Breakaway track system for an overhead door

• US 7,219,392 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Issued: 05/22/2007
• 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: Mullet, Willis J., Paquette, Derek S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson; Blair M.
• Application Number:
  US10/882,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20050284586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 160/201, 495/05, 52/98, 16/96.R, 294/13, 245/909, 248/909
• US Class Current: 16/96.00R
• 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 generally U-shaped profile including a base portion carrying spaced branches, 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, each said separating system including a weakened area extending across at least a portion of said base portion formed by a reduction of material so that said base portion is designed to be broken, each said separating system also including a slot formed in said branches, each said slot extending from approximate said base portion to near the end of said branch leaving a web near the end of each said branch.

2. The track assembly of claim 1 wherein said slots are formed in said branches adjacent to said weakened area of said base portion.

3. The track assembly of claim 1 wherein said weakened area of said base portion is formed by creating a thinner area in the wall of said base portion.

4. The track assembly of claim 3 wherein the weakened area of said base portion is less than approximately fifty percent of the thickness of the wall of said base portion.

5. The track assembly of claim 1 wherein said slots are in the same plane as said weakened area of said base portion.

6. A method of adjusting the length of a track component having a base member and a branch extending outwardly from each end of the base number, the track component also having a plurality of separating systems spaced along its length, each separating system including a weakened area or reduced material formed in the base member, a slot in each branch and a web formed adjacent to each slot, the method comprising the steps of determining the desired length of the component, utilizing the appropriate separating system to adjust the length of the component to the desired length by placing a tool in the slot and twisting the tool to break the webs and to separate a portion of the branch from the remaining branch of the component, and thereafter bending the separated portion relative to the remaining component on the weakened area to break the base member at the weakened area.

7. 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 having a generally U-shaped profile including a base portion carrying spaced branches, 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, each said separating system including a weakened area extending across at least a portion of said base portion and a slot formed in said branches, each said slot extending from said base portion to near the end of said branch leaving a web near the ends of said branches.

8. The overhead door of claim 7 wherein said slots are formed in said branches adjacent to said weakened area of said base portion.

9. The overhead door of claim 7 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.

10. A track assembly for an overhead door comprising a track component having a length, said component having a generally U-shaped profile including a base portion carrying spaced branches, 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, each said separating system including a weakened area or reduced material formed in said base portion and a slot in said branches extending from approximate said base portion to near the end of each said branch thereby forming a web near the end of each said branch.