Patent Publication Number: US-7219392-B2

Title: Breakaway track system for an overhead door

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to a track system for sectional overhead doors such as garage doors and the like. More specifically, this invention relates to such a system wherein the height of the vertical component thereof may be varied to accommodate various installation height restraints. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Overhead sectional doors, such as garage doors and the like, are typically provided with rollers that ride in a track system usually carried by a horizontally oriented angle member extending inwardly from the door frame. The track system includes opposed vertically oriented tracks and opposed horizontally oriented tracks interconnected by an arcuate transitional track. When the door is in the closed position, the rollers reside in the opposed vertical tracks, and when moved to the open position, the rollers travel up the vertical tracks, through the transitional tracks, and into the opposed horizontal tracks. 
     The amount of headroom in the garage or other area to receive the door generally dictates the length of the vertically oriented tracks. As such, a door installer must carry an inventory of vertical tracks of different lengths and transport tracks of all possible lengths with him to the installation site where, during the installation process, he will determine which vertical track length is most appropriate for the particular job. Maintaining and transporting such an inventory represents an undesirable cost and labor burden to the installer which is a problem unsolved by the prior art. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a track system for an overhead door in which the height of the vertical portion of the tracks may be adjusted. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a track system, as above, which eliminates the necessity of maintaining and transporting an inventory of tracks of various lengths to accommodate installation areas of differing headrooms. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a track system, as above, which minimizes door installation time. 
     These and other objects of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art forms, which will become apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by the improvements hereinafter described and claimed. 
     In general, a track assembly for an overhead door made in accordance with the present invention includes a track component having a length. The track component is provided with a plurality of separating systems spaced along its length so that a selected portion of the length of the component can be removed. 
     A method of adjusting the length of a track component having a plurality of separating systems spaced along its length includes the steps of determining the desired length of the component, and utilizing the appropriate separating system to adjust the length of the component to the desired length. 
     An overhead door made in accordance with the present invention includes a plurality of panels each carrying rollers. The rollers are received in a track system which includes a generally vertical track component, a generally horizontal track component, and an arcuate track component between the vertical track component and the horizontal track component. The vertical track component includes spaced separating systems so that a selected portion of the vertical track component may be removed from the remainder of the vertical track component. 
     A preferred exemplary track system for an overhead door according to the concepts of the present invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings without attempting to show all the various forms and modifications in which the invention might be embodied, the invention being measured by the appended claims and not by the details of the specification. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a fragmentary perspective view of a sectional overhead door having a track assembly made in accordance with the concepts of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary perspective view generally showing the inside of a portion of a vertical component of the track assembly of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary perspective view generally showing the outside of a portion of a vertical component of the track assembly of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary perspective view similar to  FIG. 3  but showing a portion of a vertical track component broken away. 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line  5 — 5  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line  6 — 6  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of a portion of that which is shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     An overhead-type garage door is indicated generally by the numeral  10  and includes a plurality of panels  11 , each having guide rollers  12  positioned on the opposed lateral edges thereof. Door  10  is interconnected, in a conventional manner, to a counterbalance system  13  which is schematically shown in  FIG. 1 . Conventional bracket assemblies, generally indicated by the numeral  14 , are mounted on door jambs (not shown), and each bracket assembly  14  carries, in a conventional manner, a track assembly generally indicated by the numeral  15 . 
     Track assemblies  15  are generally identical and receive rollers  12  therein. Each track assembly  15  includes a generally vertically positionable track component or segment  16  and a generally horizontally positionable track component or segment  17 . An arcuate transition track component, generally indicated by the numeral  18 , is positioned between vertical track component  16  and horizontal track component  17 . Transition track component  18  can be a separate track element attached at its ends to vertical track component  16  and horizontal track component  17 , or it can be integrally formed with either track component  16  or  17 . Additionally, a portion of the transition track component  18  can be integrally formed with each track component  16  and  17 . In this manner, as shown, transition track component  18  can be formed with dual radii of curvature, with vertical track component  16  carrying radiused track  18 A and horizontal track component  17  carrying radiused track  18 B. Preferably, the radius of curvature of track  18 A is smaller than that of track  18 B, as more fully described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/421,189 to which reference is made for a complete understanding of the advantages of such a system. 
     The configuration of each vertical track component  16 , and specifically the bottom thereof, is shown in  FIGS. 2–4 . As can be seen, vertical track component  16  is generally U-shaped in end profile having opposed branches  20  and  21  interconnected by a base portion  22 . As such, rollers  12  are adapted to be received between branches  20  and  21 . As best shown in  FIG. 5 , branch  20  is preferably a straight or planar member, and opposed branch  21  is generally J-shaped or hook-shaped. 
     The bottom of each vertical track component  16  is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced separating systems generally indicated by the numeral  25 . As will now be described, each separating system  25  allows a predetermined portion of vertical track component  16  to be removed. As a result, the user can shorten track component  16  to a desired length. While three separating systems  25  are shown, essentially any number of separating systems spaced at any desired distance could be provided without departing from the concepts of the present invention. Moreover, although the separating systems  25  are shown and described herein in conjunction with the vertical track component  16 , it should be evident that such systems  25  could also be utilized with the horizontal track components  17  should there be a need to adjust the length thereof. 
     Although the separating systems contemplated herein could be of any configuration which weakens the vertical track components  16  relative to vertical forces, but not the horizontal forces that a vertical track normally encounters, each separating system  25  preferably includes a weakened area forming a web  26  formed across at least a portion of base portion  22  of track component  16 . Web  26  is formed by coining or compressing the wall  27  of base portion  22  to a thickness of approximately thirty to fifty percent of its original thickness. Each system  25  also preferably includes a slot  28  formed in branch  20 , and a slot  29  formed in branch  21  of track component  16 , both slots  28  and  29  being formed generally in the same plane as web  26  and extending through, or substantially through, the material. Slot  28  extends generally from the end of the weakened area forming web  26 , to almost the outer edge of branch  20  leaving only a small web  30  of material at that edge. Similarly, slot  29  extends generally from the other end of the weakened area forming web  26 , to almost the outer edge of branch  21  leaving only a small web  31  of material at that edge. Slots  28  and  29  are preferably of a height about two times the thickness of the material of branches  20  and  21 . 
     If the installer of door  10  needs to shorten the vertical track component  16 , he first determines the desired extent of such shortening and then selects the appropriate separating system  25  to be utilized to shorten the component  16 . Then a tool, such as a flat blade screwdriver, may be inserted into slot  28  and slot  29 , and upon twisting that tool, webs  30  and  31  will break—a condition shown in  FIG. 4 . Thus, as shown, the section to be separated from track component  16  will be “hanging” only on web  26  and by bending that section back and forth on web  26  relative to the remaining component, that section will break away as web  26  is severed. 
     It should be evident that the installer of a door will be able to utilize the track system disclosed herein advantageously in that he will be able to adjust the length of a track component merely be selecting the appropriate separating system  25  to break away a portion of the component which will result in a track component of the desired length. As such, a track system constructed as described herein, accomplishes at least one of the objects of the present invention and otherwise substantially improves the art.