AU2008243258B2 - Pivoted Door Opening and Closing Mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

3159C-AU An opening and closing mechanism (11) is provided for a pivoted rigid or pivoted folding door (10). The door (10) is supported by at least one track (16) which receives a corresponding pin (20) located on the side or edge of the door (10). The pin(s) (20) are adapted to move reciprocally within the track(s) (16) when opening and closing the door (10). The mechanism (11) has link arms (18) attached between the tracks (16) and the door (10) which are arranged to pivot the door (10) about the axes of the pin(s) (20) when the pins (20) move reciprocally within the track(s) (16). The mechanism (11) comprises a first drive means (21) for moving the pin(s) (20) reciprocally within the tracks (16) and a second drive means (22) for pivoting the door (10) out of its rest plane at the commencement of the opening operation to assist in opening of the door (10). -11 -

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION CR0I iNAL Name of Applicant(s M.ONARCIH GROUP PTY LIMITED A\trmdl iventor(s): Stephen Rcdney JONES Address for Service: FR ASER OLD & SOHN Patent Attorneys PO Box 560 MILSONS POINT NSW 1565 invention Title: Pivoted Door Opening and Closing Mechanism Details of Associated Provisional Applications: 2007 906 215 Dated 14 November 2007 The following statement is a full description of this invention. Including the best method of performing it known to me: hil ofte Ineto The present invention relates to large and heavy pivotal doors and, in particular, to the opening and closing mechanism used thereon. 5 B.arun r Large heavy access doors are used where large openings are required. For example, the openings between lounge rooms and verandas on a beach house, arc commonly constructed of glass panels inserted into a grid like patter on a metal framed door. It will be appreciated in this connection that the term "glassas used herein, should be 10 understood as including polycarbonate. PERSPEX and light transparent plastics materials which are substitutes ior glass. Alternatively, such a metal frame can be dad with any sheet material Such heavy doors as described above require a motorised opening and dosng 15 mechanism. These doors can either be a pivotal single panel door or a odable multiple panel door. The folding axis can be horizontal or vertical, Normally these doors require a counerweght to assist in the opening and losing operation. It has been found that with existing arangements, a substantial torque is required to 20 start the lifting operation as the weight of the door nust be overcome. Such threes required for the opening mechanism in large installations have therefore required large and expensive motors. It has also been found that when the door is closing, the forces applied to the closing 25 mechanism are also greatest when the door is nearly closed. Once again, this short period of the closing operation necessitates large and expensive motors with substantial torque outputs. Genesis of the Invention 30 The genesis of the present invention is the desire to provide an opening and closing mechanism for a pivotal door which does not necessitate the provision of larger capacity electric motors to open and close the doors. 35 5 9 A-AU Sununarv of the Invention In accordance with a first aspectof the present invention there is disclosed an opening and closing mechanism tbr a pivoted rigid or pivoted folding door, the door being supported by at least one track which receives a corresponding pin located on the side 5 or edge of the door, said pin(s) being adapted to move reciprocally within said track(s) when opening and losing the door while link arms attached between said tracks and said door are arranged to pivot said door about the axes of the pin(s) when the pins move reciprocaOlly within said track(s) said mechanism comprising a first drive means for moving said pin(s) reciprocally within said tracks and a second drive means for 10 pivoting the door out of its rest plane at the commeneement of the opening operation to assist in opening of the door hi accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a method| of opening and closing a pivoted rigid or pivoted folding door which is 15 supported by at least one track which receives a corresponding pin located on the side or top edge of the door, and said pin(s) being adapted to move reciprocally within said track(s) when opening and closing the door while link arms attached between said track(s) and said door ar arranged to pivot said door about the axe of the pings) when the pins) move reciprocally within said tracks, said method con-mprising the 20 steps of providing a first drive means fOr moving said pin(s) reciprocally within said tracks and providing a second drive means for tilting the door out of its rest plane at the commencement of the opening operation to assist in opening of the door, In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is disclosed a door opening 25 and closing mechanism for a pivoted rigid door or a pivoted folding door formed from hinged rigid panels, said mechanism comprising a first drive means configured to move said pivoted door along a supporting track, and a second drive means configured to pivot said pivoted door out of a rest plane at the commencement of opening said door from a closed posidon. 30 BrifDecriptiio te Draings The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings in which: 159&-AU 4 Fig. 1 is a perspective vie of a hi-fold door looking from the rear of the door and IMstairgt opening and closing mechanism according to the first preferred embodiment; Fig. 2 is a side view of the door o Fig. 1 showing the door partially open or 5 closed; Fig. 3 is a side view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the door fully open; Fig. 4 is a perspective iew from the rear of the opening and closing mechanism of Fig i Fg1 5 is a perspective view from the front of the door of the opening and 10 closing mechanism of Fig. I; Fig 6 is a plan view of the opening and closing mechanism of Fing. 1; Fig, 7 is another perspective ie w of the opening and closing mechanism of Fig. l; Fig.8 is a further perspective view of the opening and closing mechanism of 15 Fig Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the plates 34 and 36 of Fig. 8; Fig, 10 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but of a rigid pivoted door; Fig I I is a view siar to Fig. 2 but of a still further door; and Fig. 12 is a perspeedve view of a door with horizontal tracks and panels which 20 pivot about a vertical axis according to another preferred embodiment. Detailed Description A large pivotal door 10 as illustrated in Figs, 1-9 is of such dimensions and weight that an opening and closing mechanism I I requires to be robust enough to raise and 25 lower the substantial weight of the pivotal door 1, Such ptvotal doors 10 are used in large industrial or commercial arrangements such as fire stanons airplane hangars. large warehouse installations etc. As seen in the Fig, I tthe door 10 has a rectangular grid frame 12 to which glass 30 panels 13 are instaled. This means that the door 1 0 has a substantial eight which is usually distributed at the front of the door 10 as the glass panels 13are located on that side of the frame 12, 3 I $9C-AU The door 10 is hung between a pair of spaced apart support columns 14 by means of pins on the side edges of the door 10 being received within slotted tracks 16 on the inside surface of the support colans 14. 5 A pair of link arms 18 are pvotally connected to the frame 12 of the door 10 and to the 14. Telik armSe door as the pis move reciprocally wihhin the slotted track 16 At best seen in Fig 4, the opening and closing mechanism 11 is provided with a rst 10 drive motor 21 and a second drive motor 22 which are respectively responsible for raising and lowering the door, and tiling the door during the initial opening and fil closin phase. The fist drive niotor 2 is amounted on a plate 25 and operates a gar train 26 which terminates in a pulley 27 having teeth on one side which mesh with the gear train 26. Two similar pulleys 28 and 29 are proved. The latter is mounted on a 15 counter weight30. A drve cord 31 passes over the pulleys 2 29 and is connected to the pins on the side edges of the door of the lower section (orowemost section in the event of a multiple ifod door) Thus once the door 10 is kinked the first drive motor 21 Can be operated in either direction so as to raise or lower the door. 20 The second drive motor 22 is mounted on the smaller one 33 of two substantially paralleI plates 33 34, As best seen in Fig 4, the lowe end of the link arm 18 associated with the .Jechanism ii is pivoted to the frame 1 2 of the door 10 whilst as is pivoted to the plate 34. 25 As best seen in Figs. 8 and 9, a sector-shaped phate 36 is positioned between the plates 33 and 34, and is pivoted adjacent its apex on the plate 34. The other end of the sector shaped plate 36 is arcuate and provided with teeth which mesh with a gear train 38 (Fig. 8) driven by the second drive motor 22. The link an 18 is provided with an 30 -Ishaped slot 19. A pin 20 carried by the sector-shaped plate 36 extends through an arcuate slot 35 in the plae 3 Thus the second drive motor 22 can pivot the plate 36 through an arc and thereby pivot the pin 20 through a corresponding arc In the right hand position of the sector plate 36 illustrated in Fig. 9, the pin 20 is initially located in the lowermost right hand comer of the L-shaped slot 19, As the link arm 18 moves 35 to the left in Fig, 9 the slot 19 noves downwardly relative to the pin 20. Thereafter 6 the movement of the pate 36 and thus pin 20 drves the link arni 18 fl iito the left hand position lustrated in Fig. 9. This enables the door 10 to be pushed into a fully closed position. This movement 5 drives the pin 20 towards the blind end of the Lhaped slot 1 9. As a consequence, when the door 10 is in the Mly closed position, reversing the movement of the sector shaped plate 36 drives the pin 20 to the other elongate side of the blind end of the L shaped slot 19 to commence movement of the link arm 18 towards theright and thus conence opening the door 10. 10 It will therefore be apparent that the second drive motor 22 is only energised at the initial opening e procedure. orthe fnal closing phase of the door closing procedure. Between these two phases the pin 20 is dis-engaged with the shaped slot 19 in the link arm 18 which moves even further to the right than is 15 lustrated in Fig. 9) Thus, during the main movement of the door between open and closed positions, the second motor 22 is not energised. It will be seen from Figs. 10 and ii respectively that the mechanism can be employed with a rigid pivoted door 100 or a single fold door 200 having unequal panels. 20 Turning now to gie 12. a curtain wall concertina door of the type disclosed in the present applicant's Australian Patent No. 2002 302 076 is illustrated. There the door 50 has a number of panels 51 each of which is suspended fronm a dual track. 56 by means of pins (not illustrated, which extend between the track 56 and the top edge 57 25 of the panels 51. A difficult in opening such doors is that the leading panel 5LA must be pushed sideways, or kinked, to intiate the opening movement and start the concertina action, Naturally this panel (like all the other panels 51) is heavy- Once this kinking action takes placedrawing all the panels along the track 56 is not too difficult. 30 In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, two relatively small motors are again provided a first one to provide the necessary initial kinking of the lead panel 51A and a second to draw all the panels 51 along the track 56. 1590AU Similarly, when it comes to closing the door 50,he first motor is used in reverse to close the leading panel 51, after the second motor has pulled all the panels $1 out of the concertina configuration and into the closed configuration. 5 The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skiled in the door Rabrication ars. can be nade thereto without deparing from the scope of the present invention For examplethe mechanism 11 is adapted to work on multi-panel doors having more than two panels Also limit switches or software control can be used to tur off the motors when the 10 door panels have reached their desired position. The term "comprising" (and its grammatical variadons) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of "including" or "having" and not in the exclusive sense of "consisting only of'. i 1 59C-AU

Claims (23)

1. An opening and closing mechanism for a pivoted rigid or pivoted folding door, the door being supported by at least one track which receives a corresponding pin located on the side or edge of the doon said pin(s) being adapted to move reciprocally within said tracks) when opening and closing the door while link anns attached between said tracks and said door are arranged to pivot said door about the axes of the pin(s) when the pins move reciprocally within said track(s), said mechanism comprising a first drive means for moving said pin(s) reciprocally within said tracks and a second drive means for pivotng the door out of its rest plane at the commencement of the opening operation to assist in opening of the door.

2, The mechanism as claimed in claim I wherein said second drive means is activated prior to the end of the closing operation to pivot the door into a substantial ly closed position.

3. The mechanism as claimed in clain 1 or 2 wherein said tracks) is/are substantially horizontal said pin(s) extend fRm the top edge of said door and said door includes panels which pivot about a substantially horizontal axis.

4 The mechanism as claimed in claim 3 wherein said pins) suspend said door panels fron said tracks.

5. The mechanism as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said track(s) are located in or on corresponding support column(s) said pin(s) extend from the side(s) of said door. and said door, or door panels thereof, pivot about a substantially horizontal axis,

6 The mechanism as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second drive means drives a link ann only during the opening and closing operation.

7, The mechanism as claimed in claim 6 wherein said link arn is moved by driving a pin engaged with said linkw arm witin a arcuate slot in a guide plate associated with said second drive means.

8. The mechanism as claimed in any one of clAms 54, wherein the first drve means dries a counterweighted cable which is arranged on a pulley means, the cable being fixedly attached to said door pin(s) to move them within the tracks) of the support coluan(s). 159Q -AU,'

9,A method of opening and closing a pivoted rigid or pivoted folding door which is supported by at least one track which receives a corresponding pin located on the side or top edge of the door, and said pin(s) being adapted to move reciprocally within said tracks) when opening and closing the door while link arms attached between said tracks) and said door are arranged to pivot said door about the axes of the pin(s) when the pin(s) move reciprocally within said tracks. said method comprising the steps of providing a first drive neans for moving said pin(s) reciprocally wihin said tracks and providing a second drive means foriting the door out ot its rest plane at the commencement of the opening operation to assist in opening of the door.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the second drive means is activated prior to the end of the closing operation to pivot the door into a substantially closed position.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 or 10 wherein said tracks) is/are substantially horizontal. said pin(s) extend for the top edge of said door and said door includes panels which pivot about a substantiallyertical axis.

12, The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein said pin(s) suspend said door panels from said tracks

13. The method as claimed in claim 9 or 10 wherein said tracks) are located i or on corresponding support columns, said pins) extend from the side(s) of said door, and said door, or door panels thereof' pivot about a substanially horizontal axis.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the second drive means drives a link arm only during the and coing opertin.

15 The method as claimed in clim 14, wherein said link ann is moved by driving a pin engaged with said link arm within an arcuate slot in a guide plate associated with the second drive means.

16. The method as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 15 wherein the Erst drive neans drives a counterweighted cable which is arranged on a pley means. the cable being fixedly attached to said door pin(s) to move them within the track(s) of the support colun(s)

17. A door opening and closing mechanism for a pivoted rigid door or a pivoted folding door formed from hinged rigid panels said mechanism comprising a -9- first drive neans configured to miove said pivoted door along a supporting track, and a second drive means configured to pivot said pivoted door out of a rest plane at the commencenent of opening sail door from a closed position.

18. A pivoted rigid or folding door opening and closing mechanism according to claim 17 fo use NWth a vertically or horizontally pivoted or rigid folding door being supported by at least one track configured for receiving and allowing movement therealong of at least one guide pin located on a side or edge of said door, said mechanism comprising at least one link arm disposed between said track and said door and configured to pivot said door about the axis of said pin when moving along said tracks said mechanism comprising a first drive means for moving said pin along said track and a second drive means configured for pivoting said door out of a rest plane at the commencement of the opening of said door from a closed position

19, A mechanism as claimed in clain 18 wherein said guide pin includes one or more running wheels bearing surfaces or other running support surfIces disposed intermediate said pin and said track for facilitating movement of said pin therealong.

20, A mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 17-19 wherein said first drive means and / or second drive means include an electric motor

21. A mechanism according to any one of claims 17-20 and according to any one of Claims 1-8,

22. An opening and closing mechanism for a pivoted rigid or pivoted folding door, said mechanism being substantially as herein described with reference to Figs.I -l of the drawings.

23. A method of opening and closing a pivoted rigid or pivoted foildng door, said method being substantially as herein described with reference to of the drawings. Dated this 16th day of July 2014 NIQNACH GROt, 0)uP xPTY iL MN4ITED B y FRlA SER OLD & SOHN Patent Attomeys for the Applicants - 10-