Loft door frame and loft door assembly

Abstract

A loft door frame 10, a loft door assembly 1 and a building having an internal ceiling including a loft door frame are disclosed. The lost hatch frame 10 comprises a first section 11 extending in a fi

Description

Field The present disclosure relates to an easily installable loft door frame. More specifically, the disclosure relates to a loft door frame that includes features useful for assisting the installer when positioning the loft door frame correctly within an aperture during installation. The disclose further relates to a loft door assembly and a building or dwelling in which the loft door frame is installed. Background Loft doors, hatches and other access panels are useful components in homes with loft or attic spaces, providing access to storage areas or additional living quarters. These doors may have various designs, including simple hinged models, sliding options, or more complex folding systems, each tailored to fit the specific needs and dimensions of the loft opening. They not only serve a functional purpose by allowing entry to the loft but also play an important role in maintaining the home's energy efficiency by preventing heat loss. As homeowners seek to maximize the energy efficiency of their living spaces, the importance of a well-designed and properly installed loft door, and by extension loft doorframe, increases. The installation of loft doors (which, in some applications may be referred to as loft hatches), however, presents a range of challenges due to the unique characteristics of attic spaces. Unlike standard doors, loft doors often require custom sizing to fit irregular openings or to accommodate existing structural elements, such as beams and joists. This need for customization can complicate the installation process, requiring precise measurements and potentially specialized tools. Moreover, the positioning of loft doors often means working in confined spaces, which can make manoeuvring materials and tools more difficult and increase the risk of errors or accidents. In particular, many loft doors will be installed while the installer is holding them over their head. Bearing the weight of the loft door while attempting to attach or affix the loft door to the structural features of the loft space accurately can be challenging, particularly without the assistance of another person. Many loft doors may have a standard size, in particular in terms of width, dictated by building roof structure standards, but installing loft doors remains difficult as the installer may be required to hold the loft door in position while also positioning a tool, for example a screwdriver, to fasten the loft door frame to the structural features of the building, such as the beams, trimmers (sometimes referred to as blockings), noggins and joists / trusses in the loft space. Another challenge in installing loft doors is ensuring they are properly insulated and sealed. Attics are often energy inefficient, and any gaps or poor insulation in the loft door can lead to significant heat loss, impacting the overall energy efficiency of the home. Achieving a proper seal often involves using weatherstripping and insulation materials that need to be carefully selected and applied to ensure effectiveness. The proper installation of loft door frames is therefore important for function and longevity. It is desirable, according to the present disclosure, to provide a loft door frame that can be more reliably and easily installed by a single installer. Summary According to the present disclosure, there is provided a loft door frame. The loft door frame may comprise a first section. The first section may extend in a first plane and define a loft access aperture. The loft door frame may comprise a second section. The second section may extend in a direction substantially perpendicularly to the first plane, and may surround the loft access aperture. The second section may define a plurality of fastening points, for fastening the loft door frame to a support structure. The second section may further define a plurality of support points, for temporarily supporting the loft door frame during installation. Each of the support points may be larger than each of the fastening points. According to the present disclosure, there is further provided a loft door assembly. The loft door assembly may be installed in a loft door aperture in a ceiling. The loft door assembly may comprise the loft door frame as described above. According to the present disclosure, there is further provided a house, dwelling, building or other structure. The house, dwelling, building or other structure may have an internal ceiling that may include a loft door aperture, providing access to a loft space, and a loft door frame as described above installed in the loft door aperture. The disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an example of a loft door assembly including a loft door frame and a door in the open position; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an example of a loft door assembly including a loft door frame and a door in the closed position; Figure 3 shows a side view of an example of a front end of a loft door frame of a loft door assembly; Figure 4 shows a perspective view of an example of a loft door assembly including a loft door frame and a door in the open position, from below the loft door; Figure 5 shows a side view of an example of a side of a loft door frame of a loft door assembly; Figure 6 shows a perspective view of an example of a loft door assembly including a loft door frame and a door in the closed position from above the loft door assembly; Figure 7 shows a plan view of an example of a loft door assembly from above the loft door assembly; and Figure 8 shows a plan view of an example of a loft door assembly from below the loft door assembly. Detailed Description In accordance with an example, as shown in figure 1, there is provided a loft door frame 10. The loft door frame 10 may comprise a first section 11. The first section 11 may extend in a first plane and may define a loft access aperture 12. The frame 10 may further comprise a second section 16. The second section 16 may extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first plane. The second section 16 may substantially surround the loft access aperture 12. The second section 16 may define a plurality of fastening points 17 that may be suitable for fastening the loft door frame to a support structure. The second section 16 may further define a plurality of support points 18, which may be suitable for temporarily supporting the loft door frame 10 during installation. Each of the support points 18 may be larger than each of the fastening points 17. In figure 1, the loft door frame 10 is shown as part of a loft door assembly 1, including a door 20 for illustrative purposes only. As shown in figure 1, the loft door frame 10 may be part of a loft door assembly 1. In some examples, the loft door assembly 1 may comprise a detachable drop-down door, as described in more detail below. Either with or without the loft door, the loft door frame 10 may be easily installed by a single installer, i.e. unassisted by another person. The loft door frame 10 may for example be positioned, by an installer, within a loft access aperture. Such an aperture may typically be formed of parallel joists and trimmers, that run perpendicular to the joists but run parallel to each other, to create a rectangular aperture. Other aperture shapes are envisaged. The installer may then position the loft door frame 10 in the intended installation position in the aperture and mark the joists or trimmers to indicate the approximate location of the support points 18. At these marked locations, the installer may (having removed the loft door frame 10 temporarily) install fasteners, such as screws. In some examples, the installer may screw the screws in only partly so that the head of the screw extends away from the joist or trimmer more than a fully installed screw. With the screw protruding slightly, the installer may then manoeuvre the loft door frame 10 into position, by collocating the screws with the support points 18. In more detail, the installer may hook or position the loft door frame 10 over the screws such that the loft door frame 10 is supported, at the support points 18, by the partially installed screws. With the weight of the loft door frame 10 primarily supported by the screws, the installer is free to more accurately position the loft door frame 10 for more permanent attachment to the joists and trimmers. For example, given that the support points 18 are slightly larger than the fastening points 17, the loft door frame 10, when supported by the screws, may be moveable by a small amount, so that the installer may push the loft door frame 10 upwards, and locate the loft door frame 10 in an appropriate position for fasteners, such as screws, to be installed at the fastening points 17. Once the appropriate number of screws are installed in the respective fastening points 17, the installer may remove / unscrew the screws positioned at the support points 18. As an alternative, the screws at the support points 18 may at this stage be fully installed, so that the support points 18 are usable as fastening points. However, the screws may no longer be supported by the support points 18, due to the small amount of movement performed by the installer to position the loft door frame 10 correctly for installing the fasteners at the fastening points 17. Therefore, the screws may either need to be repositioned or alternative screws / fasteners may need to be used. In this way, an installer may easily install the loft door frame 10 unassisted (i.e. by themselves), accurately and without having to fully support the frame 10 while attempting to install fasteners at the fastening points 17. The loft door frame 10 may be made of plastic and may be manufactured by injection moulding. The loft door frame 10 may comprise support features or struts, extending between the first section 11 and the second section 16 (as shown in figure 7), to provide further structural rigidity to the loft door frame 10. In some examples, there may be ten fastening points 17 on the loft door frame 10 and two support points 18. Two of the plurality of support points 18 may be located on opposing sides of the loft door frame 10. In some examples, the support points 18 may be through holes. The through holes may be stadiumshaped, keyhole shaped, square, squircular or rectangular. Stadium-shaped may otherwise be referred to as pill-shaped or discorectangular. In particular, the through holes 18 may be vertically elongate. In other words, the through holes may in some examples be oriented vertically lengthwise. In some examples, the stadium-shaped through holes 18 may have a diameter of approximately 10mm, a radius at the curved sections of approximately 5mm and a length of the straight edges of approximately 8mm. Whereas the fastening points 17 may be 4mm in diameter, for example to accommodate a screw, nail, pin or other fastening means. The centre of the fastening points 17 may be 10mm below an upper edge of the second section 16. Squircular refers to a square or rectangle with rounded corners. In an alternative arrangement, the through holes 18 may be keyhole shaped. A rounded upper surface of the through holes may help to ensure the frame 10 is positioned correctly during installation. A rectangular through hole would also be appropriate, but may allow some lateral positioning movement, which may assist if the screw or other fastening means, inserted through the through hole 18, is not positioned currently. There may be some movement tolerance in the positioning of the screw or other fastening means. The first plane, in which the first section 11 extends, may, in use (i.e. when installed), be parallel or substantially parallel with the ceiling into which the loft door frame 10 is installed. The second section 16 may extend, in use, vertically away from the first section 11, and may for example extend upwards through a loft access aperture. The second section 16 may comprise four straight fastener support sections connected by curved continuations of the second section 16, which extend at a 90-degree angle to form a rectangular shape. In some examples, the support points 18 may be located on opposite sides of the frame 10. For example, as shown in figure 1, the through holes 18 may be positioned at either end of the frame 10. However, other arrangements are envisaged. For example, the through holes 18 may be positioned anywhere on the second section 16 of the frame 10. When installed, the second section 16 may be positioned adjacent to, and potentially abut, the beams or joists of the loft space of a building, so that screws or other fastening means may attach the loft door frame 10 to the beams or joists of the loft space. In some examples, the loft door frame 10 may be part of a loft door assembly 1 further comprising a door 20 pivotally attached to the loft door frame 10 and configured to be moveable between a closed position (as shown in figure 2), covering the loft access hole / aperture, and an open position (as shown in figure 1). The loft door assembly 1 may further include one or more locking mechanisms to hold the door in the closed position, as shown in figure 2. The door 20 may comprise, on one side, which faces into the loft space when installed, insulation material. When the door 20 is closed, the fastening points 17 may be obscured or covered by the insulation material. The door 20 may be hinged and may for example be a drop-down door. In some examples, the support points 18 may be larger than the fastening points 17. For example, the fastening points 17 may be round holes through which screws may be inserted to attach the loft door frame 10 to the beams of a loft space. The support points 18 may be through holes larger in size / diameter, such that the heads of those same screws may pass through the through holes of the support points 18. In other words, a screw (or nail, pin, etc), having a head that would abut the second section 16 when the screw is installed through the fastening points 17, would be able to pass freely through the holes of the support point 18, which is / are larger. In this way, the loft door frame 10 may be initially installed by locating the positions of the support points 18, marking the corresponding location on the beams of the loft space, i.e. where the screws would be attached if installed through the through holes 18, and inserting screws part-way into the beams at those marked locations, but without the loft door frame 10 being held in place, i.e. without the loft door frame 10 being present. The loft door frame 10 may then be manoeuvred over the screws, so as to be temporarily held in place by the screws. The shape of the support points 18 may allow the loft door frame 10 to be moved slightly while still being supported by the inserted screws. Therefore, the weight of the loft door frame 10 may be supported by the inserted screws, and the installer may then be able to make the final position adjustments to the loft door frame 10, as the support points 18 allow for some movement and, in particular, compression of any seals, so that the screws to be inserted through the fastening points 17 may be positioned accurately. For example, when supported by the support points 18 only, the loft door frame 10 may be prevented from falling in the vertical direction, but may be able to be pushed, by the installer, upwards to allow fasteners to be installed at one or more of the fastening points 17, while ensuring the positioning is correct. When supported by the support points 18 only, the loft door frame 10 may also move slightly laterally and may pivot slightly about the support points 18. As mentioned above, the support points 18 may be oriented vertically lengthwise. That is to say, they may be longer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction. This may allow the installer to manoeuvre the loft door frame 10 into position, such that each of the support points 18 is positioned over a screw partly embedded in the loft space beams. Orienting the support points 18 to be longer in the vertical direction means that the loft door frame 10 may be tilted slightly to pass over a first, already partly embedded screw and then, due to the small amount of available movement using the size and shape of the support points 18, the loft door frame 10 may be tilted back so as to pass over a second, already partly embedded screw. In this way the loft door frame 10 may hang from these screws temporarily, while the installer then positions and installs screws in each of the other fastening points 17. The second section 16 may comprise a protruding section 161, protruding further away from the first section 11 in the direction substantially perpendicularly to the first plane, adjacent a support point 18. One or more protruding sections 161 may reinforce the load-bearing capacity of the second section 16. Figure 3 shows an example of a protruding section 161 from a side view. Figure 1 shows an example of protruding sections 161 from a perspective view. The protruding section 161 may extend vertically above the support point 18 by approximately 9mm, or 8.75mm. This additional material provides suitable support for the weight of the loft door frame 10 (and loft door assembly 1 as a whole). A protruding section 161 may for example be between 52.5mm and 80mm in width and may include angled edges between the furthest protruding point of the protruding section 161 and the normal height of the second section 16. In some examples, the protruding section 161 may extend approximately 5mm further, away from the first section 11, than the other parts of the second section 161. In some examples, the distance between the upper edge of the second section 16 and the support point 18 may be smaller than the distance between the upper edge of the second section 16 and the fastening points 17. This is advantageous because the support point 18 is intended as a temporary support for use during installation, whereas the fastening points 17 are more permanent fastening points. Therefore, the strength of the material around the fastening points 17 should be greater that around the support points 18. The first section 11 of the loft door frame 10 may comprise padding 111 extending at least partly around a periphery of the second section 16. The padding 111 may have a height that is substantially the same as the height of the support points 18. In more detail, the padding 111 may be placed on or adhered to the first section 11 and may extend away from the first section 11 to a distance that is substantially the same as the height of the support points 18. This height broadly corresponds to the amount of vertical movement available to the installer when installing the loft door frame 10. In another example, the first section 11 of the loft door frame 10 may comprise padding 111 extending at least partly around a periphery of the second section 16. The padding 111 may have a height that is substantially the same as the length of a straight side of the stadium-shaped through holes 18. In specific examples, the padding height may therefore be 8mm or 10mm. The padding 111 may for example be a D-shaped foam or other suitable material, which can be squashed or compressed. The padding 111 may prevent or inhibit air from passing between the first section 11 and the ceiling / loft access aperture. The padding 111 may include a coating or outer surface that is less air-permeable to further inhibit air movement. In some examples, the padding 111 may be referred to as a seal. A D-shaped foam may have outer dimensions of for example approximately 12 mm in width, approximately 10 mm in height and the length may be determined by the length of padding 111 needed to seal around the loft access aperture, i.e. by cutting lengths of padding 111. The D-shaped padding may have a thickness of, for example 2 mm, with a central opening to enable easier compression. The support points 18 may each be approximately centred along a width of frame 10. Figure 4 shows an example of the loft door assembly 1, when viewed from below, and with the door 20 in the open position. As can be seen, the locking mechanisms may include rotating parts which, in one orientation, move to above a part of the loft door frame 10, so as to abut the loft door frame 10 and prevent opening of the door 20. In another orientation, the locking mechanism may be moved so that the door 20 and locking mechanism may pass the loft door frame 10 freely to allow the door 20 to be opened. Figure 5 shows an example of a side of the loft door frame 10, comprising multiple fastening points 17. In some examples, these fastening points 17 may be evenly distributed around the second section 16, to help distribute the weight of the loft door frame 10 over the fastening points 17. The fastening points 17 may be holes for receiving screws or other pinning / fastening means, to hold the loft door frame 10, and loft door assembly 1, in place once installed. Figure 6 shows an example of the loft door assembly 1 in the closed position with the insulation material visible. The insulation material may be shaped to not obscure the locking mechanism. Figure 7 shows a plan view of an example of the loft door assembly 1 in the closed position with the insulation material visible. Figure 8 shows an example of the loft door assembly 1 in the closed position, as seen from below when installed. In some examples, the support points 18 may be larger than any holes of the fastening points 17, such that a screw used to fasten the loft door frame 10 to the beams or joists of the loft space at the fastening points 17 may pass through the support points 18. In other words, the head of such a screw may have a diameter larger than the diameter of the fastening points 17, but smaller than the smallest diameter of the support points 18. In some examples, the support points 18 may have any other suitable shape. The fastening points 17 may be countersunk holes. In accordance with a further example, there is provided a loft door assembly 1. The loft door assembly 1 may comprise the loft door frame 10 as described above. The loft door assembly 1 may further comprise a door 20 pivotally attached to the loft door frame 10 and configured to be moveable between a closed position, covering the loft access hole, and an open position. In accordance with a further example, there is provided a loft door assembly 1, as described above, installed in a loft door aperture in a ceiling. In accordance with a further example, there is provided a house, dwelling, building or other structure having an internal ceiling including a loft door aperture, providing access to a loft space, and a loft door frame 10, as described above, installed in the loft door aperture. A loft door, as described above, may be referred to as a loft access structure or any other suitable expression. The examples described above are for explanatory purposes only and the skilled person will appreciate that changes and variations to the examples may exist while still falling within the scope of the claims. Features of any claim may be combined with features of any other claim.

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