Patent Abstract:
A foldable door assembly includes a frame member and a jamb member, a latch slidably received in the jamb member and coupled to the jamb member with a spring member. An end beam is engageable into the frame member, and another end beam is coupled to the latch, and a number of door panels are coupled between the end beams. The spring member may resiliently and flexibly couple the latch and thus the other end beam to the jamb member for allowing the foldable door assembly to be adjusted to various lengths and to be attached to the door frames of different sizes or widths.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a foldable door assembly, and more particularly to a foldable door assembly having a length adjustable structure. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Typical foldable door assemblies comprise a number of door panels pivotally coupled together. One end of the door panels may be secured to one end of the door frame, and the other end of the door panels may be moved to be engaged into the other end of the door frame. U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,810 to Chen, the applicant of the present application, discloses one of the typical foldable door assemblies, in which the door panels may not be adjusted according to the different sizes of the door frames. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,659 to Lee discloses another typical foldable door assembly having a length adjustable structure for allowing the foldable door assembly to be attached to various kinds of door frames having different sizes or widths. However, one end of the door panels may not be secured in place and may be loosely slided relative to the door frame. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional foldable door assemblies. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a foldable door assembly including a spring biasing device for resiliently and stably coupling one end of the door panels to the door frame. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a foldable door assembly comprising a first frame member including a chamber formed therein, a jamb member including a chamber formed therein, a first latch slidably received in the chamber of the jamb member, a spring member coupled between the first latch and the jamb member for limiting a movement of the first latch relative to the jamb member, and a foldable door device including a first end beam for engaging into the chamber of the first frame member, a second end beam coupled to the first latch, and at least one door panel coupled between the first end beam and the second end beam. The spring member may resiliently and flexibly couple the latch and thus the second end beam to the jamb member for allowing the foldable door assembly to be adjusted to various lengths and to be attached to the door frames of different sizes or widths. 
     The second end beam includes a channel formed therein, the first latch is engaged in the channel of the second end beam for coupling the second end beam to the jamb member, the spring member limits the movement of the first latch and the second end beam relative to the jamb member. 
     The door panel and the first end beam each includes a first end having a channel formed therein, the second end beam includes a first end, the door panel and the second end beam each includes a second end having a second latch provided thereon and engaged in the channels of the door panel and the first end beam respectively for coupling the door panel and the first end beam and the second end beam together. 
     The second end of the door panel and the second end beam each includes a flexible link provided thereon and coupled to the second latch for flexibly coupling the door panel and the first end beam and the second end beam together. 
     The first frame member includes a pair of inwardly extended flanges extended inward of the chamber thereof for engaging with and for retaining the first end beam of the foldable door device to the first frame member. 
     A second frame member is further provided and includes a first hook device provided thereon, and the jamb member includes a second hook device engaged with the first hook device for securing the jamb member to the second frame member. 
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a foldable door assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial top view of the foldable door assembly; and 
     FIG. 3 is a partial top view illustrating the operation of the foldable door assembly. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a foldable door assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises a pair of frame members  30 ,  40  oppositely secured to the support member  70 , such as the wall or to the door frame, by such as the fasteners  71 . The frame member  30  includes a hook device  31 , such as a pair of outwardly extended hooks  31 , provided thereon. The frame member  40  includes a pair of inwardly extended flanges  41  extended inward of a chamber  43  thereof and preferably made of resilient or rubber material for resiliently clamping purposes. A jamb member  50  includes a hook device  51 , such as a pair of inwardly extended hooks  51 , provided thereon, for engaging with the hooks  31  of the frame member  30  and for securing the jamb member  50  to the frame member  30 . The jamb member  50  includes a chamber  52  formed therein and facing away from the frame member  30 , and includes a spring-biasing device  53 , such as a pair of spring members  53  provided therein, and includes a latch  54  secured to the free end(s) of the spring members  53 , such that the latch  54  may be moved along the chamber  52  of the jamb member  50  and may be recovery by the spring members  53 . The jamb member  50  may be formed or made from plastic material and may be made or formed by an extruded process with an extruding machine. The frame members  30 ,  40  may also be manufactured by the extruding processes. The spring members  53  may be simultaneously formed in the jamb member  50  from such as a rubber material, with the extruding machine or with the other extruding machine, when the jamb member  50  is formed by the extruded processes. The latch  54  is preferably made of the plastic material similar to that of the jamb member  50 , and may also be formed integral with the spring members  53  by the extruding process with the extruding machine. The spring members  53  may also be made of the other materials, such as the metal spring members or the like. 
     A foldable door device  60  includes a number of door panels  61  and two end beams  62 ,  63  each having a channel  611 ,  621 ,  631  formed in one end thereof and each having a resilient or flexible link  612 ,  622  and a latch  613 ,  623  provided on the other end thereof, except the end beam  63 . The door panels  61  and the beams  62 ,  63  may be formed or made from plastic material and may be made or formed by the extruded process with the extruding machine. The resilient or flexible link  612 ,  622  may be simultaneously formed and coupled to the door panels  61  and the beam  62  from such as the rubber material, with the extruding machine or with the other extruding machine, when the door panels  61  and the beam  62  are formed by the extruded processes. The latches  613 ,  623  are preferably made of the plastic material similar to that of the door panels  61  and the beams  62 , and may also be formed integral with the flexible link members  612 ,  622  by the extruding process with the extruding machine. The flexible links  612 ,  622  may also be made of the other materials, such as the metal spring members or the like. The latches  54 ,  613 ,  623  of the jamb member  50  and of the door panels  61  and of the beam  62  may be detachably engaged or secured to the respective channels  621 ,  611 ,  631  of the beam  62  and of the door panels  61  and of the other beam  63  respectively, for resiliently and foldably coupling the door panels  61  and the beams  62 ,  63  and the jamb member  50  together. 
     Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the frame members  30 ,  40  are secured to the support wall  70 . The jamb member  50  may be secured to the frame member  30  with the hook devices  31 ,  51 . The latch  54  of the jamb member  50  may be detachably engaged into the channel  621  of the end beam  62 . The latch  623  of the end beam  62  may be engaged into the channel  611  of one of the door panels  61 . The latches  613  of the door panels  61  may be engaged into the channel  611  of the other door panels  61  for coupling the door panels  61  together. The latch  613  of the other end door panel  61  may be engaged into the channel  631  of the other end beam  63 . The end beam  63  includes a handle  64  provided thereon for moving the end beam  63  to engage into the frame member  40 . The end beam  63  may be retained or secured to the frame member  40  by the resiliently clamping force of the inwardly extended flanges  41  of the frame member  40  when the door panels  61  are extended or stretched to the working position as shown in FIG.  2 . The handle  64  may move the end beam  63  away from the frame member  40  and the door panels  61  may be folded to the compact folding or storing position. The links  622 ,  612  are flexible and foldable for allowing the door panels  61  to be folded relative to each other and to be rotatable relative to the beams  62 ,  63 . 
     In operation, as shown in FIG. 2, the spring member(s)  53  may be extended or folded or stretched for resiliently coupling the beam  62  to the jamb member  50  and for allowing the beam  62  to be slidably retained within the chamber  52  of the jamb member  50  and for preventing the beam  62  from being disengaged from the jamb member  50 . The beam  62  may thus be limited to move relative to the jamb member  50 . The foldable door device  60  may thus be attached to the door frames of various sizes or widths. Particularly, when the end beam  63  of the foldable door device  60  is engaged into the frame member  40 , the spring members  53  are preferably stretched or extended for allowing the door panels  61  to be aligned in line. When the end beam  63  is disengaged from the frame member  40 , the spring member(s)  53  preferably may pull the beam  62  inward of the jamb member  50  for recovering the beam  62  and the foldable door device  60 . 
     Accordingly, the foldable door assembly in accordance with the present invention includes a spring biasing device for resiliently and stably coupling one end of the door panels to the door frame. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4