Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – Plural strip – slat – or panel type – With mounting or supporting means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-29
2001-01-23
Purol, David M. (Department: 3634)
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
Plural strip, slat, or panel type
With mounting or supporting means
C160S118000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176292
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to doors and more particularly to doors of the type having edge finger guard assemblies.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is quite common for many doors to be fitted along the closing edge thereof with a resilient finger guard. Typically, finger guards of this type consist of a rubber strip along the edge of the door which provides pinch protection only to the extent that the rubber will compress. Rubber will normally be absent from the lockset opening exposing this area as non-protected protected pinch point. The lockset area is also normally fixed in conventional doors requiring at least one piece of door edge material above the lock and another piece below the lock.
Rigid type finger guards are known. Basically, the rigid type guards which are available provide for adjustability by the use of screws or other fasteners which serve to limit the outer resilient movement of the rigid edge. The fit provided by manual adjustment is often a transient thing and readjustment oftentimes is just never made or presents difficulties which are troublesome. Moreover, the adjustment screws also present a non-protected pinch point.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide a door having a finger guard assembly which achieves the advantages of known finger guard assemblies while to a large extent eliminating the disadvantages thereof. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, this objective is achieved by providing a door assembly with an automatic misalignment accommodating finger guard assembly comprising a door panel constructed and arranged to be mounted in operative relation with respect to a door opening to be moved between opened and closed positions with respect to the door opening. The door panel assembly has an elongated panel member extending generally vertically when the door panel assembly is mounted in operative relation to the door opening. The panel member includes a pair of transversely spaced rigid wall sections having free edges formed with short flanges extending therefrom toward one another. The wall sections and flanges define a space in said member. A rigid door edge defining member constructed and arranged to automatically accommodate misalignment between the panel assembly and a closing surface. The door edge defining member includes an inner portion positioned in an operative relation within the space by a relative longitudinal movement with respect to the panel member and an outer portion extending outwardly of the space when the inner portion is in operative relation with the panel member. The inner portion has flange engaging surfaces. A longitudinal position determining member detachably fixed to the door edge defining member extends within a longitudinal position determining opening in the panel member. A spring system acting between the door edge defining member and the door edge structure resiliently biases the door edge defining member into a longitudinally determined limiting position wherein the flange engaging surfaces are disposed in engagement with the flanges and the outer portion of the door edge defining member extends outwardly of the flanges to define an elongated door edge spaced outwardly from the elongated panel edge structure. The door edge defining member and the spring system enable the inner portion thereof to be moved against the bias of the spring system angularly and/or translationally inwardly within the space in response to the engagement of the defined elongated door edge thereof with a closing surface during movement of the door panel assembly into the closed position to thereby automatically accommodate misalignment with the closing surface or with an object, such as a finger or the like, inadvertently disposed between the closing surface and the defined elongated door edge during movement of the door panel assembly into the closed position to thereby serve as a finger guard. The position determining member is configured and positioned with respect to the longitudinal position determining opening to accommodate the angularly inward and/or translationally inward movement of the door edge defining member with respect to the panel member while maintaining the door panel assembly substantially in the determined longitudinal position thereof.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3314534 (1967-04-01), Winnan
patent: 4133365 (1979-01-01), Schleicher
patent: 4574960 (1986-03-01), Weiss
patent: 5214880 (1993-06-01), Woodruff et al.
patent: 5216839 (1993-06-01), Woodruff et al.
patent: 5816309 (1998-10-01), Paradise
Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP
Purol David M.
The Stanley Works
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