NON-BINDING SECTIONAL DOOR AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLY
First Claim
1. A sectional door movable between a closed vertical position and an open horizontal position comprising, a series of adjacent panels, each of said panels having an upper joint member and slower joint member, said lower joint member having a configuration to establish a clearance with the configuration of the upper joint member of an adjacent panel during angular articulation of said adjacent panels in moving between the closed vertical position and the open horizontal position, end hinge assemblies located proximate the longitudinal ends of said panels and connecting said adjacent panels at a first pivot axis, and at least one center hinge assembly connecting said adjacent panels at a second pivot axis offset from said first pivot axis, whereby a portion of said clearance is maintained irrespective of variations in the deflection of said panels in moving between the closed vertical position and the open horizontal position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sectional door movable between a closed vertical position and an open horizontal position having, a series of adjacent panels, each of the panels having an upper joint member and a lower joint member, the lower joint member having a configuration to establish a clearance with the configuration of the upper joint member of an adjacent panel during angular articulation of the adjacent panels in moving between the closed vertical position and the open horizontal position, end hinge assemblies located proximate the longitudinal ends of the panels and connecting the adjacent panels at a first pivot axis, and at least one center hinge assembly connecting the adjacent panels at a second pivot axis offset from the first pivot axis, whereby a portion of the clearance is maintained irrespective of variations in the deflection of the panels in moving between the closed vertical position and the open horizontal position.
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26 Claims
- 1. A sectional door movable between a closed vertical position and an open horizontal position comprising, a series of adjacent panels, each of said panels having an upper joint member and slower joint member, said lower joint member having a configuration to establish a clearance with the configuration of the upper joint member of an adjacent panel during angular articulation of said adjacent panels in moving between the closed vertical position and the open horizontal position, end hinge assemblies located proximate the longitudinal ends of said panels and connecting said adjacent panels at a first pivot axis, and at least one center hinge assembly connecting said adjacent panels at a second pivot axis offset from said first pivot axis, whereby a portion of said clearance is maintained irrespective of variations in the deflection of said panels in moving between the closed vertical position and the open horizontal position.
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17. A method for compensating for deflection of sectional door panels suspended by rollers movable in tracks between a closed vertical position and an open horizontal position comprising the steps of:
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locating a plurality of the panels in adjacent longitudinal edge to longitudinal edge relationship;
attaching end hinge assemblies proximate the ends of the panels with the pivot axis thereof located such as to maintain the distance between the longitudinal edges of the ends of adjacent panels at less than a specified maximum clearance without contact during articulation attendant moving the door between the closed vertical position and the open horizontal position; and
attaching at least one center hinge assembly intermediate the ends of the panels with the pivot axis thereof offset from said pivot axis of said end hinge assemblies, whereby a distance less than said specified maximum clearance is maintained between edges of adjacent panels without contact over the entire length irrespective of variations in the deflection tendencies of said panels in moving between the closed vertical position and the open horizontal position. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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- 25. A sectional door movable between a closed vertical position and an open horizontal position comprising, a series of adjacent panels, each of said panels having an upper joint member and a lower joint member, said lower joint member having a configuration to establish a clearance with the configuration of the upper joint member of an adjacent panel during angular articulation of said adjacent panels in moving between the closed vertical position and the open horizontal position, end hinge means located proximate the longitudinal ends of said panels and connecting said adjacent panels at a first pivot axis, and center hinge means connecting said adjacent panels at a second pivot axis offset from said first pivot axis, whereby a portion of said clearance is maintained irrespective of variations in the deflection of said panels in moving between the closed vertical position and the open horizontal position.
Specification