GB2265929A

GB2265929A - Smoke and finger guards for closures

Info

Publication number: GB2265929A
Application number: GB9307574A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Lionel Marchington
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-04-10
Filing date: 1993-04-13
Publication date: 1993-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 2013-04-13
Also published as: GB9307574D0; GB2265929B

Abstract

A guard for use with a hinge mounted door, window or other closure, is mountable to extend between the door and a member against which the door closes or passes in closing to prevent access to the space therebetween, and comprises a plurality of (two or three) elongate metal plates longitudinal edges of which are interconnected and mounted on the door the member by piano hinges. In an assembly with two plate members, first edges of each are hinged to leaf members respectively fixed to the door and door frame, second edges of the two members being interconnected along their lengths. In an assembly with three plate members, first edges of a first and a second elongate member are hinged to respective leaf members fixed to the door and the frame or a closure thereon, and the two longitudinal edges of the third member are hinged to respective second edges of the first and second members. <IMAGE>

Description

SECURITY ASSEMBLIES DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to security assemblies in particular security assemblies operable to provide a closure or seal for the space between a door, window or other closure and a surface against which the door, window or closure closes or passes in closing.

There is an ever present danger to infants and young children that parts of their anatomy, e.g. their fingers and/or toes, may become trapped between a door and a frame on which the door is hingeably mounted and against which the door closes.

To overcome this it is possible to provide that the door is normally locked shut at all times other than when a person wishes to pass through the doorway in which the door is mounted, or to provide that the door is wedged or in some other way held open. Locking a door shut at all times except when passage is required through the doorway introduces unnecessary difficulty to those who wish to pass through the doorway.

The other alternative suffers from the disadvantage that the door is permanently at least partially open and that the device holding the door open may become loosened - especially if it is wedged and an infant or toddler is moving in the area of the door.

A first object of the present invention is to provide an assembly which will be operable to prevent material or an infant or young child's finger, toe or other part of their anatomy entering the space between a door and a frame on which it is hung and become trapped as the door closes.

Doors act as barriers particularly to fire - that is to say they are operable to prevent or at least delay the transmission of the fumes and flames associated with a fire on one side of a door to the other side.

To enhance the effectiveness of a door in this respect it is necessary that the face of the door, as it is closed, is brought to bear against a closure mounted on the door frame. In this way fumes and flame on one side of the door must pass along a sinuous route before they can reach the other side. To increase this effect regulations in the United Kingdom provide that fire check doors - doors which must reach a specified safety standard and withstand a fire for 30 minutes or more - be provided with closures of a minimum depth (approximately 30mm).

These closures are effective for the most part, however, difficulties still arise in correctly fitting the door. Whilst it is relatively easy to adjust the locking elements on a door such that the side of the door carrying the lock is firmly held against any closure when the door is closed it is more difficult to ensure the hinged side of the door is held tightly against the door frame and/or any fitted closure when the door is fully closed.

It is a second object of this arrangement to provide an assembly which may be fitted to a door, along the hinged side thereof, and which will act to enhance the resistance of the door to passage of fumes and/or flame through the doorway in which the door is mounted.

In one aspect the present invention provides an assembly for use with a door, window or other closure for an aperture, which door is hingeably mounted to move between a position in which it closes the aperture and a position in which it permits movement through the aperture; which assembly is mountable to extend between the door and a member against which the door closes or passes in closing to prevent access to the space between the door and the member.

Preferably, the assembly is adapted for mounting on the hinged side of a door or an edge of the face of a door adjacent the hinged side thereof, at the edge of the side of the door spaced from the hinge for the door; and is further adapted to be coupled to a member of the door frame, or a closure carried on the door frame, against which the door closes or passes in closing.

The assembly may be flexible; The assembly may be articulated.

Desirably, the assembly is hingeably connected to said member against which the door closes or passes in closing.

The assembly may with advantage comprise a plurality of elongate plate members longitudinally extending edges of which are hingeably interconnected and hingeably mountable on a door and a a member against which the door closes or passes in closing.

With especial advantage said elongate plate members are of metal.

The hingeable interconnections of the elongate plate members one to the other and to the surfaces on which they are mountable are preferably continuous hinges extending the length thereof.

The assembly may comprise two elongate plate members, a first longitudinal edge of one of the plate members being hingeably connected to a leaf member securable to a door and a first longitudinal edge of the other plate member being hingeably connected to a second leaf member securable to a member against which the door closes or passes in closing, second longitudinal edges of the two elongate plate members being hingeably interconnected along the lengths thereof.

The first leaf member may be mountable on a face of a door adjacent the edge of the hinge side thereof spaced from the hinged mounting of the door in the frame.

The first leaf member may be mountable on the edge of the hinge side surface of the door spaced from the hinged mounting of the door in the frame.

The assembly may comprise three interconnected elongate plate members, a first longitudinal edge of a first plate member being hingeably connected to a first leaf member mountable on the hinge side of a door or the edge of a face of a door adjacent that side, a first longitudinal edge of a second plate member being hingeably connected to a second leaf member mountable on the door frame or a closure mounted on the door frame, and the two longitudinal edges of the third plate member being hingeably connected to respective second longitudinal edges of the first and second plate members.

The first and second elongate plate members may be of substantially less width than the third plate member such that in use when the door is closed the assembly adopts a generally triangular configuration with the third elongate plate member extending between the door or the closure to which it is coupled.

Alternatively, the first and second plate members may be of substantially greater width than the third plate member such that in use when the door is closed the assembly adopts a generally rectangular configuration extending between both the door and the door frame or a closure mounted thereon.

The first and/or second elongate plate members may with advantage be cranked across their width so as to allow them in use to overlie respective leaf members to which they are hingeably connected when a door on which the assembly is mounted is fully closed.

The elongate plate members may extend substantially the height of a door, window or closure with which the assembly is to be used.

In a second aspect the present invention provides a door, window or other closure for an aperture hingeably supported in a frame in combination with an assembly as defined above.

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of various embodiments of the invention now made with reference to the accompanying drawings and in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first assembly embodying the present invention mounted to extend between a door and a frame on which the door is hung, Figure 2 is a plan view showing the assembly of Figure 1 in each of two operative positions, Figure 3 is a plan view of a door and a frame on which the door is hung and having a second assembly embodying the present invention mounted thereon, Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the assembly of Figure 3 when the door is closed, Figure 5 is a plan view of a door and a frame on which the door is hung and having a third assembly embodying the present invention mounted thereon, Figure 6 is a plan view of a door and a frame on which the door is hung and having a fourth assembly embodying the present invention mounted thereon, Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the assembly of Figure 6 when the door is closed, Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a first assembly embodying the invention showing a door 10 hung in a frame 12 by hinges 14 of conventional form and showing the door in both open (dotted line) and closed (full line) positions.

Door 10 has a side surface 16, into which the flanges of the hinges 14 are let, and which in use closes against frame 12.

The assembly comprises a first leaf member 18 attached along the edge of of a face of the door adjacent surface 16 and spaced from the hinge 14 as shown. A first longitudinal edge of a first elongate plate member 20 of the assembly is connected to the first leaf member 18 by a piano hinge 22 as shown.

The assembly further comprises a second leaf member 24 mounted on frame 12 and to which a first longitudinal edge of a second elongate plate member 26 is connected by a piano hinge 28.

The two second longitudinal edges of the elongate plate members 20 and 26. are hingeably interconnected by a piano hinge 30 as shown.

It will be appreciated that when the door is open the two elongate plate members 20 and 26 act as a barrier preventing access by any material, or for example a finger or toe of an infant or toddler, to the space between surface 16 of door 10 and the frame 12 against which the door closes.

It will further be seen that when the door is closed the two interconnected members 20 and 26 which are coupled to both the door and the frame, act as a barrier to the passage of air between door 10 and frame 12. In this way an assembly embodying the present invention enhances the safety of the doorway - preventing or delaying passage of fumes and/or flame through any gap between the door and the frame.

Figure 2 shows the arrangement of Figure 1 when the door is closed and it will be seen that the two elongate plate members extend partially into a room in which the door is hung.

If- it is desired that the elongate plate members 20 and 26 extend only partially along the length of the door (for example, up to half its height) it is possible for the leaf members 18 and 24 to be fixed to the surface 16 and of frame 12 respectively such that the leaf members are hidden behind the members 20 and 26.

In this arrangement the first leaf member 18 with attached elongate plate member 20 would be mounted on the surface 16 of door 10. Thereafter leaf member 24 carrying elongate plate member 26 will be mounted on the end face of frame 12. The elongate members 20 and 26 will thereafter be linked by an individual making the assembly passing a hinge pin along the line of the hinge between the two.

If it is desired that the assembly extend the whole length of the door, however, it will be necessary for at least one of the leaf members 18 and 24 to be positioned as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The elongate members 18, 20, 24 and 26 of the assembly described may be made of any suitable material e.g. steel, aluminium, brass or a relatively stiff plastics material.

Figure 3 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention in which an assembly is mounted to extend between a door 40 and a closure 42 carried on a frame 44 against which the door hinges closes. The figure shows the door in both open (dotted line) and closed (full line) positions.

The assembly shown in Figure 3 comprises a first elongate plate member 46 a first longitudinal edge of which is connected by a piano hinge 48 to a first leaf member 50 mounted on a face 52 of door 40. A first longitudinal edge of a second elongate plate member 54 of the assembly is connected by a piano hinge 56 to a leaf member 58 secured to the outer face 60 of the closure 42 as shown.

The two longitudinal edges of a third elongate plate member 62 are connected by piano hinges 64 and 66 to the free, second, longitudinal edges of the plate members 46 and 56 as shown.

It will be noted that the members 46 and 54 are cranked across their widths so that when the door is fully closed, they comfortably overlie the leaf members 50 and 58 respectively. It will further be noted that the width of member 62 is greater than that of members 46 and 54, the ratio of the width of members 46, 54 and 62 being approximately 1:1:1.41.

With this arrangement the elongate plate member 62 extends, particularly as can be seen from Figure 4, between the face 60 of closure 42 and face 52 of the door 40 providing a pleasing aesthetic appearance for the assembly when the door is closed.

As with the arrangement in Figure 1 it will be appreciated that the elongate plate members 46, 54 and 62 act to prevent material, or the finger or toes of infants and youngsters, passing between the end face of the door and the frame against which the door closes - and perhaps even more importantly between the side of the door and the rear face of the closure 42.

Furthermore, it will be seen that the assembly of Figures 3 and 4 when the door is closed, acts effectively to prevent passage of air between the door and frame closure thereby enhancing the ability of the arrangement to retard the passage of fumes and/or flame through the doorway.

As with the arrangement of Figures 1 and 2 the elongate plate members of the assembly shown in Figure 3 and 4 may be made of any suitable material.

It will be appreciated that, if desired, the arrangement shown in Figure 3 may be used with a door which does not close against a closure 42 - the elongate plate member 58 being mounted directly onto the face of the frame 44 of the front of the door. This would however require adjustment of the length of the members 46, 54 and 62 to enable the door to fully open and, in those circumstances, the user may care to adopt an embodiment of the assembly such as is shown in Figure 6, which shows the assembly attached to a door in both open (dotted line) and closed (full line) positions.

In Figure 5 an assembly embodying the invention comprises a first elongate plate member 70 a first longitudinal edge of which is connected by a piano hinge 72 to an elongate leaf member 74 mounted on the face 76 of a door 78 as shown. A first longitudinal edge of a second elongate plate member 80 of the assembly is connected by a piano hinge 82 to an elongate leaf member 84 fixed to the face 86 of the frame 88 against which the door closes in use. Member 80 is cranked as shown across its width such that when the door is closed it can readily overlie leaf member 84. The second longitudinal edge of members 70 and 80 are connected by piano hinges 90 and 92 to respective longitudinal edges of a third elongate plate member 94 of the assembly.

Again, it will be appreciated that the assembly shown in Figure 5 will act to prevent access to the space between the end face 96 of the door and the face 86 of the door frame in all positions of the door between fully closed and fully opened.

It will further be seen that when the door is fully closed the members 80, 70 and 94 are disposed such that the elongate plate members 70 and 94 present the appearance of a generally rectangular box like structure extending between the door frame and the face of the door.

Thus it will be appreciated that the embodiment shown in Figure 5, of the door closing against a closure such as the closure 42 of Figure 4.

Figures 6 and 7 are top plan and schematic perspective views of another assembly embodying the invention and shows it to comprise a first elongate plate member 100 cranked twice across its width to provide four sections 102, 104, 106 and 108. The free edge of section 102 is connected by a piano hinge 110 to an elongate leaf member 112 let into and fixed to the side edge 114 a door 116.

The width of section 102 is substantially the same as the distance piano hinge 110 from the front face 118 of door 116 and, as can be seen section 104 extends substantially at right angles to section 102 so that when the door is closed (shown in full line in Figure 6) section 104 partially overlies the face 118 of the door.

Section 106 extends substantially at right angles to section 104 and in a plane generally parallel to section 102 and section 108 extends substantially at right angles to section 106 in a plane generally parallel to section 104.

The free edge of section 108 is coupled by a piano hinge 120 to a second elongate plate member 122 the other edge of which is coupled by a piano hinge 124 to a an elongate leaf member 126 mounted of the face 128 of the frame 130 against which the door closes. Member 122 is cranked as shown across its width such that when the door is closed it can readily overlie leaf member 126.

When the door is closed (see particularly Figure 7) it will be seen that the elongate plate member 100 will present the aesthetically pleasent appearance of a rectangular box like structure extending between the door frame and the face of the door.

As with the earlier described arrangements it will be appreciated that the elongate plate members 100 and 122 act to prevent material, or the finger or toes of infants and youngsters, passing between the edge 114 of the door and the frame against which the door closes.

Further it will be seen that the assembly of Figures 6 and 7 when the door is closed, acts effectively to prevent passage of air between the door and frame closure thereby enhancing the ability of the arrangement to retard the passage of fumes and/or flame through the doorway.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the arrangements described without departing from the scope of the invention.

It is necessary that the elongate plate members of the various assemblies shown should be stiff enough to prevent ingress of material or the fingers or toes of an infant or toddler into the spaced between the door and a surface against which the door closes (or against which the door passes in closing).

Although elongate plate members are said to be of metal and have piano hinges it will be appreciated that other materials and hinge arrangements may be used.

For example, the elongate plate members of the assemblies may be of any suitable, stiff plastics material (e.g. A.B.S.) and have flexible plastics interconnections they could be moulded in the piece ready for fitment on the door by a user.

Again the arrangements described serve a dual purpose of preventing ingress of material between the door and surface against which it closes and in enhancing the capability of the door assembly to retard fire.

If it is desired that the assemblies of the present invention serve only the first of these purposes it is possible for the assemblies to be mounted over only a part of the length of the door e.g. say the lower half of the door where they will be operable to prevent infants and/or young children's fingers and toes passing between the side surface of the door and the frame on which the door is hung - or a surface against which the door passes in closing.

It. will be appreciated that although described with reference to doors the assemblies of the present invention are usable with any hinged closure for an aperture e.g. for a window.

it will be seen form the foregoing description that the present invention provides assemblies which are operable to prevent material or an infant or young child's finger, toe or other part of their anatomy entering the space between a door and a frame on which it is hung, which enhance the resistance of the door to passage of fumes and/or flame through the doorway in which the door is mounted, which are generally aesthetically pleasing to look at, which do not intrude on the operation of opening a door and which do not thereafter obstruct passageway through the doorway.

Claims

1. An assembly for use with a door, window or other closure for an aperture, which door is hingeably mounted to move between a position in which it closes the aperture and a position in which it permits movement through the aperture; which assembly is mountable to extend between the door and a member against which the door closes or passes in closing, to prevent access to the space between the door and the member.

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2. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1, which is adapted for mounting on the hinged side of a door, or an edge of the face of a door adjacent the hinged side thereof, at the edge of the side of the door spaced from the hinge for the door; and is further adapted to be coupled to a member of the door frame, or a closure carried on the door frame, against which the door closes or passes in closing.

3. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, which is flexible.

4. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, which is articulated.

5. An assembly as claimed in Claim 4, which is hingeably connected to said member against which the door closes or passes in closing.

6. An assembly as claimed in Claim 5, comprising a plurality of elongate plate members longitudinally extending edges of which are hingeably interconnected and hingeably mountable on a door and a member against which the door closes or passes in closing.

7. An assembly as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said elongate plate members are of metal.

8. An assembly as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7, wherein said hingeable interconnections of the elongate plate members one to the other and to the surfaces on which they are mountable are continuous hinges extending the length thereof.

9. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, comprising two elongate plate members, a first longitudinal edge of one of the elongate plate members being hingeably connected to a leaf member securable to a door and a first longitudinal edge of the other plate member being hingeably connected to a second leaf member securable to a member against which the door closes or passes in closing, second longitudinal edges of the two elongate plate members being hingeably interconnected along the lengths thereof.

10. An assembly as claimed in Claim 9, wherein each elongate plate member is is generally flat and lies in a plane across its width.

11. An assembly as claimed in Claim 9, wherein one elongate plate member is is generally flat and lies in a plane across its width whilst the other is cranked twice across its width to provide four sections, each extending generally at right angles to its neighbour.

12. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, and including three interconnected elongate plate members, a first longitudinal edge of a first plate member being hingeably connected to a first leaf member mountable on the hinge side of a door or the edge of a face of a door adjacent that side, a first longitudinal edge of a second plate member being hingeably connected to a second leaf member mountable on the door frame or a closure mounted on the door frame, and the two longitudinal edges of the third plate member being hingeably connected to respective second longitudinal edges of the first and second plate members.

13. An assembly as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the first and second elongate plate members are of substantially less width than the third plate member such that in use when the door is fully closed the assembly adopts a generally triangular configuration with the third elongate plate member extending between the door or the closure to which it is coupled.

14. An assembly as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the first and second plate members are of substantially greater width than the third plate member such that in use when the -door is closed the assembly adopts a generally rectangular configuration extending between and attached to both the door and the door frame or closure mounted thereon.

15. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein said first leaf member is mountable on the edge of the hinge side surface of the door spaced from the hinged mounting of the door in the frame.

16. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein said first leaf member is mountable on a face of a door adjacent the edge of the hinge side thereof spaced from the hinged mounting of the door in the frame.

17. An assembly as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the first and/or second elongate plate members are cranked across their width so as to allow them in use to overlie respective leaf members to which they are hingeably connected when a door on which the assembly is mounted is fully closed.

18. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 17, wherein said elongate plate members extend substantially the height of a door, window or closure with which the assembly is to be used.

19. A door, window or other closure for an aperture hingeably supported in a frame in combination with an assembly is claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. A security assembly as claimed in Claim 1, and substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

21. A security assembly as claimed in Claim 1, and substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 3 and 4, of the accompanying drawings.

22. A security assembly as claimed in Claim 1, and substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

23. A security assembly as claimed in Claim 1, and substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.