GB2323115A

GB2323115A - Mounting door and window frames to building apertures

Info

Publication number: GB2323115A
Application number: GB9705177A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Charles Alistair Smith
Original assignee: PERMACELL FINESSE Ltd
Current assignee: PERMACELL FINESSE Ltd
Priority date: 1997-03-13
Filing date: 1997-03-13
Publication date: 1998-09-16
Anticipated expiration: 2017-03-13
Also published as: GB9705177D0; GB2323115B

Abstract

In mounting a door or window frame to an opening in a building, the frame 10 carries a locator 12 that engages with a mounting surface on the building aperture. The locator may be attached to the frame by a snap-fit formations 20, 33 and the mounting surface may be provided by a member 11 consisting of mounting surface 21 and cavity closer 23. The locator is attached to the mounting surface by a releasable fastener such as a screw 37, preferably passing through holes in a bead formation 34, 35, the heads of the screws being concealed by a cover 36.

Description

DOOR AND WINDOW ASSEMBLIES The invention relates to door and window assemblies and in particular to the installation of door and window assemblies into new building.

A door or window comprises a fixed frame with a leaf movable relative to the frame to open and close the door or window.

When the door or window is to be installed in a new building, it is necessary to mount the fixed frame in an opening in the building.

It has been traditional, particularly with fixed frames that are constructed of wood, to build the frame into the building as it is constructed. This has a number of disadvantages.

First, the frame itself can be damaged during construction.

Secondly, where the leaf is glazed, it is generally not advisable to install such glazing as the building is being constructed. There is thus the requirement for an additional glazing step in the construction process.

In order to overcome these difficulties, it has been proposed to construct the building with a door or window opening of requisite size and then fit a fully complete door or window into the finished opening. This is particularly advantageous where the door or window is formed from a plastics material such as PVCu.

In order to provide a mounting for the fixed frame of such a door or window, it has been customary to include at the opening a member providing a mounting surface lying in a plane normal to the plane of the door or window opening and extending around at least a portion of the opening. The frame is inserted into the opening and includes an outer peripheral edge which faces the mounting surface.

With a number of previous proposals, the mounting surface has an upstanding flange or shoulder extending along the surface in the plane of the opening to determine the position of the frame relative to the member when the frame is inserted into the opening. This has the disadvantage, however, that the frame can be inserted only from one side of the opening. It also has the disadvantage that, if the position determined by the flange or stop is not a satisfactory position, it can be difficult to alter the frame position.

According to the invention, there is provided a door or window assembly comprising a member providing a mounting surface lying in a plane normal to the plane of the opening and extending around at least a portion of said opening, a frame in said opening and including an outer peripheral edge which faces said mounting surface and a locator releasably connected to the mounting surface and to the frame outer peripheral edge to locate the frame relative to the opening in directions normal to the plane of the frame.

By having a locator connected to the frame outer peripheral edge, the parts can be slide together into the opening and then the locator connected to the mounting surface.

The invention also includes within its scope a locator for use in fixing a door or window frame in a building opening, comprising a base member including a surface for engagement with a mounting surface on the opening, connecting means for connecting the locator to a frame and means for connecting the locator to the building.

The following is a more detailed description of two embodiments of the invention, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross-section through a part of a door or window assembly in a plane normal to the plane of the door or window showing a mounting member, a frame of the door or window and a locator, and Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1 but showing an alternative form of locator.

Referring first to Figure 1, the door and window assembly comprises a door or window frame 10 connected to a mounting member 11 by a locator 12.

The frame 10 may be formed from any suitable material but is preferably extruded from PVcU. The frame is generally rectangular in shape and formed from four interconnected frame sections, one of which is shown at 13. The frame section is generally rectangular and provides an exterior wall 14 and a parallel interior wall 15. These walls 14,15 are interconnected by an inner wall 16 and an outer wall 17. The inner wall 16 thus runs round the interior of the frame 10 and provides formations that mount glazing units (not shown) in the frame 10. The outer wall 17 forms the outer peripheral edge of the frame 10 and is provided with two channels 18 extending along the length of the outer wall 17. Each channel is formed by a pair of parallel flanges 19 with the end of each flange being provided with an inwardly directed lip 20.

The centre of each frame section 13 is hollow and may contain a rectangular metal reinforcement (not shown).

The mounting member 11 is generally T-shaped with an elongate mounting surface 21 and a cavity closer 22. The cavity closer 22 extends into a cavity 23 between an exterior wall 24 and the interior wall 25 of a building. The mounting surface 21 overlaps the aperture-defining surfaces of these walls 24,25.

The mounting member 11 extends around the whole of the aperture in the building. The mounting surface 21 thus lies in a plane normal to the plane of the aperture. The mounting surface 21 is formed with a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending parallel indentations 26 for a purpose to be described below. Between the indentations, the surface is formed with a plurality of small ribs 27 extending parallel to one another and parallel to the indentations 26.

The locator 12 comprises an elongate base member 28 having a parallel side edges 29. The base member 28 has an inner surface 30 and an outer surface 31. Two flexible fins 32 are carried on the outer surface 31. Each flexible fin is generally V-shaped and is located adjacent a respective one of the side edges 29.

The locator may be formed from a plastics material preferably by extrusion. The plastics material may be PVCu.

The inner surface 30 carries, towards one side edge 29, a pair of elongate projecting fingers 33 that are arranged to be a snap fit in either of the channels 18 in the outer frame wall 17. The inner surface 30 also carries, adjacent the other side edge 29, a pair of flanges 34 that extend parallel to one another and to the side edges 29. The flanges are interconnected by a web 35 at a point spaced from the inner surface 30. The web 35 is angled relative to the base member 28 and is provided with a succession of holes (not shown) along the length of the web 35. These holes are in register with corresponding holes in the base member 28.

A cover 36 closes the space between the. open ends of the flanges 34 and clips onto the flanges 34.

In use, the locator 12 is cut into lengths to fit round the interior of the building aperture. Each locator length 12 is then engaged with an associated frame section 13 by snapfitting the fingers 33 over the lips 20 into a channel 18. In general, this will be the channel 18 adjacent the interior wall 15. When so engaged, the dimensions of the locator 12 and the frame section 13 are such that the interior wall 15 abuts against one of the flanges 34 on the locator 12. This is seen in Figure 1.

The frame is then inserted into the building aperture which is fitted with mounting members 11 around its periphery, as described above. During this insertion, the fins 32 flex as they pass over the mounting surface 21. The spacing between the fins 32 and between the indentations 26 is such that the fins 32 will locate in one of a number of pairs of indentations 26 defining various positions of the frame 10 relative to the aperture.

When the frame 10 is located at a required position defined by engagement between the fins 32 and a particular pair of indentations 26, screws 37 are inserted through the holes in the webs 35 and the associated holes in the base members 28.

The screws 37 pass through the mounting surface 21 and into the cavity closer 22. In this way, the frame 10 is fixed in the aperture in a required position. The frame can be removed by removing the screws 37 and then removing the frame from either the interior or the exterior of the building.

The door or window assembly described above with reference to the drawings has a number of advantages. It allows windows or doors which have been factory glazed to be installed from either inside or outside of a building. It allows subsequent removal of the window or door with minimum damage to interior decoration.

The fins 32 provide positive location for the window or door frame with alternative rebate dimensions and effectively holds the frame in place prior to secure fixing with the screws 37.

The locator clips into the frame and is thus readily mounted on the frame. It provides a channel through which the frame can be securely fixed into the aperture in the building.

These fixings are hidden by the cover 36.

Further, the fins 32 provide a weathering seal prior to the application of exterior mastic sealants.

Referring next to Figure 2, parts common to Figure 1 and to Figure 2 will be given the same reference numerals and will not be described in detail.

In the assembly of Figure 2, the cover 36 of the locator 12 is omitted and the flanges 34 extended. The locator 12 is extruded from a plastics material and a cover 38 is provided that is extruded as part of the locator profile. The cover 38 may be of a different plastics material to the locator. For example, the locator 12 may be of PVCu and the cover another grade of PVC. The cover 38 is formed with a hinge 39 connecting it to the locator 12. The hinge 39 may be of plasticised PVC. The opposite edge is a snap-fit with the locator 12. A seal 40 is also provided on the cover 38 for engagement with the interior wall 15.

It will be appreciated that there are a number of changes that may be made to the arrangement described above.

The locator 12 need not be in snap-fit engagement with the frame 10; it could be engaged with the frame 10 in any convenient way. The mounting member 11 need not be provided as a cavity closer; it could be any form of mounting member that fixes to the building and can accept a connection from the locator.

The door or window frame 10 can have any convenient profile; it need not be as described above.

Further, the mounting member 11 need not extend around the whole of the aperture. It may, with some types of lintel, only extend along the lower edge and the side edges of the aperture.

Claims

1. A door or window assembly comprising a member providing a mounting surface lying in a plane normal to the plane of the opening and extending around at least a portion of said opening, a frame in said opening and including an outer peripheral edge which faces said mounting surface and a locator releasably connected to the mounting surface and the frame outer peripheral edge to locate the frame relative to the opening in directions normal to the plane of the frame.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the locator includes a surface parallel to the mounting surface, the locator surface sliding across the mounting surface as the position of the frame is adjusted in said direction normal to the plane of the opening.

3. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein said locator and said mounting surface include inter-engaging means that resist said sliding movement at at least one relative disposition of the frame and the mounting surface in said direction.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein said interengaging means comprise at least one projection on the locator and at least one groove on the mounting surface.

5. An assembly according to claim 4 wherein the projection comprises a fin of an elastomeric material extending along the location in a direction parallel to the plane of the frame and the groove extends along said mounting surface in a direction parallel to the plane of the opening.

6. An assembly according to claim 5 wherein said fin is one of two such fins and said groove is one of at least one pair of grooves that receive said fins in one position of the frame relative to the opening.

7. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the frame peripheral edge and the locator include an inter-engaging connection.

8. An assembly according to claim 7 wherein the locator includes a part which is a snap fit with a part on said frame peripheral edge.

9. An assembly according to any one of claim 1 to 8 wherein the locator includes a hole with fixing means passing through said hole and the mounting surface to connect the locator to the building.

10. An assembly according to claim 9 wherein said fixing is a screw.

11. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the frame includes a surface adjacent said outer peripheral edge and lying in a plane parallel to the plane of the frame, the locator including a bead having an edge face that engages said frame surface.

12. An assembly according to claim 11 and wherein the locator includes a hole with fixing means passing through said hole and the mounting surface to connect the locator to the building, said bead being hollow and said hole being provided within said bead, said bead having an opening giving access to said fixing means.

13. An assembly according to claim 12 wherein said opening is closed by a removable cover.

14. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein the frame is rectangular, the mounting surface and the locator extending along at least one of the sides of the frame.

15. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 14 wherein said mounting surface is formed on a cavity closer.

16. A door or window assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. A locator for use in fixing a door or window frame in a building opening comprising a base member including a surface for engagement with a mounting surface on the opening, connecting means for connecting the locator to a frame and means for connecting the locator to the building.

18. A locator according to claim 18 wherein the base member surface carries at least one means for engaging said mounting surface to resist relative sliding movement between the mounting surface and the locator surface.

19. A locator according to claim 18 wherein said means comprise a flexible fin mounted on said surface.

20. A locator according to claim 19 wherein said flexible fin is one of two such flexible fins extending parallel to one another along the surface.

21. A locator according to any one of claims 17 to 20 wherein said connector means comprise part of a snap-fitting for engaging a co-operating portion of the snap-fitting on a frame.

22. A locator according to any one of claims 17 to 21 wherein the connecting means for connecting the locator to a building comprise a screw-hole through which a screw is passable into engagement with the building.

23. A locator according to claim 22 and including a hollow bead formed on said base member, said hole being formed within said bead and being accessible through an opening in said bead.

24. A locator according to claim 20 wherein said opening is closed by a removable cover.

25. A locator substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.