WO2019161924A1

WO2019161924A1 - Reinforcement bar and method for reinforcing a door assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2019161924A1
Application number: PCT/EP2018/054606
Authority: WO
Inventors: Per Gustafson
Original assignee: Apertilis Ab
Priority date: 2018-02-26
Filing date: 2018-02-26
Publication date: 2019-08-29

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a reinforcement bar for a door assembly, said reinforcement bar being adapted to be introduced in a gap between a door frame and a wall, wherein the reinforcement has a length of at least 1000 mm and is adapted to be secured, such as hanged, to frame screws of the door frame, and wherein said reinforcement bar is further configured to receive strike plate screws of a strike plate of the door assembly, thereby attaching and supporting the strike plate. The disclosure further relates to a method for reinforcing a door assembly, the method comprising: providing a reinforcement bar adapted to be positioned, in a gap between the door frame and a wall, distal to the door frame of the door assembly in relation to a free swinging side of a door of the door assembly, wherein the reinforcement bar has a length greater than at least a major length portion of the door frame; introducing the reinforcement bar into the gap from one of the room-facing sides of the door frame in a vertical position; securing the reinforcement bar to frame screws of the door frame extending into the gap, preferably without removing the frame screws; and attaching the reinforcement bar to a strike plate of the door assembly by screwing strike plate screws through the door frame and into the reinforcement bar.

Description

Reinforcement bar and method for reinforcing a door assembly

The present disclosure relates to a reinforcement bar for reinforcement of a door assembly, and to a method for reinforcing a door assembly by providing and mounting a reinforcement bar.

Background of invention

A door is a moving mechanism used to block off, and allow access to, an entrance to or within an enclosed space, such as a building. Typically, doors are mounted in a door frame via hinges that allow the door to swing about the door frame between an open state and a closed state. The hinges are attached to a proximal vertical edge of the door, whereas the opposite distal vertical edge of the door usually has a latch controlled by a door handle.

A door frame is usually formed by a rectangular frame and therefore typically consists of two horizontal door frame parts: one upper door frame part and one lower door frame part; as well as two vertical door frame parts: one proximal door frame part (having the hinges) and one distal door frame part. The latter is the part of the door frame which receives the free swinging part of the door and the part which typically also has a strike plate into which the latch of the door extends when the door is in a closed position.

Door frames for interior doors, for example in offices or inside residential homes are generally made of wood. Exterior doors more typically have a more robust and secure construction than interior doors, for example in the sense they are made of harder or stronger door frame material. However, if an intruder manages to pass the exterior doors or finds other ways into for example an office building, the interior doors of, for example offices and other rooms, often provide a significantly weaker resistance.

Wooden door frames typically include a metal plate referred to as a strike plate. The purpose of the strike plate is to support the latch of the door. The strike plate is usually fastened to the wooden door frame by metal screws. However, if a door which opens inwards is forced from the outside, the force will eventually typically cause a fracture of the wooden door frame that usually starts from the area around the strike plate. By forcefully kicking the door in the general vicinity of the door lock the intruder may cause fractures in the door frame as demonstrated on a prior art door frame in fig. 1 . A number of prior art solutions try to address the issue of weak door frames by various types of reinforcements. However, these solutions typically involve complicated mounting, replacement of parts of the door assembly, do not fit certain door types and are not sufficiently efficient and secure.

Summary of invention

The present disclosure relates to a reinforcement bar and a method for reinforcing a door assembly, in particular for reinforcing the door frame, such as a wooden door frame, of the door assembly. The presently disclosed reinforcement bar is adapted to be retrofitted to an existing door assembly.

The present disclosure therefore relates to, in a first embodiment, a reinforcement bar for reinforcement of a door assembly, said reinforcement bar being adapted to be introduced in a gap between a door frame and a wall, wherein the reinforcement has a length of at least 1000 mm and is adapted to be secured, such as hanged, to frame screws of the door frame, and wherein said reinforcement bar is further configured to receive strike plate screws of a strike plate of the door assembly, thereby attaching and supporting the strike plate. An elongated and thin, such as thinner than 10 mm, and/or longer than 1000 mm, metal bar, said bar having cut-out portions for inserting and hanging the reinforcement bar on the frame screws of the door frame from the side, is capable of providing such reinforcement. One example of such a plate is shown in fig.

2.

The presently reinforcement bar is characterized by its simple mounting process, by the fact that it is hidden by the casing which typically covers the gap between the door frame and the wall when arranged in the gap, and by its ability to propagate external forces on the strike plate of the door frame through screws between the strike plate and the reinforcement bar onto the reinforcement bar. The reinforcement has a minimum length of 1000 mm, preferably a length corresponding to the entire height of the door frame. The reinforcement bar is configured to receive strike plate screws from the strike plate of the door assembly in order to attach to the reinforcement bar and pull the reinforcement bar against the door frame. The mounted reinforcement bar thus provides support to the strike plate through the strike plate screws. An external force on the strike plate is propagated through the strike plate screws and absorbed by the reinforcement bar supported by both the frame screws, to which it is attached, and by the backside of the door frame, against which one side of the reinforcement bar is tightly arranged. The presently disclosed reinforcement bar thus provides a

reinforcement of the door assembly, in particular for the strike plate of the door assembly, while being adapted to be retrofitted to an existing door assembly by exploiting a gap between the wall and the door frame.

The fact that the reinforcement bar has a certain minimum length ensures that the force through the screws between the strike plate and the reinforcement bar can be distributed over a longer bar.

The inventor has realized that rather than replacing parts of the door frame or working with reinforcement in or around the thin space between the door frame and the door, or other complex solutions, a space distal to the door frame in relation to free swinging side of the door can be exploited. As stated, in a door assembly, a distal vertical edge of the door, also referred to as the free swinging side of the door, closes towards the door frame.“Distal to the door frame in relation to a free swinging side of a door of the door assembly” shall, within the present disclosure, be construed as the opposite side of the door frame with respect to the swinging side of the door. This side of the door frame is normally attached to a wall by frame screws. Distal to the door frame, between the door frame and the wall, there is typically a gap which the inventor has realized could be used for the purpose of reinforcing a door assembly without substantially modifying the door assembly.

As stated, a complete door frame may be seen as four wooden bars forming a rectangle, which is positioned in an opening in a wall to support the door. A door assembly within the present disclosure can be seen as complete door with a door frame. Frequently, for a door assembly mounted in a door opening, there is a gap between the wall and the door frame, which is exploited by the presently disclosed reinforcement bar and method for reinforcing a door assembly.

Therefore, in one embodiment the reinforcement bar is adapted to be introduced from a room-facing side of a door frame of the door assembly in the gap distal to the door frame. Typically, a casing which covers the gap has to be removed in order to introduce the reinforcement bar into the gap. The reinforcement bar may be an elongated and thin, such as thinner than 10 mm, plate, such as a metal plate, which can be introduced from a room facing side of the gap between the wall and the door frame. This gap is typically covered by a casing that can be removed before the reinforcement bar is introduced. One advantage of exploiting the gap between the wall and the door frame for this purpose is that a reinforcement bar of a certain length can be used. Therefore, the reinforcement bar after introduction extends vertically over at least a major length portion of the door frame. A door may typically be in the range of 1840-2040 mm for the door itself. In one embodiment the reinforcement bar may therefore have a length of at least 1250 mm, preferably at least 1500 mm, more preferably at least 1750 mm, even more preferably at least 2000 mm. The fact that the reinforcement bar has a certain minimum length ensures that the force through the attachment between the strike plate and the reinforcement bar can be distributed over a longer bar.

The door frame typically has a number of frame screws, usually four, on the vertical part referred to as the distal door frame part, holding the door frame and a wall in a fixed position in relation each other. These frame screws extend horizontally through the gap between the wall and the door frame. The presently disclosed reinforcement bar is further adapted to be secured to frame screws of the door frame. In one embodiment the reinforcement bar therefore has cut-out portions extending from one of the longer edges of the reinforcement bar, as can be seen in fig. 2, such that the reinforcement bar can be introduced and hanged directly on the frame screws without removing the frame screws. Once in place the reinforcement bar can be attached from the backside of the door frame, through the door frame, to the strike plate.‘Backside’ of the door frame with the context of the present invention is the side facing away from the door and towards the wall. The attachment between the strike plate and the reinforcement bar can be done from the door side (“front side”) of the door frame.

Preferably the reinforcement bar is equipped with screw holes arranged to match the strike plate screw holes when the reinforcement is mounted on the frame screws in the gap.

The present disclosure further relates to a method for reinforcing a door assembly, the method comprising:

- providing a reinforcement bar adapted to be positioned, such as retrofitted, in a gap between the door frame and a wall, distal to the door frame of the door assembly in relation to a free swinging side of a door of the door assembly, wherein the reinforcement bar has a length greater than at least a major length portion of the door frame; introducing the reinforcement bar into the gap from one of the room-facing sides of the door frame in a vertical position;

securing the reinforcement bar to frame screws of the door frame extending into the gap, preferably without removing the frame screws; and - attaching the reinforcement bar to a strike plate of the door assembly by screwing strike plate screws through the door frame and into the reinforcement bar.

The method can thus be said to exploit the gap between the door frame and a wall to provide a reinforcement bar that a) fits into the gap, b) is arranged to be secured to the frame screws in the gap (typically be means of matching cut-outs in the bar), c) fits matching screws holes of a strike plate. The method may be carried out using any embodiment of the presently disclosed reinforcement bar.

These and other aspects of the invention are set forth in the following detailed description if the invention.

Definitions

Fig. 4, which shows a full-view of a door assembly with reinforcement bar, can be used as support and illustration of the following definitions.

“Distal to the door frame in relation to a free swinging side of a door of the door assembly” shall, within the present disclosure, be construed as the opposite side of the door frame with respect to the swinging end of the door. Fig. 4 provides an illustration, wherein the gap (15) is distal to the door frame (1 ) in relation to the free swinging end (20) of a door (16).

A“door frame” usually consists of two horizontal door frame parts: one upper door frame part (26) and one lower door frame part (27); as well as two vertical door frame parts: one proximal door frame part (28) (the one having the hinges) and one distal door frame part (29). The distal door frame part (29) receives the free swinging end (20) of the door. Within the present disclosure, the door frame referred to in relation to the arrangement of the reinforcement bar is the vertical distal door frame part (29). “Door assembly” refers to a door and a corresponding door frame, wherein the door frame is equipped with at least a strike plate (2) and frame screws (19) for attaching the door frame to a wall.

The orientation and sides of the door frame (i.e. a mounted vertically arranged distal door frame part) within the present disclosure are as follows:

“Distal to the door frame”, as stated above, refers to the opposite side of the vertical distal door frame part (29) with respect to the swinging side of the door (fig. 4).

“Backside” of the door frame is the side facing the wall.

“Front s/cte” of the door frame refers to the side facing the door.

“Room-facing s/cte”of the door frame refers to any of the two sides facing the room, i.e. the sides that are not facing towards the wall and the door, referring to fig. 4. The phrase“Introducing [in the gap] from a room facing s c/e’’thus specifically has the meaning illustrated by the arrow 21 in fig 3A (alternatively from the opposite room facing side).

Description of drawings

Fig- 1 shows a wooden door frame having a fracture caused by an external transversal force on the strike plate.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the presently disclosed reinforcement bar.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective cross-sectional view of a door assembly and a wall without (3A) and with (3B) the presently disclosed reinforcement bar.

Fig. 4 shows a full-view of a door assembly with the presently disclosed reinforcement bar in a gap between a door frame and a wall.

Detailed description of the invention

The present disclosure relates to a reinforcement bar for reinforcement of a door assembly, and to a method for reinforcing a door assembly by proving and mounting the reinforcement bar. The inventor has realized that the gap between a wall and the door frame, distal to the door frame in relation to a free swinging side of the door, can be exploited for reinforcing a door assembly. The door frame, and in particular the connection between the door frame and the strike plate is typically the weak point of an interior door assembly. The presently disclosed reinforcement bar and method provides support for the strike plate. The presently disclosed reinforcement bar is therefore adapted to be secured to frame screws extending through the door frame. The reinforcement bar is further adapted to be secured, such as hanged on or clipped onto the frame screws of the door frame. Preferably the reinforcement bar is adapted to be retrofitted to an existing door assembly by introducing it from a room-facing side in the gap between the wall and the door frame. However, the reinforcement bar may be placed/mounted/installed from any direction or angle that a construction allows. For example if the reinforcement bar is mounted during the process of building and/or mounting the wall and door assembly, the reinforcement bar does not necessarily have to be introduced into the gap from one of the room-facing sides. The reinforcement bar has a length of at least 1000 mm and may be arranged tightly against the backside of the door frame by screwing frame plate screws into the reinforcement bar from the front side of the door frame. In this position, an external force on the strike plate, causes by for example a kick on the door, will propagate through the strike plate screws and further distributed to the frame screws and the relatively large contact area between the reinforcement plate and the backside of the door frame.

According to one embodiment of the invention a reinforcement bar is provided which is adapted to be introduced from a room-facing side of a door frame of the door assembly in a gap between the wall and the door frame, distal to the door frame in relation to a free swinging side of a door of the door assembly. For this purpose, a relatively thin reinforcement bar, such as thinner than 10 mm, may be used. The reinforcement bar may be a reinforcement plate. The idea of the presently disclosed improved

reinforcement is that the reinforcement bar after introduction can be attached to the strike plate through the door frame. Preferably, the reinforcement bar has screw holes that match those of the strike plate of the door frame. This means that an external force on the strike plate will be propagated through strike plate screws to the reinforcement bar. A reinforcement bar of a certain length ensures that the propagated force can be distributed over a larger surface than the strike plate provides. The external force is propagated through the strike plate screws to the full length of the reinforcement bar, which is arranged in the gap between a door frame and a wall as described. The reinforcement bar may further distribute the external force to the frame screws to which it is secured and to the backside of the door frame. Preferably, the reinforcement bar is equipped with cut-out portions, as shown in for example figs. 2A-B. The cut-out portions (14) makes it possible to insert the bar into the gap from a room-facing side of the gap. In the example the cut-out portions (14) are L-shaped having a horizontally extending part (1 1 ) and a vertically extending part (12). The bar can thereby be inserted from the side such that each frame screw enters a corresponding cut-out portion through the horizontally extending part (1 1 ) and into a vertically extending part (12), where it can hang in a stable position.

Dimensions

The reinforcement bar is characterized by an elongated and thin shape. Preferably the reinforcement bar has a length corresponding to minimum half of the length of the door frame. A door may typically be in the range of 1840-2040 mm for the door itself. In one embodiment the reinforcement bar may therefore have a length of at least 1000 mm, preferably at least 1250 mm, more preferably at least 1500 mm, even more preferably at least 1750 mm, most preferably at least 2000 mm. The reinforcement bar may also extend along the entire distance between a doorsill (22), which is the door threshold and also the lower boundary of the door opening, and the upper door frame part (23). These vertical boundaries of the door opening are shown in fig. 4. Alternatively, the length of the reinforcement bar may be expressed as extending over at least 2/3 of the length of the door frame, preferably at least 3/4 of the length of the door frame, even more preferably over substantially the whole length of the door frame to which it is secured. The fact that the reinforcement bar has a certain minimum length ensures that the force through the attachment between the strike plate and the reinforcement bar can be distributed over a length which is greater than the strike plate. The external force is propagated through the strike plate screws to the full length of the

reinforcement bar, which is arranged in the gap between a door frame and a wall as described. The length L of the reinforcement bar is illustrated in fig. 2A and represents the full length of the bar.

As stated, the reinforcement bar is adapted to be introduced from a room-facing side in a gap between the wall and the door frame. This means that the reinforcement bar should have a certain maximum thickness to fit into the gap, but preferably also have a minimum thickness to ensure the rigidity of the reinforcement bar. The reinforcement may have a maximum thickness of 20 mm, preferably maximum 10 mm, more preferably a thickness of maximum 7 mm, even more preferably a thickness of maximum 5 mm. The thickness of the reinforcement bar is shown as 13 in fig. 2B. The minimum thickness typically depends on the selected material. The selected

combination of material and minimum thickness should ensure that the reinforcement bar resists a certain force propagated through the screws from the strike plate. The width of the reinforcement bar may have a further positive impact on the ability of the reinforcement bar to distribute an external force through the attachment between the strike plate and the reinforcement bar to a larger area. The width W is illustrated in fig. 2A and is preferably limited to the thickness of the wall where the reinforcement bar is inserted. The reinforcement bar may have a minimum width of 70 mm, preferably a minimum width of 100 mm, more preferably a minimum width of 150 mm.

In relation to the length of the reinforcement bar, the cut-out portions for securing and/or attaching the reinforcement bar to frame screws of the door frame may be distributed over a major portion of the reinforcement bar. In one embodiment of the reinforcement bar there are four cut-outs distributed over the length of the

reinforcement bar.

Attachment to strike plate

Preferably the reinforcement bar is adapted to be attached to a strike plate of the door assembly by strike plate screws extending through the door frame. As explained, if a door having a wooden door frame is exposed to an external force, the force will typically cause a fracture of the wooden door frame around the strike plate, as shown in the prior art illustration of fig. 1 . In this case the force is propagated from the door through the latch of the door to the strike plate, further propagated from the strike plate through the screws of the strike plate directly to the door frame.

In the present disclosure, a reinforcement bar is provided, which is adapted to be attached to a strike plate from the backside of the door frame by means of longer strike plate screws extending through the door frame. In one embodiment the reinforcement bar is provided with screw holes arranged to match the distribution of screws on the strike plate. Preferably the screw holes have premade internal screw threads. In one embodiment of the presently disclosed reinforcement bar, the reinforcement bar is provided in the form of a kit comprising screws matching the internal screw threads. The distribution of screw holes of the strike plate may correspond to a standardized distribution of screw holes of the strike plate. Typically the strike plate comprises three or four screws.

By attaching the screws of the strike plate to the presently disclosed reinforcement bar, which is prepared for this purpose, rather than to the door frame, an external force propagated to the strike plate further propagates to the reinforcement bar rather than directly to the door frame. Since the bar is attached, such as hanged on to, a number of frame screws, the frame screws provide further support for the reinforcement bar. Finally, when the strike plate screws are screwed into the screw holes of the

reinforcement bar, the bar will be pulled towards the door frame and thereby arranged tightly against the backside of the door frame. In this position, the bending force of for example a kick on the strike plate, propagated through the strike plate screws, will be absorbed by the reinforcement bar and the whole contact area between the

reinforcement bar and backside of the door frame. Thus, the reinforcement bar provides reinforcement of the door frame, while, as demonstrated above, it can be inserted into the gap between the wall and the door frame without removing the door frame or the door frame screws.

In the proposed arrangement an external force is therefore propagated from the strike plate through strike plate screws to the reinforcement bar. In one embodiment of the presently disclosed reinforcement bar the screw holes for receiving strike plate screws may therefore by configured to receive screws having a diameter of at least 5 mm, preferably at least 7 mm, more preferably at least 10 mm, most preferably 12 mm. The strike plate screws may have a corresponding diameter, i.e. a diameter of at least 5 mm, preferably at least 7 mm, more preferably at least 10 mm, most preferably at least 12 mm.

Attachment to frame screws

In one embodiment the presently disclosed reinforcement bar is adapted to be secured to frame screws extending through the door frame and further onto the wall. Therefore, preferably the reinforcement bar is adapted to be retrofitted to an existing door assembly by introducing it from a room-facing side in the gap between the wall and the door frame, wherein the reinforcement bar is adapted to be hanged on or clipped onto the frame screws of the door frame. This allows mounting of the reinforcement without removing the door frame or the door frame screws. A casing may typically have to be removed before the reinforcement bar is introduced.

In one embodiment the reinforcement bar has cut-out portions extending from one of the edges of the reinforcement bar such that the reinforcement bar can be introduced and hanged on the frame screws without removing the frame screws. Fig. 2 provides an example of such cut-outs (10) extending from an edge (6) of the reinforcement bar (5). Such a design allows for retrofitting on an existing door frame by mounting the reinforcement bar on the existing frame screws of the door frame. More specifically the reinforcement bar may be adapted to be secured to frame screws of the door frame by moving the reinforcement bar such that shanks of the frame screws are guided along the cut-out portions to an attachment position. The cut-out portions are substantially L- shaped. The cut-out portions may comprise a substantially horizontally extending part (1 1 of fig. 2B) extending transversally from a vertical edge of the reinforcement bar, further comprising an attachment part, such as a substantially vertically extending part (12 of fig. 2B) connected to the horizontally extending part.

The reinforcement bar may further comprise a clipping mechanism for attaching to the frame screws. The clipping mechanisms may ensure that the reinforcement bar is properly positioned when the strike screws are screwed to the reinforcement bar through the door frame. The clipping mechanism may also serve the purpose of stabilizing the reinforcement bar.

In some countries or regions, it is common that the door frame is secured to the wall by a standardized distribution of frame screws distributed over the door frame (i.e. over the part also referred to as the distal door frame part in the present disclosure). Such a standardized distribution may comprise 3-5 frame screws, usually 4, distributed with a distance of 400-600 mm between the frame screws. Therefore, in one embodiment the cut-out portions of the reinforcement bar are distributed with a distance of 400-600 mm between the cut-out-portions.

The presently disclosed reinforcement bar may be made of any suitable strong material. Suitable materials include for example steel, iron, other metals or strong composite materials.

Reinforcement method

Alternatively, the reinforcement bar may be introduced/mounted/placed from any side or from any direction as along as long as there is sufficient space in the construction. For example if the reinforcement bar is mounted during the process of building and/or mounting the wall and door assembly, the reinforcement bar does not necessarily have to be introduced into the gap from one of the room-facing sides.

The reinforcement bar used in the method may be any embodiment of the presently disclosed reinforcement bar. In particular this means that the reinforcement bar preferably is relatively thin, may have cut-out portions as described above, and may have screw holes distributed to match a distribution of screw holes of the strike plate.

The method may be carried out without substantially modifying the door assembly. The steps of replacing strike plate screws and removing the casing covering the gap (and then mount it after the method) are not considered to be substantially modifying the door assembly.

The inventor has realized that rather than replacing parts of the door frame or working with reinforcement in or around the thin space between the door frame and the door, or other complex solutions, the gap between the wall and the door frame can be exploited. This is reflected in the presently disclosed method by the provision of a suitable reinforcement bar, by the act of introducing the reinforcement bar into the gap from one of the room-facing sides, by attaching, for example by hanging, the reinforcement bar directly on the frame screws, and by attaching the reinforcement bar to the strike plate through the door frame, thereby enabling the reinforcement bar to support the strike plate by strike plate screws through the door frame.

In some cases, the transition between the wall and the door frame may have some flexibility and/or elasticity. In these cases, there may, as a consequence not be a directly accessible gap between the door frame and the wall. However, it may be possible to temporarily pull or push the wall away from the door frame, then inserting the reinforcement bar, and then allow the wall to flex back to abut the inserted reinforcement bar.

The gap is typically not visible but covered by a casing (18) as shown in fig. 3A. The method may therefore further comprise the step of removing the casing before the reinforcement bar is placed in the gap.

The step of introducing the reinforcement bar into the gap from one of the room-facing sides may involve moving the reinforcement bar such that shanks of the frame screws are guided along the cut-out portions to an attachment position, typically along an L- shape of the cut-out portions, as shown in fig. 2A.

The step of attaching the reinforcement bar to a strike plate of the door assembly can be said to provide the support to the strike plate that reinforces the door assembly, and in particular reinforces the door frame. The idea is that an external force on the door by for example a kick, which propagates through the latch to the strike plate, now further propagates through the strike plate screws to the reinforcement bar. At least two processes for attaching the reinforcement bar to the strike plate are possible. Either the reinforcement bar has screw holes that match corresponding holes of the strike plate, wherein the screw holes preferably have premade internal screw threads. In this case the strike plate can easily be attached by screwing strike plate screws that are long enough to screw through the door frame and reach the reinforcement bar. Another scenario is that the reinforcement bar does not have any screw holes and that the holes are made from the front side of the door frame when the reinforcement bar is in place.

Detailed description of drawings

The invention will in the following be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are exemplary and are intended to illustrate some of the features of the presently disclosed door assembly reinforcement bar and method for reinforcing door assembly, and are not to be construed as limiting to the presently disclosed invention. Fig. 1 shows a wooden door frame (1 ) having a fracture caused by an external transversal force on the strike plate (2). The strike plate (2) has three strike plate screws (3) through which the external force has propagated directly into the door frame (1 ) causing the fracture. The strike plate (2) has two voids (4) for receiving latches of a door (not shown).

Fig. 2A shows an embodiment of the presently disclosed reinforcement bar (5). The reinforcement bar has a length L and a width W. The reinforcement bar (5) has an elongated shape, having two longer edges (6,7) and two shorter edges (8,9). The reinforcement bar (5) has four cut-out portions (10) for attachment to frame screws and four screw holes (14) for attachment to strike plate screws. The cut-out portions (14) are L-shaped having a horizontally extending part (1 1) and a vertically extending part (12).

Fig. 2B shows a perspective view of a lower part of the reinforcement bar (5) of fig. 2A. In addition to the features of fig. 2A, the figure illustrates a thickness (13) of the reinforcement bar.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective cross-sectional view of a door assembly and a wall (17) without (fig. 3A) and with (fig. 3B) the presently disclosed reinforcement bar (5). A door (16) has a free swinging end (20) which closes towards the front side of the door frame (1 ). A frame screw (19) is located inside and extends through the door frame (1 ) and further through a gap (15) and into a wall element (17). The gap is located distal to the door frame (1 ) (and between the door frame (1 ) and the wall element (17)) according to the definition of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the backside of the door frame is the side facing the gap (15). A casing (18) covers the gap. The arrow 21 of fig. 3A illustrates how a reinforcement bar may be inserted into the gap from a room facing side. In fig. 3B a reinforcement bar (5) has been placed in the gap (15) between the door frame (1 ) and the wall element (17). A cut-out portion (10) (cross-sectional view) attaches the reinforcement bar (5) to the frame screw (19).

Fig. 4 shows a full-view of a door assembly with the presently disclosed reinforcement bar (5) in a gap (15) between a door frame (29) and a wall (17). The door frame has vertical proximal door frame part (28), a vertical distal door frame part (29), an upper door frame part (26) and one lower door frame part (27) with a doorsill (22). The door (16) has a free swinging end (20), a door handle (25) and a latch (24) controlled by the door handle (25). The vertical distal door frame part (29) has a strike plate (2) with strike plate screws (3), which are screwed into the reinforcement bar (5) in the mounted configuration.

Further details of the invention

1. A reinforcement bar for a door assembly, said reinforcement bar being adapted to be introduced in a gap between a door frame and a wall, wherein the reinforcement bar has a length of at least 1000 mm and is adapted to be secured to frame screws of the door frame, and wherein said reinforcement bar is further configured to receive strike plate screws of a strike plate of the door assembly, thereby attaching and supporting the strike plate.

2. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding items, wherein said reinforcement bar is adapted to be hanged on or clipped onto the frame screws of the door frame.

3. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding items, said reinforcement being adapted to be retrofitted in the gap.

4. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding items, said reinforcement bar having cut-out portions extending from one of the edges of the reinforcement bar such that the reinforcement bar can be introduced and hanged on the frame screws without removing the frame screws.

5. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to item 4, wherein the reinforcement bar is adapted to be secured to said frame screws of the door frame by moving the reinforcement bar such that shanks of the frame screws are guided along the cut-out portions to an attachment position.

6. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of items 4-5,

wherein the cut-out portions are substantially L-shaped.

7. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of items 4-6,

wherein the cut-out portions comprise a substantially horizontally extending part extending from a vertical edge of the reinforcement bar, further comprising an attachment part, such as a substantially vertically extending part connected to the horizontally extending part.

8. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of item 7, wherein the attachment comprises a clipping mechanism.

9. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of items 4-9,

wherein the cut-out portions are distributed along the reinforcement bar according to a standardized distribution of frame screws for a door frame.

10. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of items 4-10, wherein the cut-out portions are distributed with a distance of 400-600 mm between the cut-out-portions.

1 1 . The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding items, said reinforcement bar having a length of at least 1250 mm, preferably at least 1500 mm, more preferably at least 1750 mm, even more preferably at least 2000.

12. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding items, wherein the reinforcement bar after introduction extends vertically over at least 2/3 of the length of the door frame, preferably at least 3/4 of the length of the door frame, even more preferably over substantially the whole length of the door frame.

13. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding items, said reinforcement bar having a thickness of maximum 20 mm, preferably a thickness of maximum 10 mm, more preferably a thickness of maximum 7 mm, even more preferably a thickness of maximum 5 mm.

14. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding items, said reinforcement bar being made of a strong and rigid material, such as steel or iron.

15. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding items, said reinforcement bar being a substantially flat metal bar. 16. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding items, the reinforcement bar being retrofitable without modification of the door assembly.

17. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding items, the reinforcement bar being retrofitable without removing the door frame.

18. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding items, wherein said reinforcement bar, in a mounted configuration, is adapted to distribute an external force on the strike plate to the frame screws.

19. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding items, further comprising screw holes arranged to match the strike plate screws.

20. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to item 19, wherein the screw holes are distributed to match a distribution of screw holes of the strike plate, such as a standardized distribution of screw holes of the strike plate.

21 . The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding items, wherein the screw holes are configured to receive strike plate screws having a diameter of at least 5 mm, preferably at least 7 mm, more preferably at least 10 mm, most preferably 12 mm.

22. A method for reinforcing a door assembly, the method comprising:

- providing a reinforcement bar adapted to be positioned in a gap between the door frame and a wall, distal to the door frame of the door assembly in relation to a free swinging side of a door of the door assembly, wherein the reinforcement bar has a length greater than at least a major length portion of the door frame;

introducing the reinforcement bar into the gap from one of the room-facing sides of the door frame in a vertical position;

23. The method for reinforcing a door assembly according to item 22, wherein the reinforcement bar is retrofitted in the gap between the door frame and a wall.

24. The method for reinforcing a door assembly according to any of items 22-23, using the reinforcement bar according to any of items 1 -21.

25. The method for reinforcing a door assembly according to any of items 22-24, wherein the reinforcement bar has a thickness of maximum 10 mm.

26. The method for reinforcing a door assembly according to any of items 22-24, further comprising the step of pulling or pushing the door frame and a wall element distal to the door frame apart, thereby creating the gap.

27. The method for reinforcing a door assembly according to any of items 22-25, wherein introducing the reinforcement bar into the gap comprises moving the reinforcement bar such that shanks of the frame screws are guided along the cut-out portions to an attachment position.

28. The method for reinforcing a door assembly according to any of items 22-27, wherein the step of securing the reinforcement bar to frame screws of the door frame comprises hanging the reinforcement bar on cut-outs of the

reinforcement bar.

29. The method for reinforcing a door assembly according to any of items 22-28, wherein the step of attaching the reinforcement bar to a strike plate of the door assembly comprises screwing strike plate screws through the door frame and into matching screw holes of the reinforcement bar.

30. The method for reinforcing a door assembly according to any of items 22-28, wherein the step of attaching the reinforcement bar to a strike plate of the door assembly comprises boring new screwing holes in the reinforcement bar after securing the reinforcement bar to the frame screws of the door frame. 31. The method for reinforcing a door assembly according to any of items 22-30, wherein the method is carried out without modifying the door assembly. 32. The method for reinforcing a door assembly according to any of items 22-31 , comprising the step of reinforcing the door assembly by securing the strike plate to the reinforcement bar through strike plate screws having a diameter of at least 5 mm, preferably at least 7 mm, more preferably at least 10 mm, most preferably 12 mm.

Claims

2. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said reinforcement bar is adapted to be hanged on or clipped onto the frame screws of the door frame.

3. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding claims, said reinforcement being adapted to be retrofitted in the gap.

4. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding claims, said reinforcement bar having cut-out portions extending from one of the edges of the reinforcement bar such that the reinforcement bar can be introduced and hanged on the frame screws without removing the frame screws.

5. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to claim 4, wherein the reinforcement bar is adapted to be secured to said frame screws of the door frame by moving the reinforcement bar such that shanks of the frame screws are guided along the cut-out portions to an attachment position.

6. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of claims 4-5, wherein the cut-out portions are substantially L-shaped.

7. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of claims 4-6, wherein the cut-out portions comprise a substantially horizontally extending part extending from a vertical edge of the reinforcement bar, further comprising an attachment part, such as a substantially vertically extending part connected to the horizontally extending part.

8. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of claims 4-7, wherein the cut-out portions are distributed along the reinforcement bar according to a standardized distribution of frame screws for a door frame.

9. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of claims 4-8, wherein the cut-out portions are distributed with a distance of 400-600 mm between the cut-out-portions.

10. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding claims, said reinforcement bar having a thickness of maximum 20 mm, preferably a thickness of maximum 10 mm, more preferably a thickness of maximum 7 mm, even more preferably a thickness of maximum 5 mm.

1 1. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding claims, the reinforcement bar being retrofitable without modification of the door assembly and/or without removing the door frame.

12. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said reinforcement bar, in a mounted configuration, is adapted to distribute an external force on the strike plate to the frame screws.

13. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising screw holes arranged to match the strike plate screws.

14. The reinforcement bar for a door assembly according to claim 13, wherein the screw holes are distributed to match a distribution of screw holes of the strike plate, such as a standardized distribution of screw holes of the strike plate.

15. A method for reinforcing a door assembly, the method comprising:

- providing a reinforcement bar adapted to be positioned in a gap between the door frame and a wall, distal to the door frame of the door assembly in relation to a free swinging side of a door of the door assembly, wherein the reinforcement bar has a length greater than at least a major length portion of the door frame; introducing the reinforcement bar into the gap from one of the room-facing sides of the door frame in a vertical position;

securing the reinforcement bar to frame screws of the door frame extending into the gap, preferably without removing the frame screws; and

- attaching the reinforcement bar to a strike plate of the door assembly by screwing strike plate screws through the door frame and into the reinforcement bar.

16. The method for reinforcing a door assembly according to claim 15, further comprising the step of pulling or pushing the door frame and a wall element distal to the door frame apart, thereby creating the gap.

17. The method for reinforcing a door assembly according to any of claims 15-16, wherein introducing the reinforcement bar into the gap comprises moving the reinforcement bar such that shanks of the frame screws are guided along the cut-out portions to an attachment position.

18. The method for reinforcing a door assembly according to any of claims 15-17, using the reinforcement bar according to any of claims 1 -14.

19. The method for reinforcing a door assembly according to any of claims 15-18, wherein the step of attaching the reinforcement bar to a strike plate of the door assembly comprises screwing strike plate screws through the door frame and into matching screw holes of the reinforcement bar.

20. The method for reinforcing a door assembly according to any of claims 15-19, wherein the method is carried out without modifying the door assembly.