Screen insert frame

Claim 1

A screen enclosure device comprising: a first rigid frame member surrounding an opening therethrough, said frame member having an exterior face and an opposing interior face on an opposite side thereof for abutting against a second frame member; a second rigid frame member having a size and configuration corresponding to the first frame member and including an exterior face and an opposing interior face on an opposite side thereof for abutting against the opposing interior face on the first frame member when the first and second frame members are coupled together to form a single frame; serrated contacting structure including a plurality of rows of teeth formed as an integral part of the interior face of at least one of said rigid frame members such that when said first and second frame members are coupled together to form a single frame, the serrated contacting structure is interposed in contacting relationship between the opposing interior faces of the first and second frame members; and a screen drawn tightly across the opening of the frame lying in a first plane and retained in this tight configuration by force means supplied by the serrated contacting structure interposed between the opposing interior faces of the first and second frame members; wherein said opposing faces of the first and second frame members are substantially planer in configuration, said serrated contacting structure also having each contacting surface of its teeth common to respective single planes each of which are parallel to said first plane; wherein one of the frame members includes a first cavity formed along the full length of the frame member, outside the enclosure of the serrated contacting structure and having sufficient depth to receive excess screen material extending beyond the stretched portion of the screen, said cavity being closed at its open end by the remaining frame member when in the coupled configuration; wherein the remaining frame member includes a protruding lip extending from its opposing face and in direct alignment with the cavity of the other frame member when coupled, said lip having a configuration which permits the lip to mate within the cavity with entrapment of excess peripheral screen material and with the opposing faces in near contact.

Claim 17

A device as defined inclaim 14, wherein the remaining frame member includes a protruding lip extending from its opposing face and in direct alignment with the cavity of the other frame member when coupled, said lip having a configuration which permits the lip to mate within the cavity with the excess screen and with the opposing faces of the frames in near contact.

Claim 19

A method for securing screen material within a screen insert as part of a screen door, said method comprising the steps of: a) forming a frame for the screen insert by selecting two opposing rigid frame members having substantially planer, opposing interior faces and substantially common configurations to facilitate their coupling together to form a single frame; b) forming a serrated contacting structure having a plurality of rows of teeth such that each contacting surface of its teeth is common to respective single planes, as an integral part of the interior face of at least one of the frame members; c) interposing screen material between at least a portion of the serrated contacting structure and the interior face of the remaining frame member; d) compressing the screen material, serrated contacting structure and frame members together to form a screen insert with the screen material securely captured in tight configuration as part of the screen insert and lying in a first plane which is parallel to each of said single planes; e) forming a first cavity along the full length of one of said frame members of sufficient depth to receive excess screen material extending beyond the stretched portion of the screen, said cavity being closed at its open end by the remaining frame member when in the coupled configuration; and f) forming a protruding lip in the remaining frame member to extend from its opposing face in direct alignment with the cavity of the other frame member when coupled, said lip having a configuration which permits the lip to mate within the cavity with entrapment of excess peripheral screen material and with the opposing faces in near contact.

Claim 20

A method for securing screen material within a screen insert as part of a screen door, said method comprising the steps of: a) forming a frame for the screen insert by selecting two opposing rigid frame members having substantially planer, opposing interior faces and substantially common configurations to facilitate their coupling together to form a single frame; b) forming a serrated contacting structure having a plurality of rows of teeth such that each contacting surface of its teeth is common to respective single planes, as an integral part of the interior face of at least one of the frame members; c) interposing screen material between at least a portion of the serrated contacting structure and the interior face of the remaining frame member; d) compressing the screen material, serrated contacting structure and frame members together to form a screen insert with the screen material securely captured in tight configuration as part of the screen insert and lying in a first plane which is parallel to each of said single planes; e) forming a first cavity along the full length of one of said frame members of sufficient depth to receive excess screen material extending beyond the stretched portion of the screen, said cavity being closed at its open end by the remaining frame member when in the coupled configuration; and f) forming a protruding lip in the remaining frame member to extend from its opposing face in direct alignment with the cavity of the other frame member when coupled, said lip having a configuration which permits the lip to mate within the cavity with entrapment of excess peripheral screen material and with the opposing faces in near contact.