Spring-operated tambour apparatus

Abstract

In a tambour door opening/closing apparatus, a tambour door is moved along a longitudinal axis between open and closed positions under restraint of a frame guiding opposed sides of the door. A constant spring is mounted to the tambour door and has a section thereof extending generally along the longitudinal axis to assist in moving the tambour door between the opened and closed positions. A fixed rod is mounted between the frames guiding both sides of the door and a spool is rotatably mounted on the rod with the spring being coiled around the spool and the exposed end of the constant spring is attached to the tambour door. A track assembly is mounted on each side of the frame for guiding the movement of the tambour door and includes a substantially straight portion extending substantially the length of the opening and a loop portion with a coiled track for forming coils of the tambour door. A fixed spacer rod is mounted between each track assembly adjacent the tambour door between the tambour door and the coiled track with the fixed rod and the fixed spacer rod lying substantially in the same plane.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.