Breakaway track system for an overhead door

• US 20050284586A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Overhead Door Corporation (Sanwa Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Wayne-Dalton Corporation (HRH Door Corp.)
• Inventors: Paquette, Derek S., Mullet, Willis J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,219,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 160/201
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/165 Details, e.g. sliding or rolling guides E05D15/18 - E05D15/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/24 consisting of parts connected at their edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/684 Rails
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/684 Strength alteration by weakening, e.g. by applying grooves
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4979 Breaking through weakened portion

Abstract

An overhead garage door (10) includes a plurality of panels (11) each carrying rollers (12) which ride in a track assembly (15). The track assembly (15) includes a generally vertically positionable component (16), a generally horizontally positionable component (17), and an arcuate transitional component (18) positioned between the vertical component (16) and the horizontal component (17). The vertical component (16) is generally U-shaped in end profile having a base portion (22) with branches (20, 21) extending from the edges thereof. The vertical component (16) is provided with a plurality of spaced separating systems (25), each of which includes a web (26) extending across the base portion (22) and the slots (28, 29) in the branches (20, 21). A selected portion of the length of the vertical component (16) may be removed by inserting a tool in the slots (28, 29) of one of the separating systems (25) and twisting it to break the webs (30, 31) adjacent to the slots (28, 29). Then by bending that portion on the web (26), it will breakaway to provide a vertical component (16) of the desired length.

Claims

1. A track assembly for an overhead door comprising a track component having a length, and a plurality of separating systems spaced along the length of said component so that a selected portion of the length of said component can be removed.

2. The track assembly of claim 1 wherein said component has a generally U-shaped profile including a base portion carrying spaced branches, each said separating system including a web extending across at least a portion of said base portion.

3. The track assembly of claim 2 wherein each said separating system includes a slot formed in said branches adjacent to said web.

4. The track assembly of claim 2 wherein said web is formed by creating a thinner area in the wall of said base portion.

5. The track assembly of claim 4 wherein the web is less than approximately fifty percent of the thickness of the wall of said base portion.

6. The track assembly of claim 1 wherein said component has a generally U-shaped profile including a base portion carrying spaced branches, each said separating system including a slot formed in said branches.

7. The track assembly of claim 6 wherein each said slot extends from approximate said base portion to near the end of said branch leaving a web near the end of each said branch.

8. The track assembly of claim 6 wherein each said separating system includes a web extending across at least a portion of said base portion.

9. The track assembly of claim 8 wherein said slots are in the same plane as said web.

10. The track assembly of claim 8 wherein each said slot extends from said web to near the end of said branch leaving webs near the ends of said branches.

11. A method of adjusting the length of a track component having a plurality of separating systems spaced along its length comprising 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.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the component includes a base member and a branch extending outwardly from each end of the base member, and the separating system includes a slot in each branch, the step of utilizing including the step of placing a tool in the slot and twisting the tool to separate a portion of the branch from the remaining branch of the component.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the separating system includes a web formed adjacent to each said slot and the step of twisting the tool breaks the web.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the separating system includes a web formed in the base member and the step of utilizing includes the step of bending the separated portion relative to the remaining component on the web to break the base member at the web.

15. An overhead door comprising a plurality of panels;

rollers carried by said panels; and

a track system receiving said rollers;

said track system including a generally vertical track component, a generally horizontal track component, and an arcuate track component between said vertical track component and said horizontal track component;

said vertical track component including spaced separating systems so that a selected portion of said vertical track component may be removed from the remainder of said vertical track component.

16. The overhead door of claim 15 wherein said vertical track component has a generally U-shaped profile including a base portion carrying spaced branches, each said separating system including a web extending across at least a portion of said base portion.

17. The overhead door of claim 16 wherein each said separating system includes a slot formed in said branches adjacent to said web.

18. The overhead door of claim 15 wherein said vertical track component has a generally U-shaped profile including a base portion carrying spaced branches, each said separating system including a slot formed in said branches.

19. The overhead door of claim 18 wherein each said separating system includes a web formed in said base portion.

20. The overhead door of claim 19 wherein each said slot extends from said web to near the end of said branch leaving webs near the ends of said branches.

21. The overhead door of claim 15 wherein said separating systems have substantially coplanar webs spaced by slots.

22. The overhead door of claim 15 wherein said arcuate track component includes a first portion having a first radius of curvature carried by said vertical track component and a second portion having a second radius of curvature carried by said horizontal track component.