FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to doors general¬ ly and more particularly to high security doors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A great variety of doors are known. High secu¬ rity doors are also known. Applicant/assignee has de¬ veloped and currently markets a decorative high security door under the trademark PLADSLET.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to provide an improved high security door which combines high security features with quality design.

There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment o the present invention a door including a reinforced s^eel body defining a recess for a decorative panel and a modular decorative panel removably insertable into the recess for selectably decorating the door.

There is also provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a door comprising a main body portion, an extendible body por¬ tion which may be selectably mounted onto the main body portion so as to define therewith a door body of desired length and at least one door facing panel which is at¬ tached to the door body and covers the entire length thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed de¬ scription, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Figs. 1A and IB are pictorial illustrations of respective outer and inner faces of a door constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 2A and 2B are pictorial illustrations of the door of Figs. 1A and IB respectively separated from and located in a corresponding door frame;

Figs. 3A and 3B are sectional illustrations taken along lines A - A and B - B in Fig. 2B;

Figs. 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D are illustrations of the construction of a door body in respective fully disassembled, partially assembled, attached and finished stages;

Fig. 5 is a simplified mechanical illustration of a locking mechanism employed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a simplified exploded view illustra¬ tion of metal elements employed in the door of Figs. 1A - 5; and

Figs. 7A and 7B are illustrations of part of a door frame constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention in respec¬ tive exploded and assembled views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference is now made to Figs. 1A - 7B, which illustrate a door and door frame assembly constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention there is provided a door including a reinforced steel body defining a recess for a decorative panel and a modular decorative panel removably insertable into the recess for selectably decorating the door. The door is preferably formed of two plates joined in any suitable manner having disposed therebetween any suitable filing material, such as fiberglass or plastic foam. A particular non-limiting example of such a door is shown in Fig. 6.

As seen particularly in Fig. 6, the door com¬ prises a door body 10 comprising a front body plate 12, which is preferably stamped of sheet metal of thickness 1 2 mm to define a central recess opening 14 as well as peripheral edges including top and bottom edges 16 and side edges 18. The stamping also preferably provides lock mechanism mounting openings 20 on both sides thereof, so that the same body plate 12 and door body 10 can be used for both right and left side mountings.

A rear door body plate 22 is preferably stamped of sheet metal of thickness 1 - 2 mm to define lock mechanism mounting openings 24 on both sides thereof, corresponding to openings 20 on front body plate 12.

Disposed intermediate front and rear door body plates 12 and 22 are a plurality of generally horizontal¬ ly disposed transverse reinforcing and spacer elements 30 which are distributed along the length of the door. Each of elements 30 is preferably formed as a three-dimension¬ al stamping and is provided with a recess 32 for accommo¬ dating a recess back plate 34. Plate 34 is preferably

formed with vertically extending edge portions 36 which extend generally perpendicularly to the main plane of plate 34. Peripheral molding elements 38 are preferably provided for surrounding the recess 14.

Referring particularly to Fig. 5, it is seen that a multi-bolt locking mechanism 40 is preferably mounted in the door and preferably includes a handle and/or key operated lock mechanism 41 that simultaneously displaces linkages 42 and 44, causing a plurality of bolts 46 to be selectably retracted or extended into locking engagement with a door frame 50. The multi-bolt locking mechanism is known and commercially available form Mul-T-Lock Ltd. of Yavne, Israel.

Referring particularly to Figs 1A - 2B, it is seen that a selectable decorative panel 60 may be modu- larly located in recess 14 in the volume bounded by plate 34 (Fig. 6) and molding elements 38 (Fig. 6). Panel 60 may be of any desired suitable configuration or material and be readily removed or replaced without adversely affecting the strength or integrity of the door. Prefera¬ bly a viewing device 62 of conventional construction may be incorporated in panel 60.

Referring now particularly in addition to Figs. 3A, 3B, 7A and 7B, it is seen that the door frame is preferably formed of side panels 70 and a top panel 72 having an identical cross-sectional configuration. As seen in Figs. 7A and 7B, the panels may be joined togeth¬ er by means of tabs and sockets, in the illustrated embodiment, the upper ends of the side panels 70 being formed with tabs 74 which are inserted into corresponding sockets 76 on the outer ends of the top panel 72.

The cross sectional configuration of both side and top panels 70 and 72 preferably constitutes an inner directed portion 80 extending perpendicular to an outer facing wall surface 82 integrally formed with an interme¬ diate portion 84 which lies parallel and preferably flush

with facing wall surface 82. The intermediate portion 84 is integrally formed with an outer front doorway defining surface 86 which extends generally perpendicular to portion 80 and which is integrally connected with an inwardly inclined doorway defining surface 88. Surface 88 is integrally connected to an inner front doorway defin¬ ing surface 90 which extends generally parallel to por¬ tion 86.

Extending outwardly from surface 90 and gener¬ ally parallel to surface 84 is a door jam defining sur¬ face 92, against which the door is closed, as seen in Fig. 3A. Surface 92 is integrally coupled to a door surrounding surface 94, which extends generally parallel to surfaces 80, 86 and 90. Surface 94 is formed with a plurality of bolt accommodating apertures 96 (Figs. 7A and 7B) . Surface 94 is integrally coupled to an interme¬ diate surface 98 which lies parallel to and preferably flush with an interior facing wall surface 99 and which terminates in an outer directed portion 100 extending perpendicular to inner facing wall surface 99.

Additional details of the construction of the door will now be described with particular reference to Fig. 3A. It is noted that side edges 18 of plate 12 terminate in inwardly facing side edge portions 120 onto which plate 22 is attached, as by welding. A selectable decorative panel 122 is formed over the rear facing surface of plate 22 and is surrounded by a peripheral molding 124, which may be of selectable configuration and color. Preferably, peripheral molding 124 surrounds the entire edge of the door from three sides, i.e. top and both sides and includes an overhanging lip portion 126 which extends beyond edges 16 and 18 and over part of door frame portion 98.

Preferably, overhanging lip portion 126 is formed with a plurality of recesses 128 for accommodating magnets 130 in a flexible housing for magnetic attraction

to and engagement with portion 98, which is preferably formed of steel. As seen particularly in Fig. 3A, a part 132 of peripheral molding 124 is preferably removable to enable access to hinge mechanisms 140 for adjustment thereof, as will be described hereinbelow.

Peripheral molding 124 also preferably includes an edge portion 134 lying along top and side edges 16 and 18 respectively with which is preferably associated a reinforcing insert 136, preferably formed of steel. Both edge portion 134 and insert 136 are apertured as appro¬ priate to accommodate bolts 46. Inserts 136 are prefera¬ bly attached to edges 16 and 18 by means of screws 138.

Edge portion 134 terminates in a front portion 142 which defines the surface which engages door frame surface 92 when the door is closed. Front portion 142 terminates in a lip portion 144 which overlies the edge of a decorative panel 146 which is formed over plate 12.

Reference is now made particularly to Figs. 3B and 4A - 4D, which illustrate the construction of the bottom of the door. In practice, it is very important that the length of the door be readily adjustable by an installer at the time of installation. Accordingly, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bottom of the door body 10 is formed at the factory with a bottom mounting element 150, fixedly attached to one, but preferably not both of plates 12 and 22. Here, element 150 is shown welded to plate 22 at an attachment surface 152 and being of generally U-shaped configuration aside from attachment surface 152. It is seen that element 150 includes a bottom surface 154 and two upstanding side surfaces 156 and 158 spaced from and adjacent to respective plates 12 and 22.

A bottom door edge defining assembly 160 is selectably mounted onto bottom mounting element 150 and preferably comprises first and second stamped plates 162 and 164 welded together to define a doubled walled panel

having an upper inner channel portion 166 which can fit over mounting element 150 at a selectable position there¬ on and a lower inner channel portion 168 which is con¬ figured to accommodate therewithin a floor sealing assem¬ bly 170.

As seen in Fig. 4B, the plates 162 and 164 of edge defining assembly 160 are fixed on site to corre¬ sponding side surfaces 156 and 158 of element 150 by rivets 172 or any other suitable attachment medium. Panels 146 and 122 are initially provided having a maxi¬ mum length and are cut down as appropriate and adhered, as by adhesive, to bottom edge portions 174 and 176 of respective plates 162 and 164, as seen in Fig. 4C.

Finally, as seen in Fig. 4D, floor sealing assembly 170 is attached, as by rivets 178 to bottom portions 180 and 182 of assembly 160. Assembly 170 in¬ cludes an elongate, downwardly extending, seal 184, typically formed of rubber, which sealingly engages the floor surface when the door is closed.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been described herein but rather the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims which follow: