GB2483532A

GB2483532A - Clip together access panel frame

Info

Publication number: GB2483532A
Application number: GB1109891.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Eccleshall
Original assignee: SIG Manufacturing Ltd
Current assignee: SIG Manufacturing Ltd
Priority date: 2010-09-07
Filing date: 2011-06-13
Publication date: 2012-03-14
Also published as: GB201014832D0; GB201109891D0

Abstract

An access panel for fitting into a wall or ceiling structure comprises a box configured to be located within the wall or ceiling structure and an outer frame configured to overlap an outer face of the wall or ceiling structure. In one aspect the box has side walls which are joined at least at one point by a wall clip formation to form the box. The side walls may comprise four strips which clip together. The outer frame may clip to the side walls or be formed integrally with them. The box may be of folded metal. A clip fastener comprising a hook with a barb and a lip is a separate aspect of the invention. A frame of L-section extrusion with mitered corners is another separate aspect.

Description

ACCESS PANEL

The present invention relates to an access panel for fitting to walls, ceilings and the like, and a method of assembling such a panel. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to an access panel assembled by clipping components together.

It is known to fit access panels into walls (particularly plasterboard walls) in order to provide access to electrical fittings, plumbing and the like. Such access panels are often lockable, and can have varying degrees of fire-resistance. They are usually made of welded steel.

There are downsides to existing panels. Most comprise a door set in a frame, the frame comprising strips of steel Z-section welded together to form the frame. The welding process is time consuming, expensive and requires relatively skilled labour. As welding spoils the finish of a material, welded access panels are usually painted or covered in some other way once welding has taken place, which restricts the way in which the panels may be manufactured and is time consuming. In addition, plastering operations must be taken into account. Fitting a known access panel into a newly plastered wall may disturb the freshly-applied plaster, if done too soon, or delay the overall construction process if it is necessary to wait until the plaster is fully set before installation.

The present invention seeks to alleviate or at least mitigate the problems of the prior art.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an access panel for fitting into a wall or ceiling structure comprising a box configured to be located within the wall or ceiling structure and an outer frame configured to overlap an outer face of the wall or ceiling structure, the box having side walls wherein the side walls are joined at least at one point by a wall clip formation to form the box.

Preferably each side wall and a corresponding frame member are integrally formed from the same piece of material.

The box and outer frame are advantageously formed from sheet metal, preferably sheet steel.

The side wall and frame member may have a Z cross-section.

The or each wall clip formation advantageously comprises at least one integral wall clip on one wall member thereof. Preferably, the integral wall clip is formed from the respective side wall. Advantageously, the integral wall clip comprises a barb.

The wall clip formation preferably further comprises a complementary clip attachment feature on a second side wall thereof, more preferably the clip attachment feature is an aperture.

The wall clip formation advantageously comprises a tab extending from one side wall arranged substantially normal to the remainder of the wall panel so as to be in an overlying relationship with a corresponding second side wall.

The box may comprises at least two members, preferably four members in the form of strips.

Two strips may each comprise two tabs extending from opposing ends of one side wall.

The access panel advantageously comprises a door keep, and the keep is preferably clipped to a side wall.

A second aspect of the present provides a method of assembling an access panel comprising the steps of: a) providing a one or more strips to define side walls of a box of the access panel b) providing an outer frame c) clipping in place the or each strip to form the box.

A third aspect of the present invention provides an access panel for fitting into a wall or ceiling structure comprising a box configured to be located within the wall structure and an outer frame, at least a portion of which is configured to overlap an outer face of the wall or ceiling structure, the box having side walls and an open end, and the outer frame being connected to said open end by a frame clip formation. This arrangement has been found to provide a cost effective and secure way of assembling such an access panel. The side walls may be at least at one point joined to one another by a clip formation, and/or may comprise at

I

least one integral clip. The integral clip may be punched from the respective side wall, and/or may comprise a barb.

The frame may comprise extruded members, preferably aluminium. Extrusion has been found to provide the features of the frame in a cost-effective way. The frame may comprise a plurality of members joined at least at one point by a frame clip formation. The frame may advantageously be clipped to the open end of the box by at least one wall clip integral to said box, and/or may comprise substantially L-shaped members, of which one leg may be configured to extend next to said box side walls and have a recess configured for interlocking with said integral clips. The frame may alternatively comprise a single strip of extruded material, preferably aluminium or plastics, bent at predefined points such that its ends can be clipped together.

The access panel may further comprise a door, which may comprise a latch aperture and/or a latch and a keep, the keep being attached to the access panel by a clip formation.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connection comprising first and second components, the first component having an integral clip comprising a hook and a barb projecting from the body of the hook, and the second component comprising an extruded member having an elongate lip, wherein the extruded member is received in the clip such that the barb is engaged by the elongate lip. This connection arrangement has been found to be a quick and effective way of connecting sheet metal to extruded components.

A fifth aspect of the present invention provides a frame formed from an extrusion comprising an L-shaped profile and having one or more corners, the extrusion having a corresponding pair of chamfered cut-outs at each comer.

A sixth aspect of the present invention provides a kit of parts for forming an access panel according to the first aspect of the present invention, which may further comprise a strip to be folded into the frame.

A seventh aspect of the present invention provides a method of assembling an access panel comprising the steps of: a) providing a box having side walls and an open end b) providing an outer frame c) clipping the outer frame to the open end of the box.

The method may comprise the additional steps of: i) clipping in place a pre-prepared strip to form the box of step a) ii) clipping together extruded members to form the outer frame of step b).

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is now described with reference to the following drawings in which: FIGURE 1 shows a front perspective view of the access panel according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIGURE 2 shows a rear perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 1; FIGURE 3 shows an alternative rear perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 1; FIGURE 4 shows a detail view of a clip of the embodiment of Figure 1; FIGURE 5 shows a perspective view of the keep of the embodiment of Figure 1; FIGURE 6 shows an exploded view of the frame of the access panel of Figures 1 and 2; FIGURE 7 shows a detail view of the exploded frame of Figure 6; FIGURE 8 shows a cross-section through the frame, box and door of the access panel of the previous figures on the plane 8-8 of Figure 3; FIGURE 9 shows a detail view of a locking arrangement of a second embodiment of the present invention; and FIGURE 10 shows a detail view of the lock aperture of the door of the access panel of the previous figures.

FIGURE 11 is an exploded perspective view of an access panel according to a third embodiment of the present invention; FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of the access panel of Figure 11; FIGURE 13 is a perspective view of a corner of the panel of Figure 11 looking inboard; FIGURE 14 is a perspective view of a corner of the panel of Figure 11 looking radially inwards; FIGURE 15 is a perspective view of the corner of Figure 14 looking outboard; and FIGURE 16 is a perspective view of an access panel of Figure 11 additionally showing a door thereof.

With reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, an access panel indicated generally at 10 in this embodiment comprises a box 12, a frame 14 and a door 16. The access panel 10 has an outboard side lOa and an inboard side lOb. When installed, the outboard side lOa is at the outer face of the installation wall structure 2 (Fig. 8), while the inboard side lOb extends into the wall structure. The box 12 comprises a preferably galvanised steel sheet strip 18 folded through substantially 9Q0 at three corner points to form a rectangle comprising four side walls 20. The strip 18 comprises creases 15 at the corner points, allowing the folds to be created at appropriate locations. The edge of the strip 18 at the inboard side of the box is folded through substantially 90° towards the interior of the rectangle to form a peripheral flange 22.

Since, ultimately, the box 12 is not visible in normal use, no painting of the box may be needed, saving cost over known fabricated panels, which require painting of all parts.

Furthermore, corrosion resistance is provided by the galvanising.

Two wall clips 24 are positioned towards a first end 19 of the strip 18, on the interior side of the wall 20 (see Fig. 3). Each wall clip 24, shown in detail in Fig. 4, comprises a hook-shape punched from the strip 18, with the open end of each hook directed towards the strip first end 19. Examples of such hooks are "SnapLocks", made by Mate Tooling Solutions Ltd of Northampton. A central barb 27 extends from each hook towards the wall 20 from which it is formed. The wall clips 24 are in line with one another and equidistant from the strip first end 19. A second end 21 of the strip 18 is folded through substantially 90° to form a tab 23 which is received by the wall clips 24, thus keeping the box 12 in shape (see Fig. 3). The tab 23 comprises two apertures 26 which correspond to the wall clip barbs 27, and into which the barbs 27 project in order to secure the tab 23. The first end 19 of the strip 18 is flush with the wall 20 adjacent the tab 23.

The walls 20 of the box each comprise two frame clips 28 similar to the wall clips 24, although in this case the open end of the hook of each clip is directed towards an outboard side 25 of the box 12 and the spacing between the hook and the surrounding wall 20 is increased for reasons discussed below. The barb 29 (see Fig. 8) of each frame clip 28 extends towards the respective wall 20 from which each frame clip 28 is formed.

One wall 20 comprises two keep clips 58 similar to the wall clips 24 and the frame clips 28, shown in Fig. 2. As with the wall clips 28, the open end of the hook of each keep clip 58 is directed towards the outboard side 25 of the box 12, and the barb (not shown) of each keep clip 58 extends towards the wall 20 from which they are formed. The keep clips 58 are positioned between the two frame clips 28 of the wall from which they are formed. The keep clips 58 are in line with one another and equidistant from the outboard side 25 of the box 12.

With particular reference to Figure 5, the box 12 further includes a keep 56 comprising a galvanised steel plate stamped and bent through substantially 90° to form a first ann 57 and a second arm 59. The first arm 57 comprises a pair of apertures 60 that correspond to the projections of the keep clips 58, which extend into the apertures 60 and hold the keep 56 in place. The second arm 59 is positioned towards the outboard side 25 of the box 12, substantially perpendicular to the walls 20, and comprises a first step 62 and a second step 66 on its inboard side, the steps rising towards the first arm 57. The function of the keep 56 is discussed in more detail below.

Referring to Figures 3, 6 and 7, the frame 14 of this embodiment comprises four extruded aluminium members 30. In altemative embodiments the extruded members may be manufactured from plastics. The ends of each member 30 have a substantially 45° chamfer, allowing the four members 30 to be fitted together to form a rectangle. Aluminium and plastics both offer improved corrosion resistance over the steel of the prior art with no need for protection from paint, for example.

In this embodiment, the cross-section of the extruded frame members 30, one of which is shown in Fig. 8, is substantially L-shaped. The short leg 36 of the L' forms a part of the frame perpendicular to the walls 20 of the box 12 and intended to be visible when the access panel 10 is installed. The long leg 38 of the L' extends into the interior of the box 12 parallel to the walls 20 of the box 12. The outboard side of the box 12 abuts the underside of the short leg 36.

The short leg 36 of each member 30 comprises a C-shape in cross-section defining an channel 40 configured to receive the arms of and be held in connection with one another by corner clips 32. The corner clips 32, as best seen in Fig. 6, each comprise a V-shaped strip of steel having a raised tooth 34 on each edge of each arm of the V', the free end of each tooth 34 being directed towards the apex of the LV'. The raised teeth 34 are biased against the inside of the channel 40 at an angle that means that they can be pushed in with a relatively low force, but require a high force to remove. The members 30 are thereby secured together to form the frame 14.

The long leg 38 of each member 30 comprises a trough 42 positioned on the outside of the L' towards its outboard end and a clip recess 44 positioned between the trough 42 and the inboard side end of the long leg 38. Each of these features extends along the length of each member 30 as part of the extruded cross-section, except where there are cut-outs 41 to provide space for fitting of the keep 56. The trough 42 is configured to receive an intumescent seal 43.

The barb 29 of each of the frame clips 28 extends into the clip recess 44 of the member 30, holding the frame 14 to the box 12. The long leg 38 further comprises a ramp 45 extending from the inboard side end of the long leg 38 to the clip recess 44. The ramp 45 assists assembly of the frame 14 and box 12 by enabling the clip to progressively resiliently deflect until the barb 29 may spring back and engage against the wall of the clip recess 44.

The frame 14 is connected to the outboard side of the box 12 as described below, and provides a peripheral abutment for mounting the box 12 and the door 16 against a wall.

When installed, the frame 14 lies against the exterior of the wall structure 2 in which the access panel is fitted, as can be seen in Figure 8.

The rectangular door 16 (see Figs. 1 to 3) comprises a front panel 64, a latch edge 65 and a hinge edge 67. The door 16 is formed from galvanised, painted or powder coated metal sheet. The door 16 has four door side walls 68 extending inboard from the edges of the panel 64, each side wall 68 further having a flange 46 extending parallel to the panel 64 to add to its rigidity.

The two door side walls 68 adjacent the hinge edge 67 each comprise a hinge aperture (not shown), positioned directly opposite one another and. The hinge apertures are configured to receive a hinge pin 48, which extends through corresponding apertures 49 in the walls 20 of the box 12, thus retaining the door 16 on a hinge. Two washers 70, one towards each end of the rod 48, hold the rod 48 in place. When the door is closed, the outer face of the door 16 is substantially flush with the outer face of the frame 14.

The flange 46 at the latch edge 65 of the door 16 is extended to provide a mounting 52 for a latch mechanism 54. Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 10, the door 16 further comprises a latch aperture 50 on the front panel 64 in line with the latch mounting 52. In this embodiment the latch mechanism 54 comprises a rotatable latch bolt 55, and a key operated lock 63 extending through the latch aperture 50.

An alternative latch mechanism is shown in Fig. 9, where features which are substantially the same as those of the previous embodiment are given corresponding reference numbers with the prefix 1'. Here, a lower security option is used, the latch mechanism 154 in this case being operated with a T-shaped key (not shown) having a square drive end. Rotation of the T-shaped key in the aperture 161 causes the latch bolt 155 to deploy and retract. The latch mechanism 154 has a corresponding square aperture 161.

The latch aperture 50 is adaptable for use with a range of latching and locking arrangements including both of those outlined above, being semicircular at one end 51 and widening out to a straight-sided main portion 53. When a relatively simple latching arrangement such as either mechanism 54 or 154, which require only a circular aperture, is used, a grommet (not shown) can be used to cover the remainder of the aperture 50. More secure latches may utilise the straight-sided body portion 53, so no such grommet would be required.

The free end of the latch bolt 55 extends, when in the latched position, behind the keep 56, thus preventing the door 16 from opening. The nature of the keep 56 also allows a range of latches to be used, as shown in Figures 2 and 9. In the arrangement of Fig. 2, the latch bolt is secured behind the inboard side of the second step 66. In the arrangement of Fig. 9, the latch bolt 155 is secured behind the lower first step 62. Both types of latch mechanism are standard off-the-shelf components, and the keep 56 enables both to be used without further adaptations or additional components to save costs.

Assembly of the access panel 10 is simple, requiring unskilled labour and few, if any, tools.

Indeed, although presently intended to be assembled off-site, the components of the access panel could be supplied in kit form for assembly to be carried out at the site where the access panel is to be fitted.

Assembly is as follows: The strip 18 is folded, and the tab 23 is inserted into the wall clips 24, thus forming the box 12. The keep 56 is clipped into the keep clips 58. The frame members 30 are connected to one another by the insertion of the corner clips 32. If fire resistance is required, the intumescent seal is inserted into the trough 42 and held in place by adhesive.

The assembled frame 14 is clipped to the box 12, the legs 38 of the members 30 being held by the frame clips 28. The door 16 is supplied pre-folded, and is attached to the access panel by the insertion of the rod 48 and connection of the washers 70. The latch mechanism 54 is secured (e.g. by bolts) to the latch mounting 52 and through the latch aperture 50. In alternative embodiments, a latch may be pre-attached to the door 16.

Figures 11 to 16 illustrate a third embodiment of the present invention in which like parts are denoted by like numerals with the addition of the prefix "2". Only those components that differ from the first embodiment are discussed in more detail.

This embodiment differs from the first in that the box 212 is formed from individual strips 2i8a-d for each side wall 220 and an inboard flange 222. Corresponding short legs 236a-d acting as frame members are also integrally formed with each strip 2l8a-d by being bent through 90° to form a Z cross-section of sheet metal, e.g. sheet steel.

To enable the short legs 236a-236d to extend radially outwards and overlie the exterior of the wall structure 2 and form the frame 214 in an uninterrupted manner, the ends of each short leg 236a-d member are bevelled at 45°. To achieve this whilst providing an integral frame is the reason why, in this embodiment, each box wall 220 is formed from a separate piece of material. Each member must therefore be secured together to form the complete box 212 and frame 214.

In the prior art, this has been achieved by use of welding techniques, typically spot welds.

However, this requires an investment in welding equipment and operator training, and also damages the surface finish of the components, which limits the manufacturing process to coating and other finishing operations being carried out after welding.

By contrast, in this embodiment, each strip 218a-d is joined by a wall clip formation as best seen in Figures 13 to 15. In this embodiment two of the strips 218b and 218d are provided with two tabs 223 extending from opposing ends thereof, substantially normal to the plane of the wall 220, as can be seen most clearly in Figure 16. Each tab comprises a clip attachment feature in the form of two locating recesses 280 in the free end thereof and two apertures 226 (Fig. 13) spaced therefrom a predetermined distance.

In this embodiment a hanger feature 284 is further provided between the two locating recesses 280. The hanger feature comprises a loop connected to the tab by thin portions of metal for reasons discussed below.

The two remaining strips 218a and 2l8c are provided with two wall clips 224 similar to the clips of the first embodiment and adjacent each end of the wall member with their mouths facing the ends. At each end the clips 224 are mutually spaced so as to be received in the locating recesses 280 of the tabs 223.

With reference to Figures 11 and 16 strip 218c further comprises a pair of slots 282 and adjacent smaller apertures (not visible) to mount a door keep 256 thereto. The keep 256 is a length of angled sheet metal, one arm 257 of which is provided with a pair of keep clips 258, and the second of which 259 acts as the surface against which a door (not shown) may be latched in a similar manner to the first embodiment. The keep clips are spaced so that they may be inserted through slots 282 and then slid lengthwise of the strip 21 8c so that the barbs of the keep clips engage the apertures of the wall member and hold the keep in place. h this embodiment, the keep 256b extends the full length of the wall 220, and therefore may contact adjacent strips 2l8b and 218d when assembled to provide additional rigidity to the access panel. In other embodiments, a shorter keep may instead be used, and the locations of clips and apertures reversed. Alternatively, the keep may be formed by stamping a tab from a strip and folding it through 90°, further minimising the number of parts needed As can be seen in Figures Ii and 16, the strips 218b and 218d that have the tabs also further comprise hinge apertures 249 adjacent each end thereof. These apertures 249 receive a hinge pin (not shown) for a door similar to that of the first embodiment. By providing apertures at each end of these strips 218b and 2l8d, they are identical and interchangeable, thus minimising the number of different parts needed.

Each wall 220 is, in this embodiment further provided with mounting apertures 286 through which screws or other suitable fasteners may be inserted to hold the access panel 210 within a wall structure 2.

To construct the wall and frame portion of the panel 210 of this embodiment, an operative is provided with five components of four different types: two strips with tabs 218b and 218d, one strip with wall clips and slots for mounting the keep 21 8c, one strip with wall clips only 218a and a keep 256.

The operative first assembles the keep to strip 218c, and then simply aligns the clips of one strip 218b or 2l8d with the recesses 280 of a second strip 218a or 218c and pushes them together until the barbs 227 of the clips engage with the corresponding apertures 226. This process is repeated at each corner to construct the complete box 212 and frame 214.

If the frame 214 and box 212 is to be treated/coated after assembly, one or more of the hanger features 284 may be manually bent out of alignment with the remainder of the box 212 and used to suspend the box on a hook (not shown) whilst it is treated e.g. degreased or powder coated. Subsequent bending of the hanger feature 284 causes the thin portions of metal to fatigue and snap off, so they do not interfere with subsequent use of the access panel.

The door 216 is then assembled to the box 212 as in the first embodiment to produce a complete access panel as seen in Figure 16.

In variants of this embodiment, each strip may be provided with a tab at one end and clips at the other end. Thus, for a square panel, only one type of strip is needed for every wall, or for rectangular panels, only two are needed. Various wall clip formations may be used with different numbers, and locations of clips. In addition, the clips may be orientated in an inboard-outboard-direction, and the short leg may be a separate component from the box.

The wall, frame and/or keep clips allow easy connection of respective parts, but are difficult to separate due to the nature of the clip projections, and are not intended to allow disassembly of the access panel. The intumescent seal will, in the case of fire, expand to form a seal between the frame and the door, protecting the area to which the panel provides access. A range of seals can be used, depending on the level of fire resistance required.

The composition of the access panel allows it to be assembled quickly and easily. The appearance of the components is not disfigured in any way during assembly, so there is no need for subsequent painting. In the first embodiment the box of the access panel can be inserted into a wall prior to a final plastering or wall painting operation and the frame attached afterwards, preventing disfigurement of fresh plaster or paint, or the entire panel may be inserted into a wall after plastering and/or painting of the wall structure. In other embodiments, the frame may have an inboard extending lip around its peripheral edge. This allows the panel to be installed before a plastering operation, and allows plaster to be spread up to the edge of that lip whilst disguising the fact that it is not spread to the edge of the aperture in which the access panel is installed. In further embodiments, the short leg 36, 236 of the frame may be replaced with open mesh to permit the frame to be keyed into the plaster and give the appearance of the plaster extending up to the edge of the door.

In variants, the frame members may be provided as a single, chamfered extrusion, which is folded into a rectangle and secured at its free ends by a single corner clip. In alternative embodiments, the box may have a fully or partially closed backing panel, and may have openings in the side walls. The dimensions of the various components may be altered as needed. In place of the hinge rod arrangement described herein, other known, suitable hinge mechanisms may be used, such as hinge pins.

Although not required due to the corrosion resistant materials used in the access panel, the panel may be painted, laminated or otherwise covered for aesthetic reasons. Vinyl, which may have the appearance of wood, could be used, as could wood veneer or polyvinylchloride (PVC) coatings.

Whilst not currently preferred, the skilled reader would appreciate that certain benefits of the invention will be obtained from using a welded frame and welded box that are clipped together with the frame clips described above.

Claims

Claims 1. An access panel for fitting into a wall or ceiling structure comprising a box configured to be located within the wall or ceiling structure and an outer frame configured to overlap an outer face of the wall or ceiling structure, the box having side walls wherein the side walls are joined at least at one point by a wall clip formation to form the box.
2. An access panel according to claim 1 wherein each side wall and a corresponding frame member are integrally formed from the same piece of material.
3. An access panel according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the box and outer frame are formed from sheet metal, preferably sheet steel.
4. An access panel according to any preceding claim wherein the side wall and frame member have a Z cross-section.
5. An access panel according to any preceding claim wherein the or each wall clip formation comprises at least one integral wall clip on one wall member thereof.
6. An access panel according to claim 5 wherein the integral wall clip is formed from the respective side wall.
7. An access panel according to claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the integral wall clip comprises a barb.
8. An access panel according to any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein the wall clip formation further comprises a complementary clip attachment feature on a second side wall thereof.
9. An access panel according to claim 8 wherein the clip attachment feature comprises an aperture.
10. An access panel according to any preceding claim wherein the wall clip formation comprises a tab extending from one side wall arranged substantially normal to the remainder of the wall panel so as to be in an overlying relationship with a corresponding second side wall.
11. An access panel according to any preceding claim wherein the box comprises at least two members.
12. An access panel according to any preceding claim wherein the box comprises four members in the form of strips.
13. An access panel according to claim 12 when dependent upon claim 10 wherein two strips each comprise two tabs extending from opposing ends of one side wall.
14. An access panel according to any preceding claim further comprising a door keep.
15. An access panel according to claim 14 wherein the keep is clipped to a side wall.
16. A method of assembling an access panel comprising the steps of: a) providing a one or more strips to define side walls of a box of the access panel b) providing an outer frame c) clipping in place the or each strip to form the box.
17. An access panel for fitting into a wall or ceiling structure comprising a box configured to be located within the wall structure and an outer frame, at least a portion of which is configured to overlap an outer face of the wall or ceiling structure, the box having side walls and an outboard end, and the outer frame being connected to said outboard end by a frame clip formation.
18. An access panel according to claim 17 wherein the side walls are at least at one point joined to one another by a wall clip formation.
19. An access panel according to claim 18 wherein the wall clip formation comprises at least one integral wall clip.
20. An access panel according to claim 19 wherein the integral wall clip is punched from the respective side wall.
21. An access panel according to claim 19 or claim 20 wherein the integral wall clip comprises a barb.
22. An access panel according to any one of claims 17 to 21 wherein the frame comprises an extruded member, preferably of aluminium or plastics.
23. An access panel according to any of claims 17 to 22 wherein the frame comprises a plurality of members joined at least at one point by a corner clip formation.
24. An access panel according to any one of claims 17 to 23 wherein the frame is clipped to the outboard end of the box by a frame clip formation including at least one frame clip integral to said box.
25. An access panel according to any one of claims 17 to 24 wherein the frame comprises at least one substantially L-shaped member.
26. An access panel according to claim 25 wherein one leg of the L' shape is configured to extend next to a corresponding box side wall.
27. An access panel according to claim 25 or claim 26 wherein one leg of the U shape has a recess configured for interlocking with said integral clips.
28. An access panel according to any one of claims 17 to 22 or 24 to 27 wherein the frame comprises a single strip of extruded material, preferably aluminium or plastics, bent at predefined points.
29. An access panel according to any preceding claim further comprising a door.
30. An access panel according to claim 29 wherein the door comprises a lock aperture.
31. An access panel according to claim 30 further comprising a latch and a keep, the keep being attached to the access panel by a clip formation.
32. A connection comprising first and second components, the first component having an integral clip comprising a hook and a barb projecting from the body of the hook, and the second component comprising an extruded member having an elongate lip, wherein the extruded member is received in the clip such that the barb is engaged by the elongate lip.
33. A connection according to claim 32 wherein said second component further comprises a ramp configured to ease the connection of the two components.
34. A frame formed from an extrusion comprising an L-shaped profile and having one or more corners, the extrusion having a corresponding pair of chamfered cut-outs at each corner.
35. A kit of parts for forming an access panel according to any one of claims 1 to 31.
36. A kit of parts according to claim 35 wherein the frame comprises a strip to be folded into a frame.
37. A method of assembling an access panel comprising the steps of: a) providing a box having side walls and an outboard end b) providing an outer frame c) clipping the outer frame to the outboard end of the box.
38. A method of assembling an access panel according to claim 37 comprising the additional step of clipping in place a pre-prepared strip to form the box of step a).
39. A method of assembling an access panel according to claim 37 or claim 38 comprising the additional step of clipping together extruded members to form the outer frame ofstepb).
40. An access panel, connection, frame or method substantially as hereinbefore described and/or with reference to figures 1.2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and/or 16 of the drawings.