Flush to floor sill track and assembly for sliding glass windows

Abstract

A sill track for sliding panels such as doors or windows in a door jamb or window jamb. The sill track mounts flush to the surrounding floors and has an integrated drainage system for preventing water from penetrating the sill track. The sill track comprises a base having walls to support flooring, a panel track for receiving a guide of a panel, such as wheels of a sliding glass door, and a weep channel wall forming a weep channel for draining water to below a top surface of the sill track. The walls of the base, the panel track and the weep channel wall are configured such that the flooring installed on the sill track, the panel track and the top of the weep channel wall are all flush with the surrounding flooring on the interior and exterior of the sill track.

Claims

1. A sill track for mounting a sliding panel thereon, and configured to receive flooring having a flooring thickness, the sill track comprising: an exterior wall extending along a longitudinal length of the sill track, the exterior wall extending vertically from a bottom of the sill track to a first height above the bottom of the sill track which is below a top of the sill track, wherein the top of the sill track is the highest most point on the sill track and a flooring depth from the top of the sill track to the first height is substantially the same as the flooring thickness; a first flooring wall extending along the longitudinal length of the sill track, the first flooring wall extending horizontally at the flooring depth and having a first end connected to the exterior wall and a second end attached to a panel track assembly; a second flooring wall extending along the longitudinal length of the sill track, the second flooring wall extending horizontally at the flooring depth and having a first end connected to the panel track assembly and a second end connected to a weep channel wall; wherein the first flooring wall and the second flooring wall are each configured to be in direct contact with flooring installed on the sill track; the panel track assembly disposed on the sill track between the first flooring wall and the second flooring wall and extending along the longitudinal length of the sill track, the panel track assembly including a panel track configured to receive a guide of a sliding panel for allowing the sliding panel to move along the panel track; and the weep channel wall extending along the longitudinal length of the sill track, the weep channel wall extending vertically from the second flooring wall thereby forming a wall of a weep channel.

2. The sill track of claim 1, wherein the exterior wall has a first sill track joint for joining the sill track to a second sill track side-by-side such the longitudinal length of the sill track is parallel and spaced apart from a longitudinal length of the second sill track.

3. The sill track of claim 2, further comprising a spacer wall extending along the longitudinal length of the sill track, the spacer wall extending horizontally at a height below the first height and having a first end connected to the sill track and a second end located interior of the weep channel wall.

4. The sill track of claim 3, wherein the first end of the spacer wall is indirectly connected to the second flooring wall.

5. The sill track of claim 1, wherein the guide is selected from the group consisting of one or more wheels mounted on a sliding panel, a groove disposed on a bottom of a sliding panel, and a protrusion disposed on a bottom of a sliding panel.

6. The sill track of claim 1, wherein the sill track is configured to be installed in a door jamb.

7. The sill track of claim 1, wherein the sill track is configured to be installed in a window jamb.

8. A method of installing the sill track of claim 1, comprising: mounting the sill track in a sill of a jamb; installing a first portion of flooring on the first flooring wall such that a top surface of the first portion of flooring is flush with the top of the sill track; and installing a second portion of flooring on the second flooring wall such that a top surface of the second portion of flooring is flush with the top of the sill track.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the jamb is one of a door jamb or a window jamb.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising: installing an exterior sill track in the jamb adjacent to the interior sill track side-by-side such that the longitudinal length of the interior sill track is parallel and adjacent to a longitudinal length of the exterior sill track, the exterior sill track comprising: a second exterior wall extending along a longitudinal length of the exterior sill track, the second exterior wall extending vertically from a bottom of the exterior sill track to the flooring depth which is below a top of the exterior sill track, wherein the top of the exterior sill track is the highest most point on the exterior sill track and the top of the exterior sill track is at substantially the same height as the top of the interior sill track; a first flooring wall of the exterior sill track extending along the longitudinal length of the exterior sill track, the first flooring wall of the exterior sill track extending horizontally at the flooring depth and having a first end connected to the second exterior wall and a second end attached to a second panel track assembly; a second flooring wall of the exterior sill track extending along the longitudinal length of the exterior sill track, the second flooring wall of the exterior sill track extending horizontally at the flooring depth and having a first end connected to the second panel track assembly and a second end connected to an interior wall; the second panel track assembly disposed on the exterior sill track between the first and second flooring walls of the exterior sill track and extending along the longitudinal length of the exterior sill track, the second panel track assembly including a second panel track configured to receive a second guide of the second sliding panel for allowing the second sliding panel to move along the second panel track; the interior wall extending along the longitudinal length of the exterior sill track, the interior wall extending vertically from the second flooring wall of the exterior sill track to the bottom of the exterior sill track, the interior wall having an exterior sill track joint for joining the exterior sill track to the interior sill track side-by-side such that the longitudinal length of the interior sill track is parallel and adjacent to the longitudinal length of the exterior sill track.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: installing one or more additional exterior sill tracks in the jamb adjacent to each other side-by-side such that the longitudinal length of the each of the exterior sill tracks is parallel and adjacent to a longitudinal length of the adjacent exterior sill track.

12. A sill track assembly for supporting a plurality of sliding panels thereon, and configured to receive flooring having a flooring thickness, the sill track assembly comprising: an interior sill track for supporting a first sliding panel, the interior sill track comprising: a first exterior wall extending along a longitudinal length of the interior sill track, the exterior wall extending vertically from a bottom of the interior sill track to a first height which is below a top of the interior sill track, wherein the top of the interior sill track is the highest most point on the interior sill track and a flooring depth from the top of the sill track to the first height is approximately the same as the flooring thickness, the first exterior wall having an interior sill track joint for joining the interior sill track to an exterior sill track side-by-side such that the longitudinal length of the interior sill track is parallel and spaced apart from a longitudinal length of the exterior sill track; a first flooring wall extending along the longitudinal length of the interior sill track, the first flooring wall extending horizontally at the flooring depth and having a first end connected to the first exterior wall and a second end attached to a first panel track assembly; a second flooring wall extending along the longitudinal length of the sill track, the second flooring wall extending horizontally at the flooring depth and having a first end connected to the first panel track assembly and a second end connected to a weep channel wall; wherein the first flooring wall and the second flooring wall of the interior sill track are each configured to be in direct contact with flooring installed on the interior sill track; the first panel track assembly disposed on the interior sill track between the first and second flooring walls of the interior sill track and extending along the longitudinal length of the interior sill track, the first panel track assembly including a first panel track configured to receive a first guide of the first sliding panel for allowing the first sliding panel to move along the first panel track; the weep channel wall extending along the longitudinal length of the interior sill track, the weep channel wall extending vertically from the second flooring wall thereby forming a wall of a weep channel; and an exterior sill track for supporting a second sliding panel, the exterior sill track comprising: a second exterior wall extending along a longitudinal length of the exterior sill track, the second exterior wall extending vertically from a bottom of the exterior sill track to the flooring depth which is below a top of the exterior sill track, wherein the top of the exterior sill track is the highest most point on the exterior sill track and the top of the exterior sill track is at substantially the same height as the top of the interior sill track; a first flooring wall of the exterior sill track extending along the longitudinal length of the exterior sill track, the first flooring wall of the exterior sill track extending horizontally at the flooring depth and having a first end connected to the second exterior wall and a second end attached to a second panel track assembly; a second flooring wall of the exterior sill track extending along the longitudinal length of the exterior sill track, the second flooring wall of the exterior sill track extending horizontally at the flooring depth and having a first end connected to the second panel track assembly and a second end connected to an interior wall; wherein the first flooring wall and the second flooring wall of the exterior sill track are each configured to be in direct contact with flooring installed on the exterior sill track; the second panel track assembly disposed on the exterior sill track between the first and second flooring walls of the exterior sill track and extending along the longitudinal length of the exterior sill track, the second panel track assembly including a second panel track configured to receive a second guide of the second sliding panel for allowing the second sliding panel to move along the second panel track; the interior wall extending along the longitudinal length of the exterior sill track, the interior wall extending vertically from the second flooring wall of the exterior sill track to the bottom of the exterior sill track, the interior wall having an exterior sill track joint for joining the exterior sill track to the interior sill track side-by-side such that the longitudinal length of the interior sill track is parallel and adjacent to the longitudinal length of the exterior sill track.

13. The sill track assembly of claim 12, wherein: the first panel track assembly further comprises a first support structure upon which the first panel track is disposed, and the first panel track is disposed on the first support structure; and the second panel track assembly further comprises a second support structure upon which the second panel track is disposed, and the second panel track is disposed on the second support structure.

14. The sill track assembly of claim 13, wherein: the first support structure comprises a pair of opposing first vertical track support walls and a first track base, the pair of first vertical track support walls extending from the bottom of the interior sill track to the top of the interior sill track, and the first track base extending horizontally between the pair of first vertical track support walls, the first panel track disposed on the first track base; and the second support structure comprises a pair of opposing second vertical track support walls and a horizontal second track base, the second vertical track support walls extending from the bottom of the exterior sill track to the top of the exterior sill track, and a second track base extending horizontally between the second vertical track support walls, the second panel track disposed on the second track base.

15. The sill track assembly of claim 13, wherein the first panel track has a first track top which is flush with the top of the interior sill track, and the second panel track has a second track top which is flush with the top of the exterior sill track.

16. The sill track assembly of claim 15, wherein the interior sill track further comprises a spacer wall extending along the longitudinal length of the interior sill track, the spacer wall extending horizontally at a height below the flooring depth and having a first end connected to the interior sill track and a second end located interior of the weep channel wall.

17. The sill track assembly of claim 16, wherein the first end of the spacer wall is indirectly connected to the second flooring wall of the interior sill track.

18. The sill track assembly of claim 12, wherein the first guide and second guide are each selected from the group consisting of one or more wheels mounted on a sliding panel, a groove disposed on a bottom of a sliding panel, and a protrusion disposed on a bottom of a sliding panel.

19. The sill track assembly of claim 12, wherein the interior sill track and exterior sill track are configured to be installed in a door jamb.

20. The sill track of claim 12, wherein the interior sill track and exterior sill track are configured to be installed in a window jamb.

21. The sill track assembly of claim 18, wherein the second exterior wall has an exterior sill track joint for joining the exterior sill track to another exterior sill track side-by-side.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The foregoing and other aspects of embodiments are described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements and the description for like elements shall be applicable for all described embodiments wherever relevant:

(2) FIG. 1 is a side, cross-sectional view of a sill track assembly, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective, cut-away view of a sill track assembly, having two sliding doors installed on the sill track assembly, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is side, perspective, cut-away view of sill track assembly having three sill tracks and showing a cut-away and strap connection, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is a side, perspective, cut-away view of sill track assembly as shown in FIG. 3, with flooring installed on the sill track assembly, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

(6) FIG. 5 is perspective view of a sill track assembly and multiple sliding glass doors installed on the sill track assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

(7) FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a sill track in the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) Referring to FIG. 5, the present invention is directed to a sill track assembly 10 for supporting sliding glass doors 11 or windows (collectively, sliding panels) installed in a door frame 80 or window frame, as the case may be. The door frame 80 defines a door opening 16 in which the doors 11 are installed. Although the embodiments of the sill track assembly 10 are shown and described with respect to a sill track assembly for sliding doors, the present invention is not limited to a sill track assembly for sliding doors, but includes sill track assemblies for windows or other sliding structures and panels.

(9) The door frame 80 has two opposing vertical side jambs 82 on opposing sides of the door frame 80, a head jamb 84 extending between the side jambs 82 across the top of the door frame 80 and a sill 86 extending between the side jambs 82 across the bottom of the door frame 80 along the floor. The sill track assembly 10 mounts flush with the surrounding flooring, including the interior flooring 88 on the inward side of the sill track assembly 10 (i.e., the interior of the door opening in which the sill track 10 is mounted) and the exterior flooring 90 on the outward of the sill track assembly 10 (i.e., the exterior of the door opening in which the sill track 10 is mounted). Furthermore, the sill track assembly 10 includes an integrated drainage system including a weep channel 58 located on the inward side of the door track upon which wheels of the sliding glass door 11 ride when a sliding glass door 11 is installed on the sill track assembly 10 and a drain path to direct water entering the weep channel 58 to be disposed, such as to a gutter, sewer, storm drain, or the like.

(10) Referring to FIGS. 1-2, in one embodiment, the sill track assembly 10 having two sill tracks is illustrated. The sill track assembly 10, as shown in FIGS. 1-2, is configured to support two sliding doors 11 (e.g., sliding doors 11a and 11b as shown in FIG. 2). The sill track assembly 10 comprises an interior sill track 12 which is configured to be installed inward of an exterior sill track 40, and an exterior sill track 40 configured to be installed on the outward side of the interior sill track 12. Although FIGS. 1-2 show a sill track assembly 10 having an interior sill track 12 and an exterior sill track 40, it is understood that the sill track assembly 10 may include just a single interior sill track 12.

(11) The interior sill track 12 has a longitudinal length along a longitudinal axis 14, wherein the longitudinal length and longitudinal axis are configured to extend across the door opening 16 of the door frame 80. The interior sill track 12 has an exterior wall 20 at the outward extent of the interior sill track 12. The exterior wall 20 extends along the longitudinal length of the interior sill track 12. Each of the additional elements of the interior sill track 12 extends along the longitudinal length of the sill track 12, except for certain optional cut-outs, described in more detail below. The exterior wall 20 extends vertically upward from a bottom 24 of the sill track 12 to a first height 21 above the bottom 24, where it connects to a horizontal, first flooring wall 26. The interior sill track 12 has an outward (or first) sill track joint 22 for joining the interior sill track 12 to the exterior sill track 40, side-by-side. The outward sill track joint 22 is located outward of the exterior wall 20 and is connected to the exterior wall 20 and/or the first flooring wall 26. For instance, the outward sill track joint 22 may be a part of the exterior wall 20, and/or the first flooring wall 26.

(12) The first flooring wall 26 extends horizontally at the first height 21 from the exterior wall 20 to a door track support 28. The first flooring wall 26 has an outward end (first end) connected to the exterior wall 20 and an inward end (second end) connected to the door track support 28 (more specifically, an outward support wall 32a). The first flooring wall 26 is configured to support a first portion of flooring 30a installed on the interior sill track 12. The first height 21 is below the top 34 of the interior sill track by a distance 31 approximately equal to the thickness 31 of the flooring 30 such that the top surface of the flooring 30a installed on the first flooring wall 26 is flush with the top 34 of the interior sill track 12.

(13) The door track support 28 includes a pair of opposing vertical track support walls 32, an outward support wall 32a and an inward support wall 32b, which extend from the bottom of the interior sill track 12 to the top 34 of the sill track 12. The top 34 of the sill track 12 is configured to be flush with a top surface of finished flooring 30 installed onto and adjacent the sill track assembly 10. The door track support 28 has a horizontal track base 36 extending between the track support walls 32a, 32b at a height below the top 33 of the interior sill track 12.

(14) A door track 38 is disposed on the track base 36 between the track support walls 32a, 32b. The door track is configured to receive a guide of the sliding glass doors 11, such as one or more wheels 35 disposed on the bottom of the sliding glass doors 11. The door track 38 has a track top 37 which is flush with the top 33 of the interior sill track 12.

(15) A second flooring wall 42 extends horizontally at the first height 21 from the door track support 28 (more specifically, the inward track support wall 32b) to a weep channel wall 44. The second flooring wall 42 has an outward end (first end) connected to the inward track support wall 32b and an inward end (second end) connected to the weep channel wall 44. The second flooring wall 42 is configured to support a second portion of flooring 30b installed on the interior sill track 12. Like the first flooring wall 26, the second flooring wall 42 is at the first height 21 below the top 34 of the interior sill track by a distance 31 approximately equal to the thickness 31 of the flooring 30 such that the top surface of the flooring 30b installed on the second flooring wall 42 is flush with the top 34 of the interior sill track 12.

(16) The weep channel wall 44 is a vertical wall which extends from the second flooring wall 42 to the top 34 of the interior sill track 12. The weep channel wall 44 is positioned outward of the inward most side of the interior sill track 12 such that there is a gap between the inward most side of the interior sill track 12 and the weep channel wall 44 thereby forming a weep channel 58 for draining water thereby preventing water from passing the interior sill track 12 to the sliding doors 11. The gap for the weep channel 58 is formed by a spacer wall 46 having an inward end 47 (second end) located laterally inward of the weep channel wall 44 such that there is a horizontal space between the inward end 47 and the weep channel wall 44. The spacer wall 46 has an outward end 48 which is connected to another structure of the interior sill track 12. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-2, the outward end 48 is connected to a spacer support wall 49. The spacer support wall 49 is located outward of the weep channel wall 44 and extends vertically from the bottom 24 of the interior sill track 12 to the second flooring wall 42. The first end of the spacer support wall 49 is located at the bottom 24 of the interior sill track and the second end of the spacer support wall 49 is connected to the second flooring wall 42. Hence, the spacer wall 44 is indirectly connected to the second flooring wall 42 and therefore extends, indirectly, from the second flooring wall 42. Alternatively, the spacer wall 44 may be connected directly to the second flooring wall 42, or to the inward track support wall 34. The inward end 50 of the spacer wall 46 is configured to bear against an interior side wall 54 of a sillpan 56 into which the interior sill track 12 is installed in order to maintain space between the weep channel wall 44 and an edge of a third portion of flooring (also referred to as “interior flooring”) 30c installed on the interior side of the interior sill track 12 and/or the interior side wall 54 of the sillpan 56 which forms an opposing wall of a weep channel 58.

(17) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the interior flooring 30c is installed on the inward side of the interior sill track 12 inward of the inward end 50 of the spacer wall 46. The outward edge of the interior flooring 30c also forms a part of the inward side of the weep channel 58. The top surface of the interior flooring 30c is also flush with the top 34 of the sill track assembly 10, as well as the first portion of flooring 30a, second portion of flooring 30b and interior flooring 30c. Accordingly, the sill track assembly 10 provides a sill track for mounting one or more sliding doors 11 which is flush with the surrounding flooring which maintains a substantially flat grade across the interior flooring 30c to the sill track assembly 10 to the exterior flooring 30d.

(18) As mentioned above, the sill track assembly 10 includes a sillpan 56 which receives the interior sill track 12, as well as additional exterior sill tracks 40. The sillpan 56 is an elongated pan which extends the length of the sill tracks 12, 40. The sillpan 56 has a pan bottom 60, an exterior side wall 62 which extends upward from the pan bottom 60 along the longitudinal length of the sill tracks 12, 40 on the exterior side of the sill track 40, an interior side wall 54 which extends upward from the pan bottom 60 along the longitudinal length of the sill track on the interior side of the interior sill track 12, and two opposing end walls (not shown) at either end of the exterior side wall 62 and interior side wall 54.

(19) In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sill track assembly 10 include two sill tracks 12, 40 arranged side-by-side (i.e., each of the longitudinal lengths of the sill tracks are arranged side-by-side in parallel). In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the sill track assembly 10 includes an interior sill track 12, and an exterior sill track 40 joined together by joining the outward sill track joint 22 of the interior sill track 12 with a mating inward (or second) sill track joint 66 on the exterior sill track 40.

(20) The exterior sill track 40 is substantially the same as the interior sill track 12, except that it does not have the weep channel wall 44, and it has sill joints 66 and 22 on both the inward side and outward side of the exterior sill track 40. Instead of a having a weep channel 44, the second flooring wall 42 of the exterior sill track 40 extends to an inward most side of the exterior sill track 40 such that the second flooring wall 42 of the exterior sill track 40 joins with the first flooring wall 26 of the first sill track 12. The second flooring wall 42 of the exterior sill track 40 and the first flooring wall 26 of the interior sill track 12 form a support for receiving the first portion of flooring 30a. The inward sill track joint 66 of the exterior sill track 40 is inward of the interior wall 41 and is connected to the interior wall 41 and/or second flooring wall 42 which connects to the outward sill track joint 22 of the interior sill track 12, or an outward sill track joint 22 of another exterior sill track joint 40. The exterior sill track 40 may also have an interior wall 41 at the inward extent of the exterior sill track 40. The interior wall 41 is a vertical wall which extends from the bottom 24 of the exterior sill track 40 upward to the first height 21 where it connects to the second flooring wall 42. For instance, the inward sill track joint 66 may be a part of the interior wall 41 and/or the second flooring wall 42.

(21) The sill track assembly 10 illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 includes three sill tracks, 12, 40a and 40b. Specifically, the sill track assembly 10 of FIGS. 3 and 4 has one interior sill track 12, and two exterior sill tracks 40. A first exterior sill track 40a connects side-by-side to the interior sill track 12 as described above for an assembly 10 having two sill tracks 12, 40, and a second exterior sill track 40b connects side-by-side to the first exterior sill track 40a by joining the inward sill track joint 66 of the second sill track 40b to the outward sill track joint 22 of the first exterior sill track joint 40a.

(22) By adding additional exterior sill tracks 40, any desired number of sill tracks 12, 40 may be joined in order to accommodate the desired number of sliding doors 11 for the particular installation.

(23) The sillpan 56 is sized to receive the number of sill tracks 12, 40 to be used in the particular application. For example, if 2 sill tracks are to be used in a sill track assembly 10, then the sillpan 56 has a width to accommodate an interior sill track 12 and an exterior sill track 40, joined side by side. If 3 sill tracks 12, 40 are to be used in a sill track assembly 10, then the sillpan 56 has a width to accommodate an interior sill track 12 and two exterior sill tracks 40a, 40b, joined side-by-side, respectively.

(24) Turning to FIG. 4, one or more cut-outs 70 are provided spaced along the longitudinal length of the interior and exterior sill tracks 12, 40. The cut-outs 70 are transverse cut-outs of the walls of the sill tracks 12, 40 for a short length (e.g., an inch, or so) which allow water draining into the weep channel 58 to drain down to the pan bottom 60. A tie strap or tie bar 74 extending transverse to the longitudinal length of the sill tracks 12, 40 is connected to the sill tracks 12, 40a, 40b, for example by bolting the tie-bar 74 to each of the sill tracks 12, 40a, 40b using bolts 76. The sill tracks 12, 40a, 40b have bolt slots 78 (see FIG. 1) into which the bolts 78 thread. The water can then collect at the locations of the cut-outs and a drain 72 is connected to the pan bottom 60 to drain the water out of the sillpan 56. The drain 72 is connected to an irrigation system to direct dispose of the water, such as to a gutter, sewer, landscaping, etc.

(25) The sill tracks 12, 40 may also include screw raceways 80 (see FIG. 1), for receiving screws in order to secure the sill tracks 12, 40 to the side jambs of the door jamb and/or to connect end-to-end lengths of sill tracks 12, 40.

(26) Although particular embodiments have been shown and described, it is to be understood that the above description is not intended to limit the scope of these embodiments. While embodiments and variations of the many aspects of the invention have been disclosed and described herein, such disclosure is provided for purposes of explanation and illustration only. Thus, various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. For example, not all of the components described in the embodiments are necessary, and the invention may include any suitable combinations of the described components, and the general shapes and relative sizes of the components of the invention may be modified. The invention, therefore, should not be limited, except to the following claims, and their equivalents.