Patent Publication Number: US-2023151688-A1

Title: Screen channel inserts for fenestration units

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/264,003 filed Nov. 12, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Various aspects of this disclosure relate to fenestration products, such as windows and doors. In some specific examples, the disclosure relates to structures for securing barriers or panels, such as screens, to a frame. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Fenestration units such as windows and doors may include a frame that supports a barrier or panel such as a glass pane or a screen. Some panels, such as screens and pet cloths, may be formed from flexible materials, and may be attached to the frame by a spline that secures the panel within a channel on the frame. 
     There remains a need for improved fenestration units. In particular, there is a need for improved structures for attaching panels such as screens to the fenestration unit frame. Such structures that efficiently enhance the functionality of the frame would be particularly advantageous. 
     SUMMARY 
     Various aspects of the disclosure relate to a panel channel insert, such as a screen channel insert, that can be used in combination with a fenestration unit frame having a spline channel. An exemplary panel channel insert comprises a frame attachment portion and a channel portion. The frame attachment portion is configured to attach the panel channel insert to the spline channel of the fenestration unit frame. The channel portion defines an insert spline channel configured to receive a spline to secure the panel to the panel channel insert. For example, the insert spline channel can have different sizes than the spline channel of the fenestration unit frame, enabling the frame to be used with screens or other panels having different thicknesses. 
     In some examples, the frame attachment portion includes a first wall section and an arm with a head spaced from the first wall section. The insert spline channel may be defined at least in part by the first wall section, and a second wall section spaced apart from and opposite the first wall section from the arm. In some examples the frame attachment portion may define a snap. For example, the first wall section and the arm may be resiliently moveable with respect to one another. 
     In some examples, the channel portion defines an insert spline channel having a cross sectional area that is different, and optionally larger, than a cross sectional area of the spline channel of the frame. 
     In some examples, the spline channel of the frame is configured to receive a spline having a first cross sectional area. The panel channel insert may be used with a panel, optionally a screen, including a portion within the spline channel of the panel channel insert. A spline having the first cross sectional area may be positioned within the spline channel to attach the panel to the panel channel insert. 
     Some examples further include the frame, wherein the panel channel insert is attached to the frame. 
     In some examples, the frame attachment portion is configured to attach the panel channel insert to a spline channel of a frame configured to receive a panel having a first thickness, and the channel portion of the panel channel insert defines an insert spline channel configured to receive a spline to secure a panel having a second thickness different than the first thickness, and optionally greater than the first thickness, to the panel channel insert. In some embodiments, the frame attachment portion is configured to attach the panel channel insert to a spline channel of a frame configured to receive the panel having the first thickness using a spline having a first size and shape configuration and the channel portion of the panel channel insert is configured to secure the panel having the second thickness to the panel channel insert using a spline having the first size and shape configuration. 
     In some examples, the frame attachment portion is configured to attach the panel channel insert to a spline channel of a frame having a first size and shape configuration, and the channel portion of the panel channel insert defines an insert spline channel having a second size and shape configuration that is different, and optionally larger, than the first size and shape configuration. In some embodiments, the frame attachment portion is configured to attach the panel channel insert to a spline channel frame configured for use with a spline having a first shape and size configuration, and the channel portion is configured to secure the panel to the channel panel insert using a spline having the first shape and size configuration. 
     While multiple inventive examples are specifically disclosed, various modifications and combinations of features from those examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. Accordingly, the disclosed examples are meant to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is an illustration of an exemplary fenestration unit including a screen channel insert, in accordance with some examples. 
         FIG.  2    is a detailed illustration of cross sectional portions of a fenestration frame member and a channel insert member, in accordance with some examples. 
         FIG.  3    is a detailed illustration of the frame member and channel insert member shown in  FIG.  2   , with a screen attached to the channel insert member by a spline. 
     
    
    
     While the disclosure is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail below. The disclosure, however, is not limited to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Screen channel inserts according to the inventive examples may be adapted for fenestration units including a variety of window and/or door styles (collectively referred to as “fenestration units”) including sliding, hinged, fixed, casement, awning, projected, and others. The screen channel insert enables screens of different thicknesses to be attached or mounted to the fenestration unit. For example, the screen channel insert may enable a screen that is thicker than a screen that the fenestration unit was configured to support to be attached to the fenestration unit. The screen channel insert enables screens to be securely mounted to the fenestration unit. The screen channel insert thereby enables the fenestration unit to be efficiently and effectively adapted for use with screens having a range of different thicknesses. Although described as a screen channel insert for mounting a screen to the fenestration unit, channel inserts according to the inventive examples may be adapted and used to mount other barriers or panels, including transparent, semi-transparent, opaque or other non-mesh materials to the fenestration unit. 
       FIG.  1    is an illustration of a fenestration unit  8  including a screen channel insert  10 , frame  12  and screen  14  in accordance with some examples. In the illustrated examples, frame  12  is formed from top, bottom, first side and second side frame members  16 A- 16 D, respectively, which are generally elongated members and which may have a generally constant cross-sectional shape along their lengths. Frame members  16 A- 16 D may be joined by conventional or otherwise known structures and/or approaches, such as corner-locks, to form the frame  12 . In embodiments, frame members  16 A- 16 D may be polymer members formed by extrusion processes. In other embodiments the frame members  16 A- 16 D may be formed from other suitable materials using other conventional or otherwise known methods. 
     Similarly, the illustrated examples of screen channel insert  10  are formed from top, bottom, first side and second side channel insert members  18 A- 18 D, respectively, which may have a generally constant cross-sectional shape along their lengths. As described in greater detail below, the channel insert members  18 A- 18 D are configured to be attached to the associated frame members  16 A- 16 D, respectively. The channel insert members  18 A- 18 D may also be joined to one another in embodiments. In embodiments, channel insert members  18 A- 18 D may be polymer members formed by extrusion processes. In other embodiments the channel insert members  18 A- 18 D may be formed from other suitable materials using other conventional or otherwise known methods. As described in greater detail below, screen  14  is attached to the channel insert members  18 A- 18 D by a spline. 
       FIG.  2    illustrates portions of lengths of a frame member  16 B and a channel insert member  18 B in accordance with examples. The other frame members  16 A,  16 C,  16 D and channel insert members  18 A,  18 C,  18 D may be substantially the same as or similar to the illustrated frame member  16 B and channel insert member  18 B. Frame member  16 B, which can be of a conventional or otherwise known structure, is a hollow member defined by four walls  20 A- 20 D. An elongated screen channel  22  (i.e., a frame screen channel) extends along the length of the frame member  16 B, and is located on the wall  20 A, adjacent to the wall  20 D, in the illustrated examples. In the illustrated examples, the screen channel  22  is generally L-shaped in cross section, and is defined by a wall section  24  that extends toward an interior of the frame member  16 B from the wall  20 A, a wall section  26  that extends between the wall section  24  and the wall  20 D, and a wall section  28 . The wall section  28  is generally opposite the screen channel  22  from wall section  24 , extends from the wall section  26 , and is an end portion of the wall  20 D in the illustrated embodiments. The end of wall section  28  adjacent the open side of the screen channel  22  includes an enlarged portion such as head  30  that defines a lip extending into the screen channel. The cross sectional shape of screen channel  22  on the frame member  16 B may take a conventional or otherwise known configuration. The screen channel  22  may be sized with dimensions that enable an elongated spline (not shown in  FIG.  2   ) of a predetermined size to be inserted into and retained within the screen channel, with the screen (not shown in  FIG.  2   ) having a predetermined thickness wrapped around the spline to securely mount the screen to the frame member  16 B. 
     Screen channel insert member  18 B includes a frame attachment portion  40  and a screen channel portion  42 . Frame attachment portion  40 , which may be a channel attachment structure in embodiments, is configured to securely attach to the frame member  16 B by engagement with the screen channel  22 , and in the illustrated examples includes a wall section  44  that extends over the open side of the screen channel, a wall section  46  that engages the wall section  28  of the screen channel, and an arm  48  extending from the wall section  44  into the screen channel. An end of the arm  48  opposite the wall section  44  includes an enlarged portion such as a head  50  that defines a lip. In the illustrated examples the wall section  46  of the frame attachment portion  40  engages the outer surface of the wall section  28  of the screen channel  22 , with the head  50  of the channel insert member  18 B and the head  30  of the screen channel engaging in overlapping relationship to secure the channel insert member  18 B to the screen channel  22  of the frame member  16 B. In embodiments, one or both of the frame attachment portion  40  of the channel insert member  18 B and the wall section  28  of the screen channel  22  may have sufficient resilience to enable the channel insert member  18 B to snap onto the frame member  16 B at the channel  22 . Alternatively or in other embodiments, the frame attachment portion  40  of the channel insert member  18 B and the wall section  28  of the screen channel  22  are rigid, and the screen channel insert member  18 B may be slid into mating engagement with the screen channel  22  (e.g., about the longitudinal axes of the channel insert member and screen channel after engaging their ends). In yet other embodiments (not shown), the frame attachment portion  40  takes other structural configurations, or is configured for attachment to the screen channel  22  of the frame member  16 B by other approaches. 
     Screen channel portion  42  of the channel insert member  18 B defines an elongated spline channel  60  that extends along the length of the channel insert member adjacent and generally parallel to the frame attachment portion  40 . As shown, the spline channel  60  opens in the same direction that the screen channel  22  of the frame member  16 B opens when the channel insert member  18 B is attached to the frame member. In the illustrated examples the spline channel  60  is generally L-shaped in cross section, and is defined by the wall section  46  of the frame attachment portion  40 , a wall section  62  that extends from the wall section  46  opposite the frame attachment portion, and a wall section  64 . The wall section  64  is generally opposite the spline channel  60  from the wall section  46  and extends from the wall section  62 . An end of the wall section  64  adjacent to the open side of the spline channel  60  includes an enlarged portion such as a head  66  that defines a lip extending into the spline channel. In the illustrated embodiment, the spline channel  60  has a cross-sectional shape that is similar to or substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of the screen channel  22  of the frame member  16 B. In other embodiments (not shown), the cross-sectional shape of the spline channel  60  may be different than that of the screen channel  22 . 
       FIG.  3    shows the screen  14  attached to the channel insert member  18 B. As shown, the screen  14  wraps around an elongated spline  70  that is inserted into and secured within the spline channel  60  (e.g., at least partially by engagement with the head  66 . Conventional or otherwise known spline attachment methods and structures can be used to attach the screen  14  to the channel insert member  18 B. 
     Channel insert member  18 B enable the frame member  16 B to be used in connection with screens  14  having thickness that differ from the thickness of screens for which the screen channel  22  of the frame member may have been configured. In the illustrated embodiments, for example, the spline channel  60  of the channel insert member  18 B is larger in size (e.g., in cross sectional area) than the size of the screen channel  22  of the frame member  16 B. A screen  14  having a thickness greater than the thickness of the screen that the frame member  16 B was configured to receive can thereby be mounted to the frame member. In embodiments, the spline  70  used to attach the screen  14  to the channel insert member  18 B may have a size that is similar to or substantially the same as the size of the spline for which the screen channel  22  of the frame member  16 B was configured. Therefore, different frame members  16 B may not be needed to accommodate screens of different thicknesses (e.g., a given or common frame member can be adapted for use with screens having different thicknesses). In addition to providing the flexibility of enabling screens such as  14  of different thicknesses to be used with the frame member  16 B, the same spline such as  70  used with the frame member may also be used with the screen channel insert member  18 B. Efficiencies of manufacture and distribution, as well as functionality, may thereby be achieved. By way of example, channel insert member  18 B may be configured to attach a relatively thicker and pet-resistant screen  14  or a relatively thicker sun blocking screen to the frame  12 , where the frame  12  was configured for a relatively thinner insect barrier screen. 
     Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. For example, while the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this disclosure also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of this disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.