1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to a door assembly. More particularly, the invention relates to a fire-rated door assembly for a chute system. Specifically, the invention relates to a door assembly which includes a weld-free door having an automatic door closer mounted on the interior surface thereof and which includes a deflector plate for covering the door hinge during operation.
2. Background Information
In tall building structures like apartments or office buildings, it is common to provide chute systems which are used by the occupants of the building to dispose of trash or to send laundry to lower floors in the building.
The chute systems generally consist of a large, vertically-oriented main chute that has a plurality of branches, each of which originates in an opening on one of the individual levels of the building structure. Each opening to the chute system is provided with a door to cover that opening when the chute is not in use. The occupant can open the door and place a bag of garbage or laundry, for example, through the opening and then release the bag. The bag slides down the chute branch to the main chute and then drops or slides downwardly to a collection bin disposed a spaced number of floors away from the opening in question.
The door that covers the opening to the chute branch has to meet certain safety requirements and standards. One of those requirements is that the chute door must close automatically when released. Furthermore, the door must meet UL (Underwriters Laboratory Inc.) fire codes to attempt to prevent any fires from spreading from one floor of a building to another through the chute system.
Currently known chute door designs typically include a recessed frame that fits inside the chute opening and serves as mounting structure for the chute door. Furthermore, chute doors that are presently known in the art generally use fairly complex systems of linkages to shut the door once it is released. The inclusion of the linkage is usually a result of trying to maximize the angle of door opening while preserving the self-closing feature of the door. Other designs, such as those of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,062,368; 6,186,306 and 6,269,928 utilize the linkages to both close the door and provide auxiliary functions such as automatic locking. The linkage and closer assemblies used in the prior art are typically mounted inside the chute or on the frame on one side of the door in order to meet the code requirements and reduce the possibility of contamination of the linkages and closer assemblies.
The aforementioned usage of linkage and closer assemblies results in deficiencies in currently known chute doors. The mounting of the linkage and closer assembly in the chute or on the side of the door takes up significant space in the chute opening and reduces the usable area of the opening for disposable of articles therethrough. When the linkage and closer assemblies are placed to the side of the door, the width of the door is necessarily decreased to allow for installation into a fixed width chute opening. Thus, the door size and the usable chute opening are both reduced. Currently known designs also have the linkages and closer attached to the frame inside the chute. As the door is opened, the mechanism remains essentially in the same position, namely inside the chute and obstructing a portion of the opening. Furthermore, the closer assembly is typically the highest maintenance and replacement item for chute doors. When the closer is fixedly mounted to a structure inside the chute, it can be difficult to access, remove and reinstall. Some known designs therefore require that the entire door assembly be pulled out of the chute for maintenance of the closer assembly.
A second deficiency in the currently known art relates to the actual installation of the door. The chute system is typically installed in the building before the finishing of the interior surfaces and installation of the chute doors. Variations in wall thickness, chute opening size, squareness of the opening etc., can require modifications to the door assembly to achieve a proper fit and function of the door. The safety standards and ratings of these types of doors require fairly precise fits and connections which may be compromised by the typical variations found in rough construction. The result is often a need to custom fit each door installation with field-cuts or modifications in order to get the door assembly to fit into rough construction. This obviously leads to an increase in the number of man hours such an installation procedure costs and therefore leads to an increase in the total cost of installation of a chute system into a building structure. Furthermore, if the installation requires field modifications, the fit and alignment of the finish frame can be adversely affected and result in an aesthetically displeasing door assembly.
Previously known doors are manufactured with the interior surfaces of the door being made of cheaper materials such as aluminized or galvanized steel and having typically been welded together. The applicant has recognized that both the type of steel used and the presence of welds tends to increase the risk of contamination of the door surfaces. This risk of contamination increases because aluminized or galvanized steel may react with accidentally spilled materials and liquids resulting in early deterioration of the interior door surface. Furthermore, welds tend to have small pitted areas therein and consequently debris from the garbage can accumulate in both the welded areas and on the deteriorating surfaces, thus allowing bacterial colonies to flourish on the door.
There is therefore a need in the art for a door assembly for a chute system that is capable of meeting regulations and codes governing this type of installation; that is easy to install and maintain, that tends to reduce the potential for contamination of the door and yet leaves the maximum amount of space available in the opening in order to allow articles to be inserted therethrough and be deposited into the chute.
Consistent with the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, a method and apparatus are disclosed in one embodiment of the present invention as including a chute door with external mounting frame and a direct acting automatic closer.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a chute door that meets existing codes and standards such as fire ratings.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a chute door that maximizes the usable area of the chute opening.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a chute door that accommodates the inaccuracies of rough opening upon installation without the need for special modifications.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a chute door that facilitates access to the closer for maintenance and repair.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a chute door that is simple in design and economical to produce.
The door assembly of the present invention includes a frame assembly comprising a separate mounting frame and finish frame for a chute door. An automatic door closer is attached to the frame assembly at one end and to the door at the other end. The automatic closer acts directly on the door and is mounted directly on the interior surface of the door. The closer therefore does not occupy part of the chute opening when the door is open because it moves with the door into and out of the opening to the chute. The door is fabricated with a flange of material that overlaps the trim frame externally to provide a seal for the chute opening. The mounting frame has slotted holes on first legs thereof to facilitate installation and adjustments of the door and frame assembly to the chute system. The first legs of the mounting frame are longer and the slotted holes facilitate the mounting and adjusting of the door assembly to fit the chute opening. The finish frame can be properly fitted independently of the mounting frame so that the adjustments made during installation do not affect the visible frame on the exterior of the wall. The use of separate mounting frames and trim frames increases the ease with which the door assembly can be installed and therefore tends to reduce the costs associated therewith.
The present invention tends to overcome the previously stated problems with the prior art by not using linkages for the closer, by having an easily removable closer cover for easier access to the closer for maintenance and by having longer first legs on the mounting frame with slotted fastener points to allow for adjustment of the positioning of the mounting frame during installation.
The present invention tends to not narrow the chute opening because of the type of closer that is utilized to automatically close the door and because that automatic closer is mounted to the interior surface of the door. Preferably the closer comprises a mechanical coil spring which includes dampening hydraulic fluid or, alternatively, a gas spring. Additionally, the closer moves with the door in and out of the opening. Consequently, when the door is opened the usable space is maximized. Furthermore, the closer does not protrude into the vertical portion of the chute when the door is in a closed position. It should be noted that chute systems can vary in size and consequently it is sometime necessary to use fairly large door assemblies to close larger chute openings. In these larger door assemblies, more than one automatic closer can be utilized to close the door. This can be accomplished by mounting a second stop plate, automatic closer and cover on the interior surface of the door. The two stop plates, closers and related covers are mirror images of each other.
When the door is opened, the closer is easily accessed for maintenance as it lies outside of the chute and the only step required to reach it is the removal of the protective cover. With the cover removed, the automatic closer can be adjusted, removed or replaced. This increases the ease with which the automatic closer can be maintained and reduces the costs associated therewith.
Furthermore, the door is provided with a deflector plate for protecting the door hinge and thereby reducing the possibility for debris to accumulate in the gap between the door and frame assembly. This also reduces the possibility of that the door will not close properly because debris has become trapped in that gap and is interfering with the operation of the hinge.
The preferred embodiments of the invention, illustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles, are set forth in the following description and are shown in the drawings and are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.
It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the attached figures, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. So, for example, while the door assembly is shown with the door hinged to the frame proximate a bottom end thereof, the door assembly could, alternatively, be hinged proximate its top end or on either one of the left-hand side and right-hand side thereof. Thus, the following detailed description and attached drawings of the invention are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but are merely representative of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention.
The embodiments of the invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout this specification. Those of ordinary skill in the art will, of course, appreciate that various modifications may easily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Referring to
Door assembly 10 is adapted to be installed around an access opening 14 in a building wall 16. Door assembly 10 comprises a frame assembly 18 onto which a door 20 is pivotally mounted. For the purposes of the present description,
In accordance with one of the specific features of the present invention, frame assembly 18 comprises a mounting frame 22 and a trim frame 24 (
Mounting frame 22 is positioned so that its respective first legs 26 extend into access opening 14 and are adapted to abut an interior surface 30 of chute 12. The second legs 28 of mounting frame 22 are positioned to abut an exterior surface 32 of wall 16 surrounding opening 14. Each first leg 26 defines a plurality of elongated slots 34 disposed at spaced intervals along the length of that first leg 26. Slots 34 are elongated in shape to allow the position of mounting frame 22 to be adjusted relative to the outermost edge 36 of opening 14. This enables the door assembly 10 to be installed in a correct position even if there are slight variations in the rough construction of wall 16. At least some of first legs 26 are secured to the respective interior surface 30 of chute 12 by way of fasteners 36, such as screws or nails. When first legs 26 of mounting frame 22 are positioned correctly, second legs 28 lie in abutting contact with the exterior surface 32 of wall 16. The members of trim frame 24 are positioned over second legs 28 and in partial abutting contact with exterior surface 32 of wall 16 whereby second legs 28 lie intermediate trim frame 24 and exterior surface 32. Trim frame 24 extends outwardly beyond second legs 28 as may be seen in
Referring to
The top and sides of exterior surface 44a where the two sheets of steel are crimped together thereby form a multilayered flange 60 that extends outwardly beyond the top wall 50 and side walls 48 of door 20, as can be most easily seen in
Furthermore, although not illustrated in the attached figures, it will be understood that frame assembly 18 may be configured to receive a seal member (not shown) disposed so as to lay intermediate flange 60 and trim frame 24 when door 20 is in a closed position. The seal could be a rubber strip attached to one of the flange 60 and trim frame 24.
Door 20 is pivotally mounted to frame assembly 18 by way of a hinge 64. As may be most easily seen in
In accordance with one of the specific features of the present invention, a second hinge 74 is mounted to door 20 a spaced distance from the hinge 64. Second hinge 74 comprises a substantially L-shaped deflector plate 72 (
Door 20 is further provided with a handle 80 and latching mechanism (not shown). Any suitable type of latching mechanism may be utilized on door 20. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in
In accordance with another specific feature of the present invention, a chute guide 84 may extend outwardly away from interior surface 46a of door 20. As implied, chute guide 84 helps direct articles such as garbage bags and laundry through opening 14 and into chute 12. Although not illustrated in the attached drawings, chute guide 84 can also include a formed edge or additional hardware to serve as a stop to the opening angle of the door 20. Chute guide 84 preferably is also manufactured from stainless steel.
A stop plate extends outwardly away from interior surface 46a and from proximate the opposite side wall 48 of door 20 from chute guide 84. Stop plate 86 defines an arcuate slot 88 through which a slide rod 90 passes. Slide rod 90 is fixedly attached at one end to a first leg 26 of one of mounting frame 22. Slide rod 90 is mounted at the other end to an automatic door closer 92 as will be hereinafter described. Stop plate 86 preferably includes a reinforcing area 94 disposed proximate an end of slot 88 so that slide rod 90 does not damage slot 88 when door 20 is opened and closed. Reinforcing area may be semicircular or angular in shape.
As mentioned above and shown in
A removable cover 104 for closer 92 is secured to stop plate 86 by way of a plurality of fasteners 106. In accordance with one of the specific features of the present invention, both stop plate 86 and closer 92 are also manufactured from stainless steel. A plurality of interlocking tabs 108 (
It will be understood that stop plate 86, closer 92 and cover 104 can be placed on either side or, in larger doors on both sides, of the interior surface 46a of door 20. Furthermore, it will be understood that chute guide 84 can be completely omitted from door assembly 10 to facilitate access to opening 14. Additionally, if hinge 64 is provided in a position other than mounted at the bottom of door 20, then stop plate 86, closer 92 and cover 104 will be positioned appropriately for the door to function properly.
Referring to
When a building occupant wants to open door assembly 10 to dispose of a bag of garbage, for instance, they grasp handle 80 and either depress a button or turn the handle (depending on the type of handle installed) to disengage latch 82 from frame assembly 18. The person pulls door 20 downwardly in the direction of arrow “A” (
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that door 20 can be provided with a hinge mechanism on any one of the top wall 50, bottom wall 52 and one or the other of side walls 48 without departing from the spirit of the present invention. When door 20 is hinged differently, it can be opened upwardly, downwardly or to one of the left and right sides as is required by the chute system which it is designed to cover.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respect only as illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description. All changes within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.
Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/613,422; filed Sep. 28, 2004, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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1789123 | Triggs | Jan 1931 | A |
3095073 | Larson et al. | Jun 1963 | A |
5020651 | Lockett | Jun 1991 | A |
6062368 | Kamm | May 2000 | A |
6186306 | Kamm | Feb 2001 | B1 |
6269928 | Kamm | Aug 2001 | B1 |
7017728 | Nyquist | Mar 2006 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20060064935 A1 | Mar 2006 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60613422 | Sep 2004 | US |