Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – Plural strip – slat – or panel type – With mounting or supporting means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-18
2001-07-10
Purol, David M. (Department: 3634)
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
Plural strip, slat, or panel type
With mounting or supporting means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257304
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bi-fold door assemblies are known. Basically, a bi-fold door assembly includes first and second door panels. Upper and lower pivot structures are provided at one side of the first door panel which serve to mount the first door panel within a door opening adjacent one side thereof for pivotal movement about a vertical pivotal axis. Upper and lower hinge structures are provided between an opposite side of the first door panel and an adjacent side of the second door panel which serve to hingedly connect the first and second door panels together for relative movement about a vertical hinge axis between a closed position wherein the first and second door panels are disposed generally aligned with one another within the door opening and an opened position wherein the first and second door panels are disposed generally in side-by-side relation to one another adjacent the one side of the door opening. Usually, upper and lower horizontally extending track structures are installed in the door opening and upper and lower guiding structures are provided at an opposite side of the second door panel which serve to guide the opposite side of the second door panel along the horizontally extending track structures. The guiding structures also allow the second door panel to pivot about a moving vertical axis which is movable horizontally as the opposite side of the second door panel moves along the track structures.
There is always a need to provide a bi-fold door assembly which is more cost effective and/or has new operational features.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to fulfill the need expressed above. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, this objective is obtained by providing a door assembly including first and second door panels having upper and lower pivot structures, upper and lower hinge structures and upper and lower guiding structures of the type described wherein each hinge structure includes an overcenter spring-biased hinge assembly comprising first and second hinge members including first and second mounting portions fixedly connected with the first and second door panels respectively, interengaging axially aligned hinge portions which serve to receive a hinge pin therethrough establishing the vertical hinge axis and a spring which serves to provide oppositely directed spring forces. The spring is provided with respect to the first and second hinge members so that the oppositely directed spring forces provided by the spring are applied to the first and second hinge members to bias the first and second door panels into the closed position when the door panels are near the closed position and to bias the first and second door panels into the opened position when the door panels are near the opened position. Each spring includes a length of spring wire configured to provide a loop section with end portions extending tangentially therefrom in generally the same direction so that the free ends of the end portions are biased in opposite directions toward one another. The free ends of said spring end portion are bent into L-shaped configurations and connected with the mounting portions. Each mounting portion of the first and second hinge members includes integral resiliently cantilevered, snap-connecting elements constructed and arranged to receive a corresponding spring free end with a snap fit herein.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the aforestated objective is obtained by providing a door assembly including first and second door panels having upper and lower pivot structures, upper and lower hinge structures and upper and lower guiding structures of the type described wherein each guiding structure includes a molded plastic member including a fixed mounting portion which serves to fixedly mounted on the opposite side of the second door panel, a pivoted portion and an elongated thin narrow wall integrally interconnecting the pivoted portion with respect to the fixed portion and establishing the movable vertical axis. Each guiding structure includes track engaging structure slidably engaged with the associated track structure for horizontal sliding movement along the track structure. Each pivoted portion is operatively associated with the associated track-engaging structure so as to move horizontally therewith when the track-engaging structure moves horizontally along the track structure so that the elongated thin narrow wall and the connection of the fixed mounting portion with the opposite side of the second door panel allow the opposite side of the second door panel to pivot about the moving vertical axis established by the elongated thin wall while being moved horizontally thereby as the pivoted portion is moved horizontally with the track-engaging structure.
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Flynn Mark R.
Jacobs Kenneth
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
Purol David M.
The Stanley Works
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