Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – Plural strip – slat – or panel type – With mounting or supporting means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-31
2001-07-10
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
Plural strip, slat, or panel type
With mounting or supporting means
C160S201000, C049S197000, C074S089180, C074S422000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257303
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to improvements in and/or relating to a rack and pinion drive assembly.
The invention also consists in related means and methods.
In the automatic door business, doors are normally of three types—curtain, panel or sectioned.
A curtain door is normally pulled from a roll and normally consists of a pliable structure or an articulated structure usually provided with some measure of guidance on the edges thereof.
A panel door, by contrast, is normally supported so as to be capable of being swung up and over an entrance way or otherwise hinged relative to an entrance way.
A sectioned door normally comprises a plurality of parallel hinged panels, each of which is substantially centrally pivoted along a pivot axis parallel to the hinge axes and the pivoting axle structures are preferably guided so that the section door can follow roughly to the locus of the guides.
The present invention provides an alternative mechanism useful in the provision of curtain or section doors such as for example panneled or sectional doors irrespective of whether or not they are to be vertically moveable, horizontally moveable or otherwise.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide means and/or methods which go some way to meet the abovementioned desiderata or which will at least provide the public with an alternative drive assembly.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
In a first aspect the present invention consists in a door assembly of a kind having a door (preferably a sectioned type door but not necessarily so) tracking on either side of the door in a fixed track to allow reproducible opening and closing thereof, the assembly being characterised in that a rack is tracked to move on a fixed locus and is connected (directly or indirectly) to the door such that movement of such rack on its tracked locus will cause the opening or closing of the door, the rack being engaged by or being engageable by a meshing door opening and/or closing gear, pinion or sprocket (hereafter “pinion”) of or from a door opener whereby the door is thus capable of being opened upon the door opener controlled rotation of said pinion in one direction and of being closed upon the door opener controlled rotation of such pinion in the other direction.
In some forms the term “rack” may include a chain and the term “pinion” a sprocket.
Preferably said rack is sufficiently flexible or deformable so as axially to follow a curved track whilst being driven/pulled/pushed by said pinion.
Preferably said deformable rack follows a locus appropriate for a sectioned door (preferably a similar locus to that of the tracks of the door).
Preferably said door is a sectioned type door.
Preferably said locus includes a curve and preferably said pinion providing the drive is at said curve.
Preferably said pinion is on the convex side of a curve.
Preferably said rack can be driven in compression to take the door with it or can be moved in tension to take the door with it.
Preferably a lower region only of the door is fixed to said rack.
Preferably said rack is of a form hereinafter defined and/or described.
Preferably said door is counterbalanced by a pulley and weight system or use of a torsion or spring arrangement linked to the door.
Preferably any such counterbalancing arrangement is preferably attached to the bottom section where the door is a sectioned door and preferably also there is provided one rack only on one edge and that rack is attached to said door at said lower section.
Preferably the door is a sectioned door and there is a channel track for wheels, rollers or the like of the sectioned door disposed on each side of the door (the rollers, wheels or the like extending outwardly from the edge of the door defined by the plurality of the panels) and preferably at least one of said tracks has [substantially corresponding to the locus of the tracking wheels, rollers or the like] a track (preferably a channel) for a flexible or deformable rack in accordance with the present invention.
While in some forms of the present invention a non-flexible or deformable rack can be utilised if there is sufficient head room for the rack to continue upwardly over the door portal, such a form of the invention is much less preferred than one that does not require such head room, ie. utilises a flexible and/or deformable rack which can always be accommodated since it can be associated with the locus of the track required for the door in any event.
In a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of opening/closing a curtain, panel or sectioned door (preferably sectioned) which comprises engaging the door at an edge with a rack capable of being driven by a pinion in at least one of two directions (preferably both directions), and subsequently using the pinion to open or close the door.
Preferably said method is performed using apparatus previously defined and/or using a rack providing element as hereinafter defined.
In still other forms the present invention consists in a method when performed substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.
In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a rack, said rack comprising
a flexible elongate member capable of taking some loads in tension, and
moulded teeth forms on said elongate member which define the teeth of the rack, said rack being deformable in at least one plane.
Preferably said at least one plane is one that allows the teeth to be configured on the outside of a convex curve.
Preferably said elongate member is in the form of a strap.
Preferably said strap includes profile or edging modifications or both (eg. perforations, kinks, ridges or the like) which assists in the association of the teeth forms thereto.
Preferably said teeth forms are formed from a plastics material.
Preferably said teeth forms are moulded singly or as groups on said elongate member.
Preferably said elongate member is of a steel and there are preferably ridges or the like formed transversely thereof.
Preferably the moulding procedure is substantially as hereinafter described whether with or without reference to any of the particular drawings.
In another aspect the invention consists in, in combination, as a kit for driving a tracked door,
a rack,
a door opener having a pinion adapted to mesh with said rack, and
tracking for the rack to provide a locus of movement longitudinally of the rack whilst driven either way by the pinion, the rack throughout any such tracked movement being adapted for direct or indirect engagement to a said tracked door.
In still a further aspect the present invention consists, in combination, a deformable rack in accordance with the present invention and a door opener having a pinion adapted to engage said rack.
Preferably said combination in addition includes a track for said rack.
Preferably said track for the rack is associated with a track to receive the wheels, rollers or the like of a sectioned door.
In a first aspect the present invention consists in a door assembly of a kind having a door (preferably a sectioned type door but not necessarily so) tracking on either side of the door in a fixed track to allow reproducible opening and closing thereof,
wherein a rack is tracked to move on a fixed locus and is connected (directly or indirectly) to the door such that movement of such rack on its tracked locus will cause the opening or closing of the door, the rack being engaged by or being engageable by a meshing door opening and/or closing gear, pinion or sprocket (hereafter “pinion”) of or from a door opener whereby the door is thus capable of being opened upon the door opener controlled rotation of said pinion in one direction,
and wherein in transverse section (at least when projected longitudinally) said rack is bifurcated and the tracked locus is defined by a flange, rail, wall or the like (hereafter “wall”) of the fixed track (preferably within which the tracking elements of the door move (eg; wheels, glides or the like, preferably wheels)), the rack being partly outsid
Coubray Allan Keith
Coubray Bruce Arthur
Cohen Curtis A.
Howick Engineering Limited
Jacobson Price Holman & Stern PLLC
Stodola Daniel P.
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