GB2145455A

GB2145455A - Mounting panels in channel shaped members

Info

Publication number: GB2145455A
Application number: GB08321377A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Colin Jones
Original assignee: P C Henderson Ltd; PC Henderson Ltd
Current assignee: P C Henderson Ltd; PC Henderson Ltd
Priority date: 1983-08-09
Filing date: 1983-08-09
Publication date: 1985-03-27
Also published as: GB8321377D0

Abstract

A panel is mounted in a channel section member by inserting lengths of strip material 54,62 endwise into the channel and then inserting the edge 60 of the panel. The panel may be a mirror and the channel part of a frame for a sliding door e.g. of a wardrobe. The strip material may be in several portions and may be of PVC with stiffer portions 66,68 and ribbed softer portions 74,76,82. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method of connecting This invention relates to a method of connecting two members, and to a channel member to be secured or connected to an edge or tongue of another member such as a piece of sheet material. A particular example of the application of the invention is a channel member which is secured along the peripheral edges of a large mirror and is provided with rollers at one edge of the assembly for rolling engagement with a track secured to the floor, to form a sliding door of a domestic wardrobe.

However, the invention is also applicable to mounting other sheet materials such as plain glass, plastics and wooden sheet material in such situations as doors, windows, furniture generally, greenhouses and glazing systems.

In the case of presently available sliding doors for wardrobes employing a large heavy mirror as the main structure of the door and provided with a channel member secured to the periphery of the mirror along its four or more edges, one existing proposal for securing the mirror to the channel member involves the use of a generally U-section gasket or length of flexible strip material. The U-section strip has longitudinaily-extending beads at its two edges and is inserted over the edge of the glass of the mirror before the latter is inserted into the channel member, so that the assembly of the mirror and the strip material is gripped and held to the channel member.

The principle disadvantages of this prior proposal include the fact that the assembly operation is very time consuming since the strip material must first be pressed onto the edge of the mirror in one manual operation, and then the edge of the mirror must be offered up to the channel member. Then, due to the tight fit of the former into the latter, the channel member must be pushed or hammered against the edge of the mirror all along the length of the channel member in order to force the mirror edge with its associated gasket into the channel member.

It will be appreciated that the above operation is not only time consuming and difficult, but there is the added problem that the two edges of the strip material, these edges incorporating the beads, are visible above the top edge of the channel member and thus detract from the provision of a neat assembly. Moreover, when a join is required between two pieces of the flexible strip material, due to the fact that the strip is clearly visible, the join likewise also tends to be visible which further detracts from the appearance of the assembly.

Moreover, at the corners of the mirror, it is necessary to mitre the abutting edges of the strip material.

A further shortcoming of the previously proposed system is that it does not readily accommodate differing thickness of glass or other sheet material.

An object of the present invention is to provide improvements in relation to one or more of the problems identified above.

According to the invention there is provided a method of connecting two members to be joined. The method may include the step of providing a channel extending lengthwise of one of said members to receive an edge extending lengthwise of the other of said members. The channel may be formed to receive a length of strip material. The method may include the further step of inserting said strip material endwise into the channel. The method may further include the step of then inserting said edge of said other member into the channel whereby the edge is located or gripped therein.

Preferably, said edge of said other member is inserted into said channel in the lateral direction-as opposed to endwise.

A further preferred feature is that the channel member is formed with longitudinally extending internal ribs or formations to locate said strip material. Said internal ribs or formations preferably largely or completely hide said strip material.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a channel member to be secured or connected to an edge or tongue on another member such as a piece of sheet material. A channel may be formed in said channel member extending lengthwise thereof to receive an edge extending lengthwise of said other member. The channel may be formed to receive a length of strip material.

Said strip material may be arranged to be insertable endwise into the channel. The arrangement may be such that after insertion of the strip material, said edge of said other member may be inserted into the channel whereby said edge is located or gripped therein.

Preferably said channel member is formed with at least one longitudinally extending internal rib or other formation to locate said strip material. Said rib or other formation preferably largely or wholely hides said strip material.

The strip material may be provided in two or more portions which are insertable independently into the channel member for engagement with spaced portions of the edge of the member to be inserted therein. The strip material preferably comprises a generally L-section portion to engage one side face of the edge of said other member and the laterallyfacing edge of said other member. Another portion of said strip material may be provided to engage the opposite side face of said other member along the edge thereof.

Preferably, said strip material is formed of a flexible or resilient material such as natural or synthetic rubber, or any suitable plastics ma terial. Preferably, the outer portion of said strip material which slidably engages said channel member is of harder consistency than the inner portion thereof.

Preferably, at least one longitudinally extending rib is formed on the inner surface of said strip material for engagement with the edge of said other member. Said rib may be inclined inwardly with respect to the channel of said channel member so as to resist outward movement of said other member.

Preferably also, said channel member and said strip material are proportioned so that the strip material is a relatively loose fit in the channel member so as to slide endwise easily therein during initial assembly.

The channel member may be provided with one or more rollers, slides or the like to enable the channel member to run on a track so that the channel member and the attached member may run on the track as an assembly.

Internal connection means may be provided on the channel member so that the latter can be secured to the adjacent end of another channel member to form a frame around a piece of sheet material.

The invention also provides the combination of a channel member as defined above with an associated piece of sheet material secured thereto to form a sliding door or the like. The door may be in the form of a wardrobe door in which the sheet material is in the form of a mirror.

The invention also provides any concept or feature or combination of features defined and/or described and/or illustrated in this specification and drawings.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a section through a channel member assembled with a glass mirror and having rollers engaging a track in a wardrobe door assembly; Figure 2 shows a section through the top edge of the wardrobe door assembly of Fig. 1; and Figure 3 shows, on a larger scale, a section corresponding to a portion of Fig. 1 showing details of the strip material which is inserted into the channel member and which engages the edge of the mirror of the door-the strip material not being shown in Fig. 1, for simplicity.

As shown in Fig. 1, a wardrobe comprises a pair of sliding doors 10, 12 mounted on a track 14 for manual movement lengthwise of the track. The doors 10, 12 are substantially identical in construction and therefore only one will be described in detail.

Door 10 comprises a glass mirror 16 mounted in a frame 18 and carried by rollers 20 on a rail 22 of track 14.

Frame 18 comprises four channel members, consisting of a lower channel member 24 providing a mounting for rollers 20, an upper channel member 26 shown in Fig. 2, and two side channel members (not shown) of corresponding construction.

Lower channel member 24 comprises a channel portion 28 to receive the lower edge 30 of mirror 16, a connecting portion 32 formed with a keyhole-section internal channel member 34 to receive a self-tapping screw for end-joining the channel member to an adjacent channel member, and depending flanges 36. 38 between which is mounted an assembly 40 in which rollers 20 are journalled.

All four channel members, 24, 26 and the two side channel members (not shown) are formed as extruded aluminium sections.

Referring to Fig. 2, the upper channel member 26 is otherwise similar to lower channel member 24 but is formed with shorter flanges 42. 44 on which a top plate 46 is secured, which co-operates with the wardrobe door edge panels 48. 50 which serve to cover the channel members and provide a finished appearance to the door assembly. In this connection, it will be noted that in Fig. 2 there is shown a top cover or pelmet assembly 52 in which the doors 10, 12 are received and which serves to cover the top edge of each door and likewise to provide a finished appearance to the assembly.

Fig. 3 shows details of the relationship between the mirror 16. the lower channel member 24 and lengths of strip material 54 which are not shown in Figs. 1 and 2 but which are to be understood to be present in all four of the channel members.

As shown in Fig. 3, strip material 54 comprises an L-section length of strip material 56 to engage one side face 58 of the mirror and the outer edge 60 thereof, and a generally flat or Section length of strip material 62 for engagement with the opposite side face 64 of mirror 16.

L-section strip 56 comprises limbs 66, 68 having moulded and secured thereto strips 70, 72 formed with longitudinally extending ribs 74, 76 for engagement with the mirror.

Strip material 54 is formed of poly vinyl chloride and limbs 66, 68 are of harder consistency than strips 70, 72 and the ribs 74, 76 thereof, whereby the harder material serves to support and transfer loads while permitting relatively easy endwise siding movement, while the softer inner material promotes effective gripping of the edge of the mirror.

Likewise, the flat or Section length of strip material 62 comprises an outer harder portion 78 and an inner softer portion 80, the latter being formed with longitudinally extending ribs 82 for engagement with the mirror.

it will be noted that limb 68 is formed with an upturned end 84 and moreover is somewhat longer than limb 66, whereby the Lsection length of strip material 56 can only be inserted into the lower channel member 24 in the attitude shown in Fig. 3.

Likewise, length 62 of strip material is formed with channels 86, 88 to receive corresponding flanges 90, 92, the dimensions of the channels and flanges being such that the strip material 62 can likewise only be inserted in the attitude shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 also shows the ample clearance between the strip material and the channel member whereby the former is easily inserted into the latter. And, it can be seen that the channel member includes an inturned flange or rib 94 which serves to hide or largely hide from external view the strip material 54 at the outer or visible side of the assembly, door 10 being the outer door of the two.

For assembly purposes, the wardrobe door is made up from the mirror 16, track 14 and suitable lengths of the channel members 24, 26 and strip material 54. The channel members are cut to length and mitred using a hacksaw and the strip material is then quickly and easily inserted therein endwise. The assembled channel members are then easily pushed over their relevant edges of the mirror and secured in end-to-end relationship by means of screws engaging the keyhole section internal channel members 34. The thus completed wardrobe door can then be inserted into top cover 52 and placed on the rail 22 of track 14.

Assembly can thus be seen to be a simple and rapid operation, this arising particularly from the simple endwise insertion of the strip material or gasket. Other advantages of the above embodiment include the fact that joins in the gasket require no particular attention.

The next length of gasket is simply inserted into the channel section and butted against the previous length. Moreover, the gasket is not visible in use and therefore the joins likewise are also hidden. Furthermore, the gasket can accommodate differing thicknesses of sheet material. For example, the mirror in the above embodiment may be of 6 or 7 millimetre thickness.

A further advantage arises from the fact that manufacturing tolerances are readily accommodated. Such tolerances can arise from wear of the dies used for extrusion of the strip material.

Among modifications which could be made in the above emdoiment without departing from the scope of the invention are changes in the cross-sectional shape of the channel member and of the strip material. Moreover, different materials could be employed. Instead of an aluminium extrusion, the channel member could be of plastics material.

Claims

1. A method of connecting two members to be joined comprising providing a channel extending lengthwise of one of said memebrs, to receive an edge extending lengthwise of the other of said members, the channel being formed to receive a length of strip material, the method further comprising the step of inserting a length of strip material endwise into the channel, and then inserting said edge of said other of said members into the channel, whereby the edge is located or gripped therein.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said edge of said other of said member is inserted into said channel in the lateral direction, as opposed to endwise.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said channel is provided with longitudinally extending internal ribs or formations to locate said strip material.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said internal ribs or formations largely or completely hide said strip material.

5. A channel member, to be secured or connected to an edge or tongue on another member such as a piece of sheet material, the channel formed in said channel member extending lengthwise thereof to receive an edge or tongue extending lengthwise of said other member, the channel being formed to receive a length of strip material which is insertable endwise into the channel, the arrangement being such that after insertion of the strip material, said edge or tongue of said other member may be inserted into the channel whereby said edge or tongue is located or gripped therein.

6. A channel member according to claim 5 and formed with at least one longitudinally extending internal rib or other formation to locate said strip material.

7. A channel member according to claim 6 wherein said rib or other formation largely or wholely hides said strip material.

8. A channel member according to any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein the strip material is provided in two or more portions which are insertable independently into the channel member for engagement with spaced portions of the edge of the member to be inserted therein.

9. A channel member according to any one of claims 5 to 8 wherein the strip material comprises a generally L-section portion to engage one side face of the edge of said other member and the laterally-facing edge of said other member.

10. A channel member according to claim 8 wherein another portion of said strip material is provided to engage the opposite side face of said other member along the edge thereof.

11. A channel member according to any one of claims 5 to 10 wherein said strip material is formed of a flexible or resilient material such as natural or synthetic rubber, or a plastics material.

12. A channel member according to any one of claims 8 to 11 wherein the outer portion of said strip material, which slidably engages said channel member, is of harder consistency than the inner portion thereof, which engages said edge or tongue of said other member.

13. A channel member according to any one of claims 5 to 12 wherein at least one longitudinally extending rib is formed on the inner surface of said strip material for engagement with the edge or tongue of said other member.

14. A channel member according to claim 13 wherein said rib is inclined inwardly with respect to the channel of said channel member, so as to resist outward movement of said edge or tongue of said other member.

15. A channel member according to any one of claims 5 to 14 wherein said channel member and said strip material are proportioned so that the strip material is a relatively loose fit in the channel member and thereby slides endwise easily therein during initial assembly.

16. A channel member according to any one of claims 5 to 15 in combination with one or more rollers, slides or the like to enable the channel member to run on a track so that the channel member and said other member may run on the track as an assembly.

17. A channel member according to any one of claims 5 to 16 comprising internal connection means whereby the channel member may be secured to the adjacent end of another channel member to form a frame around a piece of sheet material.

18. A channel member according to any one of claims 5 to 17 in combination with an associated piece of sheet material secured thereto to form a sliding door or the like.

19. The combination of claim 18 in the form of a wardrobe door in which said sheet material is in the form of a mirror.

20. A method of connecting two members to be joined, substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. A channel member substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

22. A wardrobe door substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.