Adjustable threshold assembly with water-tight seal

{
  "publication_number": "US5524391A",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A",
  "title": "Adjustable threshold assembly with water-tight seal",
  "abstract": "An extruded aluminum sill member is supported by and attached to a wood base member which also supports a longitudinally extending inner wood trim member. The sill, base and trim members define a longitudinally extending cavity which receives a vertically adjustable rail member. The rail member has longitudinally spaced captive screws which are threaded into inverted T-nuts confined within laterally extending slots formed within the wood base member, and the trim member covers the slots. The sill member also extends under a jamb or mullion and a fixed side panel, and a snap-in extruded plastic cap covers the cavity under the panel and has an upwardly projecting and inwardly curved flange with a flexible lip for engaging the outer surface of the panel to form a water-tight seal.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A threshold assembly adapted to be installed below a bottom surface of a moveable door and a fixed panel, comprising an elongated metal sill member including a sloping top surface, a longitudinally extending base member under said sill member and cooperating with said sill member to define a longitudinally extending and upwardly facing cavity, an elongated rail member disposed within a first portion of said cavity adapted to be under the door, means for adjusting said rail member vertically within said cavity and including a plurality of longitudinally spaced threaded fasteners rotatably supported by said rail member, means forming a plurality of longitudinally spaced threaded holes within said base member and receiving said fasteners, an elongated cap member of extruded material and connected to said sill member for covering a second portion of said cavity adapted to be under the fixed panel, said cap member including an integral flange projecting upwardly from said sill member, and means forming a water-tight seal between said flange and the outer surface of the fixed panel.",
    "2. A threshold assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said upwardly projecting flange also projects inwardly to the outer surface of the fixed panel.",
    "3. A threshold assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said cap member comprises a plastics material, said seal is formed by a flexible lip formed as an integral portion of said flange, and said lip has a durometer substantially lower than the durometer of said flange.",
    "4. A threshold assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said sill member includes means defining a longitudinally extending groove having a top opening, and said cap member includes a longitudinally extending fastener rib projecting downwardly into said groove.",
    "5. A threshold assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said upwardly projecting flange of said cap member curves inwardly towards the fixed panel and supports said means forming said seal.",
    "6. A threshold assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said cap member includes a longitudinally extending flange projecting downwardly into said cavity.",
    "7. A threshold assembly adapted to be installed below a bottom surface of a moveable door and a fixed panel, comprising an elongated metal sill member including a sloping top surface, a longitudinally extending base member under said sill member and cooperating with said sill member to define a longitudinally extending and upwardly facing cavity, an elongated rail member disposed within a first portion of said cavity adapted to be under the door, means for adjusting said rail member vertically within said cavity, an elongated cap member of extruded plastics material and connected to said sill member for covering a second portion of said cavity adapted to be under the fixed panel, said cap member including an integral flange projecting upwardly from said sill member, and means forming a water-tight seal between said flange and the outer surface of the fixed panel.",
    "8. A threshold assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said upwardly projecting flange also projects inwardly to the outer surface of the fixed panel.",
    "9. A threshold assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said seal is formed by a flexible lip formed as an integral portion of said flange, and said lip has a durometer substantially lower than the durometer of said flange."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This invention relates to adjustable threshold assemblies of the general type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,010,690 and 5,230,181 which issued to the assignee of the present invention. In such an assembly, an elongated extruded aluminum sill member is supported by and attached to a wood base member, and a longitudinally extending wood trim member is attached to the inner edge of the base member. The sill, base and trim members cooperate to define a longitudinally extending cavity which receives a vertically adjustable rail member in the form of a wood or inverted extruded aluminum channel. The rail member carries longitudinally spaced captive screws which may be threaded into a portion of the aluminum sill member within the recess, as shown in the above patents. It is also known for the captive screws to be threaded into tubular T-nuts which are inserted into corresponding holes within the wood base member and flared at the bottom of the nuts, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,412.\n\nSometimes it is desirable for the threshold assembly to extend under a fixed jamb member or mull ion and also under one or more side lites or panels, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Des. No. 110,452 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,680. When one or more stationary or fixed side panels are used on one side or both sides of a moveable or pivotable door, sometimes separate aluminum sill members are used under the door and each side panel, and the mullion or jamb between the door and each side panel is used to cover the joint between the separate sill members.",
  "cpc": [
    "E06B 1/70",
    "E06B 1/524"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "E06B 1/52",
    "E06B 1/70"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Imperial Products Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Sol G. Joffe",
    "Michael L. Bergen",
    "Joseph Morgan, Jr."
  ],
  "filing_date": "1995-03-20",
  "publication_date": "1996-06-11",
  "grant_date": "1996-06-11",
  "priority_date": "1995-03-20",
  "application_number": "US-40649195-A",
  "family_id": "23608214",
  "cited_by_count": 69,
  "citations": [
    "US2734601A",
    "US3967412A",
    "US4447987A",
    "US4945680A",
    "US5010690A",
    "US5230181A",
    "US5426894A"
  ]
}