Patent Publication Number: US-10329820-B2

Title: Spring adjustment indicator for a door closure

Description:
The present invention relates generally to door closures and spring adjustment indicators for door closures in particular. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Door closers are known in the art. In the conventional closure, a rack extends along the longitudinal axis of the closure and a pinion extends along a transverse axis and engages the rack. An internal closure spring extends between the rack and a disc so as to bias the rack. A spring force adjuster threadedly engages the disc to move the disc toward or away from the rack, thereby increasing or decreasing the compression of the spring, and the force on the rack, thereby increasing or decreasing the rate of closure of a door. The above description can be applied to a closure used with the present invention. 
     An example of a door closer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,282,750, issued Sep. 4, 2001 to Bishop et al., which patent is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The &#39;750 patent also discloses an arrangement for providing a rotatable indicator of the ANSI closing force with which the user preloads the spring. The &#39;750 system utilizes a rotatable indicator and a ring gear that is driven by a double- or single-toothed gear connected to a rotatable spring force adjuster. When the user rotates the spring force adjuster, the gear rotates the ring gear about the rotatable spring force adjuster. When the rotatable indicator is rotated, indicia formed on the rotatable indicator are thereby also rotated to a specific orientation relative to the user, which thereby indicates what ANSI force number has been selected. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A spring force indicator for a door closure having a spring force adjuster comprises a drive wheel coupled to the spring force adjuster for rotation therewith and a driven wheel. The driven wheel includes a disc and a post extending from the disc, the post being disposed in a bore formed in a front surface of the door closure and adapted to engage the drive wheel for rotation therewith. The disc further includes first indicia. 
     A cover includes a base wall and a cylindrical sidewall depending from the base wall, the cover being disposed on the end of the door closure and configured to cover the drive wheel and the driven wheel. The cover includes a central aperture for receiving the spring force adjuster, a second aperture disposed between the central aperture and the sidewall, and second indicia disposed around the second aperture. The first indicia is visible through the second aperture, and the first indicia cooperates with the second indicia to indicate a measure of spring force. 
     In one embodiment, the first indicia includes an arrow and the second indicia includes a plurality of numbers indicating an ANSI force. As the spring force adjuster is rotated, the arrow points at successive numbers. 
     In one embodiment, the drive wheel includes at least one gear tooth and the driven wheel includes a plurality of gear teeth. 
     Other benefits and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon consideration of the following description of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a door closure incorporating an exemplary spring adjustment indicator according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a partially exploded view of the door closure of  FIG. 1  illustrating a drive wheel, a driven wheel and a cover. 
         FIG. 3  is a partially exploded view of the door closure of  FIG. 1  illustrating a driven wheel mounted on a face of the closure for engagement by a drive wheel. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary drive wheel. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary driven wheel. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an exemplary cover. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The spring adjustment indicator  10  of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1  and includes a drive wheel  12  coupled to a spring force adjuster  14  of a door closure  16 , a driven wheel  18  mounted on a first end  20  of the closure  16  and engaged by the drive wheel  12 , and a cover  22  coupled to a door closure  16 . The remainder of the closure  16  can be conventional and will not be discussed further. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1-2 , the first end  20  of the closure  16  includes a central aperture  15  for receiving the spring force adjuster  14  and at least one recess  24  for receiving the driven wheel  18 . The spring force adjuster  14  can extend beyond the first end  20  and can include a central bore  26  configured to receive a drive tool, such as an allen wrench or the like. 
     The drive wheel  12  can be a ring  13  having a one or more teeth  28 , depending on the application, extending radially outwardly from the outer periphery of the ring  13  as best seen in  FIG. 4 . The inner diameter of the ring  13  can be sized to provide a friction fit around the spring force adjuster  14  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The driven wheel  18  can include a disc  32  having a plurality of gear teeth  34  extending radially outwardly from the periphery of the disc  32  to engage the teeth  28 . A flange  29  can extend radially outwardly from the ring  13  to cover the engagement of the ring  13  with the driven wheel  18  and provide a bearing surface against the cover  22 . 
     A post  35  extends orthogonally from a rear face  36  of the disc  32 . The post  35  can be configured for a close fit in a recess  24  and the diameter of the disc  32  is sized to provide a meshing engagement between the single tooth  28  of the drive wheel  12  and the gear teeth  34  of the driven wheel  18 , as best seen in  FIG. 3 . The disc  32  can further include a front face  38  displaying indicia  40 . 
     The cover  22  can be generally cup-shaped with a base wall  44  and a circular sidewall  46  depending from the base wall  44 . The base wall  44  can include a central aperture  48  for receiving the spring force adjuster  14  and a second aperture  52  located between the central aperture  48  and the sidewall  46 . The cover  22  can also include multiple indicia  42 A,  42 B. Indicia  42 A can indicate the direction of rotation of the spring force adjuster  14  to increase and/or decrease the force applied by the spring  4 . Indicia  42 B can surround the second aperture  52  and indicate the amount of force applied by the spring  4 . The sidewall  46  can include a plurality of tabs (not shown) extending radially inwardly and configured to engage an annular groove (not shown) formed in a sidewall  58  of the door closure  16  to retain the cover  22  on the closure  16 . The cover  22  can be configured to retain the drive wheel  12  and the driven wheel  18  in position while allowing them to rotate and engage their respective gear(s) or friction surfaces when the cover  22  is properly positioned on the closure  16 . When properly installed, the indicia on the driven wheel  18  will be visible through the second aperture  52 . In the embodiment illustrated, the indicia  40  is an arrow that will point to indicia  42 B on the cover  22 . 
     With the drive wheel  12  and driven wheel  18  installed as indicated in  FIG. 3 , the cover  22  is installed over the end of the closure  16  so that the tabs engage the groove and the closure  16  appears as shown in  FIG. 1 . To change the amount of force exerted by the internal closure spring against the rack, a user inserts an allen wrench or the like into the central bore  26  of the spring force adjuster  14  and turns the spring force adjuster  14 . The number of gear teeth  34  on the driven wheel  18  will determine the number of revolutions of the spring force adjuster  14  required to rotate the driven wheel  18  enough to change the force indication of the arrow  40  on the driven wheel  18 . For example, indicia  42 B comprises six digits equally spaced about the second aperture  52 , thereby providing one digit every 60° around the second aperture  52 . The driven wheel  18  includes 18 gear teeth, or 3 teeth for each 60° sector of the wheel. Thus, the spring force adjuster  14  must rotate 3 full revolutions to rotate the arrow  40  through 60° to change the indication from one digit to the next. Of course, other gearing combinations are possible depending on the requirements of the particular closure. 
     Alternatively, the drive wheel  12  and driven wheel  18  can engage by friction by varying their respective diameters to provide the appropriate turn ratios. A similar calculation can provide the respective diameters of the drive and driven wheels for a friction engagement.