PANNEAU POLYVALENT AVEC PROFILES EXTRUDES INTERNES

VERSATILE PANEL WITH INTERNAL EXTRUDED PROFILES

Abrégé anglais

This invention is mainly used to assemble diverse panels in a simple,
efficient and
secure manner. These panels can be used to make cabinets such as kitchen
cabinets, garage or basement storage cupboards but also for use in commercial
applications such as laboratories, offices, workshops and so on. Its main
component
is a rigid peripheral frame which serves as a base structure onto which are
put flat
surfacing materials such as glass, metal, wood or any of a variety of
composite
materials normally used for making cabinetry.

Revendications

CLAIMS
1. A panel with internal extruded profiles comprising:
base elements;
said base elements used in combination to create profiles;
said profiles having slits and slots;
said slots being used in combination with threaded mechanical fasteners.
said base elements comprised of a first, second, third, and fourth element
wherein
said first element has a flat surface and a pair of hooks;
said second element has an edge, channels, and a profile fin;
said third element has a hookable groove, channels and clips;
said fourth element has a hook, and a trim face;
said profiles combined to create a panel by having four profiles intersecting
in order to
form a frame having four sides;
an intersection creating a comer wherein two intersecting profiles are being
partially
assembled by being loosely connected by way of said threaded mechanical
fasteners
moving within a range allowed by said slots and a spacing block used for
setting a
relative distance between said profiles;
a first inserted fascia and then said profiles moved so as to completely
encase said
first fascia within said slits;
said threaded mechanical fasteners tightened so as to secure said frame;
a second fascia inserted by bending said second fascia convexedly and then
relaxing
said second fascia so that the edges along its length can slide into said
slits of said
second element and;

said second fascia slid along its length so that its first wide side can be
fitted into one
of said slits;
a wide side having a gap filled in by said fourth element engaging said third
element
by way of said fourth element's said hook engaging a complementary notch of
said
third element.
2. A panel with internal extruded profiles as in claim 1 wherein assembly
further
includes the insertion of a spacer trim between said fourth element end said
edge.

Description

CA 02449438 2003-11-24
1
Patent application of
Louis Abdo
for
Versatile~anel with internal extruded profiles
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
!=field of the invention
The invention relates generally to doors and cabinetry but more particularly
to a
system of assemblable panels for multipurpose usage as doors or cabinetry
doors.
Background of the invention
Extrusion frames have been known and used for years, especially in the making
of
window frames as several patents attest to. Extrusion profiles have also been
used
for creating various structures but many of these frames are meant to be
permanent
once they are assembled. Those that are meant to be dissassemblable usually
require visible exposed screws or similar mechanical fastening means. These
visible
mechanical fastening means can mar an otherwise esthetically pleasing surface.
There is therefore a need for an assembly process and method to make easily
assemblable and disassemblabie panels having invisible fastening means.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is mainly used to assemble diverse panels in a simple,
efficient and
secure manner. These panels can be used to make cabinets such as kitchen
cabinets, garage or basement storage cupboards but also for use in commercial
applications such as laboratories, offices, workshops and so on. Its main
component
is a rigid peripheral frame which serves as a base structure onto which are
put flat
surfacing materials such as glass, metal, wood or any of a variety of
composite
materials normally used for making cabinetry.
The panel contains internal extruded profiles. Its applications are versatile
(flush
panel, glazed panel, door panel, single or double panel, etc.). It can be used
indoors
as well as outdoors, and once assembled, there are no visible screws or
mechanical
fasteners of any kind. The panel also allows for easy replacement of defective
or
broken parts and can be assembled as a kit.
The panel is easy to manufacture without no need for bending or folding tools
and
does not require any welding of parts at all. The frame structure is solid,
durable and
weather resistant. The panels can accept most of the standard accessories used
in
cabinetry such as hinges and handles.
Because there are no visible mechanical fasteners the finished surface can be
made
very smooth, moreover, it can be made entirely of aseptic materials such as
stainless

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steel andlor aluminum si it can produce cabinet frames and doors that will not
harbor
germs, which is ideal for hospitals and laboratories.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of this invention
will
become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a
preferred
embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the preferred
embodiment of the invention is shown and described, by way of examples. As
will be
realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its
several
details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without
departing
from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be
regarded as
illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Figs. 1abcd cross sectional views of the base elements of the profiles.
Figs. tab cross sectional views of sample profiles
Figs. 3abc front elevation of a frame being assembled in its open
configuration with
partial profiles in top elevations.
Figs. 3de continuing with the frame being assembled in semi closed, and closed
configuration respectively.
Fig. 4 Perspective view of frames prior to assembly with block spacer.
Figs. 5abc front face of a panel, top side of a panel, and side cross section
of a
panel, respectively.

CA 02449438 2003-11-24
Figs. Gab Front elevation of a panel with hinges and and front elevation of a
panel
with a handle, respectively.
Figs. 7abcd Show various front elevations of combinations of profiles to make
a
variety of panels.
Figs. 8ab front elevation of a glazed panel and top elevation of the profile,
respectively.
Figs. 9abc side, front and back views of a panel, respectively.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
15
Figs. 1a-d show the 4 base elerr~ents from which all profiles are built.
Element 1a (100) has a flat surface (12) and a pair of hooks (14).
Element 1b (200) has an edge (16), channels (56), and a profile fin (18)
Element 1 c (300) has a hookable groove (20), channels (56), and clips (46)
Element 1 d (400) has a little hook (22) and a trim face (24)
Using these elements in combination produces profiles (500, 600) such as in
Figs.
tab where elements 1 b, 1 c, and 1 d (200, 300, 400) are cojoined to create
profile 2a
(500). Using elements 1 a, 1 b, and 1 c (100, 200, 300) produces profile 2b
(600).
Element 1 c (300) has legs (46) which snap into receiving protrusions (48)
which are
part of element 1 b (200).
Profiles 2a (500) and 2b (600) show other components not part of the profiles
per se
such as a locking trim (26) which has both a decorative and a useful purpose
which
will be explained later.

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Once a profile (500 or 600) is partially assembled, finishing surfaces known
as fascia
(28) are inserted, but more on that later. With these two profiles (500 and
600), a
frame (30) can be assembled.
Looking at Fig. 3a, the first step in assembling the frame (30) is in having
corner
threaded mechanical fasteners (32), that is one pair per each corner of the
frame (30)
in position AA as determined by the position of threaded mechanical fasteners
(32)
in relation to their slots (34). The vertical section of the frame (30') has
two vertical
slots while the horizontal section of the frame (30") has two horizontal slots
and all of
the slots are designed to afford a certain range of motion to each section of
the frame
(30', 30"). At any rate, the orientation of the slots (34) is always so that
their long side
is running parallel to the length of that particular section of frame (30' or
30"), whether
these sections are from profiles 2a or 2b (500, 600). At the intersection of
both
frames (30', 30") Only elements 1 b (200) as per Figs. 3bc but beyond the
intersection, element c (300) can be added. In position AA the frame (30) is
expanded and can receive a first fascia (28) (shown in Fig. 5a), the size of
the fascia
(28) is such that it is slightly larger than what the inner perimeter of the
frame (30) will
be once closed, that way, when moving from position AA to position BA as per
Fig.
3d, where the vertical section of the frame (30') is closed in, the edges of
the fascia
are inserted into slits (42) as seen in Fig. 5bc. The threaded mechanical
fasteners
(32) are still accessible and remain accessible even when moving to position
BB as
per Fig. 3e where both the horizontal and vertical sections of the frame (30',
30") are
closed in. Once closed in, the mechanical fasteners can be tighten to secure
the

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assembled frame. Of course, the order in which the frame is closed in whether
the
horizontal side of the frame or the vertical side is of no importance.
Fig. 4 shows a block spacer (70) which lies between frame (30') and frame
(30"), the
thickness of the block spacer (70) depends upon the thickness of the edge
(16).
An assembled panel (38) can be seen in Fig. 5a where the frame (30) holds in
the
fascia (28). After the first fascia (28) is put in, a solid core (36) can be
fitted inside the
frame (30) to add strength to the panel (38). In the configuration shown in
Figs. 5abc,
the frame (30) is made up of element 1 b (200) for the top and bottom
horizontal
frame (30) and profile 2b (600) is used for the left and right sides. Of
course
permutations are possible and element 1 b (200) could be placed vertically and
profile
2b (600) horizontally, it all depends on the orientation of the panel (38) as
a whole
and the terms horizontal and vertical are strictly to facilitate description
in the context
of Figs. 5abc. Also, Fig. 9abc shows both the front and back of a panel with
the
difference when the front side Fig. 9b has element 1d (400) at the top and
Fig. 9c
which shows the back of the panel without element 1d (400). The apparent frame
is
the edge (16) of element 1 b (200). As can be best appreciated from Fig. 4b,
fascia
(28) is inserted into slits (42) of element 1 b (200) while the solid core
(36) is encased
within elements 1a (100) on at least two sides, possibly all four.

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This is but one of many possible panel (38) configurations. Inserting a second
fascia
(28') as in Fig. 2a for the second face of the panel (38) is different than
inserting the
first fascia (28). As explained earlier, after inserting the first fascia (28)
the frame (30)
is closed in so that the second fascia (28') can hardly be inserted in a way
where its
perimeter is inserted into the slits (42). In order to achieve insertion of
the second
fascia (28'), it is first bent convexedly and then relaxed so that the edges
along its
length can slide into slits (42) of element 1 b (200) and then it is slid
along its length
so that its first wide side can be fitted into yet another slit (42). At this
point, 3 out of 4
sides are properly inserted into slits (42), now for the second wide side, the
final side,
the second fascia (28') having been cut slightly shorter in length than the
first fascia
(28), has a gap left between it and the fourth slit (42), this gap is filled
in by element
1 d (400) as per Fig. 2a which is fitted so that its little hook (22) engages
a
complementary notch (4.4), part of element 1 c (300). Inserting element 1 d
(400)
thusly still leaves a little gap which is filled by the spacer trim (26)
inserted between
element 1d (400) and the edge (16).
This method of installation, with minor variations, is applied to the various
panel (38)
configurations. Looking back at Fig. 5 a, one side shows a configuration as
per Fig.
7a while the other side, because it is framed using element 1a (100) would
look more
like Fig. 7b or Fig. 7d.
For a panel with glass as per Fig. 8a, profile 2a (600) is used with a pane of
glass
(50) along with element 1a (100) on either side acting as a framing device. A
seal
(52) can be readily accepted by element 1 c (300). Sealing gaskets (54) can
also be

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inserted in available channels (56) made into element 1 b (200) and element 1
c (300)
Element 1 b (200) can have different thicknesses while keeping the rest of its
profile
identical, this allows for various thicknesses in panels.
Doors such as for cupboards can be made by adding hinges (58) and a handle
(60)
as in Figs. Gab.
15
25

Dessin représentatif