Folding door arrangement

Claim 1

In an accordion-type folding door including a foldable cover on either side of the door with the covers each supported by an extensible and contractible frame and defining an inner surface facing the corresponding surface of the other cover and an outwardly facing surface defining the outer surface of the door, the improvement wherein: said covers comprise a plurality of slats, said slats of each cover defining vertically extending side edges and being arranged to define individual folds of the cover in which each fold comprises three slats including a center slat and side slats on either side of the center slat, means for hinging adjacent of said side edges of said side slats of each fold to the corresponding side edges of the center slat adjacent same, means for hinging the other edges of the side slats of each fold to said frame, said slats each comprising a panel having one side surface thereof on the outer surface side of the respective covers and the other side surface thereof on the inner surface side of the respective covers, said means for hinging said side slat side edges to said center slat edges comprising an articulating tape extending substantially the height of the respective panel and bonded to said one side surface of the respective panels forming said side and said slats, said means for hinging said other edges of said side slats to said frame comprising an articulating tape extending substantially the height of the respective panels and bonded to said one side surface of the respective panel forming said side slats, and means for securing the last mentioned tapes to said frame, each of said panels including a cover veneer bonded to same over said tapes and overlying said one side of said panels, said cover veneer of each of said panels defining vertically extending side edges that are substantially aligned with the side edges of said panels, said hinging means disposing the respective panels joined together thereby in closely spaced relation, said slats at the inner surface of the respective covers along their side edges being formed such that adjacent slat side edges at the inner surface of the respective covers define vshaped grooves in the unfolded position of the door, said cover veneers defining said outwardly facing surface of said cover, whereby said outwardly facing surfaces of said covers present a substantially continuous decorative appearance running the length of the door in the folded and unfolded positions thereof, and said slat side edges are substantially covered by said tapes, whereby said decorative appearance dominates the external aesthetic effect presented by said covers.