IES20030733A2 - A mould for a plastics laminate for a glazed door - Google Patents

Abstract

A mould for a plastic laminate for a glazed door is used to produce sheets of thermoplastics laminate (11,12), which together with a core material (13), form a glazed door (10). The laminate (11) defines the front (14) of the door (10) and the laminate (12) defines the rear (15) of the door (10). The laminates (11,12) have formations (16) thereon, which are shaped so as to form a removable panel (17) in the laminates (11,12). The removable panel (17), on the laminate (11), is removed by cutting it away from the rear (15) of the door (10) and, due to the shape of the formations (16), a smooth edge (18) will remain around a resulting opening (not shown) for receipt of a glazed section (not shown). If the glazed door (10) is viewed from the front (14), the glazed section will be seen to be bordered by the smooth edge (18), and no cut surface will be visible on the laminate (11). <Figure 1>

Description

This invention relates to a mould for a plastics laminate for a door and, in particular, to a mould for a laminate for a glazed door.

The invention also relates to a glazed door constructed with a 5 plastics laminate, in accordance with the invention.

A door constructed from a core member sandwiched between two plastics laminates is known. The core may be of light wooden construction or can be formed from a synthetic resin. The plastics laminate is moulded from a thermosplastics sheet and can have a variety of surface decorative features and textures, depending on the mould used.

Such a door may be substituted for a traditional door of wooden construction and, if the mould and forming technique are of a high standard, the resultant plastics laminated door has the appearance of an actual wooden door.

Certain door designs feature a glazed section or sections.

However, these glass sections have to be fitted to the door following assembly of the sandwich made from the core and a front and rear plastics laminate. This means that an opening has to be cut in the door through both laminates and the core, into which the glazed section is to be fitted. The opening is usually cut through these three layers through a panel delineated on the laminate surface. A rebate is then cut from the rear of the door for receiving the glazed section from the rear. The «8 1 |E Ο 3 Ο 7 3 3 glazed section is held in place by clips and a slip is placed over the clips from the rear to tidy up the appearance of the rear of the door.

However, when such a door is viewed from the front, the edge of the laminate surrounding the fitted glazed section will have a rough and uneven appearance as it has been cut through to make the opening for the glazed section.

This exposed cut edge can be covered over by using a rubber gasket in which the glazed section is mounted. Thus, U.S. Patent Specification No. 4,635,421 describes a door having a core comprising a io synthetic resin honeycomb core member and a coplanar wood panel along one edge thereof. Front and rear door skins adhere to and sandwich the core. A glazed section is held in place by a rubber gasket. The door, as described is typically used as a swing door, for example for a restaurant kitchen.

However, such a rubber gasket system would not be suitable for a simulated wooden, glazed hall door for a private house, as the gasket would be visible from the front of the door.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the glazed doors hereinbefore described.

Thus, the invention provides a mould for a plastics laminate for a glazed door, comprising formations on the surface of the mould, the formations being shaped so as to provide a removable panel in a laminate produced from the mould, with subsequent removal of the panel ΙΕ Οϊ 01 S 5 resulting in an opening for the fitting of a glazed section, characterised in that the formations are shaped such that, in use, removal of the panel leaves a smooth edge to the opening with no cut surface visible, when viewed from the front of the laminate.

The advantage of a mould, in accordance with the invention, is that the edge of the opening for the glazed section, to the front of a door, constructed by using a laminate produced with the mould, being smooth, does not need to covered up by any means. The smooth edge is pleasing to the eye and provides a good finish to the door around the glazed section.

Preferably, the panel is joined to the smooth edge to the rear of the moulded laminate, such that the panel can be removed from the moulded laminate by a cutting action across the rear surface thereof, rather than through the thickness of the laminate.

Thus, due to the arrangement of the smooth edge relative to the removable panel, the panel can be removed without leaving a cut surface on the laminate, when viewed from the front thereof.

Further, preferably, the smooth edge is perpendicular to the panel.

As the smooth edge is perpendicular to the removable panel, once the panel has been removed and the glazed section fitted, the smooth edge will now be perpendicular to the surface of the glazed section. This feature will result in a clean join between the laminate and the glazed section, when viewed from the front of the laminate. ie us βι ι > In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a door constructed from two sheets of moulded thermoplastics laminate with a core material sandwiched therebetween and having a glazed section fitted within an opening therein, characterised in that the opening, to the front of the door, is formed in such a way that the edge of the laminate therearound has a smooth appearance with no cut surface visible, when viewed from the front of the door.

A door with an opening for a glazed unit, in accordance with the invention is pleasing to the eye and provides a good finish to the door around the glazed section. Thus, the door acts as a realistic replacement for the door of which it is a copy.

Preferably, a panel in the laminate to the front of the door is so moulded that it can be removed by a cutting action from the rear of the door, the cutting action passing across the rear of the front laminate but not through to the front thereof.

Thus, the panel in the laminate can be removed without leaving an exposed cut edge following fitting of the glazed section.

The invention will be further illustrated by the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a cross-section of a part of a door, in accordance with the invention, detailing a removable panel therein and showing a first cutting position for preparing the door for receipt of a glazing unit; IE0iO7Ji Fig. 2 is the cross-section of Fig. 1, following removal of the panel and showing a second preparatory cutting position; Fig. 3 is the cross-section of Fig. 2, following removal of the panel and showing two further preparatory cutting positions; and Fig. 4 is a cross-section, in perspective, of the part of a door of Fig. 1, showing a completed opening for receipt of the glazing unit.

Referring to Fig.l there is illustrated generally at 10, a crosssection of a door, in accordance with the invention, constructed from two sheets 11,12 of thermoplastics laminate with a core material 13, of wood, sandwiched therebetween. The laminate 11 defines the front 14 of the door 10 and the laminate 12 defines the rear 15 of the door 10.

The laminates 11,12 are produced from a mould, in accordance with the invention, and have formations, shown generally at 16, thereon, which are shaped so as to form a removable panel, shown generally at 17, in the laminates 11,12.

The removable panel 17 can be removed in such a way that a smooth edge 18 remains around an opening 19, thus produced (see Fig. 2) for the fitting of a glazed section (not shown).

The sequence of steps, in the cutting of the opening 19 in the door 20 10 for fitting a glazed section, will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4.

IE 03 07 3 3 Referring to Fig. 1, a router cutter 20, shown in dotted outline, makes a first pass through the door 10, from the rear 15 thereof, as far as inner surface 21 of the laminate 11, and in the process cuts away the removable panel 17, leaving a smooth edge 18, when viewed from the front 14 of the door 10.

Referring to Fig. 2, the router cutter 20 makes a second pass where indicated to form a rebate 22 in the core 13. The rebate 22 is shaped to receive a slip (not shown), which is fixed to the rear 15 of the door 10 after the glazed section has been fitted.

Referring to Fig. 3, a second cutter 23, shown in dotted outline in two positions 24, 25, makes a first pass in position 24, and a second pass in position 25, in order to clean up internal surfaces 26 of the opening 19.

Finally, referring to Fig. 4, a plurality of slots 27 (of which one only is shown) are cut into the core 13 for receipt of retaining clips (not shown) for holding the glazed section in position.

Once the glazed section has been fitted in the opening 19, the retaining clips are inserted into the slots 27, and the slip is fixed into the rebate 22. It will be noted that, if the door 10 is viewed from the front 14, the glazed section will be bordered by the smooth edge 18 and any cut surface on the inner surface 21 of the laminate 11 will not be visible.

Claims (5)

1. Claims: 1. A mould for a plastics laminate for a glazed door, comprising formations on the surface of the mould, the formations being shaped so as to provide a removable panel in a laminate produced from 5 the mould, with subsequent removal of the panel resulting in an opening for the fitting of a glazed section, characterised in that the formations are shaped such that, in use, removal of the panel leaves a smooth edge to the opening with no cut surface visible, when viewed from the front of the laminate. 10

2. A mould according to Claim 1, wherein the panel is joined to the smooth edge to the rear of the moulded laminate, such that the panel can be removed from the moulded laminate by a cutting action across the rear surface thereof, rather than through the thickness of the laminate. 15

3. A door constructed from two sheets of moulded thermoplastics laminate with a core material sandwiched therebetween and having a glazed section fitted within an opening therein, characterised in that the opening, to the front of the door, is formed in such a way that the edge of the laminate therearound has a smooth 20 appearance with no cut surface visible, when viewed from the front of the door. IE 03 07 3 3

4. A mould according to Claim 1 for a plastics laminate for a glazed door, substantially as hereinbefore described with particular reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

5. A door according to Claim 3, substantially as hereinbefore 5 described with particular reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.