Releaseable assembly for a door

• US 5,957,187 A
• Filed: 07/24/1996
• Issued: 09/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rite-Hite Holding Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rite-Hite Holding Corporation
• Inventors: Schulte, Peter S., Gruben, Wayne E., Schwingle, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Blair M.
• Application Number:
  US08/690,261
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 160/268.1, 160/273.1, 160/264, 160/265, 160/271, 160/272, 160/270, 160/322, 160/267.1, 160/274
• US Class Current: 160/267.1
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/585 Emergency release to prevent damage of shutter or guiding device
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/587 Mounting of guiding devices to supporting structure
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/17046 Bottom bars
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/581 Means to prevent or induce disengagement of shutter from side rails

Abstract

An omni-directional breakaway guide assembly for use in conjunction with an edge member in an industrial door. The guide assembly comprises a guide extension for engaging guide members to guide the door in a plane, and an edge member portion coupled to the edge member. The breakaway guide assembly includes a releasable coupling between the guide extension and the edge member portion. Upon application of a sufficient force on the edge member at least one of the edge member portion and the guide extension portion deforms to allow the edge member portion to breakaway from the guide extension portion. Such breakaway may occur for forces applied in a variety of directions to the edge member.

Claims

1. A releasable assembly disposed on an industrial door, the door selectively blocking and unblocking a doorway and generally defining a plane when in a blocking position, the doorway including a guide member disposed laterally on a side thereof for guiding the door between the blocking position and an unblocking position, the releasable assembly comprising:

an edge member disposable adjacent to a leading edge of the door,

a guide extension engageable with the guide member of the doorway to guide the door between the blocking and unblocking positions; and

a releasable coupling disposed between the guide extension and the edge member, the releasable coupling allowing omni-directional release of the guide extension and the edge member when forces above a predetermined magnitude are applied to the door in directions into and in the plane of the door, the releasable coupling comprising an edge member portion which is attachable to the edge member and a guide extension portion which is attached to the guide extension, at least one of which is deformable to allow release of the coupling and omni-directional release of the guide extension portion and the edge member portion when said forces are applied to the door;

one of the edge member portion and the guide extension portion comprising a deformable roller having an undeformed diameter, and the other of the guide extension portion and the edge member portion comprising two axles separated by a distance which is less than the undeformed diameter of the roller, the roller being disposed behind the axles when the releasable coupling is attached, and deforming to be pulled past the axles when said forces are applied to the door.

5. The releasable assembly of claim 1, wherein the edge member comprises a cable.

2. A releasable assembly disposed on an industrial door, the door selectively blocking and unblocking a doorway and generally defining a plane when in a blocking position, the doorway including a guide member disposed laterally on a side thereof for guiding the door between the blocking position and an unblocking position, the releasable assembly comprising:

an edge member disposable adjacent to a leading edge of the door,

a guide extension engageable with the guide member of the doorway to guide the door between the blocking and unblocking positions; and

a releasable coupling disposed between the guide extension and the edge member, the releasable coupling allowing omni-directional release of the guide extension and the edge member when forces above a predetermined magnitude are applied to the door in directions into and in the plane of the door, the releasable coupling comprising an edge member portion which is attachable to the edge member and a guide extension portion which is attached to the guide extension, at least one of which is deformable to allow release of the coupling and omni-directional release of the guide extension portion and the edge member portion when said forces are applied to the door,

one of the edge member portion and the guide extension portion comprising a sphere having a diameter, and the other of the guide extension portion and the edge member portion comprising two axles having deformable rollers disposed thereon, the rollers being separated by a distance which is less than the diameter of the sphere when in an undeformed state, the sphere being disposed behind the rollers when the releasable coupling is attached, and the rollers deforming into a deformed state to allow the sphere to be pulled past the rollers when said forces are applied to the door.

3. The releasable assembly of claim 2, wherein the sphere is formed of deformable material.

4. The releasable assembly of claim 2, wherein the sphere is formed of rigid material.

6. The releasable assembly of claim 2, wherein the edge member comprises a cable.

7. A releasable assembly disposed on an industrial door, the door selectively blocking and unblocking a doorway and generally defining a plane when in a blocking position, the doorway including a guide member disposed on a side thereof for guiding the door between the blocking position and an unblocking position, the releasable assembly comprising:

an edge member disposable adjacent to a leading edge of the door,

a guide extension engageable with the guide member to guide the door in a plane; and

a releasable coupling between the guide extension and the edge member, the releasable coupling providing release of the guide extension and the edge member when a force above a predetermined magnitude is applied to the door in a direction substantially in the plane of the door;

the releasable coupling comprising a deformable roller having an undeformed diameter and coupled to one of the edge member and the guide extension, and two axles separated by a distance which is less than the undeformed diameter of the roller, the two axles being coupled to the other of the edge member and the guide extension, the roller being disposed behind the axles when the releasable coupling is attached, and deforming to be pulled past the axles when said forces are applied to the door.

8. A releasable assembly disposed on an industrial door, the door selectively blocking and unblocking a doorway and generally defining a plane when in a blocking position, the doorway including a guide member disposed on a side thereof for guiding the door between the blocking position and an unblocking position, the releasable assembly comprising:

an edge member disposable adjacent a leading edge of the door,

a guide extension engageable with the guide member to guide the door in a plane; and

a releasable coupling between the guide extension and the edge member, the releasable coupling providing release of the guide extension and the edge member when a force above a predetermined magnitude is applied to the door in a direction substantially in the plane of the door

the releasable coupling comprising a sphere having a diameter and being coupled to one of the edge member and the guide extension, and two axles having deformable rollers disposed thereon, the two axles being coupled to the other of the edge member portion and the guide extension, the rollers being separated by a distance which is less than the diameter of the sphere when in an undeformed state, the sphere being disposed behind the rollers when the releasable coupling is attached, and the rollers deforming into a deformed state to allow the sphere to be pulled past the rollers when said forces are applied to the door.