This invention relates generally to sliding doors and in particular, to a sweep assembly used with a side folding accordion partition.
Side folding accordion partitions are used to provide space separation, often with the additional goal of providing one or more of security separation and sound control.
Panels which form the partition are hinged to one another and attached to ball bearing rollers which ride within a mounted overhead track. A lead panel is attached to a lead post which in turn is attached to a trolley having ball bearing rollers which also rides within the overhead track. Either a powered, or more commonly, a manually operated trolley provides the mechanical action required to open and close the partition.
When the partition is activated, the ball bearing rollers and lead post trolley roll in the overhead track causing the partition to traverse open or closed. The partition may or may not be slidably mounted to a floor channel. A partition slidably mounted to a floor channel ensures that the partition remains in the vertical thereby keeping the sweep at the bottom of the partition in contact with the floor. The floor channel provides lateral stability to the door curtain during travel towards or away from the closed position.
Certain applications require a contiguous floor surface, that is, unbroken by a floor channel. Examples include shop floors where a channel could interfere with rolling carts or emergency egress lanes where a floor channel could create a tripping hazard. In those situations, door assemblies that do not mount the partition to a floor channel are utilized.
Regardless of whether or not a floor channel is utilized, the sweep at the bottom of the partition is used to maintain a predetermined relationship to the floor, thereby, for example, helping to control sound.
Known designs for mounting the sweep to the partition leave an unfinished, sharp surface as further described below. Accordingly, there is still a continuing need for improved designs for mounting the sweep to a partition. The present invention fulfills this need by presenting a novel sweep assembly and further provides related advantages.
The present invention provides a sweep assembly used in conjunction with a partition panel. The sweep assembly comprises a sweep affixed to a mounting bracket which is mounted to a partition panel. A bottom bracket fit to the partition panel and mounting bracket provides for a finished surface.
One advantage of the novel sweep assembly is the finished fit provides for a more attractive look.
A second advantage of the novel sweep assembly is the reduced chance for injury due to the absence of unfinished edges.
A third advantage is the ease in which field repairs can be made.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention. These drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
As required, a detailed embodiment of the present invention is disclosed; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various forms. The figures are not necessary to scale, and some features may be exaggerated to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. Where possible, like reference numerals have been used to refer to like parts in the several alternative embodiments of the present invention described herein.
Referring to
Mounting bracket PA-4 comprises two wings PA-22 extending from the mounting bracket main body PA-24, and a mounting bracket keyway channel PA-16 on its front side to slidably receive a sweep key PA-18 located on the rear side of sweep PA-20.
A plurality of partition panels PA-6 and hinges PA-12 are assembled during the manufacturing process and shipped pre-assembled for additional modification during installation. A plurality of pre-assembled partitions are then hinged together in the field to create a finished partition of required width to fit an opening (not shown). When field assembling the pre-assembled partitions, mounting bracket wings PA-22 must be broken off to expose the panel keyway channel PA-10 in order to slide hinge PA-12 into panel keyway channel PA-10. Once the wings have been broken off, there remains a sharp unfinished mounting bracket edge. This sharp, unfinished edge may present a safety hazard as well as being unsightly.
Turning now to
The partition panel 6 (
The sweep 20 (
The bottom bracket 40 (
The mounting bracket 4 is attached to the partition panel 6 by a rivet 8. The mounting bracket bottom edge 30 is in contact with the bottom edge of the partition panel 6, thereby preventing rotation of the mounting bracket around the rivet 8. The mounting bracket 4 does not cover panel keyway channels 10. Therefore, mounting bracket 4 does not require field modification to allow hinge 12 to be slidably inserted into panel keyway channel 10 as the partition 50 (either individually or as factory pre-assembled partition sections) (
Following assembly of the number of partition panels (either individually or as factory pre-assembled partition panels) needed to form a partition 50 of required width to span an opening (
Although the present invention has been described in connection with specific examples and embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is capable of other variations and modifications within its scope. The example and embodiment is intended as typical of, rather than in any way limiting on, the scope of the present invention as presented in the appended claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2892496 | Stroup | Jun 1959 | A |
2994371 | Morseth et al. | Aug 1961 | A |
3205935 | Cayton | Sep 1965 | A |
3380506 | Good et al. | Apr 1968 | A |
3590541 | Epstein et al. | Jul 1971 | A |
3672424 | Brown | Jun 1972 | A |
3854246 | McAllister | Dec 1974 | A |
3955330 | Wendt | May 1976 | A |
3994330 | Laby | Nov 1976 | A |
4235049 | Marinoni et al. | Nov 1980 | A |
4357979 | Marontate | Nov 1982 | A |
4446332 | Dauser, Jr. | May 1984 | A |
4488387 | Foti | Dec 1984 | A |
4545148 | Shaw | Oct 1985 | A |
4922987 | Marontate et al. | May 1990 | A |
5067294 | McGowan | Nov 1991 | A |
5199478 | Kubota | Apr 1993 | A |
5237776 | Kubota | Aug 1993 | A |
5401091 | Landry | Mar 1995 | A |
5465532 | Varin | Nov 1995 | A |
5551499 | McRoberts | Sep 1996 | A |
6026611 | Ralston et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
6112466 | Smith et al. | Sep 2000 | A |
6253493 | Sauve | Jul 2001 | B1 |
6269591 | Kelly | Aug 2001 | B1 |
6332294 | Carranza | Dec 2001 | B1 |
6371188 | Baczuk et al. | Apr 2002 | B1 |
6397522 | Nussbaum | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6907641 | Liles | Jun 2005 | B1 |
7003916 | Nestell et al. | Feb 2006 | B2 |
7062881 | Rissone | Jun 2006 | B2 |
7427096 | Snider et al. | Sep 2008 | B2 |
8100164 | Goodman et al. | Jan 2012 | B2 |
8297334 | Chu | Oct 2012 | B2 |
8739472 | Moss | Jun 2014 | B2 |
20070151179 | Speyer et al. | Jul 2007 | A1 |
20070175121 | Speyer et al. | Aug 2007 | A1 |
20070234657 | Speyer et al. | Oct 2007 | A1 |
20080105389 | Goodman et al. | May 2008 | A1 |
20100257793 | George et al. | Oct 2010 | A1 |
20110203746 | Smart | Aug 2011 | A1 |
20120055004 | George et al. | Mar 2012 | A1 |
20120055638 | George et al. | Mar 2012 | A1 |
20120138242 | Kondash et al. | Jun 2012 | A1 |
20140190091 | George et al. | Jul 2014 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20120138242 A1 | Jun 2012 | US |