Patent ID: 6257304
Filing Date: 2001-07-10
Classification: E05D,E05F,E05Y

Abstract:
A bi-fold door assembly comprisingfirst and second door panels,upper and lower pivot structure at one side of said first door panel constructed and arranged to mount said first door panel within a door opening adjacent one side thereof for pivotal movement about a vertical pivotal axis,upper and lower hinge structure between an opposite side of said first door panel and an adjacent side of said second door panel constructed and arranged to hingedly connect said first and second door panels together for relative movement about a vertical hinge axis between a closed position wherein said first and second door panels are disposed generally aligned with one another and an opened position wherein said first and second door panels are disposed generally in side-by-side relation to one another adjacent the one side of the door opening,upper and lower horizontally extending track structure constructed and arranged to be installed in the door opening,upper and lower guiding structure at an opposite side of said second door panel constructed and arranged to guide the opposite side of said second door panel along horizontally extending track structure, said guiding structure being constructed and arranged to allow said second door panel to pivot about a moving vertical axis which is movable horizontally as the opposite side of said second door panel moves along said track structure,each hinge structure including an overcenter spring-biased hinge assembly comprising first and second hinge members including first and second mounting portions fixedly connected with said first and second door panels respectively, interengaging axially aligned hinge portions constructed and arranged to receive a hinge pin therethrough establishing said vertical hinge axis and a spring constructed and arranged to provide oppositely directed spring forces,each spring being constructed and arrange with respect to said first and second hinge members so that the opposed spring forces provided by said spring are applied to said first and second hinge members to bias said first and second door panels into said closed position when said door panels are near said closed position and to bias said first and second door panels into said opened position when said door panels are near said opened position,each spring including a length of spring wire configured to provide a loop section with end portions extending tangentially therefrom in generally the same direction so that the free ends of said end portions are biased in opposite directions toward one another, the free ends of said spring end portions being bent into L-shaped configurations and connected with said mounting portions,each mounting portion of the first and second hinge members includes integral resiliently cantilevered, snap-connecting elements constructed and arranged to receive a corresponding spring free end with a snap fit therein.