GB2068074A

GB2068074A - Frame corner joint

Info

Publication number: GB2068074A
Application number: GB8102090A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-01-24
Filing date: 1981-01-23
Publication date: 1981-08-05
Also published as: NL191741C; FR2474577A1; BE887196A; GB2068074B; FR2474577B1; NL8100283A; DE8001841U1; NL191741B

Abstract

Door or gate frame members 5 have a channel shaped cross section with one deeper side 7 of the channel adapted to form the outside of the frame, the free edge of this side being bent inwards twice substantially at right angles to form a further channel 9, and the base of the channel 5 incorporating a fold 11. Two such frame members are interconnected by L shaped connectors the limbs 16, 17 of which have parallel edge flanges 23, 24. Each limb 16, 17 abuts a respective side 7 and the flanges 23, 24 respectively engage the fold 11 and further channel 9. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Frame assembly The invention relates to a frame assembly, particularly but no exclusively for doors, gates or the like.

In frame produced from lacquered strip material, for example by forming with rollers or the like, there is the problem that the frame members cannot be assembled to form a frame construction by soldering, welding or the like. Such an operation would, in fact, damage the coating of lacquer on the top surface, thereby completely cancelling out the advantage of easier production obtained by producing the frame members from strip material which has already been lacquered.

According to the invention there is provided a frame assembly, particularly for doors, gates or the like, comprising frame members and corner pieces for connecting said frame members in pairs at their corners, the frame members having a substantially U-shaped cross section with one longer leg of the U adapted to form the outside of the frame, the free end of this leg being bent inwards twice substantially at right angles to form a pocket, and the crosspiece of the U incorporating a fold, each corner piece comprising a junction plate to which there are connected two mounting legs arranged substantially at right angles to each other and engageable inside the said longer leg of the U, these mounting legs having parallel flanges along their two longitudinal sides, one such flange being arranged to engage the said fold and the other being arranged to engage the said pocket.

Such a corner piece according to the invention can be produced very easily and cheaply, particularly if it is made from the same strip material as that used to produce the frame members. Furthermore, using the corner pieces, a complete frame construction can easily be produced using the frame members, in the manner of a push-in connection, without any need to weld or solder the frame members as such to each other.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the corner piece formed from a generally square junction plate and the two mounting legs adjoining it, is formed in such a way that the junction plate is located in the same plane as the outside of the said longer leg of the U of the frame member. In addition, the junction plate may have flanges bent substantially at right angles thereto which extend as a continuation of the pocket on the said longer leg of the U of the frame member so that the corner piece as a whole is aesthetically adapted to the shape of the remainder of the frame member.

On their free upper edges, the said flanges of the mounting legs are preferably provided with at least two humps arranged at a spacing from one another and arranged to abut in frictionally locking manner on the inside of the longer leg of the U of an associated frame member, these humps being capable of compensating for manufacturing tolerances within certain limits. For the same purpose, at least one such flange has knob-like protuberances on the side thereof remote from the other flange.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a frame member in diagrammatic cross section; Figure 2 shows a corner piece viewed from below; and Figure 3 is a view along Ill-Ill in Figure 2.

The frame member according to Figure 1 is substantially U-shaped in cross section. It has a longer U-leg 7 adapted to form the outside 6 of the frame, this leg being bent inwards twice, substantially at right angles, at its free end 8 so as to form a pocket 9. The cross-piece 10 of the U is formed with a fold 11, which again is directed inwards.

Two U-shaped frame members 5 arranged substantially at right angles may be connected to each other by means of a corner piece generally designated 12. The corner piece 12 comprises a junction plate 13 which is substantially square in plane view, and which is located in the same plane as the outside 6 of the longer leg 7 of the U and lies on the extension thereof. Consequently, two mounting legs 16, 17 each connected to one side 14, 15 of the square plate 13, substantially at right angles thereto, are offset to form a step 18 (Figure 3) but are otherwise arranged in parallel planes.

The plate 13 has, on its outer sides, two flanges 19, 20 bent substantially at right angles relative to the plane of the plate 13 and also meeting each other at right angles at the corner 21. These two flanges form continuations of the outside of the pockets 9 provided at the free ends of the longer leg 7 of the U.

Consequently, the mounting legs 16, 17 are offset relative to the flanges 19, 20 of the plate 13, to form a step 22 (Figure 2).

On their outer sides the two mounting legs 16,17 have flanges 23, 24 arranged parallel to each other and each engaging in frictionally locking manner with the fold 11 and the pocket 9 of an associated frame member 5.

Owing to the fact that the corner piece 12 as a whole is produced from the same strip material as the frame member 5, the free ends 25 of the mounting legs 16, 17 extend parallel to each other.

Moreover, the corner piece 12 is substantially symmetrical relative to the axis 26 (Figure 2).

The flanges 23,24 have, on their free upper edges, at least two humps 27,28 arranged at a spacing from each other, these humps serving to compensate for any tolerances when inserted into the U-shaped cross section of the frame member 5.

In addition, knob-like protruberances 30 are provided on one flange 24 of the mounting legs 16 and 17, on the side 29 remote from the other flange 23.

These protuberances 30 abut on the inside of the crosspiece of the U, whereas the humps 28 abut on the fold 11. The humps 27 on the other flange 23 engage in frictionally locking manner inside the pocket 9 of the frame member.

The construction of the corner piece according to the invention makes it possible to produce this corner piece very easily from a lacquered strip material from which the frame member has also been produced, and, whilst being of simple construction, it provides a rigid corner joint between the frame members.

Claims

1. A frame assembly, particularly for doors, gates or the like, comprising frame members and corner pieces for connecting said frame members in pairs at their corners, the frame members having a substantially U-shaped cross section with one longer leg of the U adapted to form the outside of the frame, the free end of this leg being bent inwards twice substantially at right angles to form a pocket, and the cross-piece of the U incorporating a fold, each corner piece comprising a junction plate to which there are connected two mounting legs arranged substantially at right angles to each other and engageable inside said longer leg of the U, these mounting legs having parallel flanges along their two longitudinal sides, one such flange being arranged to engage the said fold and the other being arranged to engage the said pocket.

2. A frame assembly according to claim 1, wherein the said junction plate is arranged to be located in the same plane as the outside of the said longer leg of the U.

3. A frame assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plane of the said junction plate is at a spacing from the parallel plane in which the mounting legs are located.

4. A frame assembly according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the said junction plate has flanges on its outer sides which are bent substantially at right angles and adjoin the said pocket of an associated frame member.

5. A frame assembly according to claim 4, wherein the said flanges of the junction plate are arranged to extend parallel and offset relative to the said flanges of the mounting legs.

6. A frame assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each flange on the mounting legs has at least two humps arranged at a spacing from each other along its free edge.

7. A frame assembly according to claim 6, wherein the said humps are arranged to abut in frictionally locking manner on the said pocket and on the said fold of an associated frame member.

8. A frame assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the mounting leg flanges has on the side remote from the other such flange, knob-like protuberances or convexities.

9. A frame assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the free ends of the said mounting legs are aligned parallel with one another.

10. A frame assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.