Abstract:
A swing type garage door has one or more of several features, including a door body rotationally connected to a door frame, the door body having one or more of: a trussing system having vertical and horizontal truss members, the horizontal members having openings through which the vertical members extend to distribute a load on the door body to the door frame in both a vertical and a horizontal direction; first and second sections hingedly connected with a hinge to allow ease in transport; a main door body section and a door load truss section hingedly connected at a bottom of the main door body to provide load trussing when the door is open; and at least one brace rotatably connected to the door body on an interior thereof and rotatable between a first bracing position and a second storage position to brace in high wind loading conditions.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This Application is a Divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/206,897, titled “SWING DOOR,” filed Sep. 9, 2008, (pending) which is commonly assigned and incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates generally to swing type garage doors and in particular the present disclosure relates to loading and use of swing type garage doors 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Garage doors of the swing-type are typically comprised of a door that remains in a single panel configuration even when the door is being opened and is open. Such doors are often opened and closed using hydraulic cylinders. These swing-type doors are typically of either unitary construction, or are manufactured in sections that must be assembled when the door sections are delivered to an installation site, requiring additional time and effort to assemble the door. 
         [0004]    Further, swing type doors may have a truss permanently attached to a bottom of the door that provides added stability against drooping of the door when it is open. These built-on trusses require additional materials, and are permanent, so they can be obstacles in front of a door, as well as potential tripping points. Further doors with permanent trusses either require shipping a more unwieldy portion of door, or additional assembly time and effort when the door sections arrive at the installation location. 
         [0005]    Wind loading on doors in high wind conditions can be very high. Such wind loading can lead to bowing or even buckling of doors. Some bracing systems for doors employ additional cross bracing within the door body frame, but even additional bracing cannot prevent damage in higher winds. 
         [0006]    For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for improvements in swing type door bracing, trussing, and load distribution. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    In one embodiment, a swing type garage door includes a door body rotationally connected to a door frame, the door body rotatable between a first closed position and a second open position. The door body includes a trussing system with vertical truss members and horizontal truss members, the horizontal members having openings through which the vertical members extend, the openings having sides on either side of the vertical truss member, to distribute a load on the door body to the door frame in both a vertical and a horizontal direction. 
         [0008]    In another embodiment, a swing type garage door includes a door body rotationally connected to a door frame, the door body rotatable between a first closed position and a second open position. The door body includes a first section and a second section hingedly connected with a hinge, the door body foldable from a first operating configuration in which the first and the second sections are pinned so that they form a substantially rigid door body, and a second transport configuration for storage and transport in which the first and second sections are folded about the hinge to reduce the effective dimensions of the door body. 
         [0009]    In still another embodiment, a swing type garage door includes a door body rotationally connected to a door frame, the door body rotatable between a first closed position and a second open position. The door body has a main door body section and a door load truss section, the door load truss section hingedly connected at a bottom of the main door body and rotatable between a first configuration in which the main door body section and the door load truss section are substantially coplanar and a second configuration in which the door load truss section is substantially perpendicular to the main door body section. 
         [0010]    In another embodiment, a swing type garage door includes a door body rotationally connected to a door frame, the door body rotatable between a first closed position and a second open position. The door body has at least one brace rotatably connected to the door body on an interior thereof, the at least one brace rotatably movable between a first bracing position in which the brace is positioned substantially perpendicular to a plane of the door body and a second storage position in which the brace is substantially coplanar and parallel to the door body. 
         [0011]    Other embodiments are described and claimed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a garage door according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 1A  is a more detailed view of a portion of the garage door of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a garage door according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of a garage door having a door load truss according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3A  is a view of the garage door of  FIG. 3  with the door load truss in another position; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3B  is a view of the garage door of  FIG. 3A  with the door shown in an open position; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a garage door having door braces according to another embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 4A  is a view of the garage door of  FIG. 4  with the door braces in a folded position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    In the following detailed description of the embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof. In the drawings, like numerals describe substantially similar components throughout the several views. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments may be utilized and structural, logical, and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0021]    The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a one piece swing type garage door  100  has vertical  102  and horizontal  104  trussing that intersects in a number of locations over the span of the door  100 . The vertical trussing pieces  102  and horizontal trussing pieces  104  serve to distribute a load on the door from the trussing to the external frame  106  of the door, which is typically stronger than the door itself Typical doors may have both horizontal and vertical trussing, or one or the other. However, for door  100 , the horizontal and vertical trussing are interconnected to distribute load in both the horizontal and the vertical directions. 
         [0023]    To accomplish this, the horizontal and vertical trussing is constructed as shown in greater detail in  FIG. 1A . Individual vertical truss member  152  and individual horizontal truss member  154  are shown at an intersection  156  thereof. Horizontal truss member  154  has an opening  158  through which vertical truss member  152  extends. Horizontal truss member  154  has opening  158  configured in size in one embodiment to fit a width  160  of vertical truss member  152 . Sides  162  and  164  of horizontal truss member  154  are on either side of the vertical truss member  152 . Because of this, when assembled, the truss members  152  and  154  provide a distributed load from stress from either side of the door. In one embodiment, the vertical truss members  152  and vertical truss members  154  are joined at the intersection  1566 , for example by bolting, welding, epoxying, or the like. 
         [0024]    The interconnection of the vertical and horizontal truss members spreads a load on the door  100  over the entire frame. Loads, such as from lifting of the door  100  and wind loading, are dispersed both horizontally and vertically, as opposed to traditional loads being dispersed only vertically. 
         [0025]    Door hydraulics  108  are connected between the frame  106  and the door body  110  so as to open the door  100  by moving the door body  110  in response to the door hydraulics  108 . Hydraulics  108  are hinged so as to rotate about their mounting points at the door frame  106  and at the door body  110 . When hydraulics  108  are actuated, using a hydraulic motor or hydraulic controller (not shown), a hydraulic cylinder of the hydraulics  108  extends and opens the door. The door body  110  is hingedly connected to door frame  106  along its top  112 , and rotates on a rotational axis  114  between open and closed positions. 
         [0026]    If there is an increased wind load or expected extra wind load on a door such as door  100 , the depth of the horizontal trusses is increased in one embodiment. In contrast, typical doors would increase the number of vertical trusses or make them much larger in size and thickness, adding extra weight. The increase in the depth of the horizontal trusses, that is their depth in a direction substantially perpendicular to the face of the door  100 , which adds some weight, but not much, for the resulting increase in handling a wind load. 
         [0027]      FIG. 2  shows a door  200  according to another embodiment of the present invention. Door  200  has a hinge  202  extending horizontally across the door, hingedly connecting top section  204  and bottom section  206  of the door  200 . The hinge  202  allows the door  200  to be shipped in a folded orientation, while still having the sections  204  and  206  connected to each other. This makes the door  200  easier to ship, and also requires less installation time than a typical door, since a typical door is shipped in sections that must be assembled on site. The hinge  202  extends in this embodiment horizontally along the door  200 . In shipping, the door  200  is folded along hinge  202 . To prepare the door  200  for installation, the door is unfolded, and pins  208  are used to pin the top and bottom sections  204  and  206  together quickly and reliably. 
         [0028]    In yet another embodiment, a door  300  is shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  3 A, and  3 B. Door  300  has a hinge  302  hingedly connecting a top section  306  and a door load truss section  304 . In normal operation of the door  300  when it is closed ( FIG. 3 ), the sections  304  and  306  are co-planar and locked in that position with pins  308 , so that the door  300  functions as any other door. However, when the door  300  is opened (FIG.  3 B), the door load truss section  304  is rotated about hinge  302  to a position in which it is substantially perpendicular to the section  306 , forming a door load truss that assists in prevention of sagging of the door  300 , due to its weight and/or size, during opening and while the door  300  is open. In this embodiment, then, the door load truss  304  is only used as a load truss when the door  300  is open. In contrast, normal door load trusses are permanently affixed in a position where they are substantially perpendicular to the face of the door. These normal door load trusses require additional materials, and present potential obstacles when working around the door. The folding truss allows a cleaner profile for the door when it is down, but still provides the horizontal stability of a permanent truss when the door is opened or is in the open position. 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 3A , the hinged operation of the door load truss section  304  does not interfere with the closing of the door  300 , and the door load truss section  304  can be maintained in its load bearing position in which it is substantially perpendicular to door face  301  of section  306 . In this configuration, the door load truss section  304  also provides windage loading support for the door  300 . 
         [0030]    In still another embodiment, shown in  FIGS. 4 and 4A , door  400  has at least one (two are shown, although more or fewer are within the scope of the disclosure) added brace  402 . Brace  402  is in one embodiment movable on hinges  404  between a first position in which brace  402  is substantially perpendicular to door face  401  and a second folded-in position in which brace  402  is substantially parallel and adjacent to door face  401  (see  FIG. 4A ). Brace  402  has a first vertical member  406  and a second vertical member  408  substantially parallel to first vertical member  406 . Vertical members  406  and  408  are separated by horizontal members  410 . When the brace  402  is in its first position, it can in one embodiment be pinned or otherwise secured to a floor  420  to provide additional wind loading for the door  400 . If pinned, brace  402  has a pin  412  that may be placed through a hole or opening  414  in brace  402  and which extends into a hole  422  in the floor  420  or the like. In its first position, brace  402  provides additional structural support for the door  400 , and the ability to secure the brace to floor  420  provides further structural stability especially in high wind situations. When two braces  402  are used and are in their first positions, the door frame is loaded in three sections. 
         [0031]    Door braces are attached to the main door section  412  for added wind loading and stiffening when the door  400  is down. For high wind situations, such as for a hurricane or the like, the normally folded door braces  402  are extended to be substantially perpendicular to the door. When additional wind loading is required, the braces are unfolded to approximately a 90 degree angle to the door, adding additional stability and loading. The braces can then be pinned to the floor or the like. Also, the positioning of the braces breaks the loading down into approximately three equal pieces of the main door. Alternatively, the braces  402  can be permanently or semi-permanently pinned in their first open positions if desired. 
         [0032]    One of more of the embodiments and variations described above can be integrated with a door of the type described. The hinged door load truss  304  of  FIG. 3  can be used on other types of doors as well. 
         [0033]    Combinations are within scope of the disclosure, for example a door can have the hinged sections of  FIG. 2  combined with the horizontal and vertical integrated trussing of  FIG. 1 . Such combinations will be understood by those of skill in the art to be within the scope of the disclosure. 
       CONCLUSION 
       [0034]    A swing-type garage door has been described that includes in various embodiments one or more of: hinged sections for ease of transfer and installation; integrated horizontal and vertical trussing to distribute wind loading; a door load truss that is integral with the door and only folds perpendicular for opening and open doors; and door braces pinnable to a floor for additional structural stability in storms and the like. 
         [0035]    Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement, which is calculated to achieve the same purpose, may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present invention. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.