Claims
- 1. Apparatus for securely and movably supporting a pair of folding doors hinged to each other at their respective adjacent vertical sides, comprising:
- an upper rail member, comprising flanges respectively defining elongate horizontal first and second parallel upper door guide rails;
- a lower rail member, comprising flanges respectively defining elongate horizontal first and second parallel lower door guide rails disposed respectively below and parallel to said first and second upper door guide rails;
- first door support means for pivotably supporting a first one of said pair of folding doors solely on said first upper door guide rail, attached to said first door at a predetermined distance from the hinged side thereof and engaging with said first and second upper guide rails and said first and second lower guide rails to be movably guided therealong; and
- second door support means for pivotably supporting a second one of said pair of folding doors solely on said second upper door guide rail, attached to said second door at a predetermined location from the hinged side thereof and engaging with said first and second upper guide rails and said first and second lower guide rails to be supported by and movably guided therealong.
- 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
- said first and second door support means each comprises respective upper and lower door support assemblies that correspondingly engage said first and second upper and lower door guide rails, whereby said doors are supported to be folded at said hinges therebetween, said upper and lower door assemblies being movable relative to each other along separate but parallel paths defined by said first and second upper and lower door guide rails to enable said folded doors to approach closely to each other while securely supported.
- 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
- means for adjusting a vertical and a horizontal relationship between each of said doors and said first and second door support means correspondingly supporting the same.
- 4. Apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:
- means for adjusting a vertical and a horizontal relationship between each of said doors and said first and second door support means correspondingly supporting the same.
- 5. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:
- said lower door support assemblies each comprise spring means for providing a supporting force to a corresponding door.
- 6. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:
- said lower door support assemblies each comprise spring means for providing a supporting force to a corresponding door supported thereby.
- 7. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:
- said lower door support assemblies each comprise spring means for providing a supporting force to the corresponding door supported thereby.
- 8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
- said first and second door support means each includes corresponding running liner supporting members respectively fixed to said corresponding first and second doors through hinge members,
- a pair of running liners supported by each of said running liner supporting members,
- stays disposed to extend between the individual running liners of each of said pairs of running liners, said stays being movable along separate parallel paths determined by the dispositions of said first and second upper and lower door guide rails, and
- subliners provided on the respective tips of said stays, said subliners being shaped and sized to correspondingly run along said first and second upper and lower guide rails.
- 9. A folding door assembly, comprising:
- a pair of folding doors hinged to each other at respective adjacent vertical sides;
- first and second parallel upper door guide rails defined by respective flanges of an upper rail member;
- first and second parallel lower door guide rails, defined by respective flanges of a lower rail member, respectively below said first and second upper door guide rails;
- first door support means for pivotably supporting a first one of said pair of folding doors solely on said first upper door guide rail, attached to said first door at a predetermined distance from the hinged side thereof and engaging with said first and second upper guide rails and said first and second lower guide rails to be movably guided therealong; and
- second door support means for pivotably supporting a second one of said pair of folding doors solely on said second upper door guide rail, attached to said second door at a predetermined location from the hinged side thereof and engaging said first and second upper guide rail and said first and second lower guide rails to be movably guided therealong.
- 10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:
- said first and second door support means each comprise respective upper and lower door support assemblies that correspondingly engage with said first and second upper and lower door guide rails, whereby said doors are supported to be folded at said hinges therebetween, said upper and lower door assemblies being movable relative to each other along separate but parallel paths defined by said first and second upper and lower door guide rails to enable said folded doors to approach closely to each other while being securely supported.
- 11. Apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:
- means for adjusting a vertical and a horizontal relationship between each of said doors and said first and second door support means correspondingly supporting the same.
- 12. Apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:
- means for adjusting a vertical and a horizontal relationship between each of said doors and said first and second door support means correspondingly supporting the same.
- 13. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:
- said lower door support assemblies each comprise spring means for providing a supporting force to a corresponding door.
- 14. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein:
- said lower door support assemblies each comprise spring means for providing a supporting force to a corresponding door.
- 15. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:
- said lower door support assemblies each comprise spring means for providing a supporting force to a corresponding door supported thereby.
- 16. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:
- said first and second door support means each includes corresponding running liner supporting members respectively mounted to said corresponding first and second doors through hinge members,
- a pair of running liners supported by each of said running liner supporting members,
- stays disposed to extend between the individual running liners of each of said pairs of running liners, said stays being movable along separate parallel paths determined by the dispositions of said first and second upper and lower door guide rails, and
- subliners provided on respective tips of said stays, said subliners being shaped and sized to correspondingly run along said first and second upper and lower guide rails.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/308,619 filed Feb. 10, 1989, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (19)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
308619 |
Feb 1989 |
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