SECTIONAL FOLDING OVERHEAD DOOR ASSEMBLY

• US 20190330913A1
• Filed: 06/23/2017
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolflex Exploitatie B.V.
• Original Assignee: Rolflex Exploitatie B.V.
• Inventors: Megens, Johannes Hendrikus
• Granted Patent: US 11,156,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/262 folding vertically
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/40 supported on arms movable in vertical planes
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/406 with pivoted arms and sliding guides E05D15/42, E05D15/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 2015/268 the wings being successively folded
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/132 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/483 folding upwardly E06B3/482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/485 Sectional doors
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/0638 Slats or panels
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/0669 stored in a zig-zag arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/0676 stored in a stacked configuration

Abstract

A sectional folding overhead door assembly comprising a pair of opposite, vertically disposed side support and guide means defining a door opening between them, each guide means including a first channel and a second channel disposed side-by-side, a door component comprising a first, second, third and fourth rectangular panel adapted for folding vertical movement along said support and guide means, the door component further comprises at each side of the first and second panel a folding movement controlling member, each folding movement controlling member having an folding movement controlling member upper end hingeably connected to a respective side edge of the first and third panel, respectively, and a folding movement controlling member lower end hingeably connected to the respective guide plate lower end around a folding movement controlling member hinge axis, each folding movement controlling member further including a folding movement guiding channel into which folding movement guiding channel a respective side plate guiding pin of a side plate attached to the second panel extends.

Claims

1. A sectional folding overhead door assembly comprising:

a pair of opposite, vertically disposed side support and guide means defining a door opening between them, each guide means including a first channel and a second channel disposed side-by-side, the first channel having a main first channel section vertically extending a height of the door opening, the second channel having a vertically extending main second channel section, and a curved second channel section at a top of the sectional folding overhead door assembly, said curved second channel section connecting to the main second channel section;

a door component comprising a plurality of rectangular panels adapted for folding vertical movement along said support and guide means from a closed position in which the panels are coplanar and vertically aligned for closing said door opening to an access position for allowing access through said door opening in which access position the panels are folded in a horizontal position at the top of the sectional folding overhead door assembly and are horizontally stacked one on top of the other, each panel having a horizontal upper edge, a horizontal lower edge and two side edges, the door component further comprising a plurality of horizontal hinge means connecting horizontal edges of adjacent panels of said plurality of panels together in accordion fashion, each hinge means defining a horizontal hinge axis;

wherein in said closed position the panels extend between the opposite first channels of the side support and guide means;

the plurality of panels at least comprising a first panel connected via one or more of the plurality of horizontal hinge means to a second panel;

wherein the second channel further having a horizontally extending second channel end section connecting to the curved second channel section, the second channel at least substantially extending the height of the door opening,

the first panel is provided with a device for guiding and supporting the first panel in the side support and guide means, such as a first guiding pin near the top at each of the side edges of the first panel and extending away from the first panel into the respective second channel, said device for guiding and supporting being further arranged for operating starting the folding movement of lower panels of the door component,

the second panel is provided at each of its side edges with a side plate of the second panel, each side plate of the second panel being fixedly connected to the respective side edge of the second panel and extends in a direction parallel to the direction of the side edge of the second panel, each side plate of the second panel having a first side plate top end extending beyond the extension of the side edge of the second panel and an opposite second side plate end, each first side plate end being provided with a horizontal side plate hinge pin extending in a direction away from the side plate of the second panel, and each opposite second side plate end being provided with a side plate guiding pin, said side plate hinge pin defining a side plate hinge pin axis which is at least substantially coaxial with the horizontal hinge axis of the hinge means connecting the first and second panel;

the second panel is further provided at each of its side edges with a guide plate of the second panel, each guide plate of the second panel having a guide plate upper end and an opposite guide plate lower end, each guide plate upper end being provided with a second guiding pin extending in a direction away from the guide plate of the second panel into the first channel, each guide plate lower end being provided with a third guiding pin defining a third guiding pin axis and extending in a direction away from the guide plate of the second panel into the second channel, the side plate hinge pin of the side plate of the second panel being hingeably connected to the guide plate upper end, and

the door component further comprises at each side of the first and second panel a folding movement controlling member, each folding movement controlling member having a folding movement controlling member upper end hingeably connected to a respective side edge of the first panel and a folding movement controlling member lower end hingeably connected around a folding movement controlling member hinge axis to the respective guide plate lower end, each folding movement controlling member further including a folding movement guiding channel into which folding movement guiding channel the respective side plate guiding pin of the side plate of the second panel extends.

2. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the folding movement guiding channel at least partly has the form of a circle segment with a radius equal to a distance between the respective side plate guiding pin of the side plate of the second panel and the horizontal hinging axis of the respective hinge means connecting the first and second panels.

3. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the door component further comprises a third panel connected via one or more of the plurality of horizontal hinge means to the second panel and a fourth panel connected via one or more of the plurality of horizontal hinge means to the third panel, wherein the fourth panel is provided at each of its side edges with a side plate of the fourth panel, each side plate of the fourth panel being fixedly connected to the respective side edge of the fourth panel and extends in a direction parallel to the direction of the side edge of the fourth panel, each side plate of the fourth panel having a first side plate top end extending beyond the extension of the side edge of the fourth panel and an opposite second side plate end, each first side plate end being provided with a horizontal side plate hinge pin extending in a direction away from the side plate of the fourth panel, and each opposite second side plate end being provided with a side plate guiding pin, said side plate hinge pin defining a side plate hinge pin axis which is at least substantially coaxial with the horizontal hinge axis of the hinge means connecting the third and fourth panels;

the fourth panel is further provided at each of its side edges with a guide plate of the fourth panel, each guide plate of the fourth panel having a guide plate upper end and an opposite guide plate lower end, each guide plate upper end being provided with a fourth guiding pin extending in a direction away from the guide plate of the fourth panel into the first channel, each guide plate lower end being provided with a fifth guiding pin defining a fifth guiding pin axis and extending in a direction away from the guide plate of the fourth panel into the second channel, the side plate hinge pin of the side plate of the fourth panel being hingeably connected to the guide plate upper end, and

the door component further comprises at each side of the third and fourth panel a second folding movement controlling member, each second folding movement controlling member having a second folding movement controlling member upper end hingeably connected to a respective side edge of the third panel and a second folding movement controlling member lower end hingeably connected around a second folding movement controlling member hinge axis to the respective guide plate lower end, each second folding movement controlling member further including a second folding movement guiding channel into which second folding movement guiding channel the respective side plate guiding pin of the side plate of the fourth panel extends.

4. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second folding movement guiding channel at least partly has the form of a circle segment with a radius equal to a distance between the respective side plate guiding pin of the side plate of the fourth panel and the horizontal hinging axis of the respective hinge means connecting the third and fourth panels.

5. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein each side plate hinge pin of the side plate of the second panel which is hingeably connected to the guide plate upper end is positioned at the same height as the respective second guiding pin, and wherein each side plate hinge pin of the side plate of the fourth panel which is hingeably connected to the guide plate upper end is positioned at the same height as the fourth guiding pin.

6. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein a distance between the second guiding pin and the third guiding pin is between 50 and 70% of the vertical height of the second panel and wherein the distance between the fourth guiding pin and the fifth guiding pin is between 50 and 70% of the vertical height of the fourth panel.

7. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each folding movement controlling member upper end comprises a sliding pin, wherein each side edge of the first panel is provided with a longitudinal slot into which a respective sliding pin extends.

8. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein each second folding movement controlling member upper end comprises a second sliding pin, wherein each side edge of the third panel is provided with a second longitudinal slot into which a respective second sliding pin extends.

9. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein each longitudinal slot is provided in a first panel side plate attached to a respective side edge of the first panel.

10. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein each second longitudinal slot is provided in a third panel side plate attached to a respective side edge of the third panel.

11. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pair of opposite, vertically disposed side support and guide means comprises support members, wherein each first side plate top end of the second panel extending beyond the extension of the side edge of the second panel has a first sloping surface and/or wherein each side plate top end of the fourth panel extending beyond the extension of the side edge of the fourth panel has a second sloping surface, wherein each first and second sloping surface is supported by respective support members in the access position of the door component.

12. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second, or third, guiding pins is provided at its end with a disc shaped extension.

13. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second guiding pin is movably positioned in a second guiding pin slot provided in the side plate, and wherein a locking spring is provided of which one end is fixedly attached to the side plate and the other end is attached to the upper end of the guide plate.

14. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one folding movement guiding channel comprises a widening at its end near its folding movement controlling member lower end for receiving and locking a respective side plate guiding pin in closed position of the door component and/or a guiding surface.

17. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein a distance between the second guiding pin and the third guiding pin is about 60% of the vertical height of the second panel and wherein the distance between the fourth guiding pin and the fifth guiding pin is about 60% of the vertical height of the fourth panel.

18. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the pair of opposite, vertically disposed side support and guide means comprises support studs or support slots.

19. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein the disc shaped extension is a roller.

20. The sectional folding overhead door assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein one end of the locking spring is fixedly attached to the side plate and the other end is attached to the second guiding pin.

15. A sectional folding overhead door assembly comprising a pair of opposite, vertically disposed side support and guide means defining a door opening between them, each guide means including a first channel and a second channel disposed side-by-side, a door component comprising a first, second, third and fourth rectangular panel adapted for folding vertical movement along said support and guide means, the door component further comprising at each side of the first and second panel a folding movement controlling member, each folding movement controlling member having a folding movement controlling member upper end hingeably connected to a respective side edge of the first and third panel, respectively, and a folding movement controlling member lower end hingeably connected to the respective guide plate lower end around a folding movement controlling member hinge axis, each folding movement controlling member further including a folding movement guiding channel into which folding movement guiding channel a respective side plate guiding pin of a side plate attached to the second panel extends.

16. The sectional folding overhead door assembly claimed in claim 15, wherein the folding movement guiding channel at least partly has the form of a circle segment with a radius equal to the distance between the respective side plate guiding pin of the side plate of the second panel and the horizontal hinging axis of the respective hinge means connecting the first and second panel.