Background Field of the Invention

[01] The present invention relates, in general, to building door assemblies, and, in particular, to hangar door assemblies.

Related Art

[02] Agricultural, aviation, commercial buildings and the like generally require a large opening for accommodating trucks, tractors, airplanes, large farm equipment (e.g. combines), large industrial equipment, and others, through such opening. Numerous door members have been devised for these large buildings to accommodate this need. The types of door members developed in the past generally require a larger opening than is required to accommodate the door members, thus reducing the overall available vertical height of the building opening that can be provided for a given limited area of space or land.

Summary

[03] An aspect of the invention involves a hangar door/roof assembly including a door and roof combination that pivots relative to a roof of a hangar for opening and closing the hangar to allow the ingress and egress of an airplane and/or other vehicle/object.

[04] Another aspect of the invention involves a door assembly for a building including a support structure, walls, and a roof. The door assembly includes a combination hangar door and roof assembly pivotably coupleable to the support structure for opening and closing the building to allow the ingress and egress of an object. The combination hangar door and roof assembly is a door that forms at least part of the roof.

[05] One or more implementations of the aspect of the invention described immediately above may include one or more of the following: the building includes a pitched roof and the combination hangar door and roof assembly includes a roof section to form at least part of, and be flush with, the roof; one or more hinges pivotably couple the combination hangar door and roof assembly to the support structure; one or more hydraulic cylinder mechanisms operably couple the combination hangar door and roof assembly and the support structure for opening and closing the combination hangar door and roof assembly; the roof includes a crest and an edge, and the combination hangar door and roof assembly is pivotably coupleable to the support structure at any distance from the crest to the edge where the combination hangar door and roof assembly is a door that forms one of at least part of the roof and all the roof; the roof is a pitched roof, and the combination hangar door and roof assembly includes a roof section and an end section, the roof section to form part of the pitched roof and the end section to form an end wall when the combination hangar door and roof assembly is in a closed condition; the roof section and the end section include skinning material; the combination hangar door and roof assembly is one of more than one combination hangar door and roof assembly for the building; the building includes opposite ends and the combination hangar door and roof assembly is one of a pair of combination hangar door and roof assemblies to face in opposite directions and are pivotably coupleable to the support structure for opening and closing the building at the opposite ends to allow the ingress and egress of an object; the building includes an end and the combination hangar door and roof assembly is a single combination hangar door and roof assembly that is pivotably coupleable to the support structure for opening and closing the building at the end to allow the ingress and egress of an object; a method of using a door assembly with a building including a support structure, walls, and a roof, the comprising pivoting the combination hangar door and roof assembly relative to the support structure of the building so that at least part of the roof raises to open the building to allow the egress of an object; and egressing the object out of the building through an opening created by the raised combination hangar door and roof assembly; and/or pivoting the combination hangar door and roof assembly relative to the support structure of the building so that at least part of the roof lowers to close the building.

[06] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. Brief Description of the Drawings

[07] The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, may be gleaned in part by study of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:

[08] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of a hangar including a movable hangar door/roof assembly shown in a closed position, and a portion of a side wall of the hangar is partially removed to show an airplane in the hangar; [09] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the hangar of FIG. 1 , and shows the movable hangar door/roof assembly shown in a raised position to allow the allow the ingress and egress of the airplane;

[10] FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the hangar of FIG. 1 and shows the movable hangar door/roof assembly shown in a closed position, similar to FIG. 1 ; [11] FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the hangar of FIG. 1 and shows the movable hangar door/roof assembly shown in an open position, similar to FIG. 2; and

[12] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a hangar, with multiple hangars shown side by side, including a movable hangar door/roof assembly shown in a raised position to allow the allow the ingress and egress of the airplane.

Detailed Description

[13] With reference to FIGS. 1-4, an embodiment of a hanger building 100 including a pair of movable hangar door/roof assemblies 110 will be described. Although the building 100 will be shown and described as a hangar including an airplane therein, in alternative embodiments, the building 100 may be, for example, but not by way of limitation, a hangar, a barn, a factory, and other large structures. Further, the vehicle/equipment inside may be, for example, but not by way of limitation, a truck, a tractor, an airplane, large farm equipment (e.g. combine), or other vehicle/equipment.

[14] The hangar 100 generally includes a support/frame structure with side walls 120 and a pitched roof 140 attached thereto. The hangar door/roof assemblies 110 are pivotally connected to the hangar 100 at overhead hinges 150 for moving the hangar door/roof assembly 110 between a closed position (FIGS. 1 , 3) and an open position (FIGS. 2, 4). Although a pair of hangar door/roof assemblies 110 are shown/described, in alternative embodiments, the hangar building may include other numbers (e.g., 1 , 3, 4, etc) of hangar door/roof assemblies 110. The hinges 150 are disposed along an edge 160 of a roof section 170, 190 of the roof 140. The hangar door/roof assemblies 110 are on opposite ends of the roof 140 and the hangar 100, facing in opposite directions. Accordingly, the length of the front roof section 170 is the same as the length of a rear roof section 190. Although the hinges 150 are shown as being located down from the crest/ridgeline 180, approximately 1/3 the distance between from the crest 180 and edge 210, in alternative embodiments, the hinges 150 are disposed at an alternative location, such as, but not limited to, 1 ) between a mid-point between the crest 180 and edge 210, and the crest 180, 2) at the crest 180, 3) near (i.e., substantially at) the crest 180, and 4) at any point between the crest 180, and edge 210.

[15] A pair of hydraulic cylinder mechanisms 220 are mounted at the top of opposite side walls 120 with mounting brackets 230 for imparting the force required to open and close the hangar door/roof assemblies 110 relative to the hangar 100. The hydraulic cylinder mechanisms 220 are connected to the hangar door/roof assembly 110 at lower mounting points 240 along a lower portion of roof section 250 of hangar door/roof assembly 110. Each hydraulic cylinder mechanism 220 includes a cylinder ram that moves in and out of a hydraulic cylinder for opening and closing the hangar door/roof assembly 110. [16] The hangar door/roof assemblies 110 include a support/frame structure and tin or other "skinning" materials for covering the support/frame structure to form roof section 250 and end section 260. The end section 260 is angled relative to the roof section 250 so that when the hangar door/roof assembly 110 is closed, as shown in FIG. 1 , the end section 260 forms an end wall 130 and the roof section 250 forms part of pitched roof 140. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the end section 260 may include a doorway/door 270 that one may use to enter and exit the hangar 100 when the hangar door/roof assembly 110 is closed. In alternative embodiments, the end section 260 may include one or more doors of the same or different sizes/configurations to facilitate ingress/egress of different objects (e.g. pedestrians, vehicles, equipment) while the hangar door/roof assembly 110 is closed. The hangar door/roof assembly 110 includes a bottom edge 280 along a bottom of the hangar door/roof assembly 110.

[17] In use, the hangar door/roof assembly 110 is opened to the position shown in FIGS. 2, 4 for egress and ingress of an airplane and/or other vehicle/object. In this position, the bottom edge 280 of the hangar door/roof assembly 110 is raised to a high-enough position so that the highest point of the airplane (e.g., top of tail) clears the bottom edge 280 of the hangar door/roof assembly 110. [18] To raise the hangar door/roof assembly 110, the hydraulic cylinder mechanisms 220 are actuated to cause the cylinder rams to move outwardly from the hydraulic cylinders. The extension of the cylinder rams forces the hangar door/roof assembly 110 upwardly, with the hangar door/roof assembly 110 pivoting upwardly at the hinges 150. With the hangar door/roof assembly 110 raised, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, the plane can easily enter and exit the hangar 100 without contacting the hangar door/roof assembly 110. [19] To lower the hangar door/roof assembly 110, the hydraulic cylinder mechanisms 220 are actuated to cause the cylinder rams to retract into the hydraulic cylinders. The retraction of the cylinder rams forces the hangar door/roof assembly 110 downwardly, with the hangar door/roof assembly 110 pivoting downwardly at the hinges 150. With the hangar door/roof assembly 110 closed, as shown in FIGS. 1 , 3, the plane and inside of the hangar 100 are protected from the environment. It should be noted that weather-tight resilient seals (e.g., compressed foam seal) may be disposed along edges of the hangar door/roof assembly 110 and the hangar 100 (where the two come together). [20] With reference to FIG. 5, which shows multiple hangars 100a side by side, another embodiment of a hangar 100a including a movable hangar door/roof assembly 110a will be described. The hangar 100a is generally similar to hangar 100 (similar/same elements will not be described and/or will be referenced with like reference numbers, but with "a" suffix), except the hangar 100a has a construction/configuration that is 14 the construction/configuration hangar 100 shown in FIGS. 1 -4, and the hangar 100a includes a hangar door/roof assembly 110a that is hinged at or near a crest/ridgeline 180a instead of hinged 1/3 the distance from crest/ridgeline 180 to edge 160 as shown in FIGS. 1 -4. In alternative embodiments, the hangar door/roof assembly 110a of the hangar 100a includes any portion of the roof 140a and includes hinge distances from the crest/ridgeline 180a other than those shown.

[21] The hangar 100, 100a is advantageous in that the hangar 100, 100a uses less space than a traditional T hangar, the hangar 100, 100a uses less steel than a traditional T hangar, and the hangar 100, 100a has a lower profile than a traditional T hangar.

[22] The above figures may depict exemplary configurations for the invention, which is done to aid in understanding the features and functionality that can be included in the invention. The invention is not restricted to the illustrated architectures or configurations, but can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, although the invention is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments can be applied, alone or in some combination, to one or more of the other embodiments of the invention, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus the breadth and scope of the present invention, especially in any following claims, should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

[23] Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term "including" should be read as mean "including, without limitation" or the like; the term "example" is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; and adjectives such as "conventional," "traditional," "standard," "known" and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompass conventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may be available or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, a group of items linked with the conjunction "and" should not be read as requiring that each and every one of those items be present in the grouping, but rather should be read as "and/or" unless expressly stated otherwise. Similarly, a group of items linked with the conjunction "or" should not be read as requiring mutual exclusivity among that group, but rather should also be read as "and/or" unless expressly stated otherwise. Furthermore, although item, elements or components of the disclosure may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated to be within the scope thereof unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. The presence of broadening words and phrases such as "one or more," "at least," "but not limited to" or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent.