Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Closers – Spring
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-06
2003-11-04
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3676)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Closers
Spring
C016S071000, C016S066000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06640387
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to various reciprocative devices normally comprising a rod that functions from within a body controlling a biasing means operator. A reciprocating door closer installed on a contingent screen or storm door exemplifies such a device.
To close the door, the rod reciprocates responsive to the biasing means controlled by the device, comprising normal operation to substantially cause the door towards a closed door position. The rod can be loosely mounted with a checking mechanism for holding the door in an opened position. Utilizing the biasing means, the mechanism simultaneously engages the closer rod and the body to transpose the biasing means into friction pressure applied to the surface of the rod. Resultantly, the door is held to an opened position by the checking mechanism. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved apparatus and methodology to dampen, counter, and protect the device and the contingent door from damage due to excessive inward biasing forces, and to compensate for a superior checking mechanism which can now be commissioned to variably open the door. The invention may be incorporated with U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,829,093; 5,953,789, and 6,032,331 all to Alonso for creating a preferred door operator device.
BACKGROUND ART
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no obligation to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent And Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright whatsoever.
A brief description of a reciprocative device includes a basic door closure device which is controlled in part with fluid, either hydraulic or pneumatic. The device may typically comprise a piston assembly including a piston and sailing o-ring; piston rod varieties which include curved and non-curved surfaces; internal compression spring operators and fluid biasing operators; cylindrical piston body; sealed and non-scaled end caps and grommet; fluid restriction valves; attachment members; and the checking mechanism which holds the door opened. Such door closer devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,732,920; 2,920,338, 3,032,806; 3,162,699; 3,566,435; 3,665,549; 4,777,698; and Can. Pat. No. 623,038. A superior checking mechanism is extensively described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,953,789 and 6,032,331.
Most prior art reciprocative door closer device normally comprise at least one rod which reciprocatively functions from within a body having an internal biasing means operator. The operator normally actuates for controlling two distinctive forces common to the device and the position of the door: an outward biasing force which is increasingly actuated responsive to causing the door towards the opened position, and, as inward biasing force which is decreasingly actuated while causing the rod and door towards the closed position. Normally, upon applying an external outward force the biasing operator immediately acts to counter and control the inward force. The investor believes that despite origin of the biasing forces, if either caused externally as through human interference, or if caused internally as from the device, the two forces are clearly and distinctly taught as absolutely equating towards the door position relational to the force of the device.
The checking mechanism, also mown as a hold-open tab, is axially mounted onto the rod through an aperature. The bold-open feature is manually activated by first opening the door to a desired position, thus creating an outward biasing force that controls the extending piston rod from within the piston body. A biasing inward force is then reciprocatively created and controlled by the internal biasing operator. Releasing the door, the internal operator decreasingly actuates an inward biasing force to return the rod and close the door. Once the piston body contacts the mechanism, the biasing force causes the mechanism to lever. A direct frictional pressure is torsionally created by opposing points comprised within the aperture, applied onto surfaces of the piston rod whereby the mechanism frictionally checks the device to hold the door opened. More biasing force controlled by the internal operator results in more direct pressure causing the friction onto the surfaces of the rod. As with all prior art reciprocative devices utilizing checking mechanisms, before closing the door the mechanism must be disengaged in order to return the extended rod back into the closer body. Note that U.S. Pat. No. 2,732,920 describes a cog method of checking the rod however functions similar to other prior art devices.
The art has never before revealed any substantial reason to dampen the device to protect from damage due to excessive inward biasing forces, nor to compensate for a superior checking mechanism. Prior art checking mechanisms for reciprocating door closer devices are manufactured from common sheet steel which is relatively soft and will easily slip on the rod towards failure fail when placed under similar excessive inward forces. When a door is being held opened with any checking mechanism, excessive inward biasing forces can be caused by an unsuspecting person that ages to close the door without first disengaging the mechanism. Because the rod care not reciprocate back towards the body, the extended rod therefore becomes excessive and may subject the door and device to extensive damage. A superior mechanism that is substantially tempered and hardened may not reveal any give to compensate for the excessive inward force. Not knowing that the door is actually being held opened by the mechanism, tremendous leverage may be generated by pushing on the outermost edge of the door. The person's psychological then physical reaction may be to push harder in an effort to close the door. Most prior art mechanisms we manufactured from common sheet steel which is relatively soft and can fail when placed under similar excessive inward biasing forces.
However, a superior mechanism that is substantially tempered and hardened may increase the life of the door closer device, but unfortunately will not reveal any give to compensate for the excessive inward biasing force. Substantial damage to various components may include the contingent door and door frame, and the door closer device. If the device is not equipped with a clip plate to accommodate the doorjamb bracket, the bracket may be forcibly detached from atop the doorjamb. Because the device is typically fastened to the door with sheet metal screws that do not penetrate the entire substance of door, such as with a bolt and threaded fastener nut, the device may there be forcibly loaded from atop the door. These and other issues create a shortened life span for the device, which coincidentally offers the industry certain obsolescence resulting in frequent consumer purchases. The reader will also realize that the invention may be adapted onto any device including chose not equipped with a superior checking mechanism.
Another issue of concern defines the need for better convenience when utilizing the checking mechanism to hold the door opened for certain passage through the doorway. When people using mobility products such as wheelchairs and walkers encounter a door having a door closer device, often the device alone poses an extreme inconvenience. First, the user can not easily access the checking mechanism to hold the door opened especially if the device is located at the top of the door. Second, not only is it difficult to position the mobility product to engage the mechanism, it then becomes difficult or impossible to disengage it to close the door especially once the user is positioned on the door side opposite from the closer. Without the use of a hold-open tab to pass through the doorway, the user is not only burdened to fully open the door for accommodating the chair or walker, but must also try to push the door while negotiating through the doorway. Other door closer d
Knight Anthony
Patel Vishal
LandOfFree
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