CA2148680C

CA2148680C - Screen door

Info

Publication number: CA2148680C
Application number: CA 2148680
Authority: CA
Inventors: Peggy Dopheide
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-05-04
Filing date: 1995-05-04
Publication date: 2005-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 2015-05-04
Also published as: CA2148680A1

Abstract

A screen door includes a flexible rectangular panel of perforated screen material. One side edge is effectively permanently attached to a side surface of the opening into which the panel is inserted. Across a top edge of the panel is provided a slide rail having a plurality of runners allowing the top edge to open and close in the manner of a curtain. Along the opposed side edge is provided the vertical post permanently attached to the side edge and having a rapid fastening system of the post to the other side surface of the opening.

Description

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SCREEN DOOR
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTinN
This invention relates to a screen door for mounting in an opening which is particularly but not exclusively designed for larger openings for example of a barn or the like.
Screen fabric is well known for closing openings in a building, verandah or the like so as to prevent the entry of flying insects. Smaller openings are often closed by a screen door of the type having a rigid outer frame which is hinged to the structure along one vertical side edge with the outer frame being bridged by a panel of the flexible fabric. However such screen doors are unsuitable for larger openings such as barns or machine shop doors since such a large hinged panel would of course be extremely unwieldy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an improved screen door assembly for use in an opening in a building or the like.
According to the invention, therefore, there is provided a screen door for mounting in an opening having an upper surface and two vertical side surfaces, the screen door comprising a panel of flexible perforated screen fabric material shaped to fit the opening and including a top edge, a bottom edge and two vertical side edges, a rail for mounting horizontally as an upper support rail at the upper surface, a plurality of runners slidable along the rail and connected to the upper edge of the panel at spaced positions therealong, means along one side edge of the fabric for fastening for one vertical side edge of the opening, a post along the other side edge of the fabric extending from the top edge substantially to the bottom edge and means for fastening the post to the other vertical side edge of the opening.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic exploded front elevational view of the screen door assembly according to the present invention.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESORIPTION
An opening in a building is generally indicated at 10 including a top surface 11, a ground surface 12 and two vertical side surfaces 13 and 14 defined by posts forming the opening.
Within the opening is mounted a screen door assembly generally indicated at 15 including a rectangular panel 16 of flexible perforated screen fabric shaped and arranged to fill the opening. The fabric includes a top edge 17, bottom edge 18 and side edges 19 and 20. The fabric is stitched to provide suitable seams at the side edges for structural stability of the fabric.

The apparatus further includes a rail 20 for mounting by screws 21 to the upper surface 11, the rail having a length so as to bridge the opening substantially from the side surface 13 to the side surface 14. The rail is of the type including a plurality of runners 22 which can slide along the rail as required. Preferably the rail and runners are of the heavy duty curtain type available for hospital fabric partitions and the like.
The fabric at the top edge 17 includes a plurality of coupling hooks 23 for connection to the runners 22 with the coupling hooks at spaced positions along the length of the top edge so that the top edge can be supported from the rail by the plurality of runners at spaced positions along the length of the rail. The fabric panel can thus be opened and closed by sliding along the rail.
Along the side edge 19 is provided an assembly 25 for fastening the side edge 19 to the side surface 13. In one example this arrangement can comprise a pair of elongate strips of hook and loop fastening material of conventional type so that one of the strips is attached to the surface 13 and the other strip is attached to the side edge 19 of the fabric. In an other alternative arrangement the attachment mechanism 25 can comprise of a plurality of press fasteners attached respectively to the surface 13 and the edge 19. In a yet further alternative, the fastening system 25 can comprise an elongate rail of the type having a slot which is shaped to trap an edge bead of the fabric when inserted longitudinally of the slot.

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The edge 19 has in addition fabric straps 26 attached by stitching into the edge with an end of each strap hanging away from the side edge 19.
Along the side edge 20 is provided a post 30 in the form of an elongate metal tube. The fabric is fastened to the tube by an elongate strip which is screwed onto one side face of the tube. The tube is preferably formed of a lightweight metal such as aluminum although plastics material could also be used. The tube or post 30 thus provides a rigid structure supporting the side edge 20 of the fabric panel.
The tube 30 carries a fastening system 31 for attachment of the tube to the surface 14. Again this fastening system can comprise a elongate strip provided on the post and a separate elongate strip provided on the surface 14. These strips can be of hook and loop fastening arrangement or can be press fasteners as preferred.
In operation the screen door is fastened to the opening along the side edge 19 in a manner which remains effectively permanently attached during the season where the screen door is required. The screen door thus can be opened simply by pushing the post back toward the side surface 13 and by fastening the post using the straps 26. The screen door can then be closed by sliding the post and the top edge of the fabric panel along the rail 20 in the manner of a conventional curtain. The vertical post 30 holds the side edge 20 r 2~4868D
of the fabric in fixed vertical position suspended from the rail whether the panel is fully or only partly opened. The post can be simply manually grasped and pulled across and can at a single rigid element be attached to the fastening system 31 at the surface 14.

5 The fabric screen door using the vertical post 30 provides an effective closure across a large size opening such as that for the entry to a barn or machine shop where it is necessary to have an opening sufficient to receive large animals or farm equipment or other vehicles. The use of the vertical post along the free side edge of the panel enables the user to rapidly grasp the fabric panel and move it to the required position either open, closed or an intermediate position and the vertical post allows immediate attachment of the post to the side surface 14.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

1. A screen door apparatus for mounting in an opening having an top surface and two vertical side surfaces, the screen door apparatus comprising:
a panel of flexible perforated screen fabric material shaped and arranged to fit the opening and including a top edge, a bottom edge and two vertical side edges, a rail for mounting horizontally as an upper support rail at the top surface of the opening, a plurality of runners slidable along the rail and arranged to be connected to the top edge of the panel at spaced positions therealong, a first fastening system including a first fastening component arranged along one vertical side edge of the panel and a second fastening component for mounting on one vertical side surface of the opening for fastening said one side edge of the panel to said one vertical side surface of the opening, a rigid post attached to the panel along the other vertical side edge of the panel extending from the top edge substantially to the bottom edge;
and a second readily releasable fastening system including a first fastening component at the other vertical side edge and a second component for mounting at the other vertical side surface of the opening for readily releasably fastening the post to the other vertical side surface of the opening.

2. The screen door apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein the post is formed from a metal tube.

3. The screen door apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the second readily releasable fastening system comprises a hook and loop fastener assembly having one portion in the form of a strip for attachment to the other vertical side surface and a second portion in the form of a strip attached at the post.

4. The screen door apparatus according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the first fastening system comprises a hook and loop fastener strip system.

5. The screen door apparatus according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the first fastening system comprises a plurality of spaced pressed fasteners.

6. The screen door apparatus according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the first fastening system comprises a bead and a rail having an elongate slot therein for receiving the bead.

7. The screen door apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 including a plurality of straps attached to the panel at said one side edge for wrapping around the post when the post is retracted.