[0001] The present invention relates to panelled doors, such as may be installed as the
vehicle access doors of garages, especially domestic garages, but including similar
doors for other purposes. The invention will be described as applied to doors for
garages.
[0002] Garage doors are required to be produced in a wide range of different sizes and it
is therefore common for manufacturers to make such doors in the form of a generally
rectangular frame into which one or more panels may be fitted. This approach allows
doors to be assembled from different numbers of differently-sized panels and also
permits panels of different designs to be assembled. However existing doors of the
panelled type suffer from various disadvantages. First of all, the panels are usually
secured to peripheral flanges extending into the plane of the door from the supporting
frame and, in order to make the panel fixings invisible from the front of the door,
the panels are mounted forward of the flanges and secured thereto from the rear. A
result is that the maximum thickness of door panel that is aesthetically acceptable
is determined by the distance from the front of the frame to the flange. Panels whose
thickness differs much from this distance tend to give the assembled door an unattractive
appearance. Secondly, if the panels are of timber, aesthetic considerations have led
them to be secured with screws from the rear but, when the timber is relatively thin,
fixing in this way does not produce a satisfactorily strong construction.
[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a panelled door which is a significant
improvement over such doors of the above-described, presently-available type and wherein
some at least of the disadvantages of such doors are reduced or eliminated.
[0004] The panelled door of the present invention comprises a generally rectangular frame
formed from lengths of a metal box section, a peripheral flange extending into the
plane of the door from said frame along a line in the region of the front of the door,
a zone of said box section of reduced thickness having a generally flat surface extending
generally perpendicular to the plane of the door, and one or more flat door panels
located within the frame, abutting a rearward face of said peripheral flange and secured
in said position by fixing means passing through said generally flat surface.
[0005] Thus it is characteristic of the door of the present invention that the frame is
of box section, that the panel or panels are fitted into the frame behind the peripheral
flange and that the panel or panels are secured from the side. As a result, the appearance
of the front of the door will be independent of the thickness of the panel(s), the
fixing of the panel(s) is not visible from the front or even the back of the door,
and even relatively thin timber panels can be well secured in a manner which is not
dependent on the panel thickness.
[0006] The door frame is formed from metal lengths of box section, as indicated, and this
structure itself contributes significantly to the overall rigidity of the door. However
it is particularly preferred that the metal section should have a profile formed as
two parallel box sections, spaced apart by the flat zone of reduced thickness through
which the panel(s) are secured. The flat zone may comprise a single thickness of metal
but it is preferred that it comprise two thicknesses of metal, for example as described
in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. When the frame
comprises a double-box profile as referred to above, the two box sections may be of
different dimensions, at least in the direction of the thickness of the door.
[0007] The peripheral flange against which the panel(s) are secured preferably extends from
the foremost edge of the frame but may if desired be located a little to the rear
of that edge. The width of the flange in the direction of the plane of the door is
determined by both structural and aesthetic considerations but may typically lie within
the range from 1 cm. to 2 cm. The metal frame overall may typically have a thickness
perpendicular to the plane of the door within the range from 4 cm. to 8 cm., especially
from 5 cm. to 7 cm.
[0008] Although the door according to the present invention may comprise a single panel
within the frame, usually it will comprise two or more panels. Typically the door
will comprise at least three panels in its width. In subsequent description in this
specification, reference will be made to the door having "panels" (in the plural)
but it will be understood that this is not intended to limit the invention to doors
having more than one panel.
[0009] The panels may be of metal, timber or glass-reinforced plastic and their thickness
is independent of the front-to-back thickness of the frame. However the structure
of the door according to the invention is such that the panels may be relatively thin;
thus the panels will usually be less in thickness than the frame. For example, a suitable
metal panel may comprise a single thickness of pressed metal, formed with a peripheral
flange extending generally perpendicular to the plane of the panel to enable the panel
to be secured to the frame or to an adjacent panel.
[0010] The method of securing the panels to the frame will be determined in part by the
material of the panels. Thus timber panels will preferably be secured by wood screws
passing through the flat zone of the frame into the panel. Metal panels may be secured
by rivets or similar methods of fixing. As one alternative, the panels may be secured
in place against the peripheral flange by lengths of metal of angle section, abutting
the rear of the panel and secured to the frame by fixing means passing through the
generally flat zone of the frame.
[0011] Preferably the door is given additional strength by means of one or more bracing
struts, extending across the frame at the rear of the panels.
[0012] The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference
to the accompanying drawings, wherein:-
Fig. 1 is a partial view, in horizontal cross-section, of a first preferred embodiment
of the door according to the present invention; and
Figs. 2 and 3 are corresponding views, respectively, of second and third preferred
embodiments of the door.
[0013] In each of the illustrated embodiments of the door, the frame is formed from four
lengths of double-box section steel, only one of which is visible in these partial
views. These steel sections are formed from sheet steel by roll forming and seaming
and are assembled into the frame by welding at the four corners of the generally rectangular
frame.
[0014] The steel section 10 comprises a first box section 11, joined to a second box section
12 by a narrow double-thickness neck forming a generally flat zone 13 extending throughout
the length of each steel section. The dimensions of the second box section 12 are
increased as shown in Fig. 1 as compared with the corresponding box section 12 in
Figs. 2 and 3, to provide additional strength for a relatively larger door. From the
box section 11, a flange 14 extends into the plane of the door around the whole of
the door periphery, at the front face of the door.
[0015] The door of Fig. 1 is formed from three pressed steel panels 15, only one of which
is visible. Each panel 15 is formed with a pair of opposed side flanges 16, with an
external locating rib 17 in one side flange and a corresponding groove in the other;
the rib 17 and grooves assist location and correct orientation of the panels and also
assist in forming a seal between adjacent panels. The panels 15 are secured in place
against the rearward face of the peripheral flange 14 by means of rivets 18 passing
through the flat zone 13 and the flange 16. The whole door assembly is given added
rigidity by cross-bracing struts 19.
[0016] In the door illustrated in Fig. 2, the relatively thinner panels 20 are held in place
by lengths 21 of L-section steel, in turn secured by rivets 22 to the flat zone 13
of the frame sections 10.
[0017] Fig. 3 shows a third form of door, in which the door panels each comprise a structure
of timber members 23 and a flat sheet of plywood 24. In this case the panels are secured
by wood screws 25 passing through the flat zone 13 into the timber members 23, and
by L-section lengths 26, secured by rivets 27 extending into the box section 12.
[0018] As can be seen, the door according to the present invention is able to present a
neat front surface independently of the thickness of the various forms of panel illustrated
and even timber panels may be securely held in place by fastening from the side of
the frame. In addition, the channel formed between the two box sections in the region
of the flat zone 13 may be used for mounting optional additional features of the doors,
including, for example, snap-in plastics rubbing strips and/or lower dust seals.
1. A panelled door comprising a generally rectangular frame and one or more flat door
panels fitted therein, characterised in that the frame is formed from lengths (10)
of a metal box section having a peripheral flange (14) extending into the plane of
the door from along a line in the region of the front of the door and a zone (13)
of reduced thickness having a generally flat surface extending generally perpendicular
to the plane of the door, and in that the door panel or panels (15; 20; 23, 24) is/are
located within the frame in a position abutting a rearward face of said peripheral
flange (14) and secured in said position by fixing means (18; 22; 25) passing through
said generally flat surface.
2. A panelled door according to claim 1, characterised in that said lengths (10) of metal
section have a profile formed as two parallel box sections (11, 12) spaced apart by
said zone (13) of reduced thickness.
3. A panelled door according to claim 2, characterised in that said two parallel box
sections (11, 12) are of different dimensions in the direction of the thickness of
the door.
4. A panelled door according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that said
zone (13) of reduced thickness comprises two thicknesses of metal.
5. A panelled door according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the
width of said peripheral flange (14) in the direction of the plane of the door lies
within the range from 1 cm to 2cm.
6. A panelled door according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the
overall thickness of the frame (10) in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the
door lies within the range from 4 cm to 8 cm.
7. A panelled door according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the
thickness of each panel (15; 20; 23, 24) is less than that of the frame (10).
8. A panelled door according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that each
panel (15) comprises a single thickness of pressed metal, formed with a peripheral
flange (16) extending generally perpendicular to the plane of the panel.
9. A panelled door according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that each
panel (15; 23, 24) is secured in place by said fixing means (18; 25) passing through
said flat zone (13) into the panel.
10. A panelled door according to any of claim 1 to 8, characterised in that each panel
(20) is secured in place by lengths of metal (26) of angle section, abutting the rear
of the panel and secured to the frame (10) by fixing means (22) passing through said
flat zone (13) of the frame.