Patent ID: 6421876
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: E05F,E05Y,Y10T

Abstract:
A door closer for closing doors, comprising:a body having a height, a width and a depth; said body having a mounting surface and a flat projecting surface opposite the mounting surface; a distance between said mounting surface and said projecting surface generally comprising the said depth; a pair of opposed lateral sides each taking a curved, parabolic-shaped course toward each other starting at the mounting surface and ending at the projecting surface for joining the mounting surface to the projecting surface; said curved lateral sides being parabolic-shaped and said projecting surface being flat in order to provide a compact structure for said body; said mounting surface having an upper edge and a lower edge; a distance between said upper edge and said lower edge generally comprising said height; a first end and an opposite second end for limiting the longitudinal extension of the body; a first mounting plate and an oppositely-disposed second mounting plate with each mounting plate integrally formed from the body located adjacent the first and second ends and coplanar with the mounting surface; a pair of oppositely-disposed bearing blocks with each bearing block formed on each respective lateral side; each bearing block having a bearing block aperture and the bearing block apertures being in axial alignment; the body further including a circular cylindrical chamber that extends from the first end to the second end and which communicates with each bearing block aperture; the curvature of said lateral sides generally following the curvature of said circular cylindrical chamber thus providing a not substantially varying thickness between said lateral sides and said chamber to minimize the wall thickness between said circular cylindrical chamber and the curvature of said lateral sides and to minimize the height of said door closer and to maximize door leaf opening angles between a door leaf connected to said door closer and an adjacent wall upon said door closer being mounted in a corner on a door leaf adjacent a wall; a rotatable shaft set within both bearing block apertures and disposed transverse to said chamber; an energy storage and release mechanism disposed and configured within said chamber whereupon opening the door causes energy to be temporarily stored by the energy storage and release mechanism and setting the door free causes the energy to be released by the energy storage and release mechanism thereby bringing the door to the closed position; said shaft including a plurality of gear teeth which are mounted on the portion of said shaft that extends through said chamber; and said energy storage and release mechanism further including: a rack disposed within said chamber and engageable by said gear teeth for selective linear reciprocable displacement within said chamber; a piston disposed within said chamber adjacent said rack and linearly displaceable within said chamber as a result of the linear displacement of said rack; a compression spring disposed within said chamber adjacent said shaft and positioned opposite said rack and said piston and disposed coaxial with said rack and said piston; and said compression spring exerting a linear force on said piston when the door is closed whereupon opening the door causes said shaft to rotate displacing said rack and said piston toward said spring and thus compressing said spring so that said spring temporarily stores energy which is then released when the door is set free thus allowing said spring to relax whereupon said shaft rotates in the opposite direction and said rack and said piston linearly displace away from said spring so that the door closes.