Bi-fold door system

• US 6,257,304 B1
• Filed: 08/18/2000
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Home Decor Company
• Original Assignee: Stanley Works Limited (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jacobs, Kenneth, Flynn, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Purol, David M.
• Application Number:
  US09/640,910
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 160/206, 160/207, 160/213, 160/199, 160/196.1, 160/209, 160/203, 16/94.D, 16/95.D, 16/96.D, 162/77, 162/86, 162/89, 163/04, 163/06, 163/08, 16D/IG.36, 162/93
• US Class Current: 160/206
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/264 for bi-fold wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/14 with double-acting springs, e.g. for closing and opening or checking and closing no material
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/132 Doors

Abstract

A bi-fold door assembly which includes an overcenter spring-biased hinge assembly comprising first and second hinge members including first and second mounting positions fixedly connected with first and second door panels respectively, interengaging axially aligned hinge portions constructed and arranged to receive a hinge pin therethrough establishing a vertical hinge axis between the two door panels and a spring constructed and arranged to provide oppositely directed spring forces. Each spring is constructed and arranged with respect to the first and second hinge members so that the opposed spring forces provided by the spring are applied to the first and second hinge members to bias the first and second door panels into the closed position when the door panels are near the closed position and to bias the first and second door panels into the opened position when the door panels are near the opened position.

Claims

1. A bi-fold door assembly comprising

first and second door panels,

upper and lower pivot structure at one side of said first door panel constructed and arranged to mount said first door panel within a door opening adjacent one side thereof for pivotal movement about a vertical pivotal axis,

upper and lower hinge structure between an opposite side of said first door panel and an adjacent side of said second door panel constructed and arranged to hingedly connect said first and second door panels together for relative movement about a vertical hinge axis between a closed position wherein said first and second door panels are disposed generally aligned with one another and an opened position wherein said first and second door panels are disposed generally in side-by-side relation to one another adjacent the one side of the door opening,

upper and lower horizontally extending track structure constructed and arranged to be installed in the door opening,

upper and lower guiding structure at an opposite side of said second door panel constructed and arranged to guide the opposite side of said second door panel along horizontally extending track structure, said guiding structure being constructed and arranged to allow said second door panel to pivot about a moving vertical axis which is movable horizontally as the opposite side of said second door panel moves along said track structure,

each hinge structure including an overcenter spring-biased hinge assembly comprising first and second hinge members including first and second mounting portions fixedly connected with said first and second door panels respectively, interengaging axially aligned hinge portions constructed and arranged to receive a hinge pin therethrough establishing said vertical hinge axis and a spring constructed and arranged to provide oppositely directed spring forces,

each spring being constructed and arrange with respect to said first and second hinge members so that the opposed spring forces provided by said spring are applied to said first and second hinge members to bias said first and second door panels into said closed position when said door panels are near said closed position and to bias said first and second door panels into said opened position when said door panels are near said opened position,

each spring including a length of spring wire configured to provide a loop section with end portions extending tangentially therefrom in generally the same direction so that the free ends of said end portions are biased in opposite directions toward one another, the free ends of said spring end portions being bent into L-shaped configurations and connected with said mounting portions,

each mounting portion of the first and second hinge members includes integral resiliently cantilevered, snap-connecting elements constructed and arranged to receive a corresponding spring free end with a snap fit therein.

2. A bi-fold door assembly comprising

first and second door panels,

upper and lower pivot structure at one side of said first door panel constructed and arranged to mount said first door panel within a door opening adjacent one side thereof for pivotal movement about a vertical pivotal axis,

upper and lower hinge structure between an opposite side of said first door panel and an adjacent side of said second door panel constructed and arranged to hingedly connect said first and second door panels together for relative movement about a vertical hinge axis between a closed position wherein said first and second door panels are disposed generally aligned with one another and an opened position wherein said first and second door panels are disposed generally in side-by-side relation to one another adjacent the one side of the door opening,

upper and lower horizontally extending track structure constructed and arranged to be installed in the door opening,

upper and lower guiding structure at an opposite side of said second door panel constructed and arranged to guide the opposite side of said second door panel along horizontally extending track structure, said guiding structure being constructed and arranged to allow said second door panel to pivot about a moving vertical axis which is movable horizontally as the opposite side of said second door panel moves along said track structure,

each guiding structure comprising a molded plastic mounting member including a fixed mounting portion constructed and arranged to be fixedly mounted on the opposite side of said second door panel, a pivoted portion and an elongated thin narrow wall integrally interconnecting said pivoted portion with respect to said fixed portion and establishing said movable vertical axis,

each guiding structure including track engaging structure slidably engaged with an associated track structure for horizontal sliding movement along said track structure,

each pivoted portion being operatively associated with an associated track-engaging structure so as to move horizontally along an associated track structure so that an associated elongated thin narrow wall and the connection of said fixed mounting portion with the opposite side of said second door panel allow the opposite side of said second door panel to pivot about the moving vertical axis established by said elongated thin wall while being moved horizontally thereby as said pivoted portion is moved horizontally with said track-engaging structure.

3. A door assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein each track structure includes a track section constructed of plastic material and configured to provide therein a T-shaped guide groove including a central slot opening outwardly having opposed grooves extending transversely in opposite directions from an inner end of said central slot.

4. A door assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein each track-engaging structure includes a first flange extending from an end of an associated pivoted portion configured to be moved through an associated central slot and into an operative position wherein said first flange is disposed in one of said annular grooves and a second flange extending from an end of a sliding member constructed and arranged with respect to said pivoted portion to be moved between an insertion position allowing said first flange to be moved into the operative position thereof and an operative position wherein said second flange is disposed in an opposite one of said annular grooves to thereby prevent said first flange from being moved out of the operative position thereof without first moving said second flange into the insertion position thereof.

5. A hinge assembly for hingedly interconnecting first and second door panels for movement between a closed position wherein said door panels are aligned and an opened position wherein said door panels are side by side, said hinge assembly comprising

a pair of hinge members including mounting portions constructed and arranged to be fixed to the first and second door panels respectively,

a spring having opposed portions biased toward one another,

said hinge members having axially aligned hinge portions,

a pivot pin within said hinge portions establishing a hinge axis between said hinge members enabling said hinge members to move between a door closed position corresponding with the closed position of the door panels and a door open position corresponding with the opened position of the door panels,

said mounting portions having opposed stop surfaces disposed in engagement with one another to establish the door closed position thereof,

said opposed spring portions having pivotal connections with said mounting portions constructed and arranged to provide pivotal axes parallel with the hinge axis provided by said pivot pin so that (1) when said hinge members are in or near the door closed position thereof said spring biases said hinged members into the door closed position thereof and (2) when said hinge members are in or near the door open position thereof said spring biases said hinge members into the door open position thereof,

each hinge member is molded of plastic material and each pivotal connection includes integral resiliently cantilevered snap-action elements constructed and arranged to receive a spring portion with a pivotal snap-action fit.

6. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein said spring is formed of a metallic wire bent to provide a central loop section having opposite end sections extending generally tangentially from said loop sections, said opposed spring portions being defined by perpendicular bent end portions of said opposite end sections.

7. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein said perpendicular bent end portions have perpendicular bent terminal ends thereon.

8. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said pivot pin is formed of plastic material including an elongated headed pin member having integral hook portions extending in resilient cantilever fashion from a non-headed end of said pin member.

9. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein said pivot pin is formed of plastic material including an elongated headed pin member having integral hook portions extending in resilient cantilever fashion from a non-headed end of said pin member.

18. A track and slide assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said one piece molded plastic member includes a releasing part connected with said main body part by an integral elongated thin narrow wall enabling said releasing part to be moved in cooperating relation with said movable part from a releasing position into an operative position in response to the movement of said movable part from the insertion position thereof into the operative position thereof, said releasing part being operable to be manually moved from the operative position thereof into the releasing position thereof to move said movable part from the operative position thereof into the insertion position thereof.

10. A track and guide assembly for controlling a door panel for horizontal rectilinear motion and simultaneous pivotal motion about a vertical axis within a door opening, said trade and guide assembly comprising

horizontally extending track structure constructed and arranged to be installed in the door opening,

said guiding structure comprising a molded plastic mounting member including a fixed mounting portion constructed and arranged to be fixedly mounted on the door panel, a pivoted portion and an elongated thin narrow wall integrally interconnecting said pivoted portion with respect to said fixed portion and establishing said vertical axis, said guiding structure including track engaging structure slidably engaged with the track structure for horizontal sliding movement along said track structure,

said pivoted portion being operatively associated with said track engaging structure so as to move horizontally therewith when said track engaging structure moves horizontally along said track structure so that said elongated thin narrow wall and the connection of said fixed mounting portion with the opposite side of said second door panel allow the opposite side of said second door panel to pivot about the moving vertical axis established by said elongated thin wall while being moved horizontally thereby as said pivoted portion is moved horizontally with said track engaging structure.

11. A door assembly as defined in claim 10 wherein each track structure includes a track section constructed of plastic material and configured to provide therein a T-shaped guide groove including a central slot opening outwardly having opposed grooves extending transversely in opposite directions from an inner end of said central slot.

12. A door assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein each track-engaging structure includes a first flange extending from an end of an associated pivoted portion configured to be moved through an associated central slot and into an operative position wherein said first flange is disposed in one of said annular grooves and a second flange extending from an end of a sliding member constructed and arranged with respect to pivoted portion to be moved between an insertion position allowing said first flange to be moved into the operative position thereof and an operative position wherein said second flange is disposed in an opposite one of said annular grooves to thereby prevent said first flange from being moved out of the operative position thereof without first moving second flange into the insertion position thereof.

13. A track and guide assembly for controlling a door panel for horizontal rectilinear motion and simultaneous pivotal motion about a vertical axis, said track and guide assembly comprising

a track section constructed and arranged to be mounted horizontally within a door opening,

said track section being constructed of plastic material and configured to provide therein a T-shaped guide groove defined by a central elongated slot opening outwardly having opposed grooves extending transversely in opposite directions from an inner end of said central slot,

a guide assembly including fixed mounting structure constructed and arranged to be fixedly connected with the door panel, pivoted structure pivotally connected with said fixed mounting structure for pivotal movement about a vertical axis corresponding to the vertical pivotal axis of the door panel, and track engaging structure slidably mounted in said track section for horizontal movement therealong, said track engaging structure being operatively associated with said pivoted structure to enable the pivoted structure to move horizontally with said track engaging structure, said track engaging structure including a first flange having pivoted structure fixed therewith, said first flange being configured to be moved through said central slot and into an operative position wherein said first flange is disposed in one of said annular grooves and a second flange fixed to a movable structure operatively associated with said pivoted structure to move from (1) an insertion position allowing said first flange to be moved into the operative position thereof and after said first flange has been moved into the operative position into (2) an operative position wherein said second flange is disposed in an opposite one of said annular grooves to thereby prevent said first flange from being moved out of the operative position thereof without first moving said second flange into the insertion position thereof.

14. A track and guide assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein said mounting structure constitutes a mounting portion of a molded plastic mounting member, said mounting member including a pivot portion constituting a portion of said pivoted structure and an elongated thin narrow wall integrally interconnected between said mounting portion and said pivot portion defining said vertical axis.

15. A track and guide assembly as defined in claim 14 wherein said pivoted structure includes a one-piece molded plastic member including a main body part mounted on said pivot portion against horizontal movement in any direction with respect thereto and for vertical movement limited in one direction with respect thereto, said first flange being formed integrally along an edge of said main body part, said movable structure comprising a movable part of said one piece molded plastic member having said second flange integrally formed on an edge thereof connected with said main body part by an elongated thin narrow wall enabling movement of said second flange between the insertion and operative positions thereof.

16. A track and guide assembly as defined in claim 15 wherein said one-piece molded plastic member includes a releasing part connected with said main body part by an integral elongated thin narrow wall enabling said releasing part to be moved in cooperating relation with said movable part from a releasing position into an operative position in response to the movement of said movable part from the insertion position thereof into the operative position thereof, said releasing part being operable to be manually moved from the operative position thereof into the releasing position thereof to move said movable part from the operative position thereof into the insertion position thereof.

17. A track and slide assembly for a door panel for controlling horizontal movement of the door panel back and forth along a rectilinear path comprising

a track section constructed of plastic material and configured to provide therein a T-shaped guide groove including a central slot opening outwardly having opposed grooves extending transversely in opposite directions from an inner end of said central slot,

a one piece molded plastic member having track engaging structure capable of being detachably mounted on said track section,

said one piece molded plastic member including a main body part and a movable part connected with said main body part by an integral elongated thin narrow wall enabling said movable part to pivot with respect to said main body part,

said track engaging structure including said track engaging structure including a first flange extending from an end of said main body part configured to be moved through said central slot and into an operative position wherein said first flange is disposed in one of said annular grooves and a second flange extending from an end of said movable part constructed and arranged with respect to main body part to be moved from (1) an insertion position allowing said first flange to be moved into the operative position thereof and after said first flange has been moved into the operative position thereof into (2) an operative position wherein said second flange is disposed in an opposite one of said annular grooves to thereby prevent said first flange from being moved out of the operative position thereof without first moving second flange into the insertion position thereof, movement of said movable part from the operative position thereof into the insertion position thereof enabling said one piece molding to be removed from said track section by withdrawing said first flange from the operative position thereof outwardly of said central slot.