Adaptable sliding door hanging system

Abstract

A door hanger assembly to be attached to a sliding door includes a first sub-assembly having a first support member to secure the hanger assembly in a position external to a frame containing the sliding door, and a glide track adjustably connected to the first support member to position the glide track above the sliding door and adjust the glide track in at least a first direction substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the sliding door. The door hanger assembly including a second sub-assembly including a second support member to externally secure the door hanger assembly to the sliding door, and a first roller assembly coupled to the second support member to be rotatably received by the glide track to facilitate movement of the sliding door in a second longitudinal direction.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A door hanger assembly to be attached to a sliding door, the hanger assembly comprising: 
 a first sub-assembly including a first support member to secure the hanger assembly in a position external to a frame containing the sliding door, and a glide track adjustably connected to the first support member to position the glide track above the sliding door, the glide track adjustable in at least a first direction substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the sliding door; and    a second sub-assembly including a second support member to externally secure the door hanger assembly to the sliding door, and a first roller assembly coupled to the second support member to be rotatably received by the glide track to facilitate movement of the sliding door in a second longitudinal direction.    
     
     
         2 . The door hanger assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the guide track is slidably connected to the support member.  
     
     
         3 . The door hanger assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the guide track comprises a slotted J-track extending longitudinally above the sliding door.  
     
     
         4 . The door hanger assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first support member is horizontally secured to a fixed location above the sliding door.  
     
     
         5 . The door hanger assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the glide track is positioned such that when the glide track is engaged with the first roller assembly, the glide track is at least partially supported by a door frame associated with the sliding door.  
     
     
         6 . The door hanger assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the second support member is horizontally secured to the sliding door.  
     
     
         7 . The door hanger assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising height adjustment means coupled to the first roller assembly and the second support member to facilitate positional adjustment of the sliding door in a vertical direction substantially parallel to the plane containing the sliding door and orthogonal to the first and second directions.  
     
     
         8 . The door hanger assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the height adjustment means comprises an adjustable C-channel bracket.  
     
     
         9 . The door hanger assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising pulley means to facilitate movement of the sliding door in the second longitudinal direction.  
     
     
         10 . The door hanger assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said pulley means comprises: 
 at least a left distal pulley wheel and a right distal pulley wheel in rotatable communication with one another, each of said left and right pulley wheels coupled to at least one of the first and second support members; and    a cable engaged with the left and right distal pulley wheels and having a first end positioned around the left distal pulley wheel and coupled to a left side of the sliding door and a second end positioned around the right distal pulley wheel and coupled to an opposing right side of the sliding door.    
     
     
         11 . The door hanger assembly of  claim 10 , wherein said left distal and right distal pulley wheels are spring-biased.  
     
     
         12 . The door hanger assembly of  claim 10 , wherein said pulley means further comprises: 
 first biasing means interposed between the left side of the door and the first end of the cable; and    second biasing means interposed between the right side of the door and the second end of the cable.    
     
     
         13 . The door hanger assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a motor assembly disposed between the left and right distal rollers and including a rotatable shaft to be engaged by the cable to facilitate automatic movement of the sliding door in the longitudinal direction.  
     
     
         14 . The door hanger assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the cable is disposed as a single loop around the rotatable shaft.  
     
     
         15 . The door hanger assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the cable comprises nylon line.  
     
     
         16 . A door hanging system for attaching a sliding screen door to a structure, the system comprising: 
 first support means for securing the hanging system to the structure external to the door frame;    second support means for securing the hanging system to the sliding screen door; and    rotatational support means adjustably attached to the first support means for rotatationally supporting at least a first roller assembly coupled to the second support means to facilitate movement of the sliding screen door in a longitudinal direction, the rotatational support means being adjustable in at least a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane containing the sliding screen door.    
     
     
         17 . The door hanging system of  claim 16 , wherein the rotatational support means comprises a slotted J-track extending longitudinally above the sliding screen door.  
     
     
         18 . The door hanging system of  claim 16 , wherein the first support means is horizontally secured to a fixed location on the structure above the sliding screen door.  
     
     
         19 . The door hanging system of  claim 18 , wherein the rotatational support means is positioned such that when engaged with the first roller assembly, the rotatational support means is at least partially supported by a door frame associated with the sliding screen door.  
     
     
         20 . The door hanging system of  claim 16 , wherein the second support means is horizontally secured to the sliding screen door.  
     
     
         21 . The door hanging system of  claim 16 , further comprising height adjustment means coupled to the first roller assembly and the second support means to facilitate positional adjustment of the sliding screen door in a vertical direction substantially parallel to the plane containing the sliding screen door and orthogonal to the first and second directions.  
     
     
         22 . The door hanging system of  claim 21 , wherein the height adjustment means comprises an adjustable C-channel bracket.  
     
     
         23 . The door hanging system of  claim 18 , further comprising pulley means to facilitate movement of the sliding screen door in the second longitudinal direction.  
     
     
         24 . The door hanging system of  claim 23 , wherein said pulley means comprises: 
 at least a left distal pulley wheel and a right distal pulley wheel in rotatable communication with one another, each of said left and right pulley wheels coupled to at least one of the first and second support members; and    a cable engaged with the left and right distal pulley wheels and having a first end positioned around the left distal pulley wheel and coupled to a left side of the sliding screen door, and a second end positioned around the right distal pulley wheel and coupled to an opposing right side of the sliding screen door.    
     
     
         25 . The door hanging system of  claim 24 , wherein said left distal and right distal pulley wheels are spring-biased.  
     
     
         26 . The door hanging system of  claim 24 , wherein said pulley means further comprises: 
 first biasing means interposed between the left side of the screen door and the first end of the cable; and    second biasing means interposed between the right side of the screen door and the second end of the cable.    
     
     
         27 . The door hanging system of  claim 24 , further comprising a motor assembly disposed between the left and right distal rollers and having a rotatable shaft to be engaged by the cable to facilitate automatic movement of the sliding screen door in the longitudinal direction.  
     
     
         28 . The door hanging system of  claim 27 , wherein the cable is disposed as a single loop around the rotatable shaft.  
     
     
         29 . The door hanging system of  claim 28 , wherein the cable comprises nylon line.  
     
     
         30 . A door hanging system for hanging a sliding door within a door frame contained by a structure, the system comprising: 
 a first support member to be attached to the structure at a point above the sliding door;    a guide track adjustably connected to the first support member to facilitate positioning of the guide track in at least a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane containing the sliding door;    a second support member to be secured to the sliding door; and    a roller assembly coupled to the second support member and rotatably supported by the guide track to facilitate movement of the sliding door in a longitudinal direction.    
     
     
         31 . The door hanging system of  claim 30 , wherein the guide track comprises a slotted J-track extending longitudinally above the sliding door.  
     
     
         32 . The door hanging system of  claim 30 , wherein the glide track is positioned such that when the glide track is engaged with the roller assembly, the glide track is at least partially supported by the door frame associated with the sliding door.  
     
     
         33 . The door hanging system of  claim 30 , further comprising height adjustment means coupled to the roller assembly and the second support member to facilitate positional adjustment of the sliding door in a vertical direction substantially parallel to the plane containing the sliding door.  
     
     
         34 . The door hanging system of  claim 33 , wherein the height adjustment means comprises an adjustable C-channel bracket.  
     
     
         35 . The door hanging system of  claim 30 , further comprising pulley means to facilitate movement of the sliding door in the longitudinal direction.  
     
     
         36 . The door hanging system of  claim 35 , wherein said pulley means comprises: 
 at least a left distal pulley wheel and a right distal pulley wheel in rotatable communication with one another, each of said left and right pulley wheels coupled to at least one of the first and second support members; and    a cable engaged with the left and right distal pulley wheels and having a first end positioned around the left distal pulley wheel and coupled to a left side of the sliding door and a second end positioned around the right distal pulley wheel and coupled to an opposing right side of the sliding door.    
     
     
         37 . The door hanging system of  claim 36 , wherein said left distal and right distal pulley wheels are spring-biased.  
     
     
         38 . The door hanging system of  claim 36 , wherein said pulley means further comprises: 
 first biasing means interposed between the left side of the sliding door and the first end of the cable; and    second biasing means interposed between the right side of the sliding door and the second end of the cable.    
     
     
         39 . The door hanging system of  claim 36 , further comprising a motor assembly disposed between the left and right distal rollers and including a rotatable shaft to be engaged by the cable to facilitate automatic movement of the sliding door in the longitudinal direction.  
     
     
         40 . The door hanging system of  claim 39 , wherein the cable is disposed in a single loop around the rotatable shaft to operate as a friction clutch.  
     
     
         41 . The door hanging system of  claim 40 , wherein the cable is comprises nylon line.