초록 ▼

A multi-panel sliding door includes a main drive to directly move a leading door panel and includes an auxiliary drive to smoothly accelerate a lagging door panel. In some embodiments, the auxiliary drive includes a hanging weight that urges the lagging panel to its open position. In another embodim

A multi-panel sliding door includes a main drive to directly move a leading door panel and includes an auxiliary drive to smoothly accelerate a lagging door panel. In some embodiments, the auxiliary drive includes a hanging weight that urges the lagging panel to its open position. In another embodiment, the auxiliary drive includes a belt and sheave arrangement attached to the lagging panel. The leading panel is coupled to move the belt around two sheaves as the leading panel moves relative to the lagging one. The belt's movement is limited by a bumper that is attached to one point on the belt and is constrained to travel between one of the sheaves and a fixed stop attached to a wall or the track. As the main drive starts moving the leading panel to its open position, the relative movement between the two panels causes the belt to move the bumper up against the fixed stop. From there, continued opening movement of the leading panel continues rotating the belt around the sheaves. Since the bumper now holds a portion of the belt fixed relative to the stop, the sheaves begin to translate. This begins moving the lagging panel to its open position off to one side of a doorway before the lead panel reaches its open position in front of the lagging panel.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A door adapted to at least partially cover a doorway in a wall, the door having an opened position and a closed position, comprising:a first door panel adapted to be mounted for translation in front of the doorway; a second door panel adapted to be mounted for translation in front of the doorway,

1. A door adapted to at least partially cover a doorway in a wall, the door having an opened position and a closed position, comprising:a first door panel adapted to be mounted for translation in front of the doorway; a second door panel adapted to be mounted for translation in front of the doorway, wherein the first door panel has a first open position in front of the second door panel, the second door panel has a second open position adjacent the doorway between the first panel and the wall, and the door is in the opened position when the first door panel and the second door panel are in the first open position and the second open position respectively, the first and second door panels each having a closed position relative to the doorway and being arranged to telescope to position the door in the opened or closed position; and an auxiliary drive mechanism coupling the first door panel and the second door panel such that the first and second door panels have a first state of movement wherein movement of a first one of the first and second door panels is independent of movement of a second one of the first and second door panels, and the first and second door panels have a second state of movement wherein movement of a first one of the first and second door panels is dependent upon movement of a second one of the first and second door panels, wherein upon movement of the first door panel away from its closed position, the auxiliary drive mechanism urges the second door panel to move toward the second open position before the first door panel reaches the first open position; wherein the auxiliary drive mechanism includes a flexible ring encircling two rotatable members coupled to the second door panel.