The present disclosure relates to an upper guide track assembly for a retractable screen of the type having a flexible screen material that can be drawn off a roller within a housing and across an architectural opening. The disclosure also relates to a method of assembly of the guide track and a retractable screen including the upper guide track.
Retractable screens that can be opened have found appeal with users due to their versatility in being able to be rolled away when not in use. This enables a wide and uninterrupted view when rolled away.
Retractable screens can be mounted across any suitable architectural opening such as windows, doors, and between supports in outdoor areas such as pergolas, gazebos and the like. Retractable screens are often insect screens. However, other types of screens such as solar screens, transparent vinyl screens or the like may also be retractable. The present disclosure will be described with particular reference to an insect screen mesh. However, it will be appreciated that the disclosure may relate to other types of flexible screen material and no limitation is intended thereby.
Retractable screens in general have a roller located within a housing, upon which the screen is rolled onto as the screen is closed and the screen is unrolled from when the screen is opened. The roller is usually biased towards the closed or rolled position. The housing is typically fixed in place at the top of a vertically opening screen or at the side of a horizontally opening screen. The screen extends between a housing and a moveable handle post or drawbar that is moveable between and open position towards the housing and a closed position away from the housing. Upper and lower, right or left guide tracks (for horizontally and vertically opening windows) are operatively engaged with the respective ends of the moveable handle post to guide movement of the post between open and closed positions.
Alternatively, the housing may be located within the moveable handle post, although this is not as preferred for larger screens.
Horizontally opening screens have some challenges. For example, customers are demanding horizontally opening screens of increasing width to extend across open areas that are significantly wider than a standard doorway such as bi-fold doors and French doors. With increased width comes increased size and weight. The design of the roller and guides must accommodate the increased weight. The upper guide track, in particular, must both guide and bear the weight of the screen. The arrangements and methods of mounting the upper guide track to a support must also be able to bear the weight.
This is different to vertically opening screens where the roller is at the top and the guide tracks simply guide the edges of the screen and do not support any weight.
For horizontally opening screens, it is desirable that the edges of the screen are securely held in place and for the screens to have a taut and neat appearance across the face of the screen. Horizontally opening screens are tensioned between the horizontal guides.
With horizontally opening screens, the top guide track is often installed by fixing an attachment member of the upper guide track assembly to the door lintel. When the lintel sags, the upper guide track assembly that is fixed to the lintel will sag. When this occurs, there is a loss of tension in the screen.
By comparison, it will be appreciated that with a vertically opening screen where tension is applied horizontally, any lintel sag will not affect tension in the screen.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds