[0001] The invention relates to an adjusting frame intended for placing in an opening provided
or to be provided in a wall.
[0002] The invention also relates to a connecting structure between an adjusting frame and
the reveal of an opening in a cavity wall.
[0003] Adjusting frames in various forms are known. These adjusting frames are generally
made of wood, which has the disadvantage that they rot in the end. Another disadvantage
is that different sections are used for the top, bottom and side of the adjusting
frames.
[0004] The object of the present invention is to produce an adjusting frame which is durable
and can be used universally, and which also permits subsequent checking on the fitting.
[0005] This object is achieved by an adjusting frame which is characterized in that it is
made up of interconnected lengths of a plastic section with a substantially rectangular
cross-section, the same section always being used over the periphery of the frame.
[0006] The substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape of the adjusting frame means
that in principle any type of frame can be placed in the adjusting frame without the
use of accessories, and that, if necessary, these frames are interchangeable without
much difficulty. Since the adjusting frame is to be made of a plastic section, it
is durable and easy to manufacture and work, so that it can be placed and fixed on
any wall, by means of a connecting structure if necessary. This also means that very
precise dimensions of the adjusting frame can be achieved. An additional advantage
of the shape of the adjusting frame is that good temperature and sound insulation
are obtained.
[0007] Various advantageous embodiments of the adjusting frame according to the invention
and a number of embodiments of a connecting structure between the adjusting frame
according to the invention and the reveal of an opening in a cavity wall are defined
in Claims 2 - 10.
[0008] Since the connecting structure is preferably used with sealing strips in the grooves
provided for them and with flashings, a good dampproof seal is obtained.
[0009] The invention will be explained in greater detail below with reference to the example
of an embodiment shown in the appended drawing, in which:
Fig. 1 is a view in cross-section of a stile of an adjusting frame with connecting
structure according to the invention and a frame placed in the adjusting frame;
Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show a view in cross-section of the lintel, a stile and the sill
member respectively of the adjusting frame of Fig. 1, with slightly modified connecting
structure, with a plastic frame being placed in the adjusting frame;
Figs. 5 and 6 show a detail of Fig. 3, in which a wooden and an aluminium frame respectively
are placed in the adjusting frame.
[0010] As can be seen from Fig. 1, a cavity wall 1 comprises an inner leaf 2 and an outer
leaf 3, leaving a cavity 4 between them. The reveal of an opening in the cavity wall
is indicated by the reference number 5. The cavity 4 contains a cavity element 6,
comprising a substantially U-shaped plastic section with two side legs 7, 8 and a
body part 9 which shuts off the cavity opening and virtually connects to the reveal
5. The body part 9 is provided at both side edges with lobe parts in the form of a
raised edge 10, 11, which connect the cavity section with a fixed alignment to an
adjusting frame 12.
[0011] The adjusting frame 12 comprises a plastic tubular section with internal reinforcement
walls.
[0012] At the side facing the reveal 5, the adjusting frame 12 is provided with parallel
grooves 13 disposed at intervals and extending in the lengthwise direction of the
adjusting frame. In the embodiment shown the grooves 13 have a rectangular cross-section
which corresponds to the cross-section of the raised edges 10, 11 of the cavity section
6. The grooves 13 have, for example, a centre-to-centre distance between them of 1
cm, while the distance between the raised edges 10 and 11 is also quite a number of
centimetres. In this way the adjusting frame 12 can be connected in different ways
to the cavity section 6, in other words, shifted more to the right or to the left.
Moreover, the adjusting frame 12 can be used in this way for cavity widths varying
between 6 and 10 cm, which are the most common cavity widths found in practice.
[0013] Provided near the side edges of the side of the adjusting frame 12 facing the reveal
5 are wider grooves 14 which serve to take a sealing strip 15. The adjusting frame
12 bears a frame 16, which can be made of wood, aluminium, plastic or steel, and can
be either a frame for a door or a window.
[0014] The inside of the adjusting frame 12 can be covered if necessary by means of a covering
section 17, which is fixed on the adjusting frame 12 by means of fixing elements 18
fitted on the adjusting frame 12 (indicated by dashed lines). The covering section
17 connects to a plaster layer 19.
[0015] In the embodiment shown, ties 20, 21 (shown by dashed lines) are fitted both in the
inner leaf 2 and the outer leaf 3 of the cavity wall. These ties engage by means of
a dovetailed part projecting into the cavity 4 in correspondingly shaped recesses
22, 23 in the respective side legs 7 and 8 of the cavity section 6, in order to fix
said cavity section. This design has the advantage that the cavity section 6 is simple
to fit in the building phase of the cavity 4 after the adjusting frame 12 is connected
to the cavity section 6 by means of screws (not shown) or by bonding and is then adjusted,
while the flexible plastic allows the ties to snap into the recesses provided for
them.
[0016] As can be seen clearly in the drawing, the leg 7 is made longer than the opposite
leg 8. The leg 7 is designed for fixing on the inner leaf 2 of the cavity wall. It
is in practice generally undesirable to fix the leg 8 to the outer leaf 3, in order
to ensure that a flashing can be passed through.
[0017] Figs. 2 and 3 show an alternative embodiment of the connecting structure according
to the invention in the situation described above. Of a slightly modified embodiment
of the cavity element 6′ only the longer side leaf 7′ is connected to the inner leaf
2 of the cavity wall 1, by means of a screw connection.
[0018] In the connecting structure of the lintel of the adjusting frame 12 (see Fig. 2)
the cavity element 6′ is provided with a cover strip 26 which lies in recesses 24,
25 of the side legs 7′, 8′ and which serves to support a flashing 27. The flashing
27 is clamped to the cavity section 6′ by means of a flashing clamp 29 provided in
a groove 28 in the short leg 8′ of the cavity element 6′. In this way, and through
the use of the sealing strip 15, the inner leaf 2 of the cavity wall 1 is sealed watertight.
[0019] Fig. 4 shows the connecting structure of the sill member of the adjusting frame 12
belonging to Figs. 2 and 3. After being cut to size, the adjusting frame 12 here is
fitted in such a way that the side of the adjusting frame 12 facing away from the
reveal 5 virtually connects to the top side of the inner leaf 2 of the cavity wall
1, so that a window sill 30 when fitted is adequately supported. The sill screw connection
on a bracket 31, which is in turn screwed to the inner leaf 2 of the cavity wall 1.
[0020] Figs. 5 and 6 show a detail of Fig. 3, in which the frames 16′ and 16˝ placed in
the adjusting frame 12 are made of wood (Fig. 5) and aluminium (Fig. 6) instead of
plastic, as in Figs. 2 to 4. The frames 16, 16′ and 16˝ are fixed by means of a tie
screw connection to the adjusting frame 12, which means that expansion and/or shrinkage
of the frame in all directions is possible.
[0021] It will be clear that the invention is not restricted to the embodiments shown and
described here, but that a large number of modifications are possible within the scope
of the invention. For example, the shape of the lobe parts and of the matching grooves
in the adjusting frame can be modified so long as the adjustable positioning of the
adjusting frame relative to the cavity section is retained. It is also possible to
fit an adjusting frame directly, without connecting structure, in the opening of a
wall and to fix it therein by means of screw connections.
1. Adjusting frame (12) intended for placing in an opening provided or to be provided
in a wall (1), characterized in that the adjusting frame (12) is made up of interconnected lengths of a plastic section
with a substantially rectangular cross-section, the same section always being used
over the periphery of the frame.
2. Adjusting frame according to Claim 1, characterized in that the section is flat and tubular with inner reinforcement walls.
3. Adjusting frame according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the section is substantially of foamed plastic.
4. Adjusting frame according to any of Claims 1 -3, characterized in that the section has at the side to be placed against the reveal (5) of the opening in
the wall at least one groove for taking a sealing strip.
5. Adjusting frame according to any of Claims 1 -4, characterized in that the section has at the side to be placed against the reveal (5) of the opening in
the wall at least one positioning groove which extends in the lengthwise direction
and can interact with a lobe part (10, 11) of a cavity element (6; 6′) fitted in a
cavity (4) of the wall (1).
6. Adjusting frame according to Claim 5, characterized in that in the breadthwise direction the section has several positioning grooves, in order
to permit a stepwise adjustment of the position of the section relative to the cavity
element (6; 6′).
7. Connecting structure between an adjusting frame (12) according to Claim 5 or 6
and the reveal (5) of an opening in a cavity wall (1), comprising a cavity element
(6; 6′) which is provided and fixed in the cavity (4) and comprises a plastic section
which when fitted has at least one lobe part (10, 11) which projects beyond the reveal
(5) of the opening in the wall and extends in the lengthwise direction of the section,
and which engages in the positioning groove of the adjusting frame (12).
8. Connecting structure according to Claim 7, characterized in that the cavity element (6; 6′) has a substantially U-shaped cross-section with two side
legs (7, 8; 7′, 8′), at least one of which is fixed to one of the wall parts (1, 2)
adjoining the cavity (4), and a body part (9; 9′) which connects the side legs to
each other and virtually connects to the reveal (5) of the opening, and bears the
projecting lobe parts (10, 11).
9. Connecting structure according to Claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the lobe parts (10, 11) comprise two raised edges with rectangular cross-section
lying at a distance from each other.
10. Connecting structure according to Claim 9, characterized in that at least one of the side legs (7, 8) of the cavity section is provided with a recess
(22, 23) for taking a tie (20, 21) fitted in the cavity wall.