FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns either a door or window with high energy efficiency, and also the methods to produce it and install it in a wall of a building. The door or window is the type that comprises a fixed part, or fixture, configured to be fixed to the fixed structure of the building, in correspondence with any opening whatsoever that is to be closed, and to support one or several panels, preferably rectangular in shape, in a hinged, sliding, or fixed manner. The fixture of the door or window is configured to be attached to the corresponding wall of the building already during the construction step of the latter, preferably before the wall itself is painted and/or finished with the usual coating or finishing materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the building sector, the construction of a building, including the installation of the doors or windows in the various openings of the external walls, has until now required a demanding and expensive collaboration between different companies and/or different craftsmen and/or professionals in the sector, such as designers, bricklayers, marble workers, plasterers, installers of external thermal insulation systems, manufacturers and installers of doors and windows, testers, in addition to the client, with his/her own economic, technical and aesthetic needs.

In this sector today, there is no standard for installing the different doors or windows on the external walls of the building, whether they are made of masonry, or made with other materials, such as for example wood, concrete and steel, or with composite materials, possibly combining the above materials.

In the state of the art, each door or window usually comprises a fixed part, also called a fixture, or support frame, and one or more mobile parts, such as the panels of a door or window, which are normally hinged on the fixed part, or sliding with respect thereto.

The state of the art provides that, during the construction of the external walls and before the doors and windows are installed, each opening, where a door or window is to be installed, is provided with an anchoring member, also called counter-frame, or formwork, which is usually made of wood and which is fixed immovably to the wall and on which, at a later time, the fixture of the door or window will then be fixed. Furthermore, in the state of the art, the anchoring member also functions as a reference element for laying the plaster, which is carried out before the doors and windows are installed.

Furthermore, often, to complete a door or window there are also possible roller shutters, curtains, mosquito nets, sunscreens and other.

Recently, the management of openings, or gaps, for windows, collectively also called“window holes”, has been further complicated by the objective need and by the widespread market demand for improved performance of window holes, since they are elements of thermal discontinuity of the external walls of a building. There has therefore been a search to save energy and contain noise pollution, both according to legal requirements, such as the energy certification of buildings linked to Directive 2002/91 /EC, and also as desired by clients. This requires that certain strategies must be adopted, and certain components and materials must be used, such as insulators, sheaths, sealants, as well as specific installation qualifications.

All this means that, even today, operations are performed not in the best way, but with rather complex, demanding methods, which require very long times and need a lot of qualified personnel, and unfortunately, sometimes, with not very satisfactory results.

A standard was reached, some decades ago, only in the sector of internal doors, at least in terms of sizes, which has made it possible to keep costs down and speed up the installation of such doors.

The Applicant has faced and solved in a new and original way the technical problem of providing a door or window for exteriors with high energy efficiency, which is simple to manufacture and install, and which can define a market standard.

One purpose of the present invention is therefore to provide a door or window with high energy efficiency and to perfect the methods to make it and then install it, which are simple, reliable and inexpensive, and which allow to eliminate some production and/or installation steps until now considered indispensable in the state of the art. Another purpose of the present invention is to define a door or window with high energy efficiency and the production and/or installation methods thereof, which can become a system standard, which makes the choice, purchase, delivery and installation of the door or window itself easier and more secure.

Another purpose of the present invention is to reduce the technical and commercial consultancy for choosing doors and windows which was necessary until now.

The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims. The dependent claims describe other characteristics of the present invention.

In accordance with the above purposes, a high energy efficiency door or window, configured to be attached in an opening of a wall of a building, comprises a fixed part configured to allow the articulation, or the sliding, with respect thereto, of at least one mobile element, between a position in which the opening is closed and at least one position in which the latter is open.

According to one characteristic aspect of the present invention, the fixed part of the door or window also comprises an anchoring member which is attached, at least partly, to an external part of the fixed part and is configured to be attached to one or more of the surfaces that define the opening already during the production step of the wall, before the latter is finished.

In accordance with another characteristic aspect of the present invention, the fixed part also comprises a frame consisting of a plurality of shaped elements attached together to form a frame, preferably rectangular, and configured to support the at least one mobile element in an articulated, or sliding, manner

In accordance with another characteristic aspect of the present invention, the fixed part comprises abutment elements associated with the anchoring member in correspondence with the frame so as to define a precise and defined reference for a layer of plaster or plasterboard which, when installed, conceals the fixed part from view with respect to an internal side of the door or window.

In accordance with another characteristic aspect of the present invention, the fixed part also comprises one or more insulating panels and a further lower panel, interposed between the frame and the anchoring member.

In accordance with another characteristic aspect of the present invention, the further lower panel is disposed below the frame and attached to a lower shaped element of the latter.

In accordance with another characteristic aspect of the present invention, the at least one first lower insulating panel is shaped so as to be able to accommodate a threshold.

In accordance with another characteristic aspect of the present invention, the insulating panels also comprise a second lower insulating panel disposed below the frame and is also attached to the lower shaped element of the latter.

In accordance with another characteristic aspect of the present invention, the insulating panels also comprise two lateral insulating panels each attached to a corresponding lateral shaped element of the frame.

In accordance with another characteristic aspect of the present invention, the insulating panels also comprise an upper insulating panel attached to an upper shaped element of the frame.

In accordance with another characteristic aspect of the present invention, the anchoring member comprises at least three elements, preferably made of wood, of which two lateral elements are attached to the outside of the two lateral insulating panels and a transverse element is attached to the two lateral elements and is disposed outside or inside the upper insulating panel.

In accordance with another characteristic aspect of the present invention, the upper insulating panel is sized and shaped to house one or more accessory components inside it, such as preferably a mosquito net, a shutter, a curtain, a sunscreen element or other.

In accordance with another characteristic aspect of the present invention, a method to make a high energy efficiency door or window, configured to be attached in an opening of a wall of a building and having a fixed part provided with a frame configured to allow the articulation, or the sliding, with respect thereto of at least one mobile element, between a position in which the opening is closed and at least one position in which the latter is open, comprises a first step in which the anchoring member as above is made, configured to then be attached to one or more of the surfaces that define the opening, already during the production step of the wall, before the latter is finished, with which insulating panels and a further lower panel are hermetically associated in order to form an integrated and compact parallelepiped-shaped assembly, a second step in which the frame is made, a third step in which the frame is stably associated with the anchoring member with attachment means, and a fourth step in which respective abutment elements of the fixed part are attached to the anchoring member to define a precise and defined reference for a layer of plaster or plasterboard which, when installed, conceals from view the fixed part with respect to an internal side of the door or window.

In accordance with another characteristic aspect of the present invention, a method to install the fixed part of a high energy efficiency door or window as above comprises a step of inserting in the opening the fixed part, already formed in accordance with the method to make it as above, and a step of attaching the fixed part to one or more of the surfaces that define the opening, before the wall is finished, in order to isolate the primary joint between the wall and the fixed part.

ILLUSTRATION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- fig. 1 is a schematic front view of a door or window according to the present invention, in accordance with a first embodiment, installed in an opening of a wall of a building;

- fig. 2 is a schematic vertical section according to the line II-II of fig. 1 ;

- fig. 3 is a schematic horizontal section according to the line III-III of fig. 1 ;

- fig. 4 is a schematic vertical and partial section, similar to that of fig. 2, of a variant of the door or window of fig. 1;

- fig. 5 is a schematic vertical section of a door or window according to the present invention, in accordance with a second embodiment;

- fig. 6 is a schematic horizontal section of the door or window of fig. 5;

- fig. 7 is a schematic vertical section of a door or window according to the present invention, in accordance with a third embodiment; - fig. 8 is a schematic horizontal section of the door or window of fig. 7;

- fig. 9 is a schematic vertical section of a door or window according to the present invention, in accordance with a fourth embodiment;

- fig. 10 is a schematic horizontal section of the door or window of fig. 9;

- fig. 11 is a schematic vertical section of a door or window according to the present invention, in accordance with a fifth embodiment;

- fig. 12 is a schematic horizontal section of the door or window of fig. 11 ;

- fig. 13 is a schematic vertical section of a door or window according to the present invention, in accordance with a sixth embodiment;

- fig. 14 is a schematic horizontal section of the door or window of fig. 13;

- fig. 15 is a schematic vertical section of a door or window according to the present invention, in accordance with a seventh embodiment;

- fig. 16 is a schematic horizontal section of the door or window of fig. 15;

- fig. 17 is a schematic vertical section of a door or window according to the present invention, in accordance with an eighth embodiment;

- fig. 18 is a schematic horizontal section of the door or window of fig. 17;

- fig. 19 is a schematic vertical section of a door or window according to the present invention, in accordance with a ninth embodiment;

- fig. 20 is a schematic horizontal section of the door or window of fig. 19.

We must clarify that in the present description and in the claims the terms vertical, horizontal, lateral, transverse, upper and lower, with their declinations, have the sole function of better illustrating the present invention with reference to the drawings and must not be in any way used to limit the scope of the invention itself, or the field of protection defined by the claims. For example, by the term horizontal we mean a plane that can be either parallel to the line of the horizon, or inclined, even by several degrees, for example up to 30°, with respect to the latter.

We must also clarify that the drawings are not to scale and that they have been provided for the sole purpose of describing the present invention to a person of skill in the art.

Furthermore, in the different embodiments described below, the same reference numbers have been used to identify objects, elements, members, components or parts that are substantially identical, or similar, to each other, or which fulfill the same function.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, a high energy efficiency door or window 10 (fig. 1) is shown installed on an opening 11 of a wall 12 of a building 13, for example to define a rectangular shaped window.

In the example given here, the wall 12 (fig. 2) comprises a wall structure 14 which on the external side, that is, on the left in fig. 2, is provided with cladding 15 which acts as thermo-acoustic insulation. On the external surface of the cladding 15, when the building 13 is finished, there is, for example, a layer 16 of cement trimming. On the internal surface of the wall structure 14, that is, on the right in fig. 2, when the building 13 is finished, there is, for example, a layer 17 of plaster or plasterboard. The overall thickness SO of the wall 12 is, for example, 400 mm.

The door or window 10 (figs. 2 and 3) comprises a fixed part 18, or fixture, and a mobile part 19, which is articulated, by means of hinges of a known type and not shown in the drawings, or sliding, with respect to the fixed part 18.

The mobile part 19 can consist, for example, of one or more panels of a window, or of a door, which can be of any material whatsoever and which can also be easily changed and replaced at will.

The fixed part 18 comprises a frame 20 formed by four shaped elements 21, 22, 23 and 24 (fig. 1), respectively lower, left lateral, upper and right lateral, for example made with metal section bars, which are attached to each other, for example welded, to form a rectangular frame.

Advantageously, the fixed part 18 also comprises an anchoring member 25, also called counter-frame, or formwork, formed by at least three elements, that is, one left lateral 26, one transverse 27 and one right lateral 28, which, in the present embodiment, are disposed so as to assume the shape of an inverted U, with the transverse element 27 acting as a connection element between the two lateral elements 26 and 28. The anchoring member 25 is attached on the outside of three of the four shaped elements of the frame 20, that is, the left lateral 22, and respectively upper 23 and right lateral 24.

Furthermore, the anchoring member 25 is configured to be attached, at least by means of the two lateral elements 26 and 28, directly to the wall structure 14 (figs. 2 and 3) and is made, for example, with multilayer wood panels with a thickness SI of about 18 to 20 mm.

The external sizes of the anchoring member 25 are substantially the same as the internal sizes of the opening 11.

On the lower part of the lower shaped element 21 of the frame 20 there are attached both a first lower insulating panel 29 (fig. 2), made for example in high density polystyrene, shaped so as to accommodate a threshold 30, for example mad of stone or metal, and configured to come into contact with the wall structure 14 and the cladding 15, and also a further lower panel 31, for example made of multilayer wood and configured to come into contact with the wall structure 14 in the proximity of the internal surface of the wall 12. In particular, the further panel 31 can have a structural function which helps to stiffen the anchoring member 25.

On each of the lateral shaped elements 22 and 24 of the frame 20 there is associated a lateral insulating panel 32, 33 respectively (fig. 3), also made, for example, in high density polystyrene and each having one part in contact with the corresponding lateral shaped element 22, 24 and one part in contact with the cladding 15.

In correspondence with the upper shaped element 23 of the frame 20 there is attached an upper insulating panel 34 (fig. 2), also made, for example, in high density polystyrene, and having one part in contact with the corresponding upper shaped element 23 and one part in contact with the cladding 15.

The fixed part 18 also comprises abutment elements 53 associated with the anchoring member 25 in correspondence with the frame 20 so as to define a precise and defined reference for the layer of plaster or plasterboard 17 which, when installed, hides the fixed part 18 from view.

The abutment elements 53 are positioned on the internal side of the door or window 10 (on the right in fig. 2) and can be defined by shaped elements made of metallic material, for example aluminum, or other material.

In particular, the abutment elements 53 are associated, for example by mechanical attachment means of a known type, with at least the elements 26, 27, 28 of the anchoring member 25, thus defining the references for laying the layer of plaster or plasterboard 17 on at least 3 sides of the door or window 10. The abutment elements 53 are positioned parallel with respect to the longitudinal extension of the respective elements 27, 27, 28 with which they are associated. In the event the door or window 10 is a window, the abutment elements 53 can be installed on all four sides of said door or window 10.

According to possible embodiments, the abutment elements 53 can have a length that is equal to, or slightly shorter than, that of the respective elements 26, 27, 28 with which they are associated.

In accordance with some embodiments, each abutment element 53 can have a longitudinal extension with a plan profile with an angled shape, for example L- shaped, to define the abutment end for the layer of plaster or plasterboard 17.

In the example of figs. 2 and 3, the mobile part 19 consists of a panel for a window, while in the variant of fig. 4 the mobile part 19 consists of a door, whereby the frame 20, in both cases, is shaped accordingly, that is, lower in the case of the door.

In the example provided here, the height HI of the first lower insulating panel 29 is about 100 mm, while the height H2 of the assembly of the upper insulating panel 34 and of the transverse element 27 is about 90mm. The width LI of the assembly of each lateral insulating panel 32, 33 and the corresponding lateral element 26, 28 is also about 90 mm.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a door or window 110 according to the present invention in accordance with a second embodiment, which is similar to the door or window 10, but in which a frame 120, similar to the frame 20, is shaped to accommodate particular hinges 35 for an armored door 36.

Figs. 7 and 8 show a door or window 210 according to the present invention in accordance with a third embodiment, which is similar to the door or window 10, but in which an upper insulating panel 234, which is similar to the upper insulating panel 34 and has the same height, comprises a horizontal cavity 37, adjacent to the upper shaped element 23 of the frame 20, in which a mosquito net 38 of a known type is housed, rolled up.

Figs. 9 and 10 show a door or window 310 according to the present invention in accordance with a fourth embodiment, which is similar to the door or window 10, but in which an upper insulating panel 334 is much higher than the upper insulating panel 34; for example, the height H3 of the assembly of the upper insulating panel 334 and of the transverse element 27 is about 300 mm. Furthermore, in the upper insulating panel 334 there is a horizontal cavity 39, substantially centered, in which a shutter 40 wound on a roller 41 of a known type is housed. In addition, on the two lateral insulating panels 32 and 33, vertical grooves 42 and 43 respectively are made, which are configured to act as a guide for the shutter 40. In this fourth embodiment, the anchoring member 25 substantially has the shape of an H, since the transverse element 27, which connects the two lateral elements 26 and 28 to each other, is disposed in the upper insulating panel 334, immediately above the upper shaped element 23 of the frame 20.

Figs. 11 and 12 show a door or window 410 according to the present invention in accordance with a fifth embodiment, which is similar to the door or window 310, but in which an upper insulating panel 434, similar to the upper insulating panel 334 and having the same height H3, provided with a horizontal cavity 44, wider than the horizontal cavity 39 and in which both the mosquito net 38 and also the shutter 40 are housed. Also, in this fifth embodiment the anchoring member 25 substantially has the shape of an H, since the transverse element 27, which connects the two lateral elements 26 and 28 to each other, is disposed in the upper insulating panel 434, immediately above the upper shaped element 23 of the frame 20.

Figs. 13 and 14 show a door or window 510 according to the present invention in accordance with a sixth embodiment, which is similar to the door or window 310, but in which an upper insulating panel 534, similar to the upper insulating panel 334, but having a height H4 of the assembly of the upper insulating panel 534 and of the transverse element 27 of about 180 mm, is provided with a horizontal cavity 45, disposed near the external surface of the wall 12 (on the left in fig. 13), in which a curtain 46 of a known type is housed, rolled up. In addition, on the two lateral insulating panels 32 and 33, vertical grooves 47 and 48 respectively are made, configured to act as a guide for the curtain 46. Also, in this sixth embodiment, the anchoring member 25 substantially has the shape of an H, since the transverse element 27, which connects the two lateral elements 26 and 28 to each other, is disposed in the upper insulating panel 534, immediately above the upper shaped element 23 of the frame 20. Figs. 15 and 16 show a door or window 610 according to the present invention in accordance with a seventh embodiment, which is similar to the door or window 510, but in which an upper insulating panel 634, similar to the upper insulating panel 534 and having the same height, is provided with both a first horizontal cavity 637, similar to the horizontal cavity 37 and in which the mosquito net 38 is housed, and also with a second horizontal cavity 645, similar to the horizontal cavity 45 and in which the curtain 46 is housed. Also, in this seventh embodiment, the anchoring member 25 substantially has the shape of an H, since the transverse element 27, which connects the two lateral elements 26 and 28 to each other, is disposed in the upper insulating panel 634, immediately above the upper shaped element 23 of the frame 20.

According to one variant of the seventh embodiment as above, not shown in the drawings, but easily understood by a person of skill in the art, the two horizontal cavities 637 and 645 could also be disposed in different positions in the upper insulating panel 634, for example with the horizontal cavity 645 adjacent to the horizontal cavity 637.

Figs. 17 and 18 show a door or window 710 according to the present invention in accordance with an eighth embodiment, which is similar to the door or window 510, but in which an upper insulating panel 734, similar to the upper insulating panel 534, is higher than the latter. In fact, a height H5 of the assembly of the upper insulating panel 734 and of the transverse element 27 is about 380 mm. The upper insulating panel 734 is provided with a very high horizontal cavity 49 disposed near the external surface of the wall 12 (on the left in fig. 17), in which a sunscreen louver blind 50 of a known type is housed. In addition, on the two lateral insulating panels 32 and 33, vertical grooves 51 and 52 respectively are made, configured to act as a guide for the sunscreen louver blind 50. Also, in this eighth embodiment, the anchoring member 25 has substantially the shape of an H, since the transverse element 27, which connects the two lateral elements 26 and 28 to each other, is disposed in the upper insulating panel 734, immediately above the upper shaped element 23 of the frame 20.

Figs. 19 and 20 show a door or window 810 according to the present invention in accordance with a ninth embodiment, which is similar to the door or window 710, but in which an upper insulating panel 834, similar to the upper insulating panel 734 and having the same height, is provided with both a first horizontal cavity 837, similar to the horizontal cavity 37 and in which the mosquito net 38 is housed, and also with a second horizontal cavity 849, similar to the horizontal cavity 49 and in which the sunscreen louver blind 50 is housed. Also, in this ninth embodiment, on the two lateral insulating panels 32 and 33, vertical grooves 51 and 52 respectively are made, configured to act as a guide for the sunscreen louver blind 50. Also, in this ninth embodiment, the anchoring member 25 has substantially the shape of an H, since the transverse element 27, which connects the two lateral elements 26 and 28 to each other, is disposed in the upper insulating panel 834, immediately above the upper shaped element 23 of the frame 20.

According to one variant of the ninth embodiment as above, not shown in the drawings, but easily understood by a person of skill in the art, the two horizontal cavities 837 and 849 could also be disposed in different positions in the upper insulating panel 834, for example with the horizontal cavity 849 adjacent to the horizontal cavity 837.

The method to make the door or window 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810, and in particular its fixed part 18, comprises a first step in which the anchoring member 25 is made, which is configured to then be attached to one or more of the surfaces that define the opening 11 , already during the production step of the wall 12, before the latter is finished, making integral at least the elements 26, 27, 28 and the further lower panel 31 with which the insulating panels 29, 32, 33, 34 are hermetically associated in order to form an integrated and compact parallelepiped-shaped assembly, a second step in which the frame 20 is made, making integral the shaped elements 21, 22, 23 and 24, a third step in which the frame 20 is stably associated with the anchoring member 25 with mechanical and insulating attachment means, and a fourth step in which respective abutment elements 53 are attached to the anchoring member 25 to define a precise and defined reference for the layer of plaster or plasterboard 17 and to hide the fixed part 18 from view.

The completion of the door or window, with the addition of the mobile part 19, will take place after the fixed part 18 has been installed in the opening 11 of the wall 12 of the building 13, and the possible finishing of the latter with the laying of the layers 16 and 17.

The method to install the fixed part 18 of the door or window 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810 in the opening 11 is very simple and takes place when the wall 12 has not yet been finished, that is, when it is still in its unfinished state. In fact, it provides a simple step of inserting the already formed fixed part 18 into the opening 11 and attaching it with suitable sealing means to isolate the so-called primary joint.

Advantages

Each of the doors or windows 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810 described so far offers at least the following advantages:

- The standard width, or base, of the door or window 10 has a pitch of 100 mm and its standard height has a pitch of 50 mm, although intermediate sizes will be possible, for example every 10 mm. The choice of the sizes of the door or window according to the present invention will preferably be made on the basis of a technical-commercial catalog which will clearly show, for each measurement, all the possible combinations of the components, the materials, with the relative technical characteristics, including those regarding the thermo acoustic insulation, and possibly the corresponding prices. This would be a commercial innovation because it would allow the designer and the client to immediately evaluate, on their own, the different possible combinations of components, technical features and cost. From a purely technical point of view, the innovation consists in equipping a prefabricated thermo-frame, of any type whatsoever known in the prior art, with a standardized fixture frame that will be half hidden once installed, which will then allow to add, even at a time following the installation of the frame, the mobile parts of the door or window, such as panels or doors, and the wall finishes.

- The prefabricated insulating formwork, with high insulating and energy saving performance, and with standardized sizes, with possible DWG and BIM nodes made available, allows the designer a precise masonry setting and the absolute certainty of the resolution of the thermal and acoustic bridges.

- The ease of evaluation also makes it possible for the customer to purchase the door or window in specialized retail outlets, in building materials stores and also on the internet, therefore the advice of highly specialized personnel will no longer be necessary.

- The pre-assembled and substantially hidden frame will allow a rapid delivery to the building site so that construction work can continue without any interruption.

- The preparation of the openings, or holes, or passage gaps, in the masonry walls or other, having already been well defined in the design phase and simplified, will allow the builder to install the fixture very easily.

- The builder, since the pre-assembled frame is already provided with the insulation components, the corresponding sheaths, and the corresponding sealants, correctly assembled in the so-called secondary joint, will only have to take care of the so-called primary wall-formwork joint, which is much less demanding, as is normally the case, since this is part of his tasks.

- The frame, with it standardized profile, is already provided with the fixed parts of the hinges and the closing abutment elements, or strikers, so it allows to easily couple only the panels, or doors, of the door or window, even after the fixed part has been installed. Furthermore, the frame, since it is half hidden, eliminates the need to use the casings in the joints between the door or window and the wall, so the need for a specialized installer is marginal.

- Once the fixed part of the door or window according to the present invention has been installed, its aesthetic impact will be minimal; in fact, only the mobile parts will be visible, such as the panels of the windows and the doors, inserted in the respective openings on the walls of the building, with a clean and tidy aesthetic.

It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts and/or steps may be made to the door or window 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810 and to the methods as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of doors or windows, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.