GB2260155A - Frame-to-frame coupling - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for the installation of a doorset comprising a door or doors and a door frame into a prepared aperture defined by a sub-frame mounted in a supporting wall, such that installation and rigid fixing of the doorset to the sub-frame may take place without structural modifications and/or damage to the doorframe or doors, having particular application to doors and frames which have factory finishes which it is undesirable to damage or modify in any way. Upon completion of the installation, the fixing apparatus is obscured from view. Bracket 42 mounted to sub-frame 20 is secured by pin 50 to bracket 44 mounted to door frame 55. <IMAGE>

Description

HIDDEN FIXING SITE-INSTALLED DOORS The present invention relates to installation systems for doors, -and more particularly to means by which a frame and door assembly may be installed on site without significant structural modification to the existing doorset whilst on the installation site.

It is preferable in some instances to facilitate the installation into a building of a door and frame assembly which has been factory finished and is either not readily adaptable on the installation site or it is undesirable to do so, thus avoiding the more traditional methods of rebating hinges into the fabric of the building and/or door, or modifying the dimensions of the door or door frame by planing or other technique, or the installation of locks and handles. Such a requirement may arise from the use of doors and door frames having a factory finish that it is not desirable to damage or structurally modify in any way during installation, such as those being plastics coated, or having veneered or special finishes such as may be used in dust controlled clean rooms or other buildings where control of the environment is of importance, such as hospitals etc.Such a requirement may thus be realized by means of factory finished doors and door frame assemblies to be installed on site without significant modification to a prepared door opening in a building wall.

Further advantages in the use of factory finished doors are realized in that dimensional tolerances can be better controlled, resulting in superior mechanical operation of the doors.

The present invention provides a method for installation of a doorset in a prepared aperture using concealed fixing brackets hereinafter referred to as secret fix brackets for securing a door frame assembly to a prepared opening in a wall with an installed sub-frame.

The present invention also provides a fixing method which enables installation of a door frame with reduced risk of damage to the outer surface of the door frame or door.

The present invention also provides an installation method for a door set that reduces the risk of distortion in the door set resulting in poor mechanical operation of the door or doors, and therefore also reduces the risk of consequent damage to the door or doors.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for rigidly mounting a door frame into a supporting wall, the apparatus comprising a sub-frame assembly for securance in an opening-formed in said wall, the sub-frame defining an aperture having predetermined dimensions and defining a predetermined clearance around the door frame; and fixing means mounted on the sub-frame for engaging the door frame.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for installing a door frame into a supporting wall comprising the following steps: a) mounting a sub-frame into an opening in said supporting wall to define an aperture having predetermined dimensions; b) attaching fixing means to both door frame and sub-frame; c) introducing said door frame into said aperture defined by said sub-frame and-engaging said fixing means attached to said door frame and sub-frame to thereby rigidly connect said door frame and said sub-frame.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows some typical applications of the present invention of door openings with sub-frames installed; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of part of a sub-frame assembly of the doorset; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a fixing jig used for installing the doorset brackets onto the sub-frame; Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the secret fix brackets in both assembled, and non-assembled positions; and Figure 5 shows in front elevation a doorset installed according to the present invention, without completion of the installation of the finishing trim.

Referring now to figure 1 there is shown a variety of typical applications for the present invention, being, for example, single and double door openings 10 and 12, and one and a half width door openings 14, each with sub-frame 20 installed.

Referring also to figure 2, a sub-frame 20 is installed into the openings by selecting pieces of sub-frame 20 to suit the location and affixing the pieces of the sub-frame to the inside edges of the door opening at fixing points 22. This may be achieved in known manner with, for example, screws 24. It may be necessary to introduce packing pieces at each fixing point between the inside edges of the door opening and the corresponding face of the sub-frame, also in known manner, in order to ensure that the sub-frame is plumb, square, level and free of twist. The width and configuration of the sub-frame may be varied to suit the application, -and may be affixed, as shown in figure 2 to an opening having a plastered reveal or to other suitably prepared surface.

The sub-frame once installed defines an aperture in the building wall of precisely the correct dimensions to accept a doorset, whilst accurately leaving the desired space for the secret fix brackets.

In the particular embodiment of figure 2, the sub-frame 20 may have a number of recesses 26 preferably in the form of elongate grooves for engaging the secret fix brackets described more fully later. Such recesses are beneficial in a number of aspects. The recesses provide for accurate location of the secret fix brackets laterally on the sub-frame. The recesses may also provide additional rigidity to the fixture of the secret fix brackets to the sub-frame, not allowing the bracket to have twist or non-axial alignment with the sub-frame.

Following the-installation of the sub-frame 20, the fabric of the building may be made good with plaster or other known appropriate finishing materials and techniques. The door frames and doors are manufactured in condition ready for installation into the completed sub-frame assembly, normally corresponding to standard sizes.

Referring to figures 3 and 4, the door frame may then be installed into the sub-frame using the secret fix brackets 40.

The bracket-parts 42 are positioned on to the sub-frame, possibly using assisting means such as jig 30 to ensure correct positioning at, for example the top right and left, and bottom right and left of the aperture defined by the sub-frame. The corresponding part 44 of bracket 40 is attached to the corresponding edge of door frame 55 (figure 5) in similar manner, possibly using a jig the same, or similar to jig 30.

The lateral positioning of the brackets may be assisted by the recesses 26 in the sub-frame, the lateral positioning of the brackets being important to the alignment of the doorset to the aperture. The longitudinal positioning of the brackets is less critical as is clear from the drawings.

The door frame 55 may then be introduced into the sub-frame, and pin 50 dropped through hole 46 in bracket part 44, lined up with corresponding hole 48 in bracket part 42. The process of inserting a pin 50 is repeated for all brackets 40 existing on the sub-frame and door frame.

Bracket 40 is preferably manufactured such that bracket parts 42 and 44 each have two arms and are of relatively soft metal, and pin 50 is of relatively hard metal, being tapered with the thinner end pointing in a downward direction before introduction into holes 46 and 48. In a preferred embodiment, holes 46 and 48 have corresponding holes 47 and 49 being axially aligned with holes 46 and 48, thus pin 50 may engage all four holes 46-49 providing rigidity against lateral movement and twist. In a preferred embodiment, holes 46 and 48 are dimensioned so as to be tight fit with respect to the thicker end of the pin 50, while holes 47 and 49 are dimensioned so as to be a tight fit with respect to the thinner end of the pin 50.

It will be appreciated that the bracket may be formed from materials other than metal, for example plastics and that one or both bracket parts may be provided with only one arm.

Referring to figure 5, pin 50 may be tightly located into the holes 46-49 by means of a hammer or similar implement placed in the gap between door frame 55 and sub-frame 20.

Finally, the gaps 60 on either side of the door aperture, between the sub-frame 20 and door frame 55 in which the secret fix brackets 40 are located, and corresponding gap 62 at the top of the door aperture, may be filled with fire retardant material according to the required building specification, and concealed on all sides with mastic or intumescent seal 64 applied using known methods.

It will be clear that in the embodiment described, the door frame assembly can be introduced into the aperture defined by the sub-frame from either inside or outside the room being partitioned, and that mastic or intumescent seal 64 will be required on both the inside and outside of the room. Clearly, the presently described invention may be modified to enable introduction of the door frame into the aperture defined by the sub-frame from only one of the inside or outside of the room only, with the sub-frame and/or frame being designed to conceal the gaps 60 and 62 on the side of entry without the requirement for mastic or intumescent seal 64.

It will also be clear that in the particular embodiment described and shown in the drawings, the secret fix brackets 40 are not required to support the weight of the door frame and door hung thereon, this weight being transferred through the vertical members of the door frame to the floor, the brackets 40 merely providing rigidity in the directions of movement of the door.

The door frame does not need external modification, by for example drilling of screw holes etc, for securance to the subframe and so the factory finish applied to the door frame remains unaltered on site during installation.

Thus the door frame may be a plastics clad frame which has a continuously covered external surface or may be a wood veneered frame. The core material for the frame which is clad in plastics or veneer may be a man-made material such as fibre board or may be solid wood. The door frame may of course be only solid wood having a desired surface finish such as lacquer.

The doors may be hingedly attached to the door frame by hinges or may. be. slidably attached to the door frame by a suspended rail.

Claims (17)

1. Apparatus for rigidly mounting a door frame into a supporting wall, the apparatus comprising a sub-frame assembly for securance nn an opening formed in said wall, the sub-frame defining an aperture having predetermined dimensions and defining a predetermined clearance around the door frame; and fixing means mounted on the sub-frame for engaging the door frame.

2. Apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the door frame may be introduced into the aperture while substantially parallel to the supporting wall from either face of said supporting wall, and wherein said fixing means provides locking means to prevent movement of said door frame into or cut of the aperture, which locking means may be engaged after placement of said door frame in said aperture.

3. Apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said fixing means comprises at least one first bracket mounted onto the sub-frame, at least one second bracket mounted onto the door frame cooperative with said first bracket, and wherein said locking means comprises a pin, said pin engaging together said first bracket mounted on the sub-frame and said second bracket mounted on the door frame, said brackets allowing movement of said door frame into and out of said aperture prior to said pin engagement.

4. Apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein said pin is engaged through at least one hole in each of said first bracket and said second bracket, said holes being substantially in axial alignment.

5. Apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein said engagement of said pin is in a downward direction passing through said axially aligned holes.

6. Apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein said engagement of said pin is in a horizontal direction passing through said axially aligned holes.

7. Apparatus as described in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein said pin is tapered along its long dimension in order to provide a tight fit into said holes.

8. Apparatus as described in any one of claims 4 to 7 wherein said pin is manufactured from a relatively hard material and said brackets are manufactured from a relatively soft material.

9. Apparatus as described in any one of claims 3 to 8 wherein said sub-frame has at least one longitudinal channel into which the first bracket may be located.

10. Apparatus as described in any preceding claim wherein said door frame has attached at least one door.

11. Apparatus as described in any preceding claim wherein said door frame is clad in a plastics material.

12. Apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein said door frame is clad in a veneer.

13. Apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein said door frame is manufactured from solid timber.

14. A method for installing a door frame into a supporting wall comprising the following steps: a) mounting a sub-frame into an opening in said supporting wall to define an aperture having predetermined dimensions; b) attaching fixing means to both door frame and sub-frame; c) introducing said door frame into said aperture defined by said sub-frame and engaging said fixing means attached to said door frame and sub-frame to thereby rigidly connect said door frame and said sub-frame.

15. A method for installing a door frame according to claim 14 wherein said engagement of said fixing means is achieved by locking means.

16. A method for installing a door frame according to claim 15 wherein said locking means is accessible from both faces of the supporting wall.

17. A method for installing a door frame according to claim 15 wherein said fixing means is concealed by mastic or intumescent seal once said locking means has been engaged.