Door position controlling apparatus

• US 5,592,780 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 01/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wilkinson-Hi-Rise, LLC
• Original Assignee: Peter Checkovich
• Inventors: Checkovich, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): KANNAN, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US08/479,151
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 49/386, 49/394, 16/49, 16/66, 16/82, 16/84, 16/DIG. 17, 16/70
• US Class Current: 49/386
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/108 with piston rod protruding from the closer housing; Telescoping closers
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/221 Mechanical power-locks, e.g. for holding the wing open or for free-moving zones
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/222 electrically operated E05F3/223 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/462 Electromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/132 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/538 Interior lids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 16/17 Checks and closers, holding means

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling the position of a door suitable for use in association with door closing piston assemblies having a spring-biased reciprocable door closing piston rod and a latch plate transversely slidable along the length of the piston rod. By use of the present invention, a momentary initial rotational bias may be imparted to the latch plate automatically and electronically, thereby causing it to shift the latch plate towards a rotated angle while the door is closing, and to facilitate pre-positioning the latch plate to set into a locking hold-open orientation without any subsequent manual adjustment.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling the position of a door relative to a door frame, the door having a piston closing assembly attached thereto, the piston closing assembly including a cylinder, a connecting rod connected at a frame end to the door frame and at a door end to the door, the connecting rod slidably extending from an end of the cylinder such that the connecting rod may slide into the end of the cylinder to allow the door to be closed and out from the end of the cylinder to allow the door to be opened, and a latch plate carried around the connecting rod such that in a non-tilted position the connecting rod travels generally smoothly though the latch plate and by tilting the latch plate to a blocking position, the connecting rod is prevented from sliding into the cylinder and the door is prevented from closing, said controlling apparatus comprising:

means for tilting the latch plate to the blocking position to prevent further movement of the connecting rod into the cylinder and the door thereby to close, said tilting means including an electromagnet positioned in proximity to a surface of the latch plate such that when such electromagnet is activated the latch plate is tilted to the blocking position, said tilting means mounted adjacent to the piston closing assembly by a mounting container;

an actuator communicating with said tilting means to activate said electromagnet and cause the latch plate to tilt to the blocking position;

means for flexing the latch plate to the not-tilted position, said flexing means connected to the latch plate and sized and shaped and having a composition such that the latch plate is maintained in the non-tilted position without activation of the tilting means; and

a backing plate connected to said flexing means and to said mounting container such that the latch plate surface is confinably positioned proximate to said tilting means so that the latch plate is tiltable upon activation of said electromagnet.

2. The door position controlling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said electromagnet is powered by a self-contained power source.

3. The door position controlling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said electromagnet is powered by an external power force.

4. The door position controlling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said flexing means includes a leaf spring.

5. The door position controlling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said actuator includes an electrical switch in wireless communication with said tilting means.

6. The door position controlling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said tilting means is powered by an external power source.

7. The door position controlling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said mounting container includes flanges by which said mounting container is releasably positionable to the piston closing assembly.

8. A door position controller for setting a latch plate having a plate aperture through which a connecting rod is moveable out from or into a cylinder of a door closing piston assembly, the connecting rod moveable from the cylinder as the door is opened, and moveable into the cylinder as the door is closed, the plate aperture sized to facilitate the tilting of the latch plate such that the latch plate as tilted grippingly contacts the connecting rod and thereby prevents the connecting rod from being drawn back into the cylinder, said door position controller comprising:

a mounting container adjustably positioned adjacent to the door closing piston assembly, said mounting container including a forward end;

means for tilting the latch plate, said tilting means including a magnetic head mounted in general close proximity to the latch plate by said mounting container such that upon activation of said magnetic head one end of the latch plate tilts towards said magnetic head until the latch plate grippingly contacts the connecting rod;

an actuator by which said tilting means can be activated to tilt the latch plate;

a backing plate connected to said forward end of said mounting container and alignably generally perpendicular to the connecting rod; and

means for flexing the latch plate, said flexing means attached to said backing plate and to the latch plate, flexing means sized and shaped and including flexible material such that upon deactivation of said magnetic head the latch plate is drawn into generally non-tilted alignment relative to the connecting rod and to lessen the gripping contact of the latch plate with the connecting rod.

9. The door position controller as defined in claim 8, wherein said actuator includes wires to communicate with said tilting means.

10. The door position controller as defined in claim 8, wherein said actuator includes means by which said tilting means is activatable through wireless communication.

11. The door position controller as defined in claim 8, wherein said tilting means is powered by a self-contained power source.

12. The door position controller as defined in claim 8, wherein said tilting means is powered by an external power source.

13. The door position controller as defined in claim 8, wherein said backing plate includes a slot through which the connecting rod can extend.

14. An apparatus for controlling the alignment of a door hold open latch plate relative to a connecting rod, the connecting rod moveable relative to a cylinder of a closing piston assembly for a door, the latch plate including an edge forming an aperture through which the connecting rod can easily slide when the latch plate is positioned in a generally perpendicular alignment relative to the connecting rod and thereby allowing the door to close, the latch plate sized and shaped and including a flange such that when the latch plate is tilted relative to the connecting rod the aperture edge grippingly contacts the connecting rod thereby preventing the connecting rod from being drawn back into the cylinder of the piston assembly and the door from closing, said latch plate alignment controlling apparatus comprising:

an electromagnetically controlled solenoid including a retractable armature connected to the latch plate by a lever, said solenoid structured to exert pulling action on said lever and thereby to tilt the latch plate;

an actuator in communicative contact with said solenoid and by which said solenoid can be activated to pull said lever and tilt the latch plate and by which said solenoid can be deactivated to decrease the pulling action on said lever and allow the latch plate to return to the generally perpendicular alignment relative to the connecting rod; and

flexing means, said flexing means sized and shaped and attached to the latch plate such that latch plate is drawn to the generally perpendicular alignment relative to the connecting rod such as upon deactivation of said solenoid by said actuator thereby allowing the door to close.

15. The controlling apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said flexing means includes a leaf spring.

16. The controlling apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said lever includes flexible material to facilitate variable movement of the latch plate.

17. The controlling apparatus as defined in claim 14, further including a mounting by which said solenoid is positionable adjacent to the closing piston assembly.

18. The controlling apparatus as defined in claim 17, further including a backing plate connected to said mounting and to said flexing means, said backing plate aligned generally perpendicular to the connecting rod and forming a narrow space relative to a forward end of the closing piston assembly to capture the latch plate thereinbetween.

19. The controlling apparatus as defined in claim 14, further including a backing plate to which said flexing means is attached, said backing plate aligned to confine the latch plate in close proximity to the cylinder of the closing piston assembly.

20. The controlling apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said backing plate includes a slot through which the connecting rod may extend.