BI-FOLD DOOR LATCH ASSEMBLY AND FLOOR ANCHOR ASSEMBLY

• US 20170074019A1
• Filed: 10/11/2016
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sorrel Quarters, LLC
• Original Assignee: Michael Schweiss
• Inventors: SCHWEISS, MICHAEL L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,184,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 15/0046 Ratchet mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0036 Reversible actuators
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2063/0039 Ground mounted locks or lock elements
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0012 with rotary electromotors actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 53/003 flexible
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0085 for folding wings, e.g. bi-fold wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 1/06 with operating handle or equivalent member moving otherwise than rigidly with the bolt
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 13/1207 with tension springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 13/1223 Spring safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/262 folding vertically
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/264 for bi-fold wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/605 for folding wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/67 operated by flexible or rigid rack-and-pinion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/681 operated by flexible elongated pulling elements, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/43 Motors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/354 End positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/46 in or on the wing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/108 for hangars
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/483 folding upwardly E06B3/482 takes precedence

Abstract

A bi-fold door is opened with a lift assembly having a plurality of straps attached to power driven lift drums. A latch assembly retains the closed bi-fold door secure to side columns of a building. The latch assembly has a latch strap attached to a latch drum that accommodates the latch strap to hold the closed bi-fold door in contact with the side columns of the building. A floor anchor assembly anchors the bottom of the closed bi-fold door to the floor below the closed bi-fold door to stabilize and inhibit bending and deformation of the bi-fold door frame.

Claims

1. An apparatus for opening and closing a door opening with a bi-fold door mounted on a structure having the door opening and a floor below the door opening, the bi-fold door having an upper panel, a lower panel, and hinges connecting the upper panel and the lower panel to allow the upper and lower panels to move from a vertically aligned closed latched position to a folded side-by-side open position and anchored to the floor when the bi-fold door is in the closed latch position comprising:

door lift devices operable to selectively open and close the bi-fold door,

door latch assemblies operable to latch the bi-fold door secure to the structure when the bi-fold door is in the closed position,

a floor anchor assembly operable to anchor the closed bi-fold door to the floor,

a reversible power unit connected to the door lift devices, the door latch assemblies and floor anchor assembly for operating the door lift devices, the door latch assemblies and the floor latch assembly whereby the door lift devices are operable to open and close the bi-fold door, the door latch assemblies are operable to latch the closed bi-fold door secure to the structure, and the floor latch assembly anchors the closed bi-fold door to the floor below the door opening,

a drive shaft connected to the power unit,

each of the door lift devices having a door lift drum secured to the drive shaft,

a first elongated flexible strap having a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to the door lift drum whereby the power unit rotates the drive shaft and door lift drum to wind the first strap in overlapping relation on the door lift drum to move the bi-fold door to an open position and unwind the first strap off the door lift drum to allow the bi-fold door to move to the closed position,

a first anchor member mounted on one panel connected to the second end of the first strap,

each door latch assembly having a door latch drum secured to the drive shaft,

a second elongated flexible strap having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second strap being connected to the door latch drum whereby the power unit rotates the drive shaft and door latch drum to wind the second strap in overlapping relation opposite from the overlapping relation of the first strap on the door lift drum and unwind the second strap off the door latch drum,

a second anchor member mounted on a structure of the door opening,

said second end of the second strap being connected to the second anchor member whereby the power unit rotates the drive shaft, the door lift drum and the door latch drum to wind the first strap on the door lift drum and unwind the second strap off the door latch drum to open the bi-fold door and the power unit rotates the drive shaft, door lift drum and the door latch drum to unwind the first strap off the door lift drum and wind the second strap on the door latch drum to close the bi-fold door and latch the bi-fold door secure to the structure,

said floor anchor assembly having an anchor drum secured to the drive shaft,

an anchor rod selectively movable between an anchor position on the floor below the door opening and an unanchored position relative to the floor below the door opening,

an anchor member movable between first and second positions,

a third elongated flexible strap connected to the anchor rod and anchor member,

a fourth elongated flexible strap having a first end connected to the anchor drum and a second end connected to the anchor member whereby the power unit rotates the drive shaft and anchor drum to wind the fourth strap in overlapping relation on the anchor drum thereby moving the anchor member and third strap and anchor rod from the anchor position on the floor below the door opening to an unanchored position relative to the floor below the door opening.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the second anchor member includes a roller assembly mounted on the structure adjacent the bi-fold door, the second strap extending from the door latch drum to the roller assembly and around the roller assembly.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 including:

a device operable to bias the second strap to maintain tension on the second strap during opening and closing of the bi-fold door.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the floor anchor assembly includes;

a housing mounted on the bi-fold door,

support members connected to the housing for holding the anchor rod and allowing the anchor rod to move between a floor anchor position and a floor unanchor position, and

a biasing member for biasing the anchor rod to the floor anchor position.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein:

the support members comprise a first support member and a second support member spaced from the first support member,

said anchor rod having a rod portion located between said spaced first and second support members,

said biasing member comprising a coil spring surrounding the rod portion of the anchor rod to bias the anchor rod to the floor anchor position.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the floor below the door opening includes a hole with an open upper end aligned with the anchor rod, and

said anchor rod having a lower end located in the hole when the anchor rod is in the anchor position.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 including:

a first ratchet device connected to the third strap and anchor member operable to adjust the working length of the third strap between the anchor member and anchor rod, and

a second ratchet device connected to the fourth strap and anchor member operable to adjust the working length of the fourth strap between the anchor member and anchor drum.

8. A combination of a door and apparatus for opening, closing a door opening, latching the door secure to a structure providing the door opening and anchoring the door to the floor below the door opening comprising:

a bi-fold door adapted to be hinged to a structure having a header located over the door opening,

the bi-fold door having an upper panel, a lower panel and hinges pivotally connecting the upper and lower panels to allow the panels to move from an aligned closed latched position to a folded generally side-by-side open position,

door lift devices operable to selectively move the bi-fold door to open and close the door opening with the bi-fold door,

door latch assemblies operable to retain the bi-fold door secured to the structure when the bi-fold door is in a closed latched position,

a floor anchor assembly operable to anchor the bi-fold door to the floor below the door opening,

a reversible power unit connected to the door lift devices, the door latch assemblies and floor anchor assembly for operating the door lift devices and the door latch assemblies and floor anchor assembly whereby the door lift devices open and close the bi-fold door and the door latch assemblies latch the closed bi-fold door secured to the structure and the floor anchor assembly anchors the bi-fold door to the floor below the door opening,

each of the door lift devices having an elongated flexible first strap having a first end and a second end,

a rotatable first drum attached to the first end of the first strap operably connected to the power unit whereby on rotation of the first drum the first strap winds in overlapping relation around the first drum,

a first anchor member mounted on one of the panels connected to the second end of the first strap,

each of the door latch assemblies having an elongated flexible second strap having a first end and a second end,

a second rotatable drum attached to the first end of the second strap operatively connected to the power unit whereby on rotation of the second drum the second strap winds in overlapping relation around the second drum in a direction opposite from the overlapping relation of the first strap and the first drum,

a second anchor member connected to structure adjacent the door opening and the second end of the second strap whereby when the power unit rotates the first and second rotatable drums to wind the first strap on the first drum and unwind the second strap off the second drum the upper and lower panels pivot relative to each other to a side-by-side relationship to open the bi-fold door and when the power unit rotates the first and second drums to unwind the first strap off the first drum and wind the second strap on the second drum the upper and lower panels pivot relative to each other to aligned relationship to close the hi-fold door and latch the bi-fold door secure to the structure adjacent the door opening,

said floor anchor assembly having an anchor drum operably connected to the power unit,

an anchor selectively movable between a first position for holding the bi-fold door in the bi-fold door closed position on the floor below the door opening and a second position releasing the anchor from holding the bi-fold door on the floor below the door opening,

an anchor member mounted on the bi-fold door movable between first and second positions,

a flexible third strap connected to the anchor and anchor member, and

a flexible fourth strap connected to the anchor drum and anchor member whereby when the power unit rotates the anchor drum to wind the fourth strap on the anchor drum, the anchor member is moved from the first position to the second position thereby moving the third strap and anchor from the anchor position to the unanchor position.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein:

the power unit includes a drive shaft,

the first and second drums being connected to the drive shaft whereby upon rotation of the drive shaft in one direction the first strap winds in overlapping relation around the first drum and the second strap unwinds off the second drum thereby moving the bi-fold door from a closed latched position to an open position and upon rotation of the drive shaft in a direction opposite the one direction the first strap unwinds off the first drum and the second strap winds in overlapping direction around the second drum whereby the bi-fold door moves from the open position to the closed latched position,

said anchor drum being connected to the drive shaft whereby on rotation of the drive shaft in said one direction the fourth strap winds in overlapping relation around the anchor drum thereby moving the anchor member to the second position and moving the third strap and anchor to release the anchor from holding the bi-fold door on the floor below the door opening.

10. The combination of claim 8 wherein:

the floor anchor assembly includes

a housing mounted on the lower panel of the bi-fold door,

a plurality of support members connected to the housing for holding the anchor and allowing the anchor to move between the first position for holding the bi-fold door in the bi-fold door closed position on the floor below the door opening and the second position releasing the anchor from holding the bi-fold door on the floor below the door opening, and

a biasing member for biasing the anchor to the first position for holding the bi-fold door in the bi-fold door closed position on the floor below the door opening.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein:

the anchor is an elongated rod movably mounted on the plurality of support members for movement between the first and second positions.

12. The combination of claim 10 wherein:

the anchor is an elongated rod movably mounted on the plurality of support members for movement between the first and second positions, and

said biasing member comprises a coil spring surrounding the rod for biasing the rod to the first position.

13. The combination of claim 8 wherein:

the anchor member is a motion transmission mechanism movably mounted on the bi-fold door between said first and second positions,

said third strap being connected to the motion transmission mechanism and anchor,

said fourth strap being connected to the anchor drum and motion transmission mechanism whereby when the power unit rotates the anchor drum to wind the fourth strap on the anchor drum, the motion transmission mechanism is moved from the first position to the second position the third strap is moved to release the anchor from holding the bi-fold door on the floor below the door opening.

14. An apparatus for opening and closing an opening in a structure with a bi-fold door mounted on the structure for movement between a closed position and an open position and anchored to the floor below the opening when the bi-fold door is in the closed position comprising:

a door lift assembly operable to selectively open and close the bi-fold door,

a door latch assembly operable to latch the bi-fold door secured to the structure when the bi-fold door is in the closed position,

a floor anchor assembly operable to anchor the closed bi-fold door to the floor below the closed bi-fold door, and

a reversible power transmission assembly operatively connected to the door lift assembly, the door latch assembly and the floor anchor assembly to operate the door lift assembly to selectively open and close the bi-fold door, to operate the door latch assembly to secure the bi-fold door to the structure when the bi-fold door is in the closed position and to operate the floor anchor assembly to anchor and release the anchor of the bi-fold door to and from the floor below the opening in the structure when the bi-fold door is in the closed position.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein:

the floor anchor assembly comprises;

an anchor operably connected to the power unit,

a housing adapted to be mounted on the bi-fold door,

at least one support member connected to the housing for holding the anchor and allowing the anchor to move between a floor anchor position and a floor unanchor position, and

a biasing member operatively connected to the anchor for biasing the anchor to the floor anchor position thereby anchoring the closed bi-fold door to the floor below the opening in the structure.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

the anchor is an elongated rod movably mounted on the at least one support member for movement between the floor anchor position and the floor unanchor position, and

said biasing member comprises a coil spring surrounding the rod operable to bias the rod to the floor anchor position.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein:

the floor anchor assembly comprises;

an anchor rod,

a housing adapted to be mounted on the bi-fold door,

a first support member connected to the housing,

a second support member spaced from the first support member connected to the housing,

said anchor rod being movably mounted on the first and second support members for movement to a floor anchor position and from the floor anchor position to a floor unachor position,

a collar secured to the anchor rod between the first and second support members,

a coil spring surrounding the anchor rod and engageable with the first support members and the collars for biasing the anchor rod to the floor below the opening in the structure.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein:

the reversible power transmission assembly includes;

a drive shaft,

a motor operable to rotate the drive shaft,

an anchor drum mounted on the drive shaft for rotation with the drive shaft, and

a strap secured to the anchor drum and operatively connected to the anchor, said strap being wound on the anchor drum during rotation of the anchor drum to move the anchor from the anchor position on the floor to the unanchor position.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein:

the reversible power transmission assembly includes;

a motion transmission mechanism having a first member mountable on the bi-fold door and a second member hinged to the first member for movement between first and second positions,

a first strap connected to the anchor rod and second member of the motion transmission mechanism,

a drive shaft adapted to be mounted on the bi-fold door,

a power device for rotating the drive shaft,

an anchor drum mounted on the drive shaft for rotation with the drive shaft when the power device rotates the drive shaft, and

a second strap connected to the second member of the motion transmission mechanism and the anchor drum whereby on rotation of the anchor drum the second strap winds onto the anchor drum moving the second member of the motion transmission mechanism from the first position to the second position and moving the first strap and anchor rod from the anchor position below the opening to the structure to an unanchor position.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 including:

a first ratchet device connected to the first strap and second member of the motion transmission mechanism operable to adjust the working length of the first strap between the second member of the motion transmission mechanism and anchor rod, and

a second ratchet device connected to the second strap and second member of the motion transmission mechanism operable to adjust the working length of the second strap between the second member of the motion transmission mechanism and the anchor drum.

21. A floor anchor assembly for holding a door on a floor of a doorway of a building comprising:

a housing,

a rod,

at least one member secured to the housing for holding the rod and allowing the rod to be moved between a first position for holding the door on the floor of a doorway and a second position for releasing the holding of the door on the floor of a doorway,

a biasing member for biasing the rod to the first position for holding the rod on the floor of the doorway, and

a lift assembly operatively connected to the rod for moving the rod from the first position to the second position to release the holding of the rod on the floor of the doorway.

22. The floor anchor assembly of claim 21 wherein:

the at least one member comprises a pair of spaced members secured to the housing,

said members accommodating the rod for movement between the first and second positions,

said rod having a rod portion located between the spaced members, and

said biasing member includes a coil spring surrounding the rod portion for biasing the rod of the first position for anchoring the rod to the floor of the doorway.

23. The floor anchor assembly of claim 21 wherein:

the lift assembly includes

a first member movable between first and second position,

a second member connected to the first member and the rod,

a third member connected to the first member, and

a fourth member connected to third member operable to move the third member and first and second members from the first position to the second position whereby the rod moves from the first position to the second position to release the anchoring of the rod from the floor of the doorway.

24. The floor latch assembly of claim 23 wherein:

the second member is a first strap and

the third member is a second strap.

25. The floor anchor assembly of claim 23 including:

a first ratchet device connected to the first member and to the first strap operable to adjust the working length of the first strap, and

a second ratchet device connected to the first member and to the second strap operable to adjust the working length of the second strap.

26. The floor anchor assembly of claim 21 wherein:

the lift assembly includes

a yoke connected to the rod,

a first strap attached to the yoke,

a motion transmission mechanism having a member movable between first and second positions,

said first strap being connected to the member of the motion transmission mechanism,

a second strap connected to the member of the motion transmission mechanism, and

an apparatus connected to the second strap operable to move the second strap and move the member of the motion transmission mechanism from the first position to the second position whereby the first strap moves, the rod to release the holding of the rod on the floor of the doorway.

27. The floor anchor assembly of claim 26 including:

a first ratchet device connected to the first strap and member of the motion transmission mechanism operable to adjust the working length of the first strap between the yoke and member of the motion transmission mechanism, and

a second ratchet device connected to the second strap and member of the motion transmission mechanism to adjust the working length of the second strap between the apparatus and member of the motion transmission mechanism.