DOOR ELEMENT OR WALL ELEMENT

Abstract

A door or wall element includes a frame having four elongated profiles. Two side panels are provided at opposed sides of the frame and are attached to the frame. At least two of the profiles positioned at opposed sides of the frame are provided with a groove situated at the sides of the concerned profiles defining the outer circumferential surface of the frame. Each of the side panels are provided at opposed edges with an upstanding rim fitting into the concerned groove of the frame. The profiles are hollow profiles. The door or wall element includes at least one connection piece provided between two adjacent profiles of the frame, and the connection piece includes a guide surface allowing angular movements between the adjacent profiles during an assembly phase of the door or wall element.

Claims

1. A door or wall element comprising: a frame comprising four elongated profiles; two side panels provided at opposed sides of the frame and attached to said frame; at least two of the profiles positioned at opposed sides of the frame, provided with a groove situated at the sides of the concerned profiles defining the outer circumferential surface of the frame; and each of the side panels being provided at opposed edges with an upstanding rim fitting into the concerned groove of the frame; wherein: said profiles are hollow profiles, the door or wall element comprises at least one connection piece provided between two adjacent profiles of the frame, and the connection piece comprises a guide surface allowing angular movements between said adjacent profiles during an assembly phase of the door or wall element.

2. The door or wall element according to claim 1, wherein the guide surface is adapted to form an abutment surface positioned against an end portion of one of the adjacent profiles inner circumferential frame surface during the assembly phase of the door or wall element, the adjacent profiles then forming an acute angle.

3. The door or wall element according to claim 1, wherein the connection piece is an L-shaped connection piece comprising two sidewalls, comprising: a first side wall defining a first abutment surface positioned against a cross-sectional end extending from a surface of a first profile inner circumference of the circumference of the frame; and a second side wall defining a second abutment surface extending from said first wall to the outer circumference of the frame and positioned against a cross-sectional end surface of a second frame profile; the guide surface being defined by a surface of the first side wall opposed to the first abutment surface and extending from the inner circumference of the frame to the second abutment surface.

4. The door or wall element according to claim 3, wherein the guide surface extends along a plane defining an angle ? with the plane wherein the first abutment surface extends and defining an angle ? with the plane wherein the second abutment surface extends, whereby 0?<?<90? and 90?<?<180?.

5. The door or wall element according to claim 3, wherein the first abutment surface extends in a plane oriented perpendicular to the plane wherein the second abutment surface extends.

6. The door or wall element according to claim 3, wherein the first abutment surface matches the cross-sectional end surface of the first frame profile and/or the second abutment surface matches the cross-sectional end surface of the second frame profile.

7. The door or wall element according to claim 3, wherein the surface of the second wall opposed to the second abutment surface is profiled in accordance with the outer circumferential frame surface defined by the first frame profile.

8. The door or wall element according to claim 1, wherein the connection piece comprises an attachment adapted to fix the connection piece to one of the profiles.

9. The door or wall element according to claim 3, wherein the attachment is provided on the first abutment surface and extends in an inner cavity of the first frame profile.

10. The door or wall element according to claim 1, wherein the other edges of the side panels comprise an upstanding rim bent over the outer circumferential surface of the frame.

11. The door or wall element according to claim 1, wherein the panels are manufactured in a metallic material.

12. The door or wall element according to claim 1, wherein the profiles are manufactured in a polymeric material.

13. A method for assembling a door or wall element comprising: placing on a planar surface a first panel provided at opposed edges with an upstanding rim, placing four hollow profiles on the first panel in the shape of a parallelogram, at least two of the profiles being positioned at opposed sides of the frame and provided with a groove situated at the sides of the concerned profiles defining the outer circumferential surface of the frame, so that one upstanding rim of the first panel fits into the concerned groove of one of the concerned profiles, at least one connection piece being provided between two adjacent profiles of the frame and comprising a guide surface upon which an end portion of one of the adjacent profiles inner circumferential frame surface is in abutment, the adjacent profiles then forming an acute angle, placing a second panel on top of the profiles so that one upstanding rim of the second panel fits into the one of the concerned groove, forcing the frame in a rectangular shape by an angular movement between the adjacent profiles, so that the opposed upstanding rims of the panels fit into the opposed concerned grooves of the concerned profiles.

14. The method for assembling a door or wall element according to claim 13, wherein an upstanding rim of another edge of the panels is subsequently bent over the outer circumferential surface of the frame.

15. The method for assembling a door or wall element according to claim 13, wherein a hole is subsequently made in one of the profiles and an isolating material is injected into an internal cavity formed between the four profiles and the two panels.

16. The door or wall element according to claim 8, wherein the attachment is provided on the first abutment surface and extends in an inner cavity of the first frame profile.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a frame with solid profiles (in this case wood profiles) positioned in a parallelogram set-up ready for assembly; as shown, the connection pieces are already in the solid profiles due to the fullness of the profiles for which material can be removed (versus hollow profiles).

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a door element according to the present description with hollow profiles;

[0050] FIGS. 3a&b illustrate a connection of a profile with side panels of a door element according to the present description;

[0051] FIGS. 4a&b represents a perspective view of a connection piece and profile of a door according to the present description;

[0052] FIG. 5 shows a frame of a door according to the present description in a parallelogram set-up ready for assembly with hollow profiles and connection pieces added to the hollow profiles;

[0053] FIGS. 6a&b represent a detailed view of a preferred embodiment of a connection piece for hollow profiles as described in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0054] FIG. 2 schematically represents a door element 1 according to the present invention, the door element comprising: [0055] a frame 2 comprising four 2a&b elongated profiles; [0056] two side panels 3a&b provided at opposed sides of the frame 2 and attached to said frame.

[0057] The invention can be implemented with many types of hollow profiles, including elongated profiles presenting either one or more closed hollow chambers or inner cavities, or having at least one such cavity being open to the outside on at least part of at least one of the longitundinal face of the profiles.

[0058] As illustrated in more detail in FIG. 3a, at least two of the profiles positioned at opposed sides of the frame, in this case the vertically positioned profiles 2a, are provided with a slot or groove 4a&b situated at the sides 5 of the concerned profiles defining the outer circumferential surface of the frame. The side panels 3a&b are provided at opposed edges with an upstanding rim 6a&b that at its free end comprises a bead 7a&b extending substantially perpendicular to the concerned side panel and fitting into the concerned groove 4a&b of the frame.

[0059] FIGS. 4a&b show a detail of a frame of a first embodiment of a door element according to the present description, wherein the frame 2 comprises a connection piece 8 provided between two adjacent frame profiles 2a and 2b. This connection piece is preferably manufactured in a polymeric material and comprising two sidewalls: [0060] a first side wall 9 defining a first abutment surface 10 positioned against a cross-sectional end surface 11a of a first (vertically positioned) profile 2a of said frame and extending from an inner circumference 12 of the frame to an outer circumference 13 of the frame; [0061] a second side wall 14 defining a second abutment surface 15 extending from said first wall 9 to the outer circumference 13 of the frame and positioned against a cross-sectional end surface 11b of a second (horizontally positioned) frame profile 2b.

[0062] The connection piece further defines a guide surface 16 defined by a surface of the first sidewall 9 opposed to the first abutment surface 10 and extending from the inner circumference 12 of the frame to the second abutment surface 15.

[0063] In this case the first abutment surface 10 extends in a plane-oriented perpendicular to the plane wherein the second abutment surface 15 extends. The first abutment surface 10 matches the cross-sectional end 11a surface of the first frame profile 2a, (and in the case of a hollow profile, thereby closing off the inner cavity of the hollow profile 2a at the concerned end), while the second abutment surface 15 matches the cross-sectional end surface 11b of the second frame profile 2b (and in the case of a hollow profile to close off the inner cavity of the hollow profile 2b at the concerned end).

[0064] The guide surface is preferably positioned against the inner circumferential surface of the frame defined by the second frame profile 2b such that an inner space of the door element defined between, on the one hand, the frame profiles 2a&b and, on the other hand, both side panels 3a&b, is physically separated from the inner cavity defined by the hollow profile 2b (in the case of hollow profiles), even in case of an eventual tolerance on the profile length making that the cross-sectional end surface 11b of the profile 2b would not perfectly abut the second abutment surface 15 and as such preventing that a liquid foam, when inserted in the inner space of the door element for insulation purposes would leak into the inner cavity of the frame profile 2b.

[0065] The surface 17 of the second side wall 14 opposed to the second abutment surface 15 is preferably profiled in accordance the outer circumferential frame surface defined by the first frame profile 2a, whereas the surface 18 defined by the free of the second side wall 14 is preferably profiled in accordance with the outer circumferential frame surface defined by the first frame profile 2b. As such any fittings to be provided at the outer circumferential surface of the frame can be provided both at the profiles 2a&b and at the connection piece 8.

[0066] FIGS. 1 and 5 schematically illustrate the assembly method of a door element according to the present invention.

[0067] As schematically represented in FIG. 1, the door according to the invention shall be manufactured by first shaping the panels by providing these with the J-shaped rim, placing one panel on a registered table, placing the profiles for assembling the frame on the first panel in the shape of a parallelogram and placing the second panel on top of the profiles. By subsequently pushing on one of the lateral frame profiles to force the frame in a rectangular shape, the longitudinal profiles are driven apart and the J-shaped rims of the panels are forced into the corresponding grooves of the longitudinal frame profiles to assemble the door. Subsequently an upstanding rim of the remaining edges of the panels are bent over the outer circumferential surface of the transversal profiles, to form a L-shaped rim. In one embodiment, the L-shaped or J-shaped rim covers the whole length of the corresponding profile. Alternatively, the L-shaped or J-shaped rim may only cover part of the corresponding profile, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0068] Finally, a hole is made in one of the profiles and a liquid PU-foam is inserted in the internal cavity to fill that cavity with an insulating material.

[0069] As shown in more details on FIG. 5, the profiles 2a and 2b are positioned in a parallelogram on an assembly table. In this case the frame profiles 2a intended to constitute the vertically oriented posts of the door element are provided at their both ends with a connection piece, while the frame profiles 2b intended to constitute the vertical posts of the door element are positioned such that their end portions are positioned on the guide surfaces 16 of the corresponding connection pieces 8. One of the frame profiles 2a is positioned along and against a first longitudinally extending L-shaped register wall while one of the connection pieces of that profile abuts, with its free end surface 18 of the second side wall 14, against the transversally extending part of the register wall such as to block that profile 2a from moving.

[0070] One side panel 3a is provided under the frame profiles, with one of its beads 7a,b arranged in the corresponding groove 4a, b of the immobilised profile 2a and the other side panel 3b is provided on top of the frame profiles with one of its beads 7a,b arranged in the corresponding groove 4a, b of the immobilised profile 2a.

[0071] Subsequently, the profile 2a positioned opposite the immobilized frame profile is pushed towards the transversally extending register wall part, thereby forcing the parallelogram in a rectangular shape and hence increasing the distance between the immobilized profile and its opposite counter profile of the frame and forcing the beads 7a, 7b of the side panels in the concerned grooves 4a, 4b of the opposite counter profile 2a.

[0072] During this process, the construction and shape of the connection piece, and in particular the guide surface, allow each pair of adjacent profiles to follow an angular movement with respect to each other so as to enable the frame to pass from the initial parallelogram shape to the final rectangular shape. Several shaping of the guide surface can be designed without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0073] As during the above described assembly of the door element, the transversal frame profile facing the transversally extending register wall part pivots versus the longitudinally extending profiles, the outwardly facing corner 19 of that profile 2b will push the immobilized longitudinal profile away from the transversally extending register wall part and hence disrupt a correct assembly of the door element. In order to prevent moving of the immobilized profile during assembly it is therefore preferred that the transversally extending register wall part comprises a cut-out portion allowing pivoting of the outwardly facing corner 19 without abutting the register wall part.

[0074] Alternatively, the corner piece can be provided with a sloped guide surface 16 as shown in FIG. 6a&b, preventing the outwardly facing corner from abutting the register wall during the assembly of the frame.

[0075] In this case, the guide surface 16 extends along a plane defining an angle ? with the plane wherein the first abutment surface extends and defining an angle ? with the plane wherein the second abutment surface extends, whereby 0?<?<90? C. and 90?<?<180?.

[0076] After the above described assembly steps, the opposed transversally extending edges of the side panels are bent over to abut the outer surfaces of the transversal profiles 2b (FIG. 3b), where after a liquid foam is injected and cured in the space defined in the door element to increase insulation properties.