DOOR/DOORGLASS ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A door/doorglass assembly including a door, a doorglass and a cap. The door defines a doorglass opening and a slot aligned with the opening. The slot extends through the top edge of the door. The doorglass can be slid into the door through the slot and into alignment with the doorglass opening. The cap is secured in the top edge of the door to enclose the doorglass within the door.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

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.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

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.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of the door/doorglass assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective partially exploded view of the door/doorglass assembly, showing the doorglass partially installed within the door;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the fully assembled door/doorglass assembly;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, with portions enlarged, of the door/doorglass assembly taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the door/doorglass assembly within line V in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the doorglass assembly taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT EMBODIMENT

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 FIGS. 1-6, the door 12 includes a frame 36, an inward face or first side or first skin 24, and an outward face or second side or second skin 26. The frame includes an top member 36a and a bottom member 36b. Currently, the frame is wood, and the skins are fiberglass or steel. The skins 24 and 26 are adhered to the frame 36. A polyurethane or other structural/insulative foam 28 fills the space between the skins. Any door construction having the opening/slot geometry defined below could be substituted for the construction of the current embodiment.

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 FIG. 4, a block 50 supports the bottom edge of the doorglass 14. The block 50 currently is wood, but may be any other material suitable for supporting the doorglass 14.

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.

Assembly

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.

Claims

1. A door assembly including:

a door having a top edge, the door defining a doorglass opening and a slot extending through said top edge and having a portion aligned with the doorglass opening;

a doorglass within the slot in the door, the doorglass aligned with the doorglass opening; and

a cap secured in the slot at the top edge to enclose the doorglass within the door.

2. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein the slot extends substantially the entire height of the door.

3. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein the door includes a weather-tight seal between the doorglass and the door.

4. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein the cap includes a plug engaging the doorglass and a pair of shoulders engaging the door.

5. The door assembly of claim 4 wherein the cap further includes a pair of fasteners extending through the shoulders and into the door.

6. A door assembly comprising:

a door having first and second sides and an edge, the door defining a doorglass opening extending through said first and second sides, the door further defining a slot extending through the edge and communicating with the doorglass opening;

a doorglass within the slot and aligned with the doorglass opening, the slot enabling the doorglass to be slid through the slot and into alignment with the doorglass opening; and

a closure within the slot to close the slot.

7. The door assembly of claim 6 wherein the edge is a top edge.

8. The door assembly of claim 6 wherein the slot extends substantially the entire height of the door.

9. The door assembly of claim 6 wherein the doorglass extends through a portion of the height of the door.

10. The door assembly of claim 6 wherein the doorglass opening is narrower than the slot when viewed through the first and second sides of the door, whereby the lateral edges of the doorglass are hidden within the slot.

11. A door assembly comprising:

a door defining a doorglass opening, the door including an edge, the door further defining a slot through said edge, the slot communicating with the doorglass opening; and

a doorglass within the slot and aligned with the doorglass opening, the doorglass being capable of sliding into alignment with the doorglass opening through the slot.

12. A door assembly as defined in claim 11 further comprising a closure secured within the slot.

13. A door assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein the edge is a top edge.