Automatically sealing multi panel sliding door assembly
AssigneeJohn B. Higman and Valorie J. Higman
InventorEric David Hans
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sliding door system 11 can include a sealing mechanism 40 such that, when a door panel 10, 10a is slid to a closed configuration 100, one ore more seal elements 42 are extended to form a seal between the door panel 10, 10a and it surroundings at the bottom, top and/or sides of the door to reduce or prevent infiltration of gases or liquids such as air or water. Manual or motor driven movement of the door panel 10, 10a can automatically move an actuation mechanism 50, 50a to extend the seals around the door. The sealing member 40 can include weather stripping, brush or another seal element 42 that is extended into sealing contact with a floor 6 or other surface. Multiple door panels 10, 10a including the sealing system can be arranged to form a door panel system 11.
Claims20
A sealable sliding door system comprising:
- a header comprising at least one tilt actuation surface;
- a lower track parallel to the header;
- and
- a door panel slideably moveable along the lower track and the header, the door panel comprising:
- a first side edge;
- a second side edge;
- an upper edge;
- a lower edge;
- a panel surface bounded by the first side edge, the second side edge, the upper edge and the lower edge;
- a lower sealing member movably actuatable with respect to a lower sealing edge of the door panel between a retracted position and a sealed position, the retracted position configured for slideable movement of the door panel along the lower track, the sealed position closing a lower distance between the lower sealing edge of the door panel and a corresponding adjacent surface, wherein the lower sealing edge corresponds to the lower edge of the door panel and the corresponding adjacent surface is a floor surface;
- an actuator configured to advance the lower sealing member into the sealed position when the door panel reaches a predetermined location corresponding to a closed configuration;
- and
- an upper sealing edge comprising at least one door tilting interface configured to interact with the at least one tilt actuation surface, which tilts the door panel in a direction normal to the panel surface to reduce an upper distance between the upper edge of the door panel surface and the header when the door panel reaches the predetermined location corresponding to the closed configuration.
A door panel comprising:
- a first door stile defining a first side edge;
- a second door stile defining a second side edge opposite the first side edge;
- an upper rail defining an upper edge;
- a lower rail defining a lower edge;
- a central area bounded by the first door stile, the second door stile, the upper rail, and the lower rail;
- an upper tilting mechanism configured to seal the door panel to a header of a door frame, wherein the upper tilting mechanism comprises a door tilting interface on the upper rail and a tilt actuation surface on the header configured to tilt the central area about the lower rail to reduce an upper distance between the upper edge of the door panel and the header when the door panel reaches a predetermined location corresponding to a closed configuration;
- and
- a lower sealing mechanism comprising:
- a lower sealing member positioned on the lower rail and movable between a first position in which the lower sealing member is extended downward with respect to the lower rail, and a second position in which the lower sealing member is retracted with respect to the lower rail;
- and
- an actuator configured to move the lower sealing member between the first position and the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.