The present invention relates to screen doors, and in particular, to screen doors that slide horizontally in order to open and/or close.
Screen doors are commonly found in residential homes and comprise a mesh screen to block items from entering while still allowing air and light to pass through. The mesh screen is typically mounted on a frame, with the frame being able to open and close using a hinged mechanism or by sliding horizontally across the door opening. Sliding screen doors have the benefit of requiring less space than hinged screen doors, as they do not require space to accommodate the swinging out of the screen doors.
Sliding screen doors may have wheels mounted on the upper and/or lower horizontal portions of the frame to allow the frame to slide on tracks located near the upper and lower portions of the door opening. Furthermore, screen doors are intended to cover the entirety of the door opening, and it is therefore desirable that screen doors be customizable in size to accommodate door openings of different sizes.
In addition, screen doors are commonly intended to be installed by homeowners (i.e. “do-it-yourselfers”), without the need for specialized tools or equipment. As such, it is also desirable that screen doors be easy to install.
Therefore, it is desirable for a sliding screen door system that is easy to customize (to fit door openings of different sizes) and that is easy to install.
In one embodiment of the invention, a screen door system comprises upper and lower tracks, two opposed vertical members, two opposed horizontal members, four corner members, and a mesh extending between the horizontal members and the vertical members. Each of the horizontal members comprises a plurality of wheel openings. Each of the corner members comprises opposed inner and outer surfaces and first and second connectors extending between the inner and outer surfaces, with the first and second connectors substantially perpendicular to each other. The corner members further comprise a first protrusion extending from the first connector, with the first protrusion being adapted to engage with one of the vertical members, and a second protrusion extending from the second connector, with the second protrusion being adapted to engage with one of the horizontal members. The corner members further comprise a wheel guide, an adjustment mechanism, and a third connector. The wheel guide extends from the second protrusion. The wheel mechanism is pivotably connected to the wheel guide, with the wheel mechanism comprising a wheel adapted to extend, at least partially, through one of the wheel openings to engage one of the upper and lower tracks. The adjustment mechanism pivots the wheel mechanism with respect to the wheel guide to adjust an extent that the wheel extends through the wheel opening. The third connector extends between the inner and outer surfaces. The inner surface, the outer surface, the first connector, the second connector, and the third connector define, at least in part, a corner cavity. The third connector comprises an opening that provides access through the corner cavity to the adjustment mechanism.
In another embodiment, the adjustment mechanism is a screw extending from the second protrusion and engaging with the wheel mechanism
In still another embodiment, rotation of the screw pivots the wheel mechanism with respect to the wheel guide.
In still yet another embodiment, the third connector is substantially parallel to the second connector.
In a further embodiment, the vertical members comprise opposed hollow vertical ends.
In yet a further embodiment, engagement of one of the corner members with one of the vertical members comprises inserting the first protrusion within one of the vertical ends.
In still yet a further embodiment, the first connector comprises one or more fastener openings for accepting fasteners.
In yet another embodiment, the vertical members comprise one or more fastener chases aligned with the fastener openings.
In a further embodiment, the corner cavity defines a corner opening, the corner opening providing access through the corner cavity to the fastener openings.
In yet a further embodiment, the first connector comprises one or more drainage openings, with the drainage openings adapted to allow liquid to exit the corner cavity.
In still yet a further embodiment, the horizontal members comprise opposed hollow horizontal ends, and engagement of one of the corner members with one of the horizontal members comprises inserting the second protrusion within one of the horizontal ends.
In another embodiment, a corner member for a screen door with horizontal and vertical members comprises opposed inner and outer surfaces and first and second connectors extending between the inner and outer surfaces, with the first and second connectors substantially perpendicular to each other. The corner member further comprises a first protrusion extending from the first connector, with the first protrusion being adapted to engage with one of the vertical members, and a second protrusion extending from the second connector, with the second protrusion being adapted to engage with one of the horizontal members. The corner member further comprises a wheel guide, an adjustment mechanism, and a third connector. The wheel guide extends from the second protrusion. The wheel mechanism is pivotably connected to the wheel guide. The adjustment mechanism adjustably pivots the wheel mechanism with respect to the wheel guide. The third connector extends between the inner and outer surfaces. The inner surface, the outer surface, the first connector, the second connector, and the third connector define, at least in part, a corner cavity. The third connector comprises an opening that provides access through the corner cavity to the adjustment mechanism.
The foregoing was intended as a summary only and of only some of the aspects of the invention. It was not intended to define the limits or requirements of the invention. Other aspects of the invention will be appreciated by reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
The embodiments of the invention will be described by reference to the drawings thereof, in which:
Referring to
The upper and lower tracks 14, 16 are preferably of sufficient length to allow the screen door 12 to move from the “closed” configuration to the “open” configuration (and configurations in between). Referring to
At least a portion of the upper track 14 is preferably located proximate to the opening upper edge 20, while at least a portion of the lower track 16 is preferably located proximate to the opening lower edge 22.
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Alternatively, or additionally, the corner first connector 86 may comprise one or more corner first connector openings 94 adapted to receive fasteners 96. The fasteners 96 secure the corner member 34 to the vertical member 32. In order to receive the fasteners 96, one or more fastener chases 98 may be formed in the interior of the vertical cavity 72. The fastener chases 98 may comprise one or more flanges extending from one or more of the vertical outer surface 36, the vertical inner surface 38, and the vertical connectors 44. The fastener chases 98 preferably extend for an entire height of the vertical member 32, but they extend for at least a portion of the vertical member 32 proximate to the vertical member ends 70. The fasteners 96 may be screws that are adapted to be screwed through the corner first connector openings 94 into the fastener chases 98, thereby securing the corner member 34 to the vertical member 32.
The corner first connector 86 may also comprise one or more drainage openings 102 that are adapted to allow for water and other liquids to pass through into the vertical cavity 72. This prevents water and other liquids from pooling or collecting within the corner member 34.
Referring to
A corner second protrusion 92 extends from the corner second connector 88 and is preferably adapted to slide within one of the horizontal member ends 74. For example, the corner second protrusion 92 may be dimensioned such as to friction fit within the horizontal cavity 76.
Alternatively, or additionally, the horizontal first connector 60 may comprise one or more horizontal first connector openings 104 adapted to receive fasteners 96. The fasteners 96 secure the horizontal member 30 to the corner member 34. In order to receive the fasteners 96, one or more fastener receivers 106 may be formed in the corner second protrusion 92. The fasteners 96 may be screws that are adapted to be screwed through the horizontal first connector openings 104 into the fastener receivers 106, thereby securing the horizontal member 30 to the corner member 34.
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For example, the body 112 comprises an attachment point 122 at which the body 112 is pivotably connected to the wheel guide 108. The adjustment screw 120 is adapted to variably extend from the corner second protrusion 92 and to engage the body 112 at a point distal from the attachment point 122. Therefore, when the adjustment screw 120 is completely within or flush with the corner second protrusion 92, the body 112 will be substantially in contact with the corner second end 80. This corresponds to a relatively small portion of the wheel 116 extending through the wheel opening 118.
As the adjustment screw 120 is adjusted to extend from corner second protrusion 92, the adjustment screw 120 will engage the body 112 and push the body 112 to pivot away from the corner second end 80. As the adjustment screw 120 extends from the corner second protrusion 92, the adjustment screw 120 will push the body 112 to pivot in direction A, as shown in
As the wheel 116 is adapted to travel within either one of the upper or lower tracks 14, 16, the adjustment screw 120 allows the portion of the wheel 116 extending through the wheel opening 118 and engaging with the upper or lower tracks 14, 16 to be adjusted, depending on the characteristics of the screen door 12 and the upper and lower tracks 14, 16.
A band 124 may also extend from the body 112 and engage with the horizontal first connector 60. The band 124 may be made from a metallic material and may be used to provide a tensioning force to provide some resistance against the action of the adjustment screw 120.
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One or more handles 140 may be located on one or both of the vertical outer surface 36 and the vertical inner surface 38 for one or both of the vertical members 32. The handles 140 allow for a user to grasp the screen door 12 and to slide the screen door 12 horizontally along the upper and lower tracks 14, 16. Furthermore, a rubber gasket 142 may be connected to one or both of the vertical members 32. The rubber gasket 142 may be attached to the vertical member 32 by insertion into at least a portion of the vertical channel 50.
The installation of the screen door system 10 will now be described. Referring to
The corner members 34 are then connected to both of the vertical ends 70 of the two vertical members 32 by inserting the corner first protrusions 90 into the vertical cavities 72 proximate to the vertical ends 70. The corner members 34 may be further secured to the vertical members 32 by attaching fasteners 96 through the connector first connector openings 94 and the fastener chases 98. This will result in the frame 26 being formed.
The mesh 28 may then be attached to the frame 26. The frame 26 has an inner perimeter 136, with the vertical grooves 42 of the two vertical members 32 and the horizontal grooves 58 of the two horizontal members 30 proximate to the inner perimeter 136. The mesh 28 comprises external edges 138 and has dimensions that are slightly larger than the inner perimeter 136, preferably such the external edges 138 extend approximately 2 inches beyond the inner perimeter 136.
The mesh is placed on the frame 26 such that the external edges 138 extend over the vertical and horizontal grooves 42, 58. By using a spline roller or similar implement to push the mesh 28 into the vertical and horizontal grooves 42, 58, the mesh 28 may be attached to the frame 26, forming the screen door 12.
The screen door 12 may then be attached to the upper and lower tracks 14, 16 by placing the wheels 116 of the upper two of the corner members 34 on the upper track 14 and by placing the wheels 116 of the lower two of the corner members 34 on the lower track 16. Each of the wheels 116 may further be adjusted so that more or less of the wheel 116 extends through the horizontal first connector opening 104, depending on the particular adjustments required to ensure that the wheel 116 properly travels on the upper or lower track 14, 16.
One or more of the handles 140 may be attached to one or both of the vertical outer surface 36 and the vertical inner surface 38 for one or both of the vertical members 32.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the preferred embodiment has been described in some detail but that certain modifications may be practiced without departing from the principles of the invention.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/CA2021/050039 | 1/15/2021 | WO |