Pocket door suspension system
AssigneeStandard Precision, Inc.
InventorsRichard O. Rask, Donald A. Kasten
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pocket door suspension system which permits the door to be moved, without skewing or sagging, from a closed position to an open and retracted position adjacent a supporting wall, the system having two telescoping slide assemblies mounted to the supporting wall, the door being attached by hinges to moveable members of the slide assemblies. Two cables are provided, each attached at one end to the back end of one fixed slide member and at the other end to the front end of the other fixed slide member. Each cable is slideably attached to the moveable members of the slide assemblies such that the pair of cables trace an "I" figure, the pair of cables effectively preventing the moveable members of the slide assemblies from moving out of a predetermined relationship to each other.
Claims11
A pocket door suspension system to permit a door to be moved relative to a supporting wall between a closed position in which it is substantially perpendicular to the supporting wall, and an open retracted position in which it is substantially parallel to and alongside the supporting wall, the system holding the door square to the supporting wall as it moves between said open and closed positions, the system including
- at least two telescoping slide assemblies, one portion of each assembly being attached to the supporting wall, said attached portions of said slide assemblies being spaced apart and parallel to each other, and
- at least two hinge means, one leaf of each of said hinge means being attached to a corresponding one of the movable, telescoping slide assemblies and the other leaf of each of said hinge means being attached to the pivoting edge portion of the door to permit the door to pivot between a closed position in which it is angled relative to the supporting wall and an open position in which it is parallel to the supporting wall, the slide assemblies allowing the door to slide relative to the supporting wall, the improvement comprising:
- a cable element, means holding one end of the cable element in a fixed relationship relative to a first end of the attached portion of one slide assembly, means holding the other end of the cable element in a fixed relationship relative to a first end of the attached portion of the other slide assembly,
- a pair of guide elements, each guide element being fixed near a second end of the fixed portion of a corresponding one of said slide assemblies,
- at least two pulley assemblies, each pulley assembly being fixed near a corresponding one of said hinge means, the mid-portions of each cable passing over each pulley assembly then over a guide element at the second ends of the slide assemblies such that the pair of cables traces a sideways "A" figure,
- whereby as the door moves between its closed position and its open, retracted position the pulley assemblies and the hinge means roll along the cable element, the cable element substantially preventing the door from skewing or sagging out of a predetermined relationship to the fixed portions of the slide assemblies and the supporting wall.
A pocket door suspension system to permit a door to be moved relative to a supporting wall between a closed position in which it is substantially perpendicular to the supporting wall, and an open retracted position in which it is substantially parallel to and alongside the supporting wall, the system holding the door square to the supporting wall as it moves between said open and closed positions, the system including
- at least two telescoping slide assemblies, one portion of each assembly being attached to the supporting wall, said attached portions of said slide assemblies being spaced apart and parallel to each other, and
- at least two hinge means, one leaf of each of said hinge means being attached to a corresponding one of the movable, telescoping slide assemblies and the other leaf of each of said hinge means being attached to the pivoting edge portion of the door to permit the door to pivot between a closed position in which it is angled relative to the supporting wall and an open position in which it is parallel to the supporting wall, the slide assemblies allowing the door to slide relative to the supporting wall, the improvement comprising:
- a pair of cable elements, one end of each cable element being in a fixed relationship relative to the rear end of the attached portion of one slide assembly, the other end of each cable element being in a fixed relationship relative to the front end of the attached portion of the other slide assembly, and
- at least two pulley assemblies, each pulley assembly being fixed near one of the hinge means, the mid-portions of each cable passing over each pulley assembly such that the pair of cables traces an "I" figure,
- each movable portion of each slide assembly including a hinge plate to which one of said hinge means is attached, and
- channel means attaching the hinge plates to one another in a fixed relationship
- whereby as the door moves between its closed position and its open, retracted position the pulley assemblies and the hinge means roll along the pair of cables, the cables substantially preventing the hinges from skewing or sagging out of a predetermined relationship to the fixed portions of the slide assemblies and the supporting wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.