Insulated doors with restorable breakaway sections

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11085230-B2
Application number	US-201916670621-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2019
Priority date	Feb 3, 2016
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A door system includes a panel to translate along a normal path between an open position and a closed position in front of a doorway in a wall. The door system further includes a first track to support the panel from an upper portion of the panel, and a second track to extend along the normal path proximate a lower portion of the panel. The door system also includes a spring to urge the panel toward the second track to maintain the panel in the normal path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A door for use at a doorway through a wall, the doorway having a height extending in a vertical direction between a floor and an upper edge of the doorway, the doorway having a width extending in a horizontal direction between a first lateral edge of the doorway and a second lateral edge of the doorway, the door comprising:
an overhead track proximate the upper edge of the doorway, the overhead track being at a first elevation above the floor;
a panel assembly suspended from the overhead track such that the overhead track carries most of a weight of the panel assembly, the overhead track guiding the panel assembly in translation along a path between an open position and a closed position relative to the doorway, the panel assembly blocking more of the doorway when the panel assembly is in the closed position than when the panel assembly is in the open position, the panel assembly having a normal configuration and a dislodged configuration, an entirety of the panel assembly lying within the path when the panel assembly is in the normal configuration, at least a portion of the panel assembly being displaced outside the path when the panel assembly is in the dislodged configuration, the panel assembly including a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first and second sides extending generally parallel to the path when the panel assembly is in the normal configuration, the first side being closer to the wall than the second side;
a lower track attached to at least one of the floor or the wall, the lower track being at a second elevation lower than the first elevation, the lower track being interposed between the wall and the panel assembly when the panel assembly is in the open position; and
a spring cooperating with the lower track to urge the panel assembly towards the normal configuration as the panel assembly begins to move from the normal configuration towards the dislodged configuration, a longitudinal axis of the spring extending in a direction transverse to the path, the spring including a first end and a second end, the first end being closer to the wall than the second end, the second end being closer to the wall than the second side of the panel assembly.

2. The door of claim 1 , further including a roller mounted to the panel assembly, the roller coupled to the spring, the roller having a guiding configuration and a release configuration, the roller being in the guiding configuration and extending into a roller passageway of the lower track when the panel assembly is in the normal configuration and halfway between the open position and the closed position, the roller being in the release configuration and disposed outside the roller passageway when the panel assembly is in the dislodged configuration.

3. The door of claim 2 , wherein the roller pivots relative to the panel assembly between the guiding configuration and the release configuration.

4. The door of claim 2 , wherein the spring urges the roller from the release configuration toward the guiding configuration.

5. The door of claim 2 , wherein the lower track defines an opening through which the roller passes upon the panel assembly changing from the dislodged configuration to the normal configuration.

6. The door of claim 2 , wherein the weight of the panel assembly urges the roller from the release configuration toward the guiding configuration when the panel assembly is in the dislodged configuration.

7. The door of claim 1 , wherein the lower track is spaced apart from the floor and attached to the wall.

8. The door of claim 1 , further including a return roller mounted on the floor, the panel assembly being interposed between the lower track and the return roller when the panel assembly is in the normal configuration, the return roller urging the panel assembly from the dislodged configuration toward the normal configuration as the panel assembly moves toward the closed position while in the dislodged configuration.

9. The door of claim 1 , wherein the spring is supported by and moves with the panel assembly.

10. The door of claim 1 , wherein the spring cooperating with the lower track enables the panel assembly to be restored to the normal configuration from the dislodged configuration.

11. The door of claim 1 , wherein the spring enables the panel assembly to be displaced into the dislodged configuration.

12. The door of claim 1 , wherein both the first and second ends of the spring are proximate the second elevation of the lower track when the panel assembly is in the normal configuration.

13. A door system, comprising:
a panel to translate along a path between an open position and a closed position in front of a doorway in a wall, the panel including a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, at least one of the first and second surfaces extending generally parallel to the path when the panel is in the path;
a first track supporting the panel from an upper portion of the panel;
a second track extending along the path proximate a lower portion of the panel, the second surface facing away from the second track; and
a spring to urge the panel toward the second track by a first force when the panel is urged away from the path by a second force, the first force maintains the panel in the path when the second force is less than the first force, the spring including a first end and a second end, the spring extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the at least one of the first and second surfaces, the first end is closer to the second track than the second end, the second end is closer to the second track than the second surface of the panel.

14. The door system of claim 13 , wherein the spring enables the panel to move to a dislodged position outside the path without damaging the panel when the second force is greater than the first force.

15. The door system of claim 13 , wherein the spring facilitates a repositioning of the panel in the path after being displaced outside of the path.

16. The door system of claim 13 , wherein the second track is positioned between the panel and the wall when the panel is in the open position.

17. The door system of claim 13 , wherein the spring is carried by the panel, the panel and the spring to translate as a unit relative to the second track.

18. The door system of claim 13 , wherein the first and second ends of the spring are at substantially a same height when mounted on the panel.

19. The door system of claim 13 , wherein the second track includes a front side and a back side, the front side is spaced apart from and faces towards the first surface of the panel, the spring is operatively coupled to an assembly that engages both the front and back sides of the second track when the panel translates along the path.

20. The door system of claim 19 , wherein the assembly includes a hinge to enable the assembly to disengage with the second track when the panel moves to a dislodged position outside the path.

Assignees

• Rite Hite Holding Corp

Inventors

• Shanahan Dean
• Lewan Derek
• Schumacher Jon
• Casey Nicholas J
• Knutson Perry W
• Kern Rodney
• Campbell Steven
• Haessler Timothy A
• Hoerner William W

Classifications

• E06B3/4636 Primary

  for doors (E06B3/4609 and E06B3/4654 - E06B3/4681 take precedence; sliding shower doors A47K3/34) · CPC title

• E05D15/0604

  allowing an additional movement (E05D15/10 takes precedence; raising wings before sliding E05D15/565) · CPC title

• E06B3/80

  flexible {(upwardly folding flexible screens E06B9/262)} · CPC title

• E05Y2900/102

  for cold-rooms · CPC title

• E05F15/643

  operated by flexible elongated pulling elements, e.g. belts, chains or cables (by flexible elongated push-pull mechanisms E05F15/635) · CPC title