Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not applicable 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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   INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
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   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates generally to secure ventilating systems for building sliding doors and more particularly to a security insert door assembly for use in sliding doors to maintain adequate security when the sliding door is partially opened for ventilation. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   In sliding door installations for both home and office, a separate screen slidably positioned outwardly from the sliding doors themselves is typically provided for ventilation while maintaining an adequate insect barrier. However, such screen door additions are of little use in maintaining the security of interior of the home or building as such screens are quite easy to either cut through or totally be removed, providing immediate access into the interior of the home or building. 
   One arrangement for resolving this security issue is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,868 invented by Riise which teaches a sliding door security screen positionable within the opening established by a sliding door when it is partially opened. 
   A security ventilating system invented by Maust in U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,049 also teaches an open lattice structure installable into the opening of a partially opened sliding door wherein the open lattice structure provides adequate ventilation while preventing a person from gaining access into the interior of the building either through the openings of the lattice or by its total removal. 
   The following additional U.S. patents also teach other unique forms of security door and window panels which are somewhat more remote with respect to the inventive concept of the present invention.
         U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,410 to English   U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,321 to Currier   U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,996 to Lamont   U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,570 to Cowan   U.S. Pat. No. 4,400,912 to Wicks, Sr.   U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,397 to Almond   U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,002 to English       

   The present invention provides a security insert door assembly which is installable into the opening of a sliding glass door in its partially opened position. A locking pin and aligned mating locking pin hole arrangement helps insure that the strength and integrity junction between the facing door stile of the sliding door and that of the insert frame is maintained. Adjustable-in-width sliding door stile engaging flanges are alternately provided which accommodate differences in overall thicknesses between the insert frame stile and the sliding door stile. Universal features includes an insert frame having a standard height no greater than the shortest sliding door height expected to be encountered in the marketplace. Where taller sliding doors are encountered, a separate upper panel is attachable to the upper transverse member of the insert frame which may be selectable from a variety of panel heights for attachment to the insert frame to exactly match the height of the sliding door. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention is directed to a sliding door security insert assembly installable into an opening made when one sliding door mounted for lateral movement within a door frame is partially opened to define the opening between one door jamb and a facing sliding door stile. A substantially rectangular insert frame includes a lower transverse member adapted to be supported on the lower track of the sliding door frame while said upper transverse member is adapted to be positioned into the upper track for lateral sliding movement only there along. An easily adjusted-in-height embodiment is preferred. An elongated locking shim is positionable between the upper transverse member and the upper track to prevent insert frame removal. A pair of locking pins are alternately attached, one to the edge of the insert frame stile and the other to the edge of the facing sliding door stile, each locking pin being adapted to be inserted into a mating hole formed into the facing stile surface whereby the insert frame and the sliding door are securely connectable when closed together. 
   It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a sliding door security inset assembly which fills an opening made when a sliding door is partially opened a predetermined amount to provide ventilation into the home. 
   It is yet another object of this invention to provide a uniquely configured sliding door security inset assembly which itself is rendered non-removable from the outside once installed into the sliding door frame against a partially opened sliding door for ventilation. 
   Yet another object of this invention is to provide interengaging structure between the inset frame stile and the facing stile of the sliding door. 
   A still further object of this invention is to provide a universal sliding door inset assembly which is adjustable in height and in interengaging features with respect to the sliding door of virtually any sliding door arrangement while providing both ventilation and security. 
   In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 1A  is an alternate universal height embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the invention shown in  FIG. 1  installed into a sliding door frame arrangement. 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation partial section view of the upper portion of the invention as shown in  FIG. 2  in conjunction with the upper sliding door frame track into which it engages. 
       FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3  showing the lower portion of the sliding door security insert assembly shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 5  is an alternate embodiment of the inventive aspect of the invention shown in  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 6  is a top plan section view of another embodiment of the invention positioned for use against a sliding door stile shown in phantom. 
       FIG. 7  is front elevation view of an upper portion of a fully adjustable embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 8  is a front elevation view of the adjusting mechanism of  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the top plate of  FIG. 8 . 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the upper adjustable portion of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring now to the drawings, one embodiment of the invention is shown generally at numeral  10  in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . This sliding door security insert assembly  10  includes a substantially rectangular insert frame  12  which is formed of two elongated spaced apart upright tubular insert frame stiles  14  and  16  which are rigidly connected to spaced upper, lower and intermediate tubular transverse members  18 ,  20  and  22 , respectively. This insert frame  12  may be fabricated of welded tubular aluminum components or manufactured by other conventional assembly techniques. 
   Referring additionally to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the assembly  10  is first inserted upwardly between spaced parallel downwardly extending upper track portions J and K of a conventional sliding upper track A. Top panel  30  is rigidly attached atop the upper transverse member  18  by conventional threaded fasteners  34 . Note that the thickness of top panel  30  is preferably equal to the thickness of the insert frame  12 . 
   After inserting the upper portions  30   a  of top panel  30  between upper track portions J and K and against anti-friction brushes L and M which are inwardly disposed as shown thereagainst, the lower transverse member  20 , having a generally wedge-shaped bottom edge cavity  38 , is rested atop an elongated sliding guide H of a lower sliding door frame track B. 
   At this point, the assembly  10  and insert frame  12  may be lifted from engagement with the lower track B to permit unauthorized entry thereby. This is due to gap  36  being typically larger than the vertical movement necessary to disengage the wedge-shaped cavity  38  from the sliding guide H. 
   To compensate and to prevent unauthorized removal of the insert frame  12 , an elongated compensating locking shim  32  is provided and is inserted as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3  atop the central elongated web  30   b  of the top panel  30 . This will reduce the gap down to  36   a  seen in  FIG. 3  which is a smaller distance than required to lift the lower transverse member H from engagement with the lower track B. 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , an alternate embodiment of the elongated locking shim  58  is provided in the form of an elongated tubular member  58 . This embodiment  58  reduces the lifting gap of the insert frame  12  from that shown at  60  to substantially no lifting movement whatsoever without causing undue frictional resistance by the insertion of this locking shim  58  in a manner shown in  FIG. 1  during normal sliding door D operation. 
   Referring again specifically to  FIG. 2 , the embodiment  10  includes the insert frame  12  which has a height (or length) substantially equal to that of the sliding door D which moves in the direction of the horizontal arrow between the upper and lower tracks A and B, respectively of sliding door frame F. The stile G of sliding door D positioned snugly against vertical stile  16  will hold the assembly  12  in the position shown and as previously described between the vertical stile G and door vertical jamb C. Accompanying this embodiment  10 , the elongated locking shim  32  or alternately  58  in  FIG. 5 , secures the arrangement between the upper and lower tracks A and B as previously described. 
   However, there is a broad variety of sliding door heights which may be encountered both as new product in the marketplace and in existing structures. These sliding doors may generally range in height from about 77″ to 96″, depending on age and type of installation. Referring additionally to  FIG. 1A , a universal embodiment  40  of the invention which includes a standardized insert frame  42  having upper and intermediate transverse members  50  and  48  and insert frame stiles  44  and  46  is also provided. The overall height of this insert frame  42  is less than the minimum height of a typical sliding door to be encountered in the marketplace. To cause the assembly  40  to have a height substantially equal to the length of a particular one of a broad range of sliding doors, a height-compensating top panel  52  is provided and is attached to the upper transverse member  50  as shown and previously described in  FIG. 3 . However, this compensating top panel  52  has elongated rectangular side panels  52   a  which would be selected from an array commercially available top panels when the assembly  40  is purchased, to deal with the larger sliding door height. 
   Alternately, these top panel portions  54   a  may be provided in a universal fashion to equal, in combination with the height of the insert frame  42 , the largest sliding door height, e.g. approximately 96″, which may be encountered in the marketplace. Thereafter, a simple trimming operation of these panel portions  54   a  which are typically fabricated of aluminum or wood sheet material, may be effected to reduce the overall height of this embodiment to substantially equal that of the longer sliding door. In this embodiment, a screen mesh  56  is added as an insect barrier. 
   Referring again to  FIG. 1 , two additional unique aspects of the present invention are there shown. First, the mating door stile G of the sliding door D will typically have a locking latch (not shown) which is lockingly engageable with mating structure (also not shown) attached to the upright door jamb C. To insure that the facing surfaces of the upright stile member  16  and the sliding door stile G mate directly against one another, a lock cut out slot  28  formed into the insert frame stile  16  is also provided. 
   To insure centralized, symmetric alignment and reinforced engagement between the insert frame stile  16  and the sliding door stile G, one or more pairs of offset locking pins  24  and closely spaced corresponding locking pin receiving holes  26  are also provided. These locking pins  24  are threadably secured into the insert frame stile  16  and extend therefrom approximately 1″. Matching hole (not shown) is drilled into the sliding door stile G to mateably receive each of these locking pins  24 . Additionally, the same locking pin  24  is threadably engaged into and laterally extending from the sliding door stile G in spaced relation so it exactly aligns with the locking pin hole  26 . It is preferred that at least two such pairs of offset locking pins and locking holes as shown in  FIG. 1  be provided for maximum strength, alignment and security when the assembly  10  is in use. 
   An alternate interconnection between the respective upright stiles  16  and G of the insert frame  12  and the sliding door D is provided and is shown in  FIG. 6 . In this interconnection embodiment, two elongated L-section channels  62  are adjustably attachable through elongated slots  64  formed into the overlapping flanges or legs  62   a  of each of the channels  62 . A large headed threaded fastener  66  is threadably engaged through both slots  64  into the upright frame insert stile  16  as shown. Prior to tightening of these fasteners  66 , the channels  62  are moved in and out in the direction of the arrows to place flanges  62   b  snugly against stile G such that the thinner (or thicker) insert frame  12  may be centrally aligned with the thicker (or thinner) sliding door stile G of sliding door D. The importance of this aspect of the invention is to insure that the upper and lower engagements of the assembly  10  with respect to the upper and lower sliding door frame tracks A and B as previously described will be maintained. Any improper offset could cause binding and/or disengagement with respect to these upper and lower tracks A and B. Moreover, should an offset arrangement between stile  16  and G be desirable, there is sufficient adjustment within slots  64  to accommodate such a desirable offset from the symmetrical arrangement shown in  FIG. 6 . Lastly, any prying apart effort between the stiles  16  and G to force entry will be resisted, not only by conventional locks or pins (not shown) for the partially open sliding door D, but also by fasteners  66 . 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 7 to 10 , a fully incrementally adjustable embodiment of the invention, now preferred, is there shown which more easily accommodates the varying heights of sliding doors and their accompanying door frame F. This adjustable-in-height embodiment, an alternate to that shown in  FIG. 1A , includes a modified insert frame  72  having a lower adjusting plate  102  securely attached to the upper wall  104  of the second highest transverse member  76 . The upper transverse member  74  has end apertures formed therein which slidably accommodate and support an inverted U-shaped adjusting member  78  having upright elongated hollow legs  80  and a transverse upper member  84 . 
   The upright legs  80  slidably engage for movement in the direction of arrow  110  in  FIG. 7  so as to vary the height of top flanges  88  to insure proper engagement into the upper track portions J and K of the upper track A. 
   Two elongated threaded shafts  94  are held for rotation only within mating apertures  108  in the end portions  92  of a top plate  90  as best seen in  FIG. 9 . A bolt nut or head  98  is lockably engaged or made a part thereof of the elongated threaded shafts  94  while a non-slidable washer  100  is attached in spaced relationship on the lower side of flanges  92  as shown. The lower end portions of the threaded shafts  94  are engaged through mating apertures in the bottom plate  102  and held in threaded engagement therewith by a threaded nut  106  which is affixed to the bottom surface of the bottom plate  102  in alignment with the holes formed through end portions thereof. 
   The top plate  88  bears against bearing plate  86  of the transverse upper member  84  whereby, rotation of the hex drive members  98  causes threaded movement of each of the corresponding threaded shafts  94  within threaded nuts  106  to effect height adjustment in the direction of arrow  110  of the telescoping adjusting member  80 . 
   While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what are conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be afforded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.

Technology Category: 0