GB2546328A

GB2546328A - Door frame assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2546328A
Application number: GB1600870.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nicholas Warren Andrew
Original assignee: NEWMOR GROUP Ltd
Current assignee: NEWMOR GROUP Ltd
Priority date: 2016-01-18
Filing date: 2016-01-18
Publication date: 2017-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 2036-01-18
Also published as: GB201600870D0; GB2546328B

Abstract

A door frame assembly includes a frame member 10 with a closing face 12 which when a door is closed is located facing and spaced a short distance from the edge of a door. A groove 14 is provided in the closing face, in which is located an intumescent seal 16. A coating material 22 is provided over the closing face 12 including over the intumescent seal. The coating material 22 is of a type which will break or burn off if the intumescent seal 16 expands in the event of a fire. The coating material may be a veneer, paper, PVC, foil or laminate.

Description

Door Frame Assembly

This invention concerns a door frame assembly, particularly a door frame assembly for a fire door, and a method of forming a door frame assembly.

Fire doors play a vital role in the passive fire protection strategy for buildings. Typically a 3mm gap exists between the door and frame. An intumescent strip is usually placed either in the frame or the door. In the event of a fire this strip activates and the gap between the door and frame is closed by the intumescent material. This reduces the passage of the fire and the door then acts as a barrier to the fire allowing for safe evacuation of a building.

In a new build situation typically a timber door framing material is formed with a groove to receive the intrumescent strip. The strip is usually held in place by self adhesive tape on the rear of the strip. The strip will generally be fitted at the time of assembly of the door frame. Often though the strip will then be temporarily removed to allow for decoration and particularly painting of the frame. The strip will then be reinserted into the frame.

This may mean that the strip is not particularly well adhered to the door frame and over time and with the closing forces of the fire door the strip can be dislodged. This is particularly the position with the head of the door frame where the strip is pointing downwardly and therefore resisting gravity. There is also the possibility that the strip may not be fitted or replaced after removal. Once the strip is absent from any part of the frame, the door set will no longer fully function as fire protection. Such intumescent strips are also relatively aesthetically unpleasing, and therefore reduce the visual appeal of the door frame or door.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a door frame assembly, the assembly including one or more frame members which when the door is closed provide closing faces spaced a short distance from and facing edges of the door, grooves are provided in the closing faces which grooves lie adjacent a door edge when the door is closed, an intumescent seal is provided in the grooves, a coating material is provided over the closing faces so as to cover the intrumescent seal in the grooves, the coating material being such that in the event of a fire the intumescent seal can expand out of the grooves to provide a seal between the frame member or members and a closed door.

The frame member or members may be made of timber, and may be made of any of softwood, hardwood or particle board.

The coating material may be made of any of veneer, paper, PVC, foil or laminate.

The coating material may extend over the whole of the closing faces, may extend over side faces of the frame member or members, and may extend onto a rear face of the frame member or members opposite the closing face.

The coating material may be wrapped onto the frame member or members. The coating material may be pressed onto the frame member or members.

The intumescent seal may lie substantially flush in the grooves.

The grooves may be between 10 and 25mm wide, and may be between 13 and 17mm wide.

The grooves may be between 2 and 10mm deep and may be between 2.5 and 5mm deep.

The intumescent strip may substantially fill the grooves.

The intumescent seal may be in the form of an intumescent material within a casing, which casing may be of plastics material.

The invention further provides a method of forming a door frame assembly, the method including forming one or more frame members with grooves therein in closing faces of the frame member or members which when a door is closed are spaced a short distance from and facing edges of the door, locating an intumescent seal within the grooves, and applying a coating material over the closing faces so as to cover the intumescent seal in the grooves, the coating material being such that in the event of a fire the intumescent seal can expand out of the grooves to provide a seal between the frame member or members and a closed door.

The door frame assembly may be as defined in any of the preceding paragraphs.

Pressure may be applied to the coating material after application onto the or each frame member.

The intumescent seal may initially be larger than the grooves and may be compressed into the grooves.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic cross sectional view through part of a door frame assembly according to the invention;

Figs. 2-4 are similar views to Fig. 1, sequentially showing formation of the assembly of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing part of the door frame assembly in use in a first condition; and

Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 5 but in a second condition.

The drawings show part of a door frame assembly, which assembly would typically include two side members and a head member extending between upper ends of the side members. The frame members in this instance are made from softwood, but could be made of other materials and particularly other timber materials such as hardwood or particle board.

Each of the members 10 of the assembly comprises a rectangular section length of timber with a closing face 12, shown uppermost on Figs. 1 -4, which face 12 in use will face a respective edge of a closed door. A rectangular section groove 14 is provided towards the right hand side of the closing face 12 as shown in Figs. 1 - 4, which location will face directly towards the edge of a door in use when the door is in a closed condition. Typically the groove 4 will be 15mm wide and 3mm deep, but different sizes could be provided as required for different situations.

An intumescent seal 16 locates in the groove 14, and is of a conventional configuration with an intumescent material 18 located within a plasstics material casing 20. As shown in Fig. 3, when the intumescent seal 16 is first located in the groove 14, it fills the groove 14 and extends a little upwardly from the groove 14. Typically the intumescent seal may be 15.5mm wide in a relaxed condition and 4mm thick. A coating material 22 is provided over the closing face 12, and extends over the intumescent seal 16, side faces 24 of the frame members, and overlaps onto a rear face 26 of the members. The coating material 22 in this instance is a veneer, but other materials could be used such as foil, PVC, paper or a laminate. The coating material is of a type which will break if an underlying intumescent seal 16 expands in the event of a fire, and/or burn off in the event of a fire.

Once the coating material 22 is located on the frame member 10, pressure is applied thereto as shown for instance in Fig. 4 where five wrapping wheels 28 press the coating material 22 onto the frame member and also press the intumescent seal 16 into the groove 14 such that the intumescent seal 16 lies flush in the groove 14 as shown in Fig. 1.

There is thus described a door frame in which the intumescent seal 16 is located therein such that the seal 16 cannot be inadvertanently omitted or cannot be removed from the frame or potentially fall out of the frame. In normal usuage the intumescent seal 16 is however not visible such that the intumescent seal 16 does not affect the aesthetic appeal of the frame. Furthermore the frame can readily be decorated including painting as required without any need to, or possibility to, remove the intumescent seal 16, thereby avoiding the potential disadvantages outlined above.

Fig. 5 shows a door frame with members 10, in typical usage with a closed fire door 30. As can be seen the part of the member 10 closing face 12 including the intumescent seal 16 covered by the coating material 22, and lie opposite an edge 32 of the door 30.

Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 5, but in the event of a fire in which instance the intumescent material 18 of the seal 16 has intumesced such that the seal 16 has expanded outwardly from the groove 14 to close the gap between the frame member 10 and door 30. The arrangement will be such that either the intumescent seal 16 breaks the part of the coating material 22 covering it, and/or the coating material in this instance will have been burnt off.

There is thus described a door frame assembly, and a method of making such an assembly, which provides a number of advantageous features. The assembly provides for consistent and reliable intumescent performance in the event of a fire. The possibility of the intumescent seal becoming damaged or perhaps being omitted following decoration or otherwise is overcome. Also closing in the intumescent seal with the coating material means that the intumescent seal has no aesthetic effect on the door frame assembly. Whilst providing the above advantages, the assembly can be inexpensively formed using conventional manufacturing techniques, and using standard materials in this field.

It is to be realised that a wide range of modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. As indicated above a range of materials may be used for the frame and/or coating material. The groove may take any form or size which may be required, and if for instance a double seal was required, then two parallel grooves could be provided.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. A door frame assembly, the assembly including one or more frame members which when the door is closed provide closing faces spaced a short distance from and facing edges of the door, grooves are provided in the closing faces which grooves lie adjacent a door edge when the door is closed, an intumescent seal is provided in the grooves, a coating material is provided over the closing faces so as to cover the intumescent seal in the grooves, the coating material being such that in the event of a fire the intumescent seal can expand out of the grooves to provide a seal between the frame member or members and a closed door.

2. A door frame assembly according to claim 1, in which the frame member or members is made of timber.

3. A door frame assembly according to claim 2, in which the frame member or members is made of any of softwood, hardwood or particle board.

4. A door frame assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the coating material is made of any of veneer, paper, PVC, foil or laminate.

5. A door frame assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the coating material extends over the whole of the closing faces.

6. A door frame assembly according to claim 5, in which the coating material extends over side faces of the frame member or members.

7. A door frame assembly according to claim 6, in which the coating material extends extends onto a rear face of the frame member or members opposite the closing face.

8. A door frame assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the coating material is wrapped onto the frame member or members.

9. A door frame assembly according to any of claims 1 to 7, in which the coating material is pressed onto the frame member or members.

10. A door frame asssembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the intumescent seal lies substantially flush in the grooves.

11. A door frame assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the grooves are between 10 and 25mm wide.

12. A door frame assembly according to claim 11, in which the grooves are between 13 and 17mm wide.

13. A door frame according to any of the preceding claims, in which the grooves are between 2 and 10mm deep.

14. A door frame assembly according to claim 13, in which the grooves are between 2.5 and 5mm deep.

15. A door frame asssembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the intumescent strip substantially fill the grooves.

16. A door frame assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the intumescent seal is in the form of an intumescent material within a casing.

17. A door frame assembly according to claim 16, in which the casing is of plastics material.

18. A method of forming a door frame assembly, the method including forming one or more frame members with grooves therein in closing faces of the frame member or members which when a door is closed are spaced a short distance from and facing edges of the door, locating an intumescent seal within the grooves, and applying a coating material over the closing faces so as to cover the intumescent seal in the grooves, the coating material being such that in the event of a fire the intumescent seal can expand out of the grooves to provide a seal between the frame member or members and a closed door.

19. A method according to claim 18, in which the door frame assembly is as defined in any of the preceding claims.

20. A method according to claims 18 or 19, in which pressure is applied to the coating material after application onto the or each frame member.

21. A method according to any of claims 18 to 20, in which the intumescent seal is initially larger than the grooves and is compressed into the grooves.

22. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.