Pendant Closure Patents (Class 49/231)
  • Patent number: 7861461
    Abstract: A door opening and closing device for a slide door, which can be horizontally open and close the slide door by application of a light load and which can be constructed and maintained at low costs. The door opening and closing device has a transmission mechanism for converting through a lever (31) the amount of settlement of a tread plate (21) placed on floor surfaces at positions in front and back of the slide door (12), into a predetermined displacement amount. The tread plate (21) is weight-wise balanced such that the transmission mechanism and settlement of the tread plate due to the weight of an adjustment weight (W) causes the tread plate (21) to float through the lever (31). Up-down movement of the long transmission member (32) presses a drive rotation body (42) to an open door rail (41), and a component force of the pressing force allows the slide door (12) to be opened by application of a light load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Yuki Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Nakano
  • Patent number: 7367159
    Abstract: A sliding door for selectively opening and closing an opening. The door comprises a first guide track defining a first linear guide path and a second guide track defining a second linear guide path. The second guide track is spaced from the first guide track. The door further comprises a door panel having a top edge, a bottom edge, a leading edge and a trailing edge. The door panel is adapted to translate laterally relative to the opening between a closed position and an open position. A first portion of the door panel is attached to the first guide track and a second portion of the door panel is attached to the second guide track. The door moves vertically as the door is translated from the open position to the closed position as rollers engage recesses positioned on the first and second guide tracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Rytec Corporation
    Inventors: Joe Delgado, Arno Klein, Louis B. Mueller, Mark Semmann
  • Publication number: 20080092445
    Abstract: A service window assembly includes a window frame and a door slidably mounted within the frame. The door is moveable between an open position and a closed position and is biased toward the closed position. A magnet is connected to one of the frame and the door and is operable in an active state and an inactive state, and a magnetic contact is connected to the other of the frame and the door. The magnetic contact is located proximate the magnet when the door is in the open position, and when the magnet is in the active state, the magnet and the magnetic contact form a magnetic connection, securing the door in the open position. A sensor monitors the presence of a user. The sensor is in communication with the magnet, so that the magnet is in the active state when the sensor detects that the user is present, and the magnet is in the inactive state when the sensor detects that the user is not present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2006
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Applicant: READY ACCESS, INC.
    Inventor: Manuel Ramirez
  • Patent number: 7178638
    Abstract: A car door apparatus of an elevator includes a pair of door panels, a door drive device, and a door-opening mechanism. The pair of door panels open and close a doorway of the car of the elevator. The door drive device drives the door panels to open and close the doorway using electric power. When the car is stopped in an emergency in which a power source for driving the elevator is shut off, the door-opening mechanism starts up the door drive device using a secondary battery to move the door panels in the opening direction by a predetermined distance respectively to make a predetermined clearance between the door panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Toshiba Elevator Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Fujita, Kenzo Tonoki, Norihito Togashi
  • Publication number: 20040172882
    Abstract: A resilient, insulated door panel for a sliding door includes a resilient core protected by a compliant outer covering with a seal disposed about the perimeter of the panel. The panel has sufficient resilience to recover from an impact that temporarily deforms it, yet has sufficient rigidity to transmit a compressive force needed for effectively setting the seals. Much of the core is filled with air to not only provide effective insulation and resilience, but to also provide an extremely lightweight door panel that can be operated to travel rapidly along an overhead track. Some embodiments include relatively rigid backup plates that provide a solid foundation to which the perimeter seals can be attached. The backup plates are segmented so as not to completely restrict the flexibility of the door panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Applicant: RITE-HITE HOLDING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Rodney Kern, Joe Korman, Dave Leppert, Peter S. Schulte, James Schwingle, Dean Shanahan
  • Publication number: 20040134128
    Abstract: A door system for a cold storage locker has increased resistance to damage when by including resilient door panels that flex when hit by a forklift. A high degree of insulation is achieved by the choice and thickness of the resilient foams therein. Also, the resilient door panels are magnetically attracted to a gasket seal on a doorframe to provide an affirmative seal. Active magnetic control may enhance the attraction or repulsion of the door panel. Frost control is realized by warming air from the cold storage locker and passing it through air channels in the door panel proximate to the gasket seal and down an astragal interface between door panels. Door panels of laminate, bagged poured foam formation, and self-skinning foam formation give further reduced cost of manufacture and shipping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: Jamison Door Company
    Inventors: Curtis L. Berry, William B. Nichols
  • Patent number: 6360487
    Abstract: A resilient, insulated door panel for a sliding door includes a resilient core protected by a compliant outer covering with a seal disposed about the perimeter of the panel. The panel has sufficient resilience to recover from an impact that temporarily deforms it, yet has sufficient rigidity to transmit a compressive force needed for effectively setting the seals. Much of the core is filled with air to not only provide effective insulation and resilience, but to also provide an extremely lightweight door panel that can be operated to travel rapidly along an overhead track. Some embodiments include relatively rigid backup plates that provide a solid foundation to which the perimeter seals can be attached. The backup plates are segmented so as not to completely restrict the flexibility of the door panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Rite-Hite Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Rodney Kern, Joe Korman, Dave Leppert, Peter Schulte, James Schwingle, Dean Shanahan
  • Publication number: 20020017060
    Abstract: A generally horizontally sliding door includes a sliding or otherwise translating door panel with a full-perimeter seal that engages sealing surfaces upon closing and at least partially disengages the surfaces upon opening. The door panel travels along an overhead track that is slightly inclined to lower the panel=s upper and lower edge seals into engagement with sealing surfaces as the door closes. To provide a substantially full-perimeter seal, a leading edge seal and a trailing edge seal engage sealing surfaces as well. Some of the edge seals are joined to create corner seals. The seals are adapted for single panel sliding doors, bi-parting doors, multi-panel doors, and various combinations thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Applicant: Rite-Hite Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Rodney Kern, Dave Leppert, Peter Schulte, James Schwingle, Dean Shanahan
  • Patent number: 6330763
    Abstract: A generally horizontally sliding door includes a sliding or otherwise translating door panel with a full-perimeter seal that engages sealing surfaces upon closing and at least partially disengages the surfaces upon opening. The door panel travels along an overhead track that is slightly inclined to lower the panel's upper and lower edge seals into engagement with sealing surfaces as the door closes. To provide a substantially full-perimeter seal, a leading edge seal and a trailing edge seal engage sealing surfaces as well. Some of the edge seals are joined to create corner seals. The seals are adapted for single panel sliding doors, bi-parting doors, multi-panel doors, and various combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: Rite-Hite Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Rodney Kern, Dave Leppert, Peter Schulte, James Schwingle, Dean Shanahan
  • Patent number: 6098341
    Abstract: A sliding door assembly for a clean room for manufacturing precision parts, chemicals and special foods or for carrying out surgical procedures. The door assembly includes a pair of parallel vertically spaced guide shafts which are inclined at an angle to a horizontal and serve to guide the sliding door as it moves from an upper open position into a closed lower position. A door closing and opening actuator includes an actuator shaft extending between the guide shafts. A sealing arrangement of the door assembly becomes operational upon movement of the sliding door to the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Inventor: Thorsten Gebauer
  • Patent number: 5970657
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an automatically closing and locking door adapted for use in drive through and walk up facilities. The door rides on an inclined track and closes due to gravity. The door locks automatically upon the coupling of a hooked door latch with a cooperative hooked door base. The door is unlocked and opened by application of a lateral force upon the knob of the hooked door latch. A spring attached to the foot of the base is caused to exert a force against the door thereby coupling the hooked door latch and hooked door base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Ready Access, Inc.
    Inventor: Roger Glass
  • Patent number: 5347755
    Abstract: An automatically actuated door arrangement is provided. The arrangement includes a plurality of slidable doors which are opened and closed by an electric motor/cable arrangement. Open and close switches control the opening and closing of the doors. A sensor device provides the open doors/close doors signals to the controller, and eventually to the motor. The motor is connected to the cable drive by a clutch arrangement which allows slippage should the movement of the doors become obstructed. The door travel path may be arranged in a slight V-shape, to allow for more efficient sealing of the door bottoms. A controller is provided to receive, process, and distribute electronic signals for controlling the extent of the door opening, the speed of opening and closing, and other operating parameters. The controller includes a series of indicators for monitoring the status of the door arrangement, and also includes inputs for altering the operating parameters of the door arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Assignee: Ready Metal Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Dale R. Jaster, Russell J. Vestuto, Ronald S. Maruszak
  • Patent number: 4802306
    Abstract: A device is described for the automatic closing of openings on a floating structure whereby the need for human or manual intervention is eliminated. Once the floating structure is subjected to tilting (heeling), lateral, or other accelerating forces, an unstable mass is used as a triggering device to remove a block from interfering with the path of the closure. The closure rolls down a ramp and covers an adjacent opening to seal it., thus preventing uncontrollable flooding or fire from spreading within the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1989
    Assignee: Chevron Research Company
    Inventor: Darryl E. Laxo
  • Patent number: 4799331
    Abstract: A device is described for the automatic closing of openings on a floating structure whereby the need for human or manual intervention is eliminated. Once the floating structure is subjected to tilting (heeling), lateral, or other accelerating forces, an unstable mass is used as a triggering device to remove a block from interfering with the path of the closure. The closure rolls down a ramp and covers an adjacent opening to seal it, thus preventing uncontrolled flooding or fire from spreading within the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1989
    Assignee: Chevron Research Company
    Inventor: Darryl E. Laxo
  • Patent number: 4646471
    Abstract: A recovering apparatus for the doors includes a pair of guiding means having rolling medium mounted on door, a horizontal frame for moving the guiding means therein, and an inclined rail adjusted by a screw held in the horizontal frame whereby the door with the rolling medium, once being opened, can be automatically closed by its potential energy as rolling down along the inclined rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1987
    Inventor: Fuei-Tzong Shaiu