WO2006084324A1

WO2006084324A1 - A door assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2006084324A1
Application number: PCT/AU2006/000167
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alan Thomas
Original assignee: Hererow Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2005-02-11
Filing date: 2006-02-10
Publication date: 2006-08-17

Abstract

A door assembly (10) includes a rigid door frame (14) for supporting a swinging door (16) and releasable attachment means (17) for inserting the door assembly in a flexible surround (12). The swinging door is movable between an open and a closed position. The door assembly may be configured to be disassembled or folded into two or more parts upon removal from the flexible surround.

Description

A DOOR ASSEMBLY

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to access doors and more particularly to a door assembly for insertion into a flexible surround to provide access to and from a flexible structure such as a caravan or campervan annex.

Background to the Invention

Caravans, camper trailers, campervans and the like may be equipped with an annex to increase the available living space. Annexes are popular amongst caravan and camper trailer owners throughout Australia.

A typical annex is formed from a flexible waterproofed textile such as canvas. Another type of annex comprises a gauze type material which allows a breeze pass through the annex structure whilst preventing insects from entering the annex.

The basic structure or framework of an annex is erected using a series of interconnected poles in a similar manner to how one would erect a tent or similar structure. This underlying structure enables an annex to be reduced to a relatively compact bundle to be packed away in the caravan or vehicle when not in use. In its erect state, the annex is attached on one side to the caravan, camper trailer or campervan thereby forming an extension of the living space provided therein.

Access to and from the annex is usually provided by means of a zippered door or flap formed from the same material as the walls of the annex. Whilst it is possible to roll up the door or flap and secure it to one side in an open position, this is usually undesirable since it fails to prevent insects and other animals from entering the annex. It can be quite bothersome to have to unzip the door or flap each time a person enters or leaves the annex and is particularly difficult if the person is carrying any items since at leat one free hand is required to operate the zipper.

The discussion of the background to the invention included herein is included to explain the context of the invention. This is not to be taken as an admission that any of the material referred to is published, known or part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of the claims. An object of the present invention is to overcome, alleviate or minimise one or more of the problems present in the prior art.

Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a door assembly, including: a rigid door frame for supporting a swinging door, the door being movable between an open and a closed position; and releasable attachment means for securing the door assembly in a flexible surround.

The door assembly may be manufactured from any suitable preferably lightweight material such as aluminium or the like. The door assembly is configured to be inserted into a flexible surround such as a canvas caravan annex. The attachment means secures the door assembly to a suitably shaped opening in an annex wall to enable access to be provided to the annex via the swinging door mounted within the rigid door frame.

In a preferred embodiment, the door assembly is configured to be disassembled or folded into two or more parts upon removal from the flexible surround. Disassembly or folding of the door assembly reduces the bulk of the door assembly for easier storage and/or transport of the door assembly.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the door frame includes at least two levelling members fitted to a base of the frame. Adjustment of the levelling members allows levelling of the door assembly relative to a ground surface. This feature has particular utility when the ground surface on which the annex and door assembly have been erected is undulating. Preferably, each of the levelling members includes a base member that is mounted on an elongate thread to allow for independent upward and downward adjustment of each levelling member.

In one form of the invention, the releasable attachment means is provided in the form of one or more strips of hook and loop type fastener fixed to the frame and one or more strips of complementary hook and loop type fastener fixed to the flexible surround for securing the door assembly to the flexible surround. Whilst it is considered advantageous to use a single continuous strip of hook and loop type fastener on each surface to ensure a continuous closure, a similar effect may be achieved where the frame and flexible surround are fastened together at regular intervals around the perimeter of the door frame. This could also be achieved using alternative fasteners such as press studs or the like. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the door assembly further includes a resilient biasing means to bias the door towards the closed position. This means that no action is required by the user to ensure that the door is closed behind the user. The door assembly may further include a resilient biasing means to secure the door component in the closed position. In a preferred form of the invention, the resilient biasing means is a torsion spring. Alternatively, the resilient biasing means may be provided in the form of a pneumatic or hydraulic door closer.

In one form of the invention, the swinging door includes at least one mesh panel. A door that can be disassembled or folded into two parts may consist of two panels, whereas a door that can be disassembled or folded into three parts may consist of three panels and so on. Whilst the door may be comprised of solid panels, i.e. aluminium sheeting or other some other suitable material, it is preferable to have at least one mesh panel so that when the weather is favourable, the door permits airflow through the annex. Preferably, where the door includes one or more mesh panels, it will further include a flexible cover configured to cover the mesh panels if weather conditions become unfavourable. The flexible cover may be formed from canvas or could be a clear plastic type cover to allow light to enter the annex even when the flexible cover is secured over the mesh panels. An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a serviceable access door for a caravan annex or similar structure to simplify a user's movement in and out of the annex. Use of the door assembly of the present invention avoids the need to unzip large panels of flexible material to gain access to the annex.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will hereinafter be described in greater detail with reference to the attached drawings, which show example embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood that the particularity of the drawings does not supersede the generality of the preceding description of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front view of the door assembly of the present invention showing the door assembly inserted into a flexible surround in the form of a caravan annex.

Figure 2 shows how the door assembly of Figure 1 is disassembled into two sections according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 shows the door assembly of Figure 1 folded when not in use.

Figure 4 shows the profile of the rigid frame of the door assembly shown in Figure^"! .

Figure 5 shows the profile of the panel frame of the door assembly shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a front view of the door assembly.

Figure 7 is a side view of the door assembly.

Detailed Description

Referring firstly to Figure 1 , the door assembly 10 is shown inserted into a flexible surround 12 for use. The door assembly 10 includes a rigid frame 14 which supports a swinging door 16. The swinging door 16 is movable between an open position where it enables a user access to the structure formed by the flexible material 12, and a closed position. The swinging door 16 is shown in the closed position in Figure 1.

The door assembly 10 further includes releasable attachment means 17

(see Figure 2) to enable the door frame 14 to be secured to the flexible surround 12. The releasable attachment means 17 is provided in the form of one or more strips of hook and loop type fastener (e.g. VELCRO™) fixed to the back of the frame 14 and one or more strips of complementary hook and loop type fastener fixed to the perimeter of a suitable sized and shaped opening in the flexible surround 12. Pressing the complementary hook and loop type fastener strips together causes the door assembly 10 to be releasably secured to the flexible textile surround 12.

A single continuous strip of hook and loop type fastener which covers the perimeter of each surface is preferred to ensure that the closure is continuous with no gaps. However, it is to be understood that a similar effect may be achieved by fastening the frame and the flexible surround together using short strips of hook and loop type fastener placed at regular intervals around the perimeter of the door frame 14. Other releasable fasteners such as press studs or ties could also be used. Referring now to Figure 2, according to one embodiment, the rigid frame

14 and swinging door 16 are configured to be disassembled folded into two parts upon removal from the flexible surround 12. In another embodiment, the door assembly may comprise a single part and in yet another embodiment, the door assembly may include three or more parts. The door assembly 10 in Figure 2 is configured to be rigid in use but able to be either disassembled or folded to reduce bulk for transport and storage. It is envisaged that a particular door assembly 10 including two or more parts will be manufactured to be either folded or disassembled when not in use. Figure 2 shows a door assembly 10 that is configured to be disassembled into two parts. The door assembly 10 is manufactured from a lightweight material such as aluminium or similar to facilitate handling of the door assembly 10 including installation and disassembly. As is shown in Figure 2, the door frame 14 includes U-shaped members 18 which are configured to be received by a hollow section of frame 20 on either side of the door assembly 10. This enables the frame elements to be securely slotted together. The swinging door 16 may remain mounted on the door frame 14 during disassembly. The door 16 is split into more than one panel 22A, 22B, each panel having an edge 24A, 24B configured to slot into or have slotted into it a further door panel 22A, 22B. As shown in Figure 2, this can be achieved by having a channel 24A in the upper edge of the lower positioned door panel 22A for receiving the bottom edge 24B of the upper positioned door panel 22B.

In the alternative embodiment shown in Figure 3, the door assembly is folded when not in use. In this embodiment, the two or more panels 22A, 22B and frame sections are hinged together. The hinges 23 facilitate folding of the door assembly into a more compact size and one or more sliding latches 25 are used to secure the folded door assembly together.

The swinging door 16 is mounted on the rigid frame 14 using hinges 26 (see also Figures 6 and 7) to provide for the door 16 to be moved between the open and closed positions. The door 16 has a handle 28 to facilitate opening of the door 16 by a user entering the annex from the outside. When exiting the annex, as user simply pushes against the door 16 causing it to move towards the open position.

Figure 4 shows the profile of the rigid frame 14 in more detail. The rigid frame 14 includes a door jamb 15 to prevent the door 16 from swinging inwards as well as outwards when fitted to the annex. The door jamb 15 may be covered in a rubber strip.

Referring back to Figure 1 , the door assembly 10 has a resilient biasing means to bias the door 16 towards the closed position. In the illustrated embodiment, the resilient biasing means takes the form of a torsion spring 3OA having a first end affixed to the door 30 and a second end affixed to the door frame 14 to retain the door 16 in the closed position. In the illustrated embodiment the assembly includes two torsion springs 3OA, 3OB, one for the lower door panel 22A and one for the upper door panel 22B. The biasing force of the torsion spring can be overcome by applying a minimum force to the door 16, causing it to move towards the open position. This is in contrast to use of a conventional latch assembly to retain the door in the closed position, wherein the user would need to use a free hand to actuate the latch assembly to release the closing mechanism. The biasing means causes the door 16 to close once the user stops exerting the appropriate pushing or pulling force required to open the door 16. Alternatively, the door 16 may be fitted with a pneumatic or hydraulic door closer 31 as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 shows the profile of the frame supporting the door panels 36A, 36B. If solid aluminium or similar panels are used, they are simply secured to the panel frame using pop rivets 39. If mesh is used in the panels 36A, 36B, the mesh is secured to the frame by placing the edge of the mesh over the channel 41. A rubber or plastic strip is pressed into the channel 41 to secure the mesh in place.

In Figure 1 , the door assembly 10 includes a couple of levelling members 32A, 32B fitted to a base of the door frame 34. The levelling members 32A, 32B consist of a base member mounted on an elongate treaded member which is fixed to the base of the door frame 34. Each base member can be independently adjusted towards or away from the base of the door frame 34 to provide for levelling of the door assembly on an undulating ground surface. Referring now to Figure 6, the swinging door 16 includes two mesh panels 36A, 36B. It is to be understood that more than two mesh panels could be used. For instance, a door that can be disassembled or folded into two parts will typically consist of two panels, whilst a door that can be disassembled or folded into three parts will consist of three panels and so on. The mesh panels 36A, 36B enable air to flow into and out of the annex without allowing insects and the like to gain access to the annex.

The swinging door 16 is fitted with a flexible cover 38 attached to the top of the uppermost panel 24B. The flexible cover 38 is preferably formed from the same material as the annex, e.g. canvas, and can be mounted on a retractable roll. This enables the cover 38 to be rolled down and fastened across the mesh panels 36A, 36B as required and retracted to the roll when it is desirable to permit air to flow through the annex. The cover 38 is fastened to the swinging door 16 using eyelet clips 40 or similar fasteners. Referring now to Figure 7, the door assembly is shown as viewed from the side. The swinging door is mounted on the rigid frame using hinges 26 to provide for the door to be moved between the open and closed positions. The eyelet clips 40 are included to enable the cover (not shown) to be fastened to the swinging door. A levelling member 32A is shown fitted to the base of the door frame 34.

If desired the door assembly 10 could further include a latch assembly including a locking mechanism to allow the annex to be locked for security purposes.

The door assembly of the present invention offers clear advantages over conventional zippered access flaps which are provided in caravan annexes and the like. The swinging door is readily caused to move from the closed position to the open position by a user simply applying a sufficient force to overcome the biasing force retaining the door in the closed position. The door permits no handed operation when required. It is to be understood that various additions, alterations and/or modifications may be made to the parts previously described without departing from the ambit of the invention.

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A door assembly, including: a rigid door frame for supporting a swinging door, the door being movable between an open and a closed position; and releasable attachment means for inserting the door assembly in a flexible surround.

2. A door assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the door assembly is configured to be disassembled or folded into two or more parts upon removal from the flexible surround.

3. A door assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the frame includes at least two levelling members fitted to a base of the frame to allow levelling of the door assembly relative to a ground surface.

4. A door assembly according to claim 3, wherein each levelling member includes a base member mounted on an elongate thread to allow for independent upward and downward adjustment of the levelling member.

5. A door assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the releasable attachment means includes one or more strips of hook and loop type fastener fixed to the frame and one or more strips of complementary hook and loop type fastener fixed to the flexible surround for securing the door assembly to the flexible surround.

6. A door assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, further including a resilient biasing means to bias the door towards the closed position.

7. A door assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, further including resilient biasing means to secure the door in the closed position.

8. A door assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the door component includes at least one mesh panel.

9. A door assembly according to claim 8, wherein the door component further includes flexible cover configured to cover the mesh panel.

10. A door assembly substantially as herein before described with reference to any one of the drawings.