Balanced door closing apparatus

Details Balanced door closing apparatus Balanced door closing apparatus

1999-06-21

2001-01-30

Redman, Jerry (Department: 3634)

Movable or removable closures

Mounted for multidirectional or oblique movement

One direction imparts gravitational bias to swinging...

Reexamination Certificate

active

06178698

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to door closers, and, more particularly, to an improved door closing apparatus for a balanced door.
BACKGROUND ART
A balanced door is generally considered to be a door in which the axis of rotation is relatively close to the center of its area. Hence, the door may be operated with less effort then a conventional door, which is hinged at one side. The present invention relates generally to an improved balanced door closing apparatus. However, the inventive improvement is not limited to this one particular end use.
In generally, a door has a header, a pair of transversely-spaced jambs, and a base. These elements define the door opening. The door is operatively arranged within this opening. As indicated above, a balanced door is hinged or pivoted about an intermediate portion of its width, as opposed to being hinged at one end.
Various details of prior art balanced doors and door closing apparatuses are shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,309,676, 3,605,339 and 4,286,411.
Accordingly, it would generally desirable to provide an improved door closer apparatus that is compact, may readily be reversed for either a left-handed door or a right-handed door, and which may be readily mounted on the header.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
With parenthetical reference to the corresponding parts, portions or surfaces of the disclosed embodiment, merely for purposes of illustration and not by way of limitation, the present invention broadly provides an improved door closing apparatus (
20
) that is adapted for use with a door frame (
21
) that includes an elongated header (
22
), a base (
23
) and a pair of side jambs (
24
,
25
) arranged to define a door opening, and within a door (
26
) is adapted to be mounted on the frame for pivotal movement about an axis (y—y). The improved apparatus broadly includes: a base (
29
) adapted to be mounted on the header; a closure mechanism (
30
) mounted on the base and having a first shaft (
31
) oriented perpendicularly with respect to the header axis of elongation, the closure mechanism being operatively arranged to selectively urge the first shaft to rotate relative to the closure mechanism; a second shaft (
33
) mounted on the base for pivotal movement relative thereto, the second shaft being substantially aligned with the pivotal axis of the door; a first arm (
34
) mounted on the first shaft for rotation therewith; a second arm (
35
) mounted on the second shaft for rotation therewith; and a link (
36
) pivotally connected to the first and second arms at respective locations eccentric to the axes of the first and second shafts; whereby a force transmitted by said closing mechanism may be transmitted through said first shaft, first arm, link, second arm and second shaft to urge the door to pivot in one direction about its axis. The improved may further include adjustment means (
38
) for adjusting the length of the link. This adjustment means may include at least one threaded connection. In the preferred embodiment, the first axis is substantially horizontal, and the second axis is substantially vertical, when the improved or closer apparatus is mounted on the door frame.
Accordingly, the general object of the invention is to provide an improved door closing apparatus.
Another object is to provide an improved door closing apparatus which is relatively compact, and which may be readily reversed to accommodate either a left-hand or right-hand door.
Still another object is to provide an improved door closing apparatus that may be readily mounted on the header of a door frame.
These and other objects and advantages will be, apparent from the foregoing and ongoing written specification, the drawings, and the appended claims.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1015676 (1912-01-01), Graham
patent: 1235381 (1917-07-01), Respini
patent: 3510986 (1970-05-01), Berkowitz
patent: 3605339 (1971-09-01), Catlett et al.
patent: 4286411 (1981-09-01), Wikkerink et al.
patent: 5309676 (1994-05-01), Appelmann et al.
patent: 5606773 (1997-03-01), Shappell
patent: 5829508 (1998-11-01), DeBower et al.

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