EP0236287B1

EP0236287B1 - A door arrangement

Info

Publication number: EP0236287B1
Application number: EP19870850066
Authority: EP
Inventors: Arne Larsson; Anders Artman; Lars-Erik Sandström
Original assignee: Swedoor AB
Current assignee: Swedoor AB
Priority date: 1986-03-05
Filing date: 1987-03-03
Publication date: 1990-12-19
Also published as: EP0236287A3; NO870900L; FI81877C; FI870976A; NO870900D0; NO165772B; GR3001268T3; FI870976A0; DE3766725D1; EP0236287A2; DK111487A; ES2020304B3; NO165772C; FI81877B; DK111487D0

Description

The present invention relates to a fitting for so called turnable doors i.e. a door set having a door blade arranged for arbitrarily left or right hand side mounting.
The problem of the present invention, basically, is to broaden the door turning concept. In that case where the door already is a turnable door, but merely in its own plane, i.e. such that one and the same door side always will be turned either outwards or inwards, the problem according to the invention i.a. resides in making this door also turnable around a vertical axis, meaning that an arbitrary side of the door blade may be turned in an arbitrary direction.
The door blades which are turnable in their own plane are well known for many years. The idea of symmetry - as to placing or possibility of placing active elements, i.e. a lock, a door handle and hinge elements relative the centre line perpendicular to the long edge sides - such turning possibility basically is a good idea. The turnability, however, is not suited for door blades which do not have the said symmetric external design, for instance a door blade which has a glass therein placed unsymmetrically relative the centre line perpendicular to the long edge sides. Further on, the known turnability does not give the end user a possibility to determine which side of the door should be turned in a certain direction.
Additionally, such a limitation of known doors will be amplified due to the fact that the end user cannot decide in situ for a right hand side or left hand side mounted door, because the door jamb he has already bought has been prefabricated as a jamb for right hand side or left hand side mounting.
This means an expensive storage of different jamb types and a more expensive manufacturing.
A fitting according to prior art is disclosed in the French publication No. FR-A-2 073 814. Said fitting is adapted for insertion of a journalled insert element from one side only, and exhibits a flexible tongue element for locking the insert element in the door blade. However, the tongue element is flexing relative an axis perpendicular to the direction of insertion of the insert element. The shape and orientation of the tongue element as well as the fact that the fitting is open at one side only, means that the fitting cannot possibly function with turnable doors.
Another French publication, FR-A-2 305 572, discloses a turnable door blade allowing mounting of hinge fittings on an arbitrary side of the door blade. However, the publication does not relate to the use of insertable insert elements in a fitting on the door blade, but rather to more conventional types of hinge arrangements.
According to the present invention the said limitations of known turnable doors are eliminated and there is offered a considerably more flexible system from a consumer point of view and a manufacturing alternative which is cheaper and more simple than the known systems.
The present invention provides i.a. a fitting for mounting on to a turnable, i.e. an arbitrarily left hand side or right hand side mountable door blade and arranged for a journalled mounting of the door blade in a jamb mounted hinge. The fitting is characterized by means for forming at least partially a passage from one door side to the other door side, and that a flexible resiliently returnable tongue element is integral with said means for forming a passage and flexing relative an axis parallel to the direction of insertion of a journalled insert element of a jamb mounted hinge insertable into the passage from either side of the door.
In a practical embodiment the outer contour of the fitting, for instance the width and length, is substantially equal to the outer contour of a groove or recess arranged crosswise in the long edge side of the door blade and open at both door sides and arranged for fixing the position of the fitting in the door jamb.
Furthermore, a recess is formed in the fitting crosswise the width of the fitting and forms partially said passage, and the flexible tongue element is formed by through-going grooves generally at the centre of the recess, and a lock shoulder is formed on the tongue in the recess.
In order to conceal the fitting from the outside, when a certain mounting has been selected, the fitting arrangement preferably also comprises a cover plate having a shape corresponding to the cross- section at each end of the recess, and said plate has means for attachment of the plate on complementary shaped attachment means on the fitting in order to fully cover the passage from any door side. However, when so required the cover plate may be arranged for covering also the rest of the fitting in therecess.
In order to reduce the flexing distance of the tongue when inserting and withdrawing the insert element of the hinge, the side of the lock shoulder facing the passage preferably slopes towards the bottom of the tongue.
The invention will now be exemplified by reference to the accompanying drawings, where

Figure 1 shows the principle of turning a door blade in one and the same plane according to prior art,
Figure 2 shows a prior art symmetric door blade,
Figure 3 shows prior art fittings for the co-action with insert elements on a jamb mounted hinge,
Figure 4 shows the long edge side of the known door blade provided with locking elements,
Figure 5 shows the locking element from one side,
Figure 6 shows recesses for hinges of a known long side of a jamb provided with hinges,
Figure 7 shows a recess provided with a striking plate,
Figure 8 shows the complete prior art jamb,
Figure 9 shows a prior art insert hinge,
Figure 10 shows a section of a long edge side of a door blade having fittings mounted therein according to an embodiment of the present invention,
Figure 11 shows a section of the broad side of the door blade together with the fitting according to the present invention,
Figure 12 shows the fitting according to the invention seen from the side which should be turned against the bottom of the recess in the long edge side of the door blade,
Figure 13 is a section along line XIV-XIV in Figure 12,
Figure 14 is a section along line XV-XV in Figure 12,
Figure 15 shows a cover plate according to the present invention for use together with the fitting according to the present invention,
Figure 16 shows the cover plate in Figure 15 from one side.

The door blade 10 in Figure 1 is symmetric in the meaning that the operative hinge and lock elements of the blade are placed or placeable symmetric relative the centre line 11 perpendicular to the long edge sides of the door blade. The jamb 13 is either a left hand or a right hand mountable jamb (in Figure 1 both possibilities have been indicated) and is provided with hinges arranged symmetrically relative the centre line perpendicular to the long sides.
This means that the structure of the door set makes the door blade turnable as indicated by the reference numerals 10, 10, 10 " 10 " ..., i.e. the turnability means that one and the same side of the door blade will always be turned in a certain predeter- mend direction.
In Figure 2 the door blade 10 is shown separately and schematically and it may be seen that for instance the fittings 14 and 15 are placed at one and the same distance from the line 11. Further on, it is seen that the recesses 16, 17 for the door handle and the key operated lock, respectively, are identical and placed at one and the same distance from the line 11, meaning that such elements may be shifted when the door blade is turned around.
Figure 3 shows the long edge side 18 of the door blade and fittings 14, 15 of known type placed in recesses in the edge side 18. Said fittings are, as shown by the broken lines 19, accessable merely from one side 20 of the door blade 10.
The second long edge side 21 of the door blade is provided with a lock and bolt arrangement 22, the operative elements of which, a door handle and a key, are insertable through openings 23 and 24. Said openings are placed symmetrically relative the symmetry line 11, which extends centrally through the bevelled bolt 25. As shown by the double lines 26, the long edge sides 21 is bevelled or sloping for giving a smaller gap between the jamb and the bolt side of the door blade when the door is closed, but still allowing free passage of the inner corner edge of the door blade relative the jamb when the door blade is opened and closed.
Figure 6 shows the long-piece of a jamb of plastics having recesses 27, 28 for hinges, and Figure 7 shows the long-piece of a wooden jamb provided with a striking plate 29.
For the sake of completeness Figure 8 shows a complete symmetric jamb which in this case is provided with three sets of hinges 30, 31, 32 in one long jamb piece and a striker plate 33 in the second long-piece. In Figure 9 the complete prior art hinge has been shown. Said hinge comprises a fitting element 34, identical to the fittings 14, 15 in Figure 3, and an insert element 35 for jamb mounting in recesses of the type 27, 28.
The new fitting 41, according to the present invention, for the long edge side of the door blade has been shown schematically in Figures 10 and 11. In Figure 10 the fitting is screwed into a recess 43 in the long edge side 42 of a door blade 44. The recess 43 opens up at each side 45, 46 of the door blade and the outer contour thereof corresponds to the contour to the fitting 41.
The fitting in Figure 10 and 11 has a through-going recess 47 accessable from both sides 45, 46 of the door blade. This access is such that an insert element 48 (Figure 9) of a jambmounted hinge may be inserted from either side, such that the shoulder 49 on a flexible, resiliently returnable tongue 50 (Figure 10) formed by through-going grooves 52 may be inserted in the opening 51 (Figure 9) of the insert element.
In Figure 12 there is a more detailed diagram of the fitting 41. Figure 12, which shows the side of the fitting which is to face the bottom of the recess, relates to one embodiment where the recess 47 is defined by walls 53, 54 having cut outs 55 - 58 formed therein acting as means for fixing a cover plate 59 (Figures 15, 16). The plate 59 is of a height corresponding to the groove which will be formed between the long edge side and the fitting and thus conceals the groove completely when it is mounted in a respective pair of recesses 55, 58 by means of shoulders 60, 61 after the door blade 44 has been mounted in the jamb in the desired manner.
As shown in Figure 14, the lock shoulder 49 is bevelled in a direction towards the "hinge" of the tongue 50. This means that the flexing out distance of the tongue may be reduced when inserting or removing the element 48.
This is carried out in a manner known per se by for instance inserting a screwdriver in a groove 52 for flexing out the flexible and resiliently returning tongue 50.
When so required the said bevelling may be such that entering facilitating surfaces exist in the lock shoulder and/or the element 48 which allows an "automatic" insertion or remowal, i.e. there is no need for any tools.
As a material for the mounting it may for instance be used som acetal plastics or a plastics material of a corresponding strength.

Claims

1. A fitting for mounting onto a turnable, i.e. an arbitrarily left hand or right hand side mountable door blade, and arranged for journally mounting the door blade in a jamb mounted hinge, characterized in that the fitting (41) has means for forming at least partially a passage from one door side to the other door side (41, 46), and that a flexible, resiliently returning tongue element (50) is integral with said means for forming a passage and flexing relative an axis parallel to the direction of insertion of a journalled insert element (48) of a jamb mounted hinge insertable into the passage from either door side.

2. A fitting according to claim 1, characterized in that the fitting (41) has an outer contour, for instance width and length, generally equal to the outer contour of a crosswise extending groove (43) or recess in a long edge side (42) of a door blade and open at each door side (41, 46) and arranged for fixing the fitting in the proper position in the edge side of the door.

3. A fitting according to claims 2, characterized in that a recess (47) is formed in the fitting crosswise the width of the fitting and forms partially said passage, that the flexible tongue element (50) is formed by a through-going groove (52) generally at the centre of the recess, and that a lock shoulder (49) is formed on the tongue in the recess, possibly provided with bevelled portions for maneouvering the tongue when inserting and withdrawing, respectively, the insert element.

4. A fitting according to claim 3, characterized in that a cover plate (49) having a shape equal to the cross section at each end of the recess (47) has means (60, 61) for attaching the plate onto complementary shaped attachment means (55 to 58) on the fitting in order to fully cover the passage from any door side.

5. A fitting according to claim 4, characterized in that the lock shoulder on the tongue has an upper side which is inclined downwards towards the bottom of the tongue.