Continuous locking hinge assemblies and folding door assemblies including the same

A continuous hinge assembly for a door panel system, the hinge assembly comprising:

• a first leaf configured to secured to an edge of a first door panel;
• a second leaf configured to secure to an edge of a second door panel, the second leaf pivotally coupled to the first leaf, the hinge assembly having a closed position in which the first leaf and the second leaf are configured to support the first door panel and the second door panel with interior surfaces thereof coplanar with one another, the hinge assembly having an open position in which the first leaf and the second leaf are configured to support the first door panel and the second door panel with interior surfaces thereof out of plane with one another;
• a handle mounted to one of the first leaf or the second leaf, the handle having a first end segment and a second end segment opposite the first end segment, the handle configured to be engaged to transition the hinge assembly between the closed position and the open position hereof;
• and
• a lock lever pivotally coupled to the handle, the lock lever including an end portion, the lock lever having a locked state in which the end portion of the lock lever is disposed adjacent to the first end segment of the handle and the hinge assembly is prevented from moving towards the open position from the closed position, the locking lever having an unlocked state in which the end portion is disposed adjacent to the second end segment and the hinge assembly is allowed to move towards the open position from the closed position.

A door panel system comprising:

• a first door panel having a first mounting edge;
• a second door panel having a second mounting edge and a third mounting edge opposite the second mounting edge;
• a third door panel having a fourth mounting edge, each of the first door panel, the second door panel, and the third door panel suitable for use as a hinged door panel;
• and
• a first hinge assembly secured to the first mounting edge of the first door panel and the second mounting edge of the second door panel to pivotally couple the first door panel and the second door panel to each other;
• and
• a second hinge assembly secured to the third mounting edge of the second door panel and the fourth mounting edge of the third door panel to pivotally couple the second door panel and the third door panel to each other, the door panel system having a closed posture in which an interior surface of the first door panel, an interior surface of the second door panel, and an interior surface of the third door panel are coplanar with one another, the door panel system having a fully open posture in which the first door panel, the second door panel, and the third door panel are stacked relative to one another such that the interior surfaces of the first door panel and the second door panel oppose one another and the interior surface of the first door panel, the interior surface of the second door panel, and the interior surface of the third door panel are substantially parallel with one another.

A door panel system installable in a door frame, the door panel system comprising:

• a first door panel having a first mounting edge;
• a second door panel having a second mounting edge and a third mounting edge opposite the second mounting edge;
• a third door panel having a fourth mounting edge, the third door panel defining a through bore configured to receive a handle set common to hinged doors, the handle set actuatable between a latched configuration in which a latch of the handle set extends from the third door panel and an unlatched configuration in which the latch is retracted within the third door panel;
• and
• a first hinge assembly secured to the first mounting edge of the first door panel and the second mounting edge of the second door panel to pivotally couple the first door panel and the second door panel to each other;
• and
• a second hinge assembly secured to the third mounting edge of the second door panel and the fourth mounting edge of the third door panel to pivotally couple the second door panel and the third door panel to each other, the door panel system having a closed posture in which an interior surface of the first door panel, an interior surface of the second door panel, and an interior surface of the third door panel are coplanar with one another, the handle set in the latched configuration configured to resist pivoting of the third door panel from the closed posture when the door panel system is in the closed posture.

A door panel system comprising:

• a first door panel having a first mounting edge;
• a second door panel having a second mounting edge and a third mounting edge opposite the second mounting edge;
• a third door panel having a fourth mounting edge;
• a first hinge assembly secured to the first mounting edge of the first door panel and the second mounting edge of the second door panel to pivotally couple the first door panel and the second door panel to each other;
• and
• a second hinge assembly secured to the third mounting edge of the second door panel and the fourth mounting edge of the third door panel to pivotally couple the second door panel and the third door panel to each other, the door panel system having a closed posture in which an interior surface of the first door panel, an interior surface of the second door panel, and an interior surface of the third door panel are coplanar with one another, the door panel system having an fully open posture in which the interior surface of the first door panel, the interior surface of the second door panel, and the interior surface of the third door panel are coplanar with one another, the door panel system having an operating posture in which the interior surface of the first door panel and the interior surface of the second door panel are fixed coplanar with one another and the third door panel is configured to function as a hinged door panel with respect to the second door panel.