GB2148992A

GB2148992A - Window frame

Info

Publication number: GB2148992A
Application number: GB08329496A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roger Emsley
Original assignee: Norcros Investments Ltd
Current assignee: Norcros Investments Ltd
Priority date: 1983-11-04
Filing date: 1983-11-04
Publication date: 1985-06-05
Also published as: NL8403314A; GB2148992B; IE842812L; GB8329496D0; IE55787B1

Abstract

A kit of parts for constructing an outer frame for a rectilinearly moveable window or door comprises a pair of jambs (10), a sloping sill member (30) and a header member (16) spanning the jambs. Each of these aluminium members is constructed with a thermal break (12,32,18); thermally insulating wedge members (36), and caps (24) are provided. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Door and window frames This invention relates to door frames and to kits of parts for building up such frames in situ. The use of doors mounted on runners to enable rectilinear motion (often incorrectly referred to as a 'sliding' motion) has special advantages where the doors are of large size so that a room can be rendered open to the surroundings to a large extent in fine weather.

Such doors are often installed in a house and lead from a main living room on to a patio, sometimes paved with stone or concrete blocks, and as a consequence have become known as "patio doors", but the invention to be hereinafter described should not be considered as limited to this specific use and is applicable for example to sliding window frames. Such patio doors may have two slidable or rectilinearly movable parts although this is not always so and it is possible to have one fixed glass pane and only one slidable component within the confines of the same surrounding outer frame.

Such doors and door frames (also windows and window frames) are frequently made of extruded aluminium or light alloy and these materials have the disadvantage that under adverse weather conditions the thermal gradient between a centrally-heated interior and a low-temperature exterior results in severe condensation problems. These problems apply, of course, both to the fixed part of the frame and the rectilinearly movable or slidable part. It has therefore been proposed to incorporate a thermal break between inner and outer sections of the frame so as to minimise heat transfer and consequent condensation problems.

According to the present invention there is provided a kit of parts for constructing an outer frame for a rectilinearly movable window or door comprising a pair of jambs, a sill member and a header member spanning the jambs, insulating means interrupting the metal of the jambs, the header and of the sill member to provide thermal breaks, and thermally-insulating wedge members which are arranged each to be interposed between the lower end of each jamb and the sill member whereby to conform to the required inclination of the sill, and plane, thermally-insulating members, arranged to be interposed between the upper ends of the jambs and the header.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, the sole Figure of which is an exploded perspective view of a door frame assembly in accordance with the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, the upright members or jambs 10 are extruded aluminium sections incorporating a thermal break strip 12, elongate recesses 14 being defined by the extrusions to enable vertical frame members of the sliding door or doors to be accommodated and sealed. Details of the extrusion shapes are not specific to the present invention and will not therefore be described in detail.

A header 16 of the frame is essentially a downwardly-open trough or channel section member again interrupted by a thermal break strip 18 of high insulating value plastics material. The limbs 20, 22 of the channel section member of the header are spaced by a distance such that the upper end portions of the jambs 10 can be accommodated together with a plastics cap 24 of thermally-insulating material. As will be apparent, the forward dependent edge portion 22 of the header 16 has an inclined lip 26 which facilitates the entry of the end portion of each jamb and at the same time assists in deflecting drips of rain-water from the glass of the doors (not shown).

The sill 30 is again built up from two extruded aluminium or light alloy sections 31, 33 with a thermal break strip 32 interposed between them. The forward section 31 as illustrated, includes a substantially circular section rail 34 on which the rollers of a movable door (not shown) are supported.

It will be apparent from the sole Figure that both ends of the jambs are cut square and can therefore be reversed so that irrespective of which door in the case of two opening doors is to be the outisde of the two doors, the assembled outer frame will be correctly matched. A second runner will, of course, be provided for the second door. If only one door is provided, a non-opening glass panel can be arranged on either side of the outer frame with channels appropriately located in the jambs.

In order that the square cut ends of the jambs will be of no inconvenience at the assembly of the kit on site, a plastics, high thermal value wedge 36 is provided at the lower end of each jamb and the wedge has a slot or slots 38 corresponding to the crosssectional shape of the rail or rails 34 of the sill 30. The inner, narrower end, of the wedge, in the fully assembled position of the kit will engage against the corner junction 40 between the upright of the sill member and the inclined portion thereof.

It is believed apparent that the door or window outer frame hereinbefore described can be readily adapted for various purposes without the need to provide "handed" extruded members. Moreover, the wedge members 36 do not adversely affect the thermal break properties of the extruded members.

Although in the preferred embodiment a thermal break window frame is described, the invention is also readily applicable to nonthermal break windows. The rectangular, par allel faced plastics cap 24 and the wedges 36 will be employed in a similar manner.

More broadly therefore, the invention relates to a kit of parts for constructing an outer frame for a rectilinearly movable window or door comprising a pair of jambs, a sill member and a header member spanning the jambs, and wedge members which are arranged to be interposed between the lower end of each jamb and the sill member whereby to conform the jamb and the sill member to the required inclination of the sill member and plane parallel faced members arranged to be interposed between the upper ends of the jambs and the header member.

Claims

1. A kit of parts for constructing an outer frame for a rectilinearly movable window or door comprising a pair of jambs, a sill member and a header member spanning the jambs, insulating means interrupting the material of the jambs, the header and of the sill member to provide thermal breaks, and thermally-insulating wedge members which are arranged each to be interposed between the lower end of each jamb and the sill member whereby to conform to the required inclination of the sill, and plane, thermally-insulating members, arranged to be interposed between the upper ends of the jambs and the header.

2. A kit of parts according to claim 1, wherein the sill member has at least one rail for supporting a rectilinearly movable window or door, and each wedge member has a slot or slots corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the rail or rails.

3. A kit of parts according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pair of jambs are identical, and their ends are cut square.

4. A kit of parts according to any preceding claim, wherein the jambs, sill and header are of extruded aluminium.

5. An outer frame for a rectilinearly movable window or door, as assembled from a kit according to any preceding claim.

6. A kit of parts for constructing an outer frame for a rectilinearly movable window or door, substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.