Granted Patent B2

US 12,618,286 · App. 18/211,797 · Granted May 5, 2026

Inventors: Adam Kendall (Burlington, NC); Bruce Procton (Greensboro, NC)

Assignee: Endura Products, LLC

E06B7/28E06B3/70G07C9/00174E06B2003/7051G07C2009/00642H02J50/005H02J50/10

Abstract

Claims (36)

1 . A door comprising:

a laminated member of a rail or stile having a plurality of layers bonded to one another;

an energy receiver configured to inductively receive electrical energy from an energy transmitter disposed in a door frame, the energy receiver comprising a receiver coil forming a portion of at least one layer of the plurality of layers of the laminated member;

the receiver coil partially or completely hidden within the laminated member of the rail or stile; and

an electrical device disposed substantially or entirely within the door and electrically coupled to the energy receiver, wherein the receiver coil comprises a single layer element disposed between two adjacent layers of the plurality of layers of the laminated member.

2 . The door according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical device is a powered lock.

3 . The door according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical device is an energy storage unit configured to store electrical energy.

4 . The door according to claim 3 , further comprising a second electrical device disposed substantially or entirely within the door, the energy storage unit electrically coupled to the second electrical device and configured to provide electrical energy to the second electrical device.

5 . The door according to claim 1 , wherein the laminated member is a stile of the door, the stile defining a lock edge or a hinged edge of the door.

6 . The door according to claim 1 , wherein the laminated member is a rail of the door, the rail defining a top edge or a bottom edge of the door.

7 . The door according to claim 1 , wherein the laminated member is of unitary construction and includes the receiver coil therewithin.

8 . The door according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of layers comprise an outermost layer, an innermost layer, and one or more central layers disposed between the outermost layer and the innermost layer, the receiver coil forming a portion of at least one layer of the one or more central layers.

9 . The door according to claim 8 , wherein each layer of the one or more central layers has a thickness, the thickness of each layer of the one or more central layers being substantially the same.

10 . A door system comprising: a door frame;

an energy transmitter disposed within the door frame; and

a door having an exterior surface and an interior surface opposite the exterior surface, the door pivotally coupled to the door frame such that the door is capable of pivoting between an open position and a closed position, the door comprising:

a laminated member having a plurality of layers bonded to one another to form a solid piece of material;

an energy receiver configured to inductively receive electrical energy from the energy transmitter, the energy receiver comprising a receiver coil disposed within the plurality of layers of the laminated member such that the receiver coil is partially or completely hidden within a rail or stile; and

an electrical device disposed substantially within the door, between the exterior surface and the interior surface, the electrical device electrically coupled to the energy receiver, wherein the receiver coil comprises a single layer element disposed between two adjacent layers of the plurality of layers of the laminated member.

11 . The door system according to claim 10 , wherein the energy receiver is decoupled from the energy transmitter in response to the door pivoting from the closed position.

12 . The door system according to claim 10 , wherein the electrical device is an energy storage unit configured to store electrical energy transmitted to the energy receiver.

13 . The door system according to claim 12 , wherein the energy storage unit is a battery.

14 . The door system according to claim 12 , further comprising a second electrical device, the energy storage unit electrically coupled to the second electrical device, the energy storage unit configured to provide electrical energy to the second electrical device.

15 . The door system according to claim 10 , wherein the door frame comprises a header, a jamb, and a sill, the energy transmitter disposed within the header, the jamb, or the sill such that the energy transmitter is adjacent to the receiver coil when the door in the closed position.

16 . A method of manufacturing the laminated member for the door as recited in claim 1 , the method comprising: layering the plurality of layers of a material;

positioning the receiver coil of the energy receiver within the portion of the at least one layer of the plurality of layers; and

bonding the plurality of layers with one another to form the laminated member such that the receiver coil is capable of inductively coupling the energy receiver to the energy transmitter while disposed within the laminated member.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein bonding the plurality of layers bonds the receiver coil within the plurality of layers such that the laminated member is of unitary construction with the receiver coil disposed therein.

18 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising electrically coupling the receiver coil to the electrical device of the door.

19 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein layering the plurality of layers includes disposing the receiver coil between an outermost layer of the plurality of layers and an innermost layer of the plurality of layers such that the receiver coil is entirely disposed within the plurality of layers.

20 . The method according to claim 19 , wherein layering the plurality of layers includes disposing the receiver coil closer to the outermost layer than the innermost layer.

21 . The door of claim 1 , wherein the receiver coil forms a portion of a single layer of the plurality of layers.

22 . The door of claim 8 , wherein the receiver coil is monolithically or unitarily formed with the laminated member.

23 . The door of claim 1 , wherein the laminated member is formed by bonding the plurality of layers together with the receiver coil positioned therein during formation of the laminated member.

24 . The door of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of layers are bonded together with adhesive such that the receiver coil is enclosed by the bonded laminate layers forming a unitary laminated structure.

25 . The door of claim 8 , wherein the receiver coil is formed within at least one central layer that is closer to the outermost layer or closer to the innermost layer of the laminated member.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (400)