Gravity closing fire-rated ceiling access door
AssigneeMilcor Incorporated
InventorJames C. Muth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This disclosure relates to an access door assembly for a ceiling. The assembly includes a frame adapted to be attached to supports of the ceiling and mounted in a generally horizontal position, and a door which fits within the frame. Tracks on the frame receive rollers on the door for mounting the door for movement between open and closed position. The tracks are sloped to gravity actuate the door to the closed position.
Claims16
An access door assembly for a ceiling, comprising a door frame adapted to be mounted in a ceiling, said frame forming a door opening, a moveable door panel positioned within said frame and having forward and rearward ends, a plurality of tracks on said frame, rollers on said forward end and on said rearward end of said door panel and engaging said tracks for mounting said door panel for movement between an open position and a closed position relative to said frame, said tracks being sloped throughout their lengths and thereby always gravity actuating said door panel to roll on said rollers to said closed positions where said door panel closes said opening.
An access door assembly for a ceiling, the ceiling including a plurality of relatively thin ceiling panels suspended below a ceiling/floor, a space being formed between said ceiling panels and said ceiling/floor, and an access opening being formed in said ceiling panels, said assembly comprising a door frame adapted to be supported by said ceiling/floor, said frame comprising track sides including forward portions adapted to extend into said access opening and rearward portions adapted to extend above adjacent ceiling panels, a plurality of tracks on said track sides, a door panel positioned between said track sides, rollers on the forward and rearward ends of said door panel and engaging said tracks for mounting said door panel on said track sides for movement between a closed position and an open position, said door panel closing said access opening when in said closed position and being in said space above said ceiling panels when in said open position, and said tracks being sloped throughout the entire distance between said open position and said closed position to thereby always gravity actuate said door panel to said closed position.
A ceiling assembly comprising a plurality of relatively thin ceiling panels adapted to be suspended below a ceiling/floor, a space being formed between said ceiling panels and said ceiling/floor, an access opening being formed in said ceiling panels, a door frame adapted to be supported by said ceiling/floor, said frame comprising track sides including forward portions extending into said access opening and rearward portions extending above adjacent ceiling panels, a plurality of tracks on said track sides, a door panel positioned between said track sides, rollers on said door panel at opposite ends of said door panel and engaging said tracks for mounting said door panel on said track sides for movement between a closed position and an open position, said door panel closing said access opening when in said closed position and being in said space above said ceiling panels when in said open position, and said tracks being sloped throughout their entire length between said open position and said closed position to thereby gravity actuate said door panel to said closed position.
An access door assembly for a ceiling, the ceiling including a plurality of relatively thin ceiling panels suspended below a ceiling/floor, a space thereby being formed between said ceiling panels and said ceiling/floor, and an access opening being formed in said ceiling panels, said assembly comprising a door frame adapted to be supported by said ceiling/floor, said frame comprising track sides on two opposing sides of the opening, each of said track sides including forward portions adapted to extend into said access opening and rearward portions adapted to extend above adjacent ceiling panels, two tracks on each of said track sides, a door panel positioned between said track sides, rollers at opposite ends on said door panel and engaging said tracks for mounting said door panel on said track sides for movement between a closed position and an opened position, said door panel closing said access opening when in said closed position and being in said space above said ceiling panels when in said open position, said two tracks on each of said track sides being sloped from said rearward portions downwardly and to said forward portions to thereby gravity actuate said door panel to said closed position when said door panel is out of said closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.