Composite insulated panel for upward acting door
A sectional garage door panel formed by a member including a front wall, top and bottom edges and spaced apart back wall parts defining an interior space which is partially filled with an expandable PUR foam insulation material. A rigid polystyrene insulation member is placed in the interior space and bonded to the expanding foam material. The panel is placed in a laminator to secure the insulation member in the panel interior space during foam expansion and to provide for forced foam expansion into spaces defining panel top and bottom edges. A sheet backer is adhesively bonded to the insulation member and the back wall parts. A system includes conveyors, foam and adhesive dispensing nozzle arrays and a laminator including conveyor belts which hold the insulation member forcibly within the interior space of the panel during foam expansion and curing.
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In the manufacture of door panels, particularly sectional door panels for upward acting garage doors and the like, there has been a continuing need to improve the construction of such panels and methods of forming same. Sectional door panels for garage doors and the like are typically fabricated of sheets of metal or plastic which are roll formed or extruded into a particular cross sectional shape followed by insertion of insulation material into spaces defined by front and back walls of the panel. However, the placement of preformed insulation parts within the complex shapes of top and bottom edges of sectional door panels which are adapted to provide pinch resistant profiles, has become complicated. Also, there arise complications in inserting and attaching preformed insulation parts within door panels which have deeply embossed front walls, which embossments are typically added for strengthening the panel and for aesthetic purposes.
Still further, it is desirable to increase the speed with which sectional door panels are constructed, but manufacturing costs, properties of certain insulation materials and the lengthy cure time required for a fully insulated panel wherein the insulation material is injected as a curable foam into the void space between the panel front and back walls have also been somewhat nettlesome problems. Accordingly, there has been a need to provide improved insulated door panels for sectional doors, in particular, as well as a need for an improved manufacturing process for such insulated panels. It is to these ends that the present invention has been developed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides an improved insulated door panel, particularly a door panel for sectional upward acting garage doors and the like.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an improved insulated door panel is provided wherein the panel is formed of a rolled or folded sheet metal member or an extruded member forming a panel front wall, at least a portion of a back wall and top and bottom opposed edges adjoining the front and back walls and wherein the spaces defined by the aforementioned walls and edge or end portions is filled with an injected or sprayed in polymer foam insulation to occupy at least a portion of such spaces.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a door panel constructed as described above is provided with a somewhat rigid preformed block or sheet of polymer insulation material which is inserted within the space that has been at least partially filled with an expandable foam polymer insulation material to add rigidity to the panel and to minimize the volume of curable polymer insulation material that was sprayed into the panel's void spaces. In this way the cure time for expandable foam insulation is reduced, greater adhesion of the foam insulation to the panel wall surfaces is provided and a preformed insulation member is installed in the panel to allow installation of a back wall or a backer sheet member to the panel to complete the manufacturing process rapidly and efficiently.
Still further, the present invention provides an improved method of making door panels, particularly relatively large sectional door panels for garage doors and the like wherein a fully insulated panel may be provided by injecting a curable foam insulation material into panel void spaces between a front wall and back wall of the panel including the narrowed or convoluted spaces defined by opposed panel edges, to at least fill the narrowed spaces, and followed by placement of a relatively large block or part of already formed insulation material within the panel. The preformed insulation member is adhered to the injected foam insulation material, allows the injected or poured in insulation material to occupy spaces within the panels which are difficult to access with preformed insulation parts and allows installation of a backing sheet or backer at an improved rate of production of sectional door panels, in particular.
The present invention still further provides an improved manufacturing and assembly apparatus particularly adapted for providing the improved method and panel construction in accordance with the invention.
Those skilled in the art will further appreciate the above-noted advantages and superior features of the invention together with other important aspects thereof upon reading the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the description which follows like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawing with the same reference numerals, respectively. The drawing figures may not necessarily be to scale and certain features may be shown in somewhat generalized or schematic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness.
Referring to
Door panel 10 includes a convex curved edge part 20 forming part of the upper edge 16 and a planar portion 22 which is folded to provide a suitable recess for securing spaced apart hinge members 24 along the upper edge of the door as shown in
Opposite side edges 15a and 15b of panel 10 are preferably provided with preformed end stile members 50 and 52, see
Referring further to
Referring further to
Prior to complete curing of the insulation member 58 and while the expanding foam material forming such member, and occupying spaces 54a, 54b and 54c, is still in a somewhat fluid state, a preformed elongated sheet or block member 60 of substantially rigid insulation material is placed in the space 54, as shown in
Fabrication of the door panel 10 is advantageously carried out in accordance with the invention. Referring to
Subsequent to installation of the hinge parts 24 and 44, at least at intermediate locations on panel 10, the end stiles 50 and 52 may be fastened to member 12. However, it may be preferable to install stiles 50 and 52 after other steps described herein are carried out. The panel 10 is moved from workstation 79 to a workstation 80,
Referring further to
Upon placement of the insulation member 60 in space 54, conveyor belt 91 is actuated to transfer a panel 10 to the space 98 between conveyor belts 94 and 96,
Referring further to
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the process described and shown, in conjunction with system 70 shown in
Although a preferred embodiment of an insulated and strengthened door panel in accordance with the invention has been described in detail herein together with a method of fabrication of same, and equipment used in such method, those skilled in the art will recognize that various substitutions and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.
Claims
1. An insulated sectional door panel comprising:
- a front wall, a top edge, a bottom edge and spaced apart back wall parts spaced from said front wall, said front wall, said top edge, said bottom edge and said back wall parts defining an interior space;
- at least portions of said interior space delimited by said top edge and said bottom edge being filled with a hardenable fluid-like insulation material; and
- a major portion of the remainder of said interior space is filled by a preformed member of insulation material disposed in said interior space and bonded to said hardenable insulation material.
2. The door panel set forth in claim 1 wherein:
- said hardenable insulation material comprises a quantity of expandable foam insulation material bonded to said front wall and extending between said portions of said interior space defined by said top edge and said bottom edge.
3. The door panel set forth in claim 2 including:
- a backer sheet adhesively bonded to said preformed member of insulation material.
4. The door panel set forth in claim 3 wherein:
- opposite edges of said backer sheet are adhesively bonded to said back wall parts, respectively.
5. The door panel set forth in claim 1 wherein:
- said hardenable insulation material is applied to said portions of said interior space defined by said top edge and said bottom edge by injecting an expandable polymer foam thereinto.
6. The door panel set forth in claim 5 wherein:
- said preformed member of insulation material is placed in said interior space while said foam insulation material is expanding within said portions of said interior space and said preformed member of insulation material is forcibly held in said interior space during said expansion of said foam insulation material.
7. The door panel set forth in claim 1 wherein:
- said front wall, said top edge, said bottom edge and said back wall parts are formed from a single continuous member formed of one of sheet metal or plastic.
8. A method for fabricating an insulated sectional door panel comprising the steps of:
- providing said door panel having a front wall, a top edge and a bottom edge and defining an interior space for placement of insulation material to form a substantially rigid insulated door panel;
- injecting a quantity of fluid-like insulation material into portions of said interior space defined by said top edge and said bottom edge;
- placing a substantially rigid insulation member in said interior space; and
- allowing said insulation material to fill substantially all of said interior space not occupied by said insulation member, and bond to said insulation member.
9. The method set forth in claim 8 including the step of:
- providing said insulation material as expandable polymer foam insulation material; and
- forcibly retaining said insulation member in said interior space during expansion of said foam insulation material.
10. The method set forth in claim 9 including the step of:
- forcibly retaining said insulation member in said interior space by traversing said panel between endless belt means from one workstation to another.
11. The method set forth in claim 8 including the steps of:
- passing said panel along a conveyor in proximity to an array of injection nozzles, said array of injection nozzles including first nozzle means operable to inject quantities of expandable foam insulation material into interior spaces defined by said top edge and said bottom edge and further injection nozzle means arranged to inject a quantity of expandable foam insulation material within said interior space between said top edge and said bottom edge.
12. The method set forth in claim 11 including the step of:
- placing said insulation member in said interior space contiguous with said foam insulation material.
13. The method set forth in claim 8 including the step of:
- applying an adhesive along an outer facing surface of said insulation member and securing a backer member to said panel adhered to said surface of said insulation member.
14. The method set forth in claim 13 including the step of:
- applying adhesive to opposed spaced apart back wall parts of said panel and securing said backer member to said panel at said back wall parts, respectively.
15. A method for forming a sectional door panel characterized by a continuous sheet member formed to provide a front wall, a top edge, a bottom edge and spaced apart back wall parts all formed from said sheet member and defining an interior space of said panel between said front wall and said back wall parts;
- filling at least portions said interior spaces formed by said top edge and said bottom edge with an expandable foam insulation material;
- placing a substantially rigid insulation member in said interior space prior to complete expansion of said foam insulation material while allowing said foam insulation material to expand into engagement with said insulation member; and
- allowing said foam insulation material to cure to form a substantially rigid insulated door panel.
16. The method set forth in claim 15 including the step of:
- traversing said panel past an array of nozzles for injecting said foam insulation material into said interior space in a predetermined pattern for filling said portions of said interior space and a further portion of said interior space therebetween and followed by placing said insulation member in said interior space.
17. The method set forth in claim 16 including the step of:
- traversing said panel between endless belt means to forcibly secure said insulation member within said interior space during expansion of said foam insulation material.
18. The method set forth in claim 17 including the step of:
- applying adhesive to an outer facing surface of said insulation member and said back wall parts, respectively; and
- placing a backer sheet in forcible engagement with said insulation member and said back wall parts and secured thereto by said adhesive.
19. A system for fabricating insulated sectional door panels, each of said panels comprising one or more sheet members formed to provide a front wall, a top edge, a bottom edge and spaced apart back wall parts of said panel and defining an interior space of said panel to be occupied by insulation material, said system comprising:
- a first conveyor for a traversing said panel past an array of fluid insulation material injection nozzles arranged to inject flowable fluid-like insulation material into portions of said interior space defined in part by said top edge and said bottom edge;
- a first workstation for receiving said panel with said fluid insulation material injected into said interior space, said workstation including means for dispensing a substantially rigid insulation member for placement in said interior space; and
- a second workstation including conveyor means for traversing said panel with said insulation material and said insulation member disposed in said interior space therealong and including a member engageable with said insulation member to forcibly retain said insulation member in said interior space during hardening of said insulation material.
20. The system set forth in claim 19 wherein:
- said second workstation includes spaced apart endless belt means defining a space therebetween to be occupied by at least one of said panels and to forcibly hold said insulation member in said interior space.
21. The system set forth in claim 20 including:
- drive means for driving said endless belt means in timed relationship to each other.
22. The system set forth in claim 20 including:
- a third workstation including adhesive applicator means for applying adhesive to a surface of said insulation member after at least partial hardening of said insulation material.
23. The system set forth in claim 22 including:
- a conveyor for traversing said panel through said third workstation; and
- a fourth workstation for receiving a panel from said third workstation for applying a backer sheet to said panel and adhered to said insulation member.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 13, 2004
Publication Date: Jan 19, 2006
Applicant: OVERHEAD DOOR CORPORATION (DALLAS, TX)
Inventor: L. Whitley (Arlington, TX)
Application Number: 10/889,692
International Classification: E04B 1/74 (20060101);