Device and method for thermal break of door threshold.

Abstract

A device for thermally breaking a door threshold comprises: an insulating base (1) suitable for being recessed into a housing (2) formed in the threshold (3), the insulating base itself comprising a movable insulating seal (4), the width of which corresponds to that of the door (5), placed in a groove (9) in said base, the movable seal being able to assume a lower and a higher position; actuation means (6) for: placing the movable seal in the upper position when the door is closed, so as to ensure contact between said movable seal and the lower edge of the door; placing the movable seal in the lower position in the groove when the door is open, so as to be flush with the surface of the threshold. The device is well suited to improving the energy performance of buildings, particularly during their renovation.

Description

Description Title of the invention: Device and method for breaking Thermal door threshold. The invention relates to a device for thermal break of door thresholds. It also relates to a method for thermal break of door thresholds, particularly in the renovation of old buildings. A door threshold is defined as the area of ​​the floor located on either side of the intersection of the door's plane and the floor. In the context of sustainable development, energy savings are playing an increasingly important role. Energy consumption for heating buildings, both residential and industrial, represents a significant portion (for example, over 20% in France) of total energy consumption. Improving the thermal insulation of buildings is therefore essential. Modern houses and apartments are now systematically insulated, from the windows and walls to the roof. This insulation is only effective if its installation avoids any thermal bridging, meaning that no non-insulating materials are placed between the interior and exterior. Door thresholds are almost never properly insulated, unless it's a French door (a French door is a door whose frame includes a projecting section at floor level that must be stepped over – such doors are obviously more difficult to pass through, especially for people with reduced mobility). Indeed, there is very often a significant thermal bridge beneath doors, particularly in older buildings. When the air volumes on either side of the door are at different temperatures, a significant heat flow occurs, tending to equalize the temperatures and thus dissipate energy. This heat flow includes both conductive and convective components, circulating in the space between the bottom edge of the door and the floor.In the case of older buildings, this overall thermal bridge (resulting from the two types of heat flow) at door thresholds, responsible for significant energy losses, is difficult to eliminate without replacing both doors and thresholds. For buildings of heritage value, this replacement is difficult and costly if the overall style must be preserved. EP3242980B 1 describes a module forming a thermal bridge break that can form at the junction between an exterior floor slab and an interior floor slab; the module comprises an insulating material and reinforcements made of bar shape. This well-known device, not specifically designed for doors, effectively breaks the conductive thermal bridge but does not address the convective thermal bridge component mentioned above. Therefore, it is not very effective at reducing the overall thermal bridge of the threshold. Furthermore, its use in renovation projects is difficult. The invention aims to provide a simple and economical device providing good thermal bridge breaking of the overall thermal bridge presented by door thresholds. Consequently, the invention relates to a device for the overall thermal break of a door threshold comprising: an insulating base suitable for being embedded in a housing provided in the threshold, the insulating base itself comprising a movable insulating joint, the width of which corresponds to that of the door, placed in a groove of said base, the seal mobile capable of adopting a low position and a high position; actuation mechanisms enabling: Place the movable seal in the upper position when the door is closed. in order to ensure contact between said movable joint and the in- slice lower part of the door; he. place the movable joint in the lower position in the groove when the The door is open so that it is flush with the surface of the threshold. By device for overall thermal break of door threshold is meant a device allowing to interrupt the overall thermal bridge between the air volumes located near the door threshold, on either side of the door, often respectively inside and outside the building, the overall thermal bridge resulting from heat flows both by conduction and by convection through the space between the floor and the lower edge of the door. The device according to the invention comprises an insulating base embedded in a housing formed in the threshold. The housing creates a thermal break within the threshold material, and the insulating base embedded therein does not re-establish a thermal bridge. It is recommended that the insulating base have an overall thermal resistance of more than 0.1 m²K / W, preferably more than 0.25 or even 0.4 m²K / W. Values ​​greater than 0.5, preferably greater than 0.65, and more preferably greater than 0.8 or even greater than 0.9 m²K / W are particularly recommended. When energy performance so requires, it is recommended that the insulating base have an overall thermal resistance greater than 1 m²K / W. These thermal resistance values ​​are determined according to the procedure described in the attached example. In some cases, the movable insulating seal contributes significantly to this performance. In an advantageous configuration of the invention, the movable insulating sealcomprises more than 25% by volume, preferably more than 50% by volume, of thermal insulation. Thermal insulation is defined as a material whose use reduces heat loss in buildings. Thermal insulation materials are selected, for example, from: wood, glass wool, rock wool, expanded polystyrene, extruded polystyrene, and polyurethane. The thermal conductivity of the thermal insulation materials used in the present invention is advantageously less than 0.15 W / m°K, preferably less than 0.1 W / m°K, and more preferably less than 0.065 W / m°K. In another advantageous configuration of the invention, which can be combined with the previous one, the movable insulating joint comprises a honeycomb structure.A honeycomb structure is defined as a structure containing confined air volumes, the dimensions of which are mechanically controlled. These volumes preferably have a volume greater than 1 cm³, which distinguishes them from the confined air volumes within thermal insulation. These two advantageous configurations are recommended when the movable insulating joint has a thin profile or when the required thermal performance of the insulating base is significant. For the presence of the movable insulating seal in a groove in the base to maintain the desired thermal break, it is also essential that the seal's width correspond to that of the door. It is recommended that the seal's width be at least 80%, preferably at least 90%, and ideally at least 95% of the door's width. The width of the base, and therefore that of the opening, which is larger than the seal, generally exceeds that of the door. This base must be of sufficient height to provide good overall thermal resistance. This height depends on the construction details and the presence or absence of deeper thermal insulation below the door threshold. However, it is recommended that the insulating base be at least 2 cm high, advantageously at least 5 cm, more advantageously at least 8 cm, preferably 10 cm, and even more preferentially 15 cm.Insulating bases with a height of more than 20 cm are preferred. In the first variant, the insulating base essentially comprises the movable insulating seal and at least part of its actuation mechanism. In this variant, the obstacle to heat flow through the door threshold is formed partly by the movable insulating seal and partly by the void space left beneath the seal when it is in the raised position. In this variant, particular attention must be paid to the construction of the movable insulating seal. This variant allows for minimizing the thickness of the recess in the door threshold. The depth of this recess (corresponding to the height of the base) must, however, be sufficient to ensure good thermal insulation. This depth is advantageously greater than 5 cm, preferably greater than 10 cm. In a second, preferred variant, the insulating base comprises a mass of thermal insulation and / or a honeycomb structure around the groove designed to receive the movable seal. In this variant, at least 50%, and preferably at least 75%, of the volume of the insulating base consists of insulation and / or a honeycomb structure. This variant provides good thermal break performance when it is difficult to create a deep recess in the threshold. The movable insulating seal moves in the groove between a high position and a low position. In its raised position, it comes into contact with the bottom edge of the door. Taking into account construction constraints and possible irregularities in the bottom edge of the door, especially in renovations of older doors with heritage value, it is possible that some areas of the insulating seal may not make perfect contact with the bottom edge of the door. However, it is recommended that at least 90% of the width of the insulating seal, when in its raised position, be within one millimeter of the door edge, and ideally within half a millimeter. When the device according to the invention is used in the renovation of old buildings with significant heritage value, it is common for the lower edges of the doors not to be strictly parallel to the plane of the threshold. In an advantageous configuration of the invention, the device includes means enabling the upper face of the movable seal, when in its raised position, to be non-parallel to the plane of the threshold. These means may include, for example, a system for adjusting the orientation of the upper face of the movable seal. When the required orientation correction is small but the desired level of thermal break is significant, this adjustment system can modify the height of the movable seal at its two ends. Alternatively, said means may include two return means, for example of the spring type, acting independently at the two ends of the movable seal and consequently raising one end further, so as to apply said seal uniformly to the lower edge of the door. In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the face of the movable insulating seal intended to come into contact with the lower edge of the door is covered with a compressible layer. This compressible layer is, for example, of the same nature as that placed in a known manner on the part of the frame that comes into contact with the door when it is in the closed position. This compressible layer makes it possible to obtain the desired contact despite, on the one hand, possible slight defects in the flatness of the movable seal or, more often, of the lower edge of the door, and on the other hand, a minimal imperfection in the parallelism of these two parts, existing at the time of construction or appearing during use and which does not need to be corrected by the means described above. The contact between the movable insulating seal and the lower edge of the door helps to contribute to good airtightness of doors equipped with the device according to the invention. This seal significantly reduces, or even virtually eliminates, the possibility of airflow between the bottom of the door and the threshold. In practice, it is recommended to achieve the same level of airtightness as that obtained along the other three edges of the door, in contact with the frame. Good seals can be achieved there using known methods. The device according to the invention makes it possible to achieve airtightness of the door, door frame, and threshold assembly of class 1, preferably class 2, more preferably class 3, ideally class 4. These performance levels are established in accordance with standard EN 1026. The movable insulating joint must have sufficient thickness to achieve the desired thermal break. In practice, its thickness depends on the insulating power and mechanical properties of the material from which it is made. However, when the seal is in the raised position, the gap left in the groove of the base must also be thick enough to contribute to the thermal break. Generally, it is recommended that the movable insulating seal have a thickness of at least 1 cm, preferably at least 2 cm, and more preferably at least 3 cm. In one embodiment of the invention, which may be advantageous in certain cases, the movable seal is thick enough to protrude slightly from the bottom of the door on at least one of its faces when it is in the closed position. In this embodiment, it is particularly easy to visually verify the perfect contact of the seal with the bottom edge of the door. In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the movable insulating seal is thicker than the door.In this variant, contact is maximized; the seal can protrude from both sides of the door, and contact can be easily checked from both sides. When the movable insulating seal is in its lowered position, it is flush with the threshold surface. This conceals it within the floor, offering an aesthetic advantage and preventing it from obstructing passage over the threshold. It is recommended that, in its lowered position, the movable seal not protrude more than 5 mm above the threshold, preferably 3 mm. It is generally advantageous for the movable seal to be even slightly recessed from the floor level, for example, by at least 1 mm. In a first embodiment of the invention, the actuation means are controlled by the movement of the door. In this embodiment, it is possible to adapt existing systems used in known devices, for example, those described in US2005 / 0028462. However, when a certain level of sealing is achieved In this first embodiment, these known systems generate resistance to the door's movement at the end of its closing cycle due to friction between the moving seal and the lower edge of the door. It is recommended that the actuation means be activated only at the end of the closing cycle and at the beginning of the opening cycle. In a second, preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuation means comprise a control for moving the movable seal independently of the door's movement. In this embodiment, the seal only moves when the door is in the closed, stationary position. Among numerous possible variations, some of which are operable by hand, it is recommended that the control include a protruding part attached to the insulating block so that it can be triggered by the foot, such as a small pedal. This additional projecting section, which advantageously has a surface area between 25 and 100 cm², is preferably connected to the insulating block, ideally fixed to it. This variant is very simple to implement. It allows the insulating base to operate autonomously. This is particularly useful in renovation projects since it avoids any intervention on the door itself (including its frame). When the door is closed, the user raises the seal by pressing their foot on the projecting section. Conversely, when opening the door, the user first lowers the seal using a similar action. The device is then advantageously equipped, for example, with spring-type return mechanisms that tend to firmly press the movable insulating seal against the lower edge of the door.The pressure exerted on the protruding part then opposes these return means, and ratchet-type means hold the movable seal in its lowered position. Subsequent pressure on the protruding part releases the ratchet-type means and the spring-type return means, which then raise the movable seal. Many other operating variations are, of course, possible. In a third embodiment, which combines the first two, the actuation means are controlled partly automatically by the door's movement and partly independently of it. In this variant, the door's movement causes the moving seal to rise almost completely, but without reaching the end of its movement and thus without pressurizing against the bottom of the door. The seal's final rise is controlled independently of the door's movement, for example, by actuating the protruding part of the insulating block described above. This variant allows the moving seal to be fully actuated only when circumstances require maximum sealing. The device according to the invention makes it possible to easily improve the energy performance of buildings. It allows doors to be given performance Energy efficiency approaches or even exceeds that of French doors, without, however, having a protruding crossbar at floor level and the inconvenience this presents when it must be stepped over. The device according to the invention is therefore particularly advantageous for people with reduced mobility. The invention also relates to an assembly comprising a door threshold equipped with a device according to the invention, a door, and a door frame. This assembly advantageously has an air permeability of class 1, preferably class 2, more preferably class 3, and even more preferably class 4. These performance levels are measured according to standard NBN EN 1026. The highest classes are generally only achievable in a known manner for French doors. The invention makes it possible to achieve them with conventional doors, provided, of course, that good quality seals are placed in a known manner on the three other contact areas between the door and the frame (upper horizontal, left vertical, and right vertical). The invention also relates to a method for thermally breaking a door threshold according to which: a dwelling is provided within the threshold; A device according to the invention is placed in the housing. The particular embodiments of the device according to the invention described above, for example those concerning the actuation means, apply mutatis mutandis to the method according to the invention. The method according to the invention is particularly advantageous for energy-efficient building renovations, that is, for improving the thermal performance of existing doors and thresholds, especially when the building housing them has heritage value to be preserved. The method allows the door and most of the threshold to remain intact. The invention also relates to a method for interrupting the transmission of sound below the underside of a door, according to which: a dwelling is provided within the threshold; A device according to the invention is placed in the housing. Sound transmission below the underside of a door refers to the sound transmitted by the vibration of the air between the underside of the door and the threshold, and by the vibration of the threshold itself. The method according to the invention provides remarkable sound insulation because, firstly, it interrupts sound transmission through the space between the door and the threshold thanks to the exceptional airtightness it creates at that point. Secondly, the recess in the threshold also significantly and surprisingly reduces the transmission of sound carried by the threshold itself. [Fig.1][Fig.2] and [Fig.3] illustrate a particular embodiment of the device according to the invention. This device includes the following elements. An insulating base (1) is placed in a recess (2) formed in a threshold (3) of a door (5). A movable insulating seal (4) is inserted into a groove (9) in the base (1). Actuation means (6) allow the movable seal to be moved between a lower position, shown in [Fig. 1], and a higher position, shown in [Fig. 3]. The actuation means (6) include a control (7) having a projecting portion (8). [Fig.4] illustrates a recommended procedure for measuring the overall thermal resistance of the insulating base of the device according to the invention. A cavity thermally insulated from the outside is divided into two compartments, I and II, by a wall made of thermal insulation whose characteristics (thickness and thermal conductivity) give it an overall thermal resistance significantly greater than that of the insulating base being measured. An opening is made in this wall into which the insulating base (3) is inserted so as to be in contact with the wall around its entire perimeter, with the vertical seal (2) in the upper position. The vertical seal (2) is in contact with the wall, the corresponding face of the wall acting as the lower edge of the door. Initially, the temperatures T1 and T2 of the two compartments I and II are different. The evolution of their temperatures over time, which tends towards uniformity, allows the total heat flux passing through the wall (1) and the base (3) to be determined.Given the known characteristics of wall (1), the heat flux through it can be calculated. By subtraction, the heat flux through the insulating base is deduced. Knowing its exposed surface area, its overall thermal resistance can be calculated. This overall thermal resistance is therefore a single average value characterizing the insulating base. In general, the heat flux through wall (1) can be neglected to a good approximation. Details and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention, with reference to the attached figures. Example The device illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 operates as follows, in accordance with an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention. [Fig. 1] shows the door (5) in the open position and the movable insulating seal (4) in the lowered position, flush with the threshold (3) but slightly recessed from it. The door has a width of 80 cm and a thickness of 4 cm. The movable insulating seal (4) has a width of 78 cm, a thickness of 55 cm, and a height of 8 cm. It is made essentially of spruce, essentially meaning that it comprises more than 75% spruce by volume. The direction of the wood grain is along the width of the joint. The protruding portion (8) of the control (7) is in the raised position. In the embodiment shown, the insulating base (1), which has an overall thermal resistance of 0.4 m² / W°K, essentially comprises the movable joint, in that the thickness of the housing (2), 6 cm, is only slightly greater than that of the groove (9), 5 cm. Figure 3 shows the door (5) in the closed position. The protruding portion (8), 25 cm², located in the lateral part of the insulating base opposite the hinge, has been lowered. A ratchet system (not shown) holds the protruding portion in this position. The next push on this protruding portion would release the ratchet and allow the protruding portion to return to its raised position.As it lowers, the protruding portion (8) changes the angle of the inclined portion of the control (7), which is rotatably fixed to the means (6), thereby exerting a thrust on the latter. The means (6) is made primarily of high-density polyethylene, meaning that it comprises more than 75% high-density polyethylene by volume. The operation of this actuation means (6) is shown in [Fig. 2]. The means (6) is movable along the width of the door and has an inclined face that cooperates with a face of the movable seal (6) having the same inclination. When the means (6) receives the thrust from the control (7), it moves in the direction of the arrow shown in box C and exerts a vertical thrust on the movable seal, which moves upwards until it contacts the lower edge of the door (5).The movable joint (4), the actuation means (6) and the control (7) have return means not shown including for example springs allowing these elements to spontaneously return to their position corresponding to the lower position of the movable joint, when the ratchet holding the protruding part (8) in the lower position is released by a subsequent push from the user's foot on the door.

Claims

Demands

1. Device for thermal break of DC door sluice gate comprising: an insulating base (1) suitable for being embedded in a dwelling (2) provided in the threshold (3), the insulating base comprising itself- even a movable insulating joint (4), the width of which corresponds to that of the door (5), placed in a groove (9) of the said base, the movable joint can adopt a low position and a high position; actuation means (6) enabling: to place the movable joint in the raised position when the The door is closed, so as to ensure contact between the said movable joint and the lower edge of the door; b. Place the movable joint in the lowered position in the groove when the door is open, so that to be flush with the surface of the threshold.

2. Device according to claim 1 in which the means actuation means (6) are controlled by the movement of the door (5).

3. Device according to claim 1 wherein the means actuation (6) includes a control (7) enabling move the movable seal independently of the door's movement.

4. Device according to claims 2 and 3, wherein the means actuation points (6) are controlled in part by the movement of the door and partly independently of the door's movement.

5. Device according to the preceding claim in which the control (7) includes a projecting part (8) located at the bottom of the door of so that it can be triggered by the foot.

6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the face of the movable insulating joint intended to come into contact with the edge The lower part of the door is covered with a compressible layer.

7. Assembly comprising a door threshold equipped with a device according to one Claims 1 to 6, a door and a door frame.

8. A method for thermally breaking a door threshold according to which: a dwelling is provided within the threshold; a device according to one of claims 1 to 6 is placed in the accommodation.

9. Method for interrupting the transmission of sound below the face lower part of a door according to which: a dwelling is provided within the threshold; a device according to one of claims 1 to 6 is placed in the accommodation.

10. A method according to the preceding claim in which the face of the joint movable insulator intended to come into contact with the lower edge of The door is covered with a compressible layer.