GB2097849A

GB2097849A - Sliding door assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2097849A
Application number: GB8213151A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Alusuisse Extruded Products Ltd
Current assignee: Alusuisse Extruded Products Ltd
Priority date: 1981-05-06
Filing date: 1982-05-06
Publication date: 1982-11-10
Also published as: GB2097849B

Abstract

A sliding panel assembly, particularly an exterior door assembly for a building, which comprises a panel or door (12) slidable across an opening in a frame (10). The door is fitted to the frame by lifting and then lowering it relative to the frame, and to prevent lifting of the door out of the frame and hence unauthorised entry to the building, the door has an upwardly facing channel (32) along its lower part which receives a downwardly extending projection (33) provided on a threshold (28) forming a first part of the frame and secured to an inclined or horizontal surface of a cill (14) forming a second part of the frame. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sliding panel assemblies This invention relates to sliding panel assemblies.

In particular, the invention is concerned with a sliding panel assembly of the kind, hereinafter referred to as the kind specified, comprising a vertical or substantially vertical frame defining an opening, and a vertical or substantially vertical panel which is mounted in the frame for sliding movement across the opening, the frame and the panel being constructed so that to assemble them together, the panel has to be lifted and then lowered relative to the frame, and means being provided to prevent lifting of the panel relative to the frame at least to an extent such as to enable the panel to be removed from the frame.

The invention has been devised primarily in connection with exterior door assemblies for buildings, being assemblies of the kind specified, in particular assemblies of the type commonly referred to as patio doors, in which the frame is fixed in an opening in an external wall of the building and the sliding panel constituting a door is slidable between a closed position wherein it closes the opening and prevents entry into the building, and an open position in which it is clear of the opening. The following description of the invention will be confined to this application but it is to be understood that there is no limitation in this regard as the invention may also be applied to window assemblies and indeed has a more general application to sliding panel assemblies of the kind specified.

In one known form of exterior door assembly of the kind specified, the means preventing lifting of the door and its removal from the frame and hence, in this case, unauthorised entry into the building, comprise interchangeable formations provided respectively on the lower part of the door and on a part of the frame which is arranged to be secured, on installation of the assembly, to a vertical surface separate from the frame.

A drawback of this arrangement is that in practice, it is necessary to provide the opening in the building in which the frame is to be fitted, with a wooden frame having a vertical surface to which the part of the frame provided with the relevant formation can be secured. Such a frame is needed because the wall itself does not have a vertical surface to which said part of the frame could be secured.

The object of the present invention is to provide a sliding panel assembly of the kind specified which has improved means for preventing lifting of the panel.

A particular aim of the invention is to obviate the above drawback in sliding door assemblies of the kind specified.

According to the invention, there is provided a sliding panel assembly of the kind specified wherein the means for preventing lifting of the panel and its removal from the frame comprise first and second interengageable formations provided respectively on the lower part of the panel and on a first part of the frame which is secured to a horizontal or inclined surface of another, second part of the frame.

In the case of a door assembly of the kind specified, the first part of the frame provided with said second formation is conveniently a threshold or tread plate which is secured to a vertical or inclined surface of a cill forming said second part of the frame, the first formation being provided on the door.

The invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 shows one form of sliding patio door assembly embodying the invention; FIGURE 2 is a vertical section taken on the line A-A of Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a horizontal section on the line B-B of Figure 1; and FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view corresponding to part of Figure 2.

The patio door assembly illustrated in the drawings comprises a rectangular frame generally designated 10 having a fixed rectangular window 11 and a rectangular sliding door 12.

The frame 10 is formed from extruded aluminium sections and comprises an upper horizontal part 13 formed from three sections 40, 41, 42 and provided with a vent flap 43 pivotable about a longitudinal axis between open and closed positions, a lower horizontal part comprising a single section 14 constituting a cill, and two vertical parts 1 5, 1 6 constituting jambs.

The window 11 comprises a piece of glass 1 7 mounted in a frame 18 which comprises two vertical sections 44, 45 and two horizontal sections (not shown) and is secured in the frame 10 so as to leave an opening 1 9. If desired, the window may be double-glazed.

The door 12 is double-glazed (or it may be single glazed) and has two pieces of glass 20 mounted in a frame 21 comprising two vertical stile sections 46, 47, an upper horizontal section 23 and a lower horizontal section 24. The door is mounted for sliding in the frame 10 so that it is movable between a closed position, as shown in Figure 3, in which it closes the opening 19, and an open position in which it is disposed alongside the window 11.

The frames of the window and the door are also formed from extruded aluminium sections.

The door 12 has a lock 25 with a catch for engagement with a keeper provided on the jamb 15 of the frame 10.

The door is guided in its sliding movement by two (or more) rollers 26 which are carried by the lower horizontal section 24 of the door and arranged to run on a track provided by a rail 27 forming part of the cill 14. The rail has a guide face of convex cross-section which engages in a groove formed around the periphery of each roller, this arrangement preventing the rollers twisting relative to the guide rail, which would interfere with their smooth running. The rollers are disposed in a downwardly facing channel provided in the lower section 24 of the door.

A section 28 constituting a threshold is mounted on the cill 14. This threshold is disposed inwardly of the door and extends between the jamb 1 5 of the frame 10 and the adjacent vertical section of the window frame 18. The threshold comprises a tread portion 29 (Figure 4), the inner longitudinal edge of which is received in a channel formed in an upstanding portion of the cill 14, and two depending portions 30 which rest on an inclined upper surface of the cill, the threshold being secured to this surface by screws (not shown) passing vertically through the tread portion into holes in the cill.

The frame 10 is mounted in an opening in an external wall of a building and the parts of the frame may be secured either directly to the wall, for example the brickwork of the wall, or to a surrounding outer wooden frame 31 as shown in the drawings. The cill 14 has four depending portions which rest on the lower part of the frame 31, the cill being secured to this part of the frame by screws passing vertically through the cill into the frame.

The upper part of the door is located in a downwardly facing channel formed in the section 41 of the upper part of the frame 10 and to fit the door in the frame, the upper part of the door is first located in this channel, the door is then lifted to engage the rollers 26 with the guide rail 27, and finally the door is lowered into position.

A burglar attempting to gain unauthorised access to the building through the patio door may break the lock and endeavour to lift the door so that it can be removed from the frame. Means are provided to prevent lifting of the door, and these means comprise inter-engageable formations provided on the lower section 24 of the door and the threshold 28. These formations comprise an upwardly facing channel formation 32 provided inside the door along the lower edge of the lower section 24, and a depending portion 33 provided along the outer edge of the threshold and engaged in this channel formation. This engagement prevents both lifting and outwards movement of the door relative to the threshold which is fixed to the cill 14 forming part of the frame 10.

The door 12 is fitted in the frame 10 with the threshold removed. When the door has been lowered into position with the rollers 26 engaged with the guide rail 27, the threshold is positioned so that the depending portion 33 thereof is located in the channel formation 32 and then the threshold is secured in position. The threshold, being disposed inside the door, is of course not accessible to a burglar and cannot therefore be removed to facilitate lifting of the door and entry into the building.

The portion 33 of the threshold and the adjacent portion 30 are each formed with a longitudinal channel 34 which receives a sealing strip (not shown) engaged with the opposed face of the lower section 24 of the door. The upstanding portion of the cill is also formed with a channel 35 which receives a sealing strip (not shown) engaged with the opposed face of the threshold.

Claims

1. A sliding panel assembly of the kind specified wherein the means for preventing lifting of the panel and its removal from the frame comprise first and second interengageable formations provided respectively on the lower part of the panel and on a first part of the frame which is secured to a horizontal or inclined surface of another, second part of the frame.

2. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the said formations comprise a channel provided on the lower part of the panel or said first part of the frame and a projection provided on said first part of the frame or the lower part of the panel, respectively, and engaged in the channel.

3. An assembly as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the channel is an upwardly facing channel provided on the panel and the projection is a depending part provided on the first part of the frame.

4. A door assembly of the kind specified wherein the means for preventing lifting of the door and its removal from the frame comprise first and second interengageable formations provided respectively on the lower part of the door and on a first part of the frame which is secured to a horizontal or inclined surface of another, second part of the frame.

5. A door assembly as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the said formations comprise a channel provided on the lower part of the door or said first part of the frame and a projection provided on said first part of the frame or the lower part of the door, respectively, and engaged in the channel.

6. A door assembly as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the channel is an upwardly facing channel provided on the door and the projection is a depending part provided on the first part of the frame.

7. A door assembly as claimed in Claim 4. 5 or 6 wherein the first part of the frame provided with said second formation is a threshold or tread plate which is secured to a horizontal or inclined surface of a cill forming said second part of the frame.

8. A door assembly as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the cill is arranged to be secured to a horizontal surface of the part of a wall of a building defining an opening to receive the frame or to a horizontal surface of a further frame mounted in the opening and arranged to surround said frame.

9. A door assembly as claimed in Claim 7 or 8 wherein the longitudinal edge of the threshold or tread plate remote from the door is received in an inwardly facing channel provided on the cill, the second formation engaged with the first formation on the door being provided along the edge of the threshold or tread plate adjacent to the door.

10. A door assembly as claimed in Claim 7, 8 or 9 wherein the threshold or tread plate has a number of depending portions which rest on said horizontal or inclined surface of the cill.

11. A door assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 10 wherein the door is guided for sliding movement by rollers carried by the lower part of the door and arranged to run on a rail provided on said second part of the frame.

12. A door assembly as claimed in Claim 11 wherein the rail has a guide face of convex crosssection which engages in a groove formed around the periphery of each roller.

13. A door assembly substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

14. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.