CA2404536A1

CA2404536A1 - Doors

Info

Publication number: CA2404536A1
Application number: CA 2404536
Authority: CA
Inventors: Nicholas Guy Clarke; Ernest Kenneth Hammond
Original assignee: POLYMER ENGINEERING Ltd
Current assignee: POLYMER ENGINEERING Ltd
Priority date: 2001-10-01
Filing date: 2002-09-20
Publication date: 2003-04-01
Also published as: EP1298277A2; EP1298277A3

Abstract

A door having a framework of pultruded frame members, a core of structural density foam material and a pair of panels, wherein each frame member comprises a first cavity in which a weather seal is receivable. The door components may be formed from thermoset plastics.

Description

DOORS
This application relates to doors, components which can be used to fabricate doors and to components which can be used with so-fabricated doors.
Modern doors may be fabricated from solid wood although, because of environmental and industrial processing concerns such doors are becoming less common. Other doors may comprise a plastics framework of generally rectangular form as seen in elevation, front and rear surfaces faces of which being covered by panels.
One such door is disclosed in GB-A-2279682.
A door is disclosed in GB-A-2183706 which comprises a framework of aluminium, extruded GRP or extruded PVCu section with metal reinforcements.
The cavity, defined by the framework, is filled with a high density PVC foam (the specification is silent as to the actual density, although, at the date of that application, foam densities of around 100 kg m 3 were typically used) and the panels, which extend to each edge of the front and rear faces of the door, are formed from moulded GRP
material.
2o We have now discovered that some of the attendant disadvantages with prior art doors can be addressed by using thin-walled puftrusion techniques. One such disadvantage concerns the delamination of a panel from the framework, which can be caused by the ambient conditions as well as unintentional or intentional damage to the interface between facia panel and door substrate. Other problems associated with delamination and cracking of prior art doors result from the materials from which such doors are fabricated. If components have varying thermal expansion properties, relative expansion of one component with respect to another can cause cracking, delamination and like damage.
Other disadvantages arise from the provision of weather seals or draft excluders which are present to ensure that the door is suitable for use as an outside door. A further problem is the hanging of doors such that there is no gap in the weather seal created at the hinge.
It is an object of this invention to provide doors which do not suffer from one or all of the problems associated with prior art doors, and to provide methods of manufacture thereof which are economical and relatively quick.
Accordingly, a first aspect of the invention comprises a door having a framework of pultruded frame members, a core of structural density foam material and a pair of panels, wherein each frame member has a cavity in which at least a portion of a weather seal is receivable.
Each frame member preferably has a groove or slot in which a part of a component of or for a door, e.g. a hinge, door closer, or part of a lock, is receivable.
The door may further comprise one or more hinges, preferably the or each hinge has a cavity in which a portion of the weather seal is receivable, the cavity preferably being aligned with that of the frame member.
The or each hinge may have a plate portion comprising a male member extending therefrom, which is received within the groove or slot of the door.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a pultruded elongate frame member for a door, the member comprising a pair of spaced apart arms extending from a hollow body portion, the body having two spaced apart extension portions each comprising a cavity in which first and second weather seals are receivable.
Preferably, each frame member has a stop against which, in use, an edge of the panel may abut or at least lie adjacent thereto, the stop preferably being shaped and sized so that the whole edge of the panel abuts the stop.
The frame member preferably comprises a hollow body portion comprising inner and outer walls, connected by a pair of side walls.
The frame member preferably comprises a pair of spaced-apart arms which extend from the side walls and which embrace an edge portion of the core. The spaced apart amps and/or side walls may comprise recesses on outer faces thereof.
Preferably, the side walls comprise ledge portions against which the edges of the panels abut, the outer face of the panels preferably lying flush with the outermost portion of the side walls.
There is further provided, in a third aspect of the invention, a hinge for a door comprising first and second mutually pivotable plate members, the two being connected by a pin member extending through aligned apertures formed in or on a wall portion extending from each of the first and second plate members, the first plate member wall portion upstanding from the plate member and having located therein a longitudinal groove in which at least a portion of a weather seal is receivable, the groove being located below the apertures, the first plate member further comprising a leg portion depending therefrom which is shaped and sized to extend into a recess of the door to ensure accurate location of the hinge with respect to the door in use.
The wall portion of the second plate member preferably has a proximal edge portion upstanding therefrom, said aligned cavities extending preferably being located at a free end of that portion. The upstanding proximal edge portion may be shaped such that, in use with a weather seal received in the cavity of the first plate member, the proximal edge portion may abut the weather seal in a nominal closed position.
Preferably, the second plate member extends, at a distal edge thereof beyond a distal edge of said first plate member.
A distal edge portion of the second plate member may, in use, be abuttable against a second weather seal, preferably receivable within a cavity of a frame member.
A further aspect of the invention provides a method a fabricating a door, the method comprising pultruding frame members having a hollow body portion from opposite sides of which a pair of spaced apart arms and an extension portion extend, the extension portion comprising a cavity, forming a core of structural density foam, assembling the frame members about the core, joining the frame members together to form a framework, and adhering panels to the framework.

Further, part of the extension portion may be removed and a hinge member located therein. The hinge member may have a cavity aligned with that of the framework. A weather seal may be located in the aligned cavities.

5 In this application, the term a structural density foam refers to a foam with a density greater than 250 kg m 3, although a preferred density of foam will be in the range of from 300 to 400 kg rri 3, and may be as high as 800 kg m 3. Suitable materials are polyurethane and phenolic foams.
The preferred panel, core and frame materials for fabricating doors of the invention are thermoset plastics materials. Glass Reinforced Plastics (GRPs) preferably formed by Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) or similar techniques and Sheet Moulding Compounds (SMC), preferably low pressure SMCs (LPSMCs) are preferred for the panels, whilst plastics materials such as polyesters, vinyl esters epoxy and phenolic resins are preferred for the frame members.
The invention also includes a door and a method of making a door formed entirely from thermoset plastics materials having a low coefficient of thermal expansion.
In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a transverse section through a profile of the invention;
2;i Figure 2A is an end elevation of a hinge part of the invention;
Figure 2B is a plan view from below of the hinge part of Figure 2A;

Figure 2C is a side elevation along the line X-X' of Figure 2A;
Figure 3A is an end elevation of the other hinge part of the invention;
Figure 3B is a plan view from below of the hinge part of Figure 3A;
Figure 3C is a side elevation along the line Y-Y' of Figure 3A;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a section through a door according to the invention;
Figure 5 is a transverse section of the profile of Figure 1 to which a hinge of the invention in attached;
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view through part of a door formed using a second embodiment of profile;
Figure 7 is a magnified view of the profile of Figure 6; and Figure 8 is an elevation of part of the door of Figure 6.
Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a profile 1 to form a frame for a door having a hollow, substantially rectangular, body portion 2 having an inner wall portion 3, opposed outer wall portion 4 and opposed side wall portions 5, 6 joining the inner and outer wall portions 3, 4.
The side wall portions 5, 6 extend beyond the inner wall to form opposed side wall extensions 7, 8. Shallow recesses 9 are formed in the surfaces of the side wall portions 5, 6 and extensions 7, 8.
Abutment portions 1 Q, 11 are present at the corners of the side wall portions 5, 6 and the outer wall 4.

The outer wall portion 4 has an anchoring groove 12. Two extension portions 13, 14, each having a respective cavity 15, 16 are present. The first extension portion 13 has a pair of opposed lips 17 to define an entrance to the cavity 15. The second extension portion 14 also has a pair of lips 18 which define an entrance to the cavity 16. The respective pairs of lips 17, 18 which define the entrances to the respective cavities 15, 16 are substantially orthogonal to one another.
The profile 1 is formed by pultruding a thermoset plastics material, such as polyesters, vinylesters, epoxy and phenolic resins with fibres, such as glass, carbon or aramid, Terylene, Nylon or hemp embedded therein. Continuous elongate fibres are impregnated into the thermoset resin and are pulled through a pre-former into a heated die. The shape of the profile is determined by the shape of the die and the heat of the die causes the resin to polymerise. The profile 1 may be pultruded to any length and then cut to form appropriately sized frame members for a door.
Referring to Figures 2A to 2C, there is shown a first hinge plate 20 having a planar plate portion 21 from which depends a substantially rectangular foot portion 22, it is shown as being hollow although need not be. Upstanding from, and across the entire length of the plate portion 21 is a wall portion 23 which is provided with a longitudinal slot 24.
Integral with, and extending from, the wail portion 23 are three aligned bosses each being provided with an aperture 26 aligned along a common axis.

A series of two through-holes 27 extend through the wall portion 23 between those parts contiguous with the aligned bosses 25, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2C.
A further series of three through-holes 28 extend through the plate portion 21. A
further series of through-holes 29 extend through plate portion 23 above the foot portion 22 and through the base of the rectangular foot portion 22.
Figures 3A to 3C show a second hinge plate 30 comprising a plate portion 31 from which upstands, along one longer edge thereof, a neck portion 32 on which are located two hollow bosses 33 having apertures 34 formed therethrough aligned along a common axis. The plate portion is provided with a series of nine through-holes 35.
To form a hinge, the first and second hinge plates 20, 30 have their bosses aligned and a pivot pin is inserted through the aligned apertures 26, 34, as is shown in relation to Figure 4.
Both of the first and second hinge plates 20, 30 may be formed from stainless steel although other materials such as zinc-aluminium alloys may be die cast to form the plates 20, 30. Also, aluminium or bronze may be extruded to form lengths of the plates 23, 30 which can be cut to size.
Referring now to Figure 4, there is shown a part of a door 100 having a frame formed from a plurality of profiles 1 (only part of a single profile 1 being shown), a 2:i structural density polyurethane foam core 102 and a pair of panels 103. A
hinge 104, formed with first and second hinge plates 20, 30 and a hinge pin 40, is also provided.

To form the door 100, a structural density foam core material 102, of say 300 kg rri 3, is formed by either shaping a block or moulding an appropriate material so that it has an edge portion 105 which can fit within the side wall extensions 7, 8 of a profile 1 with the edge 106 of the core 102 abutting the inner wall portion 3 of the profile 1.
Profiles 1 are formed by pultrusion, as previously explained, and are then cut to size. The lengths of profiles 1 are placed about the foam core 102 such that the side walls 7, 8 embrace the edge portion 105 of the foam core 102 and the edge 106 abuts inner wall portion 3 of the profile 1. A suitable adhesive may be used to secure the foam core 102 in place with respect to the profile 1. Typically, (normally four) lengths of profile 1 are then glued and/or heat treated at their interfaces to form a continuous (rectangular) framework.
1.5 An adhesive composition, usually comprising curable resin and an activator to polymerise (e.g. cross-link) the resin, is mixed and then applied to the outer surface of the wall portions 5, 6 and side wall extension 7, 8. The adhesive will fill the shallow recesses 9 thereby helping to key the adhesive. A suitable adhesive is a cross-linked acrylate.
Panels 103 are then applied to the outer faces of the framework. The panels may be compression moulded onto the framework/core substrate or they may be pre-formed and glued. Preferred panel materials are those fabricated from thermoset materials such as GRP or SMC. Preferred SMC compounds are those considered to be LPSMCs, such as Crystic Impreg obtainable from Scott Bader Limited of Northampton, United Kingdom.

To attach a hinge 104, a length of extension portion 13 of profile 1 is removed, typically by abrasion and/or sawing or cutting of the profile 1. The first hinge plate 20 is then located in the space formed by removing the part of the extension 13. The foot portion 22 of the hinge plate 20 is located in the anchoring recess 12 of the profile 1, an edge of the hinge plate 20 abutting or at least lying adjacent the facing part of extension portion 14. When the plate 20 is so-located, the cavity 15 will have a portion thereof aligned with the slot 24 of the plate member 20.
1o Screws are then screwed through holes 27, 28, 29, through the profile 1 and into the foam core 102 to lock the hinge plate 20 into position.
The second hinge plate 30 is connected to the first hinge plate 20 by reception of a pivot pin 40 extending through aligned apertures 26, 34 formed in respective aligned members 25, 33 to form a hinge 104. Screws are used to mount the door to a door-frame (not shown) via screw holes 35.
Referring now to Figure 5, wherein similar components are identified by the use of a prime (') and identical components bear the same identifying numeral, there is 2c) shown a section through a profile 1 to which a hinge 104' is attached.
The hinge 104' comprises first and second hinge parts 20', 30'. The first part 20' has a foot portion 22' which is located in the anchoring groove 12 of the profile 1. The second part 30' has a plate portion 31' having a proximal upstanding neck portion 32'.
Terminal portions of the neck portion 32' have been bent to form bosses 33' which define apertures 34' aligned upon a common axis.

Either before or after the door 100 is mounted to the door-frame a, typically rubber, neoprene or the like, weather seal 50 is inserted into the cavity 15 of profile 1.
The weather seal 50 has a retaining portion 51 and a sealing portion 52, which may be hollow. Lips 17 engage a waist portion 53 located between the retaining and sealing portions 51, 52. As slots 24, 24' are aligned with cavity 15 the weather seal 50 can be forced into slots 24, 24' thereby providing a continuous weather seal strip.
It will be noted that slot 24, 24' are of a smaller size than cavity 15. However, the retaining portion 51 of the seal 50 is sized so that it can be accommodated within the slots 24, 24'. The sealing portion 52 of the weather seal 50 which extends from the slots 24, 24' is accommodated within the neck portion 32, 32' of second hinge plate 30, 30'.
A further weather seal or draft excluder 60 may be located within cavity 16 of the frame member 1. It will be noted that second hinge plate 30, 30' extends over the cavity 16, therefore, the door-frame, to which the plate 30 is attached, also extends over the cavity 16. Thus, when the door 100 is shut, the weather seal 60 located within cavity 16 will abut the door-frame, preventing or reducing drafts and/or the ingress of precipitation. The weather seal 60 may be formed from plastics or rubber materials. It may comprise a brush portion extending from a base portion.

The lips 17, 18 prevent the weather seals 50, 60 from being removed from their respective cavities 15, 24, 24', 16.
The major surfaces of the core 102 are dimensioned so as to be flush with the outer surface of side walls 7, 8. When the panel 103 is attached to the frame/core substrate there is no 'step' (i.e. displacement) between the surface of the core 102 and the outer surface of the side walls 7, 8. Because larger amounts of adhesive are retained within the recesses 9 with a smaller amount smeared over the surface of the side walls 7, 8 and side portions 5, 6, excellent adhesion of the panels 103 to the frame/core substrate is found.
A flexible sealant and, in some cases, adhesive is applied to abutment portions 10, 11. The edges of the panel 103 are at least flexibly adhered to those portions 10, 11. The sealant prevents the ingress of precipitation. A preferred sealant is based upon silicone. Because the edge of the panel 103 is not exposed, there is little or no risk of delamination of the panel 103 from the frame/core substrate.
Clearly, hinges 104 will only be attached to one edge of the door 100. The opposite edge may have a lock provided therein. A part of the anchoring groove 12 will be removed and a recess formed in the core 102, suitable sized to accept the body of 1;5 the lock. Screws will be used to secure the lock to the core 102.
Referring to Figures 6 and 7, there is shown part of a door having a structural-density thermoset polyurethane foam core 201, typically of a density of greater than 300 kg m 3. As before, the thermoset plastics may be polyester, vinylester, epoxy or phenolic resins with or without fibres instead of polyurethane. The door has compression moulded thermoset SMC panels 202, which are about 3mm thick and are preferably formed from LPSMC. Other suitable panel materials are GRP formed, for example, by RTM. The panels 202 extend across the entire face of the door.
A pultruded profile 210 is provided, which is similar to that shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5, having an inner wall portion 211, opposed outer wall portion 212 and opposed side-walls 213. The side-walls 213 extend beyond the inner wall portion 211 to form opposed side-wall extensions 214. Raised portions 217 are provided on the side-walls 213 and extension portions 214 which extend longitudinally along the length of the profile 210.
The outer wall portion 212 is provided with an anchoring groove 215 which can receive a foot portion 22 of a first hinge plate 20.
An extension portion 219 is present, having a cavity 216 in which a weather seal 218 is receivable. A pair of lips define the entrance to the cavity 216.
To form a door, a suitably shaped core 201 is formed, say by either injecting foam material into an appropriately shaped mould or by machining a block of foam material. Profiles 210 are located about the edges of the core 201 with the opposed side wall extension portions 214 embracing a distal rebated portion of the core 201.
The profiles are secured together, say by using fixing means or using an adhesive.
Adhesive, usually comprising a curable resin and an activator therefor, is applied to the entire outer face of the side walls 213 and side wall extension portions 214. The adhesive fills the recesses between raised portions 217, which recesses aid in keying the adhesive.
The panels 202 are applied to the outer faces of the framework. They may be either pre-formed to match the shape of the core 201 and then glued thereto, or the panels may be compression moulded (preferably using LPSMC) to the core 201. If the panels are compression moulded, adhesive may also be applied to the core 201.

As can be seen in Figures 6 and 7, the panels 202 lie flush with the edges of the outer wall portion 212, thereby reducing the risk of intentional or accidental delamination. As before, a sealant and/or adhesive may be applied to the facing edges of shin 202 and outer wall portion 212 to prevent ingress of precipitation.
A single weather seal 218 may be located in the recess 216> which may fill the recess and extend therefrom as shown in Figure 7. In another embodiment, a weather seal 50 as shown in Figure 5 may be used. It may be advantageous to use the weather seal 218 on edges of the door which are not to have hinges attached thereto and to have a weather seal 50 on those to have hinges 104 attached thereto.
A hinge 104 and/or a lock may be fitted to the door in accordance with the above description.
The door, as shown in Figures 6 and 8, has a raised portion 204 which defines the perimeter of a panel 205. The panel 205 is recessed with respect to the rest of the door and may be cut out to allow for a glazing panel, for example, to be installed. The panel 205 is sized such that a standard glazing panel with its associated peripheral beading is locatable within the aperture left with the beading being retained in the space defined by terminal edges 204A of the raised portion 204.
Doors according to the invention may have other surface projections and/or recesses. The shape being controllable through formation of the core 102, 201.

The panels 103, 202 may be formed in a variety of colours and with a variety of surface patterns so as to provide, for example, a wood-grain effect.
The cores 102, 201 may be formed with a missing portion into which a letter-5 box, glazing panel or the like may be fitted once the door 100 has been made.
Alternatively, the completed door 100 may have portions cut therefrom so that such 'door furniture' may be fitted. If the core 102, 201 is formed with parts missing for the reception of door furniture, the panels 103, 202 may be moulded thereto to cover the exposed core parts. Indeed, it is the use of structural-density foam material which 1i) enables such fittings to be located within the door 100 without the need for further reinforcements, which are needed in prior art doors.
The anchoring groove 12, 215 of a profile 1, 210, located on an orthogonal edge to that carrying hinge 104 may have a device such as a portion of a door closer 15 located therein.
The use of structural density foam allows the door of the invention to be supported by hinges 104 without the provision of further reinforcement for the screws.
Typically two, three or four hinges 104, 104' will be used to support a door 100 of the invention.
It will further be appreciated that the weather seals 50, 60 can run around the entire perimeter of the door or along some of the edges thereof.
The door of the invention is particularly effective because, being all plastics, it is weatherproof and will not decay or rot. Whilst the above description states that both panels 103, 202 are formed from a thermoset material, only one may be, the other being formed from a thermoplastics material. In that case, the panel 103, 202 which is to face the harshest conditions (usually that which is to face the outside) is the thermoset panel 103, 202.
The use of pultruded lengths of profiles 1, 210 in the framework is particularly advantageous because a thermoset material such as polyester has a low coefficient of thermal expansion. When suitable thermoset structural density foams are used as the core material 102, 201 and thermoset materials (e.g. SMC) are used to form the panels 103, 201, the door of the invention will not change in dimensions significantly, irrespective of the ambient conditions. As all the materials have identical or substantially similar thermal coefficients of expansion, there is little or no relative expansion of one component and another. This ensures that the door has a long lifetime and that cracking and delamination are avoided.

Claims

1. A door having a framework of puftruded frame members, a core of structural density foam material and a pair of panels, wherein each frame member comprises a first cavity in which a weather seal is receivable.

2. A door according to Claim 1, wherein each frame member comprises a groove or slot in which a part of a component of or for a door is receivable.

3. A door according to Claim 1 or 2 further comprising one or more hinges.

4. A door according to Claim 3 when dependent on Claim 2, wherein the or each hinge comprises a plate portion having a male member extending therefrom, which is received within the groove or slot of the frame member.

5. A door according to Claim 3 or 4, wherein the or each hinge has a cavity in which a portion of the weather seal is receivable.

6. A door according to Claim 5, wherein the hinge cavity is aligned with that of the frame member.

7. A door according to any preceding Claim further comprising a second cavity in which a second weather seal is receivable.

8. A door according to any preceding Claim, wherein the frame member comprises a hollow body portion comprising inner and outer walls, connected by a pair of side walls.

9. A door according to Claim 8, wherein the frame member comprises a pair of spaced-apart arms which extend from the side walls and which embrace an edge portion of the core.

10. A door according to Claim 9, wherein the spaced apart arms and/or side walls comprise recesses on outer faces thereof.

11. A door according to Claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein the side walls comprise ledge portions against which an edge of each panel abuts or at least lies adjacent thereto.

12. A door according to any preceding Claim, wherein outer faces of the panels lie flush with the outermost surfaces of the frame members.

13. A pultruded elongate frame member for a door, the member comprising a pair of spaced apart arms extending from a hollow body portion, the body portion having two spaced apart extension portions each comprising a cavity in which first and second weather seals are receivable.

14. A frame member according to Claim 13, having a longitudinal recess intermediate said extension portions.

15. A frame member according to Claim 13 or 14, wherein the spaced apart arms and/or the side walls of the body portion have recesses on outer faces thereof.

16. A frame member according to Claim 13, 14 or 15, wherein the body portion has ledge portions against which, in use, the edges of the panels abut.

17. A hinge for a door comprising first and second mutually pivotable plate members, the two being connected by a pin member extending through aligned apertures formed in or on a wall portion extending from each of the first and second plate members, the first plate member wall portion upstanding from the plate member and having located therein a longitudinal groove in which at least a portion of a weather seal is receivable, the groove being located below the apertures, the first plate member further comprising a leg portion depending therefrom which is shaped and sized to extend into a recess of the door to ensure accurate location of the hinge with respect to the door in use.

18. A hinge according to Claim 17, wherein the wall portion of the second plate member has a proximal edge portion upstanding therefrom, said aligned cavities extending preferably being located at a free end of that portion.

19. A hinge according to Claim 18, wherein the upstanding proximal edge portion of the second plate is shaped such that, in use with a weather seat received in the cavity of the first plate member, the proximal edge portion may abut the weather seal in a nominal closed position.

20 20. A hinge according to any of Claims 17, 18 or 19, wherein the second plate member extends, at a distal edge thereof beyond a distal edge of said first plate member.

21. A method a fabricating a door, the method comprising:

- pultruding frame members having a hollow body portion, from opposite sides of which a pair of spaced apart arms and an extension portion extend, the extension portion comprising a cavity;

- forming a core of structural density foam;

- assembling the frame members about the core;

- joining the frame members together to form a framework; and - adhering panels to the framework;

22. A method according to Claim 21 further comprising the step of removing a part of the extension portion and locating therein a hinge member, the hinge member having a cavity aligned with that of the framework.

23. A method according to Claim 22 further comprising locating a weather seal in the aligned cavities.

24. A door comprising a plurality of frame members as claimed in any of Claims 13 to 16 surrounding a core of structural density foam and a plurality of hinges as claimed in any of Claims 17 to 20, the door being hangable from a doorframe using said hinges, and a weather seal a portion of which being retained in aligned cavities of the frame members and hinges

25. A door comprising a frame surrounding a core of structural density foam and panels secured to the frame to cover the major faces of the core, each component being formed entirely from thermoset plastics materials and having a low coefficient of thermal expansion.