AU637223B2

AU637223B2 - Sliding security screen

Info

Publication number: AU637223B2
Application number: AU76266/91A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Malcolm D. Dr. Campbell
Original assignee: Dowell Australia Ltd
Current assignee: Dowell Australia Ltd
Priority date: 1991-04-26
Filing date: 1991-04-26
Publication date: 1993-05-20
Anticipated expiration: 2011-04-26
Also published as: AU7626691A

Description

AUSTRALIA

g37223 Patent Act COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: 0* 0000 *0 0 0 00 0 00.

Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: 0 0000 00 0000 00.

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*0 0 0 00 Names(s) of Applicant(s): McILWRAITH-DAVEY PTY. LTD.

Address of Applicants: 34 York Street, Richmond, Victoria 3121,

AUSTRALIA

Our Address for service is: PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street MELBOURNE, Australia 3000 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: SLIDING SECURITY SCREEN The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to applicant(s): 0804N 2 SLIDING SECURITY SCREEN This invention relates to a sliding screen for a door, window or similar opening. The invention particularly concerns sliding screen constructions which offer improved security compared with similar screens now in use.

As indicated, the present invention relates broadly to sliding screens including sliding windows and is applicable to such screens which may be used to close or open access to a variety of openings. While the following description will refer primarily to door openings for ease of description, it is to be appreciated that the invention is applicable to oooo screens for other openings such as window openings and service hatchways.

A doorway is generally considered as defined by a substantially vertical jamb on each side of the door o*o9 opening, a sill below the opening and a head beam above the opening. Many doorways are provided with a door hinged to one of the jambs which is adapted to open and close access to the door opening. However, it is also a common practice to form doorways with a panel door sliding on tracks fixed to the sill and/or head of the doorway and a fixed panel adjacent to the door opening. Either or both of the door panel and the fixed panel may be of glass mounted in an appropriate frame of wood and/or metal. In the latter type of construction, the sides of the door opening are defined by a jamb adjacent to the wall in which the doorway is formed and a mullion between the door opening and the fixed panel.

Particularly with the latter form of sliding door construction, a sliding screen door is commonly provided to supplement the sliding panel door. The screen door is generally provided with one or more meshes, including a fly mesh to allow air flow but block flying insects and a security mesh to allow air flow but block unauthorised access. The present invention may be applied to any type of sliding door but is particularly applicable to screen doors incorporating security mesh.

3 Security screen doors incorporate a lock mechanism to prevent unauthorised opening. The lock mechanism is usually associated with a catch which is operable to hold.the door in its closed position. The catch is commonly of the "parrot beak" type, in which a curved clip member with a control knob mounted in the edge portion of the door can be moved to engage (or disengage) a retaining rod mounted in the jamb. Such catches are relatively easy to force open.

Even if the catch cannot be forced open readily, the sliding door may be levered out of the lower track in which it is mounted and disengaged from the upper track for removal from the doorway. The catch area is clearly a major weakness in maintaining the security of such doors.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved sliding screen construction which will increase the security with which such screens can be fastened against unauthorised access.

In accordance with this- invoni-ion wo provid a Glidin screen construction having a lock mechanism fitted betw en the screen and a frame member defining an opening which may S be closed by the screen and including at least o fixed security device having cooperating componen s mounted respectively on a stile of the screen and ,n a jamb or mullion defining the opening.

As noted above, the invention is applicable to openings other than conventional door openings. It is to be understood therefore that the use of terms such as "stile", "jamb" and "mullion" in de cribing and defining the invention is for convenience ad ease of understanding. The use of such terms is no t to be taken as limiting the invention to constructios in which the above terms will be restricted to their onventional meaning of members which are substantially ertical in use but, as used throughout this specificat n, such terms are to be taken as referring to correspo ing members in constructions which allow vertical ovement of a screen rather than the horizontal screen mvement of a conventional sliding door.

Y-4102- nn 2nP41 i In accordance with this invention we provide a sliding screen construction having a lock mechanism fitted between the screen and a frame member defining an opening which may be closed by the screen and including at least one fixed security device having cooperating components mounted respectively on a stile of the screen and on a jamb or mullion defining the opening, said cooperating components including at least one locking pin and a complementary strike plate mounted partly on the stile of the screen and partly on the jamb against which the screen is closed.. the locking pin being adapted to enter a hole defined by the strike plate and protrude through the strike plate in the closed position of the screen.

As noted above, the invention is applicable to openings other than conventional door openings. It is to be understood therefore that the use of terms such as "stile", "jamb" and "mullion" in describing and defining the invention is for convenience and ease of .",understanding. The use of such terms is not to be taken as limiting the invention to constructions in which the Kabove terms will be restricted to their conventional meaning of members which are substantially vertical in use but, as used throughout this specification, such terms are i to be taken as referring to corresponding members in constructions which allow vertical movement of a screen rather than the horizontal screen movement of a conventional sliding door.

"The construction of the invention may include at least 3a 4 one locking pin and a complementary strike plate mounted partly on the stile of the door (or other screen member) and partly on the jamb against which the door is closed. The locking pin is adapted to enter a hole defined by the complementary strike plate and protrude through the strike plate in the closed position of the door. The hole defined in the strike plate preferably allows a close sliding fit for the locking pin. The locking pin may be formed with circumferential serrations to resist removal of the pin from the strike plate other than coaxially with the pin and the hole in the strike plate.

The strike plate is preferably secured to the edge of the door stile, while the locking pin is mounted in an opposing position on the jamb of the doorway. Preferably the opposed edge faces of the stile and jamb are of channel section and the strike plate and locking pin are wholly or primarily within the respective channels. This partly concealed mounting makes access to these components more difficult when the door is closed.

The locking pin/strike plate combination resists forces tending to move the closed door in a direction *0 transverse to the sliding direction. Such forces may be applied in an attempt to lever the door out of its tracks.

The door lock is thus strengthened against the application oo of such forces. Preferably a locking pin/strike plate combination is mounted adjacent to the respective end portions of each of the door stile and the doorway jamb.

Alternatively, or additionally, a locking plate/strike plate combination may be mounted adjacent to the lock mechanism.

The construction of the invention may include an additional or alternative form of fixed security device, preferably mounted on the vertical edge of the door and the mullion or jamb defining the edge of the door opening opposite the edge on which the lock mechanism is mounted.

This other form of device includes a substantially U-shaped channel member integral with, or having one flange of the channel attached to, the mullion or jamb, with the mouth of the channel opening towards the direction of opening 5 movement of the door. A similar channel member is integral with, or attached to, the door stile opposite the stile on which the lock is mounted. The stile channel member opens in the opposite direction to the mullion/jamb channel member and the relative location of the respective channel members is such that the free flange of each such member is able to enter the mouth of the other channel member.

One channel member has at least one substantially parallel sided slot extending from the free edge of the free flange towards the base of the channel and with its sides lying substantially parallel to the direction of sliding 9 movement. The other channel member has a transversely disposed bar or rod mounted within the channel and located 99 so that when the door is closed, the bar or rod will enter and be retained within the slot in the opposed channel member. Preferably the bar or rod is a close sliding fit ease within the slot.

The bar or rod may be attached to the channel member by any appropriate means. For example, a hollow rod can be attached by a rivet which passes through the centre of the S rod. Preferably the means used to attach the bar or rod are at least partly concealed when the door is closed. This will make it difficult to remove the attachment means and thus to eliminate the effect of the interaction between the bar or rod and the slot. It will be appreciated that this interaction resists attempts to lever the door out of its tracks.

To further improve the integrity of either or both of the security devices of this invention, the vertical door and/or fixed panel frame member to which a security device component is attached may be reinforced to resist bending.

Preferably the interior of a hollow vertical door or panel frame member is reinforced by inserting a rod or strip of material having a substantially higher elastic modulus than that of the vertical member, to extend and substantially fill the interior of the vertical member. Alternatively, the insert may only partly fill the interior cross section of the vertical member but will be attached to the vertical 6 member. The insert improves the rigidity of the construction, particularly under attack by a lever such as a jemmy applied to separate the interacting components of the security devices.

To assist an understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred forms of construction incorporating the present invention. It is to be appreciated that the these illustrations are given by way of example only and in particular that the positions indicated for the security devices of this invention may be varied and the form of doorway and door frame member cross-section may also differ substantially from the cross-sections illustrated.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation view of a doorway including a sliding security screen door, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the doorway of Figure i, Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view illustrating one form of fixed security device of the present invention, ses: Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 3 and includes a detailed representation of one area of this view, Figure 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the major components in the security device illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 which has been folded apart to more clearly illustrate the features of these components, Figure 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of another 0 .o form of fixed security device in accordance with this invention, and Figure 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the device shown in Figure 6 where the view has been folded apart to more clearly illustrate the components of this device.

Figure 1 shows doorway 1 which includes a head 2, a jamb 3, and a sill 4. The door opening is further defined by mullion 5 which is concealed in the drawing by stile 6 of sliding screen security door 7. Fixed panel 8 is located between head 2, sill 4, mullion 5 and jamb 9. Security devices as illustrated in Figure 3 to 5 are located at the position shown by the broken lines at 10, 10' and 10'' by jamb 3 and door stile 11. The security devices illustrated by Figures 6 and 7 are located at the positions indicated by broken lines 12 and 12' by mullion 5 and stile 6.

Figure 2 shows the doorway of Figure 1 but includes inner sliding door 13, not visible in Figure i. The sliding movement of screen door 7 and inner door 13 is indicated by the double-headed arrows but the tracks on which these doors slide are not illustrated. Reference 14 shows diagrammatically the security device illustrated in Figures 6 and 7.

The security device of Figures 3 to 5 includes pin attached to mounting plate 16. Strike plate 17 defines hole 18 which is complementary in form with pin 15 and of slightly larger diameter than the maximum diameter of pin Plate 16 is mounted as by rivets 19 to jamb 3. Plate 17 is mounted on stile 6 as by rivets 20 with hole 18 coaxially aligned with pin 15. Hole 21 is formed in stile 6 coaxially with mounted pin 15 and its cooperating hole 18 in plate 17 so that pin 15 can protrude into the interior of stile 6.

Detail 22 which forms part of Figure 4 shows one preferred form of the circumferential serrations which are preferably formed in pin In the security device illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, channel member 23 is secured to mullion 5 while channel member 24 is secured to stile 6. For ease of illustration,

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stile 6 is not shown in Figure 7.

As best seen in Figure 7, channel member 23 is formed with slot 25 to cooperate in use with rod 26 which is secured in channel 24. As illustrated, rod 26 is a hollow member secured to channel 24 by rivet 27 which passes through the side flanges of channel member 24 and the hollow interior of rod 26.

In use, slot 25 and rod 26 are so located on the respective jamb 5 and stile 6 that when security screen door 7 is closed, rod 26 enters and is retained within slot 8 Although not illustrated, the hollow interior of either of stiles 6 (Figures 4 and 6) and mullion 5 (Figure 6) can be substantially or partly filled by an insert of higher elastic modulus than the stile or mullion itself.

For example, where the stiles or mullion are extruded aluminium, the insert(s) may be steel.

It will be appreciated that the incorporation of one or more of either or both of the fixed security devices of the present invention in sliding screen constructions will increase the difficulty of removing the sliding screen from the framework in which it is mounted, when the screen is in its closed position.

14%" It will be appreciated that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be introduced into the constructions and arrangements of parts previously described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention.

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Claims

1. A sliding screen construction having a lock mechanism fitted between the screen and a frame member defining an opening which may be closed by the screen and including at least one fixed security device having cooperating components mounted respectively on a stile of the screen and on a jamb or mullion defining the opening, said cooperating components including at least one locking pin and a complementary strike plate mounted partly on the stile of the screen and partly on the jamb against which the screen is closed, the locking pin being adapted to enter a hole define, by the strike plate and protrude through the strike plate in the closed position- of the screen.

2. A sliding screen construction as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hole defined in the strike plate allows a close sliding fit for the locking pin.

3. A sliding screen construction as claimed in claim 1 ,or claim 2 wherein the locking pin is formed with circumferential serrations to resist removal of the pin from the strike plate other tha', coaxially with the pin and the hole in the strike plate.

4. A sliding screen construction as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the strike plate is secured to the edge of the screen stile and the locking pin is mounted in an opposing position on the jamb of- the opening. A sliding screen construction as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the opposed edge faces of the stile and jamb are of channel section and the strike plate and locking pin are wholly or primarily within the respective channels.

6. A sliding screen construction as claimed in any one of 1 to 5 wherein locking pin and strike plate

9- combinations a. a mounted adjacent to respective end portions of the screen stile and the opening jamb, which end portions are positioned opposite each other upon closing of the screen. 7. A sliding screen construction as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the cooperating components include a first substantially U-shaped channel member having one flange of the channel member formed integrally with or attached to the mullion or jamb of the opening opposite that on which the lock mechanism is mounted so that the mouth of the channel opens towards the direction of opening movement of the screen, and a second substantially U-shaped channel member formed integrally with or attached to the screen stile opposite the stile on which the lock Lnechanism is mounted so that the mouth of the second channel member opens in the opposite direction to that of the first channel member, the relative location of the respective channel members being such that the free flange of each is able to enter the mouth of the other, and wherein one channel member has at least one substantially "parallel sided slot extending from the free edge of the free flange towards the base of the said one channel 0 member and with the sides of said slot lying substantially parallel to the direction of sliding movement, the other channel member having a transversely disposed bar or rod :mounted within the channel and located so that when the door is closed, the bar or rod will enter and be retained within the slot in the opposed channel member. 8. A sliding screen construction as claimed in claim 7 wherein the bar or rod is a close sliding fit within the slot. 9. A sliding screen construction as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the means used to attach the bar or rod is at least partly concealed when the screen is closed. A sliding screen construction as claimed in any one 10 of the preceding claims wherein the screen stiles are hollow and are reinforced by the insertion of a rod or strip of material havinj a substantially higher elastic modulus than that of the stile.

11. A sliding screen construction as claimed in claim wherein the rod or strip of material substantially fills the hollow interior of the stile.

12. A sliding screen construction as claimed in claim wherein the rod or strip of material is attached to the interior of the stile.

13. A sliding screen construction as claimed in claim 1 substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 3 to 5 or Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings. 20 DATED: 4 March 1993 SPHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK. Attorneys for: p" ihttM> McILWRAITH-DAVEY PTY. LIM TED S e 5082Z 11