Patent Publication Number: US-10781627-B2

Title: Hinged upper door frame member

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part (CIP) application claiming priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/901,394 filed Feb. 21, 2018, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     N/A 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is directed to portable buildings such as storage sheds, storage barns, etc.; and, more particularly, to a hinged upper door frame member for a door installed in such structures for enabling movement of people and items into and out of them. 
     Portable storage buildings are structures used as sheds or barns and can range in size from 10′×16′ or smaller, up to 16′×44′ or larger. The buildings are roofed structures constructed of wood and/or metal and can include skids located beneath the building by which the structure is movable from one location to another. 
     The buildings are used to house or store a variety of items including, for example, lawn and riding mowers, small tractors and other earth moving equipment. The buildings can also serve as workshops for wood, metal working, equipment repair, and hobby crafts, as well as to store tools and various other implements and items. Regardless of the size of the building, it will typically have at least one door and/or window. 
     A problem with conventional portable structures is the inability to store or house large or heavy pieces of equipment which, like a riding mower, for example, may conveniently fit within the building but which also needs to easily pass through an entryway for the structure. Larger buildings used as garages and barns may have side-by-side hinged door arrangements by which both doors can be pulled open to expose a large enough entryway that a vehicle or large piece of equipment is readily moved into the structure. Garages often have over-head door installations, usually electrically powered, by which a door is raised and lowered to provide an entry into the facility. These conventional arrangements have certain drawbacks with regard to portable structures. For example, portable structures are not necessarily wired for electricity. Also, the framing required to support side-by-side or overhead doors may increase the cost of fabricating the structure so it is not as economical as it could be. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure is directed to a ramp door installed in a portable structure and having a hinged upper door frame member. In a raised, closed position, the door cover covers an opening formed in the side of a portable building, the opening being sufficiently large for items to be stored in the structure to be readily moved or driven into the building. In this upright door closed position, the door frame member is in a vertical position resting adjacent the upper outer end of the door and preventing the door from being lowered. The upper door frame member is hinged for rotation outwardly from this vertical position to a generally horizontal position which is clear of the upper end of the door, allowing the door to be lowered closed and raised. 
     The ramp door is hingedly connected to the structure to lower and raise the door and a mechanism is provided by which a user can do so in a controlled manner. A panel is mounted to the interior top portion of the door and extends outwardly as the door is fully lowered to rest on the ground and complete formation of a ramp by which items can be brought into or removed from the building. The hinged upper door member also has an associated mechanism by which the member is moved from its vertical to horizontal position, or from the horizontal back to the vertical position in a controlled manner. The two mechanisms are operable in a sequential manner so when the door is closed, the associated mechanisms first move the member from its vertical to a horizontal position to unblock the door which is then lowered. When the door is to be closed, the mechanism first moves the door to its vertical position and then lowers the hinged member to its vertical position to block the door in its closed position. 
     The hinged door member extends across the width of the door and may include windows to allow light into the structure. 
     The ramp door and hinged upper member are separate elements and are made of a wood and/or metal and/or fiberglass construction. 
     Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying figures, together with detailed description which follows, form part of the specification and illustrate the various embodiments described in the specification. 
         FIG. 1  is an elevation view of one side of portable building in which a ramp door of the present invention is installed; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial side view of the building illustrating lowering and raising of the ramp door; 
         FIG. 3  is view of the building illustrating the ramp door in a partially lowered or raised position; 
         FIG. 4  is a view from the interior of the building illustrating the ramp door in a partially lowered or raised position; 
         FIG. 5  is an elevation view of the ramp door with a hinged upper door frame member; and, 
         FIG. 6A  is frontal view of a plain frame member; and  FIG. 6B  is a similar view of a frame member in which windows are installed. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
     The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. This description clearly enables one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the invention, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the invention. Additionally, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it will be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     Referring to the drawings, a portable building B includes sidewalls S, a roof R, a floor F (see  FIG. 4 ), and a plurality of skids K installed beneath the floor and on which the building rests. The skids are used when the portable building is towed from one site to another. As previously noted portable building B is available in various sizes and is used for a variety of purposes. The building is of a post and beam construction (not described) and is made of wood and/or metal. The building typically has at least one door and window which are not shown in the drawings. 
     An improvement to portable building B comprises a door ramp indicated generally  10  and which is installed in an opening O (see  FIGS. 3 and 4 ) formed in one of the sidewalls S. Door ramp  10  includes a generally rectangular shaped door  12  sized to fit in opening O and close the opening when the door is in a raised position (see  FIG. 1 ). The door is made of wood or metal or fiberglass or a combination of these materials. While construction of door  12  is not described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the door can be a reinforced door to accommodate the storing or removal of heavy or bulky items. 
     To raise and lower door  12 , the base of the door is hingedly attached to the sidewall in which opening O is formed, the bottom of the door being hinged to a frame piece  17  adjacent floor F. As shown in  FIG. 1 , inverted T-shaped hinges  14  connect the base of door  12  with door frame  17 , three such hinges being used for this purpose. Two of the hinges are adjacent the sides of the door with the third hinge being in the middle. The mounting of door ramp  12  is such that door pivots approximately 6″-12″ off the bottom of the skids K. 
     Two handles  16  are attached to the outer surface of door  12  along opposites of the door. The handles are attached to the exterior or outer face  12   o  of the door at a height that allows one or two people to each conveniently grasp a handle and pull on it to lower or open door  12 , or push on it to raise the door back to its closed position. 
     A mechanism indicated generally  18  allows door  12  to be lowered and raised in a controlled manner. One end of a rope/chain/wire  20  is connected to the interior or inner face  12   i  of the door, on opposite sides of the door as shown in  FIG. 4 , by a bracket  22 . Each rope/chain/wire is routed through a spool  24 . There are two such spools each of which are respectively mounted on opposite ends of a rod  26  that extends across the top of opening O, above the opening. Rod  26  is rotatably supported by brackets  28  that attach to the interior face of sidewall S above the door opening. Mounted on rod  26  between the spools is a torsion spring  30  to facilitate lowering and raising door  12  by mechanism  18 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , operation of mechanism  18  is such that when door  12  is fully lowered, the upper end of the door rests on the ground G with the other end of the door remaining adjacent floor F, thereby to form a ramp by which an item can easily be brought into or removed from portable building B. 
     In this latter regard, the improvement of the present invention further includes a panel  32  which extends across the width of door ramp  12 . Panel  32  is hinged to the top of the door as shown in  FIG. 4 , and as the ramp door is lowered rotates outwardly or “flips-out” to complete formation of the ramp. That is, when door ramp  12  is fully lowered as shown in  FIG. 2 , panel  32  is extended outwardly from the top of the door with its outer end resting on the ground. This then makes for a smooth transition (no offset) between the ground and the ramp that is formed by the door, so there is no abrupt transition for articles being moved onto or off the ramp. Further, the panel helps counter any unevenness in the ground surface between the sides of door  12  when in its lowered position. Accordingly, in its extended, lowered position, door ramp  12  provides an angled or sloping surface up which items can be readily carried, loaded, or driven into, or out of, building B. 
     This feature helps prevent damage to items being stored or removed from potable building B by eliminating any bumps which might otherwise occur; or skewing of items because of any differences in heights between one side of the ramp and the other when the door is in its lowered position. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5, 6A, and 6B , a second embodiment of the door ramp, indicated generally  100 , includes a door comprised of an inner door member  102  and an outer, outwardly facing door member  104 . Although not shown in the drawings, the outer face of member  104  may have a decorative design in keeping with overall appearance of the outside of building B. As shown in  FIG. 5  inner door member  102  extends above the height of outer door member  104  leaving an open space above the upper edge of door member  104 . 
     An upper door frame member  106  is hingedly mounted to the outer surface of building B and extends across the width of the door. As shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , a plurality of hinges  108  are attached to the upper end of door frame member  106  and are generally uniformly spaced across the width of the member. Each hinge  108  has one leaf secured to the outer surface of member  106 , with the other leaf being secured to the outside of building B. This allows hinged upper door frame member  106  to be rotated from a vertical position covering the upper portion of door  100 , when the door is in its raised, closed position, by at least 90° to a generally horizontal position as shown in  FIG. 5 . When upper door frame member  106  is in its horizontal position, door  100  can be lowered and raised. 
     As further shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , upper door frame member  106  can either be of a plain construction (see  FIG. 6A ); or, one or more windows W are installed in the member (see  FIG. 6B ) so to allow light into the structure. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 5 , upper door frame member  106  comprises an inner frame member  110  and an outer frame member  112 . Inner frame member  110  is shorter than outer frame member  112 . As shown in the drawing, assembly of upper door frame member  106  is such that when the member is in its vertical position, the respective lower ends of frame members  110  and  112  are adjacent the upper ends of frame members  102  and  104  of door  100 . Again, when upper door frame member  106  is in its vertical position, it blocks movement of door  100 . 
     A control mechanism  114  is mounted to a sidewall S of building B, either on the exterior or interior of the building for controlling operation of upper door frame member  106 . In one embodiment activation of control mechanism  114 , which can be an electrical or electronic device, results in operation of, for example, a motor or solenoid  116  to move hinged upper door frame member  106  from its vertical to its horizontal position. The mechanism  18  previously described is then used to lower and raise door  100 . In an alternate embodiment, activation of control mechanism  114  first energizes the motor or solenoid to raise upper door frame member  106  and then sequentially lower door  100  through use of another, similar mechanism (not shown). When door  100  is to be raised and closed, activating mechanism  114  first results in door  100  being raised to its upright, vertical position with motor or solenoid  116  then being sequentially activated to move upper door frame member  106  to its vertical, door blocking position. 
     In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects and advantages of the present disclosure have been achieved and other advantageous results have been obtained.