US3908731A

US3908731A - Hinge and panel assembly for folding door

Info

Publication number: US3908731A
Application number: US371399A
Authority: US
Inventors: William Runka
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-06-19
Filing date: 1973-06-19
Publication date: 1975-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 1992-09-30

Abstract

A hinged panel assembly for a folding door is provided. The side portions of each panel are formed to provide oppositely opening channels. The longitudinal hinge member is of thin, flexible material. It comprises a transverse spine or web section which extends externally across the channels of adjacent panels. The web section is integral with a pair of hook-shaped lip sections, each of which extends around the outer surface of the adjacent channel and extends back into the channel, in which it is retained. The hinge member opens easily to an unusually wide position, thereby reducing the number of panels needed for a predetermined width of opening. The wrap-around nature of the hinge prevents adjacent panels from bumping together noisely.

Description

United States Patent 1 1 Runka 1 Sept. 30, 1975 1 HINGE AND PANEL ASSEMBLY'FOR FOLDING DOOR [76] Inventor: William Runka, 8706 Strathcarn Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada [22] Filed: June 19, 1973 211 Appl. No.: 371,399

[52] US. Cl 160/231 A [51] Int. Cl. E0613 9/00 [58] Field of Search 160/201, 229, 231 A; 16/150 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,441,975 5/1969 Shepherd 16/150 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS I 632,219 5/1963 Belgium 160/231 A 337,754 3/1936 Italy 160/201 Primary E.\'nminerPhilip C. Kannan Attorney, Agent, or FirmErnest Peter Johnson 1 1 ABSTRACT A hinged panel assembly for a folding door is provided. The side portions of each panel are formed to provide oppositely opening channels. The longitudinal hinge member is of thin, flexible material. It comprises a transverse spine or web section which extends externally across the channels of adjacent panels. The web section is integral with a pair of hook-shaped lip sections, each of which extends around the outer surface of the adjacent channel and extends back into the channel, in which it is retained. The hinge member opens easily to an unusually wide position, thereby reducing the number of panels needed for a predetermined width of opening. The wrap-around nature of the hinge prevents adjacent panels from bumping together noisely.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures US. Patent Sapt. 30,1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,908,731

HINGE AND PANEL ASSEMBLY FOR FOLDING DOOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION chloride, having a bulbous bead formed along its side 1 edges. The beads are slipped lengthwise into the channels of adjacent panels and are locked in place by crimping the channel walls or inserting an expander into the bead at each end of the channel. The hinged panels are attached to roller assemblies which run in tracks mounted in the door opening. The assembly can be opened from a stacked position, in which the panels are parallel and crowded together, to an extended position, wherein the panels adopt a zig zag formation across the door opening.

Those in the business of manufacturing folding doors are constantly looking for ways to reducing the amount of materials used in making the door, so as to decrease its cost and thereby improve its competitiveness. It is one object of the present invention to provide a hinged panel assembly having an exceptionally flexible and wide opening hinge, whereby the assembly may be easily pulled to an almost flat position and will remain in that position when the opening force is released. As a result, the number of panels, used to close an opening of a particular width, may be reduced.

When the panels of a folding door are moved to the stacked position, the metal panels tend to bump to gether the operations of opening and closing a folding door may fairly be described as being relatively noisy. This aspect detracts from the sales appeal of the door. It is therefore another object of the invention to provide a hinged panel assembly adapted to keep the panels from contacting each other, thereby reducing the noise associated with opening or closing the door.

In some folding doors, the edges of the panels at their point of connection with the hinges are visible. These portions of the door are unsightly. It is therefore another object of this invention to provide a hinge and panel assembly in which the hinge is adapted to hide the edges of the panels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, the longitudinal edge portions of each panel are bent to form channels extending outwardly from opposite sides of the panel. When assembled, the oppositely disposed channels of each pair of adjacent panels are positioned next to each other. A hinge member engages each pair of adjacent channels to connect the panels. The hinge member is formed of a uniformly thick, relatively thin, flexible material, such as an extrusion of polyvinyl chloride.

surface of the adjacent channel and are bent back into the channel opening. A bead is formed along the longitudinal edge of each lip section; the beads of each hinge member are disposed within the channels of the adjacent panels and function to hold the hinge member in place.

When the assembled panels are pulled from the stacked position to an extended position, the lip sections rotate and open about their lines of connection with the web section. At the same time, the web section itself flexes about its longitudinal center line. The opening of the hinge is accomplished with relatively little pull. In addition, the hinge will remain open with the panels at an unusually wide angle; the panels will remain stationary even when positioned at 15 from horizontal.

The hinged panel assembly is characterized by several advantages. First, the wide-angle opening of the hinge member results in a relatively small number of panels being used to close an opening of predetermined width. The non-contractive nature of the hinge member makes it easy to pull the assembly to the extended position. Second, the wide externally positioned web section of the hinge member masks the unsightly cracks of the panel-hinge junction and the edges of the panels. Third, the noise generating characteristic of the assembly is relatively mild, since the spacing apart of the panels by the web sections and the encasing of the outer surfaces of the channels in the material of the lip sections substantially prevents the metal surfaces of the panels from contacting during the opening and closing operations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hinged panel assembly in thevextended position;

FIG. 2 is a top view, in section, of the assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view, in section, of the assembly in the stacked position; and

FIG. 4 is a blow-up top sectional view of a hinge member and the ends of two engaged panels.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The assembly comprises adjacent metal panels 1 hinged together by the hinge members 2.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the longitudinal edge sections of each panel 1 are bent to form a pair of channels 3, 4. These channels extend from the panels main plane in opposite directions. Each channel 3, 4 comprises an end portion 5 and a bent-back portion 6.

Each hinge member 2 comprises a web section 7' and a pair of integral, hook-shaped lip sections 8. The web section is positioned transversely and externally of the engaged panels 1. It extends across and past the adjacent channel end portions 5. Each lip section comprises a first leg 9, extending substantially perpendicularly and inwardly from the web section 7, and a second leg 10 extending across the channel bent-back portion 6 and back into the adjacent channel. At its inner edge, the leg 10 is thickened to provide the bead 11. The bead is of greater thickness than the width of the channel mouth 12, and thus the hinge member 2 is locked to the engaged panels la, 1b. The channel portion 6 can be crimped in on the bead to help fix the latter in place.

While not shown, the usual suspension hardware will be provided to mount the assembly in an opening.

It will be noted that the hinge member 2 is formed of thin, flexible material of substantially uniform thickness, except for the beads 11. Yet the web section 7 should be sufficiently rigid to hold the panels 1 apart in the stacked position. One suitable material for use in making the hinge member is polyvinyl chloride.

In operation, when the panels are pulled from the stacked position, the adjacent panels la, lb rotate about the longitudinal center line 13 of the connected hinge member 2. As this rotation continues, the lip sections 8 turn and open with the panels about their connection lines 14 with the web section 7, as illustrated by the sequence shown in FIGS. 3 and 2.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my hinged panel assembly may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property of privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a folding door comprising a plurality of rigid panels interconnected by longitudinal hinge members and adjustable between fully extended and stacked positions, the improvement comprising:

each said panel having its longitudinal edge portions bent to form a pair of channels extending from opposite sides of the panel, each longitudinal edge forming a channel mouth with the body of the panel,

each said hinge member engaging one pair of adjacent, oppositely disposed channels of one pair of adjacent panels, each of said channels being on an outer side of said pair of adjacent panels when in said stacked position;

said hinge member comprising, when viewed in cross section in the stacked position,

a web section positioned transversely and externally relative to said pair of panels, said web section extending across and past the outer edges of the engaged channels,

a pair of substantially hook-shaped lip sections integral with the web section, each lip section extending around the outer surface of one of the engaged channels and back into the mouth of the engaged channel,

said lip section having an enlarged head retained in the engaged channel;

said lip and web portions being of substantially uniform thickness and sufficiently flexible across their breadth whereby, when the engaged panels are pulled to the fully extended position, the lip sections turn with the panels and the web section bends along its longitudinal centerline;

said web section being of sufficient width and rigidity whereby each pair of adjacent panels are thereby maintained in spaced apart relation in the stacked position.

2. In a folding door comprising a plurality of rigid panels interconnected by longitudinal hinge members and adjustable between fully extended and stacked positions, the improvement comprising:

each said panel having its longitudinal edge sections bent to form a pair of channels, said channels extending from the panel's main plane in opposite directions, each such channel having an end portion, substantially transverse to the panel main plane, and bent-back portion forming a channel mouth with the panels main plane;

each said hinge member engaging one pair of adjacent opposed channels of one pair of adjacent panels, said hinge member comprising, when viewed in cross section in the stacked position,

a web section, positioned transversely relative to said pair of panels and externally of the channel end portions, said web section extending across and past the channel end portions,

a pair of lip sections integral with the side edge portions of the web section, each lip section comprising an outer leg, extending substantially perpendicularly from the web section, and an inner leg, extending across the adjacent bent-back portion of the channel and proximate the channel mouth, and

an enlarged head joined to and integral with said inner leg through said channel mouth the bead being retained in the channel;

said web section and legs being sufficiently flexible and of substantially uniform thickness, whereby, when the panels are pulled to the fully extended position, the legs turn with the adjacent panels and the web section bends along its longitudinal centerline;

3. The improvement of claim 1, wherein said hinge members are formed of polyvinyl chloride.

4. The improvement of claim 2, wherein said hinge members are formed of polyvinyl chloride.

5. The improvement of claim 2, wherein said bead member is shaped, having outer surfaces conforming to the portions of the panel forming said channels and said bead member substantially fills said channel.

Claims

1. In a folding door comprising a plurality of rigid panels interconnected by longitudinal hinge members and adjustable between fully extended and stacked positions, the improvement comprising: each said panel having its longitudinal edge portions bent to form a pair of channels extending from opposite sides of the panel, each longitudinal edge forming a channel mouth with the body of the panel, each said hinge member engaging one pair of adjacent, oppositely disposed channels of one pair of adjacent panels, each of said channels being on an outer side of said pair of adjacent panels when in said stacked position; said hinge member comprising, when viewed in cross section in the stacked position, a web section positioned transversely and externally relative to said pair of panels, said web section extending across and past the outer edges of the engaged channels, a pair of substantially hook-shaped lip sections integral with the web section, each lip section extending around the outer surface of one of the engaged channels and back into the mouth of the engaged channel, said lip section having an enlarged head retained in the engaged channel; said lip and web portions being of substantially uniform thickness and sufficiently flexible across their breadth whereby, when the engaged panels are pulled to the fully extended position, the lip sections turn with the panels and the web section bends along its longitudinal centerline; said web section being of sufficient width and rigidity whereby each pair of adjacent panels are thereby maintained in spaced apart relation in the stacked position.

2. In a folding door comprising a plurality of rigid panels interconnected by longitudinal hinge members and adjustable between fully extended and stacked positions, the improvement comprising: each said panel having its longitudinal edge sections bent to form a pair of channels, said channels extending from the panel''s main plane in opposite directions, each such channel having an end portion, substantially transverse to the panel main plane, and bent-back portion forming a channel mouth with the panel''s main plane; each said hinge member engaging one pair of adjacent opposed channels of one pair of adjacent panels, said hinge member comprising, when viewed in cross section in the stacked position, a web section, positioned transversely relative to said pair of panels and externally of the channel end portions, said web section extending across and past the channel end portions, a pair of lip sections integral with the side edge portions of the web section, each lip section comprising an outer leg, extending substantially perpendicularly from the web section, and an inner leg, extending across the adjacent bent-back portion of the channel and proximate the channel mouth, and an enlarged head joined to and integral with said inner leg through said channel mouth the bead being retained in the channel; said web section and legs being sufficiently flexible and of substantially uniform thickness, whereby, when the panels are pulled to the fully extended position, the legs turn with the adjacent panels and the web section bends along its longitudinal centerline; said web section being of sufficient width and rigidity whereby each pair of adjacent panels are thereby maintained in spaced apart relation in the stacked position.