GARY LEE ANDERSON
Pilots at Williams Rd, Erie, PA

6264901, Jul 24, 2001

Nov 3, 1998

9/185186

Gary L. Anderson - Erie PA

Steris Corporation - Mentor OH

A61L 200, A61L 207

422295

A door (18) for sealing the opening (14) to a walk-in steam sterilizer is formed from a stainless steel plate (50), sized to cover the opening, and a load-bearing framework (52), which is formed from a material having a different coefficient of thermal expansion to that of the plate, such as carbon steel. The framework includes a set of horizontally-spaced I beams (60) which are connected together at their ends by an outer frame (64). The framework is flexibly connected to an exterior surface of the plate by a number of flexible joints (56), such as carbon steel straps. The straps are welded at either end to the plate to form loops. The I beams are supported in the loops. As the temperature inside the sterilizer changes, causing the components of the door to expand or contract, the framework and the plate are able to expand or contract at different rates without resulting in bowing or other distortion of the door. Sets of rollers (22, 24) are rotatably mounted to upper and lower ends of the outer frame. The rollers engage upper and lower tracks (30, 36) mounted to the exterior of the sterilizer for sliding the door into and out of the closed position.

6017105, Jan 25, 2000

Nov 3, 1998

9/185430

Jeffrey A. Goughnour - Erie PA
Gary L. Anderson - Erie PA

Steris Corporation - Mentor OH

A47B 8100

312209

A guidance assembly (28) guides a door (22) to a cabinet (10) while it is moved between an open position, in which access to an interior chamber is provided through an opening (16) in the cabinet, and a closed position, in which the door covers the opening. The guidance system includes four pairs of rollers (32, 34) which are mounted to upper and lower horizontal sides of the door. The rollers roll along upper and lower horizontal tracks (38, 42) which are mounted to an exterior wall (18) of the cabinet, adjacent upper and lower ends of the opening. Leading and trailing recesses (56, 62) are defined in the tracks to receive the rollers when the door is in the closed position. Leading pairs (32) of the rollers have shorter shafts (52) than corresponding trailing pairs (34) of the rollers. The trailing recesses (62) are further from the door than the leading recesses (56), leaving a narrow strip of land (64) between the trailing recesses and the door. The leading rollers engage these strips of land while the door is moving between open and closed positions.