Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – Plural strip – slat – or panel type – With mounting or supporting means
Patent
1995-01-03
1997-07-15
Porol, David M.
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
Plural strip, slat, or panel type
With mounting or supporting means
160187, 49449, 16 87R, E05D 1506
Patent
active
056474237
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A bifold door is a type of door comprising two door panels which are joined to one another along a centre hinge. When the door is closed, the door panels extend at an angle of 180.degree. to one another. When it is opened, the door panels hinge with respect to one another about the centre hinge, in the manner of a jack-knife, to extend at an angle of 0.degree. or close to 0.degree. with respect to one another.
Bifold doors are designed to open either to the right or to the left. A bifold door that has been designed for use in a left-opening configuration cannot, after it has been installed, be changed from one configuration to the other. This makes bifold doors inflexible in their installation and use. It is also difficult to clean them at the fixed end thereof and areas surrounding the fixed end.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bifold door which can be used in either a right-opening or left-opening configuration and which can without difficulty, even after installation, be changed from one configuration to the other if desired, and which is easy to clean.
According to the invention there is provided a bifold door which comprises a pair of door panels joined to one another along a centre hinge having a hinge axis, each door panel being, at the end thereof remote from the centre hinge, pivotal about a pivot axis parallel to the hinge axis, one of the door panels being supported, at the end thereof remote from the centre hinge, by a runner assembly on a track, end the other door panel also being, at the end thereof remote from the centre hinge, supported by a runner assembly on the track.
Each runner assembly may be provided with locking means for releasably locking the runner assembly in position with respect to the track.
The locking means may comprise a cam which is pivotally displaceable with respect to the runner assembly about a cam axis, displacement of the cam about the cam axis bringing the cam into locking engagement with the track.
Each runner assembly may comprise a pair of longitudinally spaced runner wheels, the cam being disposed between the runner wheels.
The track may have a recess therein into which part of the cam enters when locking the respective runner assembly with respect to the track.
The track may have a lip on one side of the runner wheels for limiting transverse movement of the runner wheels with respect to the track, the cam being arranged to engage with the lip.
The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIGS. 1a and 1b are diagrammatic views from above of a bifold door showing it respectively in the closed and open conditions;
FIG. 2 is section through the upper part of the door, a head track, and a runner assembly via which the door is supported on the head track, in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 3 is a section on III--III in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a side view of the runner assembly;
FIG. 5 is a view from above of the runner assembly;
FIG. 6 is plan view of a cam operating lever forming part of the assembly; and
FIG. 7 is an end view of the cam operating lever.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring first to FIGS. 1a and 1b reference numeral 10 generally indicates a bifold door having a pair of door panels 12.1 and 12.2 which are joined to one another along a hinge 14 having a vertical hinge axis. Each door panel 12.1, 12.2 is, at the end thereof remote from the hinge 14, supported on a track 16 via a runner assembly 18. There is such a track 16 (a head track) at the top and another such track (a cill track) at the bottom, each door panel 12.1, 12.2 being supported by a pair of the runner assemblies 18, one running on the head track 16, and the other on the cill track.
Referring now to FIGS. 2 to 7, the head track 16 forms part of an aluminium extrusion 20. The runner assembly 18 Comprises a pair of longitudinally spaced runner wheels 22 which are mounted for
REFERENCES:
patent: 1940943 (1933-12-01), Ellison
patent: 2990566 (1961-07-01), Lee
patent: 3073382 (1963-01-01), Zimmerman et al.
patent: 4276919 (1981-07-01), Walters
patent: 4872287 (1989-10-01), Block
patent: 4932455 (1990-06-01), Yamada
patent: 4981164 (1991-01-01), Reichel
patent: 5085262 (1992-02-01), Tutikawa
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