Door assembly
OwnerDavid A Crowninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A door assembly having a multi-panel door connected to a casing that is inserted into a structure opening. The multi-panel door can be operated by a control assembly operatively coupled to the casing and the multi-panel door. The multi-panel door can be a bi-fold door having an upper panel and lower panel operatively coupled together. The upper panel can be pivotally coupled to the casing at one end and pivotally coupled to a portion of the lower panel at its other end. The control assembly can control movement of the door between an open position and a closed position.
Claims16
A multi-panel door and door support assembly for a building structure defining an opening for a door with a header above the opening, comprising:
- a horizontal support member positioned proximate to and substantially along the length of the header;
- the horizontal member comprises a truss having a plurality of interconnected horizontal members, wherein the upper panel of the multi-panel door is pivotally coupled to one of the horizontal members;
- a multi-panel door having at least an upper panel directly pivotally coupled to the horizontal member defining an upper panel pivot axis and a lower panel pivotally coupled to the upper panel defining a lower panel pivot axis;
- guide rails positioned along sides of the door opening for operatively engaging side edges of the upper and lower panels;
- guides coupled to at least the lower panel and operatively engaging the guide rails to control a path of travel of at least an end of the lower panel;
- and
- a control assembly including a hydraulic cylinder and a piston rod slidably mounted in the cylinder for movement between a retracted and extended position and having a longitudinal axis, wherein a first end of the cylinder assembly is pivotally secured to the truss and a second end of the control assembly is directly pivotally secured to either the upper or lower panel proximate the lower panel pivot axis defining a control assembly/panel pivot axis, to control the movement of the multi-panel door between an open position and a closed position upon movement of the cylinder rod between its extended and retracted positions;
- the truss having channels between the horizontal members, wherein the piston rod and cylinder travel in the channels as the mutli-paneled door travels between the open and closed positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.