GLASS ROGER (US)
| US4646471A | 1987-03-03 | |||
| US3805450A | 1974-04-23 | |||
| US3074124A | 1963-01-22 |
| 1. | A selfclosing and self locking sliding door having an inside door surface located inside the structure in which the door is mounted and an outside door surface located outside the structure in which the door is mounted, the door acted upon by the force of gravity and mounted within a wall with a generally rectangular opening having a top side of the rectangular opening and a bottom side of the rectangular opening located opposite of the top side, a first vertical side of the rectangular opening and a second vertical side of the rectangular opening located opposite the first vertical side of the rectangular opening, comprising: a header for attachment of the door to the top side of the rectangular opening in the wall through a header attachment means; a track upon which a roller block assembly is seated and which is fixedly mounted to the header by a track mounting means; a door mechanism attached via a roller fastening means to the roller block; and a locking mechanism for locking the door attached by a locking mechanism attachment means to the door mechanism and the first vertical side of the rectangular opening. |
| 2. | The door of Claim 1, wherein the door mechanism further comprises: a frame having an upper frame portion, a lower frame portion located opposite to the upper frame portion, a first vertical frame portion and a second vertical frame portion located opposite to the first vertical frame portion; a window encompassed within the upper, lower, first vertical, and second vertical portions of the frame; and a mounting flange protruding from the upper frame portion of the frame for mounting the door mechanism to the roller block. |
| 3. | The door of Claim 1, wherein the header further comprises: a "U" shaped header having a first top horizontal "U" side attached to the top side of the rectangular opening; a vertical base of the "U" shape; and a second bottom horizontal "U" side having an indoor header flange protruding therefrom parallel to the vertical base of the "U" shaped header for attachment to the track. |
| 4. | The door of Claim 1, wherein the roller block assembly further comprises: a block with a first face adjacent to the mounting flange and a second face adjacent to a concave roller. |
| 5. | The door of Claim 1, wherein the roller fastening means further comprises: a bolt for insertion through a corresponding opening in the circular block, the concave roller and the mounting flange; the bolt having a head end adjacent to the mounting flange and a tail end protruding from the concave roller; and a hexagonal nut fastened to the tail end of the bolt thereby securing the roller block to the mounting flange. |
| 6. | The door of Claim 1, wherein the track further comprises: a "G"shaped track with a vertical track flange for attachment to the header, a horizontal base of the "G"shaped track, a track roller support parallel to the vertical track flange having a convex track roller support at an end opposite the horizontal base of the "G"shaped track upon which the concave roller sits; and an angle of incline of the track. |
| 7. | The door of Claim 1, wherein the track mounting means further comprises: riveting means for attaching the indoor header flange to the track flange and containing therebetween an insulator. |
| 8. | The door of Claim 1, further comprising: a cover attached to the top side of the rectangular opening and to the upper frame portion on the inside door surface via a cover attachment means for protecting the components of the door. |
| 9. | The door of Claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism further comprises: a door latch attached to the door on the inside door surface of the door via a door latch attachment means; and a base latch attached to the inside door surface of the first vertical side of the rectangular opening via a base latch attachment means. |
| 10. | The door of claim 8, wherein the door latch further comprises: a knob attached to an "L" shaped base; a body which accommodates a foot section of the "L" shaped base; a door grip having a door grip extension accommodated in the body; a spring attachable to the door grip extension, the spring being captured between the door grip extension and a base section generally coextensive with a door stand; the spring being arranged and constructed to bias the door grip extension away from the base section to urge the door grip to a locked position with respect to the base grip; the foot section being in contact with the door grip extension; wherein upon moving the knob in a door opening direction, the "L" shaped base urges the foot against the door grip extension and the spring bias, thereby releasing the door grip from locked engagement with the base grip; and a door grip base flange associated with the door grip extension which is flush with the body which acts to maintain the door grip within the body. |
| 11. | The door of Claim 1, further comprising: a sill with a downward slope mounted between the upper frame portion and the top of the rectangular opening. _. |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed generally to an automatic door adapted for retail sales of products through a driveup door. Particularly, the present invention relates generally to automatic door closers of the inclined track type. This invention relates to serving doors, and more particularly, to serving doors and similar openings installed in drive through or walkup facilities such as fast food restaurant to facilitate exchange between a customer and the business without exposing the server or the interior space unnecessarily to inclement weather, insects, and other such problems. Such doors are usually mounted in the wall of a facility at a height which will put the server in convenient reaching distance from a customer seated in a vehicle, and are commonly used for fast food restaurants and other businesses with drive through service.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Automatically actuated door arrangements have been known in use in the past. Usually, these devices have relied on the application of a physical force to mechanically slide open the doors. Others utilize swinging doors which pivot outwards. Still others utilize magnetic materials to actuate movement of the doors.
However, problems have been encountered with certain aspects of the prior art devices. The present invention is drawn to an automatic sliding door on an inclined plane operated under the effects of gravity in combination with a self locking device.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The nature of the invention is a door which rides on an inclined track so that it closes due to gravity by sliding down the inclined track. The door locks automatically when closed by the coupling of a hooked door latch with a cooperative hooked base latch.
The door opens by a lateral force being applied to the door latch thereby disengaging the locking means and providing for the sliding of the door up the inclined track. The door travels the distance up the inclined track commensurate with the degree of force supplied to it. Upon release, the door slides down the inclined track under the force of gravity. The door then meets a stopping point and reengages with the locking means to lock closed once again.
The purpose of the single sliding access door is to provide a self closing and self locking door for use in the fast food industry to free the hands of the employee to handle the objects being passed through the opening of the door and to provide for safe, effective, and absolutely positive closing of the door area without any input from the operator.
An object of the invention is to provide an automatic closing door which does not utilize electrical energy.
A further object of the invention is to provide a self closing door to free the operator to do other things and to assure closure of the door without operator input. A further object of the invention is to provide a self locking door to free the operator to do other things and for better security.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a cross section of the header, track, and door of the invention.
Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the header, sill, and side frame of the invention.
Figure 3 is a front view of the latching mechanism.
Figure 4 is a top view of the door latch.
Figure 5 is a side view of the latch plate of the door latch.
Figure 6a is a rear view of the door latch.
Figure 7 is a front view of the invention in the latched position.
Figure 8 is a side view of the door latch showing the gap.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Figure 7 illustrates an access door (7) attached to a wall (23). The door (7), as shown in Figure 1, has a mounting flange (22), protruding from the top of the door. The mounting flange (22) is a long slender protrusion from the door (7) utilized in attaching the door (7) to the roller block (2) which rides on a "G" shaped track (1). The "G" shaped track (1) is mounted inside the wall (23) wherein the access door
assembly (25) is to be installed. The track and header complex (26) are installed within an opening of corresponding size made in the wall (23) for installation of the access door assembly (25). The header (8), as shown in Figure 2, is attached to the upper wall (23) via a plurality of header attachment means (27). The header (8) is a generally "U" shaped member. The bottom horizontal header (header bottom) (28) is in contact with the sill (9) of the window (7). In one embodiment, the sill (9) is sloped at a 7Aangle. The indoor header flange (29) is attached via a pop rivet (4) to the verticle track flange (30). An insulator (20) is fixedly mounted between the inner side of the indoor header flange (29) and the outer side of the verticle track flange (30) via the pop rivet (4). The track roller support (33) of the track (1) has a convex track roller support surface (34) upon which a concave roller (34) sits. The track, in order to allow for closing due to gravity, is at an inclined angle.
The roller block assembly (51) consists of a roller block (2) and a concave roller (35) sitting in cooperation upon the convex track roller support surface (34) of the track (1). The roller block (2) is attached via an adjustment screw means (5) through the axis of the roller block (2) to the mounting flange (22) protruding from the door (7). The adjustment screw means (5) holds the mounting flange (22) to the roller block (2) and concave roller (35) in a manner to allow free rotation of the concave roller (35) about its axis. A cover (21) is located on the inside of the area where the access door assembly (25) is installed as shown in Figure 1. The cover (21) is attached to the wall (23) so as to prevent interference with the roller block assembly (51) and track (1) mechanism.
Figure 3 depicts the lock mechanism (36). The lock mechanism (36) consists of a door latch (11) attached to a door (37) as shown in Figure 7 and a base latch (12) attached to a stationary wall (23).
The door latch (11) consists of a knob (13) upon which an operator of the door exerts a lateral force to open the access door assembly (25). In the closed and locked position, the door grip (14) of the door latch (11) is engaged with the base grip (15) of the base latch (12). The door grip (14) is lip shaped. The door latch (11) is attached to the door (7) at the door stand (16). The door stand (16) is attached to the door (37) by an attachment means. As shown in Figure 4, in one embodiment, the door latch (11) consists of a rectangular box-shaped body (41) with an opening (42) located opposite to the knob (13).
As shown in Figure 3, the base latch (12) is a flat generally rectangular shape with a base grip (15) at one end. The base grip (15) is shaped like a lip which protrudes from the base latch (12) and is cooperative with the door grip (14) of the door latch (11). The base latch (12) is attached to the fixed wall (23) via an attachment means.
The door grip (14) is removable from within the door latch (11) via the opening (42) in the door stand (16). As shown in Figure 5, the door grip (14) consists of a generally rectangular door grip base (19) from which protrudes the door grip (14) shaped like a lip. The lip of the door latch (11) is curled toward the door (7). The door latch (11) has a door grip extension (43) between the door grip (14) and the door grip base (19). A door grip base flange (45) protrudes toward the door (7) on the top side of the door latch (11). A spring (18) for biasing the lips of the door latch (11) and
base latch (12) open and closed is located generally in the center of the door grip base (19) and is attached by a spring attachment means (46).
As shown in Figure 6, when the door grip (14) is contained within the body (41) of the door latch (11), the door grip base flange (45) is flush against a first body wall
(47) of the body (41) of the door latch (11). The spring (18) protrudes from the door grip base (19) and out the opening (42) of the body (41).
As shown in Figure 4, the knob (13) is attached to a generally "L" shaped base
(48) and is movable laterally by an application of lateral force to the knob (13). The "L" shaped base (48) of the knob (13) is contained within the body (41) of the door latch (11) with the foot of the "L" (50) in contact with the top of the body (41) of the door latch (11). A gap (49) is formed, as shown in Figure 8, between the knob (13) and the body (41) of the door latch (11). Through the gap (49) the door grip (14) is inserted with the spring (18) protruding from the opening (42) in the body (41).
In a closed and locked position, the door grip (14) is engaged with the base grip (15). A lateral force (39) is applied by the operator to the knob (13) thereby causing the foot (50) of the "L" shaped base (48) of the knob (13) to exert force on the bottom of the door latch. The spring (18) is biased against the door (7) and exerts a force against the door grip extension (43) so as to lift the door grip (14) away from the door (7). This lifting of the door grip (14) thereby disengages the lip of the door grip (14) from the lip of the base grip (15). The door is now unlocked and upon further exertion of lateral force the door (7) is rolled up the inclined track (1).