DOOR ARRANGEMENTThe present invention relates to a door arrangement. In particular, the present invention relates to a door which is easier to hang in position than conventional door arrangements.
Although doors may be of many different designs, they can, in general, be divided into three classes. Doors are often formed from solid wood. Whilst these doors are aesthetically attractive they can suffer from warping and splitting due to the effects of temperature. Where lighter weight doors are required a door may comprise a pair of compression moulded skins, eg. of grp, attached to opposed faces of a frame, eg of wood and having a core of a filler material which may be glassfibre, foamed plastic or the like. These doors are generally moulded to have a finish that resembles a wood grain effect and are relatively expensive to manufacture. The third class comprises doors in which the skins are made of vacuum formed plastics eg. pvc which sandwich a core of a foam, eg a polystyrene foam. These skins are bonded to each face of a frame which is provided to improve rigidity.
Once in position, these conventional doors howsoever formed are satisfactory.
However, they suffer from certain disadvantages and drawbacks associated with the steps required to hang them in place. This hanging generally requires the services of a skilled carpenter. In particular, the carpenter will have to remove material, commonly wood, from regions on one side of the door to enable the plates of the hinges to be recessed into the door and on the opposing side of the door, material, again commonly wood, must be removed to enable the handle and any locking mechanism to be inserted. On both sides of the door the removal of wood must be carried out with great care to ensure that when the door is hung in the door frame, the positions selected for locating the hinges and the lock co-operate with the corresponding portions on the door frame.
We have now discovered that the aforementioned problems may be overcome and a door which can be readily hung without requiring the services of a skilled craftsman may be provided.
According to the first aspect of the present invention there is provided a door comprising front and back faces, top and bottom faces and two side faces wherein each side face has a channel extending therealong, each of said channels being sized to receive a longitudinal cap member.
The channel extending along each side face is preferably of the same width and depth and is preferably located centrally in the width of the side of the door. Thus, the two sides of the door will be the same such that, subject to any design, such as panelling, on the faces of the door, it can be left hand or right hand hung.
Each channel is preferably of generally rectangular cross-section and the depth of the channel may be greater than the depth of a portion of the cap member which will extend into the channel. The additional depth is preferably from 2mm to 8mm, most preferably Snug.
One benefit of having this additional depth to the channel is that if when the door is to be hung in place, it is found to be larger than the space available, the door can readily be reduced in size by removing wood from the side faces of the door without affecting the ability of the channel to receive the cap member.
The width of the channel is preferably from 1 Omm to 40mm, more preferably 30mm.
As has been stated, whatever the width of the channel, the channel is preferably located concentric to the side face of the door.
The door preferably also includes channels in at least one of the top and bottom faces.
These channels are also shaped to receive cap members and are preferably located concentric to the face of the door. The top and bottom channels are preferably of the same size and configuration.
The door may be of any general construction or design but is preferably a composite door of the kind referred to in UK copending application nos. 9800371.8 filed on 8January 1998; 9808081.5 filed on 16 April 1998 and 9810075.3 filed on 11 May 1998.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a longitudinal cap member suitable for insertion in one side channel of the door of the above first aspect, the cap member comprising a pair of upper flanges in a common plane which are spaced apart and conjoined by a lower flange located beneath the pair of flanges and parallel therewith.
The combined widths of the two upper flanges and the gap between them is preferably equal to the width of the door. The widths of the two upper flanges are preferably different. The flanges are preferably arranged such that when the cap is placed in one side channel of the door, the lower flange is located in the channel and an upper surface thereof is collinear with the upper surface of the walls of the channel and the upper flanges extend over the upper edges of the walls of the channel. This arrangement means that a leaf of a hinge may be readily recessed in the finished door such that it can be correctly hung in place. In order to locate the hinge, a section of one of the upper flanges may be removed such that the leaf of the hinge can lie across the upper edge of the wall of the channel and across the upper surface of the lower flange. The length of the section of the flange removed will depend on the length of the hinge.
The two upper flanges may be of different widths. This will enable the same cap member to be suitable for use with one of two different sizes of hinge. In the UK two standard sizes of hinge are commonly used with household doors, these are 30mm and 35mm. Thus, in a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention the widths of the upper flanges and the spacing between them are such that the distance from the outside edge of one flange to the opposed edge of the gap between the upper flanges is 30mm and the distance from the outside edge of the other flange to the opposed edge of the gap between the upper flanges is 35mm.
Two legs preferably extend downwardly from the flanges and are preferably located such that in use they are a sliding fit with the inner walls of the channel in the door.
They preferably extend downwardly from the flanges for a length that is less than the depth of the channel. A foot member may extend inwardly from each leg to form a ledge extending along the cap member below the plane of the lower flange. This ledge enables a plate to be located below the lower flange and spaced therefrom.
When a hinge has been located on the upper face of the lower flange, it will be fixed to the lower flange, preferably by means of at least one screw. If a metal plate is located below the lower flange the, or each, screw will extend through the plate thereby strengthening the fixing of the hinge to the cap member.
As the cap member is separate from the door, the door fitter, can place the cap member against the door frame to accurately note the position of the hinge before it is fitted to the door. The appropriate portion of one flange can then be removed from one of the pair of upper flanges and the hinges connected to the cap member before the cap member is inserted into one side channel in the door. The door may then be hung in place in the conventional manner. In one alternative arrangement, the cap member having had the hinge members located on its surface may be connected to the door frame via the hinges before it is placed in the channel of the door.
The cap member may be held in place in the channel by any suitable means. In a preferred embodiment, the cap member will be attached to the door by means of screws.
The configuration of the cap member selected for use in the opposing side face to that carrying the hinges will depend on the type of locking mechanism to be used.
Suitable locking mechanisms include conventional mortice locks and multi-point locks fitted to a groove known as a Eurogroove or any other suitable groove.
According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a longitudinal cap member suitable for insertion in one side channel of the door of the above first aspect, the cap member comprising a flange, preferably having a width corresponding to the width of the door. This cap member is also suitable for use in the top or bottom channel of the door, where present, and is particularly suitable for the top channel.
Two legs preferably extend downwardly from the flange and are preferably located such that in use they are a sliding fit with the inner walls of the channel in the door.
They preferably extend downwardly from the flange for a length that is less than the depth of the channel. A foot member may extend inwardly from each leg to form a ledge extending along the cap member below the plane of the flange. This ledge enables a plate to be located below the flange and spaced therefrom. This plate can be used to strengthen the attachment of the lock to the cap member.
The cap member of the second or third aspect of the present invention may be provided with a plate located on the ledge.
When the door is to be hung in place, the cap member may be held against the door frame and the position of the lock accurately noted before an appropriate section is cut from the cap member. The cap member may then have the lock fitted before being located in the channel. The cap member will then be placed in the channel and may be fastened in place by means of screws, glue or both screws and glue.
The ledges of the above second and third aspects may be located from 0.5mm to 2mm below the lowest surface of the flanges, preferably lmm.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a longitudinal cap member suitable for insertion in one side channel of the door of the above first aspect, the cap member comprising a pair of coplanar spaced apart flanges and a trough member. This cap member is also suitable for use in the top or bottom channel of the door, where present, and is particularly suitable for the bottom channel. When the cap member is used in a side channel of the door it is suitable for use with a multi-point lock. If the cap member is used in the bottom channel of the door, the trough member may include a draft excluder, such as a brush or flipper seal.
When the door is to be hung in place, the cap member may be held against the door frame and the position of the locks accurately noted before appropriate sections are cut from the cap member. The cap member may then have the lock fitted before being located in the channel. The cap member will then be placed in the channel and may be fastened in place by means of screws, glue or both screws and glue.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a finished door comprising a door in accordance of the above first aspect, a cap member of the above second aspect located in one side channel and a cap member of one of the third or fourth aspects of the present invention located in the other side channel.
The finished door may also include a cap member of the third aspect located in the top channel and a cap member of the fourth aspect located in the bottom channel.
The cap members are formed from any suitable material such as plastics or metals.
Aluminium is particularly preferred.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of hanging the door of the above first aspect comprising:placing a cap member of the above second aspect against a door frame andnoting the position of the hinges, cutting the cap member to allow the hingesto be located and placing the cap member in the channel of the door; andplacing a cap member of the above third or fourth aspect against a door frameand noting the position of the lock, cutting the cap member to allow the lockto be located and placing the cap member in the channel of the door.
The method may also include placing cap members in at least one of a top and bottom channel in the door.
The doors of the present invention are suitable for external or internal use.
The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:Figure 1 is an exploded view of a door and two side cap members in accordance with the present invention andtwo portions of a door frame for illustrative purposes;Figure 2 is a cross-section of a hinge side cap member located ina channel;Figure 3 is a perspective view from above of a hinge side capmember;Figure 4 is a perspective view from below of a hinge side capmember;Figure 5 is a cross-section of a lock side (for use with a morticetype lock) located in a channel - also suitable for use asa top cap member;Figure 6 is a perspective view from above of the cap member ofFigure 5;Figure 7 is a perspective view from below of the cap member ofFigure 5;Figure 8 is a cross-section of a lock side (for use with a threepoint lock) located in a channel - also suitable for use asa base cap member;Figure 9 is a perspective view from above of the cap member ofFigure 8; andFigure 10 is a perspective view from below of the cap member ofFigure 8.
As seen in Figure 1 the finished door comprises a door 1 having side channels, not shown, and side cap members 2 and 3. When hanging the door the cap members are placed against the door frame 4a and 4b. The position of the hinges 5 is noted and the cap member 2 is cut to allow the leaf of the hinges to be recessed in the cap member. The cap member 2 may be fastened to the door frame 4a before the cap member is placed in the channel in the door 1. The position of the lock is noted and the cap member 3 is cut to allow the locks to be placed therethrough. Figure 1 illustrates a cap member for use with a multi-point lock and thus three sections are preferably removed.
The configuration of a suitable cap member for use with hinges is illustrated inFigures 2, 3 and 4. The cap member comprises a pair of upper flanges 21 and 22 in a common plane which are spaced apart and conjoined by a lower flange 23 located beneath the pair of flanges 21 and 22 and parallel therewith.
The combined widths of the two upper flanges 21 and 22 and the gap 24 between them is equal to the width of the door. The widths of the two upper flanges are different. The flanges are arranged such that when the cap is placed in one side channel of the door, the lower flange is located in the channel and an upper surface thereof is collinear with the upper surface of the walls 11 and 12 of the channel 13 and the upper flanges 21 and 22 extend over the upper edges of the walls of the channel. This arrangement means that a leaf of a hinge may be readily recessed in the finished door such that it can be correctly hung in place. In order to locate the hinge, a section of one of the upper flanges may be removed such that the leaf of the hinge can lie across the upper edge of the wall of the channel and across the upper surface of the lower flange.
The two upper flanges 21 and 22 are of different widths. Thus the same cap member is suitable for use with both 30mm and 35mm hinges.
Two legs 25 and 26 extend downwardly from the flanges and are located such that in use they are a sliding fit with the inner walls of the channel in the door. They extend downwardly from the flanges for a length that is less than the depth of the channel.
A foot member may extend inwardly from each leg to form a ledge 27 extending along the cap member-below the plane of the lower flange 23. This ledge 27 enables a plate to be located below the lower flange and spaced therefrom and may be used for fixing the hinge plate prior to fitting the cap member in the groove.
The configuration of a suitable cap member for use with a mortice is illustrated inFigures 5, 6 and 7. The cap member comprises a flange 31 having a width corresponding to the width of the door.
Two legs 32 and 33 extend downwardly from the flange 31 and are preferably located such that in use they are a sliding fit with the inner walls of the channel 13 in the door 1. They preferably extend downwardly from the flange for a length that is less than the depth of the channel. A foot member extends inwardly from each leg to form a ledge 27 extending along the cap member below the plane of the flange 31. This ledge enables a plate to be located below the flange and spaced therefrom. This plate can be used to strengthen the attachment of the lock to the cap member and may be used for fixing the lock prior to fitting the cap member in the groove.
A cap member for insertion in one side channel of the door for use with a Eurolock is illustrated in Figures 8, 9 and 10. The cap member comprises a pair of coplanar spaced apart flanges 34 and 35 and a trough member 36.