Metal door insert

Details Metal door insert Metal door insert

1999-09-01

2001-11-20

Redman, Jerry (Department: 3634)

Movable or removable closures

Panel with closure feature

Modified to accommodate lock or latch

C070S370000, C070S417000, C070S451000, C070S466000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06318026

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention is in a door construction and more particularly in a metal door with inserts for holding latches and locks. The disclosure incorporates the metal door insert disclosed in provisional patent application 60/098,833, filed Sep. 2, 1998, whose priority is claimed for this application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Doors for homes and offices are often metal. Metal doors are fire resistant. Due to their fire resistance, insurance companies encourage their use. Manufacturers of metal doors are now able to provide insulation that reduces moisture condensation problems encountered in the past. Manufacturers have also learned how to form outer surfaces that are attractive and durable.
Wood inserts are placed inside the doors for mounting latches and locksets and also for mounting dead bolts. The wood blocks must be free of knots and blemishes. In addition, the wood must hold screws that secure face plates for latches and dead bolts. If a wood block splits when a screw is screwed into it, the doors is essentially destroyed. Once insulation is injected into the hollow interior of the door, the wood blocks cannot be replaced.
Wood suitable for making metal door insert blocks is scarce. Much of the available wood has knots that preclude its use for making door inserts. Some wood is too soft to hold the required screws for attaching face plates. Other available woods are brittle and tend to split when screws are inserted into them. As a result of the scarcity of suitable wood for door inserts and increased demand for metal doors, the wood that is available has become expensive.
Manufacturers of metal doors have taken steps to conserve wood. Wood can be conserved by reducing the size of the blocks that are inserted. When the size of the wood block inserts is reduced, an individual block can only accommodate a latch and lockset with one predetermined set back distance. The set back distance is the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the latch or dead bolt control members. The wood block insert for the dead bolt also accommodates dead bolts with one specific size. As a result, metal door manufacturers have to maintain a supply of several wood block inserts and metal door retailers must maintain an inventory of doors that will accommodate various latch and lock assemblies as well as a variety of dead bolts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a composite material door insert block for a metal door.
Another object of the invention is to provide a door insert block, for a metal door, that has superior screw retention.
A further object of the invention is to provide a door insert block for a metal door that can accommodate door hardware with more than one nominal size.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a door insert block, for a metal door, with recesses that receive foam insulation and that is anchored in place by the insulation.
A yet still further object of the invention is to provide a door insert block, for a metal door, that has integral alignment projections that align the insert block in the door.
The door insert block is formed from a composite material. The material has fibers in a plastic matrix that are selected from a variety of materials that provide the desired properties. The plastic matrix can be a thermoplastic or a thermoset material. Polypropylene has been found to work well. The fibers can be natural fibers such as wood or man made fibers. This composite can be drilled, cut and worked with tools normally used when working with hard woods. The material holds its shape, is non-compressible and holds wood screws well.
The door insert block is formed by molding or by extrusion. If it is formed by molding all of the cavities and passages can be formed in one operation. If the door insert block is formed by extruding, some passages will have to be formed after the block passes through the extrusion dye. A modified extrusion process referred to as pull trusion may be required if fibers are employed that cannot be forced through a dye using conventional extrusion equipment and processes.
The door insert block has a plurality of ribs that extend from the inside surface of one of the doors large panels to the inside surface of the opposite large panel. These ribs form a plurality of chambers. One or more of the chambers may be used to house control members for operating a door latch. A door lock can be provided to prevent the latch from being released. Another chamber may be used to house the control members for moving a dead bolt into and out of locking position. The dead bolt will generally also include a lock. If a lock is included, the dead bolt can be operated and closed with a manual controller on one side of the door and with a key on the other side of the door.
One of the ribs has an outer surface that is positioned adjacent to an inside surface of the door edge opposite the door edge with door hinges. The rib that is adjacent to a door edge may have alignment surfaces for aligning the insert block relative to the door. The rib adjacent to the door edge with alignment surfaces may also have retainers for holding the insert block in a fixed position relative to the door.
Latch and dead bolt passages pass from an outer surface of the rib adjacent to a door edge to the chambers for door latch and dead bolt control members. The rib adjacent to the door edge also receives screws that secure the face plates for door latches and dead bolts in place.
Passages are provided in some of the ribs for the entry of foam insulation material into chambers formed by the ribs. It is preferable to fill all the chambers formed by the ribs with foam except the chambers that house control members for operating door latches and dead bolts. The foam strengthens the insert block and anchors the insert block in place within a door as well as reducing the rate of heat transfer. Foam is injected into the chambers within the insert block at the same time it is injected into the entire door cavity.
The chambers in the insert block for housing the control members for operating a door latch and for operating a dead bolt, if a dead bolt is used, are preferably elongated. By providing elongated chambers, they can accommodate door hardware with a range of door latch lengths and a range of dead bolt lengths.
Dead bolts are not used on most doors. If desired, the chamber for housing a dead bolt control member can be eliminated from the insert block. The ribs that form the insert block provide sufficient strength to support a dead bolt if it is desired to add a dead bolt at a future date. The required passages can be drilled into the insert block and foam filled chambers in the same way they are currently drilled into wood insert blocks.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4218848 (1980-08-01), Nelson
patent: 4407537 (1983-10-01), Ames
patent: 4561212 (1985-12-01), Ullman
patent: 4887856 (1989-12-01), Percoco et al.
patent: 5406814 (1995-04-01), Zeager et al.
patent: 5906493 (1999-05-01), Bishop

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