GB2405898A

GB2405898A - Frame weather seals

Info

Publication number: GB2405898A
Application number: GB0321282A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Smythe
Original assignee: PARKFIELD SOUTH WEST Ltd
Current assignee: PARKFIELD SOUTH WEST Ltd
Priority date: 2003-09-11
Filing date: 2003-09-11
Publication date: 2005-03-16
Anticipated expiration: 2023-09-11
Also published as: GB0321282D0; GB2405898B

Abstract

A frame 10 is formed of extruded sections 1 having inner and outer tongue portions with opposed side faces leading to adjacent angularly disposed end faces which may be separate or conjoined. Inner and outer sliding doors 20 and 21 are formed of extruded peripheral sections having a channel 101 to receive the tongue portion of the frame. Opposite sides of the channel are provided with a first pair of sealing strips 120 and 123 which make sealing contact with said opposite side faces of the tongue, and the channel further includes a second pair of sealing strips 121 and 122 which are angularly disposed relative to the first pair to make sealing contact with the end faces of the tongue. A frame including an inner and outer closure are provided with flanges having water seals.

Description

FRAME CONTAINING A SLIDING CLOSURE

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to frames of the kind which are installed in a opening in a building to contain a closure such as a sliding door. Although the invention is principally applicable to sliding doors and frames formed of upvc or other plastics the invention may also be applicable to sliding windows (e.g. sash windows) and to assemblies formed of other materials such as extruded aluminium.

BACKGROUND

Known plastic sliding doors have a peripheral section formed with a channel to receive a tongue formed on a fixed frame section in which the door slides.

Often the same sections are used along the top and bottom of the door opening as well as on both vertical sides, and in order to facilitate the smooth movement of the door the bottom door section may contain a roller assembly which runs along a track formed by the top surface of the tongue.

In order to provide weather protection the door section generally has brush seals on opposing sides of the channel which providing sealing contact with the facing sides of the tongue. As well as preventing cold draughts from entering the building, the brush seals also reduce the risk of dirt and moisture contaminating the rollers and track, which might otherwise cause corrosion and prevent the door from moving smoothly.

Recently there has been a requirement to improve the severe weather rating of sliding doors and reduce heat losses. However, it is important that the size of the sections is not increased too much since this may produce a significant increase in manufacturing costs and can also detract from the aesthetic appearance of the installation. It is also important to maintain an adequate space within the channel in which rollers may be mounted where required.

The present invention seeks to provide a new and inventive arrangement which brings about a significant improvement in the severe weather rating whilst limiting any increase in the size of the sections.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proposes a frame formed of extruded sections having an inner tongue portion with opposed side faces leading to adjacent angularly disposed end faces which may be separate or conjoined, the frame containing a closure such as a door having extruded peripheral sections formed with a channel to receive the tongue portion of the frame, and opposite sides of the channel are provided with a first pair of sealing strips to make sealing contact with said opposite side faces of the tongue, and the channel further includes a second pair of sealing strips which are angularly disposed relative to the first pair to make sealing contact with said l end faces of the tongue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a horizontal section through a typical sliding patio door installation in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a transverse section through an extruded frame section which is shown in Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a transverse section through an extruded door section which is also shown in Fig. 1; Figure 4 is a vertical section through a bottom portion of the installation of Fig. 1; and Figure 5 shows how two such door sections may be engaged back-to-back.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings show a upvc patio door installation which is formed of glazed extruded sections, but as explained above, the sections could be formed of aluminium or other materials. They could also be used to construct a window or other weather-proof sliding closure if desired.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, a rectangular frame 10 is constructed from extruded frame sections 1 and fixed in a suitable wall opening in known manner. Two overlapping sliding doors 20 and 21 are constructed from extruded door sections 2. The doors are shown mounted in the frame 10 in their closed positions. In this example the outer door 20 is fixed to the frame and the inner door 21 is arranged to slide over the first door, but both doors could be allowed to slide if desired.

For clarity, the cross sectional shape of the frame section 1 is shown in enlarged detail in Fig. 2, orientated as the lower threshold member of the frame 10. The frame section 1 has a rectangular main cavity 31 which contains a U-section steel strengthening spine 32. The upper wall 33 of the cavity is formed with a slight downward rake towards the outside (weather side) of the frame, and extends beyond the main cavity 31 above a smaller cavity 34 before meeting an outer upstanding tongue 35. The bottom wall 36 of the small cavity 34 is stepped up from the bottom of the main cavity 31 and continues below the tongue 35. A short support wall 37 extends downwards from the bottom wall 36. The tongue has inner and outer vertical side walls 38 and 39 which are bridged by two intermediate walls 40 and 41 to define a small cavity 42 above a larger cavity 43. The upper wall is inset below the upper edges of the side walls 38 and 39 to form a i recess 44, the opposing inner faces of which are provided with beads 45 and 46.

On the opposite side of the main cavity 31 there is an upstanding inner tongue 48 with spaced vertical walls 49 and 50. A bottom wall 52 of the innertongue is stepped up from the bottom of the main cavity 31 with a short downwardly-extending support wall 53. The vertical walls 49 and 50 are again bridged by two intermediate walls 55 and 56 to define a small cavity 57 above a larger cavity 58. The upper wall 55 is inset below the upper edges of the side walls 49 and 50 to form a recess 59 provided with beads and 61.

Fig. 3 shows the cross sectional detail of the door section 2, orientated as the bottom member of one of the doors. The door section has a pair of side walls 70 and 71 with a central cavity 72 formed between inner and outer cavities 73 and 74. The central cavity may again contain a Usection steel spine 75, as shown. Above the outer cavity 74 there is an upstanding profiled glazing ledge 76 containing a further cavity 77. The inner face of the ledge is formed with a groove 78 to receive a weatherproofing glazing bead.

A recess 80 is formed above the inner cavity 73 for engagement of an extruded glazing strip 81, which is profiled with an internal cavity 82.

Immediately below the central cavity72 there are two spaced internal walls and 86. Adjacent to the cavity 72 the two walls are relatively close together and substantially parallel to define an inner channel 88, the mouth of which has inwardly directed lips 89 and 90. The internal walls 85 and 86 then continue in inclined steps 91 and 92 which join dividing walls 93 and 94 forming further cavities 95 and 96 below the inner and outer cavities 73 and 74. The internal walls 85 and 86 then continue in short convergent sections 97 and 98 before resuming a parallel course at 99 and 100. The wall portions 91, 92 and 97-100 form an outer channel 101 which is wider than the inner channel 88. End walls 104 and 105 join the internal walls 85 and 86 to the side walls 70 and 71, forming further cavities 106 and 107 on opposite sides of the outer channel 101.

It will be noted that the parallel wall sections 99 and 100 and the inclined wall sections 91 and 92 are each formed with a shallow T-shaped groove 110-113 which open into the outer channel 101. The function of these grooves will be explained shortly.

Referring back to Fig.1, it can be seen that the doors 20 and 21 are formed by lengths of extruded door section 2 which are joined together and glazed with a standard sealed double glazing unit 120 retained by inner glazing strips 81. The doors are slidably mounted in the frame 10 with the outer tongues 35 received in the channel 101 of the outer door 20 and the inner tongues 48 received in the channel 101 of the inner door 21. It will be noted in Fig. 4 that weather seals in the form of brush strips 120-123 are inserted into the respective grooves 110-113. The strips120 and 123 which are inserted into the parallel side faces of the channel 101 make brushing contact with the parallel side walls of the tongues 35 and 48 forming a primary draught seal. In addition however, the strips 121 and 122 inserted in the inclined wall portions of the channel 101 make brushing contact with the transverse ends of the side walls forming secondary draught seals. It is also important to note that the brushes are pushed against the short convergent portions 97 and 98 on each side of the channel 101 which improves the draught resistance of the assembly.

Referring back to Fig. 1, the outer door 20 may be fixed by screws 130 inserted through the central cavity 72 into the cross walls of the tongues 35 and 48. A rectangular-section spacer bar 131 may be inserted into the outer channel 101 to ensure that the correct spacing is maintained. The exposed end faces of the outer tongues 35 may be covered by an extruded facing cap 133 which snap-engages with the retaining beads 45 and 46 of recess 44. The cap 133 contains two shallow internal cavities 134 and 135 and is supported from the raked upper wall 33 by a leg 136. A further brush seal 137 is inserted into the side of the cap above the leg 136 to provide an additional draught seal against the inner door 21.

A similar facing cap 139 may be engaged with the inner tongue 48 to cover the vertical portion adjacent to the fixed door 20. The recess 59 of the inner tongue 48 may also be sealed where it enters the channel 101 of the inner door using a narrow cap 140. This cap merely provides a cosmetic closure and stops dirt from accumulating in the recess 59.

The sliding inner door may be supported by roller assemblies 150 which, as shown in Fig. 4, are fixed in the narrow inner channels 88. The roller assemblies 150 run on T-shaped track inserts 151 mounted in the recess 59. For drainage purposes the door sections may have holes 160-163 drilled through the outer cavities 74,96 and 107 to conduct water away from the glazing recess to the outside. Similarly, the bottom threshold section of the frame 10 may have drainage holes 166 and 167 drilled through to prevent water from accumulating between the tongues 35 and 48.

Referring back to Fig. 1, the exposed outer channels 101 in the vertical edges of both doors 20 and 21 may be covered by facing strips 180 which snap-engage in grooves 110 and 113. It will be noted that the facing strips include side flanges 181 which, at their tips, carry rubber water seals 182.

When the doors are fully closed the two flanges overlap as shown so that each seal passes between the opposing flange 181 and door section 2 forming a double weather seal along the overlapping edges.

In some installations it may be necessary to align two or more sealed glazing units in the same plane, but in such cases an effective weather seal can still be maintained as shown in Fig. 5. An extruded member 200 with a main body section 201 is fixed in the outer cavity 101 of one section. The extruded member has a projecting tongue 202 for entry into the cavity 101 of the other frame section which is provided with brush strips as described.

The sections thus provide a significantly increased level of weather protection with little or no increase in size compared with conventional sections.

It will be appreciated that the features disclosed herein may be present in any feasible combination. Whilst the above description lays emphasis on those areas which, in combination, are believed to be new, protection is claimed for any inventive combination of the features disclosed herein.

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Claims

1. A frame formed of extruded sections having an inner tongue portion with opposed side faces leading to adjacent angularly disposed end faces which may be separate or conjoined, the frame containing a closure such as a door having extruded peripheral sections formed with a channel to receive the tongue portion of the frame, and opposite sides of the channel are provided with a first pair of sealing strips to make sealing contact with said opposite side faces of the tongue, and the channel further includes a second pair of sealing strips which are angularly disposed relative to the first pair to make sealing contact with said end faces of the tongue.

2. A frame and closure according to Claim 1 in which the opposite sides of the channel are stepped to form an outer channel portion for receiving the tongue and a narrower inner channel portion for receiving a roller assembly, and said second pair of sealing strips are carried by steps formed between the inner and outer channel portions.

3. A frame and closure according to Claim 1 or 2 in which the peripheral sections of the closure have a main central cavity disposed between inner and outer cavities.

4. A frame and closure according to any preceding claim in which the frame is formed with inner and outer tongues to carry overlapping inner and outer closures.

5. A frame and closure according to Claim 4 in which the adjacent edges of the closures are provided with flanges having water seals, and the two flanges can overlap as so that each seal passes between the opposing flange and closure.

6. A frame containing a closure substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

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