Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A DOOR FRAME AND A DOOR FRAME COMPONENT THEREOF
The present invention relates to a door frame component for example
particularly, but not
exclusively, a door frame component for a fast-fit door frame assembly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wooden doors are beautiful and sturdy but it falters in comparison to metal or
plastic door in its
necessity for upkeep. Overtime, wood is prone to warping and rotting. The
expenses for
maintenance add to the overall costs in having a wooden door.
Owing to the many benefits with, for example, uPVC, CPVC and composite doors,
they have
become the preferred option for houses and commercial buildings. They are
proven to be good
solution for affordable and durable doors. However one of the major drawbacks
of uPVC doors is
the issue of strength and security. They are not as durable and robust as
wooden doors. Also, the
shape and size is pre-determined at manufacture and alteration is not
intended.
For a door to function properly, the gap between the door and the frame must
be uniform around
the entire edge of the door. When the door is jamming, rattling or scraping
against the floor or jamb,
2 0 if left unchecked may lead to bigger problems.
Installation of a door requires exact measuring skills and an understanding of
terms and materials.
For wooden doors, there will be a need for reasonably well carpentry skills.
Conventionally, to
install a door, detailed measurements of the doorway are taken. The door frame
is sized to fit the
doorway and is allowed to adhere to the surrounding walls before the
architraves are securely fixed
to the door frame. Problems are encountered in fitting the jambs as well as
attaching the architrave
which are separate parts. The sizes of the jambs are dependent on that of the
doorway and the
measurements of the architraves are taken based on the doorway and the jambs.
Existing door
systems often require specialized knowledge or skills to install properly,
which may also result in
the installation of a door to be done poorly or not done at all.
It can be difficult to produce jambs and architraves that tightly fit all
corners of a wall, especially
with rounded corners and damaged corners. Irregular gaps between the
architraves and the jambs
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allow for accumulation of dirt and the infiltration of water and moisture that
speeds up the
deterioration of the door frame.
The invention seeks to eliminate or at least to mitigate such shortcomings for
simplicity and
.. strength without a substantial increase in costs by providing a new or
otherwise improved
component of a door frame assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, in a first aspect of the invention there is
provided a door frame
component for fitting on a wall structure comprising an elongate body having
first and second
opposite sides which are structurally distinct from one another; the first
side having a door stop
which comprises an abutment for engaging by a door; the second side being
configured for
engaging a wall; and a third side extending across the first and second sides,
wherein, a decorative
portion is integrally formed on the third side, which extends beyond the
second side in a direction
away from the door stop such that the decorative portion and the second side
embraces adjoining
sides of said wall structure; Preferably, the decorative portion includes an
external surface being
furnished for decorative purpose and an internal surface which is structurally
configured for
engaging said wall structure; More preferably, the second side and the
internal surface are adjoined
.. to form an engagement surface configured to match said adjoining sides of
said wall structure; Yet
more preferably, the engagement surface includes a bent; Advantageously, the
bent is a right angle
bent; It is preferable that the elongate body and the decorative portion are
formed simultaneously by
way of extrusion.
.. It is advantageous that the door stop forms a step on the first surface
with the abutment at one end;
Yet more advantageously, the abutment comprises an abutment surface that is
arranged traversely
to the first surface for engagement with a door; Preferably, the door stop
includes a slot that extends
inwardly from the abutment surface for accommodating a draught bead; more
preferably, the slot
spans along the entire length of the door stop in a direction substantially
parallel to the first side.
It is preferable that the second surface includes a groove that spans along
the entire length of the
elongate body for retaining water-proof material; Preferably, the internal
surface includes a groove
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that spans along the entire length of the elongate body for retaining water-
proof material; It is
advantageous that, the elongate body includes a hollow channel which extends
along length of the
elongate body.
It is preferable that the elongate body and the decorative portion forms an L-
shaped one-piece
structure with the first surface and the internal surface meet to form a right
angle bent.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only,
with reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view taken across length of a first embodiment
of a door frame
component in accordance with the invention;
Figure 2 is sequential schematic illustration of the door frame component in
Figure 1 being
installed;
Figure 3 is an exploded view of a door frame formed from three of the door
frame component in
2 0 accordance with the invention; and
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken across length of a second embodiment
of the door frame
component in accordance with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to Figure 1, there is shown door frame component 100 in accordance
with the invention.
The door frame component 100 engages a corner of a wall structure 200. In the
preferred
embodiment, three such door frame components 100 together form a door frame
300 in accordance
with the invention and as shown in Figure 3. The installation of such a door
frame 300 requires
minimum number of steps. Other than the usual preparation and finishing works,
the installation of
each component 100 is streamlined to a single step.
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The door frame component 100 includes an elongate body 101 having four sides,
a first side 101A,
a second side 101B, a third side 101C and a fourth side 101D. The first and
second sides 101A and
101B are the longer sides of the four. They are opposite of each other and are
structurally distinct.
The fourth side 101D spans across the first and second sides 101A and 101B and
forms a free end
of the elongate body 101. The third side 101C is opposite of the fourth side
101D and it also
extends across the first and second sides 101A and 101B. The elongate body 101
has a generally
rectangular cross-section with an even dimension along length. The cross-
sectional shape of the
elongate body 101 is customizable. Mass production by conventional methods is
possible once the
preferred shape is determined.
In more detail, with reference to Figures 1 and 2, a door stop 102 is provided
on and integrally
formed with the first side 101A of the door frame component 100 in the form of
a step or an
extended platform. In the preferred embodiment, the door stop 102 runs
parallel to the first side
101A and only covers half thickness thereof. The remaining of the first side
101A is a clearance for
accommodating a door 500. The width of the door stop 102 may depend on the
thickness of the
door 500. The door stop 102 can be of any shapes but preferably in the form of
a rectangular step or
platform on the first side 101A with has two ends 102A and 102B. One end 102A
functions as an
abutment for abutting a closed door 500. The other end 102B is a free end that
flushes with the
third side 101C. The abutment 102A includes an abutment surface arranged
traversely to the first
side 101A. Such abutment surface 102A forms a right angle with the first side
101A. The abutment
102A may take on different shapes. As an example, the abutment 102A may have a
hemispherical
cross-sectional shape.
A slot 103 extends from the abutment surface 102A into body of the door stop
102. In the
embodiment as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the slot 103 is configured to hold and
accommodate a
draught bead or a weather seal such as Q-Lon. The slot 103 can be formed after
the door frame
component 100 is made or can be made with the door frame component 100. The
dimension of the
slot 103 can be customized according to need. In the embodiment as shown in
Figures land 2, the
slot 103 extends into 1/4 of the overall thickness of the door stop 102 and it
spans along the entire
length of the door stop 102 in a direction substantially parallel to the first
side 101A.
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A decorative portion 104 is provided on the third side 101C of the door frame
component 101. It is
an elongate structure that spans along the entire length of the third side
101C. The decorative
portion 104 functions as an architrave while the elongate body 101, a jamb.
More specifically, the decorative portion 104 is integrally formed on or to
the third side 101C. In
the preferred embodiment as shown in Figures 1 and 2, it is a rectangular
block with an external
surface 104A being furnished for decorative purpose and an internal surface
104B which is
structurally configured for engaging the wall structure 200. The external
surface 104A extends
along three sides of the decorative portion 104, two of which being the
shorter opposite sides and
one being a longer side opposite that of the internal surface 104B. One of the
shorter opposite sides
flushes with the first side 101A of the elongate body 101 and the other of the
shorter opposite sides
is a free end. The decorative portion, more specifically the width of the
decorative portion, extends
in a direction away from the door stop 102 and beyond the second side 101B of
the elongate body
such that the decorative portion 104 and the second side 101B embraces
adjoining sides 201 and
202 of a wall structure 200. The internal surface 104B of the decorative
portion 104 and the second
side 101B of the elongate body 101 are adjoined to form the inner surface 104B
and 101B of the
door frame component 100 which is configured to engage adjoining sides of the
wall structure 200.
An angle is formed between the internal surface 104B and the second side 101B.
In the
embodiment as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the angle is 90 degrees.
The elongate body 101 and the decorative portion 104 forms an L-shaped one-
piece structure of the
door frame component 100 in accordance with the invention. The inner surface
104B and 101B of
the door frame component function as an engagement surface 101B and 104B
configured or shaped
to match the adjoining sides of said wall structure 200. This engagement
surface 101B and 104B
includes a bent 106. The bent 106 may be made abrupt and sharp or smooth and
round, depending
on the shape of the corner of the wall structure 200. In the preferred
embodiment, it is a right angle
(90 degree) bent.
The internal surface 104B as well as the second side 101B have a plurality of
grooves 105. The
grooves 105 on the second side 101B run along entire length of the elongate
body 100. The groove
105 on the internal surface 104B runs along entire length of the decorative
portion 104. These
grooves 105 are dimensioned and useful in retaining waterproof material. The
waterproof material
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is for example silicone that fills the groove 105 and forms a barrier with the
wall structure 200 to
stop water passing. Upon installation, there is a small gap between the wall
structure 200 and the
door frame component 100. The size of the gap is determined by that of the
barrier.
Adjacent the groove 105 and on the internal surface 104B of the decorative
portion there is a
generally rectangular recess 107. The recess 107 offers some flexibility to
the decorative portion
104 to allow for slight deformation of shape, for example, during thermal
expansion.
Referring to Figure 4, there is shown a second embodiment of the door frame
component 100 in
accordance with the invention. All features are the same as those in the
second embodiment except
that it includes one or more hollow channel 108 that extends along length of
the elongate body 101.
The hollow channel 108 offers further flexibility to the door frame component
for allowance of, for
example, deformation and adjustment, during thermal expansion when the
situation calls for.
The door frame component 100 may be formed from a material selected from a
group consisting
wood, metal and plastic. A preferred material is PVC (e.g. uPVC, CPVC) and a
preferred method
of manufacture is extrusion. Another preferred material is composite material.
The elongate body
101 and the decorative panel 104 are formed in one-piece simultaneously by
extrusion. The bent
106 may be of any shape and can be shaped simultaneously with the formation of
the door frame
component 100 in the extrusion or is shaped/machined after the door frame
component 100 is
formed.
With reference to Figure 3, a door frame 300 may be formed from three of the
door frame
components 100. In this embodiment, two of the door frame components 301 and
302 are of the
same length and are mirror images of one another. These two, first and second,
door frame
components 301 and 302 are bridged by a shorter and structurally different,
third, door frame
component 303.
Lower ends of the first and second door frame components 301 and 302 are
generally flat for laying
on a floor. Upper ends 301A and 302A of the first and second door frame
components 301 and 302
are configured to fit with and engage opposite ends 303A and 303B of a third
door frame
component 303 respectively. As shown in Figure 3, the ends 301A and 302A each
has a chamfer.
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Corresponding chamfers on the opposite ends 303A and 303B are shaped to fit
and engage with the
chamfers on the ends 301A and 302A of the first and second door frame
components 301 and 302.
The chamfers are sloped at 45 degree. The installation of the door frame 300
becomes a relatively
easy task, like building a Lego door frame, by putting three matching parts
together. The relative
positions of the door frame components 301, 302 and 303 are fixed
automatically or inherently
once the chamfers engage. Screw, adhesive, molten plastic and miter joints may
be employed to
secure the relative positions of the door frame components 301, 302 and 303.
The dimensions of all parts can be adjusted according to needs on site or at
the factory. The
invention offers flexibility and simplifies the installation of a door frame
substantially.
The invention has been given by way of example only, and various other
modifications of and/or
alterations to the described embodiment may be made by persons skilled in the
art without
departing from the scope of the invention as specified in the appended claims.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-11-05
