Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the design for the manufacture of sliding glass doors that are used in building, including but not limited to private homes, apartments and commercial building. 
     Currently, sliding glass doors are manufactured with one half of the door fixed (the outside panel) and one half of the door (inside panel) sliding. There is a choice for a door that opens either right to left or left to right. The choice must be made prior to installation and once chosen, the door is installed to permanently open right to left or left to right. If the opposite opening is desired; the sliding glass door must replaced. This invention provides the design to allow the doorway opening right to left to change to a doorway opening left to right at anytime. This ability to change the access to a room will allow greater flexibility in furniture or equipment arrangements in the room. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The sliding door frame has three tracks, one for the outside panel and one for the inside (door) panel and one on the outside for a screen door. The outside panel can slide to either side of the opening and lock into place. The inside panel can slide from either end of the door frame to open and close for door access to the room or building. The screen door can slide to either end of the opening. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1 : A partial perspective view with portions exploded, portions broken away, and portions shown in phantom of the door panels and of the three tracks that make up the top, sides, and bottom of the frame. 
         FIG. 2A  is a top plan view of the bottom frame showing a screen door and the inner and outer door panels as received within the three tracks in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2B  is a side elevation view, with a portion shown in phantom, of a sliding glass door with the screen door and inner and outer door panels as located in  FIG. 2A . 
         FIG. 3A  is a partial perspective view similar to  FIG. 1  showing an outer door panel locked in place adjacent the right door frame and an inner door panel in a closed door position adjacent the left door frame in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 3B  is a partial perspective view similar to  FIG. 1  showing an outer door panel locked in place adjacent the left door frame and an inner door panel in a closed door position adjacent the right door frame in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a partial perspective view with portions exploded and portions shown in phantom of a sliding glass door frame with an outer door panel locked in place adjacent the right door frame in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 5A  is a top plan view of the bottom frame, similar to  FIG. 2A , showing the screen door and the inner and outer door panels as received within the three tracks and repositioned within the frame in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 5B  is a side elevation view, with a portion shown in phantom, of a sliding glass door with the screen door and inner and outer door panels as located in  FIG. 5B . 
         FIG. 6A  is a partial perspective and exploded view of an inner door handle and lock assembly and a door end cap in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 6B  is a partial perspective view, similar to  FIG. 6A , of an inner door handle and lock assembly with a door end cap received thereon in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a partial perspective view of a U-shaped cap received on an end of an outer door panel and a bottom insert received within a door track in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The sliding glass door  10  is comprised of a frame  14  with door tracks  18  that hold two door panels, an outer door panel  24   a  and an inner door panel  24   b , each covering half of the opening, there is an additional outside track  26  for the sliding screen door  28  (see  FIGS. 2A and 2B ). 
     The outer panel  24   a  slides on the outside track  18   b  and locks in place at either end of the opening to provide the security and support of the fixed portion of the sliding glass door assembly. The panel locks to the door frame on the top, bottom and side. The top and bottom track locks  34  can be either deadbolt type locks or clamp type locks (not shown) as would be dictated by the construction material. For example, a deadbolt type lock may work better in a door manufactured in wood, a clamp type lock may work better in an aluminum door. The lock assemble is flush with the inside surface of the panel so as not to obstruct the sliding of the inside door panel. The lock on the side  38  of the panel clamps or hooks to the frame to the secure the panel in position. The locks are the same on each side of the door frame  14 . 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  depict the manner in which the sliding glass door of the present invention may be selectively configured to change on which side: right or left, the sliding doorway opens. In  FIG. 3A  the outer door panel  24   a  is positioned adjacent the right side of the sliding glass door frame  14  and locked in position using track locks  34  (only one shown). The inside panel slides within the inner track  18   a , from a locked position in the left door frame to an open position adjacent the right side of the frame  14 . The access doorway is thus located at the left side of the sliding glass door (from a position looking out, through the door). In  FIG. 3B  the outer door panel  24   b  has been positioned to the left side of the sliding glass door frame  14 , and the access doorway is now located at the right side of the sliding glass door (again, if looking out through the door). 
     As is best shown in  FIG. 4 , inserts cover the outside track  18   b  to provide a finished, level surface for the open half of the door frame and also add to the security of the “fixed” portion of the sliding glass door. The insert consists of four (4) sections that may be separate pieces or connected. The section insert into the top  44 , side  46  and bottom  48  track opening (sections  1 - 3 ). The insert for sections  1 - 3  is U-shaped to fit inside and fill the tract. Section  4  is a U-shaped cap  52  that fits over the exposed end of the outer panel  24   a . On the inside of the U there is a latch that the locks with the lock on the side of the panel  24   a . When the cap  52  is on the end of the panel  24   a , it overlaps the end of the insert for the top and bottom track inserts  44 ,  48 . The lock on the sides of the panel latch to the door frame  14  on one side and lock to the insert  52  on the other side, depending on the right or left opening that is chosen (also shown in  FIG. 6 ). 
     In  FIGS. 5A and 5B  the inside panel  24   b , the sliding glass door, slides on the inside track. On the inside, the sliding glass door  24   b  has a handle and lock assembly  58  on both sides. The handles (not shown) on the outside of the inside door panel  24   b  are indented for a flush surface on the outside of the panel to allow the inside door panel  24   b  to slide past the outside panel  24   a . When the door opens right to left as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B ); the handle  58  on the right, locks to the door frame to lock the door closed; and the handle on the left locks onto a door end cap  66  for the end of the door panel  24   b  (see  FIGS. 6A and 6B ). When the door opens left to right; the handle on the left, locks to the door frame to lock the door closed; and the handle on the right locks onto the door end cap  66  for the end of the door panel. 
     The door end cap  66  for the end of the panel is reversible to provide a finished edge to the exposed end of the door. The cap extends to the end of the door the same distance that the door closes into the door frame to close and seal. The weather strip that is on the inside of the door that seals it when closed into the door frame, also seals into the cap.

Technology Category: 0