GB2308860A

GB2308860A - Up and over garage door with horizontal guide rails pivoted to the door fram e, support struts and bracing means, for easy transit and installation.

Info

Publication number: GB2308860A
Application number: GB9627070A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Edward Rumney
Original assignee: P C Henderson Ltd; PC Henderson Ltd
Current assignee: P C Henderson Ltd; PC Henderson Ltd
Priority date: 1996-01-04
Filing date: 1996-12-30
Publication date: 1997-07-09
Also published as: GB9627070D0; GB9600119D0

Abstract

An up-and-over garage door assembly comprises a door 22, a pair of guide tracks 12, which include the means for pivotable attachment 11 to a door frame 10, a pair of support struts 13, each for attachment at or adjacent to one end of a guide track 12, and to the door frame 10, and bracing cables 18, 19 for attachment to the door frame and to the support struts or guide tracks, to secure the guide tracks in position once extended. The door, guide tracks, support struts and bracing means, are assembled together to form a generally flat assembly, wherein the spacings between the points of attachment, of the guide tracks and support struts to the door frame, and their positions relative to the door are predetermined. Therefore when the door is placed in position, the guide tracks and support struts meet their points of attachment, thus eliminating the need for measuring.

Description

"Up-and-over" Door Assembly The present invention is concerned with doors of the so-called up-and-over" type, which are opened by moving them upwardly and rearwardly from a generally vertical position in which they close the doorway space to a generally horizontal position in which that space is unobstructed. Up-and-over doors are most widely used for domestic garage doorways.

The doors either may take the form of a single planar panel or may be constructed as a series of mutuallypivoting interlinked sections which, when aligned, combine to form a planar door.

Among the various categories of up-and-over doors, two types, namely the "retractable" type and the above-mentioned sectional type, adopt in the open position a generally horizontal orientation extending wholly or partially rearwardly of the doorway and are supported by generally horizontal guide tracks, usually provided in pairs. Conventionally these guide tracks are suspended from the adjacent walls or ceiling of the garage or other area which is closed by the door when in use.

Since the function of such guide tracks is not only to support the door in its open position but also to guide the door during its transition between its limiting open and closed positions, the guide tracks must be located and orientated very carefully, relative both to the door and to each other, if they are to perform the two functions satisfactorily. For example, the guide tracks must be mounted in mutual parallel, in the same orientation relative to the horizontal and also both generally perpendicular to the plane of the door in its closed condition. This accurate mounting of the guide tracks is a major consumer of time in the installation of an up-and-over door of one of these types; in addition, because the adjacent garage or other area is not of any standard dimensions, the brackets or straps by which the guide tracks are mounted usually have to be adapted to each individual location.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a door assembly of the up-and-over type, which can be installed in a doorway much more readily and in a much less time-consuming way than can presently-available such assemblies.

The up-and-over door assembly according to the present invention comprises a generally planar door, optionally of the sectional type, a pair of guide tracks for pivotal attachment to a door frame to define movement of the door between positions in which the door respectively closes and opens a doorway defined by the door frame, a pair of support struts each for attachment at or adjacent to one end to a said guide track and for attachment at its other end to said door frame, and bracing means for attachment to said door frame and to said support struts or said guide tracks for maintaining said guide tracks in a fixed relative orientation, said door, guide tracks, support struts and bracing means being assembled together to form a generally flat assembly wherein the spacings between the points of attachment of the guide tracks and support struts to the door frame, and their positions relative to the door, are predetermined.

Because, in the door assembly according to the present invention, the positions of attachment to the door frame of the guide tracks and the support struts are predetermined, as are therefore their positions relative to the door, the door assembly can be installed and erected without the usual necessity of measuring out the positions of attachment separately for each individual door and door frame. Thus the door may be installed and fully operational within a small fraction of the time conventionally required for this purpose.

The door assembly of the present invention may include the door frame, in which case the guide tracks and support struts are very preferably pivotally attached to the door frame, or, less advantageously, the assembly may be supplied without an accompanying frame, in which case the attachment points may be determined by brackets or other means of attachment secured to the door itself until the latter is to be installed.

When the door and door frame have been installed in position, the guide tracks are intended to extend in a generally horizontal plane rearwardly of the door frame and are supported in that position, at least until they have been installed, by the support struts extending diagonally upwardly from the rear of the door frame to the guide tracks. The perpendicularity of the guide tracks relative to the door frame, and their mutual relative orientation, are maintained by the bracing means. If desired, the guide tracks may now be mounted upon adjacent walls or an adjacent ceiling, in which case the support struts may then be removed if desired.

Thus, in the erected and installed condition, the up-and-over door assembly of the present invention comprises a door frame mounted to define a doorway, a generally planar door mounted within said frame for movement between positions in which the door respectively closes and opens the doorway, a pair of guide tracks secured to the door frame and extending in parallel rearwardly from the door frame and engaging guides on the door sides throughout said movement, a pair of support struts each extending between the door frame and one of said guide tracks, and bracing means extending between the door frame and said guide tracks or support struts.

Very preferably, the ends of the guide tracks remote from the door frame are held in spaced parallel relationship by a spacer.

In the erected condition, the support struts are each attached at one end to the door frame and at the other end to the corresponding guide track.

For delivery to the site of installation, the support struts are required to lie flat, generally in the plane of the door. With this in mind, it is strongly preferred that each support strut be pivotally attached at one end to the door frame and adapted to be secured at or adjacent to its other end to one of the guide tracks. The means of such securing to the guide track may for example comprise a pin to which the strut may be secured by a spring clip. As a less preferred alternative, each support strut may be in the form of two parts, adapted to be aligned in the' erected condition. Thus the support struts may each comprise two parts, pivoted together at their adjacent ends and, at their other ends, designed for pivotal attachment to the door frame and guide track respectively. As one alternative, the two parts may be supported in an aligned orientation in use by means of a sliding sleeve fitting over their adjacent ends.

The bracing means will extend, in the erected position of the door, generally horizontally from the top member of the door frame diagonally outwardly towards the outer ends of the guide tracks, where they may be attached to the guide tracks themselves or preferably to the support struts. The bracing means may each be attached in the mid-region of the door frame top member or may be spaced apart along said member.

They may comprise rigid bracing struts or may each take the form of a two-part strut, the two parts being hinged together or connectable. In another, preferred, form the bracing means may comprise a pair of cables, which may if necessary be tensioned when the door assembly has been erected.

The invention will now be further described and illustrated, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig.l is an elevation from one side of a first embodiment of the up-and-over door assembly according to the present invention, which includes a door and door frame, in partly erected condition; Fig.2 is an elevation from the side of a second embodiment, alternative to that of Fig.l; Fig.3 shows the embodiment of Fig.l, in a fully erected condition; and Fig.4 is an elevation from one side of a preferred third embodiment of the door assembly, having unitary support struts.

The door assembly of Fig.l is delivered to the site where it is to be installed in a fully folded, generally flat condition, in which the door itself lies wholly within the metal door frame 10. Pivoted at 11 to the rear face of the frame 10 are two linear guide tracks 12 (only one of which is visible in Fig.l). Two two-part supports struts 13, of which the two parts are pivoted together at 14, are pivotally mounted at 15 upon the door frame 10 and at their other ends at 16 upon the guide tracks 12. As will be apparent from Fig.l, by folding of the struts 13 about the pivots 14, the two parts of the struts and also the guide tracks 12 can be moved into a position in which they all lie close to the frame 10. It is in this folded condition that the door assembly is supplied.

When the door assembly of Fig.l is installed, the support struts 13 are each unfolded until the two parts of each strut are aligned as shown in Fig.3. In this position, the guide tracks 12, of which the ends remote from the frame are rigidly interconnected by a spacer 17, lie parallel to each other, generally horizontal and perpendicular to the door frame 10. A pair of cables 18, 19, of equal length, are connected each at one end to a short extension of the respective support strut 13 and at the other to a common tensioning screw 20 mounted in the middle of the length of the door frame cross-bar 21. By tensioning of the cables 18, 19, the whole guide track structure is rendered rigid and is held perpendicular to the door frame 10.

In the illustrated door assembly, guide wheels (not shown) mounted upon the sides of the door 22 in the region of the top of those sides engage the guide tracks 12 and determine the movement of the door between its open and closed positions.

The door assembly shown in Fig.2 is generally similar to that of Fig.l except that each support strut is formed of two distinct parts, 23 and 24 , as illustrated. The strut parts pivot as shown between the folded and erect conditions of the assembly. In the latter condition, the free ends of the strut parts are retained in mutual alignment by means of sleeves (not shown), which are slid into position over those ends.

In the third illustrated form of the door assembly, shown in Fig.4, each support strut 33 is formed in a single piece and is pivoted upon the door frame 10 at 15. As shown in broken line at 33a the strut is able to be swung downwardly about the pivot 15, until it eventually lies against the rear face of the frame 10.

In a similar manner, the guide tracks 12 can be swung, via the position 12a, into a position against the rear of the door frame 10. When the assembly is erected, an aperture near the upper end of the strut 33 is slotted over a grooved pin on the guide track 12 at 16 and a sprung retaining clip is fitted over the pin to secure the strut to the track.

As can readily be seen, the illustrated door assemblies, delivered in flat-pack form, can very easily be erected into the required operative condition, in which the guide tracks 12 are automatically disposed in the correct orientation by virtue of the positioning of the pivot points 11, 15 and 16. This orientation of the guide tracks is further aided and maintained by the cables 18, 19.

The illustrated door assemblies are each supplied complete with a metal door frame 10. However in some situations it may be desired to erect the assembly within an existing wooden door frame. To that end, the door assembly according to the present invention may be supplied without a door frame. It is, however, still a feature of the present invention that the points of attachment of the guide tracks and support struts to the door frame are predetermined. This may be achieved by attaching the relevant ends of the tracks and struts temporarily to the door itself, most preferably via transit brackets, until the assembly has been delivered for installing, and then transferring the attachment from the door to the door frame during installation.

In this way, the guide tracks and support struts are accurately located upon an existing wooden door frame without the attachment positions having to be measured out for each door frame.

Claims

1. A door assembly comprising a generally planar door, optionally of the sectional type, a pair of guide tracks for pivotal attachment to a door frame to define movement of the door between positions in which the door respectively closes and opens a doorway defined by the door frame, a pair of support struts each for attachment at or adjacent t6 one end thereof to a said guide track and for attachment at its other end to said door frame, and bracing means for attachment to said door frame and to said support struts or said guide tracks for maintaining said guide tracks in a fixed relative orientation, said door, guide tracks, support struts and bracing means being assembled together to form a generally flat assembly wherein the spacings between the points of attachment of the guide tracks and support struts to the door frame, and their positions relative to the door, are predetermined.

2. A door assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the points of attachment are determined by brackets or other attachment means secured to the door.

3. A door assembly as claimed in Claim 1, including a door frame to which the guide tracks and support struts are pivotally attached.

4. A door assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein each support strut is formed as a unitary member, pivotally attached at one end to said attachment means or to said door frame and adapted to be secured at or adjacent to its other end to one of the guide tracks.

5. A door assembly as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein each support strut is formed in two parts, adapted to be aligned in the erected condition.

6. A door assembly as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the two parts of each support strut are pivoted together.

7. A door assembly as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the two parts of each support member are adapted to be supported together in an aligned condition by means of a sliding sleeve fitting over their adjacent ends.

8. A door assembly comprising a door frame mounted to define a doorway, a generally planar door mounted within said frame for movement between positions in which the door respectively closes and opens the doorway, a pair of guide tracks secured to the door frame and extending in parallel rearwardly from the door frame and engaging guides on the door sides throughout said movement, a pair of support struts each extending between the door frame and one of said guide tracks, and bracing means extending between the door frame and said guide tracks or support struts.

9. A door assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the ends of the guide tracks remote from the door frame are held in spaced parallel relationship by a spacer.

10. A door assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the bracing means are attached in the mid-region of the top member of the door frame.

11. A door assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the bracing means is a pair of unitary rigid struts.

12. A door assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10 wherein the bracing means is a pair of two-part struts.

13. A door assembly as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 10, wherein the bracing means comprises a pair of cables.

14. A door assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, any of Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A door assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Fig.4 of the accompanying drawings.