Burglar-resistant reinforced door unit

Abstract

Burglar-resistant door assembly. The invention relates to a burglar-resistant door assembly. It is particularly intended for applications in the renovation of existing doors. This door assembly conventionally comprises, on the one hand, a sash reinforcement structure (1) forming an enclosure for the opening leaf, and on the other hand, a frame reinforcement structure (2) whose rebate profile extends into a U-shaped profile forming a recess (3) for receiving a reinforcing piece (4) fixed within it. This reinforcing piece has an S-shaped profile into which an elastomer seal (5) is fitted. An internal tab (51) of the seal, advantageously dovetail-shaped, is retained in a narrow loop of the S-shaped piece, while by means of an external curved edge (52) the seal is applied tightly to the frame structure by compression against the bottom (46) of a wide loop of the reinforcing piece. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Burglar-resistant armored door unit

[0001] The present invention relates to the design and manufacture of door assemblies used to reinforce doors with armor plating to ensure their security against burglary. It focuses more particularly on armoring techniques that are useful in renovation projects within the building industry.

[0002] A commonly used method of door reinforcement involves two main elements, which are factory-made from folded sheet metal: a door leaf reinforcement structure designed to enclose the door itself, and a frame reinforcement structure forming a door casing designed to cover the fixed frame around the door. These two elements work together to form an anti-burglary device which, in a typical case, described in particular in French patent 3,066,220, comprises, on the one hand, a prominent wing formed on the front face of the door leaf structure and, on the other hand, a cooperating channel formed opposite it on the frame reinforcement structure. When the door is closed, the anti-burglary wing enters this channel. It remains lodged there for as long as the door is closed.The channel is generally defined by a return of the frame with a simple U-profile, so that the prominent wing of the opening structure does not risk getting stuck in the channel of the fixed frame and is housed there away from the side walls of the U-profile.

[0003] The device thus constituted is effective in its anti-burglary role; in particular, it protects against attempts to force the door with a tool such as bolt cutters inserted into the rebate to exert leverage on the door. However, it presents a major drawback in that the wing of the door leaf structure constitutes a danger when the door is open, as it protrudes from the front of the door, along the two side jambs, and anyone approaching the door, even just to operate it, risks injury.

[0004] The present invention avoids this drawback by eliminating the need for a prominent, projecting wing on the door frame. In so doing, the invention also aims, particularly in its preferred embodiments, to improve the design of known door assemblies in all aspects, primarily in terms of burglar resistance, but also in terms of weatherproofing, smooth operation, vibration resistance, and sound transmission resistance. Furthermore, it offers the advantage, especially in applications involving the renovation of existing doors, of facilitating the preservation of a wide opening through the frame when the door is open.

[0005] Primarily, the door assembly according to the invention comprises a reinforcing piece which It is integrated into the U-shaped recess of the frame's protective structure. It is secured to this structure at the factory. Advantageously, particularly for its burglar-resistant function, this component has an S-shaped profile designed to fill the entire internal space of the recess. This is especially true if, as in preferred embodiments of the invention, the reinforcing component forms a horizontal S-shape extending from one side wall of the recess to the other and resting on it with its two outermost arms. Once the reinforcing component is fixed within the frame recess, generally by spot welds along the outermost arms of the S-shaped profile, it retains flexibility because the middle arm is free.

[0006] In accordance with other features of the invention, in preferred embodiments, the reinforcing piece plays a complementary role as a support for a sealing gasket, which it firmly retains. In particular, this gasket, made of an elastomer material, can be provided to conform to the profile of the reinforcing piece on a bearing surface offered by the S-shaped profile near the opening of the U-shaped recess. This surface is located between an internal tab, advantageously dovetail-shaped, which is wedged into a narrow loop of the S-shaped profile of the reinforcing piece, open towards the opening of the recess, and an external curved lip adapted to compress between the reinforcing piece and the door leaf's protective structure when the door is closed. The compression advantageously occurs against the bottom of a wide loop of the reinforcing piece, closed near the opening of the recess.

[0007] The invention will now be described in more detail in different embodiments which are shown in the figures of the three attached drawings, in which:

[0008] [Fig.1] represents in cross-section a door block according to the invention, as it is installed for the reinforcement of a door in renovation.

[0009] [Fig.2] illustrates a first variant embodiment of the door block of [Fig.1] for which are the elements that make it up on the side of the door frame located on the left in the [Fig.l].

[0010] [Fig.3] illustrates a second variant.

[0011] [Fig.4] is a perspective representation of the embodiment of [Fig.3].

[0012] [Fig. 5] illustrates a third variant of the embodiment of [Fig.1].

[0013] [Fig.6] illustrates an embodiment of the door block according to the invention which is applicable to double-leaf doors, the semi-fixed leaf playing the role that the fixed frame previously played in its cooperation with the opening leaf.

[0014] [Fig.7] represents a part of the constituent elements of the door block of the [Fig.6] in a perspective view.

[0015] [Fig.8] is analogous to [Fig.6] in another embodiment of the invention which should be very useful in the renovation of double-leaf doors.

[0016] [Fig.9] partially represents the constituent elements of the door block of the [Fig.8] in a perspective view.

[0017] In all the variants illustrated here, we find the sash reinforcement structure 1, essentially made of a sheet metal casing around the sash, and on the other hand, the frame reinforcement structure 2, also called the fixed frame reinforcement structure, which has a rebate profile 21 designed to cover the fixed frame of the fixed frame, or an equivalent element, and which extends beyond the fixed frame with a U-shaped return forming a recess 3 open towards the sash reinforcement structure. We also find the specific elements of the invention, namely the reinforcing piece 4, housed in said recess, and the associated seal 5.

[0018] The reference numbers for these essential constituent elements of the door assembly according to the invention are those shown in [Fig. 1]. The same numbers will be used as far as possible in the other figures. It should also be noted that the configuration described for the two door jambs is generally also applied to the top rail.

[0019] The door leaf structure is configured at the factory to form an enclosure around the door panel 6, which is slid into it on site. Indeed, the invention is considered here in its application to the renovation of existing doors where the exterior appearance of the front face of the door panel must be preserved. The door leaf reinforcement structure 1 is then made from a metal sheet that is folded to form an enclosure sheet 11 which completely covers the rear face 14 of the door panel, extending on both sides to cover the edge of the panel along the two jambs, and extending again on each side to form a fold 12 that overlaps the door panel over a limited width. Thus, the door leaf reinforcement structure leaves the existing door panel visible on its front face 7, from one fold 12 to the other.

[0020] In the embodiments shown in Figures 2 and 5, the same fold 12 of the opening shield structure along each jamb is reinforced with a backing plate 13, which is welded over said fold and extends beyond it onto the front face 4 of the door panel 6. This backing plate can be useful for concealing imperfections in the door panel resulting from previous modifications. It can also be useful for extending the width of the fold opposite the recess of the frame structure and adapting the assembly to rebates of varying widths.

[0021] Thus, [Fig.1] and [Fig.2] relate to door frame profiles with a jack, whereas in the case of Figures 3 and 4 and in that of [Fig. 5], the sheet metal which constitutes the shielding structure follows a straight rebate profile 22, without a jack, which joins in line the lateral wall of the so-called proximal wall 31. In the first case, the cup 3 receiving the reinforcement piece 4 and the associated seal 5 is located entirely opposite the opening in the closed position, at the level of the fold 12 and possibly the counter plate 13. In the second, the rebate space is covered only by the cup; this solution makes it possible to limit as much as possible the bulk of the anti-burglary shielding device in the circulation space through the door in the open position.

[0022] At the door assembly installation site, the frame reinforcement structure 2 is mounted on the fixed frame 8 surrounding the door. In [Fig. 1], the frame being assumed to be made of wood, the frame reinforcement structure 2 is fixed by means of a dowel and screw at the level of the rebate 21. The immobilization of the door panel 6 in the sash structure 1 is ensured in the same way at the edge of the door. Along the stile to the left of [Fig. 1], the hinge 24 is shown, by which the sash pivots on the frame; it is integral with the frame structure on a return 25 that the rebate profile 21 forms on the edge of the fixed frame, in line with the rear face 14 of the sash reinforcement structure. Along the opposite stile, to the right of [Fig. 1], the frame is fixed to the stile.l], the corresponding return of the frame structure 2 carries a tail housing 26 which, in the closed position of the door, is located opposite a lock housing 15 carried by the opening armor structure 1 on its rear face 14. .

[0023] The reinforcement piece 4 and the seal 5 will now be described as they appear, securely integrated into the recess 3 of the frame shielding structure 2, in the door block as it comes out of the factory.

[0024] As can be seen from [Fig. 1], and incidentally from [Fig. 4], but also on a larger scale in [Fig. 6], the reinforcing piece 4, or S-piece, has an S-shaped profile adapted to fill the entire internal space of the bowl. More precisely, along the entire length of the U-shaped profile of the bowl 3, it forms a horizontal S that extends from one side wall 31 to the other of the bowl and is applied to it by the two extreme arms of the S, 41 and 42 respectively.

[0025] Once the reinforcing piece is fixed in the door frame recess, generally by spot welds along the outermost arms of the S-profile, it retains flexibility because the intermediate arm 43 is free. Figures 1 and 6 illustrate a fixing that is achieved partly by spot welding in areas accessible near the opening of the recess, and partly by plugging through at least one 32 of the side walls of the recess with the corresponding arm 42 of the reinforcing piece.

[0026] The reinforcing piece 4 has another distinctive feature: the two S-shaped handles are not of the same width. Its narrow handle 44 serves as a support for the seal 5. This handle has a concave curve, open towards the opening of the bowl. The wide handle 45, or closed handle, is of a width complementary in correspondence with the width of the bowl. It cooperates with the seal 5 by its base 46 which, on the convex side, offers towards the outside of the bowl a bearing surface for the seal 5.

[0027] The seal 5 is shaped to fit the shape of the S-shaped piece in the open loop 44 and on the bottom 46 of the closed loop 45. In profile, it comprises a middle portion adapted to bear against the convex bottom 46 of the reinforcing piece and, on either side of this middle portion, an internal tab 51 which is inserted into the open loop of the reinforcing piece and, on the external side, a flexible curved beak 52. Thanks to the fir-tail shape of the tab 51 shown, the seal 5 is firmly retained in the open loop of the reinforcing piece (narrow loop) once the tab 51 has been inserted into it. To perfect the seal, the seal 5 has a heel 55 ([Fig.4] and [Fig.6]) which rests on the edge of the branch 41 of the S of the reinforcement piece which adjoins the tab 51 of the seal 5. The external beak 52 ensures the watertight closure of the door between the opening armor structure and the frame armor structure.When the door is in the closed position, the outer edge of the seal is applied tightly to the door's reinforcement structure by compression of the seal against the bearing surface provided by the closed recess of the reinforcement piece near the opening of the recess.

[0028] Figures 6 and 7 refer to a first application of the invention to a double-leaf door, to ensure airtight burglary protection between the two leaves in the closed position. Essentially, the sash reinforcement structure 20 equipping the semi-fixed leaf plays the role previously played by the frame structure 2 of Figures 1 to 5 in its assembly with the sash reinforcement structure 10 equipping the opening leaf. It is therefore considered that, like the sash reinforcement structure, the frame reinforcement structure is essentially made of a sheet metal casing 11 or 23 around the corresponding leaf.

[0029] In this application, the specific elements of the invention, namely the reinforcing piece, the associated seal, and their receiving recess (together constituting the actual anti-burglary device), are shaped in the same way as in [Fig. 1]. However, unlike the previous embodiments, the recess 30 is formed according to its U-shaped profile in a separate folded sheet 27, which is attached and fixed by welding to the outer sheet 23 surrounding the semi-fixed leaf. More precisely, the outer sheets of the two door leaves are fitted with backing plates 13 as illustrated in Figures 2 and 5, which are fixed to their respective front face folds 12 and 28, and on the side of the semi-fixed leaf, the recess 30 is made in one piece with the backing plate.

[0030] In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 8 and 9, also for double-leaf doors, the use of the counter plates 13 of Figures 6 and 7 has been eliminated. The U-shaped profile of the recess 30 follows the front face fold 28 of the sheet metal 23 specific to the frame structure 20 which surrounds the semi-fixed leaf, by returning the sheet metal beyond this fold outwards.

[0031] Furthermore, the configuration of the anti-burglary device elements has been improved to adapt to spaces to be secured that are generally wider and of more uncertain width when located between the two leaves of a door compared to the rebate space against a fixed frame. Essentially, the bottom of the wide, closed handle of the reinforcing piece 40 follows a sinuous path along which it fulfills two different functions.

[0032] On the distal side, to the right in [Fig. 8], this closed loop bottom joins the intermediate branch of the S-shaped section limiting the narrow loop (open retaining loop for the seal) via a recessed area 47 towards the interior of the recess. This recess provides a receiving area for the seal 50 while also serving as a bearing surface for the seal during its compression by the pressure of its external curved edge 56 against the front face fold 12 of the shielding casing of the opening leaf when brought into the closed position. The configuration is therefore similar to that of the previous figures in that the reinforcing piece 40 acts as a support for the seal 50.

[0033] On the proximal side, however, the reinforcing piece 40 no longer cooperates with the seal 50, but with the shielding structure that supports it. The internal space of the recess extends beyond its opening, the proximal lateral wall 33 of the recess being defined by the sheet metal casing 23 of the assumed fixed leaf (semi-fixed leaf) following a shoulder (35) forming the front face fold 28 on this leaf. Opposite, the reinforcing piece 40 extends as before until its corresponding end arm is applied to the proximal lateral wall 33 of the recess 30, while the sinuous path of the bottom of the closed loop of the reinforcing piece joins the proximal arm of the S-profile via a flat area 48, which is applied to the shoulder 35 on the back of the front face fold 28, ensuring the stability of the assembly.

[0034] Figures 8 and 9 show that the narrow handle of the reinforcing piece 4 is located on the distal side of the assembly, against the terminal lateral wall 34 of the recess. It is thus positioned to receive the dovetail lug of the seal 40 and to present the beak 56 of this seal opposite the fold 12 of the shielding structure of the opening leaf. In addition, the wide handle occupies most of the internal space of the recess up to the lateral wall on the proximal side. The reverse arrangement was more justified for single-leaf doors ([Fig. 1] to 5) for space reasons, as stability is ensured by the presence of the fixed frame receiving the jamb shielding structure.

Claims

Demands

1. Burglar-resistant door assembly comprising a sash armor structure (1) and a frame armor structure (2) forming a U-shaped profile recess (3) open towards the sash armor structure, further comprising an S-shaped profile reinforcement piece (4) housed in said recess and an elastomer seal (5) having an internal tab (51) retained in a narrow loop of the reinforcement piece and an external beak (52) adapted to apply a tight seal to the sash armor structure by compression of the seal against a bearing surface provided by a closed loop bottom (46) of the reinforcement piece (4).

2. Door block according to claim 1 in which the reinforcing piece (4) forms in profile a horizontal S which extends from one to the other of the side walls (31-32) of the U-profiled bowl (3) and is applied to it by its two extreme arms (41-42) while the intermediate arm of the S (43) is free.

3. Door block according to claim 1 or 2 in which said internal tab (51) of the seal is in the shape of a fir tree tail.

4. Door block according to any one of the preceding claims in which said recess (3) is formed by the frame shielding structure in the extension of a rebate profile (21).

5. Door block according to claim 4 in which said rebate profile (21) is of the jack-less type.

6. Door assembly according to any one of the claims according to any one of the preceding claims applied to a double-leaf door, wherein the sash armor structure equipping one of the two leaves also constitutes a frame armor structure in relation to the sash armor structure of the other leaf.

7. Door block according to claim 6 in which the U-profiled recess which is open towards the opening shield structure in the gap between the two leaves is formed in a separate sheet (27) following a counter plate attached to a front face fold (28) of an envelope sheet (23) which comprises the frame shield structure to envelop the corresponding leaf.

8. Door assembly according to claim 6 in which the U-shaped profile recess which is open towards the sash reinforcement structure in the gap between the two leaves is formed by the same folded sheet metal that a sheet metal envelope (23) which comprises the frame shielding structure to envelop the corresponding leaf.

9. Door block according to claim 8 in which said cup extends to a proximal side wall (33) formed by the sheet metal envelope (23) of the frame structure following a shoulder (35) forming a front face fold on the corresponding leaf.

10. Door block according to claim 9 in which the closed handle bottom (46) which comprises the reinforcing piece (40) integrated into said cup (30) has a sinuous profile so as to form in a recessed area (47) a receiving location for the seal (50) while also providing a bearing surface for the seal during its compression, and to form on the other hand a flat area (48) which applies to said shoulder.

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