Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Openwork; e.g. – truss – trellis – grille – screen – frame – or... – Outside corner or peripherally bordered
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-10
2001-06-26
Stephan, Beth A. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Openwork; e.g., truss, trellis, grille, screen, frame, or...
Outside corner or peripherally bordered
C052S455000, C052S656900
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250040
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to screen doors and to their manufacture and installation. The present invention also relates generally to the use of plastics, and in particular, vinyl, as replacements for wood-based products.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Traditionally, screen doors have been made of wood or metal, such as aluminum. Wood has drawbacks, however. It must be painted or coated to protect it from the elements. If made of less expensive woods, such as pine, it may split or warp easily. It may be attacked by mold and fungus. Aluminum doors are much more expensive.
Polyvinyl chloride has been used in place of wood in siding for years. Recently, other uses of this material have been made. For example, interior shutters and parts of windows are now commonly made of vinyl. Windows and shutters, whether vinyl or wood, are made to order are made to measurements rather than custom-fitted at the job site. The dimensions of the window frame are supplied to a manufacturer who builds the shutters or windows to the measurements. These items are hollow, with walls typically less than ⅛th inch thick, to save material and decrease weight. For added strength, ribs or other interior structures are added as needed. In some cases, metal bars are used to reinforce operable, exterior shutters.
As a practical matter, screen doors cannot be made of the same materials as vinyl shutters and windows. The door needs to fit closely in a door frame that may not be rectangular or “plumb” but may lean or be narrower at the top or bottom. A screen door made of wood can be cut and trimmed on the job site. A hollow core vinyl door, on the other hand, especially one with metal reinforcing bars, could not be trimmed on the job site without the risk of cutting through the wall, generally less than ⅛ inch thick, without jeopardizing with the structural integrity and appearance of the door. Finally, shutters and windows are usually ordered in quantity, unlike screen doors. Therefore, there is little incentive to provide screen doors made to measurement.
Foamed plastics, and vinyls in particular, are sometimes used for interior ceiling and floor molding, brick molding or picture frame molding. The ends of these materials are cut to length at the job site and nailed into place. However, molding does not support weight, does not take the abuse of a screen door nor is it as complex a structure as a screed door. For example, a screen door must support the screen and hardware on a multi-component frame.
Thus, there remains a need for a screen door that does not have the disadvantages of either aluminum or wood, that can be custom fitted at the job site, unlike hollow core shutters and windows, and will take abuse.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to its major aspects and briefly recited, the present invention is a screen door wherein the frame is made of foamed, closed cell polyvinyl chloride instead of wood or other material. In particular the stiles and rails of which the frame is comprised are formed on a substantially solid, extruded vinyl rather than a hollow core vinyl and are fastened together with screws or dowels and adhesive to form a rectangular frame with an opening defined between the stiles and rails for the screen. A groove is then milled into the frame around the screen opening for receiving the screen and the spline that holds it in place.
The door frame can be taken, along with the usual door hardware, to the job site. There, the edges of the door frame are cut and trimmed using standard woodworking tools to fit the door to a particular door frame. The screen is fastened to the door frame using the spline to hold the screen into the groove.
An important feature of the present invention is the preferred choice of material, namely, foamed, close-cell polyvinyl chloride, and most preferably, vinyl extruded with a Celuka finish. This material has the weight and the look and feel of painted wood but needs far less maintenance. It does not require painting but can be painted. It can be molded with a wood grain and with anti-fungal chemicals. The Celuca finish is smooth, hard and resistant to both scratches and dents.
The use of solid foamed polyvinyl chloride is another important feature of this invention. The use of solid polyvinyl chloride permits the edges of the door frame to be trimmed, removing even more than an inch from each edge is possible to fit the door to a particular door frame. Not only is trimming possible, but other operations using standard wood working tools, such as drilling, routing, milling, and planing, making installation of hardware as convenient with the present material as will wood. Furthermore, solid material does not split, as wood does, allowing the stiles and rails to be fastened by screws that can bite into the material and the material closes around them for a superior joint.
Another important feature of the present invention is the use of a milled groove around the screen opening to hold the screen and spline. This groove is cut, preferably with longitudinal ridges complementing the teeth on the spline wherein the purpose of the ridges is to secure the spline better. The groove is dimensioned to receive the screen and the resilient spline so the screen can be securely fastened to the frame. The spline and screen are pressed into the groove using a simple tool.
Being able to trim and cut the door frame at the work site is another important feature of the present invention. This feature makes it possible to custom fit a standard, oversize door to most door frames for a perfect fit without the need to measure the door frame and then build the screen door to measurements.
Other features and their advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art of manufacturing and installing screen doors from a careful reading of the preferred embodiments accompanied by the following drawings.
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Mann Michael A
Nexsen Pruet Jacobs & Pollard LLP
Stephan Beth A.
LandOfFree
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