AU1250900A - Door construction assembly - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicants: PYROPANEL TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD A.C.N. 005 211 147 Invention Title: DOOR CONSTRUCTION ASSEMBLY P a. a f a o The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 2 15 DOOR CONSTRUCTION ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a door construction assembly, particularly a door construction assembly formed from two door panels hinged or pivoted at either side of a door opening and adapted to be swung whereby the free edges of the two panels meet in facing relationship, with part of the face of one panel overlying part of the face of the other panel on side of the door construction assembly and vice versa on the other side of the assembly.

25 The invention relates particularly, but not exclusively, to a fire and/or sound rated door construction assembly.

One problem with conventional door construction assemblies of this type rests, particularly with fire and/or sound rated door construction assemblies, in minimising the gap between the facing edges of the door panels at the closed position, whilst also ensuring that the door latch and lock mechanism can be relatively easily incorporated between the facing edges. The problem arises because of the necessity to allow a sufficient arc of relative movement between the edges of the door panels H:\Leanne\Keep\PPB301.doc 19/01/00 3 during opening and closing, whereby the edges will not foul or engage with each other which of necessity means that, when the door panels are in the closed position, the gap between the facing edges of the panels is larger than would be desired. This problem is particularly disadvantageous with assemblies which are required to meet high fire and/or sound rating requirements with regard to the ability to resist the spread of fire and passage of sound from one side of the door assembly to the other side at least for a predetermined period of time and to reduce the passage of smoke and hot gases, and as may be required by building regulation authorities for certain types of buildings, such as commercial buildings, for example, hospitals, hotels and the like.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a door construction assembly which eliminates or at least minimises the above problem with known assemblies, and the solution in accordance with the 20 present invention rests with providing a different and unique configuration for each of the edges of the door panels.

In accordance with the present invention, there 25 is provided a door construction assembly having a pair of door panels adapted, in use, to be hinged at either side of a door opening and also adapted to be swung whereby the free edges of the panels meet in facing relationship, wherein the facing edges of the door panels have surfaces adapted to face each other over a substantial portion of the widths of the respective door panels with a side portion of one door panel and a side portion of the other door panel on opposite sides of the assembly extending beyond their respective facing surfaces and adapted to be received within rebates provided in the adjacent side of the other door panel.

H:\eanne\Keep\PP8301 .doc 19/01/00 4 Two preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a horizontal cross-sectional view through the door construction assembly and in which the edge configuration and construction for one door panel of the pair of panels is in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention, and the edge configuration and construction for the other door panel of the pair is in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the invention, and on the understanding that for a particular door construction assembly the edge configurations and constructions for both door panels would be identical.

Turning to the drawing, the door construction 15 assembly generally indicated as 1 is formed from a door frame assembly of hardwood or pressed metal the vertical parts 2 of which are shown on either side of a door opening defined by any type of wall, but in this case, by brick walls 3 to which the door frame assembly is connected in a conventional fashion. The door frame assembly comprises frame members 4 and door stops or jambs 5, whilst architraves 6 are provided to cover the sides of the door S. frame.

25 A pair of door panels are hinged by hinge :mechanisms 8 to the opposite sides of the door frame and have vertically extending members 9 in the opposite edges of the respective panels to which the hinge mechanisms 8 are attached in the case of one side edge of each door panel, and to which edge members 10, of natural or synthetic materials, such as wood, composite materials, steel or aluminium, are attached in the case of the other side edges of the door panels. The respective door panels 7 are completed by outer sheets 11. The door panels may be formed from pressed steel, composite, timber or aluminium and/or with aluminium or steel frames.

H:\Leanne\Keep\PP8301 .doc 19/01/00 5 In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, as shown for the door panel on the left of the drawing, the edge members 10, in this case edge members are fully exposed insofar as they bridge the entire width of the door panels including the edges of the sheets 11 with the outer faces of the members 9 being flush with the surfaces of the edges of the sheets 11. In the second embodiment of the invention, as shown for the door panel on the right of the drawing, the edge member 10, in this case member 10b, is partially concealed within the confines of the outer sheets 11 and the members 9 are correspondingly positioned inwardly from the edges of the sheet 11.

In accordance with the present invention the 15 faces of the edge members 10 of the door panels, and which face each other, are configured to provide surfaces 12 which face each other over a substantial portion of the widths of the respective door panels, with, in the case of the first embodiment of the invention, a side portion 13 of the edge member 10a (left hand side of drawing) extending outwardly to be received within a rebate 14 formed down the i side of the edge member of the associated door member of S. the pair, or in the case of the second embodiment of the invention (right hand side of drawing) a side portion 13 of 25 the edge member 10b, which, together with the adjacent outer sheets, extends outwardly to be received within a rebate 14 formed down the side of the associated door member of the pair.

The edge members 10a or 10b may be exposed to view or partially concealed by the edges of the side faces of the door panels.

In addition, in the case of a door assembly requiring a high fire rating, as may be required by building authorities for certain buildings, the door frame members 4, and the edge members 10 of the door panels 7, H:\Leanne\Keep\PP8301 .doc 19/01/00 6 are provided with grooves 15 in which strips 16 of intumescent material are inserted. Strips 17 of intumescent material may also be positioned between the hinge mechanisms 8 and the door frame as shown. Such strips of material respond to the heat generated by fire on one side of the installed door construction assembly whereby to expand to close the gap between adjacent surfaces where the strip 16 are positioned to prevent, or extend the period of time over which, flame from a fire on one side of the door construction can spread to the other side of the assembly.

The facing edges of the pair of door panels may incorporate door latch and lock mechanisms in the facing 15 edge members 10 of the respective door panels.

We have found that with suitably dimensioned, sized and configured faces for the facing surfaces of the edge members 10, the gap between the members at the opposite sides of the door panels can be reduced to as low as 1.4mm compared with 3.8mm with conventional "rebated" or "rabbeted" door construction assemblies. In addition by increasing the gap between the faces of the edge members inwardly of the edge members, acoustic material may be 25 incorporated therein to reduce the amount of sound passing through the door construction from one side to the other in situations where the passage of sound is to be minimised.

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Claims (10)

1. A door construction assembly having a pair of door panels adapted, in use, to be hinged at either side of a door opening and also adapted to be swung whereby the free edges of the panels meet in facing relationship, wherein the facing edges of the door panels have surfaces adapted to face each other over a substantial portion of the width of the respective door panels with a side portion of one door panel and a side portion of the other door panel on opposite sides of the assembly extending beyond their respective facing surfaces and adapted to be received within rebates provided in the adjacent side of the other door panel.

2. A door construction assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the facing free edges of the door panels are formed on edge members.

3. A door construction assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the edge members are fully exposed in sofar as they bridge the entire width of the respective door panels.

4. A door construction assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the edge members are partially concealed within the respective door panels.

A door construction assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the facing free edges of the door panels carry strips of intumescent material.

6. A door construction assembly as claimed in claim wherein strips of intumescent material are received within grooves provided in the facing free edges of the door panel. H:\Leanne\Keep\PP8301.doc 19/01/00 8

7. A door construction assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the facing free edges of the door panel are formed from natural or synthetic materials.

8. A door construction assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein accoustic material is provided in the gap between the facing free edges.

9. A door construction assembly incorporating door panels substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the door panel shown on the right side of the accompanying drawing. 15

10. A door panel construction assembly incorporating door panels substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the door panel shown on the left side of the accompanying drawing. o Dated this 20th day of January 2000 PYROPANEL TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK 25 Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia H:\Leanne\Keep\PP8301.doc 19/01/00