GB2228518A - Window or door frame manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

A window or door frame (10) comprising four frame sections (14) is manufactured by cutting the sections from extruded plastics material and assembling them into the frame. At least one of the sections (14) is machined along at least part of its length, e.g. creating a groove (50), thereby altering its appearance in the assembled frame (10; 12) and creating a decorative effect. <IMAGE>

Description

WINDOW OR DOOR FRAME MANUFACTURE This invention is concerned with a method of manufacturing a window or door frame, and with a frame manufactured according to the method.

The term "window or door frame" where used herein is intended to mean either a glazed frame in which a glazing panel is mounted (this may be a fixed window, a vent window, or a sliding or hinged door) or a fixed frame mounted in an orifice in a building within which a glazed frame may be mounted.

Window and door frames are commonly made from extrusions of plastics material, for example UPVC, by cutting frame sections from the extruded plastics material to appropriate lengths and assembling said sections to form the frame. The frames are normally square or rectangular and involve, therefore, four frame sections joined at the corners frequently by mitred joints. More complex frames may involve additional frame sections extending vertically or horizontally across the frame. Normally, the four sides of a frame all have the same cross-section and each section is uniform from end to end of each frame section.This means that, while the extrusion profile can be designed to give a decorative effect in the regions of the frame which are visible when the frame is installed, the decorative effect cannot be varied along the length of a section and, where the same cross-sectional shape of extrusion is used for all four sides of the frame (as is the usual practice), the decorative effect cannot be varied from one side of the frame to another.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a window or door frame in which decorative effects can be varied along the length of a frame section or from frame section to frame section.

The invention provides a method of manufacturing a window or door frame comprising cutting frame sections from extruded plastics material and assembling said sections to form the frame, wherein the method also comprises machining at least one of said sections along at least part of its length thereby altering its appearance in the assembled frame and creating a decorative effect.

By the use of the method described in the last preceding paragraph, it is possible to vary the appearance of a frame section along its length. For example, a central portion of a section may be made to have a different appearance to end portions thereof which are at the corners of the frame. Furthermore, opposed opposite sides of the frame may be made to appear similar to one another but different to the other opposed sides.

It is also possible to machine the entire length of a section so that, with only one extrusion die, frames having different profiles can be produced by applying varying machining operations. It is also possible to apply machining to frame sections extending horizontally or vertically across the frame forming decorative effects thereon.

Preferably, the machining comprises cutting material away from the section along a portion of the section spaced from its end portions. This enables particularly decorative effects to be achieved with parts of the frame, e.g. the corners, appearing different to the remainder thereof.

The machining may be carried out using a rotary cutter having profiled cutting edges, for example a router.

The machining may be carried out after the sections have been cut from the extruded plastics material and have been assembled into a frame or may be carried out before assembly of the frame. In certain circumstances, it may be possible to machine the extruded plastics material before the sections are cut therefrom.

If the machining operation creates a rough surface, the method may also comprise polishing each machined part.

The extruded plastics material will normally be of a single material but may be a co-extrusion of two different materials or colours. The machining is in this case carried out in whichever of the materials or colours is visible when the assembled frame is mounted in a building.

The invention also provides a window or door frame constructed from four or more sections of extruded plastics material joined at the ends thereof wherein at least one of said sections is machined along at least part of its length so that the cross-sectional shape of that part is altered creating a decorative effect.

There now follows a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a method of manufacturing a window or door frame which is illustrative of the invention and of a window or door frame constructed according to the illustrative method.

It is to be understood that the illustrative method and the window or door frame constructed thereby have been selected for description by way of example and not of limitation of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevational view of a corner portion of a window frame manufactured in accordance with the illustrative method; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through the frame shown in Figure 1 and including also a vent frame mounted in said frame; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken through a rebate portion of the frame shown in Figure 1, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 111-111 in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but taken on the line IV-IV in Figure 1.

The frame 10 shown in Figure 1 is a fixed frame for a window arranged to be mounted in an orifice in a building and to have a vent frame 12 hinged thereon for opening and closing movement. The frame 10 is made from four sections 14 of extruded plastics material, specifically UPVC, assembled into a rectangular shape and joined at the corners by mitred joints 16. The frame sections 14 are therefore arranged with two extending horizontally and two extending vertically.

The four frame sections 14 are all of the same cross-sectional shape which appears from Figure 2. The frame 10 provides a rebate 18 against which the vent frame 12 seals. To assist this sealing, the rebate 18 defines an undercut groove 20 facing towards the vent frame and a gasket 22 is mounted in this groove 20.

The vent frame 12 is similarly constructed to the frame 10 from four extrusions 24 of plastics materials assembled into a rectangular frame. A glazing panel 26 is mounted in the vent frame 12 between a rebate 28 thereof which supports a gasket 30 sealing against the glazing panel 28 and a glazing bead 32 retained by an undercut groove 34 of the frame 12. A gasket 36 seals the gap between the glazing bead 32 and the glazing panel 26. On the opposite side of the frame 10 to the rebate 18, a projection 38 of the frame 12 carries a gasket 40 which seals against a vertical face 42 of the frame 10.

The shape of the rebate 18 appears in Figure 3 as it is extruded. It comprises two vertical portions 44 and 46 joined by an inclined portion 48. The right hand portion 46, viewing Figure 3, is enlarged at an upper portion thereof to define the groove 20. The vertical portions 44 and 46 are in this case of the same thickness (except where the portion 46 is enlarged to form the groove 20) and are extruded from the same plastics material e.g. UPVC coloured white. The inclined portion 48 is, however, of greater thickness than the portions 44 and 46 so that material of the portion 48 may be removed without producing an unacceptable decrease in the strength of the portion 48. In this case, the portion 48 is extruded from a different material to the portions 44 and 46, e.g. UPVC coloured brown. Thus, the section 14 is a coextrusion of two different colours.

Part of the length of each of the rebates 18 has a groove 50 (see Figure 4) machined into its inclined portion 48. The groove is formed intermediate the ends of the section 14 spaced from the joint 16 at each end thereof. The cross-sectional shape of the groove 50 appears from Figure 4.

In the illustrative method, the frame 10 is manufactured by cutting the frame sections 14, having a rebate 18 with the cross-section that appears in Figure 3 along its entire length, from extruded plastics material which, as mentioned above, is a coextrusion of two different colours of UPVC. Then, the four sections 14 are assembled to form the frame 10. Then material is cut away from the section 14 along a portion of the section spaced from its end portions to form the groove 50. This is carried out by machining each section 14 thereby altering its appearance in the assembled frame 10 and creating a decorative effect. The machining is carried out using a rotary cutter having a profiled cutting edge.

The rotary cutter which is in the form of a router has a profiled cutting edge in the shape of the groove. The assembled frame is mounted in a jig and the router is run along the section 14 to create the groove 50. After machining, the part of each portion 48 where the groove 50 is formed is polished to give the visible surface of the groove 50 a more pleasing appearance.

The invention can also be applied to the vent frame 12 particularly to the rebate 28 thereof where a groove 56 created by machining is shown.

Claims (12)

1. A method of manufacturing a window or door frame comprising cutting frame sections from extruded plastics material and assembling said sections to form the frame, wherein the method also comprises machining at least one of said sections along at least part of its length thereby altering its appearance in the assembled frame and creating a decorative effect.

2. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the machining comprises cutting material away from the section along a portion of the section spaced from its end portions.

3. A method according to either one of Claims 1 and 2, wherein the machining is carried out using a rotary cutter having profiled cutting edges.

4. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the machining is carried out after assembly of the frame.

5. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the machining is carried out after the sections have been cut from the extruded plastics material and before assembly of the frame.

6. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the method also comprises polishing each machined part.

7. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the extruded plastics material is a coextrusion of two different materials or colours.

8. A method of manufacturing a window or door frame substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A window or door frame manufactured according to a method according to any one of Claims 1 to 8.

10. A window or door frame constructed from four or more sections of extruded plastics material joined at the ends thereof wherein at least one of said sections is machined along at least part of its length so that the cross-sectional shape of that part is altered creating a decorative effect.

11. A window or door frame according to Claim 10, wherein the section forms an edge of the frame and is machined along a part of its length which is spaced from the corners of the frame.

12. A window or door frame substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.