Abstract:
An improvement for reinforced garage doors that includes using horizontally disposed reinforcement runner members with a longitudinal complementary shape that conform to the longitudinal complementary joints of the panel ends, such as the tongue and groove type or the shiplap type, or equivalent. The reinforcement runner members are made with roll forming processes by creating several longitudinal folds. The reinforcement runner members extends, uninterrupted, the entire width of the panels and enhance the articulation of the panels.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a garage door reinforcement system that is interiorly disposed.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Several inventions for reinforcements for garage doors have been developed in the past. None of them, however, includes an additional reinforcement member conforming to the structure that extends continuously and transversally across a door panel. The present invention eliminates the U-shaped bars that are externally mounted at present while enhancing its structural integrity.  
         [0005]     Typically, garage doors have multiple panels with multiple widths, with a panel height of 21 inches, preferably, and modular lengths of 8; 9; 12 and 16 feet (2.44; 2.74; 3.66; 4.88 meters, respectively). The most popular designs include four panels that are monolithic throughout the entire length, each having lateral top and bottom edges. These edges have a tongue and groove, shiplap, or equivalent terminations. These terminations are intended to provide structural reinforcement and also act as a barrier to the elements, including water and wind.  
         [0006]     Construction codes in several areas, specifically those that are prone to windstorms and hurricanes, require passing certain wind tests. Thus, the need for reinforcements for garage doors. Typically, garage doors are not prepared to withstand strong winds experienced in many parts of the world. These additional reinforcements are not needed in some areas. There is a need for reinforced garage doors, capable of passing hurricane wind tests for each jurisdiction, on a selective basis. Thus, a system for readily reinforcing the doors, when needed, is quite desirable.  
         [0007]     Applicant believes that the closest reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,293 issued to Allen Berger, Jr., who is the inventor in the present application, for a garage door reinforcement and method. The present invention improves the wind load resistance of the garage door even more by having reinforcement bars that conform to the shaped of existing structural folded members without detracting from the aesthetics of the door.  
         [0008]     The present invention provides a reinforcement assembly that conforms and follows the lateral edges of a garage door panel. The present invention includes a reinforcement that is compatible with the panels&#39; terminations, namely, tongue and groove, shiplap and others. The reinforcement bar is made with folding manufacturing techniques.  
         [0009]     Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     It is one of the main objects of the present invention to provide an interior garage door reinforcement system that is capable of withstanding high winds and flying objects without adversely affecting the aesthetics of the door.  
         [0011]     It is yet another object to provide a garage reinforcement system that enhances its structural integrity by adding reinforcement members that complement and abuttingly conform to the main structural members of the door.  
         [0012]     It is still another object of this invention to provide a garage door reinforcement system made for standard sized panels, to fit standard sized tracks, in standard sized garages, and yet effective to withstand wind loads of hurricane grade and using roll forming manufacturing processes.  
         [0013]     It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a system that is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain while retaining its effectiveness.  
         [0014]     Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     With the above and other related objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  represents an isometric view the garage door, object of the present application.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  shows a cross section view of the present invention, taken along line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates an enlarged isometric view of one section of the present invention partially showing two adjacent panels.  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the portion represented in  FIG. 3 , showing the reinforcing bars of the present invention being mounted.  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  represents an exploded view of an alternate embodiment, showing the shiplap type complementing joint portion and the conforming shiplap type reinforcing bars.  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is a representation of a front elevational view of an alternate embodiment using shiplap type complementing joint portion and conforming shiplap type reinforcing bars.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0022]     Referring now to the drawings, where the present invention is generally referred to with numeral  10 , it can be observed that it basically includes, in the preferred embodiment, several panel sections  20 , reinforcement runner member  50 , reinforcement runner member  60  and hinge assembly  80 .  
         [0023]     As seen in  FIG. 1 , panel sections  20  run the entire width of door D and are hingedly mounted to each other with hinge assemblies  80 . As best seen in  FIGS. 2 ;  3  and  4 , each panel section  20  includes wall  22  with reversely folded edge portions forming upper longitudinal end  24  and lower longitudinal end  26 , extending therefrom. The reversely folded edge portions form upper longitudinal ends  24  and lower longitudinal ends  26  are articulated to each other in contiguous panels. In the preferred embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , ends  24  and  26  are complementing joints of the tongue and groove type. In the preferred embodiment, upper longitudinal end  24  includes longitudinally extending upper wall  25  with longitudinal tongue  32  and longitudinally extending inner wall  29  perpendicularly extending from upper wall  25 , as best seen in  FIG. 4 . Lower longitudinal end  26  includes longitudinally extending bottom wall  27  with longitudinally extending groove  42  and longitudinally extending inner wall  28  perpendicularly extending from bottom wall  27 . Longitudinal tongue  32  and longitudinally extending groove  42  are intended to provide reinforcement to ends  24  and  26 , respectively, and protection from the elements. Wall  22  is vertically disposed when door is closed.  
         [0024]     Hinge assembly  80  includes walls  23  with angular walls  82  and  84  at its upper and lower ends, respectively. Angular walls  82  cooperate with angular walls  84  of a contiguous panel section  20  to receive hinge pin  86  through openings  83  and  85 , respectively. Through openings  23 ′ of wall  23  permit fastening members  79  to go through and selectively engage holes cooperatively positioned on walls  28  and  29  and runner members  50  and  60 , respectively.  
         [0025]     In the preferred embodiment for garage door reinforcement system, longitudinal unitary reinforcements as reinforcement runner members  50  and  60  are insertable horizontally and interiorly to the complementing top and bottom joints, namely upper longitudinal end  24  and lower longitudinal end  26 , respectively. Reinforcement runner member  50  includes longitudinally extending walls  52 ;  54 ;  56 ;  58  and  58 ′ and extends along the entire width of door D, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Wall  54  includes small longitudinal grooves  55  to enhance its strength. Walls  52  and  56  extend perpendicularly from wall  54  and both fold to define walls  58  and  58 ′. These walls extend as a mirror of each other and are separated by longitudinally extending space  53 . Walls  58  and  58 ′ also include, in the preferred embodiment, small reinforcing longitudinal grooves  59  and  59 ′ and complementing longitudinal curved portions  57  and  57 ′ that conform to longitudinal tongue  32 .  
         [0026]     Reinforcement runner member  60  includes longitudinally extending walls  62 ;  64 ;  66 ;  68  and  68 ′ and extends along the entire width of door D, as shown in  FIG. 4 . Wall  64  includes small longitudinal grooves  61  to enhance its strength. Walls  62  and  66  extend perpendicularly from wall  64  and both fold to define walls  68  and  68 ′. Walls  68  and  68 ′ extend as a mirror of each other and are separated by longitudinally extending space  63 . Walls  68  and  68 ′ also include, in the preferred embodiment, small reinforcing longitudinal grooves  65  and  65 ′ and complementing longitudinal curved portions  67  and  67 ′ that conform to longitudinal groove  42 .  
         [0027]     The manufacture of reinforcement runner members  50  and  60  is compatible with inexpensive roll forming processes. The function of reinforcement runner members  50  and  60  is to enhance the structural integrity of ends  24  and  26 , respectively, by having complementary longitudinally curved portions  67  and  67 ′ come in longitudinal contact and conforming to the shape of longitudinally extending groove  42 . Similarly, complementary longitudinally curved portions  57  and  57 ′ come in longitudinal contact and conforming to the shape of longitudinally extending tongue  32 . The result is a structure of superior strength. The otherwise vulnerable articulations of the panels are strengthened.  
         [0028]     In the alternate embodiment  100  shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , each panel section  120  includes wall  122  with upper and lower longitudinal ends  124  and  126 , extending therefrom. Upper and lower longitudinal ends  124  and  126  conform ship lap type complementing joints along the top and bottom edges of panel sections  120 . Upper longitudinal end  124  includes longitudinally extending upper walls  125  and  125 ′ with curved portion  132  and longitudinally extending inner wall  129  in a parallel relationship with respect to panel section  120 . Lower longitudinal end  126  includes longitudinally extending bottom walls  127  and  127 ′ with curved portion  142  and longitudinally extending inner wall  128  in a parallel relationship with respect to panel section  120 . Shiplap type upper and lower longitudinal ends  124  and  126  cooperatively engages as a shiplap type complementing joint, as best seen in  FIG. 6 .  
         [0029]     As best seen in  FIG. 6 , longitudinal unitary reinforcement runner members  150  and  160  are of the shiplap type and they are insertable horizontally and interiorly to the complementing joints, namely upper longitudinal end  124  and lower longitudinal end  126 . Reinforcement runner member  150  includes longitudinally extending walls  152 ;  154 ;  156 ;  158  and  158 ′ and extends along the entire width of door D. Wall  154  includes small longitudinal grooves  155 . Walls  152  and  156  extend perpendicularly from wall  154 . Walls  158  and  158 ′ define the shiplap type complementing joint. Walls  158  and  158 ′ also include small reinforcing longitudinal grooves  159  and  159 ′, respectively, curved portion  157  with a longitudinally extending space  157 ′ at its central portion.  
         [0030]     Reinforcement runner member  160  includes longitudinally extending walls  162 ;  164 ;  166 ;  168  and  168 ′ and extends along the entire width of door D. Wall  164  includes small longitudinal grooves  165 . Walls  162  and  166  extend perpendicularly from wall  164 . Walls  168  and  168 ′ define the shiplap type complementing joint. Walls  168  and  168 ′ also include small reinforcing longitudinal grooves  169  and  169 ′, respectively, curved portion  167  with a longitudinally extending space  167 ′ at its central portion.  
         [0031]     The foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the objectives and advantages of the present invention. Different embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention. It is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.