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US 7,350,332 B2Granted
Wall-mounted sliding door system and method
AssigneeMasonite Corporation
InventorsGeorgios Petridis, Jason M. Walsh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sliding wall-mounted interior door system that includes a telescoping door actuating mechanism that is attached to the upper portion of the door, and a roller assembly that extends horizontally from the wall and engages a track in the lower portion of the door. The door actuating system is designed so that the movement of one of the door panels simultaneously moves the other door panel in the opposite direction. The actuating mechanism is designed so that a gearing assembly within the actuating mechanism moves laterally when the door system is moved between the open and closed positions.
Claims32
A sliding door system, comprising:
- a telescoping door actuation mechanism extending above an opening in a wall, said actuation mechanism comprising:
- at least top and intermediate rails,
- a gearing assembly rotatably attached to one of said rails so that moving one of said rails laterally in a first direction moves said gearing assembly laterally with respect to said wall and causes said rails to move in opposite directions,
- a first door panel attached to said top rail, and
- a second door panel attached to said intermediate rail,
- wherein said door panels are moved between an open and a closed position by moving one of said first and second door panels in an associated direction and thereby causing said gearing assembly to propel the other one of said door panels in an opposite direction.
3 more elements
A sliding door system comprising:
- a door opening in a wall,
- a telescoping door actuation mechanism extending above said door opening, said actuation mechanism comprising:
- at least top and intermediate rails,
- a gearing assembly having a 2:1 gear ratio that is rotatably attached to said intermediate rail so that moving said intermediate rail laterally in a first direction also moves said gearing assembly laterally and thereby causes said top rail to move in a direction opposite of said intermediate rail,
- a first non-rectangular door panel having a top portion attached to said top rail,
- a second non-rectangular door panel having a top portion attached to said intermediate rail,
- a first roller extending horizontally from said wall on a first side of said door opening,
- a second roller extending horizontally from said wall on a second side of said door opening,
- a first roller track assembly connected to a bottom portion of said first door panel, said first roller engaging said first roller track assembly to facilitate movement of said first door panel,
- a second roller track assembly connected to a bottom portion of said second door panel, said second roller engaging said second roller track assembly to facilitate movement of said second door panel,
- wherein said sliding door system is moved from a closed position to an open position by moving said first door panel in said first direction thereby causing said gearing assembly to propel said second door panel in an opposite direction so that said door system is moved to said open position and said door opening is uncovered.
8 more elements
A sliding interior door apparatus for a door opening in a wall comprising:
- a telescoping door actuating mechanism extending above a door opening and being attached to an associated wall, wherein said actuating mechanism is comprised of first, second, and third elongated members,
- a first door panel having a top portion attached to said actuating mechanism, said first elongated member connected to said first door panel,
- a second door panel having a top portion attached to said actuating mechanism, said second elongated member connected to said second door panel,
- a gearing assembly rotatably interconnecting said first, second, and third elongated members so that moving said first elongated member laterally in a first direction moves said gearing assembly laterally and causes said second elongated member to move in a second opposite direction,
- a first roller assembly extending horizontally from said wall on a first side of said opening,
- a second roller assembly extending horizontally from said wall on a second side of said opening,
- a first roller track in a bottom portion of said first door panel, said first roller assembly engaging said first roller track to thereby facilitate the movement of said first door panel and to vertically support said first door panel,
- a second roller track in a bottom portion of said second panel, said second roller assembly engaging said second roller track to thereby facilitate the movement of said second door panel and to vertically support said second door panel,
- wherein said door system is moved from a closed position to an open position by applying a force to one of said first or said second door panels, when a force is applied to said first door panel then said first door panel moves in a first direction away from said second door panel so that said actuating mechanism telescopes in said first direction to allow said first door panel to slide away from a centerline of said door opening in said first direction, simultaneously said actuating mechanism telescopes in a direction opposite said first direction and propels said second door panel in said direction opposite said first door panel so that said door system is moved to said open position and said door opening is uncovered.
6 more elements
The apparatus as described in 19 wherein said gearing assembly is comprised of a first gear, a second gear, and a third gear, said first and third gears having essentially a same diameter, and said second gear having a smaller diameter that said first and third gears.
A sliding door system, comprising:
- first and second door panels laterally slidable in opposite directions to one another between open and closed positions relative to an opening in a wall;
- a door actuation mechanism extending above the opening in the wall, said actuation mechanism comprising:
- first and second rails attached to the first and second door panels, respectively;
- and
- a gearing assembly comprising a rotatable first gear cooperating with the first door panel so as to slide along with the first door panel between the open and closed positions,
- said gearing assembly further comprising a second gear cooperating with the rotatable first gear to cause the second door panel to move in opposite direction to the first door panel between the open and closed positions.
- wherein said door panels are moved between an open and a closed position by moving one of said first and second door panels in an associated direction and thereby causing said gearing assembly to propel the other one of said door panels in an opposite direction.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.