GB2121676A

GB2121676A - Frame construction

Info

Publication number: GB2121676A
Application number: GB08216633A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Baron
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-06-08
Filing date: 1982-06-08
Publication date: 1984-01-04
Also published as: GB2121676B

Abstract

A framing system, particularly suitable for display cabinets, consists of corner uprights (1), horizontals (24) attachable by simple self tapping screws engaging screw flutes, and cover strips (21) which snap fit onto the uprights (1) after assembly and conceal the screw heads. A plate support strip (26) is engageable into an undercut C-channel on the horizontals (24), to support a top plate. Such channels are also provided on the uprights (1) and receive the edges of infill panels, held by glazing beads. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Frame construction This invention relates to a frame construction assembled from extruded stock. The frame construction is particularly applicable to the construction of display cabinets but is not necessarily limited to that application. Display cabinets for use, for example, at exhibitions or in retail trading may be assembled from a frame and inserted panels, at least some of which will normally be glass. The frame is frequently a frame made from lengths of extrusions, especially extruded aluminium, cut to the lengths required.

This manner of construction allows a wide variety of units to be built from a limited range of standard extrusions and other parts.

It is desirable that such display cabinets should have a neat appearance and therefore it is usually desired to conceal any cut frame ends and to use concealed fixings. Known methods of forming frame joints rely on concealed expansion joints or on cast corner jointing pieces, both of which are expensive to produce.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a framing system comprising first extruded members and second extruded members, the cross sections of said extruded members being shaped to enable one or more said second members to be secured to a said first member by fixing means passing through the first member into the interior of each second member, said first member being adapted thereafter to receive a cover strip which when fixed to said first member conceals said fixing means.

Preferably, the second members are provided internally with screw flutes and the said fixing means are screws which pass through said first member and screw into a said screw flute. Preferably also the cover strip is a snap fit onto said first member.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a plate support strip of uniform cross section having a step in an upper surface to locate and support a plate edge and projections on its lower surface for engagement into a recess in a frame portion wherein at least one of said projections serves to restrain said strip against rotation around its longitudinal direction under the weight of said plate. Preferably the support strip and the frame portion are both extruded and the said one projection engages into an undercut recess in said frame portion.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a glazing bead for use with framing members with a channel section to receive the margin of a panel and one or more glazing beads, the bead being of uniform cross section comprising a web and two members extending from the web so as to extend down into the channel, the two members being spaced apart by the web, the bead being resilient whereby said members may, in use, be pressed towards each other against the resilience of the material.

Preferably one of the two members is shaped to engage under a lip at the mouth of the channel in the frame member and the other of them is extended by further portions at an angle thereto and with dimensions such as to extend down to the base of the channel in the frame member.

Preferably also the two members spaced apart by the web mutually diverge away from the web, in the relaxed condition of the bead.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a first frame member in cross section, Figure 2 shows a second frame member in cross section, Figures 3, 4 and 5 show a variety of different cover strips in cross section, Figure 6 shows an exploded perspective view of an upper corner joint between a first frame member and two second frame members, Figure 7 shows in cross section a plate support strip according to a second aspect of the present invention located in a second frame member, Figures 8, 9 and 10 show a variety of corner plate support pieces according to a second aspect of the present invention, Figure 11 shows a side view of the corner plate support piece shown in Fig. 10, Figure 12 shows an end view of a first frame member being used to frame a portion of sheet material using a bead in accordance with a third aspect of the present invention.

Figure 13 shows an end view of a first frame member being used to frame a portion of sheet material using two beads in accordance with a third aspect of the present invention.

Figure 14 shows an enlarged end view of the beads shown in Figs. 1 2 and 1 3.

Figure 15 shows a cross sectional view of a sliding door track for use with first or second frame members.

Figures 16 and 17 show end views of sliding door tracks as shown in Fig. 1 5 in use for thick and thin sliding doors.

Fig. 1 shows a cross section of the first frame member 1 which is normally positioned upright. Such a frame member is extruded from aluminium, and individual frame members are cut to the appropriate length from extruded stock. The cross section shown comprises two rectangular C-section channels 2 positioned with their open faces at right angles to each other, while the two surfaces 4 which eventually form part of a cabinet in terior meet at a right angle.

Fig. 2 shows the cross section of a second aluminium extrusion which is cut to length as required to provide second frame members 24 which normally form horizontals of a frame.

The section provides a pair of plain side walls 10, 11 with C section channels 12, 1 3 opening to the bottom and top respectively. The thickness of the second extrusion is the same as the width of the channels 2 as indicated by x in Figs. 1 and 2.

The bases of the C-section channels and the side walls define a hollow interior cavity 1 4 and within this cavity there are screw flutes 1 6 that is to say portions of the extruded metal which define apertures 17, 1 8 which are dimensioned so that a self tapping screw can be screwed into them.

The exploded view in Fig. 6 shows the general manner of assembly. To attach a horizontal second member to an upright first member, the cut end face of the second member 24 is butted against the face of a channel of the first member 1 and two self tapping screws are inserted through the web 7 which forms the base of the channel 2 and into the apertures 1 7 and 1 8 thus clamping the end of the second member against the upright member 1. As a preliminary, holes for the screws are drilled through the webs 7 and it will be seen that grooves 5,6 are provided serving to locate a drill bit when this is done.

Horizontal second members can be secured against each of the channels 2 of an upright 1 and thus a cuboidal frame can be built up with four uprights 1 adjoined by horizontals 24 along the front, back, and sides of the frame. At this stage the internal side faces of the second members lie flush with the surfaces 4 of the uprights and the outer side surfaces of the second members lie flush with the outer surfaces 8 of the uprights. The heads of the self tapping screws are exposed at the corners. However, the uprights 1 are shaped to receive a cover strip 20, 21 or 22 which conceals these screw heads.

The two outermost side walls 8 of the channels 2 are each provided with a rear ward projection 1 9 along their length. Each of the cover strips 20, 21, 22 is provided with stepped portions 23 along their longitudinal edges which engage with the projections 1 9 on an upright 1 to retain the cover strip in place. The dimensions of the parts are such that the cover strip can be snap fitted onto the upright 1 after assembly of the frame. The cover strip serves to conceal the heads of the self tapping screws which have been passed through holes drilled through the grooves 5, 6 in the upright 1.

Various possible shapes for cover strips are illustrated by Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The cover strip 20 is a simple quadrant, the cover strip 22 has two surfaces at right angles and the cover strip 21 (which is also shown in Fig. 6) has two perpendicular surfaces joined by a diagonal surface so that a chamfered corner results.

The three different cover strips 20, 21, 22 are all extruded aluminium and are cut to the appropriate length from extruded stock. All of them when fitted lie flush with the outer surfaces 8 of the upright 1 so that a neat appearance is obtained. Additionally, it is well known that aluminium can be coloured by dyeing the anodised layer and this can be employed to give a novel trim effect by dyeing the uprights and cover strips in different colours or by leaving the uprights the natural aluminium colour and merely applying colour to the cover strips. The cover strips may equally be made from plastic extrusions or wood mouldings if required.

If desired the projections 1 9 could be inset from the walls 8 of the upright and the cover strips 20, 21, 22 provided with grooves rather than the stepped portions 23 but nevertheless serving to engage the projections in a snap fit.

The exploded view shown in Fig. 6 also shows the use of a corner cover piece 25 which engages and conceals the open upper end of the upright 1, and plate support strips 25 which engage into the open top channels of the horizontals 24. These cover pieces and plate support strips serve to conceal the openings at the top of the frame and also to support a plate, which may be a sheet of plate glass, forming the upper surface of the cabinet.

Fig. 7 shows a cross section through the upper part of a second frame member 24 into which has been engaged a plate support strip 26. The strip 26 is formed from extruded aluminium and cut to size from stock. The strip provides a plate support tongue 28 recessed from the upper surface 29 of the strip by -an amount sufficient to locate a plate of material forming the upper surface of the unit.

The plate may be of glass, plastics material or any suitable material and may if desired have a thickness equal to height of the vertical surface 30, so that the upper surface of the sheet is flush with the upper surface of the strip 26. In order to locate the strip 26 on the second frame member 24 projections 31, 32 are provided which engage opposite sides of the C channel opening in the second frame member 24. The projection 32 furthest from the tongue 28 is further provided with an angled portion 33 which when the strip is located in the frame member bears against the lower surface of the lip 34 forming side of the C channel opening furthest from the tongue 28. This portion 33 serves to retain the strip in position when a load is placed upon it yet enables the strip 26 to be easily placed in position. In this way viewed as in Fig. 7 clockwise rotation of the strip 26 under the torque exerted by the weight of the plate is prevented whilst anticlockwise rotation to re move the strip remains possible. The strip 26 is supported by surfaces 35, 36 which bear on the second frame member 24.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show plan views of corner pieces 37, 38, 39 suitable for use with the cover strips 20, 21 and 22 respectively. If should be understood that the three shapes of cover strip 20, 21, 22 and matching corner plates, are given as examples only. Numerous other shapes could be employed with the upright 1 shown, if desired, and of course the shapes of this and other parts can be varied within the scope of the invention.

Fig. 11 shows a side view on line A-A of the corner piece shown in Fig. 10. Each corner piece has a recess at its inside corner to receive the corner of the inserted plate and this recess is defined by vertical surfaces 40 and a flat surface 40' which lie flush with the surfaces 30 and 28 of the adjoining strips 26.

Studs 41 are provided on the underside of each corner piece to engage in the end of the upright first frame member 1. The studs have conical tips and serve to locate the cornerpiece, in conjunction with the rear wall 42 of the vertical surface 40.

A frame will generally be constructed with horizonal members 24 around its base as well as its top, and possibly intermediately up its height as well to support an intermediate shelf. In these instances strips 26 could be employed to support a floor in the cabinet, and any shelf, but without corner pieces, the edges of the strips 26 simply butting against the uprights 1.

Figs. 1 2 and 1 3 show the use of the C- channel 2 of the first frame member 1 to hold the margin of an upright sheet of material 43a or 43b by means of a glazing bend 44 or pair of beads 44, 45. In Fig. 12 a thick sheet of material 43a is located in the C-channel 2 and held firmly in place by the insertion of the bead 44 into the same C-channel. Fig. 1 3 shows the insertion of two such beads 44, 45 in order to secure a thinner piece of material 43b in the same channel. An enlarged end on view of the bead 44/45 is shown in Fig. 1 4.

Each bead has two members 50 and 51 joined by a web 52 such as to form a compressible portion of the bead wherein the distal parts of the members 50 and 51 are compressible towards each other on insertion between the sheet to be secured and the edge 53 of the opening of the channel 2. One of the members 51 is extended by further parts 54, 54' at an angle to it and to each other.

These extend down to the base of the Cchannel and ensure that the upper surface of the web 52 lies flush with the upper surface 53 of the channel. The other of the members 50 is shorter and has at its free end an outward projection 55 which when the bead is in use is located beneath the lip 56 projecting in at the edge of the C channel in order to secure the bead within the channel. Preferably the lower edge of the projection 55 is believed to facilitate insertion of the bead in a snap fitting manner. The bead is preferably of plastics material though any other suitable material may be used.The resilience of the material used and its thickness and the angle between the members 51 and 50 are selected such that either one bead alone may be used to secure thicker sheet in the first frame member channel (as in Fig. 12) or two may be used to secure thinner sheet by placing beading on either side of the sheet to be secured (as in Fig. 13). Since the C-channels on the first frame member 1 and the second frame member 24 are identical in size the beading may equally be used to secure sheet material to second frame members.

Glazing beads 44 and 45 thus permit the retention of fixed panels in frames which may be formed using the first and second panel members. In the event that sliding panels are required to provide access to the intension of the units sliding panel tracks 60 as shown in Fig. 1 5 may be used.

The sliding panel track 60 shown in cross section in Fig. 1 5 comprises two channels 61, 62 each of which is provided with grooves 63, with which projections on plastic inserts (not shown in Fig. 1 5) for insertion into the grooves may engage. On the outside of the rear wall of each channel 61, 62 there is provided a projection 64, 65 having a short outwardly directed flange at its end. In Fig.

1 6 a track 60 is shown attached to a second frame member 24 by the engagement of the projections 64, 65 in the C-channel 1 3. The lower surfaces of the lips 66, 67 engage over the outwardly directed flanges on the projections 64, 65 so as to retain the track in position. The track may equally and similarly be located in a C-channel (2,3) in a first frame member 1 if desired. The track is made of extruded aluminium and cut to size from stock.

The track may snap fit into the C-channel to which it is to be fitted though preferably it may be slid into position.

Figs. 16 and 1 7 show the use of inserts 68 and 69 which enable different thickness of glass to be accomodated within the track channels 61, 62. The inserts are preferably of plastics material and are retained in position by engagement of ribs provided on them with the recesses 62, 63 in the track channel walls. In use the tracks 60, 60a are used in pairs and the dimentions are chosen so that the sheets retained by them can be lifted in and out.

By way of example a cabinet may be constructed from first and second frame members having identical C channels 2, 12, 1 3 of lOmm depth and having an opening 9mm wide: The C-channels may be used to hold either plate glass of 6mm thickness by using a single glazing bead 44 or glass of 4mm thickness by using two such glazing beads 44 and 45. 6mm plate glass can be accomodated in a track 60, using plastics inserts 68 which provide a sliding surface for the glass in the track but do not restrict its width. 4mm glass may be used if inserts 69 are employed which provide a surface for the glass to slide on and also narrow the channel. The track channels 61, 62 in this example are 6.5 mm in internal width.

Claims

1. A framing system comprising first extruded members, second extruded members and cover strips, the cross sections of said extruded members being shaped to enable one or more said second members to be secured to a said first member by fixing means passing through the first member into the interior of each second member, said first member being adapted thereafter to receive a said cover strip which when fixed to said first member conceals said fixing means.

2. A framing system according to claim 1 wherein the second members are provided internally with screw flutes and the said fixing means are screws which pass through said first member and screw into a said screw flute.

3. A framing system according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the cover strip is a snap fit onto said first member.

4. A framing system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the cover strips are also extruded members.

5. A framing system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the extruded members are extruded from aluminium.

6. A framing system according to claim 5 wherein at least some of the extruded members are coloured with an applied colour which is not the natural colour of aluminium, at least two colours being provided either by use of different applied colours on respective extruded members, or by use of applied colour on only some of the extruded members.

7. A framing system according to any one of the preceding claims further including cover members for the ends of first extruded members.

8. A framing system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first extruded members are uprights shaped to enable securing of second members extending in at least two horizontal directions, means being provided for the horizontal second members to support horizontal plates or panels.

9. A framing system according to any one of the preceding claims including plate support strips which are each of uniform cross section having a step in an upper surface to locate and support a plate edge and projections on a lower surface for engagement into a recess in a frame portion wherein when so engaged at least one of said projections serves to restrain said strip against rotation around its longitudinal direction under the weight of said plate.

1 0. A framing system according to claim 9 as appendant to claim 8 wherein said second extruded members are provided with an undercut recess shaped to receive said projections of a plate support strip.

11. A framing system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and/or second extruded members are provided with channels suitable for receiving the margin of a panel and one or more glazing beads, the system including a glazing bead of uniform cross section comprising a web and two members extending from the web so as to extend, in use, down into the channel, the two members being spaced apart by the web, the bead being resilient whereby said members may, in use, be pressed towards each other against the resilience of the material.

1 2. A framing system according to claim 11 wherein one of the two members is shaped to engage under a lip at the mouth of a said channel and the other of them is extended by further portions at an angle thereto and with dimensions such as to extend down to the base of the said channel.

1 3. A framing system according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein in the relaxed condition of the glazing bead the two members spaced apart by the web mutually diverge away from the web.

1 4. A framing system substantially as any described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 5. A display cabinet having a frame provided from the framing system of any one of the preceding claims.

16. A plate support strip of uniform cross section having a step in an upper surface to locate and support a plate edge and projections on its lower surface for engagement into a recess in a frame portion wherein at least one of said projections serves to restrain said strip against rotation around its longitudinal direction under the weight of said plate, preferably the support strip and the frame portion are both extruded and the said one projection engages into an undercut recess in said frame portion.

1 7. A glazing bead for use with framing members with a channel section to receive the margin of a panel and one or more glazing beads, the bead being of uniform cross section comprising a web and two members extending from the web so as to extend down into the channel, the two members being spaced apart by the web, the bead being resilient whereby said members may, in use, be pressed towards each other against the resilience of the material.