installed.
These and other objects will become apparent in the specification and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, to follow.
The device disclosed herein comprises a security insert system for sliding glass doors and windows. The security insert system includes a lower security panel and an upper security panel, arranged in vertically stacked relation. Each of the security panels includes a lower section having: a lower base, sized and configured to slide within both a lower channel and an upper channel of the sliding glass door or window; a jamb side rail, having a pair of parallel flanges sized and configured to slide within a jamb channel of the sliding glass door or window; a stile side rail, parallel to the jamb side rail, and including a pair of parallel flanges sized and configured to receive the jam-engaging stile of the sliding glass door or window.
The lower section of each panel also includes a plurality of security tubes located between the jamb side rail and the stile side rail. The security tubes are attached to the lower base and extend vertically upwardly therefrom. The security tubes are also arranged in spaced relation along the lower base, a predetermined distance from each other and from the opposing side rails. Lastly, the security tubes have open upper ends.
Each of the security panels also includes an upper section having: an upper base; a jamb connection bar attached to one end of the upper base and extending vertically downwardly therefrom; a stile connection bar attached to the other end of the upper base and extending vertically downwardly therefrom; and, a plurality of security rods located between the jamb and the stile connection bars, the security rods being attached to the upper base and extending vertically downwardly therefrom. The security rods are also arranged in spaced relation along the upper base a predetermined distance from each other and from the connection bars. Lastly, the security rods are sized and configured to slide within the open ends of the security tubes.
For the purpose of interconnecting the lower section and the upper section of the panels together, fastening means is provided for adjustably connecting the jamb connection bar to the jamb side rail, and the stile connection bar to said stile side rail. In this case, a plurality of apertures along the connection bars and the rails in combination with bolts and nuts provide the height adjustability function and the fastening function.
In use, the combined height of lower security panel and/or the height of the upper security panel are adjusted closely to match, but not exceed, the vertical distance between the bottom of the lower channel and the top of the upper channel of the sliding glass door or window. For a relatively short sliding glass door, leaving the lower security panel at its minimum height may suffice, so that only the upper security panel needs to be adjusted to make up the required height. However, for a sliding glass door that is 8 feet or so in height, both the upper and lower panels will likely have to be extended appropriately.
After height adjustment of the panels is completed, the base of the lower security panel is inserted within the lower channel of the sliding glass door or window, and slid within the lower channel until the jamb side rail of the lower security panel is inserted within the jamb channel of the sliding glass door or window.
The upper security panel is preferably identical in structure to the lower security panel. However, when the upper security panel is installed, it is inverted end for end, with respect to orientation of the lower security panel. Thus, the lower base of said upper security panel is inserted within the upper channel of the sliding glass door or window. And, the upper base of the upper security panel is slid over the lower security panel with the upper base of the upper security panel resting over the upper base of said lower security panel, the two panels being arranged in vertically stacked relation.
Next, the upper security panel is slid until the jamb side rail of the upper security panel is inserted within the jamb channel of the sliding glass door or window. To secure the panels, the jam-engaging stile of the sliding glass door or movable element of a window is slid until it is inserted within the stile side rail of the upper security panel and the stile side rail of the lower security panel.
To prevent the sliding glass door or movable window element from being slid to an open position, a limit stop member is provided. This may be in the form of a pole or bar, which may also be adjustable in length. The limit stop member is preferably located in the lower channel of the sliding glass door or window between its other stile and the other jamb of the sliding glass door or window.
Turning now to the drawings,
Sliding glass door 12 has a peripheral frame 13, including a head 14, a sill 16, a first jamb 17, and an opposing second jamb 18. Sill 16 includes an upwardly facing lower channel 19, extending from jamb 17 to jamb 18. Likewise, head 14 includes a downwardly facing upper channel 21, extending from jamb 17 to jamb 18. Sliding glass door 12 also includes a stationary door panel 22, and a slideable door panel 23.
Slideable door panel 23 includes upper and lower rollers (not shown) which support and provide registration for panel 23, for sliding translation within upper channel 21 and lower channel 19. Slideable door panel 23 also includes a jam-engaging stile 24 on one side, fitted with hardware 26, such as a handle and a locking mechanism. Sliding door panel 23 also includes a stile 25 on the other side of the door panel 23.
Jamb 17 includes an inwardly facing jamb channel 27, sized and configured to receive jam-engaging stile 24, when the slideable door panel 23 is in a closed position. Jamb channel 27 also includes a receiver or an aperture (not shown) to which the locking mechanism of hardware 26 couples to lock slideable door panel 23 securely to the peripheral frame 13.
The security insert system 11 comprises a lower security panel 28 and an upper security panel 29. In the preferred embodiment of the system 11, both security panels 28 and 29 are identical in construction. However, as will be explained more fully below, when panels 28 and 29 are installed within a sliding glass door 12, upper panel 29 is inverted, or flipped top for bottom, with respect to the orientation of lower panel 28. (See,
As shown in
Lower section 31 also includes a stile side rail 41. Stile side rail 41 has a lower end 42 attached to the door stile end 34 of lower base 32, and extends vertically therefrom. Stile side rail 41 further has an upper end 43, and a pair of flanges 44 sized and configured to receive the stile 24 of the sliding glass door or window in the same fashion as jamb channel 27. A plurality of vertically extending apertures 46 is provided along the upper end 38 of jamb side rail 36, and along upper end 43 of stile side rail 41.
Lower section 31 further includes a plurality of security tubes 47 located between side rails 36 and 41, attached to lower base 32 and extending vertically therefrom. Security tubes 47 are arranged in spaced relation along lower base 32 a predetermined distance from each other and from the side rails 36 and 41. This predetermined distance is selected to prevent the ingress or egress of a person, while providing sufficient open passageways for air ventilation through the security panel 28. Security tubes 47 are preferably square in cross-section, but other configurations such as circular or faceted walls for the tubes, would perform equally well. Security tubes 47 are also provided with open upper ends 48.
Lower security panel 28 also has an upper section 49. Upper section 49 comprises an elongated upper base 51, with a jamb end 52 and a door stile end 53. Upper section 49 also includes jamb connection bar 54 and a stile connection bar 56. Jamb connection bar 54 has an upper end attached to the jamb end 52 of said upper base 51, extending vertically therefrom. In similar fashion, stile connection bar 56 has an upper end attached to the stile end 52 of upper base 51, extending vertically therefrom.
Upper section 49 further includes a plurality of security rods 57 located between connection bars 54 and 56, and attached to upper base 51 extending vertically therefrom. Security rods 57 are arranged in spaced relation along upper base 51 a predetermined distance from each other and from connection bars 54 and 56, so as to provide coaxial alignment with security tubes 47 when upper section 49 is assembled with lower section 31. Further to that end, security rods 57 are sized and configured to slide within open ends 48 of security tubes 47. (See,
Interconnection means 58 is provided for adjustably connecting upper section 49 to lower section 31, for the purpose of establishing a predetermined distance between lower base 32 and upper base 51. Interconnection means 58 comprises a plurality of vertically spaced apertures 59 arranged both along jamb connection bar 54 and along stile connection bar 56, and a plurality of fasteners in the form of bolts 61 and nuts 62. Insertable locking pins, lever arms having a hook or a recess for engaging respective pins, or locking lever cam arrangements would all provide suitable substitutions. Previously mentioned apertures 46 in the upper ends 38 and 43 of the jamb side rail 36 and the stile side rail 41, are also part of interconnection means 58.
When upper section 49 is lowered over lower section 31, connection bars 54 and 56 slide over the outside portions of respective side rails 41 and 36. Simultaneously, care is taken to align and insert the ends of rods 57 into open upper ends 48. Once the predetermined distance between lower base 32 and upper base 51 is achieved, bolts 61 are passed through apertures 59 and 46, and secured in place with nuts 62. (See,
It should also be noted that the upper ends of flanges 39 on the jamb side rail 36 include a jamb cutout 63, to accommodate any pre-existing jam hardware. Similarly, the upper ends of flanges 44 on the stile side rail 41 includes a stile cutout 64, to accommodate any pre-existing stile hardware. Such pre-existing hardware may include locking levers, receivers, grips, and handles and the like.
To prevent mechanical interference and to provide clearance between the flanges 39 and 44 and the walls of lower channel 19 in the sill 16, channel cutouts 66 and 67 are provided. These same channel cutouts 66 and 67 perform the identical clearance function for upper security panel 29, with respect to avoiding mechanical interference with the walls of upper channel 21 in head 14. (See,
To fit a sliding glass door 12 with the security insert system 11, the slideable door panel 23 is first moved into an open position. The lower base 32 of lower security panel 28 is inserted within the lower channel 19 of the sliding glass door 12, and then slid within the lower channel until the jamb side rail 36 of the lower security panel 28 is inserted within the jamb channel 27 of the sliding glass door.
The upper security panel 29 is inverted top for bottom in preparation for installation. Next, the lower base 32 of the upper security panel 29 is inserted within the upper channel 21 of the sliding glass door 12. The upper security panel 29 is then slid over the top of the lower security panel 28, with the upper base 51 of upper security panel 29 resting over the upper base 51 of the lower security panel 28, in vertically stacked relation. The upper security panel 29 is slid then until the jamb side rail 36 of the upper security panel 29 is inserted within the jamb channel 27 of the sliding glass door 12.
The slideable door panel 23 is slid in a closing direction until its jamb-engaging stile 24 of the sliding glass door 12 is fully inserted within the stile side rail 41 of the upper security panel 29 and the stile side rail 41 of the lower security panel 28. If the door 12 is equipped with a sliding screen door (not shown), that screen door can be left in place, preventing insects and the like from entering the dwelling or structure.
For the purpose of ensuring that the slideable door panel 23 cannot be moved toward an open position by an intruder, a limit stop 68 is inserted between the stile 25 on the other side of the door panel and the second jamb 18. (See,
The security insert system 11 is easily removed from the sliding glass door 12, by reversing the installation process. The limit stop 68 is removed first. After sliding the door panel 23 slightly out of engagement with the stile side rails 41, the upper panel 29 and the lower panel 28 are easily removed, in that order. There is no other hardware, fixtures, or attachments to the door or the surrounding walls which needs to be removed.
The identical security insert system 11 may be used in the same fashion with a window, having either a horizontally or a vertically sliding movable panel. The security insert panels would only have to sized appropriately for a window. Because the panels 28 and 29 and the limit stop 68 are relatively small, separate, and lightweight structures, they are easily handled for storage underneath a bed or in a closet, until needed.
Preferably, at least one of the security insert panels 28 or 29, is adjustable in height, to accommodate sliding doors and windows of different dimensions and to provide a snug fit for the panels within the upper and lower channels of the door or window frame. An alternative embodiment of the security insert system 11 is shown in
Because it has a fixed height, security insert panel 71 includes security tubes 72 which extend from lower base 32 to an upper base 73. As there is no adjustability feature, upper base 73 is affixed directly to upper end 43 of stile side rail 41, and to upper end 38 of jamb side rail 36. In all other respects, security insert panel 71 is identical to previously described lower security panel 28 and upper security panel 29. And, in installation, security panel 71 is installed precisely as described for lower security panel 28, except no adjustment of is height is possible or needed. Only upper security panel 29 needs to be adjusted for height, in the use of the security insert system 11 shown in
Pursuant to the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §119(e)(1), Applicant claims the priority of: U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/956,066 filed Jun. 1, 2013.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61956066 | Jun 2013 | US |