US3357480A

US3357480A - Sliding door structure

Info

Publication number: US3357480A
Application number: US490494A
Authority: US
Inventors: Tom T Matsumoto
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-09-27
Filing date: 1965-09-27
Publication date: 1967-12-12
Anticipated expiration: 1984-12-12

Description

1957 T. T MATSUMOTO 33 7,

SLIDING DOOR STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 27, 1965 INVENTOR TOM T. MATSUMOTO PATENT AGENT United States Patent 3,357,480 SLIDING DOOR STRUCTURE Tom T. Matsumoto, 826 S. Mary Ave, Sunnyvale, Calif. 94087 Filed Sept. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 499,494 8 Claims. ((11. 160-4133) The present invention relates generally to door structures and more particularly to a sliding door structure arranged to control access through relatively large openings such as an entrance to a garage.

When access through a relatively large opening such as the entrance to a garage must be controlled, it becomes impractical to utilize a door consisting of a solid panel pivoted at one edge in a conventional manner for several reasons. In the first place, the requisite strength and weight of the structure become excessive and in the second place, the space requirement for swinging of the door becomes quite large. As a consequence, sliding of overhead doors have come into prevalent use for controlling access to relatively large openings such as the entrance to a garage. These also suffer from certain disadvantages. In the case of therigid, sliding panel door, a large space must be available adjacent the door opening, and in the case of the overhead door, relatively complex counterbalancing structures are nec'essary to facilitate both raising and lowering of the relatively heavy structures.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a novelsliding door structure which is simple and inexpensive yet, at the same time, is effective in its access control function. i

' More particularly, it is a feature of the invention to provide a sliding door structure including a plurality of pivota'lly-joined slats suspended for movement between rectilinearly aligned positions across an opening and a curled compact storage position adjacent the side of the opening.

Additionally, it is a feature to provide for suspension of the slats from an overhead track which substantially entirely supports the weight of the door slats and thus eliminates the need for any supporting or guide track at the lower end of the slats.

In order to enable the requisite movement of the door slats, the track includes a rectilinear section across the top of the door opening and a curvilinear section at one side thereof.

.It is an additional feature of the invention to provide a particularly simple mechanism for holding the door slats against displacement from rectilinear alignment so as to accordingly preclude movement thereof along the curvilinear portion of the suspending track. Thus, in effect, a simple mechanism is provided for locking the door in its closed position as a substantially rigid structure.

It is a particularly significant feature of the invention to provide a sliding door structure designed so as to minimize over-all weight, yet to provide an effective rigid closure for the door opening.

These as well as other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from a perusal of the following description of the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sliding door structure embodying the present invention, portions of the structure being broken away to show interior details thereof,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 22 of FIG. 1 illustrating details of the door slats and portions of the operating mechanism associated therewith, and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view generally similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating the slats when displaced otu of the rectilinear alignment shown in FIG. 2.

With initial reference to FIG. 1, a sliding door structure indicated generally by the numeral 10 is disposed in a position of closure across a door opening defined by a generally rectangular frame including two side frame members 12-, 14 which rise substantially vertically from an underlying floor and a substantially horizontal top frame member 16 supported in bridging relationship thereover.

A track 20 for the sliding door includes a straight or rectilinear portion 20a which is attached in a substantially horizontal disposition to the top frame member 16 to extend substantially entirely from one side of the door frame to the other, and a curvilinear section 20b constituting an extension of the rectilinear track section as specifically illustrated in FIG. 1. Such curvilinear track section 20b is in the form of an inwardly curling spiral whose overall length is substantially equivalent to the length of the rectilinear track section 20a. Additional support for such curvilinear track section can be provided by an open boxlike frame 22 as illustrated in FIG. 1 although other supporting structures can be utilized dependent upon the particular installation. In cross-section, the track 20 preferably constitutes a rectangular tube having a central longitudinal slot 24 in its lower face.

A plurality of roller pairs 26 are arranged for movement longitudinally of the track 20, each roller pair being supportedfor rolling movement along the track on opposite sides of the central slot 24 which accommodate a suspension bracket 28 carried between the rollers and supported thereby at its upper end, and in turn, connected at its lower end to the upper extremity of a door slat 30 so as to suspend the latter in a substantially vertical disposition. The length of the suspended slat 30 is such that its lower extremity is immedately adjacent to the floor under the door opening. In transverse cross-section, as best illustrated in FIG. 2, each slat 30 preferably takes the form of a U-channel of generally rectangular outline. Such configuration allows the. slats 30 to be made of light weight metal, but at the same time, meets the requirements for structural rigidity of the door. The free ends of the U-channels formed by adjacent slats 30 are hingedly connected as shown at 31, preferably in three positions, at the top, bottom and an intermediate level, thus allowing the adjacent door slats to pivot away from the rectilinear aligned dispositions as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein the base of the Us are in co-planar relationship defining a smooth, front surface of the door, and the sides of the Us are in parallel, adjacent relationship. From such rectilinear alignment, the slats 30 can pivot relative to one another as the rollers 26 and the slats suspended there- 1 from are moved from the rectilinear track section 2011 onto the spiral track section 2012, such open disposition being illustrated clearly in FIG. 3 whereat the sides of the U-channels depart from their parallel dispositions and are disposed at an acute angle.

The slats 30 can be held in their rectilinear dispositions as shown in FIG. 2 and precluded from displacement into the FIG. 3 disposition by a simple locking mechanism which takes the form of a cable 32 that passes through aligned openings 34 in the sides of the U-channel slats at positions adjacent the base of the U and thus relatively remote from the hinged juncture of the slats. The cable 32 is fixed at one end to a sheave 36 on the slat 30 nearest the spiral track section 20!) on the right, and at its left end is fixed to a larger sheave 38 on the slat 30 at the remote side of the door opening.

The

sheaves

36, 38 are fixed to shafts 40, 42 mounted for rotation in simple bearings and carry

similar latches

44, 46 arranged to enter

conventional keepers

48, 50 on

adjacent frame members

12, 22. A spring 51 urges the latch 44 to an open unlocked position. A handle 52 is secured to the outwardly projecting end of one shaft 42 and a similar handle" 54 is secured to its inner end so that the sheave 38 can be turned by a person standing inside or outside the door. If the inner handle 54 is turned in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1, the cable 32 isW'Qu-nd on the sheave 38' and effects clockwise rotation of the sheave 36 so both latches 44, .6 enter

thekeepers

48, 50. Since the sheave 38 is larger, the cable 32 becomes taut to retain all of the slats in their rectilinearly aligned dispositions as shown in FIG. 2.

Asthe-sheave'3'6 rotates to the locked position, the disposition of the spring 51 passes over center of the sheave thus to resiliently hold the sheave and the latch 44 in its closed position. If'this same inner handle 54 is turned in a clockwise directon, the latches 44', 46 are opened, the cable becomes slackand the slats 30 can then be moved onto the curvilinear track section 2012, the total amount of slack being sufficient toenable accommodation ofthe angular departure of the sides of adjoining U-channels asillustrated in FIG. 3.

It is to be particularly observed that as the cable 32 is tightened, the door slats 30 are urged against one another and thus become a substantially integrated, rigid structure which is held at its top in the track 20 and thereunder by the taut cable. Thus, the structure is held rigidly without the necessity for utilization of a lower track section in the floor.

It will be understood that many modifications and/or alternations can bemade in the structure as specifically described without departing from the spirit of the invention. Inparticular, it is to be pointed out that the curvilinear traclesec'tions-specifically described as a spiral configuration can have yet other configurations to meet particular; space requirements, so long as such configurations include some curvilinear portion to preclude moven1e'rit-therearoundwhen the cable is taut as described. Accordingly, the foregoing detailed description is to be construed-purely as-e'xemplary andnot in a limiting sense and the actual scope of the invention is to be indicated only By' reference to the appended claims;

What is claimed is:

1. A sliding door' structure which comprises a track extending along a substantially horizontal path extending rectilinearly' above the door opening and curvilinearly adjacent one" side of the opening, a plurality of slats movably suspended in substantially vertical and adjacent positions from said track, and

means interconnecting said' slats and means for tensioning said interconnecting means for releasably holding said slats againstdisplacement from horizontal rectilinear alignment.

2. A sliding door structure-according to claim 1 wherein the curvilinear portion of said track has a spiral configuration.

3. Asliding door structure according to claim 1 which comprises means hingedly connecting adjacent slats permitting relative pivotal motion of adjacent slats about a substantially vertical axis.

4. A sliding door structure according to claim 1 wherein each of said slats constitutes a U-channel member of generally rectangular outline, the free ends of the U-channels formed by adjacent slats being hingedly connected wherefore the sides of the U-channels can be pivoted between parallel adjacent dispositions and opened dispositions whereat the sides of adjacent U- channels form an acute angle. 5. A sliding door structure according to claim 4 wherein said slat interconnecting means includes a cable operatively interconnected between the end slats of the door structure, and said tensioning means urges sides of said U-channel slats into parallel relationship. 6. A sliding door structure according to claim 5 which comprises means for securing each of said end slats against horizontal movement in any direction, said means being operatively associated with said cable tensioning means so that said end slats are secured at the, same time that tension is applied to said cable. 7. A sliding door structure adapted to close an opening formed within a door frame which comprises a track extending along a substantially horizontal path extending rectilinearly above the door opening arid curvilinearly adjacent one side of the opening, a plurality of slats movably suspended in substantially vertical and adjacent positions from said track, means hingedly connecting adjacent slats for pivotal motion about substantially a vertical axis, a cable extending substantially horizontally across all of said slats, and means at the end of said cable for applying tension to the same for releasably holding said slats against displacement from horizontal rectilinear alignment. 8. A sliding door structure according to claim 7 which comprises latch means for releasably connecting opposite ends of said door structure to said frame in response to tensioning of said cable.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS- 1,110,219 9/1914 Metzgar 160 201x 1,621,717 3/1927 Grant et al. 160- 133' 1,835,644 12/1931 Grassi.

1,899,062 2/1933 Stefien 160-199X 2,102,086 12/1937 Mueller 160 229 2,134,983 11/1938 Nottingham 160201 2,336,660 12/1943 West 160 201 2,610,681 9/1952 Schaap. 2,684,714 7/1954 Corey 160--190 2,726,911 12/1955 Mason.

2,934,139 4/1960 Wardlawetal 16026 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Examiner.

DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A SLIDING DOOR STRUCTURE WHICH COMPRISES A TRACK EXTENDING ALONG A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PATH EXTENDING RECTILINEARLY ABOVE THE DOOR OPENING AND CURVILINEARLY ADJACENT ONE SIDE OF THE OPENING, A PLURALITY OF SLATS MOVABLY SUSPENDED IN SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AND ADJACENT POSITIONS FROM SAID TRACK, AND MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID SLATS AND MEANS FOR TENSIONING SAID INTERCONNECTING MEANS FOR RELEASABLY HOLDING SAID SLATS AGAINST DISPLACEMENT FROM HORIZONTAL RECTILINEAR ALIGNMENT.