Composite hinged door and insert therefor

Abstract

A hinged, composite door having a vertically extending series of horizontally extending panels, adjacent panels of which are hinged to one another. Each panel has a thicker central layer of a lightweight material sandwiched between thin, inner and outer sheet metal layers. A hard, durable insert with a shank portion and an enlarged head portion is provided at a juncture between adjacent panels, the insert having a shank portion embedded in a recess in the central layer of one of the panels and an enlarged head portion that extends beyond the one of the panels to be received in a complementally-shaped recess of the central layer of the adjacent panel when the panels are in alignment with one another.

1 . A composite, hinged panel door comprising, in combination: 
 first and second generally rectangular panels aligned in a given direction when the door is closed, each panel extending normally of the given direction, each panel having a relatively thick central layer of a lightweight material sandwiched between relatively thin inner and outer layers of a heavier material, each of the central layers of each of the panels having a recess in a free edge of the central layer that faces the other of the panels when the panels are in linear alignment;    a hinge joining the first and second panels to permit the first and second panels to articulate with respect to one another between positions in linear alignment with one another and positions out of linear alignment with one another;    a hard durable insert having a shank portion embedded in the recess of one of the first and second panels and an enlarged head portion that extends beyond the free edge of said one of the first and second panels, the enlarged head portion fitting freely within the recess of the central layer of the other of the first and second panels when the first and second panels are in linear alignment with one another to ensure accuracy in positioning the first and second panels when they are moved from the positions out of alignment to the positions in linear alignment.    
   
   
       2 . A composite, hinged panel door according to  claim 1  wherein: 
 each of the inner and outer layers is a layer of sheet metal.    
   
   
       3 . A composite, hinged panel door according to  claim 1  wherein: 
 the head portion of the insert has a surface that is opposed to the hinge and extends inwardly toward the hinge as it extends outwardly from the one of the first and second panels in which the shank portion of the insert is embedded.    
   
   
       4 . A composite, hinged panel door according to  claim 1  in which the given direction extends vertically.  
   
   
       5 . A hard, durable insert for use in a hinged, composite door to ensure accurate alignment of hinged, adjacent panels when the panels are articulated with respect to one another between positions out of linear alignment to positions in linear alignment, said insert comprising: 
 a shank portion adapted to be embedded in a recess in a free edge of one of the adjacent panels; and    an enlarged head portion adapted to be freely received in a recess in a free edge of the other of the adjacent panels, the head portion having a surface that extends outwardly beyond the free edge of one of the panels and extends inwardly towards an opposed surface of the head portion as the head portion extends outwardly from the recess of the one of the adjacent panels.    
   
   
       6 . An insert according to  claim 5  wherein such shank portion has an axially extending spaced plurality of longitudinally extending ridges.  
   
   
       7 . An insert according to  claim 5  wherein said enlarged head portion has a flat free end surface that extends normally of a central axis of the recess in the one of the panels.