Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~117~a
Docket No. 2033-SL-VD
DOOR LATCH HOLDING FORCE ADJUSTMENT ASSEMBLY
BACKG~OUND OF 5'HE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a novel adjustable
overhead door holder assembly and, more particularly, to
an overhead door holder assembly, having a low profile
suitable for mounting in a door top inset, that can be
easily adjusted without removal of a hold open stop.
Temporarily holding a door in an open position is
o~ten necessary for convenience and safety. One commonly
employed method uses an overhead door control device that
includes a pivoting arm attached between an upper portion
o~ a door jamb and an upper part of a door. When the
door is to be held open at an angle that does not exceed
about 110 degrees, an overhead door control device is
e~icient, e~ective, and convenient to install and
m~intain. Overhead door control devices are less sub~ect
to damage by vandalism or accidents, and do not present a
potential ~tumbllng hazard.
However, many conventlonal overhead door control
device~ are dir~icult to properly mount in an inset door
top because o~ their thickness~ Since time consuming or
expen~ive modirications to the door are required to
properly ~lt the door holder, door holders necessary ~or
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Docket No. 2033-SL-VD
convenience or safety may be omitted. Alternatively,
marginal per~ormance. conventional low profile docr
holdqrs may be attached, leading to dissatisfaction and
high maintenance and replacement costs.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist
in present devices and methods. Thus, it is apparent
that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative
directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set
~orth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is
provided including ~eatures more fully disclosed
hereinaPter. ~;
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention this is
accomplished by providing an adjustable overhead door
holder ~s~embly, ~or attachment between a door jamb and a
door, ~or ~electively holding the door in an open
po~ltion, including a ~amb bracket attached to the door
~amb And a ~amb arm pivotally attached to the jamb
br~ck~t; a longikudinally extendlng sub~tantially
20 ~tral~ht channel dc~ined within a channel a~sembly which
1~ attached to the top o~ the door and parallel
therewlth, the channel being oriented to open upward; a
~lide a~embly plvotally attached to the ~amb arm and
positioned ~or movement within the channel; a hold open
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~11799a
Docket No. 2033-SL-VD
assembly also attached to the channel assembly, having a
roller link with connected rollers for engaging the slide
assembly to hold the door in an open position, a movable
rod ~or modi~ying position of the roller link to allow
the rollers to engage or disengage from the slide
assembly, and an adjustment assembly used to vary force
on the movable rod.
The ~oregoing and other aspects will become apparent
~rom the following detailed description of the invention
when considered in conjunction with the accompanying
drawing figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an overhead
ad~ustable door holder assembly that includes a channel
a~embly lnset into a top of a door;
Figure 2 i8 a top view o~ the overhead adjustable
door holder assembly of Figure 1, showing longitudinal
comprcs~ion ~pring~ in the channel to distribute ~orce
~rom door opening;
Flgure 3 ls side view o~ a hold open assembly; and
Figure ~ is a per~pective view o~ the hold open
assiembly .
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Docket No. 2033-SL-VD ~ :
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, an overhead
adju~table door holder assembly 10 has a channel assembly
22 posltioned in a door inset 20 at an upper edge 13 of a
door 12. The channel assembly 22 is attached to the door
12 so that its longitudinally extending and generally
U-shaped channel 23 is upwardly open. Positioned for
sliding movement within the channel 23 is a slide
as~emply 26.
The overhead adjustable door holder assembly 10 also
$ncludes a jamb bracket 16 permanently affixed by screws,
bolts, rivets, or other fasteners to a door jamb 14. A
~amb arm 18 is pivotally connected at one end to the jamb ;
bracket 16 and at its opposite end to the slide assembly
26. In pre~erred embodiments, the jamb bracket 16, jamb
arm 18 and channel assembly 22 are ~ormed from brass or
other durable, wear resistant material such as steel.
When the door 12 is normally closed with its upper
edgc 13 positioned parallel to and ad~acent to the door
~amb 1~, the ~lide as~embly 26 18 positioned in the
channel 23 at its maxlmum di~tance ~rom the spring
~upport 24. As the door 12 is about ~ully opened, as
~hown ln Figure 1, the pivoting connectlon o~ the ~amb
arm 18 between the ~amb bracket 16 and the slide assembly
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7995
Docket No. 2033-SL-VD
26 allows the slide assembly 26 to move along the channel
23 toward a spring support 24. When force is applied to
open thc door, the slide assembly 26 moves along the
channel toward the spring support 24 to engage the hold
open assembly.
As best ~llustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the hold
open assembly 36 includes a bracket 38 that is fixed to
the channel a~sembly 22. A roller block 44, supporting a
roller link 40 and rollers 42 movable in relation to the
bracket 38, i8 attached to a movable rod 46 and its
enveloping rod spring 48. Positioned between the rod
spring 48 and the roller link 40 is an adjustment
assembly that includes a primary wedge 52 and a secondary
wedge 54. The primary wedge 52 is connected to a wedge
ad~u~t screw 56 that can move both vertically and a
limlted horizontal distance.
In operation, the rollers 42 first engage ramp 28 of
the ~lide assembly as t~le slide assembly advances toward
the roller~ when the connected door is opened. The
re~uired ~orce nece~sary to depress the rollers 42
provide~ po~ltive ~eedback ~or imminent engagement of the
~llde assembly and the hold open a6sembly 36. Engagement
o~ these elements to hold open the door is realized when
the rollers ~2 are ~orced into a slot 30 defined in the
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Docket No. 2033-SL-VD
slide assembly 26. The door remains in a held open
po~ition until substantial force is applied to the door
to depre~ the rollers 42 to disengage the slide assembly
26 ~rom hold open assembly 36.
The exact force required to engage or disengage the
~lide assembly from the hold open ass~mbly can be easily
varied using the adjustment assembly 50. The primary
wedge 52 is connected to a wedge adjust screw 56
extending in a vertical orientation for easy access.
Ad~usting the screw 56 changes the spatial relationship
j between the primary and secondary wedge, increasing or
decreasing a horizontal distance across the combined
primary and secondary wedge and altering the length of
the rod spring 48 and subsequent ~orce transferred to the
lS roller~ ~2. Instead o~ needing to directly readjust the
position oP the partially hidden and horizontally
extending ad~u~tment rod 50, the vertical manipulation of
the wedgo ad~u~t ~crew is converted into a horizontal
movement oP the wedges, which in turn modify the force
neoe~ary to engage or disengage from the roller~.
~n additional aspect o~ the present invention is its
capaclty Por absorption oP door opening impact. As best
illustrated in Figure 2, when the door is opened Par
enough, the slide assembly 26 impacts and is ~lowed by
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Docket No. 2033-SL-VD
contact with springs 32 and 34 held by a spring support
24 to longitudinally extend in parallel spaced apart
relationship along the channel 23. By 510wly
~istributing the ~orce of door opening, the springs
prevent shock damage to the assembly 10.
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