Door with variable length screen

Abstract

An exterior door incorporates at least one moving glass insert or sash slidable in first and second spaced apart tracks. An end of the insert is coupled to an end of a spring biased rolled screen. As the insert moves from the roll, the screen is extracted therefrom providing a continuously variable screened region in the door. The insert can be positioned using a counterbalance or spaced apart latchable locations in the door.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A door comprising: 
 a header, first and second jambs and a sill assembled to define an interior region;    an insert configured for movement in the region;    an elongated fabric module, coupled to one of the header, the sill or the jambs wherein the module carries a retracting fabric with a free end with the insert movable toward and away from the module, and wherein the end of the fabric is coupled to the insert with the fabric being pulled from the module as the insert moves away from the module.    
     
     
         2 . A door as in  claim 1  with at least one track in each jamb wherein the insert moves in the tracks with the fabric rollably retracting into the module as the insert moves toward the module and rollably extending from the module as the insert moves away from the module.  
     
     
         3 . A door as in  claim 1  wherein the jambs each include a fabric edge receiving track.  
     
     
         4 . A door as in  claim 1  wherein the module includes a module roller retracting spring.  
     
     
         5 . A door as in  claim 4  wherein the retracting spring imposes a continuous retracting force on the fabric.  
     
     
         6 . A door as in  claim 4  wherein at least one jamb includes a fabric edge-guide assembly.  
     
     
         7 . A door as in  claim 6  wherein the edge-guide assembly includes at least one section of weather-stripping.  
     
     
         8 . A door as in  claim 6  wherein an elongated member attached to the free end in combination with the edge-guide assembly feeds an edge of the fabric into the fabric edge-guide as the insert moves from a position closest to the module to a position displaced from the module.  
     
     
         9 . A door as in  claim 6  wherein each jamb includes a respective fabric edge-guide assembly.  
     
     
         10 . A door as in  claim 9  wherein an elongated member attached to the free end in combination with the edge-guide assemblies feeds the edges of the fabric into the fabric edge-guides as the insert moves from a position closest to the module to a position displaced from the module.  
     
     
         11 . A door as in  claim 10  wherein, responsive to an applied laterally oriented force, the edges of the fabric are released from the respective edge-guide while the fabric continues to be subject to a retracting force.  
     
     
         12 . A door as in  claim 11  wherein as the insert moves to a position adjacent to the module, the fabric retracts with the edges aligned for engagement with the edge-guide assemblies.  
     
     
         13 . A door as in  claim 12  wherein as the insert moves from the module, the edges engage respective edge-guide assemblies.  
     
     
         14 . A door as in  claim 13  wherein the elongated member slidably disengages the insert.  
     
     
         15 . A door as in  claim 13  wherein the module is releasibly coupled to one of the header, the sill or the jambs.  
     
     
         16 . A door as in  claim 15  wherein the elongated member comprises a resin body.  
     
     
         17 . A door as in  claim 1  which incorporates one of a counterbalance mechanism for the insert, a latch for the insert, or frictional engagement between the insert and the tracks.  
     
     
         18 . A door as in  claim 17  wherein the counterbalance mechanism comprises one of a block and tackle balance, a spiral balance, or a coil spring balance.  
     
     
         19 . A door as in  claim 17  wherein the latch comprises first and second interlockable features with one feature carried by the insert and another feature carried by a respective jamb with the insert lockable to the respective jamb by engagement of the features.  
     
     
         20 . A door as in  claim 17  wherein the header, jambs and sill comprise one of metal, wood product or resin.  
     
     
         21 . A door as in  claim 20  wherein the wood product is covered, at least in part, with metal or cured resin.  
     
     
         22 . A door as in  claim 1  which includes an elongated member, attached to the free end of the fabric, removably coupled to the insert with the fabric being pulled from the module as the insert moves away from the module.  
     
     
         23 . A door as in  claim 22  wherein the insert carries a hollow coupling element which slidably receives the elongated member coupled to the fabric.  
     
     
         24 . A door as in  claim 12  wherein the fabric comprises one of a screen, or, a plastic sheet.  
     
     
         25 . A screen module comprising: 
 an elongated cylinder;    a retracting device carried by the cylinder for applying a continuous retracting force;    a fabric coiled about the cylinder wherein the fabric has a free end with the fabric removable from the cylinder while subject to the retracting force.    
     
     
         26 . A module as in  claim 25  wherein the cylinder is hollow with the retracting device carried therein.  
     
     
         27 . A module as in  claim 25  wherein the free end of the fabric carries an elongated door engagement feature.  
     
     
         28 . A module as in  claim 27  wherein the door engagement feature comprises one of a metal element or a cured resin element.  
     
     
         29 . A module as in  claim 27  wherein the door engagement feature comprises one of a cylindrical cross section, a square cross section, a rectangular cross section, a triangular cross section or an L shaped cross section.  
     
     
         30 . A door comprising: 
 first and second spaced apart jambs wherein each jamb carries an axially oriented insert track, an adjacent axially oriented fabric track, and an axially oriented fabric edge retainer; and    a spring biased roll of sheet material rotatably carried at one end of the jambs wherein the sheet material is removable from the roll and extends axially along at least part of the jambs with edges of the sheet material located in respective fabric tracks engaged with respective edge retainers.    
     
     
         31 . A door as in  claim 30  which includes an insert slidably movable in the insert tracks toward and away from respective ends of the jambs wherein the insert is coupled to the sheet material.  
     
     
         32 . A door as in  claim 30  wherein the edge retainers each include at least one elongated weather stripping element wherein an edge region of the sheet material slidably engages the weather stripping element.  
     
     
         33 . A door as in  claim 32  wherein the edge retainers each include a second elongated, different weather stripping element spaced from the one weather stripping element wherein an edge region of the sheet material extends laterally between the weather stripping elements.  
     
     
         34 . A door as in  claim 31  which includes one of a counterbalance, a latch or friction between the insert and the respective jambs, for slidably supporting the insert at each of a plurality of axially displaced locations along the jambs.  
     
     
         35 . A door as in  claim 33  which includes one of a counterbalance, a latch or friction between the insert and the respective jambs, for slidably supporting the insert at each of a plurality of axially displaced locations along the jambs.  
     
     
         36 . A door as in  claim 30  wherein a free end of the sheet material is attached to a sash slidably mounted between the jambs.  
     
     
         37 . A door as in  claim 36  wherein the free end of the sheet material carries a coupling element which engages a coupling feature of the sash.  
     
     
         38 . A door as in  claim 36  wherein the edge retainers each include first and second different strips of weather stripping with one strip having first and second planar sections attached to one another at a selected angle.  
     
     
         39 . A door as in  claim 38  configured with a portion of the one strip exhibiting an angle in a range of fifteen to seventy-five degrees relative to the extended sheet material.