Patent Application
20220298849
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices for preventing damage caused by doors, such as damage caused by garage doors.
Prior art hinges such as the hinges 200,200a can be problematic, in that they can cause damage to objects that are too near the closing garage door 100, such as the rear or front end of a car. Because the hinges 200 stick out from the garage door 100, the body of the garage door may still have clearance to close without abutting the object, but the hinge 200 may strike the object (e.g. car), causing cosmetic and/or structural damage.
One embodiment of a protecting roller device according to the present disclosure comprises first and second portions each comprising a wheel. The first and second portions are separable from one another. A connecting portion connects the first and second portions.
One embodiment of a protecting roller assembly according to the present disclosure comprises a hinge and a protecting roller device connected to the hinge. The protecting roller device includes first and second portions each including a wheel, and a connecting portion connecting the first and second portions.
One embodiment of a garage door system according to the present disclosure includes a garage door with first and second panels, and a hinge connecting the first and second panels. The system further comprises a protecting roller device with a first portion with a first wheel, a second portion with a second wheel, and a connecting portion connecting the first and second portions. A highest point of the protecting roller device is higher than a highest point of the hinge.
This has outlined, rather broadly, the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure so that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be described below. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the teachings of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features, which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further features and advantages, will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.
This disclosure relates generally to protecting roller devices and assemblies that prevent damage caused by doors, such as garage doors. The protecting roller devices can include two separable portions each having a wheel at one end, with a connection portion therebetween. In some embodiments, the connecting portion passes through a hollow axle of the hinge to connect the separable portions. In some other embodiments, the protecting roller device can comprise a middle portion that can be connected to the hinge, such as using a fastener. The highest point of the protecting roller device can be above the highest point of the hinge, such that the protecting roller device will encounter an obstruction such as a car instead of the hinge. The protecting roller device can be made of a material designed to prevent or minimize damage to the obstruction.
Embodiments of the disclosure are described herein with reference to illustrations that are schematic illustrations of embodiments of the disclosure. As such, the actual size, components and features can be different, and variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of technological capabilities, manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances are expected. Embodiments of the disclosure should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes or components of the regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes/components that result, for example, from manufacturing or technological availability. The regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape or functionality of a feature of a device and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. In addition, components may be shown as one unit but may instead be a collection of components or units, or a collection of components or units may exist as one unit.
Throughout this description, the preferred embodiment and examples illustrated should be considered as exemplars, rather than as limitations on the present disclosure. As used herein, the term “disclosure,” “device,” “method,” “present disclosure,” “present device” or “present method” refers to any one of the embodiments of the disclosure described herein, and any equivalents. Furthermore, reference to various feature(s) of the “disclosure,” “device,” “method,” “present disclosure,” “present device” or “present method” throughout this document does not mean that all claimed embodiments or methods must include the referenced feature(s).
It is also understood that when an element or feature is referred to as being “on” or “adjacent” another element or feature, it can be directly on or adjacent to the other element or feature, or intervening elements or features may also be present. It is also understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present.
Relative terms such as “outer,” “above,” “lower,” “below,” “horizontal,” “vertical” and similar terms, may be used herein to describe a relationship of one feature to another. It is understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.
Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements or components, these elements or components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element or component from another element or component. Thus, a first element or component discussed below could be termed a second element or component without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated list items.
The terminology used herein is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
As best seen in
The device 300 can be sized so that it protrudes from the garage door further than the hinge (e.g., more than the outermost portion of the hinge). For instance, in the specific embodiment shown in
The device 300 (and/or the wheels 302 thereof) can comprise and/or be made of a material meant to minimize damage. For instance, in one embodiment, rubber and/or nylon can be used for this purpose. The material can also be lubricated, which can aid in minimizing damage. Other materials and/or coatings as known in the art can be used. The material(s) can in some embodiments be softer, more flexible, and/or more pliable than metal such as that of the garage door and/or hinge.
The middle portion 720 of the device 700 can also include a hollow portion 714 similar to the hollow of the axle 206 of the hinge 200 shown in
When attaching the hinges 200 to a garage door 100, users sometimes fail to fully screw in the connecting fasteners 208, and/or the fasteners 208 became loose over time. These fasteners 208 can stick out from the hinge 200 and cause damage to objects such a cars. The middle portion 720 can help to prevent this damage. The middle portion 720 can include a fastener aperture 722, through which a fastener 706 can pass to connect the device 700 (including middle portion 720) to the hinge 200 (e.g. the lower portion of the hinge 200), and also to connect the hinge 200 to the garage door 700. For instance, the device 700 and fastener aperture 722 can be aligned as shown in
The shape of the middle portion 720 can prevent damage from loose screws. For instance, the middle portion 720 can be shaped such that an impediment (e.g., a car) in the way of the garage door closing can encounter the raised edges 724 of the middle portion 720, instead of encountering a loose fastener which would cause more damage. It is understood that other shapes and embodiments than those specifically shown in
Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred configurations thereof both in the specification and in the claims, other versions are possible. For instance, while the embodiments are commonly described with regard to center hinge 200, it is understood that the concepts and elements described herein could be applied to side hinges 200a. Embodiments of the present disclosure can comprise any combination of compatible devices/features described herein and/or shown in the figures, and these embodiments should not be limited to those expressly illustrated and discussed. For instance and not by way of limitation, the appended claims could be modified to be multiple dependent claims so as to combine any combinable combination of elements within a claim set, or from differing claim sets. The spirit and scope of the disclosure should not be limited to the versions described above.
The foregoing is intended to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as expressed in the appended claims, wherein no portion of the disclosure is intended, expressly or implicitly, to be dedicated to the public domain if not set forth in the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63162401 | Mar 2021 | US |
