Mechanical mono-fold door
AssigneeLester Building Systems, LLC
InventorPaul A. Boor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The monolithic door of the present invention includes a single panel door having a top edge and a front and back side. The door is hinged at the top edge, within a door opening, to a structure (in one embodiment, a door frame header). A winding mechanism is secured towards the top of a first vertical member of the door frame and a second winding mechanism is secured towards the top of a second vertical member of the door frame, opposite the first vertical member. A compression strut on each side of the door is secured to tension straps or cables which are in turn attached to a corresponding winding mechanism secured to the structure. An actuator operatively connected to the winding mechanisms rotates the drums to either force the door open or allow the door to close.
Claims20
A door opener mechanism for opening and closing a top hinged mono-fold door having a back surface, the mono-fold door being mounted within an opening defined by a door frame, the door frame defined by two spaced vertical members and a header supported in a generally horizontal orientation mounted between or above the vertical members, the mono-fold door being rotatably mounted to the header or vertical members, the door opener mechanism comprising:
- a. a winding mechanism to be secured to the door frame, the winding mechanism including means for engaging a line and means for operatively engaging an actuator;
- b. a strut having a leading end for engaging the mono-fold door and an opposite trailing end that does not operatively engage the door frame;
- c. at least one line having a first end for operatively engaging the winding mechanism and a second end for operatively engaging the strut;
- d. an actuator operatively engaging the winding mechanism, the actuator including means for rotating the winding mechanism in a first and opposite second direction, such that when the winding mechanism is rotated in the first direction, the strut moves from a first open door position to a second closed door position, and when the winding mechanism is rotated in the second direction, the strut moves back from the second closed door position to the first open door position.
A door opener mechanism for opening and closing a top hinged mono-fold door having a back surface, the mono-fold door being mounted within an opening defined by a door frame, the door frame defined by two spaced vertical members and a header supported in a generally horizontal orientation mounted between or above the vertical members, the mono-fold door being rotatably mounted to the header or vertical members, the door opener mechanism comprising:
- a. a first winding mechanism to be secured to the door frame, the winding mechanism including means for engaging a line, a winding drum on which a line can be wound and means for operatively engaging a actuator;
- b. a first strut having a leading end for engaging the mono-fold door and an opposite trailing end of the strut that does not operatively engage the door frame;
- c. at least one first line having a first end for operatively engaging the winding drum and a second end for operatively engaging the first strut;
- d. a second winding mechanism to be secured to the door frame in spaced relation from the first winding mechanism, the second winding mechanism including means for engaging a second line, a second winding drum on which a second line can be wound;
- e. a second strut in spaced relationship with the first strut, the second strut having a leading end for engaging the mono-fold door and an opposite trailing end that does not operatively engage the door frame;
- f. at least one second line having a first end for operatively engaging the second winding drum and a second end for operatively engaging the second strut;
- g. a first actuator operatively engaging the first winding drum, the first actuator including means for rotating the first winding drum;
- h. one of:
- (i) a second actuator operatively engaging the second winding drum, the second actuator including means for rotating the second winding drum, or (ii) a rod connected to the first and second winding drums to ensure the first and second drums turn in unison;
- i. such that when the first and second winding drums are rotated in a first direction, the first and second lines wind up on their corresponding winding drums, causing the first and second struts to move from a first position to a second position, forcing the door to rotate upward from a first closed door position to a second open door position, and when the first and second winding drums are rotated in an opposite second direction, the first and second lines unwind from the first and second winding drums, respectively, causing the first and second struts to move back from the second open door position to the first closed door position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.