Granted Patent B2

US 8,495,795 · App. 13/404,563 · Granted Jul 30, 2013

Inventors: Anthony K. Christie (Wayland, MI); John Early (Portage, MI)

Assignee: Eliason Corporation

Abstract

Claims (25)

1. A hinge assembly for a self-closing, bidirectionally swinging door which is swingable between an open position and a normally closed position, said hinge assembly comprising:

a frame-mountable first bracket assembly comprising a frame bracket mountable on a door frame proximate an upper portion of a door, and a hinge pin projecting vertically downwardly from said frame bracket, said hinge pin defining a vertically extending pivot axis for a door and having a bottom end and a roller assembly supported on said bottom end, said roller assembly comprising at least one roller which is rotatable about a horizontally extending roller axis and has an outer circumferential roller surface; and

a door-mountable second bracket assembly comprising a door bracket unit which is mountable to a door for suspending the door from said first bracket assembly for swinging rotation about said pivot axis, said second bracket assembly including a top support plate having a central bore wherein a pair of first plate sections are disposed on opposite sides of said central bore in a first direction and a pair of second plate sections are disposed on opposite sides of said central bore in a second direction transverse to said first direction, said hinge pin projecting vertically downwardly through said central bore with said roller being disposed vertically below said top support plate to vertically carry said second bracket assembly and permit rotation of said second bracket assembly relative to said first bracket assembly about said pivot axis for swinging of a door between open and closed positions;

said roller having a respective one of said first plate sections supported vertically on said roller surface, wherein at least one of said first plate sections includes a respective centering notch which receives said roller within said notch to rotationally bias said top plate to a first position corresponding to a closed position of a door, said second bracket assembly being displaceable vertically relative to said hinge pin wherein vertical displacement of said second bracket assembly permits said roller to move vertically out of said centering notch during rotation of said top plate to a second position corresponding to an open position of a door supported by said second bracket assembly; and

at least one of said second plate sections of said top plate including a restraining slot which receives said roller to restrain said top plate in said second position wherein said vertical displacement of said second bracket assembly permits said roller to move out of said restraining slot during return of said second bracket assembly to said first position.

2. The hinge assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said roller is supported on a roller shaft which permits rotation of said roller relative to said hinge pin about said roller axis.

3. The hinge assembly according to claim 1 , which comprises a pair of said rollers disposed on opposite sides of said hinge pin.

4. The hinge assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a pair of said rollers are supported on a roller shaft which permits rotation of said rollers relative to said hinge pin about said roller axis, said rollers supporting said first plate sections on opposite sides of said central bore.

5. The hinge assembly according to claim 4 , wherein each of said first plate sections includes one said centering notch and each of said second plate sections includes one said restraining slot, said rollers being movable about said central bore between said centering notches and said restraining slots.

6. The hinge assembly according to claim 5 , wherein each said centering notch is formed by deformation of said top plate into a V-shaped recess which defines said notch.

7. The hinge assembly according to claim 6 , wherein each said restraining slot opens vertically through said top plate.

8. The hinge assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each said centering notch is formed by deformation of said top plate into a V-shaped recess which defines said notch.

9. The hinge assembly according to claim 8 , wherein each said restraining slot opens vertically through said top plate.

10. A hinge assembly for a self-closing, bidirectionally swinging door which is swingable between an open position and a normally closed position, said hinge assembly comprising:

a frame-mountable first bracket assembly comprising a frame bracket mountable on a door frame proximate an upper portion of a door, and a hinge pin projecting vertically downwardly from said frame bracket, said hinge pin defining a vertically extending pivot axis for a door and having a bottom end and a roller assembly supported on said bottom end, said roller assembly comprising a plurality of rollers which are rotatable about a horizontally extending roller axis and each has an outer circumferential roller surface; and

a door-mountable second bracket assembly comprising a door bracket unit which is mountable to a door for suspending the door from said first bracket assembly for swinging rotation about said pivot axis, said second bracket assembly including a top support plate having a central bore and comprising a pair of side plate sections disposed on opposite sides of said central bore in a first sideward direction and a pair of end plate sections disposed on opposite sides of said central bore in a second end-to-end direction transverse to said first direction, said hinge pin projecting vertically downwardly through said central bore with said rollers being disposed vertically below said top support plate to vertically carry said second bracket assembly and permit rotation of said second bracket assembly relative to said first bracket assembly about said pivot axis for swinging of a door between open and closed positions;

each said roller having a respective one of said side plate sections supported vertically on said roller surface, wherein each of said side plate sections includes a respective centering notch which receives said roller within said notch to rotationally bias said top plate to a first position corresponding to a closed position of a door, said second bracket assembly being displaceable vertically relative to said hinge pin wherein vertical displacement of said second bracket assembly permits said roller to move vertically out of said centering notch during rotation of said top plate to a second position corresponding to an open position of a door supported by said second bracket assembly; and

each of said end plate sections of said top plate including a restraining slot which receives said roller to restrain said top plate in said second position wherein said vertical displacement of said second bracket assembly permits said roller to move out of said restraining slot during return of said second bracket assembly to said first position.

11. The hinge assembly according to claim 10 , wherein said rollers are supported on a roller shaft which permits rotation of said rollers relative to said hinge pin about said roller axis, said rollers supporting said first plate sections on opposite sides of said central bore.

12. The hinge assembly according to claim 10 , wherein said rollers are movable about said central bore between said centering notches and said restraining slots.

13. The hinge assembly according to claim 10 , wherein each said centering notch is formed by deformation of said top plate into a V-shaped recess which defines said notch.

14. The hinge assembly according to claim 13 , wherein each said V-shaped recess includes inclined sides which normally bias said roller to a center position of said notch.

15. The hinge assembly according to claim 10 , wherein each said restraining slot opens vertically from at least one side of said top plate.

16. The hinge assembly according to claim 15 , wherein each said restraining slot has angled edges which normally bias said roller into said slot and restrains said roller therein.

17. The hinge assembly according to claim 16 , wherein each said slot is cut vertically through the entire thickness of said top plate.

Assignments (10)

Continuity (2)