AU631685B2 - Retainer system for sliding panel doors - Google Patents

Description

Davies Collison, Melbourne and Canberra 891005,jndat.037,creeks2.1,1 ~i iwiiii Gi- 63 1685 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSii-.iN PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (Original) FOR OFFICE USE Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published:

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Priority: Related Art: "1B

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Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s):

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Creeks Metal Industries Pty Ltd 491 Mountain Highway Bayswater Victoria 3153 David Harold Daff of 102 Wakley Crescent, Wantirna, Victoria, 3152 Michael William Culling of 34 Gertonia Avenue, Boronia, Victoria, 3155 Graeme John Hone of 86 Mt. Pleasant Road, Monbulk, Victoria, 3793 DAVIES COLLISON, Patent Attorneys, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

Address for Service: Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "RETAINER SYSTEM FOR SLIDING PANEL DOORS" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: -1- 901008,gjnspe.002,P36727.SPE,1

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-2- RETAINER SYSTEM FOR SLIDING PANEL DOORS This invention relates to a retainer system for sliding panel doors such as roller doors. The retainer system has particular though not exclusive application as a windlock system for roller doors in areas prone to gale or hurricane force winds.

It is known to fit roller door guide tracks with devices to prevent the closed door panel from being pulled out of the tracks by windblown deformation from the normal position of the panel in the plane of the tracks. Such devices, together with associated components on the tracks, are known as windlock systems. In cyclone-prone areas, some local government authorities are requiring all domestic roller doors to be fitted with windlock systems. They are also provided as a general safety feature on large industrial roller-doors and can be additionally useful, for example at private carpark access doorways, in thwarting unauthorised passage by vehicles driven into the door panel.

Typical known windlock systems have right-angle detent devices such as angled metal straps attached at spaced intervals to the lateral margins of the S sliding door panel. These devices may travel behind, e.g. solid metal straps secured to one internal face of each track.

SIt is an object of the invention to provide an improved retainer system for sliding panel doors.

The invention accordingly provides a sliding panel door assembly comprising: a door panel; a pair of spaced, generally parallel tracks which each include spaced 'a opposed surfaces to receive and guide respective lateral margins of said door panel; and S" a plurality of retainer members mounted at spaced intervals along each of said lateral margins of the door panel; 'It wherein each of the retainer members defines forwardly and rearwardly opening slot means which slidably seat respective pairs of complementary ribs extending along each of said opposed track surfaces.

Each of the retainer members preferably comprises an integral rotationally 901008,gjnspe.002,PJ6727.,PE,2 v -3symmetrical body providing an annular groove which defines said slot means.

The slot means, and in particular the groove, is preferably of outwardly flared cross-section, and the ribs are then advantageously of complementary tapered cross-section, e.g. V-shaped.

Where the panel is multiply ribbed, the retainer member may be mounted to the panel by means of an integral tab which projects parallel to but is offset from the axis of the rotationally symmetrical body: the tab is then seated in a channel of the panel.

Each track is preferably a generally U-shaped channel with said ribs projecting integrally opposite to each other.

The invention further provides a door panel fitted, at spaced intervals along each of its lateral margins, with a plurality of retainer members, each of which defines forwardly and rearwardly opening slot means for slidably seating respective pairs of complementary ribs extending along each of the tracks of a sliding panel door assembly when the panel is mounted in the door assembly.

Still further, the invention affords a retainer member for sliding panel :doors comprising: a body; 0 mounting means for mounting the retainer member to a lateral margin of a door panel of a sliding panel door; and slot means on said body, which slot means is of outwardly flared crosssection and is adapted, when mounted to said lateral margin of said door 0.0 panel, to open forwardly and rearwardly to slidably seat respective .complementary ribs extending along respective opposed surfaces of a track for S 25 a slicing panel door; wherein said mounting means includes a tab projecting from said body S0 in a plane which is offset from the midpoint between said ribs.

The invention will be further described, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a horizontal cross-section at one edge of a roller door assembly fitted with a retainer system according to an embodiment of the invention; 920930,p:\opr\gjnCREEK.RES,3 u 11~- 11 ii 11 119 PIPII~ Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the retainer members forming part of the assembly; and Figures 3 and 4 are respective plan and front elevational views of the retainer member.

A typical roller door assembly includes a transversely ribbed sliding metal door panel 12 which is guided vertically by tracks 14 fixed at opposite sides of a a i! 0. t 92OD930,p:\opr\gjNCREEKS.RES,3 Y i.

ZffiJ L~U7 -4doorway opening. The tracks 14 are of broadly U-shaped cross-section with generally parallel side walls 15, and open towards each other to receive lateral margins 16 of the door panel. At the top of the doorway, the panel exits the tracks and is wound about a horizontally extending drum (not shown). Suitable webbing 18 on the faces of panel margins 16 provides sliding lubrication between the panel and the internal surfaces 19 of side walls 15. Each track 14 includes a return flange 20 by which the track is fixed at the side of the doorway opening.

Mounted at spaced intervals to each panel margin 16 are multiple retainer members 22. A representative such retainer member is detailed in Figures 2, 3 and 4. It is typically a nylon moulding and comprises a rotationally symmetrical body 24 providing a general V-groov 26 of outwardly flared cross-section. This body resembles a pulley but it doessArotate in situ. Projecting parallel to the axis 24a of body 24 but in a plane offset from this axis is an integral flat tab 28 with a pair of fastener holes 29 by which it is fixed in a respective channel of the ribbed panel: the dimensions are preferably chosen so that axis 24a lies in the vertical median plane of the panel and therefore of the track 14.

The annular groove 26 of each retainer body 24 seats and firmly engages a pair of complementary V-section ribs 30 pressed integrally inwardly from both side walls 15 of track 14.

It will be appreciated that when the door panel is wholly or partially down, the positive engagement of retainer member grooves 26 with ribs 30 is very effective to prevent the panel being pulled from tracks 14, for example when the panel is subject to high winds or vehicle collision, to be left flapping dangerously unrestrained. This engagement is on both front and back of the track, is 0 therefore very positive and not susceptible to release by distortion or deformation.

The retainer member itself is easy to fabricate, and a simple matter to instal.

SThe outwardly flared cross-section of the grooves 26 and the complementary V-section of ribs 30 facilitate smooth engagement of the retainer members with the ribs as the retainer members first enter the tops of tracks 14 when the panel is unrolled from its drum. This relationship also ensures that the retainer members travel smoothly down the tracks and substantially do not hinder or slow travel of the panel.

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Claims (9)

1. A sliding panel door assembly comprising: a door panel; a pair of spaced, generally parallel tracks which each include spaced opposed surfaces to receive and guide respective lateral margins of said door panel; and a plurality of retainer members mounted at spaced intervals along each of said lateral margins of the door panel; wherein each of the retainer members defines forwardly and rearwardly opening slot means which slidably seat respective pairs of complementary ribs extending along each of said opposed track surfaces.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein each of the retainer members comprises an integral rotationally symmetrical body providing an annular groove which defines said slot means. *i 44

3. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein said groove is of outwardly flared cross-section, and the ribs are of complementary tapered cross-section.

4. An assembly according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said panel is multiply ribbed, and each retainer member is mounted to the panel by means of an integral tab which projects parallel to but is offset from the axis of the rotationally symmetrical body, said tab seating in a channel of the panel.

5. An assembly according to any preceding claim wherein each of said tracks is a generally U-shaped channel with said ribs projecting integrally opposite to Seach other.

6. A door panel fitted, at spaced intervals along each of its lateral margins, with a plurality of retainer members, each of which defines forwardly and rearwardly opening slot means for slidably seating respective pairs of complementary ribs extending along each of the tracks of a sliding panel door 901008,gnspe.002PJ6727.SPE,5 -6- assembly when the panel is mounted in the door assembly.

7. A retainer member for sliding panel doors comprising: a body; mounting means for mounting the retainer member to a lateral margin of a door panel of a sliding panel door; and slot means on said body, which slot means is of outwardly flared cross- section and is adapted, when mounted to said lateral margin of said door panel, to open forwardly and rearwardly to slidably seat respective complementary ribs extending along respective opposed surfaces of a track for a sliding panel door; wherein said mounting means includes a tab projecting from said body in a plane which is offset from the midpoint between said ribs.

8. A retainer member according to claim 7, comprising an integral rotationally symmetrical body providing an annular groove which defines said slot means.

9. A retainer member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. o CREEKS METAL INDUSTRIES PTY LTD By its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE 921001,p:\oper\nCREEKS.RES,6 2 5-