FOLDING BARN STYLE DOOR AND HARDWARE

Abstract

A folding sliding door that uses a track and exposed rotating rollers attached to a series of door panels whereby the door panels can fold while the exposed rotating rollers roll along the track, thereby permitting the appearance of a sliding barn door.

Claims

1. A folding door system comprising at least two doors; the two doors connected along a vertical edge by hinges; at least a pair of brackets at least one of which is connected to the top of each of said doors; such brackets having rollers at the top for engaging a track, a plate at the bottom for attachment to the top of the door and an intermediate segment for permitting pivotal movement of the plate in relationship to the rollers.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the bottom ends of at least one of the doors is pivotally connected to the floor to permit lateral movement of the doors.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIGS. 1A-B shows prior art mechanisms. FIG. 1A is a door hanger connecting a roller pivotally connected to a bracket to be mounted to the top of the door;

[0015] FIGS. 1C-D shows prior art mechanisms in which a single door panel is sliding within the track above the opening; FIG. 1C is in a closed position and FIG. 1D is in an open position;

[0016] FIGS. 2A-D shows the door of the present invention permitting the rollers to stay in the track, and at the same time for the door panels to slide and fold. FIG. 2A is in a fully closed position and FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C show the doors in an intermediate position and FIG. 2D shows the doors in a fully open position;

[0017] FIGS. 3 show a perspective view of the hardware for permitting the sliding of the U-shaped roller in the track and the sliding of the door panels;

[0018] FIG. 4 shows a front view of the exposed rollers and track attached to the top edge of the door panels;

[0019] FIG. 5 shows a front view of the hardware with the dimensions of the components of the hardware;

[0020] FIG. 6 show a side view of the hardware with the dimensions of the components of the hardware;

[0021] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a floor mounted bottom pin that fits within a recessed hole in the bottom of one of the hinged-pair of doors;

[0022] FIG. 8 is an alternative embodiment of the door panels in which shutter doors are shown;

[0023] FIG. 9 is a top front of an alternative embodiment of the folding door;

[0024] FIG. 10 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of the folding door;

[0025] FIG. 11 is a front sectional view of the floor bracket with removable pin removed used with the alternative embodiment; and

[0026] FIG. 12 is a side sectional view of the floor bracket with removable pin used with the alternative embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 2A-2D, door panels 20 are shown hinged together along their vertical sides 17 so as to be foldable. Each door panel 20 has a width one half or more of the opening to be covered. FIG. 2A shows a fully closed position while FIG. 1D shows a fully open position. FIGS. 2B and 2C show the door panels 20 in intermediate positions.

[0028] Each of the door panels 20 has a U-shaped roller assembly 22 pivotally attached to the top edge 23 of each door panel 20. The construction and preferred dimensions of the rotating exposed roller assembly 22 is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The door panels 20 can be pushed to be completely on the side of the opening by having the track 12 extending to the side of the opening.

[0029] The rotating exposed roller assembly 22 consists of a standard U-shaped roller 24 having two opposing round members 26 with an internal taper 28 in between, a pivotable pin 30 connected to the center of the U-shaped roller assembly 22 that permits the U-shaped roller 24 to pivot about its central pin 30. In the preferred embodiment, the pin 30 is connected to a flat L-shaped attachment bar 32 having an upper vertical segment 21 at the bottom horizontal leg 34. The bottom leg 34 of the L-shaped attachment bar 32 is pivotally attached to L-shaped attachment bar 36 having a vertical segment 27 and horizontal leg 34 connected to the top edge 23 of the door panel 20 by means of a pin 40 passing through the bottom leg 34 of L-shaped attachment bar 32 and the top leg 42 of the L-shaped attachment bar 36. The pin 40 is held in place by nut 42 and bolt 44 and washers 46. A metal pivot or swedge could be used in lieu of nut and bolt as shown.

[0030] It is possible to use a single flat attachment rod for attaching the roller assembly to the door. In typical use a pair of doors would each have a roller assembly attached and each door in its closed position would cover a portion of the opening, closet or window. Typically, each door would be the same size, approximately a little larger than of the width of the opening.

[0031] In operation, starting with the door panels 20 in the initial closed position as shown in FIG. 2, the handles 19 are grasped and pushed in a direction parallel to the wall. The U-shaped roller assembly 22 moves in the track 12 mounted above the door panels 20. As shown in FIGS. 2B-2D, the door panels 20 pivot pin 40 connecting the door panels 20 to the U-shaped roller assembly 22 mounted on the top outside ends of each of the door panels 20 opposite the vertical hinged portion of the door panels 20 permitting the door panels to fold along the hinges 15 connecting the door panels 20.

[0032] If the track extends beyond the opening to be covered, such as shown in FIGS. 2A-2D, then the door panels 20 can be slid along the track without folding of the door panels 20. Alternatively, the door panels can be folded and moved along the tack to a position to the side of the opening and even be used to cover an adjacent opening,

[0033] To add stability to the door panels 20 when sliding along the track 12, an upwardly or depending floor mounted round pin 40 can be mounted at the bottom outer ends of one panel of the hinged pair of doors 20. The pin would fit within a depression in in the bottom of one door panel 20 so that the pin restricts movement of the door panels 20 away from the wall and in alignment with the upper track distance from the wall.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 8, instead of solid door panels 20, any shape of door panels 60, such as louvered 70 or shutters can be used. Also, instead of a door opening in a wall, the present invention can be used for opening and covering windows, bathtubs, showers, where there is an opening to be covered.

[0035] Referring to FIGS. 9-12, an alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown where the doors can fold in place and have the added option of the doors sliding like a conventional barn door hardware system.

[0036] The two doors 102 and 104, connected by hinges 106 and 108 along their side edges 110 and 112 described previously are mounted on the upper track 114 by rollers 116 and 118 as in the prior version. The lower portions 120 and 122 of the two doors is attached to a bracket 130 connected to the floor (F) by screws 132 (FIGS. 9 and 10). The bracket 130 has a lower U shaped portion 134 with a central pivot member 136 allowing rotation of the lower bracket about the pivot member 136. There is a removable pin 137 (passing through openings 138) through the side walls 134 of the U Shaped bracket 130 that is removable, as shown in FIG. 12. The dimensions of the bracket 130 are shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. When the doors are going to slide without pivoting, as shown in FIG. 9 the pin 137 is removed and when the doors are pivoted only as in FIG. 10, the pin is in place.

[0037] Alternatively, a single track can be provided along the length of the floor, with a single pin depending from the bottom of the door that fits within a slot in the track and can move laterally in the guide or pivot within the guide when the doors are to be pivoted.

[0038] A fixed non-pivoting floor guide 140 is mounted on the floor (F) remains parallel with the wall for the sliding door function.

[0039] The benefits of this alternative embodiment are: 1. Doors can slide to the left or right of the wall opening like a standard barn door system (sliding distance depends on the length of the track) 2. By inserting a removable metal pin in the floor guide, the door can fold as described in the original patent 3. Where a pair of folding doors is hanging on the same upper track: Both doors can slide, both doors can fold, or one door can slide and the other door can fold 4. When floor guide is in the sliding position, and the door slides in the opposite direction of the combination floor guide, an additional standard fixed floor mounted guide should be installed

[0040] While the invention has been described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular forms set forth, but, on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.