WO1993019272A1

WO1993019272A1 - Door frame

Info

Publication number: WO1993019272A1
Application number: PCT/GB1993/000624
Authority: WO
Inventors: Terence Frederick Mitchell; Alastair Ferguson Buchanan
Original assignee: Terence Frederick Mitchell; Alastair Ferguson Buchanan
Priority date: 1992-03-26
Filing date: 1993-03-26
Publication date: 1993-09-30
Also published as: GB2280217A; AU3894193A; GB9206615D0; GB2280217B; GB9419173D0

Abstract

A door frame is constituted by two frame members (A and B), each of which is of one-piece construction. Each frame member (A and B) has a pair of uprights (3) and a cross-piece (4) interconnecting the uprights at their upper ends. Each of the uprights (3) and each of the cross-pieces (4) comprises a liner portion (6, 8) and an architrave portion (5, 7) substantially at right-angles thereto. The liner portions (6 and 8) of the frame member (A) are formed with a raised portion (6a, 8a) defining a door stop. The frame members (A and B) are such that they can be positioned within a door opening in a wall (9) with the liner portions (6, 8) of at least one of the two frame members lying flush against the edges of the wall defining the door opening, and with the architrave portions (5 and 7) lying flush against the surfaces of the wall surrounding the door opening on opposite sides of the wall. The liner portions (6, 8) of the frame member (A) overlie the liner portions (6, 8) of the frame member (B).

Description

DOOR FRAME

This invention relates to a door frame. Traditionally, door frames have been made of timber, the main disadvantage of which is its cost - both for the timber itself, and for its requirement for skilled, highly- paid carpenters for construction and fitting. Thus, the liner, the door stop and the architraves of a traditional door frame must be cut, at the time of installation, to the lengths required. Simple housing, rebate and mitre joints are used for assembly of the various parts. Upon completion and installation of the timber components, recesses are cut into the liner to facilitate the fitting of two or more hinges, a lock keep and a striker plate. The frame is then completed, for example, by way of fillers, undercoats and a gloss finishing coat. The complete process requires many skills, many tools and approximately five man hours.

The aim of the invention is to provide an improved form of door frame.

The present invention provides a door frame constituted by two frame members, each of which is of one- piece construction, each frame member having a pair of uprights and a cross-piece interconnecting the uprights at their upper ends, each of the uprights and each of the cross-pieces comprising a liner portion and an architrave portion substantially at right-angles thereto, and the liner portions of one of the frame members each being formed with a raised portion defining a door stop, wherein the frame members are such that they can be positioned within a door opening in a wall with the liner portions of the two frame members lying flush against the edges of the wall defining the door opening, and with the architrave portions lying against the surfaces of the wall surrounding the door opening on opposite sides of the wall, and wherein the liner portions of said one frame member overlie the liner portions of the other frame member.

Advantageously, each of the frame members is of composite construction, each frame member having a skin member and filler members bonded to the skin member. Preferably, the skin members are made of flame retardant grp, and the filler members are made of rigid expanded polyurethane foam.

In a preferred embodiment, the filler members are provided in the architrave portions of the frame members. Filler members may also be provided in the raised portions of the liner portions of the frame members.

Alternatively, each of the frame members is of integral construction, the frame members being made of moulded plastics material such as a composite thermoset resin or reinforced thermoplastics material, or of compressed wood pulp material.

Advantageously, the door frame further comprises means for fixing the liner portions of the frame members to the wall. Preferably, the liner fixing means is constituted by a plurality of screws, each of which passes through a respective pre-formed aperture in a raised portion of a liner portion of said one frame member. The door frame may also comprise means for fixing the architrave portions of the frame members to the wall. Preferably, the architrave fixing means is constituted by a plurality of screws, each of which passes through a respective pre-formed aperture in one of the architrave portions.

As both the liner portions and the architrave portions lie flush against adjacent planar wall surfaces, the frame members can be forced against these surfaces in a very firm manner, whereby the door frame is a solid and robust construction.

Where filler members are provided in the architrave portions, the skin members of the frame members are pre¬ formed with generally cylindrical bosses constituting said pre-formed apertures in the architrave portions. Similarly, where filler members are provided in the raised portions of the liner portions of said one frame member, the skin members of the frame members are pre-formed with generally cylindrical bosses constituting said pre-formed apertures in said raised portions. The door frame may further comprise first and second support strips which are detachably fixed to the uprights of said one frame member adjacent to the raised portions thereof, the first support strip being formed with recesses for receiving door hinges, and the second support strip being formed with recess means for receiving a door keep/striker plate. Four forms of door frame, each of which is constructed in accordance with the invention, will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the first form of door frame; FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the door frame of Fig. 1; FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-section taken on the line III-III of Fig. 2, and shows the door frame components prior to completion of the frame; FIG. 4 is a cross-section similar to that of Fig. 3, but showing the door frame in the finished condition;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section taken on the line V- V of Fig. 2, and shows schematically a door associated with the door frame; FIG. 6 is a front elevation of the second form of door frame;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the door frame of Fig. 6; FIG. 8 is a transverse cross-section similar to that of Fig. 3, and shows the components of one of the door frame members of the third form of door frame; FIG. 9 is a cross-section similar to that of Fig. 8, but showing the components prior to completion of the frame; and FIG. 10 is a transverse cross-section through both uprights of the fourth form of door frame.

Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1 to 5 show a door frame constituted by two frame members A and B and a door C (see Fig. 5). Each frame member is a one-piece composite member constituted by a moulded skin member 1 made, by resin transfer moulding, of flame retardant glass reinforced plastic (grp) and filler members 2 made of rigid expanded polyurethane foam. The filler members 2 are cut to the required length from long strips of pre-foamed material. The filler members 2 are placed in, and form part of, the moulds in which the members 1 are formed. Consequently, when the resin of the grp sets, the filler members 2 bond to the skin members 1 to form the composite members A and B. The frame members A and B each have a pair of upright members 3 and a cross-piece 4. Each of the upright members 3 has an architrave portion 5 and a liner portion 6 (see, in particular, Figs. 3 and 4). Similarly, each of the cross-pieces 4 has an architrave portion 7 and a liner portion 8. The architrave portions 5 and 7 are each constituted by part of the respective skin member 1 and a respective filler member 2; and each of the liner portions 6 and 8 is constituted by part of the respective skin member 1. The liner portions 6 and 8 are each formed with a rectangular beading (door stop portion) 6a and 8a respectively. These door stop portions 6a and 8a are moulded integrally with their respective skin members 1.

The architrave portions 5 and 7 lie generally at right-angles to their respective liner portions 6 and 8. Consequently, when the frame members A and B are positioned within a door opening in a wall 9 (part only of which is shown in Figs. 3 to 5), the liner portions 6 and 8 lie flush against the edges of the wall defining the door opening, and the architrave portions 5 and 7 lie flush against the surfaces of the wall surrounding the door opening on opposite sides of the wall. In use, the liner portions 6 and 8 of the member A overlie the liner portions 6 and 8 of the member B (see Fig. ) , and the two frame members A and B are fixed to the wall 9 within the door opening by a plurality of screws 10 (one of which is shown in Fig. 4) .

The door stop portions 6a and 8a are provided with pre-formed apertures 11 (see Fig. 3) for receiving the screws 10, and the architrave portions 5 and 7 are provided with pre-formed apertures 12 for receiving the screws 10. When fixing the liner portions 6 and 8, the screws 10 pass through the pre-formed apertures 11 in the door stop portions 6a and 8a of the member A, and are then screwed into the wall 9 through the liner portions 6 and 8 of the other member B. The apertures 11 can be used to guide a drill for forming holes in the liner portions 6 and 8 of the member B and into the wall 9. As shown in Fig. 5, the liner portions 6 and 8 of the two members A and B can overlap one another over a predetermined range, so that the members A and B can be fixed within door openings in walls having a predetermined range of thicknesses.

As the liner portions 6 and 8 and the architrave portions 5 and 7 lie flush against the adjacent planar wall surfaces, they are forced firmly against these surfaces as the frame members A and B are fixed in position by the screws 10.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, the base of each upright member 3 is provided with a kick plinth 13 in the region of the respective architrave portion 5. The kick plinths 13 extend for about 10", and are moulded integrally with their respective skin members 1. The corresponding architrave portions 5 terminate at the tops of the kick plinths 13.

The frame member A is provided with hinges 14 which may be moulded integrally therewith or fixed thereto (by adhesive and/or screws). The frame member A is also formed with a recess (not shown) for a door keep/striker plate 15 (see Figs. 1 and 2).

Figs. 6 and 7 show a second form of door frame, this door frame being identical to that of Figs. 1 to 5 in most respects, so that like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts. The only difference in Figs. 6 and 7 is that the cross-pieces 4 are arcuate, so that an arch- shaped door frame results.

Fig. 8 and 9 show a frame member A¹ of the third form of door frame. The frame member A¹ is similar to the frame member of Figs. 1 to 5, so like reference numerals will be used for like parts, and only the modified parts will be described in detail. Thus, the skin member 1 of the frame member A' is modified in three regions, namely those of the door stop portions 6a and 8a (only the portion 6a of which is shown in Figs. 8 and 9) , the adjacent strip of skin member, and the parts of the architrave portions 5 and 7 (only the portion 5 of which is shown in Figs. 8 and 9) defining the apertures 12. In particular, the skin member 1 is generally hollow in the regions of the door stop portions 6a and 8a, and these portions are completed by moulded-in filler members 2a. These filler members 2a are similar to the filler members 2 in that they are made of rigid expanded polyurethane foam, are cut from long strips of pre-foa ed material to the required length, and form part of the mould in which the skin member 1 is formed. Consequently, the filler members 2a bond to the skin member 1 as the resin of its grp sets, thereby forming the composite member A¹. In order to define the pre-formed apertures 11, the skin member 1 is formed with a series of spaced, generally cylindrical bosses la. In use, once the member A¹ has been fixed in position, the screws 10 associated with the apertures 11 are masked by L-shaped strips 16 which are made of polyethylene or polyvinylchloride. The strips 16 are bonded to the skin member 1 by any suitable impact adhesive.

The second modification of the skin member 1 of the member A¹ is that its regions between the door stop portions 6a and 8a and the adjacent architrave portions 5 and 7 is somewhat thicker than the corresponding regions of the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 5. These thicker portions provide improved support for the hinges 14 and the door keep/striker plate 15 (not shown in Figs. 8 and 9). Thus, these thickened portions can support threaded bushes for the screws used to fix the hinges 14 and the door keep/striker plate 15. The third modification is to pre-form the apertures 12 in the skin member 1 only of the architrave portions 5 and 7. A respective grommet 17 made of polyethylene (or other suitable soft plastics material) is associated with each aperture 12 and provides support for the head of the associated screw 10. The gro mets 17 are each formed with an outwardly-projecting flange 17a. A respective, U-shaped cover 18 is associated with each of the upright members 3 and with the cross-piece 4 of the member A¹. These covers 18 are moulded from the same material as the skin members 1, and are formed with longitudinally-extending, grooves 18a which complement the flanges 17a of the grommets 17, whereby the covers can be snapped into place over the grommets to hide the heads of the screws 10.

The corresponding frame member B' (not shown) to the frame member A' is similar to the frame member B of Figs. 1 to 5. However, the frame member B¹ is modified in the regions of its apertures 12 in the same way as the frame member A¹ , that is to say it has the apertures only in the skin member 1, and is provided with grommets 17 and covers 18.

Fig. 10 shows the frame members A" and B" of the fourth form of door frame. These members A" and B" are similar to the corresponding members A and B of the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 5, so like reference numerals will be used for like parts, and only the modified parts will be described in detail. Here, apart from having door stop portions 6a and 8a of the type shown in Figs. 8 and 9 (that is to say having filler members 2a bonded to the skin member 1) , the only modifications are to provide the recesses for accommodating the hinges 14 and door keep/strike -plate 15 (not shown in Fig. 10) on additional strip members 19 and 20 which are fixed to the upright members 3 of the member A" adjacent to the door stop portions 6a by screws 21. The strip member 19 is formed with two recesses 19a for accommodating the hinges 14, and the strip member 20 is formed with a suitable recess 20a and latch receive aperture 20b for accommodating the door keep/striker plate 15. By reversing and inverting the positions of the strip members 19 and 20, the door frame of Fig. 10 can easily be modified to suit a door hung by right-hand hinges or by left-hand hinges.

The only difference between the frame member B" and the corresponding member B of Figs. 1 to 5 is that its liner portions 6 are shorter so as not to overlap the corresponding liner portions of the member A" in the regions where the strip members 19 and 20 are fixed. The types of door frame described above have the advantages of being simple and cheap to manufacture, and are extremely simple to fit (taking approximately 20 minutes instead of the five hours or so for a traditional door frame) . They can be manufactured to fit any standard door size, and can readily accommodate different wall thicknesses by varying the degree of overlap between the liner portions of its frame members. Moreover, being made of grp, the frame members are immediately ready to receive a finishing coat of gloss paint without the need for preparation, filling and the application of primer and undercoats. Other advantages of this type of door frame are a reduction in the wastage of materials, and a more robust product than the traditional timber door frame construction.

It will be apparent that modifications could be made to the door frames described above. For example, the frame members could be of unitary construction, that is to say the filler members 2 of the architrave portions 5 and 7 and the filler members 2a of the door stop portions 6a and 8a could be of the same material, and be formed integrally with the skin members 1. In this case, the frame members could be made of other materials such as wood pulp material or of a plastics material such as a composite thermoset resin or reinforced thermoplastics material. It would also be possible to vary the architrave profile styles.

In order to accommodate doors of different widths, each of the frame members A and B (or A' and B¹, or A" and B") could be initially made in two parts, the 'split' being at the centre of the cross-pieces 4. By making the lengths of these half cross-piece portions equal to half that required to accommodate a door of the largest of the standard door widths, the frame member halves as initially moulded can be bonded together using a two-part toughened acrylic resin or epoxy resin to provide door frames capable of taking doors of this width. Moreover, by cutting appropriate lengths from one (or both) of the cross-piece portions of the frame member halves, and bonding two such members together, door frames capable of taking doors of a smaller standard width can be made. In this way, door frames for all standard (or even non-standard) doors can be made from a few basic moulds.

Claims

1. A door frame constituted by two frame members, each of which is of one-piece construction, each frame member having a pair of uprights and a cross-piece interconnecting the uprights at their upper ends, each of the uprights and each of the cross-pieces comprising a liner portion and an architrave portion substantially at right-angles thereto, and the liner portions of one of the frame members each being formed with a raised portion defining a door stop, wherein the frame members are such that they can be positioned within a door opening in a wall with the liner portions of at least one of the two frame members lying flush against the edges of the wall defining the door opening, and with the architrave portions lying flush against the surfaces of the wall surrounding the door opening on opposite sides of the wall, and wherein the liner portions of said one frame member overlie the liner portions of the other frame member.

2. A door frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the frame members is of composite construction.

3. A door frame as claimed in claim 2, wherein each frame member has a skin member and filler members bonded to the skin member.

4. A door frame as claimed in claim 3, wherein the skin members are made of flame retardant grp, and the filler members are made of rigid expanded polyurethane foam.

5. A door frame as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein filler members are provided in the architrave portions of the frame members.

6. A door frame as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein filler members are provided in the raised portions of the liner portions of the frame members.

7. A door frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the frame members is of integral construction.

8. A door frame as claimed in claim 7, wherein the frame members are made of moulded plastics material such as a composite thermoset resin or reinforced thermoplastics material.

9. A door frame as claimed in claim 7, wherein the frame members are made of compressed wood pulp material.

10. A door frame as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising means for fixing the liner portions of the frame members to the wall.

11. A door frame as claimed in claim 10, wherein the liner fixing means is constituted by a plurality of screws, each of which passes through a respective pre-formed aperture in a raised portion of a liner portion of said one frame member.

12. A door frame as claimed in claim 11 when appendant to claim 6, wherein the skin members of the frame members are pre-formed with generally cylindrical bosses constituting said pre-formed apertures in the raised portions of the liner portions of said one frame member.

13. A door frame as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising means for fixing the architrave portions of the frame members to the wall.

14. A door frame as claimed in claim 13, wherein the architrave fixing means is constituted by a plurality of screws, each of which passes through a respective pre¬ formed aperture in one of the architrave portions.

15. A door frame as claimed in claim 14 when appendant to claim 5, wherein the skin members of the frame members are pre-formed with generally cylindrical bosses constituting said pre-formed apertures in the architrave portions.

16. A door frame as claimed in any one of claims 1 to

15, further comprising first and second support strips which are detachably fixed to the uprights of said one frame member adjacent to the raised portions thereof, the first support strip being formed with recesses for receiving door hinges, and the second support strip being formed with recess means for receiving a door keep/striker plate.