Horizontal garage door assembly
A horizontal garage door assembly includes a plurality of panels, which are pivotally connected at adjacent side edges. A top rail receives the plurality of panels and includes a first straight portion, a curved portion, and a second straight portion. A motor is positioned at a first end of the first straight portion, a tensioning mechanism is disposed on a first panel, a gear mechanism is positioned at a second end of the first straight portion. A connecting band connects the motor, the gear mechanism, and the tensioning mechanism to form a loop along a length of the top rail. The motor drives the connecting band such that the plurality of panels moves between a closed position, in which the plurality of panels is substantially received in the first straight portion, and an open position, in which the plurality of panels is substantially received in the second straight portion.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/334,580, filed May 11, 2016; and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/372,514, filed Aug. 9, 2016; the entire disclosures of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUNDThe present disclosure relates to garage door assemblies. In particular, the present disclosure relates to horizontal garage door assemblies.
Typical residential garage doors, formed by a plurality of panels connected at horizontally-extending side edges, open vertically through the use of a motor and belt or chain system. Due to the vertical movement of the garage door, the size of the panels is limited as the power capacity of the motor limits the ability of the system to lift the panels from a closed position to an open position. This, in turn, limits the size of an opening that can be provided in a garage enclosure. If a larger garage door is desired, costs are greatly increased as motor capacity, counter balances, and springs must be increased to lift the larger panels. The panels must also be reinforced to support the increased length of the panels to prevent sagging when the panels are in the open position. In addition, because the motor must lift the panels from the closed position to the open position against gravity, the risk of injury may increase in cases when malfunction occurs. However, vertically-opening garage doors are still in widespread use in North America due to strict safety standards such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standards.
SUMMARYThe present disclosure provides a garage door assembly that may reduce the safety risks posed by garage door assemblies having vertically-opening panels and the increase in costs associated with an increase in an opening of a garage enclosure by providing a garage door assembly having panels that open horizontally.
In certain embodiments, a horizontal garage door assembly similarly includes a plurality of panels. Each of the plurality of panels has a top edge and a bottom edge and a pair of vertically-extending side edges connecting the top edge and the bottom edge. Adjacent panels are pivotally connected at adjacent side edges. The garage door assembly further includes a top rail positioned above the top edges of the plurality of panels and configured to receive the plurality of panels. The top rail includes a first straight portion, a curved portion, and a second straight portion. The curved portion connects the first straight portion and the second straight portion. The garage door assembly further includes a motor positioned at a first end of the first straight portion, a tensioning mechanism disposed on a first panel, a gear mechanism positioned at a second end of the first straight portion, and a connecting band connected to the motor and the gear mechanism and attached to the tensioning mechanism to form a loop along a length of the top rail. The motor is configured to drive the connecting band such that the plurality of panels moves between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the plurality of panels is substantially received in the first straight portion. In the open position, the plurality of panels is substantially received in the second straight portion.
In certain embodiments, a horizontal garage door assembly similarly includes a plurality of panels. Each of the plurality of panels has a top edge and a bottom edge and a pair of vertically-extending side edges connecting the top edge and the bottom edge. Adjacent panels are pivotally connected at adjacent side edges. The garage door assembly further includes a top rail positioned above the top edges of the plurality of panels and configured to receive the plurality of panels. The top rail includes a first straight portion, a curved portion, and a second straight portion. The curved portion connects the first straight portion and the second straight portion. The garage door assembly further includes a transport mechanism disposed on a first panel, a tensioning mechanism disposed on the first panel, and a fixed connecting band connecting to the transport mechanism. The transport mechanism is configured to move along the fixed connecting band such that the plurality of panels moves between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the plurality of panels is substantially received in the first straight portion. In the open position, the plurality of panels is substantially received in the second straight portion.
These and other advantageous features will become apparent to those reviewing the disclosure and drawings.
Referring generally to the figures, disclosed herein is a garage door assembly capable of opening in a horizontal manner that meets the standards of U.S. consumer safety organizations, such as UL. Thus, embodiments of the present disclosure provide for a garage door assembly capable of operating in a safe and reliable manner, while providing a means for enclosing an opening for a garage enclosure that is larger in both width and height.
The garage door assembly 100 generally includes a top rail 110 extending along a length of the front wall 52 and first side wall 54, a bottom rail 130 extending along a length of a bottom surface or floor 58 of the garage enclosure 50, and a plurality of panels 121. The plurality of panels 121 are each received by the top rail 110 at top portions of the panels 121 and the bottom rail 130 at bottom portions of the panels 121. Adjacent panels 121 are pivotally connected to one another at vertically-extending side edges by one or more hinges 122.
As shown in
As shown in
The motor 80 may be mounted to the front wall 52 or a ceiling of the garage enclosure 50 and positioned at the first end 111a of the first straight portion 111. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Although shown that a first panel 121a positioned nearest the front wall 52 of the garage enclosure 50 when the plurality of panels 121 is in the open position (i.e., the front panel or the leading panel) is provided with the tensioning mechanism 70 to be pushed or pulled by operation of the motor 80, the motor 80, gear mechanism 85, and tensioning mechanism 70 may instead be positioned to push or pull a panel 121b (shown in
The motor 80 drives the connecting band 82 such that the plurality of panels 121 may be moved relative to the top rail 111 and the bottom rail 130 into a closed position, where the plurality of panels 121 is substantially received in the first straight portion 111, or an open position, where the plurality of panels 121 is substantially received in the second straight portion 113. In moving between the first straight portion 111 to the second straight portion 113, the plurality of panels 121 travels through the curved portion 112 of the top rail 110, as shown in
To further aid in providing smooth movement of the plurality of panels 121 in the top rail 110, each of the plurality of panels 121 may be provided with a hanging roller 126 mounted to top portions of the plurality of panels 121 with a bracket 123. The hanging rollers 126 are configured to be received and held within the top rail 110 and are movable with respect to the top rail 110 when the connection band 82 is driven by the motor 80. In some embodiments, the hanging rollers 126 may be in the form of ball rollers such that the plurality of panels 121 smoothly transition through the curved portion 112 between the first and second straight portions 111, 113.
As further shown in
As discussed above, the bottom portions of the plurality of panels 121 are received by a bottom rail 130, which extends along a length of a floor 58 of the garage enclosure 50. The bottom rail 130 is configured to act as a guide for the plurality of panels 121 during movement of the panels and prevents side-to-side motion of the panels 121. As shown in
As further shown in
The garage door assembly described herein provides a reliable and safe horizontally-opening garage door assembly. In addition, due to the horizontal manner in which the garage door opens, the assembly may not be significantly limited by the weight of panels, allowing a user to incorporate larger panels for a garage enclosure that is larger in both width and height. Moreover, the ceiling of the garage enclosure may remain clear of the various components of the assembly. In certain embodiments, to further enhance the aesthetic of the garage enclosure, a false wall may be provided along and spaced apart from the first side wall 54. The false wall and the first side wall 54 may create a pocket or tunnel for the plurality of panels 121 to enter as the panels are moved into the closed position. This, in turn, may provide additional safety features of the assembly as users are protected from movement of the panels along the side wall. In addition, available space within the enclosure may be enhanced as the false wall allows for the addition of storage or shelving on the false wall.
It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A garage door assembly comprising:
- a plurality of panels, each of the plurality of panels having a top edge and a bottom edge and a pair of vertically-extending side edges connecting the top edge and the bottom edge, wherein adjacent panels are pivotally connected at adjacent side edges;
- a top rail positioned above the top edges of the plurality of panels and configured to receive the plurality of panels, the top rail comprising: a first straight portion; a curved portion; and a second straight portion, wherein the curved portion connects the first straight portion and the second straight portion;
- a motor positioned at a first end of the first straight portion;
- a tensioner disposed on a first panel of the plurality of panels;
- a driven gear positioned at a second end of the first straight portion; and
- a connecting band connected to the motor and the driven gear and attached to the tensioner to form a loop along a length of the top rail,
- wherein the motor is configured to drive the connecting band such that the plurality of panels moves between a closed position and an open position,
- wherein, in the closed position, the plurality of panels is substantially received in the first straight portion,
- wherein, in the open position, the plurality of panels is substantially received in the second straight portion, and
- wherein each of the plurality of panels comprises at least one hanging roller configured to be received within the top rail, the at least one hanging roller being connected to a bracket affixed to the respective panel at an edge of the panel, and
- wherein the at least one hanging roller is disposed to be offset from a hinge between adjacent panels of the plurality of panels.
2. The garage door assembly of claim 1, further comprising a shield wall configured to be positioned along the curved portion of the top rail and on a back side of the plurality of panels.
3. The garage door assembly of claim 1, further comprising a shield wall configured to be positioned along the second straight portion and the curved portion and on a front side of the plurality of panels.
4. The garage door assembly of claim 1, wherein the curved portion comprises a radius of curvature of about 18 inches.
5. The garage door assembly of claim 1, wherein the motor comprises a drive gear configured to receive the connecting band.
6. The garage door assembly of claim 5, wherein the driven gear comprises a driven sprocket and a tensioning sprocket that are configured to receive the connecting band, and wherein the tensioning sprocket is linearly offset from the driven sprocket to provide tension to the connecting band as the connecting band is driven by the motor.
7. The garage door assembly of claim 6, wherein the connecting band is a belt.
8. The garage door assembly of claim 6, wherein the connecting band is a chain.
9. The garage door assembly of claim 1, further comprising a quick release bracket, wherein the quick release bracket is configured to release the tensioner from the first panel for manual operation of the plurality of panels.
10. The garage door assembly of claim 9, wherein the first panel comprises a handle configured to allow the plurality of panels to move from the closed position to the open position through manual operation.
11. The garage door assembly of claim 1, further comprising a bottom rail configured to receive bottom portions of the plurality of panels.
12. The garage door assembly of claim 11, wherein the bottom rail includes a central protrusion and each of the bottom portions of the plurality of panels includes a central groove, and wherein the central protrusion is configured to be received within the central grooves of the bottom portions.
13. The garage door assembly of claim 11, wherein the bottom rail includes a groove and each of the bottom portions of the plurality of panels includes a central protrusion, and wherein the central protrusions of the bottom portions are configured to be received within the groove.
14. The garage door assembly of claim 1, wherein the first straight portion extends along a length of a front wall of a garage enclosure and the second straight portion extends along a length of a side wall of the garage enclosure, the front wall having an opening, and the plurality of panels being configured to close the opening when in the closed position.
15. The garage door assembly of claim 1, wherein the first straight portion extends along at least part of a length of a front wall of a garage enclosure and the second straight portion extends along at least part of a length of a side wall of the garage enclosure, the front wall having an opening, and at least some of the plurality of panels being configured to close the opening when in the closed position.
16. The garage door assembly of claim 14, wherein the first panel is a leading panel.
17. The garage door assembly of claim 15, wherein the first panel is a non-leading panel.
18. A garage door assembly comprising:
- a plurality of panels, each of the plurality of panels having a top edge and a bottom edge and a pair of vertically-extending side edges connecting the top edge and the bottom edge, wherein adjacent panels are pivotally connected at adjacent side edges;
- a top rail positioned above the top edges of the plurality of panels and configured to receive the plurality of panels, the top rail comprising: a first straight portion; a curved portion; and a second straight portion, wherein the curved portion connects the first straight portion and the second straight portion;
- a carriage disposed on a first panel;
- a tensioner disposed on the first panel;
- a fixed connecting band connected to the carriage; and
- a drive gear, and a driven gear comprising a driven sprocket and a tensioning sprocket that are configured to receive the connecting band, wherein the tensioning sprocket is linearly offset from the driven sprocket to provide tension to the connecting band as the connecting band is driven by a motor,
- wherein the carriage is configured to move along the fixed connecting band such that the plurality of panels moves between a closed position and an open position,
- wherein, in the closed position, the plurality of panels is substantially received in the first straight portion,
- wherein, in the open position, the plurality of panels is substantially received in the second straight portion,
- wherein the first straight portion extends along a length of a front wall of a garage enclosure and the second straight portion extends along a length of a side wall of the garage enclosure, the front wall having an opening, and the plurality of panels being configured to close the opening when in the closed position, and
- wherein the driven gear is configured to be mounted to the front wall or a ceiling of the enclosure, and is positioned at a second end of the first straight portion opposite to a first end of the first straight portion, and the first end of the first straight portion is mounted to the front wall of the garage enclosure.
19. The garage door assembly of claim 14, further comprising:
- a shield wall configured to be positioned along the second straight portion and the curved portion and on a front side of the plurality of panels,
- wherein the shield wall comprises a plurality of supports and a plurality of shield panels attached to the plurality of supports, the plurality of supports and the plurality of shield panels being disposed to the front side of the plurality of panels within an interior of the garage enclosure,
- wherein the plurality of supports and the plurality of shield panels are configured to attach to the front wall of the garage enclosure, and
- wherein when the plurality of panels moves from the closed position to the open position, the plurality of panels is configured to enter a space between the shield wall and at least the front wall of the garage enclosure.
20. A garage door assembly comprising:
- a plurality of panels, each of the plurality of panels having a top edge and a bottom edge and a pair of vertically-extending side edges connecting the top edge and the bottom edge, wherein adjacent panels are pivotally connected at adjacent side edges;
- a top rail positioned above the top edges of the plurality of panels and configured to receive the plurality of panels, the top rail comprising: a first straight portion; a curved portion; and a second straight portion, wherein the curved portion connects the first straight portion and the second straight portion;
- a motor disposed to at a first end of the first straight portion and mounted to a front wall or ceiling of a garage enclosure;
- a tensioner disposed on a first panel of the plurality of panels;
- a connecting band connected to the motor and the driven gear and attached to the tensioner to form a loop along a length of the top rail,
- a drive gear configured to receive the connecting band,
- a driven gear positioned at a second end of the first straight portion; the driven gear comprising a driven sprocket and a tensioning sprocket configured to receive the connecting band, wherein the tensioning sprocket is linearly offset from the driven sprocket to provide tension to the connecting band as the connecting band is driven by the motor,
- a quick release bracket provided with the tensioner, the quick release bracket being configured to release the tensioner from the first panel of the plurality of panels for manual operation of the plurality of panels,
- wherein the connection band is connected to an attachment bracket and to at least the first panel of the plurality of panels,
- wherein actuation of the quick release bracket releases the driven sprocket, the tensioning sprocket, and the connecting band from the first panel of the plurality of panels,
- wherein the motor is configured to drive the connecting band such that the plurality of panels moves between a closed position and an open position,
- wherein, in the closed position, the plurality of panels is substantially received in the first straight portion, and
- wherein, in the open position, the plurality of panels is substantially received in the second straight portion.
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Type: Grant
Filed: May 5, 2017
Date of Patent: Aug 20, 2019
Patent Publication Number: 20170328105
Inventor: Tyler Malejko (Catharpin, VA)
Primary Examiner: Johnnie A. Shablack
Application Number: 15/587,999
International Classification: E06B 3/46 (20060101); E05D 15/12 (20060101); E05F 15/646 (20150101); E05D 15/06 (20060101); E06B 3/48 (20060101);