Door with high energy efficiency

Abstract

The invention relates to the manufacturing of solid wood doors and consists in increasing the insulating value of a door by inserting an insulating material between the internal and external panels and in the center of the structural parts of the door. In this way, a door with a minimum of non-insulated surfaces is achieved. By using this system, the insulating value of the assembled door is significantly increased and reach the requirements of high energy efficiency programs such as ENERGY STAR. In addition to this, the rigidity and the durability of the solid wood door are not significantly compromised. A door with a traditional style and high thermal resistance levels is achieved.

Claims

1. A door comprising: a first and second vertical stile defining vertical edges of the door with the first stile comprising attaching elements for hingedly connecting the door to a door frame; a top and bottom horizontal rail connecting the two vertical stiles and defining a top and bottom edge of the door; the stiles and rails delimiting at least one panel of the door having an external and an interior surface; and at least one insulator member embedded between at least two separate parts affixed together to form each of the stiles and the at least one panel.

2. The door of claim 1, wherein the at least one insulator member is glued within the stiles and the rails.

3. The door of claim 1, wherein a distance between an external surface of the door and the at least one insulator member is less than or equal to a total thickness of the door minus a thickness of the at least one insulator member divided by two.

4. The door of claim 1, wherein the at least one insulator member is made of polyisocyanate, polystyrene or polyurethane.

5. The door of claim 1, wherein the at least one panel, the stiles, and the at least one frame are made of wood, the door having an R-value of about R-7.

6. The door of claim 1, wherein an external or interior surface of the door is laminated with at least one lamination part.

7. The door of claim 1, further comprising at least one intermediary mullion running a full height of the door; the at least one intermediary mullion defining a vertical center of the door; wherein the stiles, rails and the at least one intermediary mullion delimiting said at least one panel of the door; the at least one insulator member being also embedded within the at least one intermediary mullion.

8. The door of claim 7, wherein the at least one insulator member is embedded between at least two separate parts affixed together to form the at least one intermediary mullion, and wherein the at least one insulator member is glued within the at least one intermediary mullion.

9. A method for making a door, the door comprising at least two vertical stiles defining vertical edges of the door with a first stile comprising attaching elements for hingedly connecting the door to a door frame and a second stile, opposite to the first stile; a top and bottom horizontal rail connecting the two vertical stiles and defining a top and a bottom edge of the door; the stiles and the rails delimiting at least one panel of the door having an external and an interior surface; the method comprising the steps of: a) embedding at least one first insulator member between at least two separate parts affixed together to form each of the stiles; b) embedding at least one second insulator member between at least two separate parts affixed together to form the at least one panel; and c) assembling the stiles, the rails and the at least one panel to form the door.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the insulator members are made from injected polyurethane.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the insulator members are made by cutting from a piece comprising polyisocyanate or polystyrene.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of gluing the insulator members embedded within the stiles and the at least one panel.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the door further comprises at least one intermediary mullion running a full height of the door; the at least one intermediary mullion defining a vertical center of the door; wherein the stiles, the rails and the at least one intermediary mullion delimiting said at least one panel of the door; the method further comprising the steps of: embedding at least one third insulator member within the at least one intermediary mullion; optionally gluing the insulator members embedded within the at least one intermediary mullion; and assembling the stiles, the at least one intermediary mullion, rails and the at least one panel to form the door.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein one of the insulator members is embedded between at least two separate parts attached together to form the at least one intermediary mullion.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of laminating an external or interior surface of the door.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of laminating is performed by a profiler or a CNC.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one first insulator member is embedded between at least two separate parts attached together.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one second insulator member is embedded between at least two separate parts attached together.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The preceding description and other objectives, characteristics and advantages of the invention will be elucidated next in reference to the annexed figures in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is an elevated perspective of the assembly of the door in the preferred embodiment of the invention.

(3) FIG. 2 is the cross-section AA presented in FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 shows detail B of the cross-section AA presented in FIG. 2.

(5) FIG. 4 shows detail C of the cross-section AA presented in FIG. 2.

(6) FIG. 5 shows detail D of the cross-section AA presented in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(7) A new door with high energy efficiency is described below. Although the invention is described in relation to a specified embodiment, it is understood that this preferred embodiment serves only as an example and that the invention is not limited to the features of the embodiments described and illustrated herein, but includes all variations and modifications within the scope and spirit of the disclosure.

(8) Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a door 20 comprises two vertical stiles 30, 40 and one intermediary mullion 100 running the full height of the door 20 and defining the vertical edges of the door 20 with a first stile 30 comprising attaching elements 50 for hingedly connecting the door 20 to a door frame 1 and a second stile 40, opposite to the first stile 30, optionally having a doorknob 60. A top and bottom horizontal rail 70, 80 connecting the two vertical stiles 30, 40 and defining the top and bottom edges of the door 20. The stile 40, the intermediary mullion 100 and rails 71, 81 delimiting a panel 90 of the door 20 having an external and an interior surface.

(9) FIG. 1 shows the elevated perspective of the assembly of the door, where cross-section AA is further detailed in FIG. 2, which is comprised of the cross-section parts herein denoted as detail B, C and D.

(10) Referring to FIG. 3 which shows detail B in FIG. 2, the manufacturing details of the frame 1, stile 30 and panel 91 on the side of the door hinge elements 50 are shown. This stile 30 and panel 91 section is manufactured with many parts and many materials contrary to a traditional stile and panel that are simply composed of one or several pieces of wood laminated in a single operation. The composite parts of the door 20 on the side of the door hinge elements 50 are enumerated in the table below:

(11) TABLE-US-00001 Part Description 1 Door frame; Material type: wood Alternative material: none Manufacturing method: Part laminated with several pieces of wood and processed with the help of a profiler or a CNC. 2 Internal portion of the stile; Material type: wood Alternative material: none Manufacturing method: Part laminated with several pieces of wood and processed with the help of a profiler or a CNC. 3 External portion of the stile; Material type: wood Alternative material: none Manufacturing method: Part laminated with several pieces of wood and processed with the help of a profiler or a CNC 4 Internal panel; Material type: wood Alternative material: none Manufacturing method: Part laminated with several pieces of wood and processed with the help of a profiler or a CNC. 5 External panel; Material type: wood Alternative material: none Manufacturing method: Part laminated with several pieces of wood and processed with the help of a profiler or a CNC. 6 Panel insulation; Material type: Polyisocyanate Alternative material: Polystyrene, injected polyurethane or other rigid insulation materials. Manufacturing method: Part cut from a rigid, crude piece. 7 Stile insulation; Material type: Polyisocyanate Alternative material: Polystyrene, injected polyurethane or other rigid insulation materials. Manufacturing method: Part cut from a rigid, crude piece.

(12) These parts are principally the external part of the stile (part 3), the stile's insulation (part 7), the internal part of the stile (part 2), the panels (parts 4 and 5) and the panel insulation (part 6).

(13) Global R values achieved with different door types are tabulated herein:

(14) TABLE-US-00002 R value Thickness Insulation location Door type R-2 2 None Other R-2,5 2 Between panels Other R-7 3 In frame and between panels Current invention

(15) The doors according to the present invention provide a R-value of about R-7 which is 2.8 times higher that a similar door with insulation between the panels only, or 3.5 times higher than a door without insulation.

(16) Referring to FIG. 4 showing detail C in FIG. 2, the detail of the manufacturing of the intermediary section of the door 20 with an intermediary mullion 100 is shown. This intermediary section of the door 20 with an intermediary mullion 100 is manufactured from several parts and several materials contrary to the traditional door part that is composed of one or more pieces of wood laminated in a single operation. The composite parts of the intermediary section of the door 20 with the intermediary mullion 100 are enumerated in the table below:

(17) TABLE-US-00003 Part Description 9 Internal intermediary mullion; Material type: wood Alternative material: none Manufacturing method: Part laminated with several pieces of wood and processed with the help of a profiler or a CNC. 10 External intermediary mullion; Material type: wood Alternative material: none Manufacturing method: Part laminated with several parts of wood and processed with the help of a profiler or a CNC. 4 Internal panels; Material type: wood Alternative material: none Manufacturing method: Part laminated with several pieces of wood and processed with the help of a profiler or a CNC. 5 External panels; Material type: wood Alternative material: none Manufacturing method: Part laminated with several pieces of wood and processed with the help of a profiler or a CNC. 6 Panel insulation; Material type: Polyisocyanate Alternative material: Polystyrene, injected polyurethane or other rigid insulation materials. Manufacturing method: Part cut from a rigid, crude piece. 8 Intermediary mullion insulation; Material type: Polyisocyanate Alternative material: Polystyrene, injected polyurethane or other rigid insulation materials. Manufacturing method: Part cut from a rigid, raw piece.

(18) These parts are principally the external part of the intermediary mullion (part 10), the mullion insulation (part 8), the internal part of the intermediary mullion (part 9), the panels (part 4 and 5) and the panel insulations (part 6).

(19) Referring to FIG. 5 showing detail D in FIG. 2, the manufacturing details of the the frame 1, stile 40 and panel 90 on the side of the door knob 60 are shown. This stile 40 and panel 90 section is manufactured with several parts and several materials, contrary to a traditional stile and panel that are simply composed of one or several pieces of wood laminated in a single operation. The composite parts of the door 20 on the side of the door knob 60 are enumerated in the table below:

(20) TABLE-US-00004 Part Description 1 Door frame; Material type: wood Alternative material: none Manufacturing method: Part laminated with several pieces of wood and processed with the help of a profiler or a CNC. 2 Internal portion of the stile; Material type: wood Alternative material: none Manufacturing method: Part laminated with several pieces of wood and processed with a CNC. 3 External portion of the stile; Material type: wood Alternative material: none Manufacturing method: Part laminated with several pieces of wood and processed with a CNC. 4 Internal panel; Material type: wood Alternative material: none Manufacturing method: Part laminated with several pieces of wood and processed with the help of a profiler or a CNC. 5 External panel; Material type: wood Alternative material: none Manufacturing method: Part laminated with several pieces of wood and processed with the help of a profiler or a CNC. 6 Panel insulation; Material type: Polyisocyanate Alternative material: Polystyrene, injected polyurethane or other rigid insulation materials. Manufacturing method: Part cut from a rigid, crude piece. 7 Stile insulation; Material type: Polyisocyanate Alternative material: Polystyrene, injected polyurethane or other rigid insulation materials. Manufacturing method: Part cut from a rigid, raw piece.

(21) These parts are primarily the external part of the stile (part 3), the stile insulation (part 7), the internal part of the stile (part 2), the panels (parts 4 and 5) and the panel insulation (part 6).

(22) Although the illustrated preferred embodiment of the invention has been described below, it is understood that the concepts of the invention may be incorporated and used in other embodiments and that the annexed claims are to be interpreted to include other embodiments, with the exception of any that are limited by the prior art.