This application relates generally to the field of pulls for doors, more particularly to a pull activation device for a sliding door that assists in opening and closing the sliding door.
Doors, in particular sliding doors, may be required to provide the desired configurations for allowing people and equipment to pass, but also to provide sound proofing, gas sealing (e.g., air, or the like), debris or particulate sealing, and/or light sealing for industrial, commercial, healthcare, residential, or other facilities. In order to meet the needs of customers, sliding doors may be of a variety of sizes, utilize soft close actuators, and include elements/seals for sound, gas, debris, and/or light sealing.
The present disclosure relates to apparatuses, systems, and/or methods for improving the opening and closing of sliding doors. In particular, the present disclosure relates to utilizing an assist apparatus within a sliding door system. It should be understood that the sliding door system may comprise a sliding door, sliding door hardware, one or more frame members, seals, and/or an assist apparatus. The components of the sliding door system will be described in further detail later. The assist apparatus may be utilized to reduce the door activation force (e.g., pull force) required to overcome the opening force of the sliding door system, which may be due to the weight and/or friction of the sliding door system, the soft close apparatus reset, the sealing components in the sliding door system, or the like. The assist apparatus may comprise one or more door activation devices (e.g., a first door activation device and a second door activation device on opposite sides of the sliding door) that can rotate around a pivot location in order to aid in opening or closing a door. The door activation device may be any type of door handle (e.g., pull, knob, lever, or the like) or other type of device that when activated may allow for the movement of a door. As will be described in further detail herein, the assist apparatus may further comprise one or more assist components (e.g., wheel, ball, hemisphere, curved surface, an angular surface, a diamond shape, a curvilinear contour, a suitable geometric shape, a portion thereof, and/or the like, or an assembly with any of the foregoing) operatively coupled to the one or more door activation devices. In some embodiments, the one or more door activation devices (e.g., pull, or the like) may act as a lever, and the one or more assist components operatively coupled to the one or more door activation devices may engage and push off of one or more surfaces (e.g., one or more surfaces located adjacent to the sliding door, or apart from the door). It should be understood that the rotation of the door activation device and/or the engagement of the assist component pushing off of a surface reduces the force required to open or close the sliding door, as will be discussed in further detail herein.
One embodiment of the disclosure comprises an assist apparatus for aiding in opening of doors. The assist apparatus comprises one or more door activation devices and an assist component operatively coupled to a door activation device of the one or more door activation devices. At least one door activation device of the one or more door activation devices is configured to be operatively coupled to a door to allow for rotation of at least a portion of the door activation device, and the assist component of the door activation device aids in opening or closing the door.
In further accord with embodiments of the disclosure, the at least one door activation device comprises a pull and the door comprises a sliding door.
In other embodiments, the door activation device comprises a first end and a second end, and the assist component is configured to be operatively coupled to the second end of the door activation device.
In still other embodiments, the door activation device is operatively coupled to the door through a pivot assembly that allows for the rotation of at least the portion of the door activation device.
In yet other embodiments, the pivot assembly further comprises a return assembly operatively coupled to the one or more door activation devices, and the return assembly is configured to return the one or more door activation devices to a resting position.
In other embodiments, the return assembly comprises one or more torsion springs, one or more compression springs, one or more leaf springs, and/or one or more gears.
In further accord with embodiments of the disclosure, the door activation device is a first door activation device and is operatively coupled to a second door activation device, and the first door activation device and second door activation device are configured to rotate together.
The other embodiments, the one or more door activation devices comprise a first door activation device that is operatively coupled to a second door activation device, and the first door activation device and second door activation device are configured to rotate independently.
In still other embodiments, the one or more door activation devices comprise a first door activation device that is operatively coupled to a second door activation device, and the assist component is operatively coupled to the first door activation device. When the first door activation device is activated the first door activation device rotates independently from the second door activation device. When the second door activation device is activated the first door activation device rotates together with the second door activation device.
In other embodiments, the assist component comprises a dynamic surface.
In still other embodiments, the assist component comprises a static surface.
In other embodiments, the assist component may comprise a wheel, a ball, a cylinder, or a ring.
In yet other embodiments, the assist component comprises a circular surface or an angular surface.
In other embodiments, the assist component is removably operatively coupled to the door activation device.
In further accord with embodiments of the disclosure, the assist component of the door activation device is configured to engage with an adjacent surface located apart from the door when the door activation device is rotated into one or more engaged positions to aid in overcoming an open force or close force of the door.
In other embodiments, the open force comprises an actuator reset force associated with a soft close system of the sliding door, a sealing force of a seal formed between the sliding door and the adjacent surface, a friction force, or a weight of the door.
In yet other embodiments, the assist component of the door activation device comprises a wear component that is removably operatively coupled to the assist component, and wherein the wear component engages the adjacent surface when the door activation device is positioned in the engaged position.
In still other embodiments, the adjacent surface comprises a wear surface that is removably operatively coupled to the adjacent surface, and wherein the wear surface engages the assist component when the door activation device is positioned in the engaged position.
Another embodiment of the disclosure comprises a door system. The door system comprises a track assembly, a sliding door operatively coupled to the track assembly, and an assist apparatus. The assist apparatus comprises one or more door activation devices and an assist component operatively coupled to a door activation device of the one or more door activation devices. The at least the door activation device of the one or more door activation devices is operatively coupled to the sliding door allowing for rotation of at least a portion of the door activation device, and the assist component of the door activation device aids in opening or closing the sliding door by engaging an adjacent surface located apart from the sliding door.
Another embodiment of the disclosure comprises a method of using a sliding door system. The method comprises activating one or more door activation devices from a resting position to one or more engaging positions, wherein the one or more door activation devices are operatively coupled to a sliding door. The method further comprises engaging, in response to the activating the one or more door activation devices, an assist component operatively coupled to the one or more door activation devices with an adjacent surface located apart from the sliding door. The method comprises moving the sliding door as the assist component pushes against the surface adjacent the sliding door when a door activation force overcomes an open force of the sliding door.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and the related ends, the one or more embodiments of the invention comprise the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth certain illustrative features of the one or more embodiments. These features are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of various embodiments may be employed, and this description is intended to include all such embodiments and their equivalents.
The foregoing and other advantages and features of the invention, and the manner in which the same are accomplished, will become more readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the invention and which are not necessarily drawn to scale, wherein:
Embodiments of the present disclosure now may be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure may satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
The present disclosure relates to apparatuses, systems, and/or methods for improving the opening and closing of sliding doors 2. In particular, the present disclosure relates to utilizing an assist apparatus 10 within a sliding door system 1. As illustrated in
In some embodiments the one or more sliding doors may be sound rated sliding doors, projectile resistant (e.g., weather resistant, ballistic resistant, or the like), or the like, and as such, the sliding doors may include a specialized core that is used to deflect sound. Consequently, the one or more sliding doors 2 may weigh more than 200 lbs. each (e.g., for standard 3070 sized doors, doors of size 36×84 inches, or any other doors of any size). Moreover, in instances when larger doors are utilized, such as when equipment (e.g., gurneys, or the like) routinely pass through the door opening, the doors may be heavier (e.g., 225, 250, 275, or the like lbs.). The sliding doors, regardless of implementation, may weigh any value, including 175, 200, 225, 250, 275, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600, or the like lbs., or range between, overlap, or fall outside of any of these values. It should be further understood that in some embodiments, the sliding door hardware 4, including the soft close apparatus, may add additional weight to the sliding door 2, as well as friction (e.g., frictional force that needs to be overcome for opening the door) when opening and/or closing the sliding door 2. As such, the type of sliding door 2, the size of the sliding door 2, and/or the door hardware 4 may increase the weight of the sliding door 2, and thus, increase the force needed to open the sliding door 2. Furthermore, the soft close apparatus may utilize one or more actuators (e.g., a pneumatic actuator, hydraulic actuator, external springs, or the like) to provide a soft close action for the sliding door 2. It should be understood that when going from an open position to closed position the soft close apparatus (e.g., the actuator, or other component thereof) is activated to slow the sliding door 2 and/or control the closing of the sliding door 2. Moreover, once the sliding door 2 is closed, the soft close apparatus (or actuator thereof) has to be reset, which increases the force required to open the sliding door 2 when going from a closed position to an open position or when going from an open position to a closed position, in some embodiments. Additionally, some sliding doors 2 are used in applications that require sound proofing, gas sealing, debris or particulate sealing, and/or light sealing. In these embodiments, there may be one or more sealing components (e.g., metal seals, rubber seals, gaskets, brush seals, and/or the like) utilized in the sliding door system 1, such as on the edges or near the edges of the sliding door 2 and/or on surfaces of the one or more frame members 8 and/or wall adjacent the sliding door 2. These one or more sealing components may further increase the force required to unseal the sliding door 2 when in a closed position. As such, the weight of the sliding door 2 and sliding door hardware 4, the friction of the sliding door hardware 4, the reset of the soft close apparatus when the sliding door 2 is moving from closed to open, and/or the unsealing of seals between the sliding door 2 and an adjacent surface may contribute to one or more sliding door forces (e.g., an open force and/or a closed force) that need to be overcome in order to open and/or close the sliding door 2.
As previously discussed herein, in order to reduce the force required to overcome the weight of the sliding door 2 and sliding door hardware 4, the soft close reset (e.g., one or more actuator resets), the one or more sealing components, and/or any friction in the door hardware (e.g., friction in the track of the door hardware 4), the assist apparatus 10 may be utilized to assist in opening (and in some embodiments closing) the sliding door 2. The assist apparatus 10 may comprise one or more door activation devices 12 (e.g., a first door activation device 14, a second door activation device 16, or additional door activation devices) that can rotate around at least one pivot location. As illustrated by arrows “A” of
In some embodiments, the sliding door 2 may comprise an open overlap configuration. Here, the sliding door 2 may not open flush with the one or more frame members 8. In this regard, the frame members 8 may comprise an overlap frame (not illustrated) and an opening frame 8A. Due to a projection of the overlap frame (not illustrated) beyond the edge of the door 8, the assist component 30 of the door activation device 12 is able to push off on the overlap frame (e.g., against a portion of the frame not being covered by or not flush with the door). In other embodiments, the sliding door 2 may comprise a flush configuration with the frame 8. In this regard, the assist component 30 of the door activation device 12 may be provided on the opposite side of the door 2 (not illustrated) that faces the opening. Here, the assist component 30 of the door activation device 12 may push off on the opening frame 8A. In other embodiments of the invention the assist component 30 may be located within the sliding door 2, flush to the edge of the sliding door 2, as will be discussed in further detail later.
As will be described in further detail with respect to
As discussed above, in some embodiments, the assist apparatus 10 may further comprise one or more assist components 30 (e.g., wheel, ball, hemisphere, curved surface, an angular surface, a diamond shaped surface, or another suitable geometric shape, a portion thereof, or the like, or an assembly including the foregoing) which may engage and push off of, or against, one or more surfaces. In some embodiments, the assist apparatus 10 and/or the one or more assist components 30 may engage and push off of, or against one or more surfaces that are adjacent to at least a portion of the assist apparatus 10 and/or at least a portion of the one or more assist components 30 (e.g., a surface of the frame 8, or the like). In some embodiments, the assist apparatus 10 and/or the one or more assist components 30 may engage and push off of, or against one or more surfaces that are adjacent to at least a portion of the door 2 (e.g., the frame 8, the sliding door hardware 4—such as the track or other hardware, the wall, floor, or the like). As such, it should be understood, that in some embodiments, the assist apparatus 10 and/or the one or more assist components 30 may engage and push off of, or against the floor, the ceiling, one or more tracks, any portion of the frame (e.g., vertical frame components—such as on a side of the door opening, horizontal frame components—such as above or below the door—on or within the floor), a wall above or next to the frame, and/or any component (e.g., bracket, brace, hanger, or the like) attached to any of the foregoing. In this regard, the assist apparatus 10 may comprise one or more linkages, one or more arms, one or more members, and/or other mechanisms, located within and/or outside of the door 2, that are configured for facilitating the engagement between the assist apparatus 10 and/or the one or more assist components 30 and the surfaces described above.
The assist apparatus 10 may further comprise a pivot assembly 100, which may allow the one or more door activation devices 12 to rotate from a first position (e.g., a resting position) to one or more additional positions (e.g., one or more engaged positions) when an operator rotates the door activation device 12, and thereafter, return to the resting position after the operator releases the door activation device 12. It should be further understood, that in the case of multiple door activation devices 12, the door activation devices may move together (e.g., rotate together), move independently of each other (e.g., rotate independently), or both move together and independently of each other (e.g., rotate together when a first door activation device is activated and independently when a second first door activation device is activated). As such, the pivot assembly 100 may operatively couple a first door activation device 14 to a second door activation device 16 to allow the door activation devices together, independently, or both together and independently. That said, in some embodiments, the door activation device 12 may not return to the resting position (e.g., vertical position) after the operator releases the door activation device 12. Instead, the door activation device 12 may comprise a geometry that is structured to allow the door activation device 12 to be used again after rotating by a predetermined angle/predetermined number of degrees (e.g., 45°, 60°, 90°, 110°, 140°, 180°, 270°, 360°, or the like in the direction A, or range between, within, outside, or overlap any of the forging values). In this regard, the door activation device 12 may comprise a triangular “play button shape”, may comprise 3-arms forming a substantially triangular shape (e.g., a vice handle having 3 arms), and/or the like. It should be understood that in some embodiments the door activation device 12 may freely rotate 360 degrees around.
In some embodiments of the disclosure, as best illustrated in
In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the assist component 30 may comprise a ball assembly (e.g., dynamic ball assembly—not illustrated). The ball assembly may include a dynamic ball and a ball plug. The ball assembly may be similar to the wheel assembly 40, except that instead of using a wheel 42, a ball is utilized within the plug. The ball may be dynamic in that it is free to rotate within the plug in one or more directions. As such, like the wheel 42, when the door activation device 12 is rotated, the ball contacts an adjacent surface and rotates as the ball moves with respect to the adjacent surface.
As illustrated in
It should be understood that the assist component 30 may be made of, or have a portion made of any type of material, such as but not limited to nylon, steel, aluminum, plastic, rubber, composite material, and/or the like. In some embodiments of the invention, instead of removing the entire assist component 30, the assist component 30 may have a wear component that may be removable from the assist component 30. In some embodiments, the assist component 30 and/or the wear component 42 is made of a material, or has a portion that is made of a material that will reduce the damage (e.g., scratching, denting, puncturing, or the like) that could be inflicted upon the adjacent surface (e.g., frame 8, wall, or the like) by the assist component 30. Moreover, the assist component 30 and/or wear component may be replaceable when it has worn from repeated usage. Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the surface (e.g., adjacent surface) with which the assist component 30 engages may comprise a wear surface that is operatively coupled to the surface. The wear surface (e.g., frame wear component, or the like) may engage with the assist component 30 and/or wear component on the assist component 30. For example, the frame 8 may comprise a wear surface (not illustrated) that interacts with the assist component 30 to reduce wear, marring, scratching, denting, or the like. As such, should the wear surface wear due to the repeated contact with the assist component 30 and/or wear component thereof, the wear surface may also be replaced.
In some embodiments of the disclosure, the assist component 30 may be operatively coupled to one or more of the surfaces at the second end 24 of the door activation device 12. For example, the assist component 30 may be operatively coupled to a surface at the end of the second end 24 (e.g., as illustrated in
It should be understood that the assist apparatus 10, including the door activation device 12 and/or the assist component 30 have been generally described herein as being used on a single sliding door. However, it should be understood that one or more assist apparatuses 10 may be utilized within a bi-part sliding door, such as two sliding doors that may operate individually (e.g., open and shut individually), or operate in conjunction with each other (e.g., track, actuators, pulleys, gears, or the like that open and close the second door when the first door is opened or closed). Regardless of whether or not a single sliding door or multiple sliding doors are being used the assist apparatus discussed herein may operate the same way. That is, one or more assist apparatuses 10 may be operatively coupled to the first sliding door and/or the second sliding door of a bi-part sliding door system. As such, when the bi-part sliding doors are closed, a door activation device 12 (e.g., on the first sliding door or the second sliding door) may be activated (e.g., pull is rotated, or the like), and in response the assist component 30 (e.g., on the first sliding door or the second sliding door) engages and pushes off the adjacent sliding door. For example, a first door activation device 12 on the first sliding door, when rotated, moves the first assist component 30 to engage with a portion of the second sliding door (e.g., edge or overlapping portion of the second sliding door). It should be understood that in some embodiments, the second sliding door may remain stationary for a time until the first sliding door begins to move, or the second sliding door may move in conjunction (e.g., tied together through a track or other feature) with the first sliding door as the first door activation device 12 is used.
Returning to the one or more door activation devices 12, it should be understood that the length of the door activation devices 12 may vary based on the type of application and/or the desired force reduction for the sliding door 2. As described herein, the one or more door activation devices 12 of the present disclosure may act as lever to aid in opening (or potentially closing) the sliding door 2. As such, the longer the length of the door activation device 12 to the point of rotation (e.g., pivot assembly, or the like) of the door activation device 12, with respect to the length from the point of rotation to the assist component 30 (e.g., the longer the first end to the fulcrum than the fulcrum to the contact point to the adjacent wall), the greater the mechanical advantage that the door activation device 12 may provide, and thus, the larger the reduction in the force required to open the sliding door 2. As such, it should be understood that any combination of device length, first device body length (e.g., length of the door activation device from the first end to the fulcrum), fulcrum location (e.g., location of the pivot assembly 100 along the length of the door activation device), and/or second device body length (e.g., length of the door activation device from the fulcrum to the second end) may determine the reduction in the door activation force required to move the sliding door 2. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the fulcrum (e.g., pivot assembly 100) may be located adjacent to (or proximate to) the second end 24 (e.g., in comparison with the first end 22) of the door activation device 12 at various distances away from the second end 24 (as illustrated in
Regardless of the location of the point of rotation of the door activation device 12, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the door activation device 12 may have a total length of 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, or the like inches. In some embodiments, the door activation device 12 may have a total length in the range of 6-10, 6-20, 6-30, 10-30, 15-30, 10-40, 10-20, and/or in-between, outside or overlapping any of the values or ranges discussed above. The pivot point (e.g., location of the pivot assembly 100) of the door activation device 12 may be located anywhere on the door activation device 12, such that the first body length (or upper body length) may be 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, or the like inches. In some embodiments, the first body length (or upper body length) may be in the range of 5-10, 5-20, 5-24, 6-15, 5-15, 10-20, and/or in-between, outside or overlapping any of the values or ranges discussed above. The second body length (or lower body), which may or may not include the length of the assist component 30 may be 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, or the like inches. In some embodiments, the first body length (or upper body length) may be in the range of 0-5, 1-6, 0-10, 0-24, 2-15, 10-20, 5-15, 5-20, 5-25, and/or in-between, outside or overlapping any of the values or ranges discussed above. It should be understood that the length of the door activation device 12, the first device body and/or the second device body may range between, overlap, and/or fall outside of any of the values or combinations thereof described above.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
It should be understood that in some embodiments, the pivot assembly 100, and/or in particular, the one or more biasing members 120, may allow for the rotation of the one or more door activation devices 12 at the location on the sliding door 2 of the pivot assembly 100 (e.g., fulcrum). The one or more door activation devices 12 may be rotated from a resting position to one or more engaging positions. The resting position may be vertical (e.g., vertical, substantially vertical, generally vertical, or the like). For example, as illustrated in
In alternate embodiments of the invention, the biasing member 120 may comprise one or more compression springs. It should be understood the one or more compression springs may have a radius of curvature and may be located around and/or operatively coupled to the one or more return couplings 130 and/or the return flange 114. Alternatively, the one or more compression springs may be located on either side of the return couplings 130. Regardless of the orientation of the one or more compression springs, the one or more return stops 118 may compress and expand the one or more compression springs as the operator rotates the one or more door activation devices 12. Thereafter, the one or more compression springs return the one or more door activation devices 12 to the original resting position when the user releases the one or more door activation devices 12 and the one or more compression springs re-coil to the resting position.
In another alternate embodiment, the biasing member 120 may comprise a spiral spring, leaf spring, a hydraulic/pneumatic type springs, and/or other type of spring that is configured to be compressed and/or expanded when an operator rotates the one or more door activation devices 12, and thereafter, expands and/or compresses back to a resting position when the operator releases the one or more door activation devices 12. Furthermore, alternatively and/or additionally, the pivot assembly may comprise two or more gears (e.g., reducing gears, or the like) in order to further reduce the force required to open the sliding door 2 as the operator rotates the door activation device 12.
It should be understood that the one or more coupling members 150 operatively couple the return assembly 110 to the pull connector 140 to allow rotation of the first pull 14 and the second pull 16 together. In alternate embodiments of the present disclosure, the first pull 14 may rotate independent of the second pull 16. As such, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the pivot assembly 100 may comprise two return assemblies 110 operatively coupled to each other to allow for independent movement of each door activation device 12 on either side of the sliding door 2 with respect to each other.
Block 204 of
Block 208 of
Block 210 of
Block 214 of
It should be understood that the door activation device of the assist apparatus 10 described herein may aid in reducing the door activation force required to open a sliding door 2 (e.g., depending on the type of sliding door). For example, opening a sliding door may be the equivalent of pulling a weight of 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45, or the like lbs. The use of the assist apparatus 10 may allow for opening a sliding door to the equivalent of pulling a weight of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, or the like lbs. As such, the assist apparatus 10 described herein may aid in reducing the door activation force required to open a sliding door 2 (e.g., depending on the type of sliding door) from 320-640, 300-700, 400-90, 320-980, 400-1300, 750-1280, 300-1300, 500-1500, and/or the like lbfs (pound-force) down to 50-100, 64-120, 40-200, 50-200, 40-150, 40-320, 40-640, 100-320, 100-640, 200-400, and/or the like lbfs (pound-force). As such, the percent reduction in the door activation force required to open the closed sliding door may be 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, or the like. The percent reduction may range from 45-90, 80-95, 75-90, 40-75, 50-78, 30-90, 10-50, and/or the like percent. It should be understood that the equivalent weights, forces, and/or percent reduction in the force needed to open the sliding door 2 may range between, within, overlap, and/or be outside of any of the above recited values or ranges.
In alternate embodiments of the invention, instead of being operatively coupled directly to the one or more door activation devices 12, the assist component 30 may be located within an aperture of the sliding door 2. In these embodiments, the assist component 30 may be inset within or sit flush with the edge of the sliding door 2. While the edges of the sliding door 2 may be the edge directly adjacent the door activation device 12, it should be understood that the assist component 30 may be located in either side edge, an upper edge, a lower edge of the door 2, any combination thereof, or the like. Regardless of the location of the edge or combination of edges of the door 2, the assist component 30 may be operatively coupled to the pivot assembly 100, which is operatively coupled to the one or more door activation devices 12. As such, as the one or more door activation devices 2 are rotated from a resting position to one or more engaged positions, the assist component 30 may move from a resting position within the edge of the sliding door to an engaging position past the edge of the sliding door (e.g., ether by extending and/or rotating out of the edge of the sliding door 2). The movement of the assist component 30 from within to outside of the edge of sliding door 2 will engage the assist component 30 with an adjacent surface and help to reduce the force required to open the sliding door 2.
Alternatively, or additionally, it should be understood that a portion of the assist component 30 may be located within the door 2, while a portion may be located outside of the door 2. As such, the assist component 30 may be located anywhere on either side 2e, 2f of the door apart from the door activation devices 12. For example, the assist component 30 may extend out of a side 2e, 2f of the door 2 and engage with an adjacent surface (e.g., in a frame, wall, floor, ceiling, or the like) at a location apart from the door activation devices 12. As such, the assist component 30 may be operatively coupled to the pivot assembly 100, which is operatively coupled to the one or more door activation devices 12. As such, as the one or more door activation devices 2 are rotated from a resting position to one or more engaged positions, the assist component 30 may move from a resting position on or within a side 2e, 2f of the door 2 to an engaging position (e.g., ether by extending and/or rotating out of the edge of the sliding door 2). Again, the movement of the assist component 30 will engage with an adjacent surface and help to reduce the door activation force required to open the sliding door 2
It should be understood that, where possible, any of the advantages, features, functions, devices, and/or operational aspects of any of the embodiments of the present disclosure described and/or contemplated herein may be included in any of the other embodiments of the present disclosure described and/or contemplated herein, and/or vice versa.
Where possible, any terms expressed in the singular form herein are meant to also include the plural form and/or vice versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Accordingly, the terms “a” and/or “an” shall mean “one or more.” As the phrase is used herein, a processor may be “configured to” perform a certain function in a variety of ways, including, for example, by having one or more general-purpose circuits perform the function by executing particular computer-executable program code embodied in computer-readable medium, and/or by having one or more application-specific circuits perform the function.
Moreover, it should be understood that “operatively coupled,” when used herein, means that the components may be formed integrally with each other, or may be formed separately and coupled together. Furthermore, “operatively coupled” means that the components may be coupled directly to each other, or to each other with one or more components located between the components that are operatively coupled together. Furthermore, “operatively coupled” may mean that the components are detachable from each other, or that they are permanently coupled together.
Furthermore, certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limiting, unless such terminology is specifically described herein for specific embodiments. Indeed, the components may be oriented in any direction and the terminology, therefore, should be understood as encompassing such variations unless specified otherwise. The terminology includes the words specifically mentioned herein, derivatives thereof and words of similar import. For example, words such as “top”, “bottom”, “upper”, “lower”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, or the like are used to describe the orientation of certain features as illustrated in the Figures. Moreover, it should be understood that when using the terminology “vertical” this could mean perpendicular (e.g., 90 degrees with respect to the ground), substantially perpendicular (e.g., within +/−5, 10, 15, or the like degrees from 90 degrees with respect to the ground), generally perpendicular (e.g., +/−20, 25, 30, or the like degrees from 90 degrees with respect to the ground), or the like. Furthermore, it should be understood that when using the terminology “horizontal” this could mean parallel (e.g., 90 degrees with respect to the ground), substantially parallel (e.g., within +/−5, 10, 15, or the like degrees from 90 degrees with respect to the ground), generally parallel (e.g., +/−20, 25, 30, or the like degrees from 90 degrees with respect to the ground), or the like.
While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention, and that this invention not be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other changes, combinations, omissions, modifications and substitutions, in addition to those set forth in the above paragraphs, are possible. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations, modifications, and combinations of the just described embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.
The present application for a patent is a continuation of, and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/710,354 entitled “Door Open Assist” filed on Dec. 11, 2019, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/778,560 entitled “Sliding Door Open Assist,” which was filed on Dec. 12, 2018, both of which are assigned to the assignees hereof and hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62778560 | Dec 2018 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 16710354 | Dec 2019 | US |
Child | 17867249 | US |