Claims
- 1. An elongated compressible flexible hinge assembly for hingedly securing together abutting panel sections of a sectional door for articulation of the panel sections with respect to each other, each said panel section having a back side surface and an elongated slot defined by a short flange along the back side surface, said compressible flexible hinge assembly comprises:
- an elongated flexible hinge having a central web formed of a material which is substantially resistant to flexure fatigue, said central web further having first and second ends wherein each said end is connected to an elongated flange, said flanges being spaced apart from one another, one said flange being adapted to be inserted into one said elongated slot of one said abutting panel section and said other flange being adapted to be inserted into said other elongated slot of said other abutting panel section for hingedly connecting said abutting panel sections to one another in an abutting relationship; and
- two elongated compressible retainer slats for said elongated flexible hinge, each said compressible retainer slat having the ability to compress when being inserted into one of the elongated slots of one abutting panel section, so that each said compressible retainer slat can be positioned between the short flange of one abutting panel section and the central web of said elongated flexible hinge for locking said elongated flexible hinge in the elongated slots of the abutting panel sections.
- 2. An elongated flexible hinge assembly of claim 1 wherein said flanges are formed of a material which is substantially resistant to flexure fatigue.
- 3. An elongated flexible hinge assembly of claim 1 wherein said material is an elastomer.
- 4. An elongated flexible hinge assembly of claim 3 wherein said elastomer is selected from the group consisting of a polyester elastomer, a fluoroelastomer and a thermoplastic rubber elastomer.
- 5. An elongated flexible hinge assembly of claim 1 wherein said central web is formed with an elastomer and said flanges are formed with a rigid thermoplastic material.
- 6. An elongated flexible hinge assembly of claim 5 wherein the elastomer is selected from the group consisting of a polyester elastomer, a fluoroelastomer and a thermoplastic rubber elastomer, and the rigid thermoplastic material is selected from the group consisting of a polyvinyl chloride and an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymer.
- 7. An elongated flexible hinge assembly of claim 1 wherein said elongated flexible hinge is formed with a material selected from the group consisting of a polypropylene and polyallomer.
- 8. An elongated flexible hinge assembly of claim 1 wherein said elongated compressible retainer slats are formed with a thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of a polyvinyl chloride, an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymer, polypropylene, polycarbonate and a polyallomer.
- 9. An elongated flexible hinge assembly of claim 1, said compressible retainer slat comprising a compressible member connected to an arm.
- 10. An elongated flexible hinge assembly of claim 9, said compressible member having a void for permitting said compressible member to compress during installation and removal of said compressible retainer slats.
- 11. An elongated flexible hinge assembly of claim 9, each said compressible member having an arcuate concaved section and each of the short flanges having an arcuate convexed head for cooperation with one said corresponding arcuate concaved section for providing a pivot point during installation and removal of said compressible retainer slats.
- 12. An elongated flexible hinge assembly of claim 9, said central web having a pair of elongated grooves spaced apart from one another and each said arm of each said compressible retainer slat having a notch at the end thereof opposite said compressible member for mating with one elongated groove of said central web for locking said flexible hinge and compressible retainer slat into the elongated slots of the abutting panel sections.
- 13. A hinged sectional door comprising:
- two abutting panel sections, each said panel section having front and back side surfaces and abutting longitudinal edges, each said panel section having an elongated slot defined by a short flange along the back side surface adjacent the abutting edge, each said elongated slot having an interior surface and being angled acutely with respect to the back side surface;
- an elongated flexible hinge comprising first and second arm flanges having interior and exterior surfaces, each said arm flange being connected to a central web and spaced from the other, one said arm flange being inserted into one said elongated slot in one said abutting panel section and said other arm flange being inserted into said other elongated slot in said other abutting panel section for hingedly connecting said panel sections in an abutting relationship; and
- two elongated compressible retainer slats, each said elongated compressible retainer slat having the ability to compress when being inserted into one of said elongated slots between the exterior surface of one said arm flange and the interior surface of one said elongated slot so that each said elongated compressible retainer slat can be positioned between one said short flange and said central web of said hinge for locking said elongated flexible hinge said in said elongated slots of said abutting panel sections for articulation of said abutting panel sections with respect to each other.
- 14. A hinged sectional door as recited in claim 13 wherein the central web of said elongated flexible hinge is comprised of a plastic material which is substantially resistant to fatigue when the material is continuously flexed.
- 15. A hinged sectional door as recited in claim 14, the abutting longitudinal edge of one said abutting panel section having a second elongated slot for receiving therein a corresponding elongated tongue on the abutting longitudinal edge of said other abutting panel section so that when said abutting panel sections are in an abutting relationship said elongated tongue mates with said second elongated slot.
- 16. A hinged sectional door as recited in claim 13, said compressible retainer slat comprising a compressible member connected to an arm.
- 17. A hinged sectional door as recited in claim 16, said compressible member having a void for permitting said compressible member to compress during installation and removal of said compressible retainer slats.
- 18. A hinged sectional door as recited in claim 16, each said compressible member having an arcuate concaved section and each of the short flanges having an arcuate convexed head for cooperation with one said corresponding arcuate concaved section for providing a pivot point during installation and removal of said compressible retainer slats.
- 19. A hinged sectional door as recited in claim 14, said central web having a pair of elongated grooves spaced apart from one another and each said arm of each said compressible retainer slat having a notch at the end thereof opposite said compressible member for mating with one elongated groove of said central web for locking said flexible hinge and compressible retainer slat into the elongated slots of the abutting panel sections.
- 20. A hinged sectional door comprising:
- at least two abutting panel sections, each said panel section having front and back side surfaces and an abutting elongated edge, each said abutting panel section further having an elongated slot defined by a short flange along said back side surface adjacent said abutting edge and at a generally acute angle to said back side surface, said elongated slot having an interior surface;
- at least one elongated flexible hinge of generally V-shape to linear cross-section for hingedly securing said abutting panel sections together for articulation with respect to each other, said elongated flexible hinge having an elongated central web portion connected to a pair of elongated arm flanges spaced from each other, each said elongated arm flange having interior and exterior side surfaces and being inserted into one said elongated slot of one said abutting panel section, said elongated central web further having an exterior side surface and an elongated recess area along said exterior side surface for flexing thereat, said elongated central web further having a pair of elongated grooves extending along the exterior side surface and spaced from each other; and
- at least two elongated compressible retainer slats, each said retainer slat having a compressible member connected to a rigid arm, each said compressible member of each said retainer slat having the ability to compress when placed in contact with one said corresponding short flange while being inserted into or removed from one said elongated slot so that each said slat can be positioned between or removed from the exterior side surface of one said elongated arm and the interior surface of said elongated slot, each said rigid arm of each said retainer slat being inserted into one said elongated groove of said elongated central web for locking said elongated flexible hinge in said elongated slots in said abutting panel sections.
- 21. A hinged sectional door as recited in claim 20 wherein said elongated central web of said elongated flexible hinge is comprised of a plastic material which is substantially resistant to fatigue when the material is continuously flexed.
- 22. A hinged sectional door as recited in claim 20, said elongated flexible hinge further having a pair of outwardly extending anchoring flanges facing away from the interior side surfaces and being individually connected to free ends of said elongated arm flanges of said elongated flexible hinge for further locking said elongated flexible hinge in said elongated slots upon the insertion of each said elongated arm flange into one said elongated slot of one said abutting panel section.
- 23. A hinged sectional door as recited in claim 20, said compressible member having a void for permitting said compressible member to compress during installation of said slots.
- 24. A hinged sectional door as recited in claim 20, one said abutting elongated edge of one said abutting panel section further includes an elongated second slot for receiving therein a corresponding elongated tongue on said abutting elongated edge of said other abutting panel section so that when said abutting panel sections are in an abutting relationship said elongated tongue mates with said elongated second slot.
- 25. A hinged sectional door as recited in claim 20, each said compressible member having an arcuate concaved section and each of the short flanges having an arcuate convexed head for cooperation with one said corresponding arcuate concaved section for providing a pivot point during installation and removal of said compressible retainer slats.
- 26. A hinged sectional door as recited in claim 20, said central web having a pair of elongated grooves spaced apart from one another and each said arm of each said compressible retainer slat having a notch at the end thereof opposite said compressible member for mating with one elongated groove of said central web for locking said flexible hinge and compressible retainer slat into the elongated slots of the abutting panel sections.
- 27. An elongated flexible hinge assembly for hingedly securing together abutting first and second panel sections of a sectional door for articulation of the panel sections with respect to each other, the first said panel section having a back side surface and an elongated slot defined by a short flange along the back side surface, the second said panel section having a back side surface and an elongated slot defined by a locking member along the back side surface, said flexible hinge assembly comprises:
- an elongated flexible hinge having a central web formed of a material which is substantially resistant to flexure fatigue, said central web further having first and second ends wherein each said end is connected to an elongated flange, said flanges being spaced apart from one another, one said flange being adapted to be inserted into said elongated slot of said first abutting panel section and said other flange being adapted to be inserted into said elongated slot of said second abutting panel section for hingedly connecting said abutting panel sections to one another in an abutting relationship, said locking member locking said hinge to said second abutting panel section when one said flange is inserted into the elongated slot thereof; and said retainer slat having the ability to be positioned between the short flange of said first abutting panel section and the central web of said elongated flexible hinge for locking said elongated flexible hinge in the elongated slot of said first panel and said first and second panel sections in an abutting relationship for permitting said sections to articulate with respect to one another.
- 28. A longitudinal retainer slat for locking a longitudinal flexible hinge to a panel section, said longitudinal retainer slat comprises:
- a longitudinal compressible member connected to a longitudinal arm, said compressible member having at the end opposite said arm an arcuate concave-like surface for engaging a section of said panel section for providing a pivot point therebetween, said arm having at the end opposite said compressible member means for engaging a section of said flexible hinge, so that said flexible hinge is locked to said panel section via said retainer slat.
- 29. A longitudinal retainer slat of claim 28, said compressible retainer slat having a void therein for enhancing the compressiblity of said compressible member.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 07/345,562, which was filed on May 21, 1989 and will issue into U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,441 on Feb. 26, 1991.
US Referenced Citations (20)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2901371 |
Jul 1980 |
DEX |
3244743 |
Jun 1984 |
DEX |
8703826 |
Mar 1987 |
DEX |
482898 |
Jan 1970 |
CHX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
345562 |
May 1989 |
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