GB2256890A

GB2256890A - Adjustable flush fit door.

Info

Publication number: GB2256890A
Application number: GB9113505A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Cartwright
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-06-21
Filing date: 1991-06-21
Publication date: 1992-12-23
Also published as: GB9113505D0

Abstract

An access door and frame assembly for installation into a wall or ceiling to enable the door surface when closed to be flush with the surrounding wall comprises a continuous frame 2 and a door 3 hingedly mounted at 16 to the frame. Slots running perpendicular to the plane of the frame are provided for adjustable securement of the hinge 16 and of an abutment member 9 relative to the frame to permit adjustment of the attitude of the door in the closed position in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the frame and the amount by which the door projects from the frame. The assembly also comprises a lock 22 opposite the hinge to fasten the door in the closed position by means of arm 24. <IMAGE>

Description

ACCESS DOOR AND FRAME ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to a door and frame assembly and particularly to an access door and frame assembly for installation into a wall or ceiling.

Hitherto, the design of door and frame assemblies has been dictated to by their intended mode of installation. For example, a door and frame assembly for installation into an opening from behind a wall or ceiling includes a door which stands proud of the frame so that when installed, in the closed position, the door is flush with the surrounding wall or ceiling. On the other hand, a door and frame assembly for installation into an opening from the front of a wall may include a door which is often substantially in the same plane as the frame.

With both of the above methods, it can be difficult to get the door of the assembly to lie flush with the surrounding wall or ceiling in the closed position since the skimmed layer of plasterboard thereon is not of a uniform thickness.

Clearly, the need for different designs of door and frame assemblies depending on the intended mode of installation is undesirable and expensive and a single design which could be installed by any method, but still produce a flush fit with the surrounding wall or ceiling would be extremely advantageous.

An object of the present invention is to provide a door and frame assembly which can be installed by a variety of methods into an opening in a wall or ceiling so that, in the closed position, its door is flush with the surrounding wall or ceiling.

According to the invention there is provided a door frame assembly wherein the frame is continuous and a side of the door is hingedly mounted to the frame, adjustment means being provided to adjust the attitude of the door in the closed position in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the frame and the amount by which the door projects from the frame, the assembly further comprising an abutment for engagement with the side of the door opposite the hinge in the closed position and means to fasten the door in said position.

Preferably, said adjustment means are located in opposite sides of the frame and comprise a number of slots in the frame, which slots run substantially perpendicular to the plane of the frame.

Advantageously a slot is located toward each end of a side wall so that in the assembled frame the slots are near the corners of the frame.

Preferably the abutment comprises an L-shaped member having a locking surface and apertures for registration with the slots of a side wall of the frame.

Preferably, one side of the hinge is fitted to the door. Advantageously the hinge is positioned immediately adjacent an edge of the door so that the pivot point of the hinge is as close to the edge as possible. Such an arrangement substantially reduces the common problem of gouging out or crumbling of plaster immediately adjacent the hinged edge of the door when the door is opened and closed.

Preferably the other side of the hinge includes apertures for registration with slots of the frame.

Apertures in the abutment or hinge of the door can be brought into register with the slots and fastened therein by any suitable means such as a nut and bolt arrangement with the bolt extending through a respective aperture and slot.

The above adjustment means allow the position of the abutment and the hinge of the door to be adjusted in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the frame so that once the frame has been installed in an opening, in a wall or ceiling, the attitude of the door in relation to the frame and the amount by which the door projects from the frame can be adjusted so that the door is flush with the surrounding wall or ceiling in the closed position. Once the above attitude and projection of the door has been suitably adjusted the abutment and hinge can be more securely fastened to the frame, for example by using pop rivets and such like.

The advantage of the slot arrangement is that the apertures in the hinge or abutment can be brought into register therewith and moved along the slot to provide an extremely fine means of adjusting the attitude of the door in relation to the frame and the amount by which the door projects from the frame in the closed position to achieve an excellent flush fit with the surrounding wall or ceiling.

The present invention therefore removes the requirement for a range of designs of door and frame assemblies each of which can only be installed by a specific installation method.

Preferably, the means to fasten the door in the closed position comprises a conventional lock mechanism having a rotatable arm, which can be rotated to overlie a locking surface of the abutment and thereby fasten the door in the closed position.

It will be apparent to the skilled worker that the adjustability of the assembly means that the accurate fitting of the frame in an opening is not essential to a good flush fit and non-expert fitting can be tolerated. Additionally, uniform thickness of surrounding plaster or other material is not essential.

Although the present invention is primarily for use with openings in plasterboard it is clear that it can be used to provide an access door to a hollow space behind a wall constructed from a variety of building materials.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1(a) is a section through an abutment; Fig. 1(b) is a front elevation of the abutment of Fig. 1(a); Fig. 2(a) is a section through a side wall of a frame; Fig. 2(b) is a front elevation of the side wall of Fig. 2(a) Fig. 3 is a plan view of the inner face of-a door; Fig. 4 is a plan view of a hinge; Fig. 5 is a section through an assembly of the invention in the closed position installed in a plastered wall; Fig. 6 is a section through a bolt extending through a respective aperture and slot of the hinge and side wall; and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the outer surface of the assembly of Fig. 3.

A metal door and frame assembly 1 comprises a continuous square frame 2 and a door 3. As shown in Figs. 2(a) and 2(b), side walls 4 of the frame are each formed with an outwardly extending rim 5 and flange 6, which flange extends outwardly in parallel with the plane of the frame by a distance approximately half that of the height of the side wall. Two opposing side walls 7 are each provided with two slots 8, each individual slot running perpendicular to the plane of the frame and positioned towards an end of the side wall, as shown.

The assembly further comprises an L-shaped abutment 9 as shown in Figs. 1(a) and (b). The abutment includes four apertures 10 for registration with the slots 8 of one of the side walls 7. The abutment includes a locking surface 25 for engagement with the side arm 24 of a lock 22 to be described below.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 5 the door 3 comprises a panel 11 having a flat outer face 12 and an inwardly directed rim 14. One side of a hinge 16 is spot welded to the door as shown in Fig. 3 so that the pivot point of the hinge is as close to the rim 14 of the door as possible.

The free side 17 of the hinge 16 includes two apertures 18 for registration with the slots 8 of the side wall 7 of the frame as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The side of the door opposite the hinge 16 includes two upstanding cross walls 19 and 20 which extend by a different distance from the base plate 11 so that the cross walls are of different heights, the cross wall 19 being tallest. A recess 21 is defined between the cross walls 19 and 20.

As shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 7 the door is fitted with a conventional lock 22 comprising a rotatable barrel 23 having a side arm 24. The barrel and side arm are housed in the recess 21 so that the side arm can be rotated over the top of the cross wall 20 but free rotation is restricted by the taller cross wall 19.

In use the frame may be installed into an opening in a wall or ceiling and plastered in place using conventional techniques. As shown in Fig. 5 the frame can be installed into the opening in a sheet of plasterboard so that from the front overlaps the plasterboard. The frame can then covered as the usual skimmed layer of plaster is applied to the plasterboard.

Once the frame has been plastered in place in the opening the door can be attached. This is achieved by bringing the apertures 18 in the hinge into register with the slots 8 of the side wall 7. A suitable nut 26 and bolt 27 arrangement, whereby a bolt extends through each of the apertures and slots, is used to hingedly mount the one side of the door to the frame.

The abutment 9 is fitted to the opposite side wall of the frame by registration of respective apertures 10 and slots 8 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Once the abutment has been fitted to the side wall of the frame the door can be locked in the closed position by bringing the cross wall 20 of the door into engagement with the abutment 9 and rotating the lock 22 so that its side arm 24 overlies the locking surface 25 of the abutment, as shown in Fig. 5.

In the closed position the attitude of the outer surface 12 of the door in relation to the frame can be adjusted by loosening the nuts and moving the apertures of the hinge and/or abutment along the slots, that is, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the frame.

The slots permit very fine adjustments to be made so that an excellent flush fit between the outer surface of the door and the surrounding plaster 28 can be achieved. When such a flush fit has been achieved the hinge and abutment can be more securely fastened to the frame using pop rivets.

Alternatively, the frame can be inserted into an opening, for example in a section of plasterboard, so that the frame is exposed. In such a case the door would then be adjusted so that its outer surface lay in the same plane as the frame.

Since the attitude of the door in relation to the frame and the amount by which it projects from the frame can be adjusted in situ the assembly can be installed by any convenient method. The assembly of the present invention therefore provides a substantial improvement over conventional door and frame assemblies which cannot be adjusted, necessitating the manufacture of a range of assembly designs each tailored to a particular installation method.

Claims

1. A door frame assembly wherein the frame is continuous and a side of the door is hingedly mounted to the frame, adjustment means being provided to adjust the attitude of the door in the closed position in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the frame and the amount by which the door projects from the frame, the assembly further comprising an abutment for engagement with the side of the door opposite the hinge in the closed position and means to fasten the door in said position.

2. A door frame assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said adjustment means are located in opposite sides of the frame and comprise a number of slots in the frame, which slots run substantially perpendicular to the plane of the frame.

3. A door frame assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein a slot is located toward each end of a side wall.

4. A door frame assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the abutment comprises an Lshaped member having a locking surface.

5. A door frame assembly as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the abutment includes apertures for registration with the slots of a side wall of the frame.

6. A door frame assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the pivot point of the hinge is positioned adjacent an edge of the door.

7. A door frame assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein a free side of the hinge includes apertures for registration with slots of a side wall of the frame.

8. A door frame assembly substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.