Patent Application
20120079771
The present invention relates to overhead doors, such as garage doors, and more particularly to bottom seals for overhead doors.
Garages and other similar structures are often fitted with overhead doors, such as garage doors, that are opened and closed by raising and lowering them within a wall opening. When closed, the bottom of the door is typically brought into direct contact with the garage floor or a threshold. These types of doors often include a bottom seal that engages the garage floor or the threshold when the door is lowered. The bottom seal helps to seal the garage from the environment, keeping out rain, wind, cold, insects and other things.
Conventional garage door bottom seals are secured to the bottom of the door using a variety of different mechanisms. For example, some garage doors are provided with a channel or a pair of channels at the bottom of the door to receive the seal. The seal may include one or more heads that can be fitted into the channels. The channels may be formed in an extruded metal rail disposed at the bottom of the door. Alternatively, the channels may be cut into a wood rail positioned along the bottom of the door. As another example, bottom seals can be fastened to the bottom of the door using staples, screws or adhesives. The bottom seal is typically sized to match the length of the garage door. In some cases, the seal is flexible along its length and is provided in a roll. In such case, the seal can be unrolled and cut to length at the time of installation. In other cases, the seal is rigid and may be pre-cut to match the length of the door.
Garage doors are available in different thicknesses. For example, residential garage doors typically range from 1⅜ inches to 2½ inches. It is often desirable to match the bottom seal with the thickness of the door. Matching the bottom seal to the thickness of the door can create some issues. Conventionally, the garage door manufacturer or installer is required to stock seals in different thicknesses so that the correct seal can be used for each door. This results in increased cost of manufacture, increased cost of maintaining inventory and can be particularly problematic for on-site installation where it may be necessary to bring a variety of different size bottom seals to the job site.
The present invention provides a two-piece bottom seal assembly that adjusts to doors of different thicknesses during installation. The bottom seal assembly generally includes two frame components that are configured to close on the bottom of a door from opposite sides. The frame components are configured to interfit with one another at different distances that accommodate doors of different thicknesses.
In one embodiment, the frame components are generally L-shaped, each having a horizontal leg and a vertical leg. The horizontal legs are configured to interfit at differing amounts to vary the overall thickness of the seal assembly. The vertical legs are configured to engage the inner and outer faces of the bottom of the door.
In one embodiment, the horizontal legs are configured to interlock with one another. In one embodiment, one of the two horizontal legs (i.e. the female leg) includes a pair of spaced walls that define a channel dimensioned to receive the other horizontal leg (i.e. the male leg). The male leg may be fitted into the channel the distance required for the frame components to close on the door. The male leg may include a head configured to interlock with corresponding features on the inside of the channel. For example, the walls that define the channel may include a plurality of internal ribs configured to interfit with the head. The arrangement of the ribs may be selected to allow the frame components to snap-together at a variety of nominal door thicknesses, such as 1⅜ inches, 1¾ inches and 2 inches. The male leg may include a head and a plurality of barbs that are arranged to simultaneously interfit within different ribs on the inside of the channel.
In one embodiment, each of the frame components supports a seal. For example, one frame component may carry a blade seal and the other frame component may carry a bulb seal. The bulb seal may be disposed on the bottom wall of the female leg and the blade seal may be disposed on the male leg where it does not interfere with the male leg being fitted into the channel.
In one embodiment, the seals are coextruded with the frame components. In this embodiment, the frame components may be manufactured from polymers in the same family. For example, the frame components may be rigid PVC and the seals may be flexible PVC. The two seals may be formed from the same material or from different materials.
In one embodiment, the frame components include apertures, such as screw holes or slots, for securing the frame components to the door. The screw holes or slots may be disposed on essentially any portion of the frame components. Vertical slots in the vertical legs may permit the bottom seal assembly to be adjusted along the length of the door to accommodate an uneven floor or threshold. As another option, one or both of the frame components may be manufactured with a groove and/or with indentations that provide a guide for forming screw holes during installation.
The present invention provides a simple and effective overhead door bottom seal assembly that can adjust to doors of different thicknesses. In embodiments with locking features, the frame components can be easily fitted onto the bottom of the door from opposite sides, and may in some cases remain installed without the aid of additional fasteners. The frame components can be provided with locking features that are specifically configured to lock at a variety of different standard door thicknesses. If desired, each frame component may support a seal, thereby providing a double seal arrangement that automatically adjusts to the door thickness with the frame components. In coextruded embodiments, the seals are integrated with the frame components and therefore do not require separate manufacture, assembly and installation. Further coextruded components may provide improved performance and extended life.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the description of the current embodiment and the drawings.
The invention is not limited to the details of operation or to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention may be implemented in various other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in alternative ways not expressly disclosed herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. Further, enumeration may be used in the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of enumeration should not be construed as limiting the invention to any specific order or number of components. Nor should the use of enumeration be construed as excluding from the scope of the invention any additional steps or components that might be combined with or into the enumerated steps or components.
An overhead door bottom seal assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown in
For purposes of disclosure, frame component 12 is referred to as the inner frame component and frame component 14 is referred to as the outer frame component. The frame components 12, 14 may, however, be configured in reverse if desired. For example, if desired, the frame components 12, 14 may be closed on the door from the opposite direction—meaning that the inner frame component 12 closes on the door from the outside and the outer frame component 14 closed on the door from the inside. Further, the interfitting and interlocking features of the frame components may be reversed. For example, the inner frame component may include the female horizontal leg and the outer frame component may include the male horizontal leg.
Directional terms, such as “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “inner,” “inwardly,” “outer” and “outwardly,” are used to assist in describing the invention based on the orientation of the embodiments shown in the illustrations. The use of directional terms should not be interpreted to limit the invention to packages of any specific orientation(s).
The inner frame component 12 of
The horizontal leg 18 of this embodiment includes a base portion 30 and an interlocking portion 32. The base portion 30 cooperates with the vertical leg 16 to define a corner that fits about the corner of the door D. The interlocking portion 32 is offset from the base portion 30 so that it is aligned with and can be fitted into the channel 54 in the female leg 24 of the outer frame component 14 (as described in more detail below). The interlocking portion 32 includes a head 34 and a plurality of barbs 36. The leading surfaces of the head 34 and the barbs 36 are tapered to facilitate insertion into the interlocking portion 32 of the female leg 24. The trailing surfaces of the head 34 and barbs 36 are angled to resist removal of the interlocking portion 32 from the female leg 24.
As noted above, the inner frame component 12 of the embodiment of
As described above, the inner frame component 12 is configured to be interfitted with the outer frame component 14. The outer frame component 14 of
In this embodiment, the horizontal leg 24 of the outer frame component 14 is a female leg configured to receive the male leg 18 of the inner frame component 12. The horizontal leg 24 of this embodiment generally includes a top wall 50 and a bottom wall 52 that are spaced apart to define a channel 54. The top wall 50 and bottom wall 52 may include a plurality of ribs 56 arranged to interlock with the head 34 and barbs 36 of the male leg 18. More specifically, the ribs 56 are arranged in pairs, with a first rib on the top wall 50 and the second rib on the bottom wall 52 immediately across from the first. The female leg 24 of this embodiment includes seven pairs of ribs 56. However, the number of pairs of ribs may vary from application to application. In this embodiment, the ribs 56 are spaced regularly along the top and bottom walls 50, 52. As shown, the pairs of ribs 56 are spaced approximately 0.125 inches apart on center. This permits the seal assembly 10 to be easily adjusted at 0.125 inch intervals. For example, the illustrated embodiment is easily adjusted to fit doors with thicknesses of 1.375 inches (See
The ribs 56 may be shaped to facilitate insertion of the male leg 18 into the female leg 24, and may also be shaped to resist removal of the male leg 18 from the female leg 24. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the leading surfaces of the ribs 56 (i.e. the surfaces that engage the head 34 and barbs 36 during insertion) and the trailing surfaces (i.e. the surfaces that engage the head 34 and barbs 36 during removal) are angled to perform these functions. More specifically, as shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom wall 52 is somewhat longer than the top wall 50. A groove 58 may be formed in the exposed surface of the bottom wall 52 to provide an alignment guide for screws, if desired. For example, if it is desirable in a specific application to secure the bottom seal assembly 10 to the door D with a screw extending vertically through the male leg 18 and female leg 24, a screw may be installed through the groove 58.
As noted above, the outer frame component 14 includes a bulb seal 26. The bulb seal 26 is essentially a closed seal in the sense that it is secured to the frame component 14 along opposite longitudinal edges. Although the outer frame component 14 of the illustrated embodiment includes a bulb seal 26, the outer frame component 14 can alternatively include a different type of seal, and in some applications may include no seal at all. The bulb seal 26 is manufactured from a relatively soft and resilient material that can be compressed to form a seal when the door D is closed and that at least partially rebounds when the door D is opened. Like the blade seal 20, the bulb seal 26 may include a plurality of ribs 28 along its ground engaging surface.
In the illustrated embodiment, each frame component 12, 14 includes a seal. The seal arrangement may, however, vary from application to application. For example, if desired, both seals could be carried on the same frame component. In some applications, the bottom seal assembly may include a different number of seals. More specifically, in some applications, the bottom seal assembly may include a single seal or more than two seals.
The frame components 12, 14 may be provided with screw holes or slots 60 (See
The frame components 12, 14 may be manufactured from polymers using a coextrusion process that simultaneously forms the rigid and flexible portions. In the illustrated embodiment, the rigid portions of the frame components 12, 14 are manufactured from a rigid Polyvinyl chloride and the flexible portions of the frame components (i.e. the blade seal 20, bulb seal 26 and lip 40) are manufactured from a flexible Polyvinyl chloride. The materials may, however, vary from application to application. For example, the rigid portions of the frame components may be manufactured from Aluminum, Steel, Wood, Polypropylene, Polyethylene, ABS, Polycarbonate, Polystyrene and other rigid polymers, and the flexible portions of the frame components may be manufactured from Thermoplastic Elastomers/Olefins, Polyurethane, Rubber Compounds and other flexible polymers. The frame components of the illustrated embodiment are coextruded so it is desirable for the rigid portions and the flexible portions to be manufactured from materials that will adequately bond during the coextrusion process. For example, it may be desirable for the rigid portions and the flexible portions to be manufactured from materials in the same family of polymers. The flexible portions of the frame components need not be formed with the rigid components. Instead, the flexible portions may be separately manufactured and installed on the rigid components. For example, the flexible components may be secured to the rigid components by a friction fit, through mechanical interlock (e.g. ball and socket, tongue and groove) or by adhesives.
As noted above, the spacing of the interlocking features may be arranged so that the frame components 12, 14 firmly grip the bottom of the door D. For example, the spacing between the upper end of angled vertical wall 16 and the lip 40 may be smaller than the thickness of the door D. As a result, vertical wall 16 and lip 40 may flex when the door seal assembly 10 is closed on the door. The difference in size between nominal door thicknesses and the spacing between the vertical wall 16 and the lip 40 may be pre-selected to provide the appropriate amount of gripping force.
The illustrated embodiment includes interlocking barbs and ribs. The interlocking parts may vary from application to application. For example, the parts may mate using a tongue and groove arrangement or a ball and socket arrangement. The interlocking components may be eliminated in some applications. For example, the male leg may be fitted into the female leg without any interlocking components. In such embodiments, the male leg may be tightly fitted into the female leg so that friction helps to hold the frame components together. However, a frictional fit is not required and the frame components may be held together by adhesives or fasteners.
In use, the frame components 12, 14 are easily installed on the bottom of the door D. The inner frame component 12 and outer frame component 14 are closed on the bottom of the door D from opposite directions. The male leg 18 is fitted into the female leg 24 and the two from components 12, 14 are pushed together until the male leg 18 has been snapped-fitted into the female leg 24 the appropriate distance for the thickness of the door D. The vertical legs 16 and 22 will grip the bottom of the door D and the gripping force may be sufficient to hold the bottom seal assembly 10 in place during use. On the other hand, it may be desirable to use additional methods for securing the seal assembly 10 to the door D. For example, screws may be used to secure the frame components 12, 14. The screws may be installed horizontally through one or both of the vertical legs 16 and 22. Alternatively or in addition, screws may be installed vertically through one or both of the horizontal legs 18 and 24. Alternatively (or in addition), the frame components 12, 14 may be secured to the door D by adhesives.
Although the illustrated embodiment is coextruded from polymers, the frame components may be manufactured from essentially any suitable material using essentially any suitable manufacturing process. For example, the bottom seal assembly 10′ may include frame components 12′, 14′ extruded from aluminum, as shown in
Although the frame components are described in connection with a male part that is fitted into a female part, the frame components may include alternative interfitting components. For example, the horizontal legs of the inner frame component and the outer frame component may be configured to overlap at different distances to accommodate different door thicknesses. The horizontal legs may be essentially planar so that they can freely overlap at essentially any distance. Alternatively, the horizontal legs may have mating ribs or other protrusions that essentially interlock the two frame components at one of a variety of fixed distances once secured to the door D. For example,
The above description is that of current embodiments of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention or to limit the scope of the claims to the specific elements illustrated or described in connection with these embodiments. For example, and without limitation, any individual element(s) of the described invention may be replaced by alternative elements that provide substantially similar functionality or otherwise provide adequate operation. This includes, for example, presently known alternative elements, such as those that might be currently known to one skilled in the art, and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such as those that one skilled in the art might, upon development, recognize as an alternative. Further, the disclosed embodiments include a plurality of features that are described in concert and that might cooperatively provide a collection of benefits. The present invention is not limited to only those embodiments that include all of these features or that provide all of the stated benefits, except to the extent otherwise expressly set forth in the issued claims. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61388240 | Sep 2010 | US |
