Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – Plural strip – slat – or panel type – Strip or slat structure
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-03
2004-08-10
Johnson, Blair M. (Department: 3634)
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
Plural strip, slat, or panel type
Strip or slat structure
C052S309900
Reexamination Certificate
active
06772818
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the art of sectional doors, such as residential and commercial garage doors, there has been a continuing need to improve the construction of the respective door panels. Sectional door panels are commonly formed of rolled or extruded metal or plastic “skins” to which reinforcing members, hinges and insulation are attached or applied to form the finished door panel. Heretofore, for example, sectional door panels requiring insulation to be applied thereto have been formed by dispensing a quantity of a foamed-in-place polymer into a cavity formed by the rolled or extruded metal or plastic skin. This process may be difficult to control properly to fill all of the void spaces formed by the outer skin of the panel, particularly wherein the top and bottom edges of the panel are configured to provide a pinch resistant edge profile. Moreover, foamed-in-place insulation material may not provide sufficient stiffness or crush resistance for the insulation layer or the panel per se.
Even though reinforced sectional door panels have been previously known there has been a need to provide reinforcing members which are disposed only at critical locations, such as adjacent the points of attachment of other reinforcing members and/or panel hinges, for example. There has further been a need to provide a sectional door panel which includes a proper layer of insulation covering all of the panel void spaces, essentially, together with a skin member covering the insulation layer to minimize damage and deterioration of same.
Still further, there has been a need to provide sectional door panels with pinch resistant edge profiles with an anti-scuffing or anti-scraping coating at critical positions which otherwise would tend to scratch or disfigure the cooperating edge of an adjacent panel.
It is to provide the desiderata mentioned above and overcome deficiencies in prior art sectional door panels of the general type described herein that the present invention has been developed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved sectional door panel and a method of assembly, particularly a sectional door panel which is thermally insulated.
In accordance with one important aspect of the present invention, a sectional door panel is provided which is characterized by a rolled or extruded metal or plastic outer skin part which forms an outer wall of the panel and top and bottom edges, is reinforced by opposed end stiles and forms a relatively shallow pan like cavity which may be substantially filled with multiple insulation parts which are insertable in spaces defined by the top and bottom panel edges and by space therebetween. The insulation parts may be protected by a reinforcing inner skin or backer part which may be secured to the panel by an adhesive and/or mechanical fasteners.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention a sectional door panel is provided with preinstalled reinforcing brackets for reinforcing the attachment points of panel reinforcing members and/or hinge members for interconnecting the panel with adjacent panels.
The present invention still further provides an improved sectional door panel and method assembly which is advantageous for the production of large quantities of door panels of various selected lengths and widths.
Those skilled in the art will further appreciate the advantages and superior features of the invention upon reading the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the drawings.
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Compton J. Wendall
Friloux Henri M.
Grisham James L.
Krupke LeRoy G.
Whitley L. Blake
Gardere Wynne & Sewell LLP
Johnson Blair M.
Overhead Door Corporation
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