FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to doors in general and, more particularly, to doors having one or more glazed units, and related kits and methods.

BACKGROUND

Fiberglass doors are common substitutes for traditional wooden doors in residential and commercial buildings. Fiberglass doors include door skins (also known in the art as door facings) secured to opposite sides of a rectangular door frame. A resulting cavity between the door skins and surrounded by the door frame optionally is filled with a core material, such as an expanded polymer foam. Doors so constructed can have wood graining printed, molded, or otherwise applied on the exterior surfaces of the door skins, and also raised paneling formed (e.g., molded) in the door skins. These features give the doors the appearance of natural wood fabricated products. Optionally, paint, stain, lacquer, and/or a protective layer may be applied to the exterior surface.

Fiberglass doors are a type of synthetic door. Fiberglass door skins are sometimes formed of sheet molding compound (or SMC) sheets containing resinous sheets reinforced with fiberglass, often chopped fiberglass or fiberglass mats. The sheet molding compound is deposited in a compression molding machine and subjected to high pressures and elevated temperatures to cure the resinous material and form the resulting door skins, which then are removed from the compression molding machine as a structurally stable, consolidated articles that may be secured to door frames.

Fiberglass doors sometimes include glazed units, also known as glazings, glass inserts, lights, or lites. A full size glazed unit may constitute a majority, even 60 percent or more, of the exterior surface area of a door. Other glazed units may be smaller. A window frame, typically made of plastic or a metal such as aluminum, surrounds the glazed unit and connects the door skins to the glazed unit. An example of a fiberglass door with a window frame connecting door skins to a translucent window is shown in U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2008/0245003. As best shown inFIG. 3of the published application, the window frame includes frame members30,50surrounding the window. The frame members30,50include bulbous door receiving portions31,51and panel support portions32,52with convex exterior surfaces extending outwardly from the planar areas of the door skins. Because of the bulbous portions, stacking of multiple doors or door skins on one another for transport or storage is difficult and the stacks may be unstable because the bulbous portions decrease surface contact area between stacked doors or door skins. Sliding and rocking of stacked doors/door skins can result in damage, such as paint picking, burnishing, and cracking to the exterior surfaces of the door skins.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention, a door is provided that includes at least a door frame having a first side and a second side, a first door skin having a first rectangular outer periphery and a first inner opening, a second door skin having a second rectangular outer periphery and a second inner opening, and a frameless glazed unit received at the first and second inner openings. The first door skin includes a first exterior surface facing away from the door frame and an opposite first interior surface facing and secured to the first side of the door frame, the first exterior surface and the first interior surface collectively establishing a first lip that is integral with the first door skin and is situated at the first inner opening. The first interior surface provides a first groove containing a first sealant and/or adhesive. The second door skin includes a second exterior surface facing away from the door frame and an opposite second interior surface facing and secured to the second side of the door frame. The second exterior surface and the second interior surface collectively establish a second lip that is integral with the second door skin and is situated at the second inner opening. The second interior surface provides a second groove containing a second sealant and/or adhesive that may be identical to or different than the first sealant and/or adhesive. The frameless glazed unit includes opposite first and second sides. The first side of the frameless glazed unit directly contacts and is sealed to the first door skin by the integral first lip and the first sealant and/or adhesive. The second side of the frameless glazed unit directly contacts and is sealed to the second door skin by the integral second lip and the second sealant and/or adhesive.

A second aspect of the invention provides a kit for making a door. The kit features at least a door frame having a first side and a second side, a first door skin having a first rectangular outer periphery and a first inner opening, a second door skin having a second rectangular outer periphery and a second inner opening, and a frameless glazed unit configured to be received at the first and second inner openings. The first door skin includes a first exterior surface configured to face away from the door frame and an opposite first interior surface configured to face toward and be secured to the first side of the door frame. The first exterior surface and the first interior surface collectively establish a first lip that is integral with the first door skin and is situated at the first inner opening. The first interior surface provides a first groove configured to receive a first sealant and/or adhesive. The second door skin includes a second exterior surface configured to face away from the door frame and an opposite second interior surface configured to face toward and be secured to the second side of the door frame. The second exterior surface and the second interior surface collectively establish a second lip that is integral with the second door skin and is situated at the second inner opening. The second interior surface provides a second groove configured to receive a second sealant and/or adhesive which may be the same as or different than the first sealant and/or adhesive. The frameless glazed unit includes opposite first and second sides configured to directly contact and be sealed to the first and second door skins by the integral first lip and the first sealant and/or adhesive of the first door skin and the integral second lip and the second sealant and/or adhesive of the second door skin, respectively.

A third aspect of the invention provides a method of making a door. According to this method, a first door skin is connected to a first side of a door frame. The first door skin has a first rectangular outer periphery and a first inner opening and includes a first exterior surface facing away from the door frame and an opposite first interior surface facing and connected to the first side of the door frame. The first exterior surface and the first interior surface collectively establish a first lip that is integral with the first door skin and is situated at the first inner opening. A first sealant and/or adhesive is applied to a first groove in the first interior surface. A frameless glazed unit is situated at the first inner opening to contact a first side of the frameless glazed unit with the first lip and the first sealant and/or adhesive. A second door skin having a second rectangular outer periphery and a second inner opening is provided. The second door skin includes a second exterior surface and an opposite second interior surface collectively establishing a second lip that is integral with the second door skin. A second sealant and/or adhesive, which may be the same as or different than the first sealant and/or adhesive, is applied to a second groove in the second interior surface. The second interior surface of the second door skin is connected to a second side of the door frame to situate the frameless glazed unit at the second inner opening and contact a second side of the frameless glazed unit with the second lip and the second sealant and/or adhesive.

In accordance with an embodiment of each of the aspects described herein, the first groove has a first planar portion defined by the first interior surface, the first planar portion facing and being parallel to the first side of the frameless glazed unit. Further, the second groove has a second planar portion defined by the second interior surface, the second planar portion facing and being parallel to the second side of the frameless glazed unit. The first planar portion may be substantially coextensive with an entire width of the first groove, and the second planar portion may be substantially coextensive with an entire width of the second groove.

In accordance with another embodiment of the above aspects, the first interior surface further includes a first flange extending towards the second interior surface and a first pocket interposed between the first flange and the first groove, the first pocket having a greater thickness in a direction transverse to the first side of the frameless glazed unit than the first groove. The second interior surface further includes a second flange extending towards the first interior surface and a second pocket interposed between the second flange and the second groove, the second pocket having a greater thickness in a direction transverse to the second side of the frameless glazed unit than the second groove.

In accordance with still another embodiment of the above aspects, the door further features an additional member extending adjacent to a bottom of the first and second inner openings, the additional member being seated on the first and second flanges and contacting a bottom edge of the frameless glazed unit.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the above aspects, the first and second exterior surfaces respectively include first and second witness lines opposite to the first and second flanges.

In accordance with a still further embodiment of the above aspects, the first and second pockets are arranged and configured to receive excess amounts of the first and second sealants and/or adhesives that overflow from the first and second grooves, respectively.

According to another embodiment of the above aspects, the first and second lips respectively include first and second sealing ribs that respectively contact the first and second sides of the frameless glazed unit and respectively form sides of the first and second grooves.

According to still another embodiment of the above aspects, the first and second door skins each are made of at least a thermoset polymer and fiberglass reinforcement.

A further embodiment of the above aspects involves the frameless glazed unit substantially centered relative to the first and second exterior surfaces.

In still a further embodiment of the above aspects, the frameless glazed unit is a frameless insulated glazed unit (IGU).

Another embodiment of the above aspect involves the door being free of a protuberance, such as a window frame member, that extends outward beyond planes in which the first exterior surface and the second exterior surface principally extend.

In the above aspects, the door skins may be flush door skins or paneled door skins, such as contoured door skins including one or more contoured portions extending inwardly from planes in which the first and second exterior surfaces principally extend. The contoured panels may surround one or more inner panels, which may be coplanar or recessed from the planes in which the first and second exterior surfaces principally extend.

Still another embodiment of the above aspects provides a door that is stackable with an identical additional door, one on another, in stacked relationship in which the first exterior surface of the door is in substantially continuous contact with an additional first exterior surface of the identical additional door over entire respectively surfaces of the first exterior surface and the additional first exterior surface.

Yet another embodiment of the above aspects involves selection of a sealant and/or adhesive that is a structural adhesive.

In the above aspects, at least one of the first and second exterior surfaces may have a molded pattern, such as a molded grain pattern.

The frameless glazed unit of the above aspects may include a plurality of panes, including first and second panes establishing the opposite first and second sides of the glazed unit, and a spacer between the first and second panes. The spacer may extend adjacent each edge of the first and second panes.

The above embodiments may be practiced in any combination with one another.

Other aspects and embodiments of the invention, including apparatus, assemblies, devices, articles, stacked articles, parts and sub-assemblies, methods of making and using, processes, and the like which constitute part of the invention, will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments.

