Overhead rigid-panel door

A rigid-panel overhead door which is selectively moved up and down to open and close an opening and which is guided generally along door guides on opposed vertical sides of the opening is disclosed. The door includes a first chain disposed along one of the door guides and a second chain disposed along an opposed door guide. The door further includes a plurality of panels, each having a first end and a second end, the panels being of sufficient length to extend substantially across the opening but sufficiently limited in length so as to fit between the first and second chains and not extend beyond them. The door further includes a plurality of connectors for joining the first and second chains respectively to the first and second ends of each of the panels. Also disclosed is a rigid-panel overhead door including a door guide having a first portion which guides the door body vertically, a second portion which guides the door body horizontally, and a third portion which directs the door body into a coiled position for storage when the door is in an overhead position. The door also has a motor operatively connected to the door to move the door body along the door guide to open and close the door. The motor is situated so that a space between the first and third door guide portion is provided. The space is of sufficient size to accommodate locating at least the motor so that the door body does not obstruct access to the motor from at least one direction when the door body is accumulated into an overhead position. A method of making a hinge for use in an interlinked hinge chain for guiding and moving a door between an open and a closed position is also disclosed. The method comprising the steps of (1) defining a desired hinge thickness, height and profile as viewed from a cross section through a thickness of the hinge; (2) providing an extrusion mold which will extrude elongated stock having the desired thickness, height and profile; and (3)cutting or otherwise dividing the extruded length into the desired width for the hinge.

DESCRIPTION 
1. Technical Field 
The invention relates to industrial doors, in particular segmented 
rigid-panel doors which are accumulated overhead when in the open 
position. 
2. Background of the Invention 
Overhead doors have been used for many years to secure various enclosures 
including manufacturing plants, warehouses, garages, and other industrial 
doorways that require a heavy duty cycle. Such doors are generally 
comprised of articulated, joined panels or slats. Generally, such overhead 
doors are guided by tracks along door jambs, facilitating movement of the 
door between open and closed positions. The guide tracks used with 
slat-type or segmented panels generally extend upwardly above the door 
opening for storing the door when in an opened position. In places where 
overhead space is insufficient, the track may guide the door at a backward 
angle above the door opening. 
Recently, however, it has been proposed to accumulate the door panels above 
the door by guiding the panels into an overlapping, coiled or spiraled 
configuration. Such overhead doors have been guided for movement up and 
down by guide tracks consisting of essentially three basic portions. 
Examples of such overhead doors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,484,007 
and 5,394,924. The first portion of the guide tracks extend vertically 
along the sides of the door or jambs. The second portion of the guide 
tracks extends above the opening, turns horizontally at the top of the 
doorway, and extends away from the wall. The third portion of the guide 
tracks forms an inward coiled configuration which encircles a door drive 
motor. Accordingly, as the door is lifted, it is guided along the guide 
tracks and directed into the coiled configuration. While these overhead 
doors have enjoyed a great deal of success, they have also presented 
various problems as will be discussed herein. 
In particular, problems exist in the ability of the door to withstand 
impact without sustaining debilitating damage to the door and its 
associated guide structure. Because overhead doors are generally used to 
secure industrial areas with high traffic, the door is often not 
completely open before attempted transit through the doorway by vehicles 
such as forklift trucks. Accordingly, at least the bottom-most panels are 
subjected to impact by these vehicles. Therefore, at least one or more of 
the bottom-most panels of the door must be able to withstand frontal 
impact without sustaining severe damage to the entire door or its 
associated jambs. Replacement of the overhead door or panels can be costly 
and can also result in increased down-time. 
Additionally, doors, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,484,007 
and 5,394,924, employ a chain of interconnecting hinges to lift the door 
between opened and closed positions. The hinges are strap-like and are 
mounted to only one face of a respective panel. Problems exist with 
respect to the ability of hinge straps to adequately distribute forces 
which are created during movement of the door. The straps overlap an end 
portion of the slats and are bolted thereto. The hinge straps typically 
consist of thin formable metal. Each hinge has a male end and a female end 
created by rolling the ends of the metal into loops. The mated loops are 
rotatably secured by hinge pins. In overhead doors using such hinges, the 
distribution of force created by movement of the door can cause the hinges 
to wear prematurely or be damaged. In particular, the stresses applied to 
the interconnected loops, created by repeated opening and closing of the 
door can cause the ends to become "unrolled." Additionally, the male and 
female portions cannot generally be centered to the middle of a door panel 
as centering the portions requires that the metal be extended at an angle 
inwardly from a face of the panel, where the main body of the strap-type 
hinge is secured. Bending the metal may result in increased stresses at 
the angle of the metal. Thus, there is a need for a stronger panel-hinge 
assembly that can accommodate doors having a large duty cycle. 
Another problem with previous overhead doors is the configuration of the 
overhead guide track. Typically, when the overhead door is being serviced 
for maintenance, it is desirable to keep the door in an overhead position 
to allow continued use of the doorway or opening. However, in previous 
overhead guide configurations, the motor and much of the associated drive 
apparatus are surrounded by the door panels when the door is in its 
overhead position. Such configurations make access to the motor and 
associated drive difficult. These configurations also require that the 
door be at least partially disassembled if repair or replacement of the 
motor or its parts is necessary. Disassembly of the door can ultimately 
result in non-use and increased down-time of the door. Consequently, there 
is a need for an overhead accumulation configuration that does not impede 
access to the motor assembly and associated apparatus. 
The present invention is provided to solve these and other problems and 
provide advantages and aspects not provided by prior doors of this type. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides an overhead rigid-panel door which is 
selectively movable up and down to open and close an opening and is 
accumulated overhead in a coiled-type configuration. 
According to one aspect of the present invention, a door is provided which 
has a pair of chains for movement of a plurality of rigid panels up and 
down. The chains are disposed between the panels and door guides at 
opposed sides of the door. Each chain comprises a plurality of 
interconnecting hinges. The panels each have a first end and a second end 
and are of sufficient length to extend substantially across the opening, 
but sufficiently limited in length to fit between the first and second 
chains and not extend beyond them. The door also includes a means for 
connecting each door panel to a separate pair of hinges at the first and 
second ends of each panel. 
According to another aspect of the present invention, a door is provided 
which includes a door body having a plurality of panels hingedly connected 
together. The door includes a door guide having a first portion which 
guides the door panels vertically, a second portion which guides the door 
panels at an angle to the vertical, and a third portion which directs the 
door body into an overlapped or coiled configuration for storage when the 
door is in an open position. The door in the present invention further 
includes a motor which moves the door body along the door guide thereby 
opening and closing the door. The door panels in an accumulated position 
are situated so that a space exists between the first panels and the first 
door guide portions. The present invention requires that the space be of 
sufficient size to accommodate locating at least the motor therein so the 
door does not obstruct access to the motor from at least one direction 
when the door body is accumulated overhead into the coiled configuration. 
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of 
making a hinge is provided. The method includes defining a desired hinge 
thickness, height and profile as viewed from a cross section through the 
thickness. The method also requires using an extrusion mold, which will 
extrude elongated stock, having the desired thickness, height and profile 
as viewed through the cross-section or the thickness. The method further 
requires cutting or otherwise dividing the extruded length into the 
desired width. Finally, the method requires removing unwanted material at 
one end of the height of the hinge to define a male mating portion and two 
spaced extending portions at the other end of the hinge to define a female 
mating portion. 
Other advantages and aspects of the present invention will become apparent 
upon reading the following description of the drawings and detailed 
description of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, 
there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail 
preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the 
present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the 
principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspects 
of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. 
FIGS. 1-9 disclose an improvement on previous overhead rigid-panel door and 
hinge assemblies. According to one aspect of the present invention, a door 
1 which is selectively moved up and down to open and close an opening (not 
shown) and which is guided along side guide tracks 4 at the edge of the 
opening is disclosed. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the overhead door 1 
generally includes a plurality of panels 6, a pair of chains 8 defined by 
interlinked hinges 10, and a means for connecting each panel 6 to a 
separate pair of hinges 10. 
FIG. 1 illustrates a plurality of panels 6, each having a first end 12 and 
a second end 14. Each panel 6 is of sufficient length to extend 
substantially across the opening, but sufficiently limited in length so as 
to fit between and not extend across the chains 8 on opposed sides of the 
opening. Each door panel 6 generally abuts the two respective hinges 10 
with which it is associated. 
FIGS. 1-4 show the chains 8 which move the panels 6, and therefore the door 
1, up and down. The chains 8 are defined by interlinked hinges 10 and are 
disposed between the panels 6 and the guide tracks 4. Each of the hinges 
10 which comprise the chain 8 is pivotal about a hinge pin 18. Each of the 
hinges 10 has two ends 19a and 19b. The first end 19a of each hinge 10 has 
an extending male portion 20 with a through-hole 22 for receiving the 
hinge pin 18. The second end 19b has a pair of spaced extending portions 
24a and 24b defining a female portion 24. Each of the extending portion 
24a, 24b of the female portion 24 also has a through-hole 22 for receiving 
a hinge pin 18. The through-holes 22 of both the male 20 and female 24 
hinge portions are aligned so that they are generally centered between a 
front surface (see FIG. 2) and a back surface (not shown) of the panels 6 
for improved force distribution. 
FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate the means for connecting the panel 6 to its 
respective two hinges 10. The means for connecting at least the 
bottom-most panel to its respective two hinges 10 includes connecting 
inserts 9. The connecting inserts 9 permit separation of the panel 6 from 
the hinges 10 upon an impact to the panel 6 in excess of a predetermined 
force, as will be explained below. 
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the door guide requires at least some of the 
hinge pins 18 to extend to the door guides 4. Each of the hinge pins 18 
that are extended have a roller 26, rotationally engaged proximate the 
extended ends of the hinge pins 18. Each roller 26, in turn, engages the 
door guide 4 (FIGS. 8 and 9). 
In the preferred embodiment, the hinges 10 are structurally biased to 
rotate in only one direction and to resist rotation in the opposite 
direction. The hinges 10 rotate between a straight in-line position when 
the door 1 is closed, to an angled position when the door 1 is accumulated 
overhead. As may be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the structural bias is provided 
by terminating the male 20 and female 24 extending portions with a rounded 
shoulder 30 toward a side to which rotation is desired, and providing a 
squared shoulder 32 toward the opposite side where rotation is not 
desired. 
In the preferred embodiment, the door panels 6 include receptacles 33 (now 
shown) formed in each of the first and second ends, 12 14 of each panel 6, 
and each hinge 10 has a receptacle 34 being formed in its body. Also in 
the preferred embodiment, the connecting inserts 9 have first end 13a, a 
second end 13b and a center portion 15. The first end 13a of the 
connecting insert 9 is secured by suitable means in the receptacle 34 of 
the hinge 10. Likewise, the second end 13b is secured by suitable means in 
the receptacle 34 of one of the ends 12, 14 of the panel 6. The means for 
securing the insert, may be bolts, pins, or any device suitable for 
securing two members. 
The connecting inserts 9 between at least the bottom-most panel 6 and its 
two respective hinges 10 is sacrificially broken at the thinned portion 
15a of the insert 9 when the panel 6 is impacted by a force in excess of a 
predetermined force. In other words, when the door panel 6 is impacted, 
the connecting insert 9 will shear or fracture. This permits the panel 6 
to separate from the hinge 10, reducing damage to the hinges 10 or the 
door 1. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a preferred method of weakening this 
area is simply to cut slots 21a, 21b into the center portion 15 to a depth 
which will give the desired predetermined force for separation. It is 
contemplated that the connecting insert 9 can be configured to cause the 
door to separate door panel 6 from hinges 10 in other ways. For example, a 
connecting insert 9 made of a material, such as rubber, may be used so 
that when impacted, the material flexes to dislodge from either the 
receptacles 34 or 33. 
Another aspect of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 7-9 in which the 
door 1 is guided by door guides 4 and accumulates overhead when in an open 
position. FIG. 8 shows the door guide 4 having a first portion 38, a 
second portion 40, and a third portion 42. The first portion 38 of the 
door guide 4 guides the door 1 vertically while the second portion 40 
guides the door horizontally. The third portion 42 directs the door 1 into 
a coiled configuration for storage when the door 1 is in an open position. 
As can further be seen in FIG. 8, a motor 39 is operably connected to the 
door 1 to move the door 1 along the door guide 4. The accumulated panels 6 
are situated so that there exists a space 44 between the first guide 
portion 38 and the panels 6. The space 44 is of sufficient size to 
accommodate access to the motor 39 from at least one direction when the 
door 1 is accumulated into the coiled configuration. 
In the preferred embodiment the coiled configuration extends horizontally 
away from the door opening. However, it is contemplated that the coiled 
configuration may extend away from the door opening at any angle in which 
the motor 39 may still be accessed in space 44 when the panels 6 are 
accumulated into the coiled configuration. It is further contemplated that 
"coiled" herein merely means that the door guide 36 coils "back on itself" 
regardless of how many times, and is not meant to be constrained to 
spirals, circles or any other particular geometric shape. 
Conventional hinges are configured to attach to either faces or adjoining 
edge surfaces of the two entities to be hinged together, for example see 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,484,007 and 5,394,924. However the hinges 10 of the 
present invention are uniquely configured to be located on the end 
surfaces of the two panels 6 which are to be hinged together. While the 
door 1 is shown using inserts 9 for connection, other means for connecting 
the ends of panels 6 to a hinge according to the invention could be used 
such as conventional fasteners (bolts, screws, glue) used in connection 
with flanges, brackets or other well known means to connect the side of 
the hinge to an end of a panel. 
According to another aspect of the invention, the hinges 10 can be 
advantageously manufactured by defining a desired hinge thickness 46, 
height 48 and profile as viewed from a cross section through the thickness 
46. Secondly, using an extrusion mold which will extrude elongated stock 
having the desired thickness 46, height 48 and profile as viewed through a 
cross section of the thickness 46. Thirdly, cutting or otherwise dividing 
the extruded length into the desired width 50 for the hinge. Finally, 
removing unwanted material to form an extended portion at one end of the 
height 48 of the hinge to define a male mating portion 20 and at the other 
end of the height 48 to define a female mating portion 24. The removal of 
unwanted material may be done on the bar stock prior to cutting the 
extrusion into separate hinges 10. One can also provide an extrusion mold 
with means to extrude the through-holes 22 for hinge pin 18 connection 
between hinges 10. Alternately the through-holes 22 may be formed by 
boring or drilling either after defining the extended male 20 and female 
24 portions, or before removing the unwanted material to define those 
portions. Preferably, the mold may also be equipped with means to provide 
a hollowed center in the profile of the hinge 10 and extrudate as viewed 
in cross section through the thickness 46. The hinges 10 of the door 1 are 
preferably made in the above manners from aluminum. 
While the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, 
numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from 
the spirit of the invention and the scope of protection is only limited by 
the scope of the accompanying Claims.