GB2288841A

GB2288841A - Glass door

Info

Publication number: GB2288841A
Application number: GB9508404A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Raguet
Original assignee: Saint Gobain Vitrage SA
Current assignee: Saint Gobain Vitrage SA
Priority date: 1994-04-28
Filing date: 1995-04-25
Publication date: 1995-11-01
Anticipated expiration: 2015-04-25
Also published as: ES2135296B1; ES2135296A1; FR2719334B1; GB2288841B; DE29507125U1; DE19515518A1; SE9501452L; BE1010178A5; FR2719334A1; SE9501452D0; GB9508404D0

Abstract

A door of self-supporting structural glass has at least one leaf (1) comprising at least one self-supporting glass sheet and at least one lateral extension upright (4) of a material other than glass, this extension upright (4) being glued to the peripheral part of at least one face of the glass sheet. The glass door may be used with advantage for new constructions or renovation works. <IMAGE>

Description

Door of self-supporting structural glass This invention concerns a door comprising a leaf, that is to say a movable part, essentially of glass, said door being principally intended for fitting to buildings, notably for fitting to the interior spaces of buildings.

In the following text, the term "door" should be understood to mean the movable part which is placed in a fixed part (the fixed part being, notably, a frame or door casing) and intended, when it is closed, for preventing passage but also, more generally speaking, the whole assembly formed by the fixed part and the movable part.

Among existing doors for buildings, notably internal doors, a distinction is made essentially between doors having a timber leaf, said leaf being solid or having one or more of the framed parts equipped with filling elements, such as panes, and doors having a leaf of glass. In spite of the undeniably pleasing appearance of the latter types of door, their use remains at the present time limited, both in the context of internal doors and in the context of external doors, doors having a glass leaf at present in existence being, by comparison with the number of doors having a wooden leaf for the same purpose, expensive and limited in adaptation.

In fact, the working of the glass, this working covering, notably, the cutting of a body to shape, the treatments intended for improving the edges of said body and those intended for improving the functionality of the body such as the drilling of notches and holes, demands specific techniques much more complicated and much less accessible than the techniques for working wood.

Furthermore, the leaves of doors of glass having free edges are, for this reason and for reasons of safety, made of glass known as "safety" glass and, generally speaking, of toughened glass having an increased mechanical strength (laminated glass, also safety glass, not being used because of the less pleasing appearance of its edges), the working of the glass in its final form taking place before the operation of toughening and any other working (except for a very light frosting) being impracticable and not intended after said toughening. Thus it is not possible, in contrast to the case of timber leaves, to perform recutting of leaves of toughened glass of standard dimensions, or to perform additional drilling through said leaves, for the purpose of adapting them, for example, to existing door frames or casings taking into account, where applicable, the environment of said doors (as in the case, for example, of the presence of a fixed plate reducing the height of the opening for receiving the door). Door leaves of glass can, consequently, be used only with door casings of appropriate dimensions and are very difficult to reconcile with the market for renovation work, in which the leaves are liable to be used with already installed casings originating from a different source and having dimensions or structure that are not necessarily adequate. Furthermore, it is appropriate to comment that the purchase of a glass door and, possibly, its installation require the services of specialists, which contributes to the high cost of said door.

With glass leaf doors, furthermore, in contrast to timber leaf doors, it is difficult to give the door an individual character. It should be mentioned, above all, that glass leaf doors require furniture or "fittings" (such as fixing elements or locks) that are quite specific, this furniture or these fittings, generally of metal or metal alloy, being of a quite specific structure and the fittings requiring, in most cases, special and/or complicated installation; consequently it is difficult, with doors having a glass leaf, to replace their furniture as initially supplied with the door by other types of furniture, notably the current furniture traditionally used with doors having a timber leaf. Although the toughened glasses usable for glass doors may be in different forms (for example in the form of printed, tinted, enamelled glass etc.), it is usually valid to comment that doors having a glass leaf allow much less decoration than doors having a wooden leaf, which may be carved, painted etc. or can have different decorations on each of the faces.

The objective of the present invention is therefore to provide a door of selfsupporting structural glass, that is to say a door-comprising a leaf essentially of glass, the glass forming the structure of the leaf and not resting upon any support element (in contrast to doors of wood in which the structure of the leaf is of wood, whether this leaf be solid or provided with filling elements), this door complying with the safety standards and having sufficient strength and resistance to external agents to allow it to be used in a durable and efficient manner in building, said door being economically more advantageous and being more easy to adapt to existing structures than conventional glass doors, being thus more easily interchangeable with conventional doors, notably wooden doors, said door being also simpler to install, making possible furthermore the use of conventional furniture and fittings and being also easier to decorate and provide with an individual character than conventional glass doors.

These objectives are achieved by a door comprising at least one leaf, said leaf comprising at least one self-supporting glass sheet and at least one lateral extension upright of a material other than glass, this extension upright being glued to the peripheral part of at least one face of the glass sheet.

The glass door according v this invention is principally a door for a building.

It is, preferably, an internal door but may also, depending upon the particular case (the choice, notably, of the glass structure and/or of the thickness of said structure, as explained later), consist of an outer door or of a door for a furniture item and/or a wall cupboard etc..

The door according to this invention thus comprises a leaf essentially of glass, the glass constituting the structure of the leaf. It is advisable to distinguish clearly this door of glass from a glazed door of wood. In the door of glass according to this invention, as in the conventional glass doors, the structure of the leaf is constituted of the glass, the glass occupying, in effect, the greater part of the leaf, assuring the rigidity and strength of said leaf and not being supported by any element of a different material or not being carried by any frame. The presence of an upright member of a material other than glass, in the glass door according to this invention, does not in any way change the structure, the aforementioned upright simply extending the glass laterally and not having the function of supporting the glass in its lower part when the glass is in a vertical position or of assuring stiffening of the leaf. In glazed doors of wood, the glass occupies a more limited proportion of the leaf and is supported by reinforcements and/or frames of timber, the reinforcements and frames forming the structure of the leaf.

It should also be commented that, in glazed doors of wood, since the glass used does not constitute a structural element but rather a filling element, it does not generally have the same characteristics as the glass used for the construction of glass doors. For example, the glass for glazed doors of wood may consist simply of a sheet of annealed glass, which would not be possible for reasons of safety in the case of a glass constituting the structure of a door (this latter glass being normally a glass known as "safety glass").

Preferably, the structure of glass (that is to say the sheet or sheets of glass forming the structure of the leaf according to this invention) occupies between 76 and 98% approximately of the area of said leaf, the visible or "clear view" area of this structure being, however, smaller than its real area (the visible area being preferably from 74 to 96% approximately of the area of the leaf), because of the presence of the upright member covering a portion of this structure. In the case in which the leaf according to this invention comprises only a single upright member of a material other than glass, the glass structure occupies, preferably, from 88 to 98% approximately of the area of the leaf, and the visible area of said structure represents, preferably, from 87 to 96% approximately of the area of the leaf.

The leaf mentioned above in the definition of the invention comprises at least one upright member, that is to say one piece constituting one of the vertical sides of the leaf when placed in the vertical position, this upright member being of a material other than glass, being fixed to one of the vertical edges (on at least one face) of the glass structure and projecting from said structure (hence the term extension upright). Generally speaking, this upright member comprises at least one web and one flange (the web and the flange delimiting, in this case, an open rebate or groove) or at least one web and two flanges on either side of the web (the web and the two flanges delimiting, in this case, a longitudinal recess), the edge of the glass structure being seated in the rebate or in the recess and the glass structure being covered on the edge in question, on one of its faces or on both its faces by, respectively, a portion of the flange or flanges of the upright member. The portion of the upright member extending beyond the aforementioned rebate or recess and constituting the web of said upright member "projects" beyond the glass structure and "extends" the glass, as indicated above.

The thus defined upright member has, for example, the function of permitting the fixing of the leaf according to this invention to a door casing by the use of conventional fixing means (notably by the use of hinges or hinge-plates), said means not being limited to the fixing means commonly employed for glass doors. In fact, according to preferred forms of embodiment of the present invention, this upright member is intended for receiving the fixing means on its part projecting beyond the glass structure and, consequently, fixing means not necessarily adapted to glass structures, but adapted to the upright member and to the material of which it is made, being suitable for use.

The presence of the upright member also makes it possible to eliminate the drilling of holes through the.glass structure for the purpose of enabling fixing elements to be installed, such holes having the consequence of embrittling the glass and the drilling of the holes itself constituting an additional working operation on the glass, increasing production costs. The glass structure, on its side intended to be fixed by means of the upright member to a frame, is thus no longer embrittled and the forces acting on the fixed side of the leaf are distributed much more uniformly over said glass structure, still by means of the upright member.

The material of which the above-defined upright member is made may be, notably, wood, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane, aluminium, acrylic or methacrylic resin, an agglomerated or composite material, or a mixture of two or more of these materials; and this material is preferably wood or an agglomerate or composite of wood. The above-defined upright member thus enables all kinds of fixings that are traditionally used for the fixing of doors, notably wooden doors, to be used and may, for example in the case of an internal door, be provided with three standard hinges of the type commonly used for internal wooden doors, whereas the presently existing glass doors, for their part, are generally only equipped with two hinges having very special constructions.

Preferably, the door according to this invention comprises at least one leaf, said leaf comprising the previously mentioned structure of glass and two lateral extension uprights of a material other than glass, these uprights being fixed to the opposite vertical edges of the glass structure and projecting beyond said structure. In this case, the one of the upright members enables the leaf to be fixed as explained above, the other upright member being, for its part, intended for receiving, on its part projecting beyond the glass structure, locking elements. This form of embodiment of the invention makes it possible, notably, to use all kinds of traditional locks and all kinds of existing handles to be adapted to these locks, notably when the upright member intended to be fitted with said locks is of wood.

This form of embodiment of the invention also has the advantage of not requiring major drilling of the glass structure for the installation of the fixing and locking elements. At most, the glass structure used has a slot or one or more holes of small dimensions to make possible the installation of a portion of the locking elements (since the locking elements can, in fact, in certain cases occupy a fairly large space), the fixing of the locking elements, however, being made on the adjacent upright.

In the case where the leaf according to this invention comprises two uprights of a material other than glass, the glass structure occupies preferably from 76 to 96% approximately of the total area of the leaf and the visible or "clear view" area of said structure preferably represents from 74 to 91% approximately of the area of the leaf. The two uprights may be of different materials but are preferably of the same material, it being possible for this material to be, notably, one of those mentioned above and, most conveniently, wood.

Preferably, the part of the upright or of each of the uprights projecting beyond the glass structure occupies at least 2% of the area of the leaf and each upright present in the door according to this invention, considered in its totality, occupies an area not exceeding 13% of the area of the leaf. Preferably also, each upright has a sufficient length to cover the edge of the glass structure over at least virtually the entirety of the height of said structure.

As indicated in the definition of the invention, the fixing of the upright member or members to the glass structure is made by gluing. In order to make possible an effective and enduring fixing of the glass structure and of the upright or uprights used, the door according to this invention being intended to be frequently handled and subjected to external forces, the gluing between the glass structure and the upright or uprights is performed on at least one face of said structure, and not upon the edge face of said structure, gluing solely onto the edge face for the small thicknesses such as those of the glass structures commonly employed in glass doors being found to be inadequate to permit good resistance by the door to external agents, notably after the door has aged. With advantage, each upright member comprises at least one internal cavity opposite the or one of the glued faces of the glass structure, this cavity serving as a reservoir for the adhesive. Upright members comprising one or more of these cavities are illustrated later in Figures 6 and 7. There are several advantages of one or more of these internal cavities in each upright member. The wettability of the adhesive used at the glass and at the material constituting the upright is improved by the presence of this cavity or these cavities and the risk of overflow of adhesive out of the space defined by the glass and the upright is reduced.

Preferably, in the case in which the upright comprises a web and one flange delimiting an open rebate, the internal part of the flange of the upright intended to be glued onto one face of the glass structure has a cavity of dimensions smaller than the dimensions of the flange, the adhesive being placed in said cavity for the purpose of gluing the upright and the glass structure together.

Preferably also, in the case in which the upright comprises a web and two flanges, defining a longitudinal recess, the internal part of each flange of the upright facing towards the glass structure has a cavity of dimensions smaller than the dimensions of the flange, the adhesive being placed on the web of the upright and spreading over each face of the glass structure during the gluing together of the glass structure and the upright. During the gluing, in fact, a portion of the adhesive placed on the web of the upright is expelled to either side of the glass structure between said structure and each of the flanges of the upright, and the excess adhesive becomes seated in the cavities forming a reservoir, thus preventing overflows and improving the bond between the glass and the uprights. In this case also, the recess formed in the upright has an aperture of dimensions substantially equal to the edge face of the glass structure so that the latter may be positioned in the middle of the recess of the upright and good distribution of the adhesive on either side of said structure shall be possible. This is illustrated, notably, in Figure 6.

The adhesive used is chosen, notably, as a function of the material of the upright or uprights of the door, so as to make possible a sufficient, durable and stable bond between the glass structure and the upright used. The adhesive should, notably, be capable of resisting the shear and tensile forces that can be applied to the door in the course of time. The adhesive used should also, as a general rule, have a heat resistance of at least 130 C, and an open time of the order of one minute (the adhesive after deposition on the upright not cross-linking during this time, so as to make possible good assembling together and bonding of the glass structure and upright) and a setting (hardening) time afterwards of the order of some tens of seconds or several minutes.

Other methods of bonding may be envisaged between the upright member and the glass structure, notably without an addition of adhesive. Thus, when the upright is of an acrylic and/or methacrylic material, the bonding may be performed directly between the upright and the glass, without an addition of adhesive, the acrylic and/or methacrylic material then fulfilling the function of adhesive and being brought into contact with the glass before setting. The use of uprights of acrylic and/or methacrylic material having a reduced opacity also offers the advantage of making possible better viewing through the door according to this invention, this viewing taking place, in this case, not only at the glass structure but also at the uprights.

The upright or uprights may also be glued to the glass structure through the intermediary of a profiled member, for example an aluminium profile, having preferably a shape identical to that of the rebate or recess formed in the upright, said profile being inserted between the part of the glass structure covered by the upright and the part of said upright covering the structure, inside the rebate or longitudinal recess formed in the upright. The profiled member may, for example, be fixed mechanically to the upright, notably by screws, and the bonding may take place between the glass and the profiled member fixed to the upright. Such a profiled member is more easy to use in the case of an upright having an open rebate. It allows the gluing to be carried out between the glass and a chosen material other than that of the upright, and enables a greater variety of adhesives to be used, but represents an extra element and an extra step in the assembling of the door.

The adhesive used for gluing the glass structure to the upright, directly or through the intermediary of the profiled member fixed to the upright, is for example a single-component or two-component silicone, a single-component or two-component acrylic and/or methacrylic adhesive (these adhesives being particularly well suited to gluing of glass to aluminium), or a hot-melt adhesive, notably a polyurethane adhesive (this adhesive being very advantageous for glass-wood bonding); the adhesive must be suitable for guaranteeing the hold of the glass inside the upright or uprights and for receiving and withstanding the forces to which the glass is subjected during handling of the leaf. The adhesive is situated in a part at least of the space defined by the glass structure and the upright, the thickness of the adhesive and the bonding area depending upon the type of adhesive used.

According to one form of embodiment of the present invention, the door comprising the leaf according to this invention comprises one or more adjustment battens adapted to be fixed to the upper part of the door casing which is to receive said leaf, in order to adapt the height of the opening defined by the casing to the height of the leaf in the case where the latter height is less than the former. The height of the leaf is, for its part, according to one advantageous form of embodiment of the present invention, slightly less than the heights of the leaves traditionally used in building doors in order to permit an adaptation of the leaf to the door casings when the height of the opening defined by said casing and possibly by external elements (such as a fixed pane) is less than the heights commonly encountered. The particular height of the leaf according to this invention as well as the previously mentioned make-up batten or battens thus make possible an adaptation of the door according to this invention to existing door casings, as a function of the height of the opening defined by said casings. The width of the door leaf according to this invention corresponds, for its part, to the usual widths of door leaves and normally leaves a clearance of the order of 5 mm with respect to the widths of the corresponding door casings. The door defined above is thus especially advantageous in the field of renovation where the leaf may be mounted in existing door casings, notably timber casings.

The door according to the present invention comprises, according to one particular form of embodiment of said invention, in addition to the above defined leaf, fixing elements such as hinges, preferably fixed to an upright, of a material other than glass, of the leaf and/or locking elements also fixed, if applicable, to an upright of the leaf. The fixing elements and/or the locking elements may also form part of the upright or uprights (and not be fixed to the upright or uprights), for example in the case in which the uprights are formed by moulding together with said elements. According to one preferred form of embodiment of the present invention, the fixing elements such as hinges are fixed to an upright, of a material other than glass, of the leaf according to this invention, the fixing being made in such a manner as to make possible an adaptation of the leaf to the door casings which are to receive said leaf, said adaptat-ion being made in combination, if applicable, with the height of the leaf and with the make-up strip or strips previously mentioned.

According to one form of embodiment of the invention, notches or slots are formed along the upright, each slot being intended for receiving the fixed part of a fixing element. Each fixed part in question is screwed into a slot and a play of, for example, 5 mm is provided in height at the level of the slot to make possible, if desired, the displacement of said fixed part in the slot and thus to permit the adjustment of the door in height. The door according to this invention may also comprise one or more make-up or adjustment washers, intended to be threaded onto the hinge pin fixed to the door casing, the hinge pin in question being intended for receiving the pivot of the fixing element in order to make possible, for small amplitudes, an adjustment in height of the door. This is illustrated, notably, later in Figure 3.

It should be commented that the door according to this invention makes possible many different decorations and adaptations to different interior styles.

Notably, the upright or uprights can have, externally, a worked or figured web and flange or flanges, may be provided with decorative mouldings, may be painted etc.. For this purpose, the upright or uprights used are preferably neutral to enable them to be painted or decorated. Preferably, also, the flange or flanges of the upright or uprights are closed at their ends remote from the web by returns, straight portions or portions advancing towards this glass and coming into contact with the glass in such a way, for example, as to conceal the adhesive used for fixing the glass structure to the upright or uprights. The returns or parts in question may also be worked. It should also be commented that the decoration and/or the colouration may be different on the different sides of the door.

The glass structure of the leaf of the door according to this invention may also have different appearances. Notably, the glass structure may consist of a single sheet of toughened glass, as commonly used in conventional glass doors, and this sheet may be printed, tinted, enamelled etc., but the glass structure may also consist of a laminated glass, comprising at least two glass sheets, each upright being glued to at least one of the faces of at least one of the glass sheets on the outside of the structure, while the two glass sheets may be of a simply annealed glass, and the sheets being separated by at least one thermoplastic intermediate layer. It should be commented, in this connection, that the use of such a laminated glass structure, this glass being also a safety glass, can be more readily envisaged in the glass door according to this invention than in the conventional glass doors, because the presence of the upright or uprights enables the rather inelegant vertical edges of this class of structure to be concealed. The use of such a structure of laminated glass is therefore particularly advantageous for the external doors according to this invention, the laminated glass comprising at least two sheets of glass and at least one intermediate thermoplastic sheet offering, notably, protection against breaking-in.

Just as the upright or uprights enable the vertical edge or edges of the glass structure to be concealed, they may also serve for concealing elements such as electrical wiring, notably when the glass structure used is a heating pane.

It is also possible to envisage using, as glass structure for the leaf according to this invention, a curved (toughened or laminated) safety glass, while all the aforementioned glasses, curved or otherwise, may be printed, coloured, enamelled etc.. The door according to this invention, in its preferred forms of embodiment, having notably the advantage of not requiring the drilling of holes through the glass structure for the fixing of said door, makes possible the use of glass structures of a much greater variety than the glass structures commonly used for conventional glass doors, and notably makes possible the use of structures that are difficult to drill. It is, notably, possible to use a laminated glass composed of at least two hardened glass sheets, either clear or coloured, and of intermediate films, of which at least one film encloses liquid crystals, this glass having in the normal way an opaline, translucent appearance and preventing viewing through the glass and this glass, under the influence of an electrical field, becoming transparent because of the alignment of the liquid crystals and permitting viewing through it. It is in the same way possible to use any type of electrically controlled laminated glass (with liquid crystals, electrochromic etc.), the upright or uprights of the leaf according to this invention offering, in addition, as explained earlier, the advantage of being able to conceal the electrical wires necessary for the operation of these systems. It is also possible to use laminated glasses comprising, as intermediate layer, at least one resin having excellent acoustic properties, or multiple panes of safety glass and notably insulating panes.

By the choice of the material of which the uprights are made, the door according to this invention may also have particular properties. Notably, by choosing metal uprights, the door may serve as a fire-break element in a building.

The door according to this invention, in addition to the leaf and, if required, the previously mentioned accessories (fixing and/or locking elements, adjustment battens and/or adjustment washers), may also contain a door casing, notably a wooden casing, in which the leaf is seated, it being possible for this casing to have, notably, a rebate in which the leaf is positioned and fixed at one of its edges, this rebate in particular enabling the door to be checked when it is closed. This door casing may also be worked, painted, or decorated, and the part of the rebate projecting into the opening may have, on its side that does not seat the leaf, a profile symmetrical with the profile of the upright on the side of said upright that does not come into contact with the rebate. This is illustrated, notably, later in Figure 4b.

In one particular form of embodiment of the invention, the door according to this invention may also comprise several leaves, of which at least one is as described above.

The door according to this invention, this door being characterized by a very large clear view area, thus makes possible as explained earlier, a better suitability for existing structures than the conventional glass doors, this suitability being the greater or lesser according to the forms of embodiment, and said door can therefore be used with advantage on the new door market (it then comprises the casing) or in the renovation market (in which case it may comprise only the leaf). It is also easier to fix and enables standard furniture and accessories to be used. It is, furthermore, more easily given a particular character. The door according to this invention may be in the readyassembled form or may also be in the form of detached elements (these elements being at least the upright and the glass structure as defined above, as well as a suitable adhesive), the elements being assembled together and the door mounted at the place of the final user.

It is important to emphasize that the door according to this invention has a solidity and strength and resistance to external agents that are sufficient to enable it to be used durably and effectively in building.

With advantage, in fact, the door according to this invention has the following characteristics: the creep of the leaf at the interface between the upright and the glass, under a load of 50 kg, is less than 4 mm and, preferably, less than 2 mm, vertically and horizontally. The creep under load is measured on the leaf when fixed in the vertical position by one upright, a vertical force of 50 kg being applied on the opposite edge of the leaf for a time that may be up to 4 weeks, for a temperature of the order of 23"C and a relative humidity ranging from 30 to 85%.

The door is also suitable for undergoing a large number of cycles of opening and closing (of the order of 100,000 cycles) without suffering any notable degradation, is suitable for resisting impacts (dynamic frontal impact measured by dropping a 30 kg ball from a height of 40 or 60 cm onto the centre of the leaf, or hard body impact on the model of standard NF P 20.515) without degradation, and is capable of resisting torsion tests (on the model of standard NF P 20.517) without deformation.

The door according to this invention is also particularly resistant to aging and humidity.

Certain less advantageous forms of embodiment of the present invention may be mentioned. Thus, one form of embodiment of the present invention comprises, according to the definition of the invention, a leaf comprising a glass structure and one upright, this upright being, however, intended for receiving the locking elements of the door and not the fixing elements. This door is, nevertheless, easier to adapt and to be given a unique character than the conventional glass doors. Likewise, it may be envisaged to place one or more cross-members along the glass structure, these cross-members having an essentially decorative or make-up function (notably in the manner of the adjustment or make-up strips) but nevertheless having the disadvantage of reducing the field of view through the door.

As an indication, the leaf of the doors according to this invention preferably has, for internal doors, a width of 630, 730 or 830 mm, a height slightly less than or equal to 1,900, 2,040 or 2,110 mm, the glass structure having a thickness of from 4 to 8 mm for a monolithic glass or a thickness from 4 to 20 mm for a laminated and/or multiple glass, the width of the upright or uprights being, preferably, of the order of 35 to 100 mm and the thickness of said uprights being of the order of 40 mm.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be set out in the description given below of non-limiting forms of embodiment of the invention, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: . Figure 1 shows a partial exploded schematic perspective view of a door according to this invention, said door comprising a leaf and a casing, the fixing elements for the leaf to the casing and the locking elements not being illustrated here, Figure 2 shows a schematic view from above of a preferred door according to this invention, said door comprising a leaf and a casing, the upper part of said casing being removed from view, . Figure 3 shows an exploded partial view of the fixings of a door according to this invention, . Figure 4a and Figure 4b show partial views in section of different uprights and casings of doors according to the invention, . Figure 5 shows an exploded perspective view of a door according to this invention, . Figure 6a and Figure 7a show partial views in section of uprights for doors according to this invention, before the gluing together of said uprights and glass structures to give doors according to this invention; Figure 6b and Figure 7b show, respectively, these same uprights after gluing.

In the form of embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 1, the door comprises a leaf 1, comprising a glass sheet 2 fitted into the recess of a wooden upright 4 and fixed to said upright by a joint or seal of adhesive 6, the door comprising also a casing 7 receiving the leaf in its rebate 8, the right part of the casing not being shown. The upright has a web 9 and flanges 10, and the adhesive injected into the space between the upright and the glass structure fills this space.

In the case in which the height of the leaf is slightly smaller than the height of the opening defined by the casing and depending upon the height of the remaining space, a batten 12, or a wider batten 13, is used to ensure better fitting together of the fixed element composed of the casing and of the movable element composed of the leaf. The upright 4 is provided with decorative mouldings, and these mouldings may have different forms 14, 15, 16, 17.

The leaf shown in this Figure may have, for example, a width a of 730 mm, a height b of 2,040 mm, the upright having a width c of 70 mm, a height equal to b and a thickness e of 40 mm, the glass structure having a width f of 700 mm, a height equal to b and a thickness h of 6 mm. For such a leaf having a weight of the order of 20 kg, the adhesive used, in the case in which it consists of a two-component silicone adhesive (in this case, the gluing may, if desired, be made between the glass and an aluminium profile fixed to the upright), has for example a width i of 30 mm and a thickness i of 12 mm and, in the case where the adhesive consists of a polyurethane hot-melt adhesive, it has for example a width i of the order of 30 mm and a thickness i of 0.25 mm at least. The width k of the rebate of the casing may, in this example, be of the order of 2 cm.

Figure 1 may also be understood as representing one-half of a door according to this invention, the non-illustrated half of the door being symmetrical to that shown about a vertical axis. All the values indicated above are equally valid, except the width of the glass structure, which is now 670 mm for this form of embodiment comprising two uprights, each upright on either side of the glass structure having a width of 70 mm for a thickness of 40 mm and a height of 2,040 mm.

In the form of embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 2, the door is shown already installed inside a building. The casing 21, of which only the uprights are shown, defines an opening within a wall 22, in which opening the leaf 23 of the door is situated. The junction between the casing and the wall is concealed by battens 24, for example wooden battens. The casing has a rebate 25, enabling the leaf of the door to be checked when it is closed.

The leaf comprises, for its part, a glass sheet 26 provided, at each of its vertical edges, with uprights 27, each upright having a web 28 and two flanges 29. The glass sheet is fitted into the recess and is fixed to the upright by means of an adhesive joint 30. The leaf is equipped with locking elements, not shown here, to which a handle 32 is fitted and is fixed to the casing by means of hinges 33.

In the form of embodiment shown in Figure 3, the upright 40 of the leaf of the door is provided with slots, such as the slot 41, intended for receiving the fixed part 42 of hinges 43. The fixed parts are screwed into the slots by means of screws 44 and a play of 5 mm is provided in height to allow said fixed parts to displace at the position of each slot. The fixed part 45 of each hinge-pin 46 intended for receiving a hinge is screwed to the door casing 47 and washers 48 may be threaded onto the hinge-pin in order also to permit adjustment of the door in height.

In the form of embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 4a, the door comprises a casing 50 having a rebate 51, in which is positioned a leaf 52 comprising a glass sheet 53 and at least one upright 54, said upright comprising a web 55 and a flange 56, defining an open rebate 57, in which the edge of the glass structure becomes seated, the glass sheet being fixed to the upright by means of an aluminium profile 59 by an adhesive joint 58.

In the form of embodiment shown in Figure 4b, the door comprises a casing 60, having a rebate 61 in which is positioned a leaf 62 comprising a glass sheet 63 and at least one upright 64, said upright comprising a web 65 and two flanges 66, the web and flanges defining a recess, in which the edge of the glass sheet is seated, the glass sheet being glued to the upright by means of an adhesive joint 69, the part 68 of the rebate projecting into the opening having, on its side that does not receive the leaf, a profile symmetrical to the profile of the upright on the side of said upright that does not come into contact with the rebate.

In the form of embodiment illustrated in Figure 5, the door 70 comprises a wooden casing 71 and a leaf 72, said leaf comprising a self-supporting sheet of structural glass 73 and two wooden uprights 74 and 75, glued to the glass sheet, the first upright 74 receiving the fixing elements 76 and the second upright 75 receiving the lock elements 77.

In the form of embodiment of Figures 6a and 6b, an example of the method of assembling and gluing a glass structure and an upright to give a glass door according to this invention is illustrated. The upright 80 has a web 81 and two flanges 82, each flange possessing an internal cavity 83. An adhesive joint 84 is placed on the web of the upright. During assembly, a previously worked glass sheet 85 is partly inserted into the recess 86 of the upright and squashes the adhesive joint, which spreads out on either side of the glass structure, the excess adhesive becoming seated in the cavities in such a way as to prevent overflowing and to reinforce the bond. As shown in Figure 6b, the recess of the upright has an opening or mouth of dimensions substantially equal to the edge face of the glass sheet in order to position this sheet in the centre of the recess of the upright in the wider parts of the recess and to allow good distribution of the adhesive. The adhesive is hardened by the atmospheric humidity and also as a result of the humidity of the wood.

In the form of embodiment of Figures 7a and 7b, an example of the method of assembling and gluing a glass structure and an upright to give a glass door according to this invention is also illustrated. The upright 90 has a web 91 and a flange 92, the flange having an internal cavity 93. An adhesive joint 94 is placed in said cavity. During assembly, a previously shaped and worked glass sheet 95 is positioned in the open rebate 96 defined by the web and the flange and squashes the adhesive joint 94. The adhesive is then hardened by the atmospheric humidity and also by the humidity of the wood.

It should be pointed out that, during assembly and gluing together of a glass structure and an upright to give a door according to this invention, the adhesive may also be injected after positioning of the glass structure into the space between the upright and the glass structure.

The doors according to this invention are intended, notably, for fitting to buildings and may serve as internal doors, entry doors, service doors, landing doors, cupboard doors and so on.

Claims

1. Door comprising at least one leaf (1, 23, 52, 62, 72), this leaf com prising at least one self-supporting glass sheet (2, 26, 53, 63, 73, 85, 95) and at least one lateral extension upright (4, 27, 40, 54, 64, 74, 80, 90) of a material other than glass, this extension upright being glued to the peripheral part of at least one face of the glass sheet.

2. Door according to Claim 1, characterized in that the creep of the leaf under a load of 50 kg is less than 4 mm.

3. Door according to one of Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the upright comprises an internal cavity serving as a reservoir for the adhesive.

4. Door according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the glass sheet occupies from 76 to 98% approximately of the area of the leaf, the visible area of this sheet occupying from 74 to 96% approximately of the area of the leaf.

5. Door according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the upright comprises or is intended for receiving fixing means (33, 43, 76) on its part projecting beyond the glass sheet and allows the fixing of the leaf to a door casing (7, 21, 47, 50, 60, 71).

6. Door according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the leaf comprises two lateral extension uprights of a material other than glass, not necessarily the same material, said uprights being fixed to the opposite vertical edges of the glass sheet.

7. Door according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that each upright is provided with an open rebate (57, 96) or a longitudinal recess (86), the edge of the glass sheet being seated in this rebate or recess, and the glass sheet being covered, over the edge in question, on one of its faces or on both of its faces by, respectively, the flange or the flanges (10, 29, 56, 66, 82, 92) of the upright.

8. Door according to Claim 7, characterized in that each upright is pro vided with a longitudinal recess having an aperture of dimensions substantially equal to the edge face of the glass sheet or sheets.

9. Door according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that each upright is glued to the glass sheet through the intermediary of a profiled member (59) inserted between the upright and the glass sheet.

10. Door according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the adhesive (6, 30, 58, 69, 84, 94) used is chosen from among a single-component or two-component silicone, a single-component or two-component acrylic and/or methacrylic adhesive, or a hot-melt adhesive such as a polyure thane adhesive.

11. Door according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it com prises, in addition, one or more adjustment battens (12, 13).

12. Door according to one of Claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it com prises, in addition, fixing elements, such as hinges, and/or lock ele ments.

13. Door according to one of Claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the leaf comprises a sheet of toughened glass or of a laminated glass and/or of a multiple glass, the glass sheet or sheets being, if desired, printed and/or tinted and/or enamelled and/or curved.

14. Door according to Claim 13, characterized in that the leaf comprises an electrically controlled laminated pane.

15. Door according to one of Claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it com prises several leaves.

16. Door according to one of Claims 1 to 15, characterized in that it com prises, in addition, a door casing in which the leaf or leaves are housed.

17. Door according to one of Claims 1 to 16, characterized in that it com prises, in addition, one or more cross-members.

18. Door according to one of Claims 1 to 17, characterized in that it is in the form of detached elements adapted to be assembled together to give said door.