Claims
- 1. A threshold assembly for spanning the bottoms of the vertical jambs of an entryway, said threshold assembly comprising:
an elongated unitarily molded body defining an upwardly open channel along its inside edge portion and a support substrate projecting outwardly form said channel to an outside edge; a sill plate attachment slot formed in said elongated body; a sill plate mounted on said body covering and supported by said support substrate, said sill plate having an outside edge portion profiled to fit over said outside edge of said support substrate and an inside edge formed with a flange configured and positioned to be snapped into said sill plate attachment slot to secure said sill plate to said molded body; and a threshold cap disposed in said upwardly open channel for underlying a closed door.
- 2. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said unitarily molded body is made of plastic.
- 3. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said unitarily molded body is made of a plastic composite comprising a plastic and a filler.
- 4. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 3 and wherein said plastic composite is blown to exhibit a cellular core structure.
- 5. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 4 and wherein said filler is wood flour.
- 6. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 5 and wherein said wood flour comprises about 20 percent by volume of said plastic composite.
- 7. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 6 and where said plastic is polypropylene.
- 8. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said molded body defines a nosing along the inside edge of said body, said nosing forming the inside wall of said upwardly open channel.
- 9. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 8 and further comprising a nosing cover covering said nosing.
- 10. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 8 an wherein said molded body further defines an upstanding dam along the outside edge of said upwardly open channel, said upstanding dam forming the outside wall of said upwardly open channel.
- 11. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 10 and wherein said sill plate attachment slot is formed in said support substrate extending along and adjacent to said upstanding dam and wherein said flange comprises a down-turned barbed tab formed along said inside edge of said sill plate for pressing into said slot.
- 12. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 11 and wherein said sill plate is formed of extruded aluminum.
- 13. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 11 and further comprising lateral drain channels formed on said support substrate, each lateral drain channel communicating at one end with said slot for receiving water from said slot and directing it to the outside edge portion of said support substrate for drainage.
- 14. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 13 and further comprising jamb boots integrally formed with said molded body on the ends thereof.
- 15. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 14 and wherein said lateral drain channels are formed at the end portions of said support substrate along said jamb boots.
- 16. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 15 and wherein said support substrate is formed with spaced lateral ribs for supporting said sill plate.
- 17. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said molded body is formed with an upstanding nosing along its inside edge, said nosing forming the inside wall of the upwardly open channel, and wherein said sill plate is formed with a vertical wall along its inside edge, a first portion of said vertical wall extending downwardly to engage with said sill plate attachment slot and a second portion of said wall extending upwardly to define a dam, said vertical wall defining the outside wall of said upwardly open channel.
- 18. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 17 and wherein said molded body is formed with a ledge along the outside edge of said upwardly open channel and said sill plate attachment slot is defined beneath at least one inwardly extending tab disposed along said ledge, said downwardly extending portion of said vertical wall covering said ledge and said at least one tab and including an outturned hook sized and positioned to extend onto said slot to hold said sill plate securely in place on said molded body.
- 19. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 17 and wherein said threshold cap is a non-vertically adjustable threshold cap that may be selectively positioned along the length of said upwardly open channel to a desired location.
- 20. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 17 and wherein said threshold cap is a vertically adjustable threshold cap.
- 21. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 20 and wherein said upwardly open channel has a floor and wherein said adjustable threshold cap includes adjustment lugs that slidably rest on said floor so that said threshold cap may be selectively positioned along the length of said upwardly open channel to a desired position.
- 22. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 17 and further comprising a sidelight panel cap disposed in said upwardly open channel, said sidelight panel cap and said threshold cap each being selectively positionable along the length of said upwardly open channel to desired positions.
- 23. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 17 and wherein said support substrate is formed with spaced transversely extending ribs along its length for underlying and supporting said sill plate.
- 24. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 23 and wherein said end portions of said molded body are sufficiently wide to accept fasteners used to attach jambs to said threshold assembly and to allow cutting, honing, and notching operations.
- 25. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 24 and further comprising stress relief features formed in said end portions of said molded body.
- 26. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 24 and wherein said support substrate further includes at least one relatively wide region positioned to underlie and support a mull post of an entryway system.
- 27. A threshold assembly comprising:
a unitarily molded body defining an elongated upwardly open channel from which a support substrate extends outwardly to an outside edge; an attachment slot formed along said molded body; a sill plate mounted on said molded body covering and supported by said support substrate, said sill plate having an outside edge portion disposed along said outside edge of said support substrate and an inside edge portion formed with a vertical wall; said vertical wall defining the outside wall of said upwardly open channel and having a downwardly projecting portion disposed in said attachment slot holding said sill plate in place on said body and an upwardly projecting portion forming a dam; and a threshold cap disposed in said upwardly open channel.
- 28. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 27 and wherein said molded body is formed of plastic.
- 29. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 27 and wherein said molded body is formed of a plastic composite comprising a plastic and a filler.
- 30. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 29 and wherein said filler is wood flour.
- 31. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 30 and wherein said wood flour comprises from about 10 to about 50 percent by volume of said composite.
- 32. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 20 and wherein said filler is rice hulls.
- 33. A threshold assembly as claimed in claim 27 and wherein said molded body defines an upstanding nosing along an inside edge portion of said body and further comprising a nosing cover covering said nosing.
- 34. A method of assembling a threshold assembly comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a unitary molded body defining an upwardly open channel, a support substrate extending from the channel to an outside edge, and an elongated attachment slot adjacent the inside edge portion of said support substrate; (b) providing a sill plate with an outside edge portion contoured to fit over the outside edge of the support substrate and an inside edge portion formed with a tab positioned to be received in the attachment slot; (c) positioning the outside edge of the sill plate over the outside edge of the molded body; (d) urging the inside edge portion of the sill plate toward the molded body until the tab is securely seated in the attachment slot; and (e) inserting a threshold cap in the upwardly open channel.
- 35. The method of claim 34 and wherein the molded body forms an upstanding nosing along the inside edge of the body and further comprising the step of snapping a nosing cover over the upstanding nosing.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 60/244,973 filed on Nov. 1, 2000 is hereby claimed.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60244973 |
Nov 2000 |
US |