WO1996005399A1

WO1996005399A1 - A device in overhead doors

Info

Publication number: WO1996005399A1
Application number: PCT/SE1995/000926
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mats Eriksson
Original assignee: Cardo Door Ab
Priority date: 1994-08-16
Filing date: 1995-08-16
Publication date: 1996-02-22
Also published as: SE9402729L; SE505815C2; AU3268795A; SE9402729D0

Abstract

The invention relates to overhead roll-up doors, comprising guide rails (4) extending along the vertical sides of a doorway and a door-leaf (1) consisting of a number of panels (3) which are linked together by means of horizontal hinge connections and which support runners (7) at the lateral door-leaf edges, said runners being guided along said guide rails. In accordance with the invention at least one part (10, 11) of at least one of the door-leaf panels is formed with lateral connectors (12) for releasable coupling of said part with the associated guide rail, set to be triggered off upon exposure of said part to a force exerted in the transverse direction relatively to the door-leaf plane, whereby said part may be moved out of alignment with said door-leaf plane in the direction of said force.

Description

A DEVICE IN OVERHEAD DOORS

The subject invention concerns a device in overhead roll-up doors comprising guide rails extending along the vertical sides of a doorway and a door-leaf consisting of a number of sections or panels which are linked together by means of horizontal hinge connections and which support runners at the lateral door-leaf edges, said runners being guided along said rails.

Roll-up doors of this kind are used widely to cover doorways having frequent through-traffic. Under such conditions it is very common that some, and primarily the lowermost door- leaf panels, are damaged from impacts from e.g. fork-lift trucks. Collisions could of course also occur from other vehicles. However, the problem exists not only in connection with doors having frequent through-traffic but could also occur in connection with premises where the through- traffic is not quite as frequent, as is the case e.g. in garage doors. The impact from such collisions is often severe enough to cause serious damage to the door panels, particularly the lower door panel part, to necessitate replacement, which often is a complicated and comparatively expensive operation. When impact damages occur often the maintenance costs of the door become unacceptably high. The main purpose of the subject invention is to provide a device wherein collision impacts on the door do not result in such damaging effects that e.g. replacement of door-leaf panels need to be done, at least, not upon moderate impacts.

This purpose is achieved by means of a device in accordance with the invention which is essentially characterised in that at least one part of at least one of the door-leaf panels is formed with lateral connectors for releasable coupling of said part with the associated guide rail, set to be triggered off upon exposure of said part to a force exerted in a transverse direction relatively to the door-leaf plane, whereby said part may be moved out of alignment with said door-leaf plane in the direction of said force. Owing to this arrangement the part of the door panel that has received an impact, is allowed to move away in the direction of the impact, i.e. in the transverse direction relatively to the plane of the door panel. This means that the part subjected to the impact is not exposed to excessive deformation forces and consequently the part may be returned to its active position in alignment with the plane of the door-leaf in a comparatively undamaged condition and again be coupled to the guide rails by means of the lateral connectors.

Preferably, the lateral connectors comprise side members supporting horizontally, in one of its sides, said runners which co- operate with the guide rails, and being configured at their opposite side for said releasable coupling, said side members being hinged to the rest of the door panels in the vertical direction, so as to provide a continuous guiding engagement with the guide rails in this direction. In this manner the guiding engagement of the door with the guide rails is maintained also upon impacts and thus when parts of the door elements have been deflected or pivoted out of alignment with the plane of the door-leaf, because the side members still remain in the plane of the door-leaf and, by way of the runners, maintain their interconnection with the guide rails. Preferably, the releasable coupling between the parts, i.e. the side members and the corresponding door-leaf panels, consists of a grip type of coupling formed on one of said parts, which coupling U- shape fashion engages the corresponding edge portion of the other part, at least one of the leg members of the U-coupling forming an abutment means arranged to be pivoted aside against the action of a spring. Owing to this pivotal movement which is opposed by spring action, the portion of a door panel exposed to impact is allowed to deflect comparatively unimpededly out of the alignment with the door- leaf plane, with the result that the damages on the portion that receives an impact will be only minor as the that portion is not subjected to considerable counter-acting forces.

Preferably, the pivotable leg member is designed as a two-arm lever, seen in the horizontal direction, having a pivot at the point of junction of the two arms of the lever, one lever arm projecting along- side the lateral face of the releasable door panel and the opposite lever arm co-operating in an engagement relationship with a spring-biased engagement member arranged to maintain the abutment means in an inner, stable position of engagement or an outer, preferably stable position of release, respectably.

Furthermore, the engagement member further comprises a catch which is spring- biased in a direction in parallel with the plane of the door-leaf as well as in a direction perpendicularly to that plane, the operative part of said catch positioned in the path of movement of the arm co-operating in engagement relationship therewith. In a simple manner the grip coupling is maintained in its position of engagement during normal operation of the door but is easily releasable upon collisions.

Preferably, the two jaw-like leg members of the grip coupling may be pivoted in such a manner that the corresponding door-panel part may be moved out of alignment in both directions transversely with respect to the door-leaf plane. Owing to this arrangement the door remains undamaged when exposed to impacts from within as well as from without.

In addition, the engagement member preferably forms catches each one of which co-operates with one of the engagement abutment means and arranged on its associated leg member of a U-shaped locking member, the entire locking member being spring-biased in the door-leaf plane, the spring- bias in the transverse direction of the door- leaf plane being obtained by making use of the resiliency of the U- shaped leg members of the engagement member.

Preferably, the grip coupling is mounted on the side members. Consequently, the door panel parts subjected to impact upon collision are extremely simple in construction and thus are inexpensive to replace in the event they should nonetheless be damaged.

Preferably, the grip coupling consists of a rail of U-shaped cross-sectional configuration extending in the plane of the door-leaf, and of outwardly pivotable lateral flanges that are spring- biased towards the position of engagement. Because the leg members of the grip coupling are configured as flanges they form a satisfactory cover protecting the joint between the outwardly pivotable portions of the door panels. The result is a comparatively well sealed door-leaf while at the same time the locking means of the engagement device are well protected. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention the parts co-operating in engagement relationship may be formed with edge portions of complementary configuration, the mutual complementary configuration of which prevents relative motions in the plane of the door-leaf of the side edges provided with snap means. Said door-leaf part and the side members thus are steadily guided with respect to each other.

Preferably, the door panels arranged to be moved out of alignment co-operate with the side members by means of end portions that are movable horizontally relatively to the door panel parts in the plane of the door-leaf. Owing to this construction any lengthwise changes in the horizontal direction of the door-leaf that may arise upon deformation as a result of an impact on a door panel, alternatively deformation as a result of the effects of winds or thermal loads, are absorbed in an efficient manner without deterioration of the runner engagement in the guide rails.

In addition, the movable end portions are telescopically displaceable in associated door panel parts. The result is a very simple and reliable construction. A door provided with the device in accordance with the invention will be described in closer detail by way of one embodiment thereof and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Fig. 1 illustrates an overhead roll-up door provided with the device in accordance with the invention but otherwise of conventional character, as seen from within, i.e. from within a space provided with a doorway;

Fig. 2 illustrates a first embodiment of a gripping device in accordance with the invention in a perspective view together with the end portion of associated door panel parts; Fig. 3 illustrates a grip coupling in accordance with Fig. 2, the associated door panel parts having been removed for the sake of clarity;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view as seen from above of the interconnection between the grip coupling and a door panel part exposed to impact on collision;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 5 and showing the grip coupling while resetting; Fig. 4 is a sectional view corresponding to that of Figs. 5 and 6 and showing the grip coupling in the normal operative position of the door, i.e. in the normal engagement position of the grip coupling;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view through a door part in which the grip coupling is mounted;

Fig. 8 is a view as seen from one side of a door-leaf provided with a releasable lateral connector in accordance with the invention in the form of an alternative embodiment and

Fig. 9 illustrates a device in accordance with Fig. 8 in the pivoted or deflected condition, for instance caused by impact.

Fig. 1 illustrates an essentially conventional overhead roll-up door consisting of a door- leaf, generally designated by reference 1 and separated in to a number of sections or panels 3 that are linked together by means of horizontal hinge connections 2. The number of door panels depends on the height of the associated doorway.

A vertical side rail section 4 extends along each one of the vertical side edges of the doorway, each rail section merging at its top by way of a curved section 5 into a horizontal guide rail section 6. The door panels 3 are interconnected by means of and guided by the guide rails with the aid of runners 7, preferably in the form of rollers, placed in the rails and mounted on pins attached in the door panels. The weight of the door is counterbalanced by means of a balancing spring 8. Numeral reference 9 is used to designate a drive mechanism for operating the door-leaf between a roll-up open position and a closed lowered position, in which latter position the door-leaf covers the associated doorway (not shown in the drawings). In accordance with the embodiment shown the lowermost door panel 10, 11 is formed with end pieces or side members 12, the latter in turn guided in the guide rails 4 by way of the runners 7. The door panel parts 10, 1 1 are releasably connected to the side members in a manner to be decribed in the following, such that they may be deflected out of alignment with the plane formed by the door-leaf during normal operation. This means that the parts 10, 1 1 may deflect when exposed to impact and consequently they are subjected to restricted deformation forces only. Fig. 2 illustrates schematically one of the end portions of the two door panel parts 10, 1 1 , the latter in accordance with the embodiment illustrated being interconnected by means of a horizontal hinge connection 13. Also the side member 12 is illustrated in a schematical way, i.e. in Fig. 2. the means for interconnection of the side member with the associated guide rail are deleted. Deleted from Fig. 2 is likewise the connection with the rest of the door panels. On the side member is mounted a grip coupling, generally designated by reference 14, said coupling, in the normal operational position of the door as illustrated in Fig. 4, maintaining the door panel parts 10 and 1 1 in the same vertical plane as the side member 12, i.e. the normal vertical plane of the door- leaf upon normal operation. The grip coupling is formed with abutment elements 15 which are spring- biased towards the position of abutment, i.e. the position illustrated in Fig. 4. In accordance with the embodiment illustrated the abutment elements 15 are provided on the external as well as the internal faces of the door. The abutment elements are configured as vertically extended flanges and one 16 of said flanges forms a lever arm and another one 17 a further lever arm, said arms meeting in a pivot point 18. Numeral reference 19 designates an engagement member which in accordance with the embodiment shown is formed by a rail of U-shaped cross-sectional configuration, and a compression spring means 20 is held between the bottom 19a of the U and a support 21. The external edges of the lateral flanges 19b of the U-shaped rail 19 are configured as catch-like projections 19c. In the closed or inner position, i.e. the position of the flanges 16 illustrated in Fig. 4 the flanges 17 project in underneath the catches 19c. Because the compression spring means 20 tends to maintain the engagement device pressed in the direction of arrow 22 the engagement device in turn tends to maintain the abutment means in the normal operational position illustrated in Fig. 4. The U-shaped rail 19 forming the engagement or locking device is formed from a resilient material, with the result that the side flanges 19b may be moved towards one another against the action of the resiliency of the material of which they are formed in order to allow passage of the flanges 17 past the catches 19c. When the door panel parts 10, 1 1 are exposed to impact, for instance a force from one side in the direction of arrow 23, the door panel part 10, 11 is displaced in the same direction with respect to side member 12. This brings the left abutment means 15 as seen in Fig. 5 to pivot in the clockwise direction, which means that its flange 17 pulls the engagement device 19 in the direction of arrow 24, against the action of the compression spring 20, until the flange 17 moves past the catch 19c and the abutment member may pivot freely outwards. This means that the panel part 10, 1 1 may deflect freely in this direction. The door panel part 10, 11 may be returned to the normal position illustrated in Fig. 6 and the abutment means 15 be pivoted back in the direction of arrow 25 in Fig. 6 to the position illustrated in Fig 4. As the abutment means is pivoted back the corresponding lateral flange 19b springs away in such a manner that the flange 17 of the abutment means may pass past the catch 19c against said spring action. In accordance with the embodiment illustrated the door panel parts 10, 11 may be deflected in both directions, i.e. outwards as well as inwards relatively to the door-leaf plane. However, the deflexion possibility may be required in one direction only, in which case the grip coupling may be made as a half coupling, i.e. the abutment means need be arranged for pivotability on one side only whereas the opposite side could be formed with a fixed abutment means.

In accordance with the embodiment illustrated the abutment means are configured as elongate flange elements but it is within the scope of the invention to form the abutment means as shorter elements. Their function as the engagement device covering means may then possibly be obtained by means of other rail-like or in some other way joint-covering, separate elements. The deflectable parts may of course be smaller or larger in number than the illustrated parts 10, 1 1. In the embodiment illustrated parts 10, 1 1 together have the same height as the rest of the door panels. Although this dimension is suitable the invention obviously is not restricted to this particular size. The panel formed by parts 10, 1 1 could of course be higher as well as lower than the rest of the door-leaf panels. Obviously, it is also conceivable for several of the door-leaf panels to be deflectable. In accordance with the embodiment shown the support 21 is configured as a bar which as clearly apparent from Fig. 7 extends inside the rail 19 and is somewhat longer than the latter. The bar projects somewhat into the parts of the side member positioned externally of the rail 19. Fig. 7 illustrates a number of spring elements 20 distributed along the rail 21 and arranged to force the rail into the recess 26 formed in the side member 12. The invention is however not limited to the shown number of spring elements or to the shown design and configuration.

Fig. 3. is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 and shows the side member 12 including the grip coupling 14, the door-leaf panel parts 10, 1 1 having been deleted for the sake of clarity to make the locking means 19 appear more clearly.

The function of this device appears from that of the preceding one and for this reason will not be repeated.

In describing the embodiment according to Figs. 8 and 9 elements of corresponding purpose and function as those of the device illustrated in the previous drawing figures are referred to by the same reference number with the addition of 100. Thus, the conventional door-leaf panels are designated by 103 and, the two deflectable door- leaf panels are designated by 110 and 11 1. The vertical guide rails are designated by 104, the lateral connectors or side members are designated by 112 and the runners are designated by 107. In this case the side members 112 are provided with edge recesses 150 which in accordance with the embodiment illustrated are formed with a wider inner portion and a narrower portion closest to the door panel parts 110, 111. A complementary portion 151 formed on an end part of the door panel parts 1 10, 1 11 is shaped to be fitted into the recesses 150. This panel end portion formed with the projecting portion 151 has a portion 152 that projects into the associated one of the door panel parts 1 10, 1 11. The end parts 151 , 152 thus are telescopically displaceable relatively to panel parts 110, 1 1 1 , with the result that lengthwise changes of panel parts 110, 111 as a result of collision or thermal changes may be compensated by the displacement of the parts 151 , 152 therein. The recesses 150 and the projecting parts 151 are configured to allow the projecting parts 151 to be moved past the side members 112 and thus the panels 1 10, 1 1 1 be deflected in both directions in relation to the door-leaf plane. Numeral reference 153 designates a number of spring loaded snap- action pins provided in the side member 1 12 and arranged, in response to spring action, to snap into corresponding depressions formed in the corresponding side edge of the corresponding portion

151 on the end piece in question. If deflection need only be possible in one direction, the end portions 151 obviously need not be able to move past the side member 1 12 in more than one direction, which means that the recesses 150 need not extend from one side to the opposite one. The movable end pieces 151 , 152 need not necessarily be formed in both ends of the door panel parts 1 10, 11 1 but preferably they are so, in order to provide satisfactory centring of the door-leaf relatively to the guide rails 104.

The invention has been described above with reference to embodiments and together with suggestions of alternative arrangements but it is of course possible to modify the invention in other ways within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the inventive idea. For instance, the device in accordance with the invention is applicable also to doors of a different design from that shown. Furthermore, the part of the side coupling which is arranged on the side members 12; 1 12 may be provided on the door panel parts 10, 1 1 ; 1 10, 1 1 1 , in question. The deflectable door panel parts could be arranged on top of one or several conventional door panels, should the risk of collision exists at a higher level. In this case the side members 12; 1 12 are hinged also to the door panel positioned immediately below, thus forming a continuous joint vertically. It is likewise possible to combine in a suitable manner the two embodiments illustrated in the drawings without departing from the basic idea of the invention.

Claims

1. A device in overhead roll-up doors, comprising guide rails (4; 104) extending along the vertical sides of a doorway and a door-leaf (1; 101) consisting of a number of sections or panels (3; 103) which are linked together by means of horizontal hinge connections and which support runners (7) at the lateral door-leaf edges, said runners being guided along said guide rails, characterised in that at least one part (10, 11; 110, 111) of at least one of the door-leaf panels is formed with lateral connectors (12; 112) for releasable coupling of said part with the associated guide rail, set to be triggered off upon exposure of said part to a force exerted in the transverse direction relatively to the door- leaf plane, whereby said part may be moved out of alignment with said door-leaf plane in the direction of said force.

2. A device as claimed in claim ^characterised in that the lateral connectors comprise side members (12; 112) supporting horizontally, in one of its sides, said runners (7; 107) which co¬ operate with the guide rails (4; 104), and being configured at their opposite side for said releasable coupling, said side members being hinged to the rest of the door panels (3; 103) in the vertical direction so as to provide a continuous guiding engagement with the guide rails in this direction.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the releasable coupling between the parts, i.e. the side members (12;

112) and the corresponding door-leaf panels (10, 11, 110; 111), consists of a grip type of coupling (14) formed on one of said parts, which coupling U-shape fashion engages the corresponding edge portion of the other part (10, 11), at least one of the leg-members (15) of the U-coupling forming an abutment means arranged to be pivoted aside against the action of a spring.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the pivotable leg- member (15) is designed as a two-arm lever, seen in the horizontal direction, having a pivot (18) at the point of junction of the two arms (16, 17) of the lever, one lever arm (16) projecting alongside lateral face of the releasable door panel (10, 11) and the opposite lever arm (17) co-operating, in an engagement relationship with a spring-biased engagement member (19) arranged to maintain the abutment means (15) in an inner, stable position of engagement or an outer, preferably stable position of release, respectably.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that engagement member comprises a catch (19c) which is spring- biased in a direction in parallel with the plane of the door-leaf as well as in a direction perpendicularly to that plane, the operative part of said catch positioned in the path of movement of the arm (17) co-operating in engagement relationship therewith.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the leg members (16) of the coupling may be pivoted in such a manner that the corresponding door-panel part (10, 11) may be deflected out of alignment in both directions transversely with respect to the door-leaf plane, characterised in that the engagement member forms catches (19c) each one of which co-operates with one of the engagement abutment means (17) and arranged on its associated leg member (19b) of a U-shaped locking member (19), the entire locking member being spring-biased in the door- leaf plane, the spring bias in the transverse direction of the door-leaf plane being obtained by utilising the resiliency of the U-shaped leg members (19b) of the engagement member.

7. A device as claimed in anyone of claims 3-6, character¬ ised in that the grip coupling is mounted on the side members (12).

8. A device as claimed in anyone of claims 3-7, character- i s e d in that the grip coupling consists of a rail (19) of U-shaped cross- sectional configuration extending in the plane of the door-leaf, and of outwardly pivotable lateral flanges (16) that are spring-biased towards the position of engagement.

9. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the elements of which the releasable coupling is made-up comprise side edges formed with snap means (153), said edges movable transversely past the door-leaf (101) and in mutually parallel relationship.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that said mutually co-operating engagement elements comprise edge portions of complementary configuration, the mutually complementary configuration of which prevents relative motions in the plane of the door-leaf of the side edges provided with said snap means.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that door panels arranged to be deflected out of alignment co-operate with the side members by means of end portions (151, 152) which are movable horizontally relatively to the door panels parts in the plane of the door- leaf.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that said movable end portions are telescopically displaceable in the associated door panel part (110, 111).