Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
,
BI-FOLD DOOR STOP
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to vertically hung, track guided, pivotally
folded doors of
the type commonly used for closets, commonly known as bi-fold or bifold doors,
and more
particularly to improved closure checks and related hardware operative in
combination therewith.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
When a person requires storage, whether it be for clothing, linens, supplies,
or for any
other storage purpose, it is desirable to have good visual access to the items
being stored. This
allows a person to readily store and retrieve more items, with much less
effort. In order to do so,
this storage space can, for exemplary purposes, be in the form of a walk-in
closet. However,
such closets require a substantial amount of square footage, since the storage
space must not only
be large enough for the things being stored, but also for the person storing
and retrieving the
merchandise to be physically completely inside the storage space.
Consequently, for many
closets, pantries, and the like, few people choose a walk-in space.
In contrast, for exemplary and non-limiting purposes, a long and relatively
shallower
closet than runs along a pre-existing walk space does not require any extra
space for the person,
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substantially reducing wasted space. However, since this is a walkway or space
used for other
purposes, it is very desirable that the door into the storage space not block
the walkway or area
adjacent to the storage space entry. Unfortunately, single panel doors such as
are commonly
used as entry doors into bedrooms and the like must be of width equal to the
width of the
opening. So, for a storage space to have 32" of directly accessible width, a
door that is at least
close to the 32" width is required. This means that the door will swing into
the walkway,
creating a hazard. Furthermore, for wider storage spaces, which as noted above
is desirable, the
size of the door becomes unwieldy or even impractical or impossible. Instead,
some closet
spaces are closed by two doors, each having an outside hinge, that swing
together to close the
storage area. This allows essentially twice the directly accessible storage
space without having
to enter the storage area, but still involves large doors that either pivot
entirely out into the
walkway or entirely into the closet, in either case interfering with and
potentially blocking the
closet or the walkway.
Recognizing the limitations of these single panel doors, many artisans have
devised or
improved upon a multi-panel arrangement referred to as a bi-fold door. A
typical vertically hung
bi-fold door is comprised of two half-doors that are connected together by
hinges; the pivot door
and lead door. The pivot door is mounted to the finished opening by a spring
loaded top pivot pin
inserted into a pivot bracket mounted within a track, and an adjustable height
bottom pivot pin is
inserted into a bottom pivot bracket at the base of the doorjamb. The pivots
support the entire
weight of both doors. The lead door is connected to the pivot door by hinges.
On the upper
corner of the lead door is a guide pin assembly. This assembly is comprised of
a wheel, roller,
slider, or the like mounted to a spring-loaded axle that is installed into a
hole on the edge of the
door. The guide pin slider runs in the bi-fold track that is mounted to the
header of the doorway.
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The track guides the lead door pin throughout the travel distance and keeps
the doors in a tight
path, out of the walkway or other space. Consequently, the opening is divided
into smaller
panels that fold up in pairs and stack neatly against the edges of the opening
when the door is
opened, and which slide out and close the storage entry when closed. The bi-
fold door is a
particularly pervasive design, owing to the economical construction and
installation of the doors,
tremendous accessibility to storage space, and minimal space required by the
doors when fully
open and when being opened.
Exemplary U.S. patents showing various bi-fold doors and related hardware, the
teachings which are incorporated herein by reference, include: 1,361,913 by
Sebastian, entitled
"Casement window"; 1,934,299 by Fairhurst, entitled "Folding partition";
2,842,795 by Majeske,
entitled "Adjustable pivot for door track"; 3,066,730 by Schwartzberg,
entitled "Combination
folding door and guide means therefor"; 3,221,804 by Rudnick, entitled
"Folding door structure
and assembly"; 3,400,749 by Smith, entitled "Bifold door handle"; 4,644,992 by
Jerila, entitled
"Pivot block for bifold doors"; 5,080,160 by Gephart et al, entitled "Track
and pivot bracket for
bi-fold doors"; 5,085,262 by Tutikawa, entitled "Device for supporting folding
doors"; and
5,186,230 by Ostrander, entitled "Mechanism for operating bi-fold doors".
Unfortunately, there are deficiencies in the design, manufacture, or
installation of hi-fold
doors which can lead to excessive wear and damage to the doors, track and
components. When a
person fully opens a bi-fold door, the lead door and pivot door are nearly
parallel to each other
and at a near perpendicular angle to the rail. In order to close the door, a
person grasps onto the
door knob that is mounted onto the lead door and pulls the door all the way
until the hi-fold door
closes flat, generally parallel to the rail. When a person attempts to close
the bi-fold doors, both
of the lead and pivot doors can slightly rotate around the pivot pin, towards
the pulling force.
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When this occurs, the guide pin will stick or bind in the bi-fold track due to
force being applied
to the pivot pin being at a great angle to the path of the track.
When the doors are starting to close, there is a moment in which the lead door
guide pin
roller can bind or jam in track. This can occur when a person pulls on the
door with either too
much force or from a poor angle so that the door hinges are shifted towards
the direction of
travel and are ahead of the guide wheel. This causes an acute angle to form
between the lead
door and bi-fold door track on the closing side. In order for the doors to
close, the hinge must be
shifted back toward the door pivot so that the hinges follow behind the guide
wheel. Once a
sufficient angle is achieved between lead door and closet rail, the guide
wheel will move freely
and the pivot door will follow the lead door until the door is finally closed.
When the lead guide pin roller is jammed in the track, the person must stop
pulling the
door in order to reposition the doors, or redirect the angle of the pulling
action. Repeated
binding of the guide pin roller in the track can cause the track to deform,
exasperating the
problem. When the roller binds in the track, the leverage exerted on the guide
pin axle will
damage the guide pin and the mounting hole in the door.
The guide pin and pivot pin are spring loaded in order to facilitate
installation of the door.
As such, the wheel guide and pivots have considerable play in their movement.
In order to terminate the opening travel of the lead door guide pin, a stopper
is commonly
incorporated into the top pivot bracket. A number of these are illustrated in
the patents already
incorporated herein above by reference.
Unfortunately, a common problem with stops is that when the guide wheel
assembly
impacts the stopper, considerable force is applied to the guide pin axle and
the mounting hole in
the lead door. Over time, the resultant wear and damage to the guide pin
components, and
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,
deformation of the pin mounting hole in the door, compounds the problem of the
lead door guide
pin roller binding in the track when the door is closed. Repeated impacts
drive the pivot bracket
along the track until it meets the jamb wall. With the pivot bracket in this
position, there is no
clearance for the pivot door to rotate when the doors are closed. This results
in damage to the
jamb wall, the door panel, the pivot pin and the track.
A number of artisans have devised various means to cushion the impact, and
reduce the
likelihood of damage. Exemplary U.S. patents, the teachings which are
incorporated herein by
reference, include: 2,882,962 by Hollansworth, entitled "Folding doors";
2,987,756 by
Hollansworth, entitled "Adjustable retainer for folding door pivot pin";
3,096,539 by Dickinson
et al, entitled "Folding door hinge assembly"; 3,144,077 by Dickinson et al,
entitled "Folding
door controlling hardware"; 3,246,684 by Rudnick, entitled "Hinge structure";
3,536,120 by
Kellems, entitled "Folding door installation and sliding guide therefor";
3,554,267 by Brinker,
entitled "Folding doors"; 3,907,021 by Smith, entitled "Alignment and
retention hardware for
folding doors"; 3,987,837 by Hewson, entitled "Bi-fold door assembly";
5,085,261 by
Bortoluzzi, entitled "Longitudinally sliding accordion door"; 6,438,795 by
Haab et al, entitled
"Buffer device"; and 7,258,153 by Chen, entitled "Auto-reversible folding
door".
While these cushioned stoppers are generally beneficial to the life of bi-fold
door
hardware, these still fail to address the application of substantial forces
perpendicular to or
angularly offset from the track. However, at least one artisan has attempted
to address both
problems. U.S. patent 3,102,582 by Rudnick, entitled "Folding door structure",
the teachings
which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a stop that provides
both a cushioning
effect and attempts to control the door hardware when forces are applied that
are not parallel to
the track longitudinal axis. Unfortunately, as also noted herein above, the
guide pin and pivot
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pin are not very strong. They are spring loaded in order to facilitate
installation of the door, and
have considerable play in their movement. Consequently, Rudnick's approach the
relies upon
the guide and pivot pins in order to control off-axis movement still leads to
premature failure.
As may be apparent, in spite of the enormous advancements and substantial
research and
development that has been conducted, there still remains a need for a bi-fold
door stop that
addresses the aforementioned deficiencies that are known to exist in the prior
art.
In addition to the foregoing patents, Webster's New Universal Unabridged
Dictionary,
Second Edition copyright 1983, is incorporated herein by reference in entirety
for the definitions
of words and terms used herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a first manifestation, the invention is a bi-fold door stop. The stop has a
supporting
plate generally defining a first generally planar surface. A second generally
planar surface
extends from the supporting plate in a plane generally perpendicular to the
first generally planar
surface, and is configured to engage with a bi-fold door stile. A third
generally planar surface
extends from the supporting plate in a plane generally perpendicular to the
first generally planar
surface and also generally perpendicular to the second generally planar
surface. The third
generally planar surface is configured to engage with the bi-fold door stile.
In a second manifestation, the invention is, in combination, a bi-fold door
and a bi-fold
door stop operative to safely limit the movement of the bi-fold door. The bi-
fold door has a bi-
fold door track; a lead door; a guide pin affixed to the lead door and
configured to slide within
the bi-fold door track; a pivot door; a pivot pin anchored with respect to the
bi-fold door track
and affixed to the pivot door; and a hinge coupling the lead door to the pivot
door. At least of
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,
the lead door and pivot door have a door stile. The bi-fold door stop has a
first bi-fold door stile
stop configured to engage with and thereby limit travel of the door stile in a
first travel direction;
and a second bi-fold door stile stop configured to engage with and thereby
limit travel of the
door stile in a second travel direction generally perpendicular to the first
travel direction.
In a third manifestation, the invention is a method of protecting a bi-fold
door mounted
within a static structure from at least some damage-inducing movements. The bi-
fold door has at
least a lead door panel and a pivot door panel, and moves along a path defined
by a
longitudinally extensive bi-fold door track. The method includes the step of
applying a first
force between at least one of the bi-fold door panels and the static structure
responsive to and
countering a perpendicular force applied to at least one of the bi-fold door
panels in a first
direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the bi-fold door track. The
method also includes
the step of inducing a second force between at least one of the bi-fold door
panels and the static
structure responsive to and countering a parallel force applied to at least
one of the bi-fold door
panels in a second direction parallel to the bi-fold door track through the bi-
fold door panels into
the static structure when the lead door panel is at a position of movement
most proximal to the
pivot door panel and the parallel force is tending to bring the lead door
panel and the pivot door
panel closer together.
When a bi-fold door is in the fully open position, the guide stile of the lead
door and the
pivot stile of the pivot door protrude beyond the position the doors take in
the closed position.
This is a consequence of the mounting location of the guide pin and pivot pins
on the doors; the
guide pin and pivot pin axis being inboard, and not at an edge corner as would
be the case with
standard door hinges. The protrusion of the door pivot stiles as the door
nears its fully open
position facilitates the use of a mechanism or device to terminate the opening
travel of the lead
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door by acting directly on the pivot door stile. Terminating the opening
travel of the lead door by
this means eliminates the need for the guide pin to be subject to impacting
the top pivot bracket
or other stop device located in the bi-fold track in order the terminate the
opening travel of the
doors. A second projection acting approximately parallel to the track prevents
movement of the
door perpendicular to the track when an attempt to close the door has caused
the hinges to move
ahead of the guide pin, resulting in a lateral movement of the guide pin in
the track.
Various embodiments of the mechanisms of the present invention, or devices
comprising
the bi-fold door stop, or combination thereof may be located and installed on
the doorway header
adjacent to the track, on the pivot jamb wall, or on the floor, or doorway
threshold. The
mechanism or device may be mounted on the track independently of the standard
bi-fold track
hardware, or in some embodiments may be incorporated into the standard bi-fold
track hardware
as a component part of the top pivot bracket or other hardware part.
Further embodiments of the present invention include a mechanism as part of
the stopper
to hold the door in the fully open or fully closed position using magnets,
spring clasp, or other
means. An additional floor mounted stopper can be used to act on the base of
the lead door. The
floor mounted stopper, in conjunction with a header or track mounted stopper
may prevent
torquing or twisting of the door assembly when the set limit of opening travel
is reached, as
might happen if only the top of the door were constrained. A stopper mounted
on the pivot jamb
wall, at a height near mid door, may in an alternative embodiment prevent the
twisting effect of a
stopper acting only on the top of the door.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
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The present invention and the preferred and alternative embodiments have been
developed with a number of objectives in mind. While not all of these
objectives may be found
in every embodiment, these objectives nevertheless provide a sense of the
general intent and the
many possible benefits that are available from embodiments of the present
invention.
A first object of the invention is to provide a bi-fold door stop that limits
typical off-axis
movement of both the lead and pivot doors to a safe amount. In a preferred
embodiment of the
invention, this is accomplished by providing a projection acting approximately
parallel to the
track. A second object of the invention is to provide a bi-fold door stop that
terminates the
closing travel of the lead door by acting directly on the pivot door stile.
Another object of the
present invention is to provide a bi-fold door stop that applies force in a
non-damaging manner
directly to the door stiles, rather than through the pivot or guide pins. A
further object of the
invention is to provide a bi-fold door stop that may be anchored to a building
structure
independent of track and other bi-fold hardware to increase the overall
strength and durability of
a bi-fold door. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bi-
fold door stop that
may in at least some cases be anchored intermediate between top and bottom of
a door, thereby
reducing the torque on a door when the stop is engaging therewith. An
additional object of the
invention is to provide a bi-fold door stop that may be readily fabricated
using known and
ordinary low cost, mass-production manufacturing techniques. Another object of
the present
invention is to provide a bi-fold door stop that is easy and intuitive to
install and use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present
invention
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can be understood and appreciated by reference to the following detailed
description of the
invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment bi-fold door stop designed in accord
with the
teachings of the present invention from a bottom, primarily front projected
view.
FIG. 2 illustrates the preferred embodiment bi-fold door stop of Figure 1 from
a bottom
plan view.
FIG. 3 illustrates the preferred embodiment bi-fold door stop of Figure 1 from
a bottom,
primarily rear projected view.
FIG. 4 illustrates the preferred embodiment bi-fold door stop of Figure 1 from
a top plan
view.
FIG. 5 illustrates the preferred embodiment hi-fold door stop of Figure 1 in
further
combination with an open hi-fold door from a bottom plan view.
FIG. 6 illustrates the preferred embodiment hi-fold door stop of Figure 1 in
further
combination with a closed bi-fold door from a bottom plan view.
FIG. 7 illustrates the preferred embodiment bi-fold door stop of Figure 1 in
further
combination with an open bi-fold door from a bottom, primarily rear projected
view.
FIG. 8 illustrates the preferred embodiment hi-fold door stop of Figure 1 in
further
combination with a pair of impact absorption pads from a bottom, primarily
front projected
view.
FIGs. 9-12 illustrate a first alternative embodiment hi-fold door stop
designed in accord
with the teachings of the present invention and in further combination with a
pivot pin brace
from bottom isometric, bottom and back projected, side elevational, and bottom
plan views,
respectively.
CA 2970643 2017-06-14
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Figures 1-4 illustrate a preferred embodiment bi-fold door stop 10 from front
projected,
bottom plan, rear projected, and top plan views, respectively. Preferred
embodiment bi-fold door
stop 10 is configured to be mounted in a doorway head jamb adjacent to
exemplary prior art bi-
fold door track 4. Preferred embodiment bi-fold door stop 10 includes a
supporting plate 30
having a number of mounting holes 16 passing therethrough, some of which may
be elongated to
allow repositioning. Mounting holes 16 facilitate fastening to a static
structure such as a beam,
stud, wall or other components thereof for secure anchoring. While mounting
holes 16 are
preferred as being both intuitive and easily fabricated, in alternative
embodiments other known
methods of fastening to a static structure are considered incorporated herein.
A number of primary functioning structures project downward from and are
supported by
supporting plate 30. Among these are preferably a lead door opening stopper
plate 14 and pivot
door opening stopper plate 18, each having a plate geometry which
approximately define a plane
generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of bi-fold door track 4. The
amount of separation
between lead door opening stopper plate 14 and pivot door opening stopper
plate 18 is
determined in significant part by the dimensions of between-doors spacer 12.
In addition to lead door opening stopper plate 14 and pivot door opening
stopper plate 18
that are operative in a plane generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of
bi-fold door track 4,
there are also two rotation stopper plates operative in a plane generally
parallel to the
longitudinal axis of bi-fold door track 4. These are lead door rotation
stopper plate 15 and pivot
door rotation stopper plate 19.
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,
,
While there are a myriad of possible geometries for the supporting structure
that provides
rigidity to these primary functioning structures, in preferred embodiment bi-
fold door stop 10
this is achieved by providing a structure resembling three U-shaped or three-
sided channel
members, as best visible in Figures 2 and 3. Within each of these channels, a
mounting screw
hole 16 may conveniently be provided. The channel geometry helps to ensure
that tools used to
install preferred embodiment bi-fold door stop 10 do not accidentally contact
and damage
surrounding building structure such as walls, ceiling or doorway. In addition,
the channels
reduce the total materials required in the fabrication of preferred embodiment
bi-fold door stop
10. Further, when plastic materials are used in the fabrication of preferred
embodiment bi-fold
door stop 10, such as by molding, casting, or the like, uneven shrinkage and
cracking that may
commonly occur with varying thicknesses of materials may be avoided.
Nevertheless, in
alternative embodiments, one or more of the between-doors spacer 12; lead door
opening stopper
plate 14; lead door rotation stopper plate 15; pivot door opening stopper
plate 18; pivot door
rotation stopper plate 19; and supporting plate 30 may have different or even
non-planar
geometries. For exemplary and non-limiting purposes, in the case of a casting
or molding of
suitable material, these may instead be much thicker and more solid
structures, adding more
weight and material but also adding strength to the resulting structure. In
other alternative
embodiments, the surface may not be entirely planar. For exemplary and non-
limiting purposes
the surfaces may have significant texture, porosity, uneven or inconsistent
geometry or the like,
the desirability which may depend greatly upon the materials used in the
fabrication of preferred
embodiment bi-fold door stop 10. Again for exemplary purposes, a diamond-
patterned rubber
surface may still provide adequate stopping forces, while resembling the
planar surface defined
by foam impact absorption pads 51, 52 described herein below. In alternative
embodiments
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these surfaces may also be provided with desirable coatings, treatments,
laminations, or other
surface features. In preferred embodiment bi-fold door stop 10, these surfaces
will most
preferably match or mate with the corresponding surfaces of the door
components with which
they engage. In most instances, the door stiles with which these surfaces will
engage are planar,
and consequently a most preferred geometry is either planar, or at least not
likely to damage the
door stile surfaces under reasonable circumstances.
Figures 5 - 7 illustrate preferred embodiment bi-fold door stop 10 in
combination with an
exemplary prior art bi-fold door track 4, lead door 6, and pivot door 8.
Visible in Figure 5, arrow 11 illustrates the travel direction of guide pin 22
as the bi-fold
door is opened. As may be apparent, guide pin 22 will impact top pivot bracket
24 absent
interaction with the present invention. However, with preferred embodiment bi-
fold door stop
10 anchored to the ceiling or other structural support adjacent to door track
4, the stile of lead
door 6 will come into contact with lead door opening stopper plate 14 and the
stile of pivot door
8 will come into contact with pivot door opening stopper plate 18, each prior
to guide pin 22
impacting top pivot bracket 24. Since contact with either of the opening
stopper plates 14, 18
will be effective at preventing guide pin 22 impacting pivot bracket 24, even
if there is a slight
amount of torque in the bi-fold door, preferred embodiment bi-fold door stop
10 will still prevent
unwanted damage. Furthermore, in the case of an extreme overload, between-
doors spacer 12
will simply be put in compression, and, with appropriate and reasonable
selection of materials,
can withstand very substantial forces.
Figure 5 also illustrates the rotation 13 of lead door 6 and pivot door 8
around an axis
defined by the pivotal axis of pivot pin 20, and the direction 17 that guide
pin 22 moves under
this condition. As may be apparent, this is perpendicular to the proper
direction 21 that lead door
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moves during closing. Preferred embodiment bi-fold door stop 10 prevents or at
least limits this
movement to an acceptable amount. At the time of installation of preferred
embodiment bi-fold
door stop 10, it will be important to limit the gap between the stile of lead
door 6 and lead door
rotation stopper plate 15, and also to limit the gap between the stile of
pivot door 8 and pivot
door rotation stopper plate 19 to a distance that can safely be accommodated
by the play in pivot
pin 20 and guide pin 22 and by door track 4. This will, of course, vary
somewhat depending
upon the particular pin and track constructions, but will be easily
accommodated by aligning
components as illustrated in Figure 6.
Figure 6 illustrates pivot door 8 in the closed position, where it will then
be aligned in a
parallel plane with between-doors spacer 12. As a result, if pivot door 8 or
lead door 6 is
accidentally pushed when the bi-fold door is closed, between-doors spacer 12
will prevent bi-
fold track 4 from being inadvertently damaged. In other words, between-doors
spacer 12 serves
a several important functions. An optional magnet 36 is illustrated as
embedded in between-
doors spacer 12, to act on an optional ferrous or equivalent plate 37 attached
to pivot door 8, and
hole the door in a closed position. Figure 7 illustrates preferred embodiment
bi-fold door stop 10
in location with the bi-fold door in an open position similar to Figure 5, but
from a projected
view rather than bottom plan view. Again from these Figures it is apparent
that guide pin 22 is
prevented from impacting pivot bracket 24, and movement of lead door 6 in a
direction
approximately perpendicular to bi-fold door track 4 is prevented.
Figure 8 illustrates preferred embodiment bi-fold door stop 10 in further
combination
with impact absorption pads 51, 52 that may, for exemplary purposes only and
not solely
limiting the present invention thereto, comprise elastomeric material such as
a natural or
synthetic foam rubber. As already noted herein above, the stile of lead door 6
will come into
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CA 2970643 2017-06-14
,
. ,
contact with lead door opening stopper plate 14 and the stile of pivot door 8
will come into
contact with pivot door opening stopper plate 18, each prior to guide pin 22
impacting top pivot
bracket 24. While these will be effective at preventing guide pin 22 impacting
pivot bracket 24,
the incorporation of impact absorption pads 51, 52 will soften that impact
even further, not only
reducing the likelihood of damage, but also rendering the hardware more silent
in operation.
Noteworthy here is the slight curvature of the interface between lead door
rotation
stopper plate 15 and generally vertical outside wall 29, and the similar
curvature of the interface
between pivot door rotation stopper plate 19 and generally vertical outside
wall 29. This
curvature is not only aesthetic, but also helps to ensure that, even in the
event of a sloppy set of
pivot and guide pins20, 22 and loose track 4, there will be no unwanted
interference and instead
the stiles of lead door 6 and pivot door 8 will be gracefully guided into
proper contact with lead
door rotation stopper plate 15 and pivot door rotation stopper plate 19.
Various embodiments of apparatus designed in accord with the present invention
have
been illustrated in Figures 1-8 and in Figures 9-12. The embodiments are
distinguished by the
hundreds digit, and various components within each embodiment designated by
the ones and tens
digits. However, many of the components are alike or similar between
embodiments, so
numbering of the ones and tens digits have been maintained wherever possible,
such that
identical, like or similar functions may more readily be identified between
the embodiments. If
not otherwise expressed, those skilled in the art will readily recognize the
similarities and
understand that in many cases like numbered ones and tens digit components may
be substituted
from one embodiment to another in accord with the present teachings, except
where such
substitution would otherwise destroy operation of the embodiment.
Consequently, those skilled
in the art will readily determine the function and operation of many of the
components illustrated
CA 2970643 2017-06-14
,
= ,
herein without unnecessary additional description.
Alternative embodiment bi-fold door stop 110 particularly differs from
preferred
embodiment bi-fold door stop 10 in the geometry of vertical outside wall 129
of pivot door
rotation stopper plate 119, which is far more vertical than the counterpart
generally vertical
outside wall 29. This allows a pivot pin brace 154 having clip hooks 156, 158
to be coupled
between vertical outside wall 129 and pivot pin 120, providing a substantial
improvement in
strength and durability.
Other embodiments of a bi-fold door stop may use mechanisms to hold the door
in the
closed position which may include magnets, clasp or other means similar to or
alternatively to
those illustrated herein in Figure 6. The mechanisms, or devices comprising
the bi-fold door
stop, or combination thereof may be located and installed on the doorway head
jamb adjacent to
the track, on the pivot jamb wall, or on the floor, or doorway threshold. The
mechanism or
device may be mounted on the track independently of the standard bi-fold track
hardware, or
might be incorporated into the standard bi-fold track hardware as a component
part of the top
pivot bracket or other hardware part. Other embodiments may use cushioning,
pads, or springs
to absorb the impact of the door panels on the bi-fold door stop. Surfaces of
the bi-fold door stop
may be smoothed or hardened to reduce wear and friction. Plates or other
reinforcement may be
affixed to the door panels to reduce wear from contact with the bi-fold door
stop . The bi-fold
door stop may be manufactured from a variety of materials, such as but not
limited to plastic,
metal, natural and synthetic rubbers, composites, and laminates. Other
embodiments may use a
variety of mounting and anchoring methods, including but not limited to
mounting screws 26 as
illustrated herein in Figures 5-7, or bolts, clamps, sub supporting plate,
adhesive, epoxy, or other
suitable fasteners. Other embodiments may include a mechanism to move lead
door 6 from its
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,
. .
fully open position to a slightly closed position where the hinges cannot be
rotated ahead of
guide pin 22.
While the foregoing details what is felt to be the preferred embodiment of the
invention,
no material limitations to the scope of the claimed invention are intended.
Further, features and
design alternatives that would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art
are considered to be
incorporated herein. The scope of the invention is set forth and particularly
described in the
claims herein below.
17
CA 2970643 2017-06-14
