Abstract:
This disclosure describes methods for making insulated door panels using separate façade members, in order to separate the manufacturing process of the exterior cosmetic design surface from the structural components of the door panels. This allows a same manufacturing line for the door panels to accept façade members of different designs and to produce door panels of these different designs. The facade members are made in separate production lines using various techniques, including casting, molding, vacuum forming, extrusion, and the like. The façade members are then fed into door panel production lines that fill polyurethane foams to form complete panels. The façade members become the exterior skins of the panels with minimum overlay with any backing structure to reduce material wastes, as well as lowering tooling costs for different designs due to the common backing structure that may be shared.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/361,309, entitled “Method for Making Insulated Door Panels Using Separate Façade Surfaces”, filed on Jul. 12, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This disclosure relates to manufacturing garage door panels, in particular, to manufacturing insulated garage door panels. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Exterior cosmetic design of door panels, such as those for garage doors, is often integrated with the door panels. For example, an exterior cosmetic design is often stamped onto the structural component, such as a “U” shaped steel sheet to form an exterior structure of a door panel. The exterior structure may then be married with an interior structure with expanded foam or other insulation material filled in between the exterior structure and the interior structure to form an insulated garage door panel. The tooling cost is often substantial as a result of the complicated shape of the exterior structure that includes both a design pattern and different structural elements and is thus a disincentive for providing various trendy designs. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    This disclosure describes assemblies and methods for making insulated door panels using separate façade surfaces, in order to separate the manufacturing process of the exterior cosmetic design surface from the structural components of the door panels. This allows for a same production line for the door panels to accept façade surfaces of different designs and to produce door panels of these different designs and lowering the overall tooling costs for the different designs. 
         [0005]    The facade surfaces are made in separate production lines using various techniques, including casting, molding, vacuum forming, extrusion, and the like. A particular production technique may be selected based on the desired material, cost consideration, or both. The façade surfaces are then fed into door panel production lines that fill polyurethane foams to form complete insulated garage door panels. 
         [0006]    There are several advantages using such offline façade surfaces to make door panels. First, different door panel façade designs can be created on demand without altering the door panel production lines. Second, compared to previous manufacturing methods, a wider selection of materials and costs of the façade surfaces becomes available to the market using this method. Third, using this manufacturing method, different lamination structures (e.g., steel to foam, urethane to foam, fiberglass to foam, or wood to foam, among others) can be selected to cope with geographical requirements in terms of wind, rain, temperature variation, humidity, etc. Last but not least, the raw material for making the separated façade surface can be substantially two dimensional (such as a steel or plastic sheet) and the tooling cost for creating new and different designs on the two-dimensional raw material is significantly lowered due to the offline façade surface production. 
         [0007]    In a first general aspect, a method for making an insulated door panel includes providing a façade surface having a design pattern. The design pattern is surrounded by a planar frontal surface near edges of the façade surface. A backing bracket is provided to receive the façade surface. The backing bracket includes a top wall, a bottom wall, and a pair of side walls to form an interior area. The façade member is aligned with the backing bracket such that a rear surface of the façade member contacts the backing bracket top wall. The façade surface is adhered to the backing bracket directly or via an expandable medium. 
         [0008]    In some embodiments, providing the façade surface includes providing a design member onto the façade member front surface. For example, the design member may be stamped or roll-formed onto the façade member. 
         [0009]    In some other embodiments, providing the façade surface includes stamping or roll-forming the design pattern in the originally flat piece of material to form the façade surface. For example, the originally flat piece of material is a metal sheet, such as steel. 
         [0010]    In yet some other embodiments, providing the façade surface includes heat-forming at least one of the design pattern in the originally flat piece of material to form the façade surface. For example, the originally flat piece of material is a polymer based plastic sheet. 
         [0011]    In some embodiments, providing the backing bracket includes providing a metal sheet and forming the metal sheet in a tool into a pan shape having a cross section of at least four folded corners. The receiving planar frontal surface if formed at an edge of the metal sheet. For example, the metal sheet can be made of steel. In some specific examples, forming the metal sheet in a tool further includes forming a groove and a tongue, wherein the groove is in between a first and a second folded corners and the tongue is in between a third and a fourth folded corners. The groove and tongue have matching outer profiles such that when the garage door is at a closed position, the groove and tongue form a barrier against rain, wind, and dust. 
         [0012]    In yet some other embodiments, producing the planar frontal surface near edges of the façade surface includes molding a compliant material to form the planar frontal surface along with the design pattern on the façade surface. For example, the compliant material can be a curable composite that is one of urethane, a mixture of epoxy and fiberglass, and a mixture of resin and filler material. 
         [0013]    In some embodiments, an overlay surface is adhered on top of the façade surface, wherein the overlay surface includes natural wood. 
         [0014]    In a second general aspect, a garage door panel assembly includes a façade surface having a planar frontal surface near edges of the façade surface. A three dimensional design pattern is within the planar frontal surface. A backing bracket has a receiving planar frontal surface that is mate-able with the planar frontal surface near edges of the façade surface. The backing bracket is assembled to the façade surface. An adhesive holds the façade surface to the backing bracket. 
         [0015]    In some embodiments, the façade surface further includes a convex guide next to the planar frontal surface. The convex guide abuts the edges of the façade surface. 
         [0016]    In some other embodiments, the convex guide abuts a transitional planar frontal surface meeting the edges of the façade surface. 
         [0017]    In yet some other embodiments, the backing bracket further includes a concave guide for receiving the convex guide. 
         [0018]    In some embodiments, the backing bracket comprises at least four substantial right-angle folds. 
         [0019]    In some other embodiments, the receiving planar frontal surface is between an edge of the backing bracket and one of the at least four substantial right-angle folds that is closest to the edge. 
         [0020]    In yet some other embodiments, the backing bracket further comprises a groove and a tongue, the groove and the tongue having a substantially similar shape such that the tongue can fit into the groove conformingly. 
         [0021]    In some embodiments, the façade surface is a piece of metal, a piece of urethane, a piece of composite including fiberglass and resin, or a piece of plastic. 
         [0022]    In some other embodiments, the adhesive is expandable foam filled in between the façade surface and the backing bracket. 
         [0023]    In a third general aspect, a garage door panel assembly includes a stainless steel backing bracket bent to form at least four bends and having a receiving planar frontal surface between an edge of the stainless steel backing bracket and one of the at least four bends closest to the edge. A flat plywood layer is mated onto the receiving planar frontal surface and aligned with the stainless steel backing bracket. A filler material fills in between the flat plywood layer and the stainless steel backing bracket for insulation and adhering the flat plywood layer to the stainless steel backing bracket. An outer layer is adhered onto the flat plywood layer, the outer layer made of real wood and shaped with decorative designs. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0024]      FIG. 1A  is an illustration of an assembly and method for producing an insulated garage door panel using a separate piece of façade surface. 
           [0025]      FIG. 1B  illustrates a cross sectional side view of the assembly of  FIG. 1A . 
           [0026]      FIG. 2A  is a first embodiment of an assembled insulated garage door panel of  FIGS. 1A and 1B . 
           [0027]      FIG. 2B  is a second embodiment of an assembled insulated garage door panel of  FIGS. 1A and 1B . 
           [0028]      FIG. 3A  is a high-speed embodiment of an assembly of a steel façade surface and an backing bracket. 
           [0029]      FIG. 3B  is a high speed embodiment of an assembly of a urethane or fiberglass façade surface and the backing bracket of  FIG. 3A . 
           [0030]      FIG. 4A  is another high-speed embodiment of an assembly of a steel façade surface and an backing bracket. 
           [0031]      FIG. 4B  is another high-speed embodiment of an assembly of a urethane or fiberglass façade surface and the backing bracket of  FIG. 4A . 
           [0032]      FIG. 5A  is yet another high-speed embodiment of an assembly of a steel façade surface and an backing bracket. 
           [0033]      FIG. 5B  is another high-speed embodiment of an assembly of a urethane or fiberglass façade surface and the backing bracket of  FIG. 5A . 
           [0034]      FIG. 6A  illustrates a front view of several garage door panels made using the assembly of separate façade surfaces. 
           [0035]      FIG. 6B  illustrates a detailed view of an example of the façade surface of  FIG. 6A . 
       
    
    
       [0036]    Like elements are labeled using liked reference numerals. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0037]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  are illustrations of an insulated garage door panel assembly  100  in which a separate façade member  110  is employed to advantage. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the garage door panel assembly  100  includes the façade member  110 , a backing bracket  120 , and a filler  130  deposited between the façade member  110  and the backing bracket  120  to act as an insulator and in some embodiments, an adhesive, to at least partially secure the façade member  110  to the bracket  120 . 
         [0038]    In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1B , the backing bracket  120  includes a top wall  120   a,  a bottom wall  120   b  and a pair of sidewalls  120   c  and  120   d  formed from four substantial right-angle folds  142 ,  144 ,  146  and  148  to enclose an interior area  133 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the top wall  120   a  includes an opening  131 , which enables access to the interior area  133  when filling the interior area  133  with the filler  130 . When assembled, the top wall  120   a,  provides support to and enables attachment of the of the façade member  110  to the backing bracket  120 . In particular and specifically referring to  FIG. 1B , the top wall  120   a  of the backing bracket  120  is sized and otherwise configured to receive and/or mate with the façade member  110  near and/or otherwise adjacent to edges  111  of the façade member  110 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1B , for example, when the façade member  110  is secured to the backing bracket  120 , the edges  111  of the façade member  110  generally align with the folds  142  and  148 ; however, it should be understood that the size of the façade member  110  may vary such that the edges  111  may not extend and to and otherwise align with the folds  142  and  148 . 
         [0039]    According to some embodiments, the backing bracket  120  includes a tongue  122  and a groove  124  formed in respective sidewalls  120   c  and  120   d.  The tongue  122  and the groove  124  have complementary shapes such that a tongue  122  in a first panel assembly  100  fits within the groove  124  of a second and adjacent panel assembly  100 , as best illustrated, for example, in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , when multiple panel assemblies  100  are secured together. When securing adjacently positioned panel assemblies  100  together, traditional panel hinges (not illustrated) are secured to the bottom wall  120   b  of the backing bracket  120  for pivotably connecting adjacently positioned door panel assemblies  100 . According to some embodiments, the backing bracket  120  may have different thicknesses  130  and lengths  132  to accommodate different product lines. 
         [0040]    According to some embodiments, the backing bracket  120  is formed by a separate stand-alone manufacturing process, such as, for example, roll forming, stamping, or other suitable methods. For example, according to one particular embodiment, the backing bracket  120  is produced using steel sheets that are roll-formed into a desired cross-sectional shape. 
         [0041]    In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the façade member  110  includes a front surface  114  and a rear surface  115 . According to some embodiments, all or a portion of the front surface  114  and/or the rear surface  115  includes a three-dimensional design or pattern  112  extending therefrom. In other embodiments, the front surface  114  and/or the rear surface  115  can be formed without any design or pattern  112  extending therefrom, can include indentations, print, can optionally can be curved, stepped or any other configuration and/or can include any combination of these particular configurations. In other embodiments, an additional overlay layer can be secured onto the front surface  114 , such as, securing a natural wood overlay onto the front surface  114 . According to some embodiments, the façade member  110  is formed by a separate manufacturing process, such as stamping from sheet metal, molding (such as vacuum forming or otherwise) from sheet plastic or composite materials (such as urethane, resin, epoxy and fiberglass). 
         [0042]    During assembly, the backing bracket  120  and the façade member  110  are aligned and assembled by confining their bodies using a plurality of rollers, such as a pair of side rollers  150   a  and  150   b,  a bottom roller  152 , and a top roller  154 , as best illustrated in  FIG. 1A . Although only four rollers  150   a,    150   b,    152  and  154  are illustrated, any number of rollers can be used to confine, position and/or otherwise resist relative movement of the façade member  110  and the backing bracket  120 , especially when the foam  130  is deposited within the interior area  133  and expands during curing. In operation, the top roller  154  and the bottom roller  152  (or additional rollers, as needed, including downstream of the assembly line) may be used to exert a force to push or otherwise sandwich the façade member  110  and the backing bracket  120  together. It should be understood that although the bottom roller  152  and the top roller  154  are illustrated as cylindrical bodies, in some embodiments, the rollers may include two or more wheels spaced or otherwise positioned across the width of the façade member  110  or the backing bracket  120  in order to avoid contact with and potentially damaging the design pattern  112 . 
         [0043]    In addition, the side rollers  150   a  and  150   b  provide side/lateral support for the side walls  120   c  and  120   d  of the backing bracket  120  such that the side walls  120   c  and  120   d  resist and otherwise prevent deformation outwards (i.e., away from the interior area  133 ) under any internal pressure generated by the expandable foam  130 . According to some embodiments, the side rollers  150   a  and  150   b  also function to align the façade member  110  with the backing bracket  120  such that the frontal surface  114  is aligned with the top wall  120   a.  Although rollers  150 ,  152 , and  154  are illustrated to assemble the façade member  110  to the backing bracket  120 , it should be understood that other methods may also be used to guide and assemble the façade surface  110  to the backing bracket  120 . According to embodiments disclosed herein, the illustrated assembly method enables rapid assembly of the same backing bracket  120  to façade members  110  having different designs  112 . 
         [0044]    According to various embodiments disclosed herein, the configurations of the façade members  110  and the backing bracket  120 , and in particular, the top wall  120   a,  may vary. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2B , the top wall  120   a  is formed having an upturned end portion  210  to increase the strength of the top wall  120   a  and thus, resistance to overall bending. 
         [0045]    In some embodiments, the filler  130  is an expandable foam disposed inside the interior area  133  that functions as both an insulator and an adhesive. Thus the expandable foam  130  holds the façade surface  110  to the backing bracket  120  and fills any empty space within the interior area  133 . In addition to the expandable foam functioning as an adhesive, it should be understood that other method of securing the façade member  110  to the backing bracket are available, such as, for example, the use of an adhesive provided on the top wall  120   b  of the backing bracket  120  or by use of bolts or any other type of securing or clamping mechanism. 
         [0046]      FIG. 3A  is another embodiment illustrating a door panel assembly  310  having a façade member  312  attachable to a backing bracket  120 . In  FIG. 3A , the façade member  312  includes a self-aligning guide structure  314  extending from the edge  111  of the façade member  110  for mating with a corresponding receptacle  324  on the top wall  120   a  of the backing bracket  120  to facilitate high speed assembly. In operation, the self-aligning guide structure  314  is formed of a curvilinear structure extending from the edge  111  of the façade member  314  and is shaped such that as the façade member  314  is positioned adjacent to the backing bracket  120 , the self-aligning structure  314  self-aligns and nests within the corresponding receptacle  324  to align the façade member  314  with the backing bracket  120 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3A , As illustrated, the self-aligning structure  314  is formed of a convex shape and is sized to nest within the concave receptacle  324 . Such contoured coupling between the convex and concave guides  314  and  324  enables a much faster assembly speed than using the planar frontal surface  114  alone, even if the rollers  150  provides a certain amount of alignment. For example, the convex and concave guides  314  and  324  allow for a production speed of about 100 feet per minute, while using the planar frontal surfaces  114  and  120   a  can only allow for a production speed of about 9 feet per minute. This difference is a result of the alignment efficiency and accuracy that the convex/concave coupling contours provide. After production, such concave and convex contours may further reinforce the bending rigidity, and/or improve the overall structural integrity by enabling the façade member  312  to limit the bending movement of the tongue  122  and the groove  124 . According to some embodiments, the façade member  312  is preferably formed of steel; however, it should be understood that other materials may be used for form the façade member  312 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 3B  is a high speed embodiment of an assembly  320  of a urethane or fiberglass and the interior structure of  FIG. 3A . The assembly  320  uses the same configuration for the backing bracket  120  and replaces the stainless steel façade surface  312  with a molded façade surface  332 . The molded façade member  332  may be made from urethane, fiberglass, plastic, or other moldable materials. The façade member  332  is formed having a concave slot  333  on the planar rear surface  115  thereof. The concave slot  333  may avoid any substantial thick portion in the façade surface  332  in order to prevent molding shrinkage or other potential manufacturing defects. 
         [0048]    In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 3B , the concave slot  333  receives a tubular or cylindrical guide  334 , which is sized to align the façade member  332  to the backing bracket  120 , as similarly described above. According to some embodiments, the tubular or cylindrical guide  334  is made of a different material than the façade member  332 . For example, the façade member  332  may be made from a mixture of resin and fiberglass and the tubular or cylindrical guide  334  may be made of extruded plastic or rubber. However, it should be understood that the façade member  332  and the guide  334  may be integrally formed (i.e., a single unitary piece) of the same material. Compared to the assembly  310  of  FIG. 3A , the assembly  320  enjoys similar production speeds. In addition, the different geometries can be selected based on different design patterns. For example, some design patterns are more suitably formed using stamping while other design patters are more suitably formed by molding. 
         [0049]      FIG. 4A  is another high-speed embodiment of an assembly  410  in which a façade member  412  is employed to advantage. Similar to the façade member  312 , the façade member  412  includes convex guides  414  extending from an edge of the façade member  412  for alignment during high speed production. Correspondingly, the backing bracket  120  includes corresponding concave guides  424  to receive the convex guides  414  therein. As illustrated, the convex guides  414  are formed having a triangular cross section having an apex  416 ; however, it should be understood that other cross-sectional shapes may be utilized. Regardless of the cross-sectional shape of the guides  414 , the corresponding guide  424  is formed of a complementary shape to receive the guide  414  therein. According to preferred embodiments, the façade member  412  is formed of a steel material, however, it should be understood that other materials may be utilized. 
         [0050]      FIG. 4B  is another high-speed embodiment of an assembly  420  in which a urethane or fiberglass façade surface  432  is employed to advantage. As illustrated, the façade member  432  is formed having integral convex guide  434  for insertion within a corresponding concave guide  424  of the backing bracket  120 . In some embodiments, additional structures may be provided to increase the bending stiffness of the façade surface  432 , such as additional extrusions or ribs  436 . 
         [0051]      FIG. 5A  is yet another high-speed embodiment of a door panel assembly  510  in which a steel façade member  512  is employed to advantage. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 5A , the façade member  512  includes an upturned portion  514  formed having a first leg  516  extending from a rear surface  115 , a second leg  518  extending generally perpendicularly from the first leg  516  and a third leg  520 , extending generally perpendicular to the second leg  518  and generally parallel to the first leg  516 . As illustrated, the upturned portion  514 , and in particular, the third leg  520 , serves as a ledge or surface to receive and otherwise engage portions of the backing bracket  520 , and in particular, a fold  511  at the edge of the. Such configuration enables high speed assembly without substantially altering the backing bracket  120  of  FIGS. 1A and 1B . The backing bracket  120  may further include a fold or otherwise upturned end  522  formed on the top wall  120   a.  In use, the fold  522  provides a rounded contact surface for contacting and otherwise engaging the third leg  520 . The assembly  510  enables similar high speed production as the assembly  310  and  410 . 
         [0052]      FIG. 5B  is another high-speed embodiment of an assembly  520  in which a urethane or fiberglass façade member  532  is employed to advantage. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 5B , the façade member  532  includes at least one guide member  536  extending from the rear surface  115  of the façade member  532  for alignment with the upturned ends  522  of the backing bracket  120 . 
         [0053]      FIG. 6A  illustrates a front, external view of a garage door  600  made using the assembly of separate façade members  610 .  FIG. 6B  illustrates a detailed cross sectional view of the façade member  612  of  FIG. 6A . In this example, the façade surfaces  610  are made by stamping on metal sheets to produce design pattern  612 . The design pattern  612  includes a deep draw portion  616  and a transitional portion  618 . The total width  615  of the design pattern  612  is less than the width of the façade member  610 . During installation, the façade member  612  is coupleable to a backing bracket  120 , as described above. Alternatively, the frontal surface  114  may be modified into one of the examples illustrated in  FIGS. 3A, 4A, and 5A . 
         [0054]    In the foregoing description of certain embodiments, specific terminology has been resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes other technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar technical purpose. Terms such as “left” and right”, “front” and “rear”, “above” and “below” and the like are used as words of convenience to provide reference points and are not to be construed as limiting terms. 
         [0055]    In this specification, the word “comprising” is to be understood in its “open” sense, that is, in the sense of “including”, and thus not limited to its “closed” sense, that is the sense of “consisting only of”. A corresponding meaning is to be attributed to the corresponding words “comprise”, “comprised” and “comprises” where they appear. 
         [0056]    In addition, the foregoing describes some embodiments of the disclosure, and alterations, modifications, additions and/or changes can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosed embodiments, the embodiments being illustrative and not restrictive. 
         [0057]    Furthermore, the disclosure is not to be limited to the illustrated implementations, but to the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Also, the various embodiments described above may be implemented in conjunction with other embodiments, e.g., aspects of one embodiment may be combined with aspects of another embodiment to realize yet other embodiments. Further, each independent feature or component of any given assembly may constitute an additional embodiment.