GB2471126A

GB2471126A - Door frame with integral guide track

Info

Publication number: GB2471126A
Application number: GB0910542A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Wain
Original assignee: Synseal Extrusions Ltd
Current assignee: Synseal Extrusions Ltd
Priority date: 2009-06-18
Filing date: 2009-06-18
Publication date: 2010-12-22
Also published as: GB0910542D0

Abstract

A wing 11 and frame 15 structure wherein the frame (15 Fig 1) includes a top and bottom frame member 16 18 and at least one side member (20), and the wing 11 includes first and second leafs (12, 14) which are connected about a hinge axis (A), the top and bottom frame members 16 18 provide an integral upper and lower guide track 42 42', the wing 11 having mountings 22a, 22b; 24a, 24b at the top and bottom of each edge 22, 24 which co-operate with the integral upper and lower guide tracks 42, 42' to permit the wing leafs (12, 14) to pivot relative to the guide tracks 42, 42', and the mountings 24a, 24b of the second wing leaf (14) upon relative folding and unfolding of the first and second wing leafs (12, 14) travelling along the respective guide tracks 42, 42'. The top and bottom frame members may be of monolithic construction and a main body of the frame members may be a plastic extrusion. The guide track profile 38 38' may be formed from metal and may have a thermal break.

Description

Title: Wing and Frame Structure Descttlon of invention This invention relates to a wing and frame structure In which the wing has a pair of relatively fOldable leafs, the wing extending across an opening afforded by the frame when the two leafs are generally co-planar to at least partially close a wing opening, and the wing leafs beIng folded so as to be relatively Inclined or parallel to one another typically at one side of the frame, to permit of access through the wing opening. Typically the wing will be a door but may be a window. Such doors with two relatively foldable leafs will be referred to In this specification as TMbl-fold' doors and the Invention will be described in particular relation to doors1 but the invention may be applied to a window construction.

A door openIng may be closed by a door with more than two leafs. Such additIonal leaf or leafs would aiso be foldable generally In the manner described, and the additional leaf would be attached to one of the two foldable leafs.

SI-fold doors and frame structures are well known. Typically a door frame mounts a guide track which extends along at least part of the length of each of atopmemberandabottommemberoftheframe.Theguidetracksmaybe secured to externally facing or Internally facing surfaces of the frame top and bottom members, or even lntermediate these surfaces. The door leafs each have at top positions adjacent the remote edges of the door leafs and at bottom positions adjacent the remote edges of the door leaves, mountings which are receIved by the upper and lower guide tracks, and whIch permit the door leafs to pivot relative to the top and bottom frame members, and for the

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mountings of at least one of the door leafs to move along the guide tracks to permit of relative folding and unfolding of the door leafs as descuibed above.

The guide tracks thus are fitted to the frame. Such fitting of the guide tracks demands that the internally or externally facing surfaces of the top and bottom frame members are penetrated by fasteners, which Is undesirable.

According to a first aspect of the Invention we provide a wing and frame structure, In which the frame mounts the wing In a wing opening afforded by the frame, the frame Including a top member, a bottom member and at least one side member, and the wing Including first and second leafs which are connected for hinging about a hinge axis which extends In the direction of the frame side member, the first wing leaf having a first wing edge remote from the hinge axis which Is at or adjacent to the side member and the second leaf havIng a second wing edge whIch Is remote from the hinge axis, the top frame member providing an Integral upper guide track and the bottom frame member providing an Integral lower guide track, the wing having at the top and bottom of each of the first and second door edges, mountings which co-operate with the respective Integral upper and lower guide tracks to permit the respective wing leafs to pivot relative to the guide tracks, and the mountings of the second wing leaf upon relative biding and unfolding of the first and second wing leafs, travelling along the respective guide backs.

Door and window frames, especially those of PVCu are factory assembled, as typically are the doors too, and thus by making the top and bottom guide backs integral with the top and bottom frame members, a correctly fittIng W-fold door can more regularly be realised. Moreover, because the tracks are Integral with the top and bottom frame members, there Is no need to use fasteners to penetrate the internally or externally facing surfaces of the top and bottom frame members.

The top and bottom frame members may be but need not each be of monolithic construction, but each or either of these may include a plurality of components which are constructed to interl9t upon the frame b&ng made up? or fitted where the frame is installed into an aperture provided in a building.

In each case once the frame is installed in an aperture in a building, the track will be an integral and non-separable part of the respective top or bottom frame member.

For example, the top and bottom frame members may each include a main body with an upstand at one side of the mai.n body, the upstand being orientated respectively downwardly or upwardly and providing a surface against which the leafs of the wing may be closed, and a respective upper or lower guide track profile which may include a first part which is located in use between the main body and the aperture of the building in which the frame is fitted, and a second part which in use is at an internally facing or externally facing side of the main body and provides a channel to receive the respective upper or lower mountings of the first and second wing Leafs.

If desired, there may be a further profile to provide a sill, between the first part of the bottom frame member and the aperture of the building, or the bottom frame member may provide a sill.

In one embodiment, the main body of each of the top and bottom members may be provided as a plastics extrusion, for example in PVCu, and each guide track profile may be provided in a metal, conveniently as an extruded or rolled profile. Each main body and associated guide track profile may include interfitting formations so that the main body and guide track profile may integrally be connected together.

Where the upper and/or lower track profile Is made of metal1 preferably the metal track profile Includes a thermal break. For example, the first part of the track profile may be provided by two sub-profiles with thermal Insulating material between them.

Where the bottom frame member Includes a further profile to provide a silt, this may conveniently be extruded In a plastics material and the further profile and the guide track profile may have Interflftlng formations to enable these to be Integrally connected together If desired.

In a preferred arrangement, the lower guide track provided by the bottom frame member Is a re-entrant channel and the lower mountIng of the second wIng leaf Is a roller construction, roliers of which are trapped in the re-entrant channel. The upper guide track Is preferably a plain sided channel and receIves the upper mountings of the wIng leafs.

According to a second aspect of the Invention we provide a frame member Including a main body with an upstand at one side of the main body, a guide track profile Including a first part which Is located In use between the main body and an aperture of a building In which the frame member Is received, and asecondpartwhtchlnuseisatasldeofthemalnbodyandprovldesa channel.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-FIGURE 1 Is an Illustrative view of a frame and door structure In accordance with the Invention; FIGURE 2 is a more detailed but stilt lilustrative cross sectional view taken on thelinel-1 offigurel.

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Referring to the drawings a door and frame structure 10 includes a door 11 which has a first leaf 12 and a second leaf 14, the leafs 12, 14 being connected for relative hinging about an upright hinge axis A, and a frame 15 which includes a top member 16, a bottom member 18 and a pair of side members only one of which can be seen in this example! at 20.

The hinge axis A extends generally in the direction of the side member 20.

The first leaf 12 has a first door edge 22 remote from the hinge axis A, which is adjacent to the side member 20, whilst the second leaf 14 has a second door edge 24 remote from the hinge axis A. In figure 1 the door 11 is shown in partially folded condition in which the leafs 12, 14 are inclined to one another and access may be gained through a door opening 25 afforded by the frame.

As will now be explained! the leafs 12, 14 are relatively moveable about the hinge axis A to a condition in which the leafs 12, 14 are generally co-planar in which they at least partially close the door opening 25. In the example the door has just the first and second leafs 12, 14 so that the door edge 24 of the second leaf 14 is a free edge, but in another example! another leaf may be connected to the second door edge 24, and another leaf to the further leaf as required! to provide a door 11 having a width when all the leafs are generally co-planar, so that the entire door opening 25 is closed by the door II.

To permit the leafs 12, 14 to be relatively folded, whilst the door 11 is mounted in the opening 25 of the frame 15, mountings are provided at the top and bottom ends of the first and second door edges 22, 24.

Mountings 22a, 22b at the top and bottom ends of the first edge 22 permit the first leaf 12 to pivot in the frame 15, whilst mountings 24a and 24b and the top and bottom ends of the second edge 24, permit the edge 24 to move along the top frame member 16. Thus the hinge axis A will move outwardly of the frame as the first and second leafs 22, 24 are hinged together to open the door 11 as the second door edge 24 moves towards the side frame member 20, and the hinge axis A moves towards the frame 15 as the second door edge 24 is moves along the top frame member 16 away from the side member 20, to close the door opening 25.

Referring especially now to figure 2, more details of the structure are shown.

The top frame member 16 includes a main body 30 which is a PVGu extruded profile in this example, the profile including a plurality of internal cavities 32 to provide thermal insulation between an internally facing side surface 33 of the main body 30 and an externally facing side surface 324 of the main body 30.

The main body 30 further includes an upstand 35 which with the top member 16 in the orientation shown, depends into the door opening 25, and provides a surface 36 against which the door 11 may be closed. The top frame member 16 further includes an upper guide track profile 38 which in the present example is of extruded or rolled metal, the guide track profile 38 having a first part 40 which is located in use between the main body 30 and an aperture of the building in which the frame 15 is installed, and a second part 42 which provides a guide track at the internally facing side surface 33 of the main body 30.

The main body 30 has formations 45 which interfit with corresponding formation 46 provided on the guide track profile 38 so that the main body 30 and the guide track profile 38 can be interfitted and provide an integral top frame member 16.

It can be seen that the intemaHy facing side surface 33 of the main body 30 also has an integraUy provided formation 45a which receives a further corresponding formation 46a of the guide track profile 38.

When the upper guide track profile 38 and the main body 30 are interfftted and the frame 15 is installed in an aperture in a building provided for it, it will be appreciated that that guide track profile 38 and in particular the guide track 42 cannot be separated from one another at least without removing the frame 15 from the aperture again. Thus the top frame member 16 provides an integral guide track 42 to receive the mountings 22a, 24a at the top ends of the respective first and second door edges 22, 24.

A further feature of the top frame member 16 is that the first part 40 of the guide track profile 38 is provided by two sub profiles 38a, 38b which are connected together via a thermal break 41 provided by thermal insulating material. This reduces the flow of heat through the metal guide track profile 38.

The bottom frame member 18 is somewhat similarly constructed and similar parts to those mentioned for the top frame member 16 are indicated by the same references but with a prime sign added.

The differences between the top and bottom frame members 16, 18 are that the upstand 35' of the bottom frame member 18 extends upwards to provide the surface 36' against which the door 11 closes. Also the guide track profile 38' of the bottom member 18 is of a different configuration to the guide track profile 38 of the top member 16. This is because the mountings 22a and 24a at the top ends of the door edges 22, 24 are different in nature from the mountings 22b, 24b of the bottom ends of the door edges 22, 24.

The mounting 22a at the top end of the first door edge is constructed to allow the first door leaf 12 to pivot in the guide track 42, but the mounting 22a in this example, is not required to move along the guide track 42 as the door 11 is opened and closed. The mounting 24a at the top end of the second edge 24 is required both to allow the second door leaf 14 to pivot in the frame, relative to the first door leaf 12, but also the mounting 24a is required to move along the guide track 42 as the door Ills opened and closed. However the weight.of the door 11 in the example is supported by the guide track 42' of the bottom frame member 18, and thus both of the mountings 22a and 24a atthe top ends of the first and second door edges 22, 24 may be simple spigots, as indicated in figure 2, although the mounting 22a may be provided with some locking device to lock the mounting against movement along the guide track 42. For example, one or more stops may be provided internally of the guide track 42 to block mounting 22a movement along the guide track 42.

The mounting 22b at the bottom end of the first door edge 22 may again be a simple spigot as the mounting 22b is not required to move along the lower guide track 42'. However the mounting 24b at the bottom end of the second door edge 24 is required to move along the lower guide track 42' and support the weight of the door 11. Thus the mounting 24b at the bottom end of the second door edge 24 is a roller construction, including a pair of rollers 51, 52 carried on a common axis, the rollers 51, 52 being mounted for rotation about an upright axis B at the second door edge 24, so that the rollers 51, 52 can move abng the lower track 42' as the second door leaf 14 rotates in the fame 15.

To accommodate the rollers 51, 52 of the mounting 24b at the bottom end of the second door edge 24, the lower guide track 42' is a deeper channel than the plain sided channel of the upper guide track 42. Moreover, to provide for reliable movement of the rollers 51, 52 along the lower guide track 42', the channel of the lower guide track 42' is re-entrant to trap the rollers 51, 52 therein, and the re-entrant channel is provided with upper and tower guide rails which positively engage with the rollers 51, 52.

The guide track profile 38' of the bottom frame member 18 is, like the guide track profile 38 of the top frame member 16, fitted to the main body 30' of the bottom frame member 18 and when the frame 15 is installed in the building opening, the guide track profile 38' is between the main body 30' and the aperture. However unlike the top frame member 16 arrangement, there is provided a further sill profile 60 which may be of extruded plastics again, to provide a sill 61 along the bottom of the aperture in the building. The sill profile and the lower guide track profile 38' could have interfitting formations (not shown) or fasteners may secure the sill profile 60 to the remainder of the bottom frame member 18, so that an integral bottom frame member 18 is provided.

Further features of the exemplary structure of figure 2 are as follows.

In the example the mountings 22a, 24a, 22b, 24b are each carried by a mounting frame 62 which is secured relative to the rest of the doo.r 11, and the door leafs 12, 14 are each made up of extruded profiles 64, 65 and infill panels 66. The door profiles 64, 65 include upstands 64a, GSa which extend respectively up and down and these close on the inner side surfaces 33 of the main bodies 30, 30' of the top and bottom frame members 16, 18.

However the door construction could be quite different to this, the invention residing primarily in the nature of the guide tracks 42, 42' provided integrally with the respective top and bottom frame members 16, 18.

In the example, within central cavities of the top and bottom frame members 16, 18 there are provided reinforcing metal tubes I 6c, 1 Sc, which may not be required especially if the top and bottom frame members 16, 18, or at least the main bodies 30, 30' thereof, are made other than by plastics extrusions, e.g. in metal.

ARhough preferably the upper and lower guide track profiles 38, 38' are of metal, these could be made in other materials as required. Where the upper and lower track profiles 38, 38' are made in the same materials as the main bodies 30, 30' the top and/or bottom frame members 16, 18, these could be manufactured as monolithic members, Instead of providing a separate sill profile 60 for the bottom frame member 18, a sill 61 could be provided by the lower guide channel profile 38'.

Although with reference to the drawings, the invention has been described as applying to a door 11 and frame 15 structure, the invention may be applied to other wings, such as windows, which have multiple relatively foldable leafs 12, 14.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A wing and frame structure, in which the frame mounts the wing in a wing opening afforded by the frame, the frame including a top member, a bottom member and at least one side member, and the wing including first and second leafs which are connected for hinging about a hinge axis which extends in the direction of the frame side member, the first wing leaf having a first wing edge remote from the hinge axis which is at or adjacent to the side member and the second leaf having a second wing edge which is remote from the hinge axis, the top frame member providing an integral upper guide track and the bottom frame member providing an integral lower guide track, the wing having at the top and bottom of each of the first and second door edges, mountings which co-operate with the respective integral upper and lower guide tracks to permit the respective wing leafs to pivot relative to the guide tracks, and the mountings of the second wing leaf upon relative folding and unfolding of the first and second wing leafs, travelling along the respective guide tracks.
2. A structure according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the top and bottom frame members is of monolithic construction.
3. A structure according to claim 1 wherein each or either of the top and bottom frame members includes a plurality of components which are constructed to interfit upon the frame being made up, or fitted where the frame is installed into an aperture provided in a building.
4. A structure according to claim 3 wherein the top and/or bottom frame member includes a main body with an upstand at one side of the main body, the upstand being orientated respectively downward'y or upwardly to provide a surface against which the leafs of the wing may be closed, and a guide track profile.
5, A structure according to claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the guide track profile includes a first part which is located in use between the main body and the aperture of the building in which the frame is fitted, and a second part which in use is at an internally facing or externally facing side of the main body and provides a channel to receive the respective upper or lower mountings of the first and second wing leafs.
6, A structure according to claim 4 wherein a further profile provides a sill, the further profile being between the first part of the bottom frame member and the aperture of the building.
7, A structure according to claim 4 wherein the bottom frame member provides an integral sill.
8. A structure according to any one of claims 3 to 7 wherein the main body of each of the top and bottom members is provided as a plastics extrusion.
9. A structure according to any one of claim 3 to 8 wherein each track profile is provided in metal.
10. A structure according to any one of claims 3 to 9 wherein each main body and associated guide track profile includes intertilling formations so that the main body and guide track profile may integrally be connected together.
11. A structure according to claim 9 wherein the metal track profile includes a thermal break.
12. A structure according to claim 9 wherein the first part of the track profile is provided by two sub-profiles with thermal insulating material between them.
13. A structure according to claim 6 wherein the further profile which provides a sill is extruded in a plastics material.
14. A structure according to any one of claims 3 to 13 wherein the lower guide track provided by the bottom frame member is a re-entrant channel and the lower mounting of the second wing leaf is a roller construction, rollers of which are trapped in the re-entrant channel.
15. A structure according to any one of claims 3 to 12 wherein the upper guide track is a plain sided channel and receives the upper mountings of the wing leafs.
16. A frame member including a main body with an upstand at one side of the main body, a guide track profile including a first part which is located in use between the main body and an aperture of a building in which the frame member is received, and a second part which in use is at a side of the main body and provides a channel.
17. A wing and frame structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.
18. Any novel feature or novel combination of features substantially as described herein and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.