Patent ID: 6073674
Filing Date: 2000-06-13
Classification: E05D,E05Y

Abstract:
An articulated overhead door comprising: a plurality of panels linked together in series in a direction of motion; rollers traveling in two sets of lateral tracks at each end of said panels for guiding said panels; a first set of said tracks having a substantially first vertical section merging into a curved section, said curved section being connected to a first horizontal section; a second set of said tracks having a second horizontal section merging in a downward-sloping section, said downward-sloping section being connected to a second vertical section having a location nearest the door, said second horizontal section being located above and parallel to said first horizontal section, all panels below an uppermost panel when the door is closed being guided by rollers traveling in said first set of tracks, said uppermost panel being guided by rollers traveling in said second set of tracks; door balancing means comprising helical tension springs with deflection rollers and cables, each of said springs having one end secured at a location spaced from the door, each spring having another end extending into an area of the door and secured to one of said deflection rollers, said cables being grouped in pairs, one of said pairs being adjacent each track, each of said cables being fixed at one common end and wrapped around one of said deflection rollers and extending to a point at one end of a bottom edge of a lowermost panel when the door is closed; modules combining said springs; at least a plurality of said modules comprising two coaxial helical springs with an outer coaxial spring and an inner coaxial spring, said coaxial springs having coils wound in opposite directions and being connected together at both ends and being simultaneously subjected to loads; each of said deflection rollers accommodating one of said cables, said deflection rollers being grouped in pairs, said cables having loads equally distributed by at least one of said modules; and cable-tension compensating means fastened to said common end.