GB2588090A

GB2588090A - A door accessory

Info

Publication number: GB2588090A
Application number: GB1914124.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Irwin Stephen
Original assignee: Bespoke Door Cassettes Ltd
Current assignee: Bespoke Door Cassettes Ltd
Priority date: 2019-10-01
Filing date: 2019-10-01
Publication date: 2021-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 2039-10-01
Also published as: GB201914124D0; GB2588090B

Abstract

A cassette window 10 comprising a first inner member 16 having a first part 24 of a fastening mechanism and a second inner member having a second part (26, fig 2) of a fastening mechanism, the members connectable by the fastening mechanism. The cassette further comprises outer skins 40a, (40b, fig 1b) having a connection mechanism (36, fig 3), (52, fig 4) which connects the skins to the inner members. The fastening mechanism may be in the form of protrusions with guide members which fasten by passing a screw through the parts. The connection mechanism may be a split-pin projection and aperture. The outer skins can be chrome plated to provide a decorative covering.

Description

A Door Accessory

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a door or wall cassette, preferably for holding a pane of transparent or translucent material therein

Background to the Invention

Door cassettes are currently employed to hold panes of glass within apertures of doors, particularly external doors on buildings.

Current arrangements allow for the cassettes to be fitted into the door and for outer layers, or skins, to be applied thereto; however, a common problem with existing design is that in warm and hot temperatures, the skins or frames can warp, thereby presenting gaps around the edges of the cassette that can lead to water penetration and damage to the surrounding structure. An additional problem with such arrangements is that the skins are constructed from polyvinyl chloride, which is difficult to colour and so it is sprayed with a top colour layer to provide an aesthetically pleasing design; however, if the skin is scratched, the polyvinyl material is exposed, which is not a matching colour and so becomes unsightly.

A further problem with existing arrangements is that the skin can be readily removed from the cassette, particularly where it has warped, and this allows those of a nefarious nature to remove the cassette from a door and gain access to the property in which it is installed.

Summary of the Invention

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a door or wall cassette comprising: a first inner member having a first part of a fastening mechanism; and a second inner member having a second part of the fastening mechanism; wherein the first inner member and the second inner member are connectable by way of the fastening mechanism, and wherein the door or wall cassette further comprises: a first outer skin having a first connection mechanism; and a second outer skin having a second connection mechanism, wherein the outer skins connect to respective inner members by way of respective parts of connection mechanisms to allow the outer skin to be retained on the respective inner member.

The door cassette has a central core element comprising the first and second members that have respective fastening mechanisms to be able to connect to one another, with a panel of sheet material there between. This allows the parts to be fitted from respective sides of an aperture in a door or wall and to meet within the aperture, thereby sandwiching the door or wall between the two parts of the central core and also sandwiching the panel to be held within the aperture of the door or wall. Such a sandwich arrangement provides a solid fixing within the aperture that can hold the panel of material to allow light through the wall or door and it can also be employed for the fixing of further parts. The outer skins fit onto respective sides of the central core element by way of respective connection mechanisms to provide a covering for the periphery of the central core element, thereby reducing the risk of water ingress into the aperture of the door or wall. The outer skins fit flush to the surface of the door or wall along their outer edges. The inner edges of the outer skins fit flush to the panel held within the cassette.

Preferably, the inner members comprise respective guide members to aid with aligning the two inner members in position with respect to one another. The guides, which may be in the form of extensions, a skirt or rims allow the respective parts to be correctly aligned so that they can be readily connected together.

In one arrangement the fastening mechanism comprises one part in the form of a first protrusion and the other part in the form of a second protrusion with a recess therein and, when fastened to one another, the first protrusion is received within the recess of the second protrusion and secured therein.

In one arrangement, a screw passes through one of the protrusions and into the recess of the other protrusion and engages therewith to fasten the first inner member to the second inner member. In such an arrangement, the internal surface of the recess may be provided with a threaded section that corresponds to and engages with the threaded section of the screw. Self-tapping screws may be used to fasten the inner members together from either side of the respective parts, which provides for easy assembly of the arrangement. It is preferably that any screws can only be accessed from the internal side of the door or wall, that is to say, by a person that has access to the building.

It is advantageous that the first and second connection mechanisms comprise apertures and extensions and one of the respective inner member and outer skin is provided with the extension and the other of the inner member and outer skin is provided with the aperture. The extension can be received within the apertures so that they are in an engaged position, from which they may be more securely connected. In a particular embodiment, the extension may be provided with a longitudinal channel therethrough so that a fixing member may be received therein, for example, a pin or a screw. The fixing member can be used to securely connect the two parts together. Preferably, the extension is on the outer skin and the aperture is on the inner member.

In a desirable arrangement, the extension comprises a split pin with a channel therethrough and the aperture is adapted to accommodate the split pin and retain the extension therein. In order to accommodate the split pin, the aperture may have a section of increased internal diameter and the split pin may have a section of increased external diameter. A screw can pass into the channel of the split pin and pass therethrough, which expands the split pin. When the screw passes through the split pin, the section of larger external diameter of the pin is expanded and the edges are displaced radially such the larger external diameter of the split pin is received within the section of increased diameter within the aperture, thereby locking the elements and preventing them from being readily released from one another.

It is particularly advantageous that at least one outer skin and its corresponding inner member are provided with either at least one projection or at least one depression. One of the skin and the inner member is provided with a projection and the other part has the depression and, preferably, it is the skin with the projection and the inner member with the depression. In this arrangement, the projection and depression on the respective parts can be click-fitted together to hold the parts more securely. Thus, where the skin has a plurality of projections around its edge, it can be retained on the inner member more securely, thereby reducing the risk of warping. This provides a more secure weather proofing of the arrangement and increasing the security thereof Advantageously, the one outer skin comprises chrome plating. The use of chrome plating provides a more robust outer skin that is more resistant to weathering, thus prolonging the life of the cassette and the wall or door and also provides an aesthetically attractive appearance.

The outer skin may comprise a solid material with constant colour therethrough so that should it be scratched the aesthetic appearance is not reduced by having contrasting colours, as would be the case in an arrangement with a core that is laminated, preferably foil laminated, or sprayed with a top layer.

The invention extends to a door or wall cassette arrangement comprising: a door or wall cassette as described herein; and a panel; wherein the panel is arranged between the first inner member and second inner member and the first inner member and the second inner member are connected together to retain the panel therein. The panel may comprise glass and/or plastics material to form a window that can be positioned within a door or wall. Thus, the invention also extends to a door or wall having a door or wall cassette as described herein.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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

Figure la to lc show a cassette in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 shows further view of the cassette of Figure 1 in an assembled arrangement; Figure 3 shows a front view of an inner member of Figure 1 Figure 4 shows a perspective view a skin according to the present invention; Figure 5 shows a further perspective view of the skin of Figure 4 Figure 5a shows a view of a part of the skin of Figure 4; and Figure 6 shows a connection between the skin and inner member of the cassette of Figure 1.

Detailed Description of Exemplary Embodiments

Figures 1 to 6 show a cassette 10 for holding a pane of glass 12 in a door 14. The cassette has two inner members 16 that have an external face and an internal face. The inner members 16 have a main aperture 18 through their middle and have a rim 19 adjacent the periphery of the main aperture 18. Set back from the rim 19 of that aperture is a skirt 20 that extends substantially perpendicularly from the face of the aperture 18, with a space 22 formed between the periphery of the aperture 18 and the skirt 20. The rim 19 of the inner member 16 and the perimeter of the external face of the inner member 16 each have a plurality of depressions therein.

A plurality of fastening mechanisms is provided in a position set in from each corner of the inner member 18. Each fastening mechanism comprises a first part 24 arranged with a second part 26 of the fastening mechanism adjacent thereto. The fast part 24 of the fastening mechanism comprises a first tubular protrusion with an aperture 28 of substantially constant internal diameter therethrough, although it is envisaged that the diameter may vary along its length. The second part 26 of the fastening mechanism comprises a second tubular protrusion with an aperture 30 therethrough, the aperture 30 having a stop section 32 within its length that has a smaller diameter than the rest of the aperture 30.

The respective internal faces of the two inner members 16 are placed adjacent one another and the pane of glass 12 is received within the skirt 20 so that it is arranged adjacent the apertures 18 of the inner members 16. This allows light to pass through the pane of glass 12. The periphery of the internal faces of the inner members 16 are arranged adjacent the door 14. In such a position, the end of the first tubular protrusion of each first part 24 of the fastening mechanism is positioned within the end of the second tubular protrusion of the second part 26 of the fastening mechanism so that the end of the first tubular portion of the first part 24 abuts the stop section 32 of the second part 26. A screw 34 is then inserted into the tubular portion of the second part 26 and that engages the stop second and the tubular protrusion of the first part 24 to fasten the two parts together around the pane of glass 12 and the door 14. Thus, the inner members 16 form a core element that holds the pane of glass 12 within the door 14.

The inner members 16 are further provided with apertures 36 adjacent the skirt and spaced about their surface. The apertures 36 pass from the external face through to the internal face with a narrowing of their diameter towards the internal face.

Skins 40 are provided that are shaped to have an internal face that fits to the external face of the inner members 18. Thus, each skin 40 comprises a central aperture 42 that is surrounded by skin rim 44 with each skin rim 44 having a plurality of projections 46 that extend away from the central aperture 42, each of which is shaped to complement the depressions in the rim 19 of the inner member 16. The external periphery of the skin 40 is provided with a lip 48 that comprises a plurality of inwardly facing projections 50 that are shaped to complement the depressions in the perimeter of the external face of the inner member 16. The internal face of the skin 40 is also provided with a connection mechanism in the form of an extension 52 that extends substantially perpendicularly from the internal face of the skin 40. The extension 52 is in the form of a split pin having shaft 54 with a bulbous end 56 distal from the internal face of the skin 40.

To connect the skin 40 to the inner member 16, the skin 40 is aligned so that the central aperture 42 of the skin 40 corresponds to the main aperture 18 of the inner member 16 and then the skin 40 is pressed against the inner member 16. The projections 52 of the skin 40 are received into the apertures 36 of the inner member 16 and the protection 52 is compressed through the narrowed diameter of the aperture 36 until the bulbous end 56 enters the increased diameter of the aperture 36, whereupon it expands to engage the aperture 36. At the same time, projections 46 and 50 are received in the corresponding depressions of the inner members 16 and click-fit, or snap-fit, together to form a releasable but secure fitting. An example of this, labelled A, is shown in Figure 6 at the top edge of the inner member 16 The respective apertures 36 of the first and second inner members 16 are aligned when the first and second inner members 16 are connected together, thereby allowing access to the bulbous end 56 of the projection 52 of the skin 40 from the external face of the inner member to which the skin 40 is not attached. This allows a screw 58 to be inserted through aperture 36 of the inner member 16 to which the skin 40 is not attached, through the aperture 36 of the inner member 16 to which the skin 40 is attached and into the bulbous end 56 of the projection 52 of the skin 40. The screw 58 prevents the bulbous end 56 of the projection 52 from contracting, thereby locking the skin 40 onto the inner member 16. This arrangement particularly desirable for the skin 40 that forms the external surface of the cassette, because it prevents removal of the skin 40 from the inner member 16, thereby making the cassette more secure and less susceptible to removal by unauthorised parties. An inner skin 40b can be applied to the other inner member 16, which is clipped, or snap-fitted, in place in the same manner as the external skin 40a without employing screw 58. The inner skin 40b can be readily unclipped and removed to gain access to the inner core element, formed by the joined inner members 16, and to the screw 58 that attaches the external skin 40a.

Seals 60, for example elastomeric seals, are provided on the internal faces of the inner member 16 at junctions between the inner members 16 and the pane of glass 12 and door 16 Thus, each inner member 16 is provided with seals 60 adjacent the aperture 18 and the external periphery.

The inner members may comprise polycarbonate material. A particular advantage of employing polycarbonate material is that it may be provided with one or more fire retardant additives The skins may comprise acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) to which a chrome plate finish may be applied. Alternatively, or additionally, it may comprise polycarbonate/acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (PC/ASA), which can provide a more robust resistance against weathering, particularly in relation to ultraviolet resistance, and also allows the skin to be coloured prior to moulding thereby producing a solid colour throughout the depth of the skin. The solid colour throughout the depth reduces the risk of scratches being noticed. A different material may be employed for the solid colour moulding. Current systems that employ polyvinyl chloride are unable to be chrome-plated unless sprayed with a coating, which will allow such a metallic chemical attraction.

Thus, the present invention allows for the chrome plating of skins, thereby providing a better to finish over existing products.

Claims

Claims I. A door or wall cassette comprising: a first inner member having a first part of a fastening mechanism; and a second inner member having a second part of the fastening mechanism; wherein the first inner member and the second inner member are connectable by way of the fastening mechanism, and wherein the door or wall cassette further comprises: a first outer skin having a first connection mechanism; and a second outer skin having a second connection mechanism, wherein the outer skins connect to respective inner members by way of respective parts of connection mechanisms to allow the outer skin to be retained on the respective inner member.
2. A door or wall cassette according to claim 1, wherein the inner members comprise respective guide members to aid with aligning the two inner members in position with respect to one another.
3. A door or wall cassette according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the fastening mechanism comprises one part in the form of a first protrusion and the other part in the form of a second protrusion with a recess therein and, when fastened to one another, the first protrusion is received within the recess of the second protrusion and secured therein.
4. A door or wall cassette according to claim 3, wherein a screw passes through the protrusion and into the recess and engages therewith to fasten the first inner member to the second inner member.
5. A door or wall cassette according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second connection mechanisms comprise apertures and extensions and one of the respective inner member and outer skin is provided with the extension and the other of the inner member and outer skin is provided with the aperture.-10 -8. 9. 10.A door or wall cassette according to claim 5, wherein the extension comprises a split pin and the recess is adapted to accommodate the split pin and retain the extension therein.A door or wall cassette according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one outer skin and its corresponding inner member are provided with either at least one projection or at least one depression A door or wall cassette according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one outer skin comprises chrome plating.A door or wall cassette arrangement comprising: a door or wall cassette according to any preceding claim; and a panel; wherein the panel is arranged between the first inner member and second inner member and the first inner member and the second inner member are connected together to retain the panel therein.A door or wall having a door or wall cassette according to any preceding claim located therein.