GB2135372A - Door sill - Google Patents

Abstract

A door sill has an external face 10 and an internal face 11, defining an upwardly facing channel between them and draught excluding strip 26 lying between the faces 10 and 11 and pressing against the underside of the door when it is closed. The draught excluding strip divides the channel into an outer portion and an inner portion so that rain water getting into the inner portion drains through the strip into the outer portion and then to the exterior through drain holes 27. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sills The invention relates to sills.

My co-pending U.K. application No. 7917908 describes and claims: "A sill for mounting at the foot of a frame of a door, window or like device to provide a substantially weatherproof seal between the foot of the frame and the foot of the door, window or like device, when the device is closed, the sill having external and internal faces, which, when the sill is mounted in a building, face the exterior and interior of the building respectively, an upwardly facing channel being defined between the external and internal faces, a draught excluding device lying between the external and internal faces to press sealingly against the underside of a closed door, window or like device, the draught excluding device dividing the channel into an outer portion and an inner portion, the outer portion having at least one main drain hole communicating with the external face and arranged to drain out of the outer portion to the exterior of the building any water which seeps into the outer portion, and there being at least one secondary drain hole connecting the inner portion with the outer portion and arranged to drain from the inner portion into the outer portion any water which may seep past the draught excluding device, the or each main drain hole being out of alignment with the or each secondary drain hole to prevent or reduce any through draught." I have now appreciated that it is possible to provide a sill of this general form which does not require a secondary drain hole.

Accordingly the invention provides a sill for mounting at the foot of a frame of a door, window or like device to provide a substantially weatherproof seal between the foot of the frame and the foot of the door, window or like device, when the device is closed, the sill having external and internal faces, which, when the sill is mounted in a building, face the exterior and interior of the building respectively, an upwardly facing channel being defined between the external and internal faces, a draught excluding device lying between the external and internal faces to press against the underside of a closed door, window or like device, the draught excluding device dividing the channel into an outer portion and an inner portion, and being such that water can drain through it from the inner portion to the outer portion, the outer portion having at least one drain hole communicating with the external face and arranged to drain out of the outer portion to the exterior of the building any water which seeps into the outer portion.

Preferably the draught excluding device comprises a plurality of fibres.

Preferably the fibres are mounted on a flexible spine which is situated in a groove provided in the surface of the first channel when in use.

Preferably the external face of the sill is defined by an upstanding flange which projects upwardly further than the internal face of the sill so that in use the lower part of a door, window or like device can pass over the internal face and then abut against the upper part of the flange.

The upper part of the flange may be provided with an inturned lip to assist the flange in making sealing contact with the door, window or like device, thereby reducing the amount of water which may seep into the outer portion of the channel from the exterior.

Preferably the sill is arranged for use with a door, window or like device which is thinner than the width of the sill, so that in use the inner face of the door, window or like device will overhang the inner part of the channel, so that any water which may reach the inner face of the door, window or like device e.g. by being blown through cracks between the vertical edges of the door, window or like device and the frame will drip into the inner portion of the channel and subsequently drain away to the exterior through the draught excluding device and the drain hole or holes.

Preferably the base of the channel slopes outwardly and downwardly to assist in draining water through the draught excluding device and out of the drain hole or holes.

By way of example, a specific embodiment of the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of sill according to the invention.

The sill shown in the Figure comprises a generally Z-shaped cross-section elongate aluminium extrusion. One cross-piece of the Z comprises a flange 10 which defines an external face of the sill. The other cross-piece of the Z comprises a flange 11 which defines an internal face of the sill. The flanges 10 and 1 1 are interconnected by an inclined member 12 and when the sill is placed in position the member 12 defines the base of a channel which slopes downwardly from the inner face 1 1 to the outer face 10. In use the sill is mounted at the foot of a door-frame, extending across the width of the door-frame between the frame uprights. The outer face 10 is arranged to the exterior of the doorway and the inner face 1 1 is arranged to the interior of the doorway.

The sill is permanently fixed to the floor of the door frame by means of screws and to provide a weathertight seal mastic is liberally smeared on the underside of the sill before inserting the screws.

The upwardly facing channel is divided into an inner portion 22 and an outer portion 23 by a draught excluding device. This device comprises a groove 24 which is provided with two lips 21 at its top, the lips facing each other and thus forming an aperture narrower than the base of the groove 24.

Also provided is a flexible strip 25 on which are mounted resiliently deformable fibres in the form of a brush 26. The strip forms an enlarged head which can be slid into the groove 24 under the lips 21 but is prevented from being pulled from the groove vertically by the lips 21. With the strip in this position, the brush 26 projects out of the groove into the channel above the level of the inner face 11.

Drain holes 27 interconnect the base of outer channel 23 and the exterior of the sill. In use, and when closed, a door abuts against the flange 10, and the upper end of flange 10 is provided with a lip 29 with a view to promoting a line seal between the door and the flange 10. However, a perfect seal cannot be made in this way, and a certain amount of water striking the outer face of the door tends to seep or be blown between the door and the lip 29. This water then enters the outer channel portion 23 and is drained away to the exterior by the drain holes 27. Some water may be blown by the wind through drain holes 27 into the outer channel portion 23 but the brush 26 substantially prevents any through draught and there is virtually no tendency for the water to be blown through the brush 26 into the inner channel portion 22.Thus any water which enters the outer channel portion 23 tends to remain there only for a short time and soon drains out through the holes 27.

The brush is positioned substantially vertically in its free condition and projects above the level normally occupied by the underside of the door.

Thus as the door swings shut, the fibres of the brush 26 are gently deformed to flex downwardly and so press resiliently on the underside of the door to provide an effective draught excluder.

It is possible that rainwater may seep, as a result of capillary action or by wind pressure past the vertical edges of the door. However, as this water progresses inwardly, its momentum rapidly decreases and in fact the water tends to collect in the inner channel portion 22. However, because the brush is made up of individual fibres the water is able to drain through the brush 26 into the outer channel portion 23 and can then finally drain out of the sill through the drain holes 27.

Since the thickness of the door is less than the width of the sill, so that the inner face of the door overhangs the inner channel portion 22, any water which does reach the inner face of the door, cannot drip off the door on to the floor because the sill projects inwardly below the door. Any moisture running down the inner parts of the door will almost certainly enter the inner channel portion 22 and thus eventually be drained away to the exterior through the brush 26 and drain holes 27.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment. For example, each end of the sill may have a plug slidably fitted therein and the plug may then be secured to one of the frame uprights. The plug would be such that it would fit into the outer channel member 23, and would improve the weatherproofing properties of the sill. Also, the channels formed by the provision of the recess 25 on the underside of the sill may be provided with ribbed walls to help key the mastic to the sill.

Also, the brush 26 need not extend vertically.

The groove 24 and/or the brush itself may be arranged such that the bristles of the brush slope towards the flange 10. They may slope at any angle between 300 and 90C to the horizontal, for example 450. This makes it easierforthe door to close over the brush.

Claims (8)

1. A sill for mounting at the foot of a frame of a door, window or like device to provide a substantially weatherproof seal between the foot of the frame and the foot of the door, window or like device, when the device is closed, the sill having external and internal faces, which, when the sill is mounted in a building, face the exterior and interior of the building respectively, an unpwardly facing channel being defined between the external and internal faces, a draught excluding device lying between the external and internal faces to press against the underside of a closed door, window or like device, the draught excluding device dividing the channel into an outer portion and inner portion, and being such that water can drain through it from the inner portion to the outer portion, the outer portion having at least one drain hole communicating with the external face and arranged to drain out of the outer portion to the exterior of the building any water which seeps into the outer portion.

2. A sill as claimed in Claim 1, in which the draught excluding device comprises a plurality of fibres.

3. A sill as claimed in Claim 2, in which the fibres are mounted on a flexible spine which is situated in a groove provided in the surface of the first channel when in use.

4. A sill as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the external face of the sill is defined by an upstanding flange which projects upwardly further than the internal face of the sill so that in use the lower part of a door, window or like device can pass over the internal face and then abut against the upper part of the flange.

5. A sill as claimed in Claim 4, in which the upper part of the flange is provided with an inturned lip to assist the flange in making sealing contact with the door, window or like device, thereby reducing the amount of water which may seep into the outer portion of the channel from the exterior.

6. A sill as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, arranged for use with a door, window or like device which is thinner than the width of the sill, so that in use the inner face of the door, window or like device will overhang the inner part of the channel, so that any water which may reach the inner face of the door, window or like device e.g. by being blown through cracks between the vertical edges of the door, window or like device and the frame will drip into the inner portion of the channel and subsequently drain away to the exterior through the draught excluding device and the drain hole or holes.

7. A sill as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the base of the channel slopes outwardly and downwardly to assist in draining water through the draught excluding device and out of the drain hole or holes.

8. A sill for mounting at the foot of a frame of a door, window or like device, the sill being constructed and arranged substantially as herein described, with reference to the accompanying drawing.