IE50979B1 - A kit-of-parts for assembling a frame head for a fixed outer frame of a sliding door or window - Google Patents

Abstract

A sliding door or window has a fixed frame head (8) which co-operates alternately with a removable apertured insert (22) to permit a ventilating airflow or with a solid insert to prevent such an air flow.

Description

The present invention relates to a kit-of-parts for assenbling a frame head for a fixed outer frame of a sliding door, or window, and more particularly to a so-called patio door.

Patio doors conventionally comprise on*or more sliding leaves or panels and one or more fixed leaves or panels mounted in a fixed outer frame. Each leaf consists of a frame, of which the upper side, sometimes referred to as the leaf head, is located within the upper side of the outer frame, this side of the fixed outer frame sometimes being referred to as the outer frame head. Usually, patio doors are supplied in kit form to an installer in a limited number of standard size kits (length and height) It is often required to incorporate ventilation means into a patio door, for example either to meet building regulations when there are no other means in the room for providing ventilation, or when this is desired as an option by the customer. One way of providing suitable ventilation in a door assembled from a kit is to incorporate above the frame head, a further frame member which runs along the length of the frame head and which permits air flow from the outside, over the top of the frame head, 50978 and into the room.

However, this means that the overall height of the frame is increased, and to permit the patio door to be mounted into an existing opening of standard height, the height of the fixed frame to the level of the frame head must be correspondingly reduced and thus the height of the leaves must be reduced; alternatively the height of the opening could be increased. Whichever construction is adopted, increased costs will result. Another const10 ruction enabling ventilation is to incorporate a ventilator into one or more of the leaves. This tends to be unsightly and also requires modifications to be made to the leaf, which, again, leads to increased costs.

According to the invention there is provided a kit15 of-parts for assembling a frame head for a fixed, outer, frame of a sliding door or window, said frame head including a replaceable wall part selected from an apertured wall part or a blind wall part, both parts being capable of being removably mounted in the frame head, at least said apertured wall part enabling a ventilating air flow from the outside to the inside through the frame head, and the blind wall part preventing such air flow.

Further according to the inyention, there is provided a kit-of-parts for assembling a frame head for the fixed, outer, frame of a sliding door or window, said frame head being of inverted channel section with a front wall, a top wall, and a rear wall, an apertured wall lying intermediate the front and the rear walls and defining with one of said walls a channel in which a head portion of a sliding door or window leaf can be located, an air flow path being defined through the channel from the outside to the inside via the apertured wall, the apertured wall being removably mounted on the head and being replaceable by a blind wall to provide an alternative arrangement in which said air flow path is blocked.

Preferably, shutter means are provided for selectiv ely blocking the ventilation air flow, where the assembled kit provides for such flow.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, 15 by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which.· Figure 1 shows three elevations of different configurations of fixed and sliding door leaves in a patio door, the elevations being from the inside of the door; Figure 2 is a section, to an enlarged scale, on lines II-II of Figure 1; Figures 3 to 5 are fragmentary sections similar to the upper part of Figure 2 showing modified shutter arrangements for the head of the fixed frame; and Figure 6 is a section similar to Figure 2 showing a modified form of frame head.

The patio doors shown in the Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings each comprise a fixed outer frame 2, one (or more) sliding leaves 4, and one (or more) fixed leaves 6. The (or each) sliding leaf 4 is mounted in the frame 2, to lie in front of the plane of the (or each) fixed leaf 6, as viewed from the outside.

Each frame 2 consists of a frame head 8, jambs 10, and a cill 12. Each door leaf likewise consists of a frame composed of a head, jambs, and a cill, the cill and head of the sliding leaf being designated 14 and 16 respectively, The various frame heads, jambs, and cills are formed from extruded sections, preferably aluminium extruded sections.

As shown in detail in Figure 2, the cill 12 of the outer, fixed, frame 2 includes an upstanding track 18 on which run grooved rollers 20 journalled within the sliding leaf cill 14 at opposite ends of the cill 14, so that the sliding leaf is supported from the track 18 by the rollers 20. The part of the outer frame cill 12 lying internally of the sliding leaf is covered with a threshold section 21, which is likewise in the form of an extrusion.

The head 8 of the outer frame 2 is generally of inverted channel-section configuration defined by a top wall 8a, a front (outside) wall 8b, and a rear (inside) wall 8c. The head 16 of the sliding leaf is positioned within the confines of the channel-section head 8, and an insert 22 is mounted within the head 8 in a 'snap-in' or screwed manner to define therewith a rectangular section duct 24 lying inwardly of the sliding leaf in the closed position thereof. It will he seen from Figure 2, that the upper part of the leaf head 16 lies between the front wall 8b of the frame head 8, and a vertical outer wall 22a of the insert 22. The leaf head 16 is located laterally relative to these walls by buttons (not shown) positioned at spaced intervals along the length of the front and rear sides of the head 16 and extending into engagement with the adjacent wall 8b or 22a. The buttons are composed of a suitable low-friction plastics material and slidingly engage the walls 8h and 22a.

The vertical outer wall 22a and a lower horizontal wall 22b of the insert 22 are each proyided with a series of longitudinally spaced ventilation apertures 26, 28 respectively. The apertures 26 are preferably covered by a flyscreen mesh 30 and flow through the apertures 28 can be selectively controlled by a shutter 32 pivotally mount20 ed on the insert 22. For non-ventilated doors, the insert 22 is blind, that is to say, it is not provided with the apertures 26, 28 and, of course, the corresponding shutter 32 is omitted.

The patio door assembly is complete by weather strips 33 at appropriate places as indicated in Figure 2. It will be apparent from Figure 2 that when the shutter 32 is opened, air can flow into the room by pass6 ing between the front wall 8b of the outer frame head 8 and the adjacent side of the leaf head 16, over the top of the leaf head 16, through the apertures 26 into the duct 24, and thence through the open apertures 28 into the room. The size of the open area which provides the ventilation is such to comply with the appropriate Building Regulations.

In assemblies where no ventilation is required, the apertured insert 22 is replaced by an insert of identical cross-section but without any apertures. The insert (whether or not provided with the ventilation apertures) lies wholly within the confines of the frame head 8 and it will therefore be apparent that the provisions of a ventilator, which is simply provided by the apertures in the insert, and the shutter will not affect the overall height of the fixed frame, as occurs when a separate ventilator or section is mounted above the frame head. Further the ventilator is virtually unobtrusive and lies above the sight line.

The insert can also be removed and replaced after the patio doors has been installed, so that existing installations can be readily changed from ventilated to nonventilated installations (or vice-versa) without any structural modifications.

Figures 3 and 4 show modified shutter configurations.

In Figure 3, the shutter 32 is pivotal within the duct 24.

In Figure 4 the pivotal shutter has been replaced by an apertured sliding shutter 34 of the so-called hit-andmiss type which opens or closes the apertures 28 by placing apertures or solid portions of the shutter in registration with the apertures 28.

In Figure 5, the apertures 28 are incorporated in the rear wall 8c of the frame head 8, rather than in tbe bottom wall of the insert 22. The apertures 28 can be opened or closed by a sliding shutter 34, as described in connection with Figure 4.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 6, the frame head 8 includes an apertured wall 8d lying immediately adjacent the front of the leaf head 16. A solid ducting hood of similar shape to the head wall 8b shown in Fig15 ure 2 is provided by a separate strip 8e attached to the frame head 8 to lie in front of the wall 8d. The shutter can be as shown in any one of Figures 2 to 5.

In a preferred modification of the arrangement of Figure 6, the strip 8e and wall 8d are formed as an integral unit and are mounted in a removable manner on the frame head 8. For non-vented doors, an integral unit consisting of the strip 8e and a solid (i.e. nonapertured) wall 8d will be used in addition to a solid insert 22. in each of the embodiments described above, the insert 22 has a vertical wall and a lower horizontal wall 50878 to define, with the outer frame head 8, the duct 24.

The insert 22 lies inwardly of the eliding leaf in the closed position thereof, and in doors having more than one sliding leaf, there will be a corresponding number of inserts, the respective inserts thus extending between the fixed leaves, and/or between the outer frame jamb and the fixed leaves, depending on the positions of the fixed leaf (leaves) within the outer, fixed, frame.

In alternative arrangements (not shown) the insert 10 may consist primarily of the vertical wall 22a, and may extend along the entire length of the outer frame, head 8, the horizontal wall 22b being omitted. A shutter may be provided in the opposite wall 8c of the frame head.

Again the insert is replaceable and is either solid, or apertured to provide a non-ventilated, or ventilated door.

Although it is usually preferred to provide a shutter in each of the arrangements described, the shutter may be omitted, to provide permanent ventilation if this is required.

Xn practice, installers will be supplied with kits including both ventilating and non-ventilating inserts and the installer will incorporate the appropriate insert depending on whether a ventilated or non-ventilated installation is required. Although a customer may initially specify a non-ventilated installation, this can readily be changed to a ventilated installation, after installation has been completed, simply by replacing the non-ventilating insert with the ventilating insert without having to dismantle the door.

Claims (10)

1. A kit-of-parts for assembling a frame head for a fixed, outer, frame of a sliding door or window, said frame head including a replaceable wall part selected from an apertured wall part or a blind wall part, both parts being capable of being removably mounted in the frame heads, at least said apertured wall part enabling a ventilating air flow from the outside to the inside through the frame head, and the blind wall part preventing such air flow.

2. A kit-of-parts according to claim 1, wherein the replaceable wall part forms part of a replaceable insert mounted within the interior of the frame head, said replaceable wall part defining within the frame head a substantially vertical side wall of a channel within which an upper edge portion of the sliding door or window leaf can be accommodated.

3. A kit-of-parts according to claim 2, further comprising shutter means for selectively blocking the ventilation air flow through the apertured wall part.

4. A kit-of-parts according to claim 3, wherein the shutter means is carried by the insert.

5. A kit-of-parts according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the insert defines with a top wall and side wall of the frame head, a duct through which air can flow to the inside when the insert includes the apertured wall part, the duct being arranged to receive an air 5 flow through the vertical apertured wall part of the insert, and to pass the air flow to the interior through a generally horizontal wall of the insert, said horizontal wall also being apertured. 10

6. A kit-of-parts according to claim 3 and claim 5, wherein the shutter means is operative selectively to close the apertured horizontal wall of the insert.

7. A kit-of-parts for assembling a frame head for the 15 fixed , outer, frame of a sliding door or window, said frame head being of inverted channel section with a front wall, a top wall, and a rear wall, an apertured wall lying intermediate the front and the rear walls and defining with one of said walls a channel in which a 20 head portion of a sliding door or window leaf can be located, an air flow path being defined through the channel from the outside to the inside via the apertured wall, the apertured wall being removably mounted on the head and being replaceable by a blind wall to provide an 25 alternative arrangement in which said air flow path is blocked.

8. A kit-of-parts for assembling an outer, fixed, frame of a sliding door or window, said kit including means providing a frame head, a ventilating insert detachably mountable in the frame head to define, within the frame, 5 head, part of a channel within which the head of a sliding leaf can be located, said ventilating insert permitting air to flow from the outside to the inside over the head of the sliding leaf, and a non-yentilating insert detachably mountable in the frame head in place of the ventila10 ting insert, said non-ventilating insert, when fitted, serving to provide a non-ventilated assemhly.

9. A kit-of-parts for assembling a frame head for a fixed, outer, frame of a sliding door substantially 15 as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A sliding door or window including a frame head assembled from a kit-of-parts according to any one of 20 the preceding claims.