Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – Plural strip – slat – or panel type – With mounting or supporting means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-14
2001-12-04
Lev, Bruce A. (Department: 3634)
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
Plural strip, slat, or panel type
With mounting or supporting means
C160S201000, C160S213000, C160S229100, C049S212000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325135
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a collapsible door assembly for a bathroom that provides utility as well as aesthetically pleasing effect.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical collapsible door assembly for a bathroom includes a plurality of door leaves that are suspended in a manner so as to be slidable along a track. The door leaves are mounted one by one and each two adjacent door leaves are interconnected by a connecting plate that is substantially T-shape in section, thereby allowing the door leaves to be collapsed.
Lamp is often mounted outside the shower space in the bathroom, as the moisture content in the shower space is relatively high. Hence, the door leaves are generally made of translucent material to allow light from the lamp to be transmitted therethrough into the shower space for illumination. However, image of the overlapped portion of the translucent door leaves and the connecting plates renders an aesthetically unpleasing effect. This might adversely affect the mood of the user that is taking shower.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a collapsible door assembly for a bathroom that provides aesthetically pleasing effect in addition to utility.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a collapsible door assembly adapted to be mounted between two opposite walls comprises:
a first jamb adapted to be secured to one of the opposite walls,
a fixing strip secured to the first jamb,
a second jamb adapted to be secured to the other opposite wall,
a first track-fixing member mounted on an end of the first jamb,
a second track-fixing member mounted on an end of the second jamb,
a track securely mounted between the first track-fixing member and the second track-fixing member,
a plurality of door leaves mounted between the fixing strip and the second jamb, each two adjacent said door leaves being pivotable one relative to the other, each said door leaf including a first end section and a second end section, the first end section including a swirl portion, the second end section of each said door leaf being configured to be pivotally coupled with the swirl portion of an adjacent said door leaf, the first end section of one of two outermost door leaves being pivotally connected with the fixing strip, and
a slide member including a first end securely attached to each even-numbered joint of each two adjacent said door leaves counting from said one of two outermost door leaves, the slide member further including a second end slidably received in the track.
In an embodiment of the invention, a locking plate has a first end connected to the second end section of the other outermost door leaf. A locking strip is securely mounted to the second jamb and includes an engaging groove configured for releasably engaging with a second end of the locking plate. The locking plate may include two handles respectively attached to two sides thereof. In addition, a slide member is attached to the locking plate and includes an end slidably received in the track.
A door leaf cap is mounted on an end of the joint of two adjacent door leaves. The door leaf cap includes a receptacle for receiving the end of the joint. The receptacle includes an innermost end for receiving an innermost end of the swirl portion. The swirl portion includes a through-hole in the innermost end thereof. The door leaf cap includes a through-hole having an inner end communicated with the innermost end of the receptacle. The through-hole of the door leaf cap further includes an outer end with a countersink. A positioning member is mounted outside the door leaf cap. A fastener is extended through the positioning member into the through-hole of the innermost end of the swirl portion. The positioning member includes a flange that is snugly received in the countersink to provide a positioning effect. The first end of each slide member includes a hole through which an associated positioning member is extended.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, a collapsible door assembly adapted to be mounted between two opposite walls comprises:
a first jamb adapted to be secured to one of the opposite walls,
a fixing strip secured to the first jamb,
a second jamb adapted to be secured to the other opposite wall,
a locking strip secured to the second jamb,
two first track-fixing members mounted on top of the first jamb and top of the second jamb, respectively,
two second track-fixing members mounted to a bottom of the first jamb and a bottom of the second jamb,
an upper track securely mounted between the first track-fixing members,
a lower track securely mounted between the second track-fixing members,
a locking plate including a first end and a second end,
a plurality of door leaves mounted between the fixing strip and the locking strip, each two adjacent said door leaves being pivotable one relative to the other, each said door leaf including a first end section and a second end section, the first end section including a swirl portion, the second end section of each said door leaf being configured to be pivotally coupled with the swirl portion of an adjacent said door leaf, the first end section of one of two outermost door leaves being pivotally connected with the fixing strip, the second end section of the other outermost door leaf being connected to the first end of the locking plate,
an upper slide member including a first end securely attached an upper end of each even-numbered joint of each two adjacent said door leaves, each said upper slide member further including a second end slidably received in the upper track, and
a lower slide member including a first end securely attached a lower end of said each even-numbered joint of each two adjacent said door leaves, each said lower slide member further including a second end slidably received in the lower track.
The door assembly may be installed in a bathroom and may be in a fully extended status or a collapsed status. The door leaves are made of transparent or translucent material such that the light from a lamp may be transmitted into a shower space of a bathroom in which the collapsible door assembly in accordance with the present invention is installed. Connecting plates of different material and/or color required in conventional bathroom collapsible door assembly are not used in the collapsible door assembly in accordance with the present invention. Thus, the person may take a shower in a good mood, as an aesthetically pleasing effect can be obtained.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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patent: 5918659 (1999-07-01), Lee
Kamrath Alan
Lev Bruce A.
Rider Bennett Egan & Arundel LLP
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