GB2113283A - Weatherstrip - Google Patents

Abstract

An elongate weatherstrip (60) e.g. for sealing between a door and a jamb comprises an elongate body having a base (62) formed of relatively stiff plastics material and adapted to be mounted in an elongated keyway or groove (48). An outer, hollow tubular sealing element (64) of the weatherstrip is integrally secured with the base and is formed of relatively flexible plastics material. The sealing element (64) is adapted to be deformed by movement of the door, to form a tight seal between adjacent edge portions of the members. The weatherstrip (60) is suitable also for sliding or wiping type sealing action, e.g. between the top of a door and its frame or for sealing action by direct compression of its element (64) towards its base between the door frame and the door. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Weatherstrip The present invention relates to a new and improved elongated weatherstrip adapted for use in sealing around the periphery of windows, doors, other types of closure members and the like. The weatherstrip is especially adapted for use with aluminum entrance doors of the type shown and described in U.S. Patents Nos.

4,157,634; and 4,283,882, which patents are owned by the assignee of the present application.

Over the years a wide variety of elongated flexible weatherstrip and sealing elements have been developed for providing weather tight seals for the edges of relatively movable closure members such as doors, panels, windows, wall sections and the like. British Patent Specification Nos. 821,193, filed September 4, 1957; 892,364, filed January 3, 1961; 1,416,151, filed March 25,1972; 1,447,571,filed March 1, 1974; 1,536,030, filed March 31, 1976 and German Patent No. DP 25 23 664 Al, filed May 28, 1975 disclose various elongated weatherstrips.

U.S. Patent 1,666,328; 1,667,144; 2,203,522; 2,549,284; 2,718,677; 3,131,441; 3,140,517; 3,341,975; 3,638,359;#3,656,270; 3,788,008; 3,819,464; 4,006,562; 4,030,245; 4,092,813; and 4.105,814 also disclose a variety of different weatherstrips for doors, windows and window glass in automobiles and the like and these weatherstrips are also used to provide a weather seal between movable closure members and adjacent closure members and/or fixed frames or jamb members. The Schlegel Manufacturing Company of Rochester, New York, U.S.A., has developed and marketed weatherstripping materials sold under the trade name "Polyflex" and particularly designed for wood windows.

Schlegel has also developed a weather sealing system for doors using both "Polyflex" weatherstripping and a dual durometer "Schlegelfoam" bottom sealing strip.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved elongated weatherstrip for use with doors, windows, panels, closure members and the like.

The present invention provides an elongated weatherstrip for sealing between adjacent edge portions of a pair of relatively movable members comprising an elongated body having a base element formed of relatively stiff plastics material adapted to be mounted in an elongated groove formed in one of said members and a hollow tubular sealing element secured to said base element and formed of relatively flexible plastics material adapted to be deformed by movement of at least one of said members relative to the other into a closed position to form a seal between adjacent facing surfaces of said members, said base element having a bight and a pair of legs adapted to retain said weatherstrip engaged in said groove, said bight having an outwardly facing surface of substantial area facing and integrally secured with an adjacent wall of said hollow sealing element, said hollow sealing element having an outer, deformable wall portion integral with said adjacent wall and adapted to be deformed toward said groove when said members are in said closed position to form said seal.

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example, and not by way of limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:~ Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a pair of hinged entrance doors and surrounding door jambs and frame members suitable for use with elongated weatherstrips in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view taken substantially along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged scale, fragmentary, horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially along lines 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing the door in a fully closed position with the weatherstrip providing a weathertight seal;; Fig. 3A is a fragmentary, horizontal crosssectional view taken substantially along lines 3A-3A of Fig. 1 and similar to Fig. 3 but showing the door in an open position; Fig. 4 is an enlarged scale, vertical, crosssectional view taken substantially along lines 44 of Fig. 1, again with the door shown in a closed position; Fig. 5 is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary, horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating a weatherstrip in accordance with the present invention with an associated door shown in an open position; and Fig. 6 is another greatly enlarged, horizontal cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 5 but illustrating the weatherstrip as it is deformed to provide a weathertight seal engaged between a fixed surface on a door jamb element and a facing surface of the closed door.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, in Figs. 1 and 2 is illustrated an entrance system generally referred to by the reference numeral 10 which includes a pair of swinging doors 12 and 14, each having a metal frame work with a vertically extending hinge stile 16 and a parallel, vertical lock stile 18. The doors 12 and 14 are mounted to swing outwardly open as indicated by the arrows "A" and the dotted lines in Fig. 2 and are positioned within a generally rectangular shaped entrance opening 20 formed in a building wall structure which may be of masonry or another type of wall construction.

Each door is supported for pivotal movement on a pair or more of hinges 22 attached to the hinge stiles 1 6 of the doors and an adjacent, vertical door jamb 24 of generally rectangular transverse cross-section as shown in Figs. 3 and 3A. Along the upper edge of the opening 20, the frame around the doors includes a header 26 and along a lower level of the opening on a floor surface 30, there is provided a threshold 28 thus completing a fixed rectangular framework surrounding the pair of movable, swinging entrance doors 12 and 14.

Each door also includes an upper horizontal rail 32 and a lower horizontal rail 34 joined to the upper and lower ends respectively of the vertical stiles 16 and 18 to form a rigid metal door frame of rectangular shape adapted to support a large rectangular door panel or pane of glass 35 as illustrated in Fig. 1. Suitable glass stops and glazing elements are provided to secure the glass panel in the rectangular opening of the frame as for example, shown in U.S. Patent No. 4,225,163 and/or U.S. Patent No. 3,816,01 1.

The vertical door stiles 16 and 18 and the horizontal rails 32 and 34 of the respective doors 12 and 14 are preferably formed of hollow tubular, aluminum extrusions and each includes an inside wall face 36 which is generally parallel with the wall structure of the building when the doors are closed. The vertical hinge stiles 16 also include outer side edge faces 38 which are generally transverse to the inside faces 36 and the inside and edge faces are integrally joined at a rounded corner surface 40 as best shown in Figs.

3A, 5 and 6. The vertical door jambs 24 are fixedly secured and are weather sealed in the entrance opening 20 and each includes a generally planar jamb surface 42 adapted to closely face the adjacent side edge face 38 of a door stile 1 6 whenever the door is in a closed position as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. The horizontal header 26 is similarly provided with a jamb surface 42 facing downwardly towards the upper edge of the doors 12 and 14.

The header 26 and the vertical jamb members 24 may be of identical or substantially similar transverse cross-section as illustrated in Figs. 3, 3A and 4 and preferably, each is an aluminum extrusion including an integral door stop 44 projecting outwardly of the jamb face 42 at right angles thereto as best shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The integral door stop is provided with a stop face 46 generally transverse to the jamb face 42 and adapted to closely face the inside surface 36 of the door stiles when the doors are closed as shown in Fig. 6. As best shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the faces 46 of the integral door stops 44 are formed with a longitudinal groove 48 of generally T-shape transverse cross-section and the grooves or keyways open outwardly toward the inside face 36 of the closed doors.Similarly, the groove or keyway 48 on the door stop 44 of the header 26 is adapted to closely face an inside face 36 of the upper door rail 32 when the doors are in a closed position as shown in Fig. 4.

As illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the jamb faces 42 of the fixed vertical jambs 24 are interrupted intermediate their outside and inside corner edges by an indented groove 50 having an inside face 52 aligned generally in coplanar relationship with the face 46 of the outwardly projecting integral stop 44. At the juncture of an outer extremity of the groove 50 and the outer jamb surface 42, a rounded corner 54 is provided as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

A weather tight seal around the periphery of the swinging doors 12 and 14 and the respective fixed jambs 24, the header 26 and the threshold 28 is provided by an elongated weatherstrip referred to generally by the reference numeral 60.

This weatherstrip effects a weather-tight seal between the surfaces 36 and 38 of the doors and the respective fixed jamb members and header whenever the doors are in a closed position as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 6.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 5 and 6, the weatherstrip 60 includes a base element 62 having a generally channel-shaped transverse cross-section adapted to snap-fit within the keyways or grooves 48 of the door stops 44. The base element includes a broad relatively flat bight portion 65 having a flat outer face of substantial surface area aligned generally with the face 46 of the door stop 44. The base also includes a pair of legs 66 extending transversely and inwardly of the bight. The legs are formed with feet 68 on the inner ends extending generally parallel to the bight and laterally outwardly in opposite directions. The feet include enlarged circular stiffening toes 70 at the outer edges for providing increased structural stiffness for the base element as a whole and for helping to retain the base in the grooves or keyways 48 of door stops.

The base element 62 is formed of extruded, resinous plastics material having a relatively stiff coefficient of flexure. A relatively large, flat, outer face 72 of the bight 65 is integrally secured and joined with an outer, hollow tubular, sealing element 64 during the extrusion process. The hollow sealing element 64 has a transverse crosssection of generally race-track shape as shown in Fig. 5, and is formed of a relatively flexible resinous plastics material in comparison to the base 62. Materials of different stiffness or flexibility characteristics that are used in making the base and sealing element portions of the composite weatherstrip 60 are fed simultaneously into an extrusion die during the extrusion process and a high strength, integral bond is established between the elements over the substantially large, flat outer area 72.

The hollow sealing element 64 includes a pair of inner and outer flats or staightaway portions 74 and 76 generally parallel of one another and generally parallel of the bight 65. The inner flat 74 is secured to the base element 62 over a substantially large inner surface area which integrally joins the outer face 72 of the bight.

Additionally, generally triangular gussets or corners 82 are formed to resist tearing action and to insure an excellent permanent attachment between the inner flat 74 of the relatively flexible outer tubular sealing element 64 and the bight 65 on the relatively rigid base element 62.

Referring specifically to Fig. 5, when the doors 12 or 14 are open the rounded corner 40 or heel at the junction of the inside surface 36 and the side edge surface 38 of a door hinge stile 16 is spaced away from the hollow tubular sealing element 64 of the weatherstrip and the element is in an undeformed condition. In this condition, the opposite, convexly curved portions 78 and 80 of the weatherstrip serve to stabilize and maintain the tubular element with a transverse crosssection of race track shape as shown in Fig. 5 and in dotted lines in Fig. 6.When the doors 12 or 14 are subsequently closed, the flat surfaces 36 and 38 and the corner surface 40 of the hinge stiles 16 move in the direction shown by the arrows "B" (Figs. 3A and 5) and as this occurs, the convexly curved portions 78 are deformed and flattened inwardly so that a tight seal is established in contact areas labeled "C" and "D" (Fig. 6) between the flattened segments of the weatherstrip portion 78 and adjacent portions of the face 46 of the door stop 44 and the inside face 36 on the door stile 16.

In addition, closing of the doors causes the hollow tubular element 64 of the weatherstrips to be displaced toward the left as viewed in Fig. 6 so that another pair of sealing areas "F" and "G" are established between the convexly curved segment 80 of the tubular sealing element 64 and the adjacent corner surface 54 between the jamb surface 42 and the groove 50 on the fixed jamb 24, on the one hand, and the flat surface 52 of the jamb on the opposite face of the groove.

The convexly curved segment 78 provides another sealing area labeled "E" in Fig. 6 established between the edge surface 38 of the door stile 1 6 and the outer flat 76 of the tubular sealing element 64 which is partially flattened over a portion of its area by inward deformation to generally conform to the shape of the heel or corner portion 40 of the door stile which now protrudes into the area normally occupied by the sealing element 64 whenever the door is opened and the tubular element is undeformed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that an excellent weather tight seal is established by the outer hollow tubular sealing element 64 of the weatherstrip 60 whenever the doors are closed.

When closed, the doors are tightly sealed against weather penetration between the fixed door jambs 24 and the upper header 26 and the adjacent surface portions of the doors.

Along the lower edge of the doors 12 and 14, a sealing strip assembly 82 having a flexible sealing element 84 is provided to engage a lip on the fixed threshold 28. The lower door element sealing strip is preferably similar to that shown and described in the aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 4,157,634. In addition, when multiple doors are provided in an entrance opening as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a sealing weatherstrip is usually provided to seal between the adjacent lock stiles 18 of the opposing doors when closed. This weatherstrip is referred to by the numeral 86 in Fig. 3. and includes a pair of parallel inner and outer, brush-like strips mounted in a channel formed in one of the door stiles.The brush strips are secured in a sheet metal element 88 having a generally U-shaped transverse cross-section with suitable attachment screws 90 at appropriate intervals along the door stile.

The weatherstrip 60 is easy to install, provides an excellent weathertight seal and will last for long periods during rough usage. Because of the substantial surface area 72 between the relatively stiff base element 62 and the relatively flexible hollow, outer sealing element 64, the weatherstrip 60 is capable of forming an excellent seal and yet can withstanding repeated deformations when the doors are opened and closed without tearing between the two elements even though they are constructed of different materials having different coefficients of flexibility.

When the doors are closed, the hollow tubular sealing element 64 is displaced to the left as shown in Fig. 6 from the position shown in Fig. 5 and as this occurs the large surface area 72 between the different portions of the weatherstrip is advantageously aligned to resist shearing or tearing action at the juncture of the elements 62 and 64. Even though the base element 62 of the weatherstrip 60 is formed of a relatively stiff, extruded plastics material, the weatherstrip may be conveniently coiled and wound on a spool.

The weatherstrip 60 described with reference to the accompanying drawings is effective to provide a weathertight seal useful for both compression type sealing action as described and for sliding or wiping type sealing action which is effected between relatively movable members as a closed relationship is established.

Claims (11)

Claims

1. An elongated weatherstrip for sealing between adjacent edge portions of a pair of relatively movable members, comprising: an elongated body having a base element formed of relatively stiff plastics material adapted to be mounted in an elongated groove formed in one of said members and a hollow tubular sealing element secured to said base element and formed of relatively flexible plastics material adapted to be deformed by movement of at least one of said members relative to the other into a closed position to form a seal between adjacent facing surfaces of said members.

said base element having a bight and a pair of legs adapted to retain said weatherstrip engaged in said groove, said bight having an outwardly facing surface of substantial area facing and integrally secured with an adjacent wall of said hollow sealing element, said hollow sealing element having an outer, deformable wall portion integral with said adjacent wall and adapted to be deformed toward said groove when said members are in said closed position to form said seal.

2. The elongated weatherstrip of claim 1 wherein said hollow tubular element has a transverse cross-section of race track shape with spaced apart, parallel flats and convex curved portions integral therewith.

3. The elongated weatherstrip of claim 2 wherein an inner one of said flats forms said adjacent wall that is secured to said bight of said base element.

4. The elongated weatherstrip of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said base element and said sealing element are formed in an extrusion process and are integrally joined together during said process to form an integral weatherstrip.

5. The elongated weatherstrip of any preceding claim wherein said base element is generally Ushaped in transverse cross-section and said bight comprises a flat secured with said hollow tubular element over a substantially flat outwardly facing surface.

6. The elongated weatherstrip of claim 5 wherein said flat of said bight and said legs have curved outwardly facing corner surfaces at the junctures thereof and said hollow tubular sealing element includes inwardly extending gusset portions joined with said corner surfaces.

7. The elongated weatherstrip of claim 2 in combination with said relatively movable members each of which members includes a pair of generally transverse surfaces closely facing transverse surface of the other member when said members are in said closed position, one of said convex curved portions of said hollow tubular element adapted to be flattened by sealing engagement between generally parallel facing surfaces of said closed members and the other of said convex curved portions deformed against at least one of transverse surfaces of said relatively movable members to form a second area of sealing engagement therebetween.

8. The elongated weatherstrip combination of claim 7 wherein at least a portion of an outer one of said flats of said hollow tubular element is deformed inwardly by a corner of at least one of said relatively movable members in said closed position.

9. The elongated weatherstrip combination of claim 8 wherein relative movement of said corner of said one of said relatively movable members toward said closed position tends to flatten said one convex curved portion and inwardly deform said outer one of said flats of said hollow, tubular sealing element forming seal area on both of said transverse surfaces of said one member adjacent said corner.

10. The elongated weatherstrip combination of claim 9 wherein said relative movement toward said closed condition causes displacement of said other convex curved portion in a direction generally parallel of said bight toward sealing engagement of said second area.

11. An elongated weatherstrip in accordance with claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.