Various aspects of the instant disclosure relate to fenestration products, such as sliding doors and windows. In some specific examples, the disclosure concerns sliding doors and windows configured for coplanar operation.
Traditionally, sliding doors and windows have an offset configuration in which one panel (e.g., sash or door panel) slides past an adjacent panel with the two panels being in an offset, planar arrangement in both open and closed states. In turn, hinged panels in such fenestration units typically begin in a coplanar arrangement in the closed state and then swing open angularly to an open state. Each arrangement has its own trade-offs. For example, sliding panels may not be capable of fully opening to create the widest possible opening for egress/ingress, while hinged panels require a clear path to swing open and closed.
Various aspects of this disclosure relate to coplanar fenestration units, or coplanar panel fenestration units, such as coplanar sliding doors or windows having a first panel configured to transition in and out of a coplanar relationship with a second panel. In some examples, such a fenestration unit comprises a first panel having a leading portion and a trailing portion, a second panel, a frame supporting the first and second panels, and a trolley assembly. The frame includes a first lateral member and a second lateral member. The first lateral member of the frame has a width, a trolley space extending along the width of the first lateral member, a leading track, and a trailing track. The trolley assembly is slideably received in the trolley space of the first lateral member of the frame. The trolley assembly includes a first trolley coupled to the leading portion of the first panel, and a second trolley coupled to the trailing portion of the first panel. Each of the first and the second trolleys includes a guide pin having a longitudinal degree of freedom along the width of the first lateral member and a lateral degree of freedom perpendicular to the width of the first lateral member. The guide pin of the first trolley is slideably received in the leading track and the guide pin of the second trolley is slideably received in the trailing track such that the guide pins of the first and second trolleys guide the first panel out of a coplanar relationship with the second panel when the first panel is slid to an opened position and guide the first panel into a coplanar relationship with the second panel when the first panel is slid to a closed position.
In some examples, such a fenestration unit comprises a first panel having a leading end and a trailing end, a second panel, a frame, and a first sliding means. The frame includes a first guiding means for guiding the leading end of the first panel in and out of a coplanar relationship with the second panel, and a second guiding means for guiding the trailing end of the first panel in and out of the coplanar relationship with the second panel. The first sliding means is coupled to the first panel and slideably coupled to the frame. The first sliding means may be coupled to the first panel near the leading end, and a second sliding means of the fenestration unit may be coupled to the first panel near the trailing end. The first and second sliding means may be configured to slide the first panel in and out of the coplanar relationship with the second panel. The first sliding means may comprise a first support roller, and the second sliding means may comprise a second support roller.
While multiple inventive examples are specifically disclosed, various modifications and combinations of features from those examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. Accordingly, the disclosed examples are meant to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
While the disclosure is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail below. The disclosure, however, is not limited to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
Coplanar fenestration units according to the inventive examples may be adapted for sliding doors, sliding windows, and any other fenestration unit having a sliding panel. A coplanar fenestration unit provides aesthetically desired paralleled panel-to-panel, and/or panel-to-wall relationships in a closed state. The sliding mechanism helps minimize the space required to transition from the closed state to an opened state for the fenestration units when compared to others such as ones with hinged panels. For example, a fenestration unit in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure may include a first sliding panel and a second panel that may be a sliding panel, a hinged panel, a fixed panel, or combinations thereof.
For reference, the term “coplanar” as used herein is not meant to require two components having the same thickness (e.g., two door panels of the same thickness) and scenarios where both interior and exterior surfaces are aligned unless otherwise specified. Instead, the term “coplanar” as used herein is meant to encompass scenarios where the bodies of two objects would interfere with one another such that one panel could not otherwise be slid laterally relative to the other panel. In other words, unless otherwise specified, the term is meant to include scenarios in which some portions of each of the two objects (e.g., door panels) reside in the same plane and would interfere with one another if slid in a purely lateral direction.
As shown, the first guiding means 60 may be a first guide track or leading track 68 and the second guiding means 64 may be a second guide track or trailing track 72. The leading and trailing tracks 68, 72 may be recessed into the first lateral member 36 of the frame 24. The leading and trailing tracks 68, 72 may be blind or through recesses. The leading track 68 includes a leading end 76, a trailing end 80, and one or more arced sections 84. In some examples, the leading track 68 is configured to limit the acceleration of the slideably coupled first panel 28 when transitioning between the closed and opened states. For example, a force applied to the first panel 28 by a user to transition the first panel 28 between the closed and opened states may be applied substantially laterally across the width of the frame 24 of the fenestration unit 20. The arced sections 84 of the leading track 68 may limit the acceleration of the first panel 28 in response to the force applied by providing a first resistive force in the counter direction of the applied force. The acceleration may be a lateral acceleration relating to the open/close motion.
In some examples, the trailing track 72 includes a leading end 88, a trailing end 92, and an angled section 96 extending substantially diagonally. The angled section 96 may be closer to the trailing end 92 of the trailing track 72 than the leading end 88 of the trailing track 72. In some examples, the trailing track 72 is configured to limit acceleration of the first panel 28. For example, a force applied to the first panel 28 by a user to transition the first panel 28 between the closed and opened states may be applied substantially laterally across the width of the frame 24 of the fenestration unit 20. The angled section 96 of the trailing track 72 may limit the acceleration of the first panel 28 in response to the force applied by providing a second resistive force in the counter direction of the applied force.
In some examples, the trailing track 72 includes a first straight section 100 near the leading end 88 of the trailing track 72. In some examples, the first straight section 100 helps improve wind load performance of the fenestration unit 20, such as by being substantially parallel to the first lateral member 36 of the frame 24. For example, a wind load may be substantially perpendicular to the first panel 28 and thus the first straight section 100 of the trailing track 72 may be substantially perpendicular to the wind load such that the first panel 28 is impeded from move along the trailing track 72 in response to the wind load. In various embodiments, the substantially perpendicular relationship between the straight section 100 and the wind load helps limit the reaction force created in response to the wind load to also be substantially perpendicular to the straight section. Similar straight sections may further be adapted for the trailing end 92 of the trailing track 72, the leading end 76 of the leading track 68, and/or the trailing end 80 of the leading track 68, to help further improve wind load performance of the fenestration unit 20. The straight sections may increase a magnitude of the wind load required to cause the first panel 28 of the fenestration unit 20, in the closed and/or opened states, to unintentionally move in response to the wind load. In various embodiments, each of the leading and trailing tracks 68, 72 may extend along the first lateral member 36 of the frame 24 by at least a width of the first panel 28.
As illustrated, the first panel 28 includes a slanted bevel 140 at the trailing portion 56 of the first panel 28. The first slanted bevel 140 of the first panel 28 may be configured to neighbor a slanted bevel 144 of the second panel 32 in the closed state. For example, in a closed position, the slanted bevels 140, 144 may be substantially parallel (e.g., differ by less than 5 degrees) and narrowly spaced, such as between 0.25 inch and 1 inch, such as between 0.5 inch to 0.75 inch, such as 0.5 inch. Alternatively, the slanted bevel 140 of the first panel 28 may be configured to substantially neighbor one of the longitudinal members 44, 48 (see
As shown, the trolley assembly 152 includes a first trolley 164 configured to be coupled to the leading portion 52 of the first panel 28, and a second trolley 168 configured to be coupled to the trailing portion 56 of the first panel 28. The first trolley 164 may be a first sliding means of the one or more sliding means, and the second trolley 168 may be a second sliding means of the one or more sliding means. The first trolley 164 may be a first conveyor 131 of the one or more conveyors and the second trolley 168 may be a second conveyor 135 of the one or more conveyors. The first trolley 164 may include a guide pin 172, and the second trolley 168 may include a guide pin 176. The guide pin 172 of the first trolley 164 is configured to be slideably received in the leading track 72 of the first lateral member 36 of the frame 24. The guide pin 176 of the second trolley 168 is configured to be slideably received in the trailing track 76 of the first lateral member 36 of the frame 24. The guide pins 172, 176 are configured to guide the first panel 28 out of a coplanar relationship with the second panel 32 when the first panel 28 is slid to the opened state or position, and to guide the first panel 28 into the coplanar relationship with the second panel 32 (see
As shown, the first trolley 164 may include a shaft 180 having a first end 184 and a second end 188. The second trolley 168 may include a shaft 192 having a first end 196 and a second end 200. The first trolley 164 may further include a linear bearing 204 slideably coupled to the shaft 180, rigidly coupled with the guide pin 172, and releasably and/or rotatably coupled to the first panel 28. The second trolley 168 may further include a linear bearing 208 slideably coupled to the shaft 192, rigidly coupled with the guide pin 176, and releasably coupled to the first panel 28. The first trolley 164 may further include a first conveyor bearing 212 rotatably coupled to the first end 184 of the shaft 180, and a second conveyor bearing 216 rotatably coupled to the second end 188 of the shaft 180. The first and/or second conveyor bearings 212, 216 may be anti-friction bearings, low-friction bearings, ball bearings, sliding bearings, rolling bearings, magnetic bearings, and/or omnidirectional bearings. Similarly, the second trolley 168 may further include a first conveyor bearing 220 rotatably coupled to the first end 196 of the shaft 192, and a second conveyor bearing 224 rotatably coupled to the second end 200 of the shaft 192. The first conveyor bearings 212, 220 may be slideably or rollably received in the first side channel 156 of the first lateral member 36, and the second conveyor bearings 216, 224 may be slideably or rollably received in the second side channel 160 of the first lateral member 36.
In various embodiments, the trolley assembly 152 includes a first steering arm 228 and a second steering arm 232. The first steering arm 228 may be coupled to the first trolley 164 and the second steering arm 232 may be coupled to the second trolley 168. The steering arms 228, 232 may be slideably received in the first and second side channels 156, 160 of the first lateral member 36. The first steering arm 228 may include a third conveyor bearing 236 and a fourth conveyor bearing 240. The second steering arm 232 may include a third conveyor bearing 244 and a fourth conveyor bearing 248. The third conveyor bearings 236, 244 may be movably (e.g., slideably or rollably) coupled to the first side channel 156 of the first lateral member 36. The fourth conveyor bearings 240, 248 may be movably (e.g., slideably or rollably) coupled to the second side channel 160 of the first lateral member 36. The third and/or fourth conveyor bearings may be anti-friction bearings, low-friction bearings, ball bearings, sliding bearings, rolling bearings, magnetic bearings, and/or omnidirectional bearings. In some embodiments, a gap 252 with variable width may be defined between the first and second steering arms 228, 232. The width of the gap 252 changes while the fenestration unit 20 transitions between the closed state and the opened state as a result of the non-linear guiding means such as the leading track 68 and trailing track 72 of the first lateral member 36.
As shown, the trolley assembly 152 may include one or more stabilizing members 264 configured to be positioned in the first and/or the second side channels 156, 160. The one or more stabilizing members 264 may be operatively coupled to the conveyor bearings 212, 216, 220, 224 to be movable in the side channels 156, 160. The stabilizing members 264 may be configured to improve stability and reduce rattling as the fenestration unit transition between the closed and opened positions (i.e., when the conveyor bearings move along the side channels). The fenestration unit 20 may further include one or more releasable members including a first releasable member 256 (see
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, while the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this disclosure also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/402,014 filed May 2, 2019, which claims priority to Provisional Application 62/665,774 filed on May 2, 2018, both of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62665774 | May 2018 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16402014 | May 2019 | US |
Child | 17087443 | US |