Roll up door

Details Roll up door Roll up door

2000-11-10

2002-09-03

Johnson, Blair M. (Department: 3634)

Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel

Plural strip, slat, or panel type

Movably interconnected

C160S231200

Reexamination Certificate

active

06443209

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates to roll up doors for use with cargo storage spaces such as on truck bodies.
Roll up doors are commonly used on trucks or trailers, but also are used in garages and the like. In
FIG. 1
, truck
10
has a body
12
and a conventional roll up door
14
. The body typically forms a cargo storage compartment and may be on trailer. The roll up door may be used with other than truck storage bodies, such as cargo containers or buildings, for example. The roll up door
14
,
FIG. 2
, comprises a plurality of rectangular panels
16
which may be wood, metal or other materials or combinations thereof As shown if
FIG. 5
, the panels
16
may have mating adjacent tongue and grooves
18
in region
4
.
The panels
16
are interconnected by hinges
20
. The hinges
20
are attached to the panels
20
with fasteners (not shown). These fasteners may protrude through the panel to the opposite side and may be unsightly. The door
14
has a lower sill
22
to which a handle and latch
24
are attached for latching the door to a mating latch
26
on the body
12
, FIG.
1
.
A conventional spring mechanism
28
preloads the door
14
to permit it to be manually raised and lowered. A pair of opposite mirror image tracks
30
receive rollers
32
and
34
attached to the panels
16
at opposite panel ends. In
FIG. 3
, a bracket bearing assembly
36
is bolted by bolts
38
which pass through the panels
16
. These bolts are visible externally and are also unsightly. Bearing
40
receives axle
42
attached to roller
32
. The roller
32
rides within track channel
44
of track
30
. A similar bearing assembly is attached to the lowermost panel of panels
16
and at the opposite ends of the uppermost and lowermost panels
16
. The axles rotate in the mating bearing journals.
Combined hinge and bearing assembly
46
,
FIG. 4
, is attached between and to each pair of adjacent panels
16
. In
FIG. 4
, the assembly
46
comprises a bracket and hinge
48
which is bolted to and between adjacent panels
16
at each end of the panels. A bearing bracket
50
is attached to the hinge
48
. The hinge
48
and bracket
50
form a bearing journal for axle
52
attached to roller
34
. A hinge
48
, bracket
50
, mating axle
52
and roller
34
are secured to each pair of adjacent panels
16
at opposite ends of the panels. The axles
42
and
52
axially slide in the mating bearings and are captured with the attached rollers by the tracks
30
and panels.
The door
14
rolls up and down the tracks
30
via the rollers captured to the tracks. The bolts securing the bearing assemblies
36
and
46
pass through the panels
16
, are unsightly and also make it difficult to attach decals, silk screening decorations and indicia and the like on the door external surface. Such doors also use numerous components such as brackets, screws and bolts which add cost to the door.
The present invention is a recognition of this problem and provides a solution thereto, as well as provides a less costly door with less parts than the prior art door described above.
A roll up door for a space having a door opening and for use with spaced roller tracks adjacent to the opening according to the present invention comprises a one piece flexible sheet member dimensioned to enclose the opening and a plurality of stiffening panels secured to the flexible sheet member in a spaced array and arranged to receive rollers for engagement with the tracks whereby the flexible sheet member forms a living hinge in the space between adjacent pairs of the stiffening panels.
In one aspect, the stiffening panels have opposing first and second ends, a plurality of bores in each end, a like plurality of axles each with a wheel secured thereto for rolling in the track, an axle being receive in each bore.
In a further aspect, the stiffening panels are secured to the flexible sheet member by bonding with an adherent material.
In a further aspect, the stiffening panels and the flexible sheet member comprise plastic material.
Preferably the stiffening panels comprise a composite plastic material and have a thickness in the range of about 0.75 to about 1.0 inches. More preferably, the flexible sheet member comprises a composite plastic material having a thickness in the range of about 0.03 to inches to about 0.10 inches.
In a further aspect, the flexible sheet member comprises a sheet material with opposing planar faces. In a still further aspect, the stiffening panels each comprise a flat sheet material portion and first and second edge portions, the edge portions being semi-cylindrical in transverse shape.
Preferably the stiffening panels have a given thickness, the edge portions being defined by a diametrical dimension, the diametrical dimension being greater than the given thickness.
In a further aspect, the spacing of adjacent pairs of stiffening panels is sufficient for the flexible sheet member to bend in a direction which displaces the stiffening panels of an adjacent pair toward each other.
In a still further aspect, a roll up door according to the present invention comprises a one piece flexible sheet member for forming a doorway enclosure; a plurality of stiffening panels with opposing ends; and means for securing the panels to the sheet member in parallel spaced relation to each other and arranged to receive axles of rollers at opposing panel ends whereby the sheet member forms a living hinge in the region between adjacent panels.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2610681 (1952-09-01), Schaap
patent: 3870391 (1975-03-01), Nims
patent: 5564164 (1996-10-01), Jella
patent: 5738161 (1998-04-01), Martin
patent: 5915445 (1999-06-01), Rauenbusch
Kemlite Company, Inc., Kemlite Material Safety Data Sheet, Feb., 1999.
3M, Material Safety Data Sheet, Feb. 1, 2000.
3M Scotch-Seal Polyurethane Adhesive Sealant, Introductory Technical Data, Feb., 1999.

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