AU2013101365A4 - A garage door bracket - Google Patents

Abstract

Described herein is a garage door bracket for securing a roller guide member therein. The bracket is moulded from one piece of material to reduce componentry, has a low coefficient of friction (COF), and avoids metal-to-metal contact between componentry.

Description

A GARAGE DOOR BRACKET TECHNICAL FIELD Described herein is a garage door bracket. More specifically, a garage door bracket that includes a housing dimensioned to receive a roller shaft for securing a roller guide therein used in a vertical opening sectional garage door. BACKGROUND ART It is well known that garages include retractable doors, such that the garage can be opened for the vehicle to enter and the door subsequently closed. It is more common that the garage door be opened and closed automatically, such as by using motors connected to drive trains or rods which can be selectively moved or rotated in opposite directions to open and close the garage doors. Typically, the garage door will run on tracks which extend from opposite sides of the garage vehicle entrance towards the ceiling of the garage. The garage door opener is positioned within the garage towards the ceiling so as to pull the garage door upwardly towards the ceiling on its track as it is opened, and subsequently move the garage door downwardly and into the vehicle entrance to close the garage. Such garage doors typically include a plurality of horizontal pivotally connected sectional panels to facilitate this vertical movement. A problem associated with operating such garage doors has been the provision of suitable brackets for transferring loads from door counterbalance or lifting cables to the door structure itself. For example, a conventional bottom bracket generally includes a cable attachment and a roller housing for securing a roller guide therein. The roller housing typically includes spaced apart flanges stamped out of the bottom bracket, each flange having at least one hole dimensioned to receive a shaft of a roller of a guide member. Generally, the flange holes for the roller shaft are slightly larger than the roller shaft such that there is excess movement between the flange and shaft. As the flange is manufactured of pressed steel (along with a steel roller shaft), this metal-to-metal contact significantly contributes to the operational noise of the door when opened. Also, this excess movement can cause the roller shaft to move laterally causing the roller to bind along the track. In these instances, a tube, typically formed of sheet metal, can be inserted through the tubes. The roller shaft is then inserted in the tube. However, this increases the number of components and does not prevent metal-to-metal contact contributing to the operational noise of the door when opened. Garage door brackets also include separate roller housings. A roller housing is generally fastened, such as by rivet or screw, to a surface of the bracket. Again, this increases the number of components leading to increased costs and installation time. Another problem 1 associated with fastening of the roller housing to the bracket is that the screws can loosen, which can cause the roller housing to disengage from the bracket in use. From the above, it can be seen that there is a need for a garage door bracket that includes a roller shaft housing, reduces the number of components used, operates more efficiently by reducing operational noise of the door, reduces the problems associated with the prior art and/or provides the public with a useful choice. Further aspects and advantages of the bracket will become apparent from the ensuing description that is given by way of example only. SUMMARY Described herein is a garage door bracket for securing a roller guide member therein. The bracket is moulded from one piece of material to reduce componentry, has a low coefficient of friction (COF), and avoids metal-to-metal contact between componentry. In a first aspect, there is provided a one piece moulded garage door bracket which includes: a housing for securing a shaft of a roller guide member therein; the bracket being made of a rigid compound with a low coefficient of friction; and wherein the housing is formed as an integral moulded unit with the bracket. In a second aspect, there is provided a sectional garage door including the garage door bracket as substantially described above. In a third aspect, there is provided a sectional garage door including a plurality of garage door brackets as substantially described above wherein the garage door brackets include a housing with a bore of varying raised mounting positions provided by a raised mounting portion of the housing such that the bore of each garage bracket is moulded at different heights to correlate with varying vertical angles of a track with respect to a door frame. The garage door bracket confers a number of advantages. One advantage is that the roller housing is integrally moulded with the bracket which reduces the number of components lowering manufacturing costs and installation time. The housing may include a bore with a partially hollow back. An advantage of this configuration is that the bore with a partially hollow back not only reduces the amount of material used (hence saving costs and weight), but also decreases the contact surface of the roller shaft with respect to the housing. This in turn reduces the dry static friction between the shaft and housing leading to a more efficient operation. Also, the entire bracket is manufactured out of a low coefficient of friction (COF) material which avoids metal-to-metal contact of the shaft and housing. The avoidance of metal-to-metal contact also reduces the operational noise of the rollers when the garage door is opened. 2 Furthermore, the garage door bracket may be easily retrofitted and/or integrated into existing systems. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further aspects of the garage door bracket will become apparent from the following description that is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates a front perspective view of a bottom bracket; Figure 2 illustrates a rear perspective view of the bottom bracket of Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates a front perspective view of a first bracket with a raised housing mount; Figure 4 illustrates a rear perspective view of the first bracket of Figure 3; Figure 5 illustrates a front perspective view of a second bracket with a raised housing mount; Figure 6 illustrates a front perspective view of a third bracket with a raised housing mount; Figure 7 illustrates a front perspective view of a fourth bracket with a raised housing mount; Figure 8 illustrates a perspective view of a top bracket having at least one flange configured to engage with a top track; and Figure 9 illustrates a rear perspective view of a garage door including a plurality of interconnected sectional garage door panels and a bracket. DETAILED DESCRIPTION As noted above, described herein is a garage door bracket for securing a roller guide member therein. The bracket is moulded from one piece of material to reduce componentry, has a low coefficient of friction (COF), and avoids metal-to-metal contact between componentry. For the purpose of this specification the term 'comprise' and grammatical variations thereof shall have an inclusive meaning - i.e. that it will be taken to mean an inclusion of not only the listed components it directly references, but also other non-specified components or elements. For the purposes of this specification, the term 'about' or 'approximately' and grammatical variations thereof mean a quantity, level, degree, value, number, frequency, percentage, dimension, size, amount, weight or length that varies by as much as 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1% to a reference quantity, level, degree, value, number, frequency, percentage, dimension, size, amount, weight or length. The term 'substantially' or grammatical variations thereof refers to at least about 50%, for example 75%, 85%, 95% or 98%. The term 'garage door' or grammatical variations thereof refers to a sectional door for a garage or other building structure such as, but not limited to a factory or warehouse. Hence, it is 3 envisaged that the 'garage door' bracket may be utilised on any type of sectional door. The term 'sectional door' or grammatical variations thereof refers to a door made up of sections hinged together, thus allowing it to bend around a track. The term 'rigid compound' or grammatical variations thereof refers to a synthetic material (distinct from a metal or alloy) that can be moulded, is substantially uncompressible and has the requisite strength and properties suitable as a mounting bracket to a door and/or frame. By way of example, and not limitation, materials found to be suitable include acetyl plastics, PVC, Teflon, mineral or mineral/glass-reinforced Nylon. In a first aspect, there is provided a one piece moulded garage door bracket which includes: a housing for securing a shaft of a roller guide member therein; the bracket being made of a rigid compound with a low coefficient of friction; and wherein the housing is formed as an integral moulded unit with the bracket. The housing may be a bore moulded into the bracket. In one embodiment, the housing may have a substantially hollow back. This configuration reduces the amount of material hence saving costs and weight and also reduces the contact surface of the roller shaft with respect to the housing. This results in less friction between the shaft and housing giving a more efficient operation. The housing may include a raised mounting portion with a tapered face. In this way, the bore of each bracket may be moulded at different heights to correlate with varying vertical angles of a track with respect to a doorframe. The bracket may be manufactured out of a material with a low coefficient of friction (COF) such as acetyl plastics, PVC, Teflon, mineral or mineral/glass-reinforced Nylon. However, this should not be seen as a limitation for the embodiments envisaged for this invention as for example, any material that provides a dry static friction of approximately less than 0.8 [t (steel-steel) could conceivably be used with this invention. The bracket may include moulded reinforcing elements to provide additional structural rigidity. The bracket may include apertures to receive fixing elements thereby securing the bracket to a sectional panel. Also, the apertures may align with separate hinge brackets to receive fixing elements thereby joining adjacent sectional panels at a joining interface. The bracket may be a top bracket having at least one flange or sidewall configured to engage with a top track. In a second aspect, there is provided a sectional garage door including the garage door bracket as substantially described above. In a third aspect, there is provided a sectional garage door including a plurality of garage door brackets as substantially described above wherein the garage door brackets include a housing 4 with a bore of varying raised mounting positions provided by a raised mounting portion of the housing such that the bore of each garage bracket is moulded at different heights to correlate with varying vertical angles of a track with respect to a door frame. The garage door bracket confers a number of advantages: - The roller housing is integrally moulded with the bracket which reduces the number of components thereby lowering manufacturing costs and installation time; - The housing includes a bore with a partially or substantially hollow back. An advantage of this configuration is that the bore not only reduces the amount of material used (hence saving costs and weight), but also decreases the contact surface of the roller shaft with respect to the housing. This in turn reduces the dry static friction between the shaft and housing leading to a more efficient operation; " The entire bracket is manufactured out of a low coefficient of friction (COF) material which avoids metal-to-metal contact of the shaft and housing. The avoidance of metal-to metal contact also reduces the operational noise of the rollers when the garage door is opened; and - The garage door bracket may be easily retrofitted and/or integrated into existing systems. The embodiments described above may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which the embodiments relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as of individually set forth, Where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth. WORKING EXAMPLE The above described garage door bracket is now described by reference to specific embodiments. Referring to Figure 1, a one piece bottom garage door bracket 1A is shown made of rigid moulded acetyl plastics material that includes a housing 2 for securing a shaft of a roller guide therein (not shown). The housing 2 includes a bore 3 having a substantially hollow back 4 (best seen in Figure 2) to form an integral unit. The bracket 1A includes four apertures 5A, B, C, and D to receive fixing elements (not shown) thereby securing the bracket 1A to a sectional panel (not shown). Also, the apertures 5A, B, C 5 and D are aligned with separate hinge brackets 6 to receive the same fixing elements thereby joining adjacent sectional panels at a joining interface (best seen in Figure 9). Figures 3 to 7 show one piece intermediary garage door brackets 1 B with the same features to that of bracket 1A (Figure 1, same features given like numerals), but having a housing 2 that includes a raised mounting portion 7 and a tapered face 8. In these embodiments, the bore 3 of each of these brackets 1 B has been moulded at different heights to correlate with varying vertical angles of a track with respect to a door frame. The reverse face of bracket 1 B includes moulded reinforcing elements 9A, B, C and D to provide additional structural rigidity. Figure 8 shows a one piece top garage door bracket 1C with the same features to that of bracket 1A (Figure 1, same features given like numerals), but having two side flanges or side walls 10 configured to engage with a top track. Figure 9 illustrates a rear perspective view of a garage door with an upwardly openable door including a plurality of generally planar door panels 11 which can be interconnected by suitable hinge brackets 6 fixed to cooperating adjacent edges or joining interfaces of the door panels 11. The door is supported for movement between the closed position shown, which closes an opening in a doorway, and an open position by spaced apart guide tracks 12. In use, a plurality of garage door brackets 1A, B and C ranging from a bottom bracket (not shown), intermediary bracket 1 B to a top bracket (not shown) are selected according to the varying vertical angles of a track 12 with respect to a door frame when the door is in its closed position. Accordingly, each intermediary bracket 1 B includes a housing 2 with a suitably dimensioned raised mounting portion 7 (where required) to correspond to the angle at each location of the track 12. The guide members in the form of rollers 13 are mounted on an elongated, generally cylindrical shaft member or axle 14. The bore 3 of the housing 2 in each of the brackets 1A, B and C are dimensioned to selectively accommodate the axle 14 of the guide member 13. The brackets 1A, B and C are fastened to the door panels 11 with a fixing element 15 in known fashion. During operation, the axle 14 of the rollers 13 are retained within the housing 2 and the rollers 13 attached to the axles 14 are free to rotate and move within the guide tracks 12 in a known manner thereby supporting the door in its open and closed positions and for guiding the door during movement therebetween. Aspects of the garage door bracket have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the appended claims. 6

Claims (5)

1. A one piece moulded garage door bracket which includes: a housing for securing a shaft of a roller guide member therein; the bracket being made of a rigid compound with a low coefficient of friction; and wherein the housing is formed as an integral moulded unit with the bracket.

2. A garage door bracket as claimed in claim 1 wherein the housing is a bore moulded into the bracket.

3. A garage door bracket as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the housing includes a substantially hollow back to reduce the contact surface of the shaft with respect to the housing.

4. A garage door bracket as claimed in any one of the above claims wherein the housing includes a raised mounting portion such that the bore of each garage bracket is moulded at different heights to correlate with varying vertical angles of a track with respect to a door frame.

5. A garage door bracket as claimed in any one of the above claims wherein the garage door bracket is manufactured out of a rigid compound with a low coefficient of friction (COF) that provides a dry static friction of approximately less than 0.8 [t (steel-steel). 7