Floating pivot mount for a folding panel

Details Floating pivot mount for a folding panel Floating pivot mount for a folding panel

2003-05-13

2004-12-28

Purol, David (Department: 3634)

Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel

Plural strip, slat, or panel type

With mounting or supporting means

Reexamination Certificate

active

06834703

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates to a pivot mount for adjustably mounting a pivoting panel to a jamb. The panel is typically the first panel (i.e. the panel nearest the jamb) of a folding door, window or similar closure. In particular, the invention is directed to a “floating” hinge mount for a folding window, which can compensate for any out-of-square movement of the supported window panel.
Throughout the specification, where the context permits, the term “panel” is intended to include a window, door, shutter, screen or similar closure member used in a building, of a generally planar configuration mounted in an upright orientation and pivotable about a vertical pivot axis. The invention will be described with particular reference to pivot or hinge mounts for the first panel of a series of hinged window panels in a folding window, although it is not limited thereto.
BACKGROUND ART
A folding window may have several hinged panels, possibly up to eight or more, which fold open. Adjacent panels are hinged together to pivot about an intermediate vertical axis, and are suspended from a carriage which travels along a track. A carrier hinge, such as that described in Australian patent 726943, may be used to suspend a pair of adjacent hinged panels from the track while permitting the panels to travel along the track and pivot about a vertical axis.
In known folding windows, the first panel is typically suspended at its top proximal end (i.e. the end nearest the jamb) from the track by a hanger. The bottom proximal end of the end panel may have a pivot pin rotatable in a socket formed in the windowsill. Alternatively, the bottom end of the panel may be supported on a fixed pivot mount.
Due to building movement, or other loss of adjustment in the hanger and/or next carrier as a result of repeated opening and closing of the folding window, the end panel may come “out of square”, putting added pressure on the bottom pivot pin. Excessive misalignment may result in sticking of the end panel.
Although it is known to use an adjustable bottom pivot mount (such as that described in Australian patent no. 739178) to adjust the end panel, the adjustable pivot mount must be adjusted at regular intervals to compensate for subsequent out-of-level movements between the end hanger and the next carrier. Many property owners neglect to make such adjustments.
Tall folding end panels may have an intermediate pivot or hinge located between the top and bottom hinges. If the intermediate hinge is not fixed precisely in alignment with the top and bottom hinges, it may cause “sticking” of the door, or warping. The fixed mounting of the intermediate hinge to the jamb also does not accommodate any subsequent “out of square” movements of the panel. Although adjustable hinge mounts are known, they may be adjusted regularly to compensate for dynamic variations in the panel alignment.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved pivot mount for a panel which overcomes or ameliorates one or more of the above described disadvantages, or which at least provides the consumer with a useful choice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one broad form, the invention provides a folding panel assembly having a plurality of hinged panels suspended in an opening within a frame, the frame including a jamb, and a pivot mount for adjustably mounting an end panel of the hinged panels to the jamb, the pivot mount comprising a pivot pin member to which an edge portion of the end panel is pivotally mounted, the pivot pin member defining a pivot axis of the end panel, a mounting member fixed to the jamb, and an arm extending between the pivot pin member and the mounting member, transversely to the pivot axis, wherein the arm is movable along its axis relative to at least one of the pivot pin member and the mounting member to accommodate transverse movement of the pivot axis parallel to the opening, but constrained against movement relative to the pivot pin member and the mounting member in a direction transverse to the arm to thereby prevent transverse movement of the pivot axis perpendicularly to the opening.
In one embodiment, a hinge leaf is fixed to an edge portion of the panel near the bottom of the panel, the hinge leaf having a knuckle portion with an axial bore therein. The pivot pin member has a base portion and a pivot pin extending upwardly from the base portion and received in the axial bore. The base portion also has a bore extending transversely to the pivot axis, the arm having its other end located in the bore in the base portion.
In another embodiment, the pivot pin member comprises a first hinge leaf having a knuckle portion with a first axial bore therein. The assembly further comprises a second hinge leaf fixed to an edge portion of the panel at an intermediate height, the second hinge leaf having a knuckle portion with a second axial bore therein aligned with the first axial bore. A hinge pin is located in the aligned axial bores to form a hinge for the end panel. The mounting member is a socket member fixed to the jamb, and has a bore therein. The arm has one end connected to the first hinge leaf and projects therefrom transversely to the hinge pin. Its other end is slidingly received in the bore of the socket member, so that the hinge is moveable relative to the socket member in the direction of the arm. The arm has a cross section which is shaped and dimensioned for a close sliding fit in the bore of the socket member, and is constrained to be moveable relative to the socket member only along the axis of the arm, to thereby prevent movement of the hinge in a direction transverse to the arm.
Biasing means may be provided within the bore for biasing the arm axially to a rest position. The biasing means may comprise coil springs located around the arm in the bore, on opposite sides of a collar, to bias the arm axially to the rest position.
In another form, the invention provides a pivot mount for adjustably mounting a panel to a jamb, the pivot mount comprising a pivot pin member to which an edge portion of the end panel is pivotally mounted in use, the pivot pin member defining a pivot axis about which the end panel can pivot, a mounting member adapted to be fixed to the jamb, and an arm extending between the pivot pin member and the mounting member, transversely to the pivot axis, wherein the arm is movable along its axis relative to at least one of the pivot pin member and the mounting member to accommodate transverse movement of the pivot axis, but constrained against movement relative to the pivot pin member and the mounting member in a direction transverse to the arm.
Typically, the mounting member is a socket member having a bore therein, and the arm has one end received in the bore and moveable axially therein, and its other end connected to the pivot pin member.
The bore and arm may rely on friction to dampen or stiffen the movement of the plunger arm into and out of the bore, thereby eliminating any loose feel (although an undamped system would also serve the general function, though with a less desirable feel). The friction may be obtained in any number of ways including oil damping, friction washer or the like.
In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practice, a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2987756 (1961-06-01), Mcferrell
patent: 3019836 (1962-02-01), Leigh
patent: 3146486 (1964-09-01), Hoffman
patent: 3172146 (1965-03-01), Dickinson et al.
patent: 3251090 (1966-05-01), Fergison
patent: 3391723 (1968-07-01), Kirby
patent: 3554267 (1971-01-01), Brinker
patent: 3866658 (1975-02-01), Smith

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