Adjustable torsional door rod

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11035164-B2
Application number	US-201916507156-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2019
Priority date	Jul 10, 2019
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A screen door for a cooling package of a vehicle that includes proximal and distal frame posts, screen surface, torsion bar, stationary support, torsion bracket and fastener. The proximal frame post is hingedly coupled to the cooling package, and the distal frame post can be hingedly coupled to a secondary door. Proximal end of torsion bar is fixedly attached to proximal frame post, and distal end is moveable relative to the distal frame post. Stationary support is fixedly attached to distal frame post. Torsion bracket is fixedly attached to distal end of torsion bar, and is moveable relative to stationary support. Fastener maintains torsion bracket in a desired position relative to stationary support. Movement of torsion bracket relative to stationary support applies an adjustable torsion on torsion bar, and fastener maintains the adjustable torsion. An adjustment member can be attached to fastener between torsion bracket and stationary support.

First claim

We claim:

1. A screen door for a cooling package of a vehicle, the screen door comprising:
a proximal frame post on a proximal end of the screen door, the proximal frame post hingedly coupled to the cooling package;
a distal frame post on a distal end of the screen door;
a screen surface that extends between the proximal and distal frame posts;
a torsion bar with a proximal end fixedly attached to the proximal frame post and a distal end moveable relative to the distal frame post;
a stationary support fixedly attached to the distal frame post;
a torsion bracket fixedly attached to the distal end of the torsion bar, and the torsion bracket moveable relative to the stationary support;
a fastener that maintains the torsion bracket in a desired position relative to the stationary support;
wherein movement of the torsion bracket with respect to the stationary support applies an adjustable torsion on the torsion bar, and the fastener maintains the adjustable torsion on the torsion bar.

2. The screen door of claim 1 , wherein the torsion bracket includes a fastener connection where the fastener is connected to the torsion bracket, and the fastener maintains an adjustable distance between the stationary support and the fastener connection of the torsion bracket to maintain the adjustable torsion on the torsion bar.

3. The screen door of claim 1 , wherein the stationary support includes a rod opening, the distal end of the torsion bar passes through the rod opening and the distal end of the torsion bar rotates freely in the rod opening.

4. The screen door of claim 3 , wherein the stationary support includes a slot, the fastener extends into the slot and is moveable within the slot.

5. The screen door of claim 4 , wherein the torsion bracket includes a fastener connection where the fastener is connected to the torsion bracket, and the fastener maintains an adjustable distance between the stationary support and the fastener connection of the torsion bracket to maintain the adjustable torsion on the torsion bar.

6. The screen door of claim 5 , further comprising an adjustment member attached to the fastener between the torsion bracket and the stationary support.

7. The screen door of claim 6 , wherein the fastener is a jack screw, and the adjustment mechanism is a nut threaded on the jack screw.

8. The screen door of claim 7 , wherein the fastener connection of the torsion bracket is a threaded hole in the torsion bracket, the jack screw is threaded through the threaded hole in the torsion bracket and extends into the slot of the stationary support, and the nut is threaded on the jack screw between the threaded hole in the torsion bracket and the slot of the stationary support.

9. The screen door of claim 6 , further comprising an upper frame member that extends between the proximal frame post and the distal frame post at the top of the screen surface.

10. The screen door of claim 9 , wherein the upper frame member comprises a top cover and one or more guides fixedly attached to the top cover, wherein the torsion bar passes through the one or more guides and the torsion bar rotates freely in the one or more guides.

11. The screen door of claim 10 , wherein the screen surface has a pleated shape, and wherein the upper frame member further comprises a front cover fixedly attached to the top cover and a rear cover fixedly attached to the top cover, where the front cover has a sawtooth shape that fits within the pleated shape of the screen surface on a front side of the screen surface and the rear cover has a complementary sawtooth shape that fits within the pleated shape of the screen surface on a rear side of the screen surface.

12. The screen door of claim 10 , wherein the cooling package of the vehicle includes a secondary door; and the screen door further comprises an attachment mechanism connected to the distal frame post, the attachment mechanism configured to attach the secondary door to the distal frame post.

13. The screen door of claim 12 , wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a hinge and the secondary door is hingedly attached to the distal frame post.

14. A screen door for a cooling package of a vehicle that includes a secondary door, the screen door comprising:
a proximal frame post on a proximal end of the screen door, the proximal frame post hingedly coupled to the cooling package;
a distal frame post on a distal end of the screen door, the secondary door hingedly coupled to the distal frame post;
a screen surface that extends between the proximal and distal frame posts;
a torsion bar with a proximal end fixedly attached to the proximal frame post and a distal end moveable relative to the distal frame post;
a stationary support fixedly attached to the distal frame post;
a torsion bracket fixedly attached to the distal end of the torsion bar, and the torsion bracket moveable relative to the stationary support;
a fastener that maintains the torsion bracket in a desired position relative to the stationary support;
wherein movement of the torsion bracket with respect to the stationary support applies an adjustable torsion on the torsion bar, and the fastener maintains the adjustable torsion on the torsion bar.

15. The screen door of claim 14 , wherein the stationary support includes a rod opening, the distal end of the torsion bar passes through the rod opening and the distal end of the torsion bar rotates freely in the rod opening.

16. The screen door of claim 15 , wherein the stationary support includes a slot, the fastener extends into the slot and is moveable within the slot.

17. The screen door of claim 16 , further comprising an adjustment member attached to the fastener between the torsion bracket and the stationary support.

18. The screen door of claim 17 , wherein the fastener is a jack screw, and the adjustment mechanism is a nut threaded on the jack screw.

19. The screen door of claim 18 , wherein the fastener connection of the torsion bracket is a threaded hole in the torsion bracket, the jack screw is threaded through the threaded hole in the torsion bracket and extends into the slot of the stationary support, and the nut is threaded on the jack screw between the threaded hole in the torsion bracket and the slot of the stationary support.

20. The screen door of claim 19 , further comprising an upper frame member that extends between the proximal frame post and the distal frame post at the top of the screen surface; the upper frame member comprising a top cover and one or more guides fixedly attached to the top cover, wherein the torsion bar passes through the one or more guides and the torsion bar rotates freely in the one or more guides.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Miller Shaun J
• Baker Eric L

Classifications

• E05Y2201/486

  Torsion rods · CPC title

• F01P11/00

  Component parts, details, or accessories not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F01P1/00 - F01P9/00 · CPC title

• E05D11/1042 Primary

  the maintaining means being a cam and a torsion bar, e.g. motor vehicle hinge mechanisms · CPC title

• E06B9/52

  Devices affording protection against insects, e.g. fly screens; Mesh windows for other purposes {(screens A47G5/00)} · CPC title

• E05Y2600/10

  Adjustable · CPC title