Sectional overhead door manufacturing system and method with a printed image on it

Abstract

A manufacturing process for sectional overhead doors involves utilizing a printing technique on the metal surface of the panels. This process includes printing a digital image directly to a whole door without separating the primary digital image. Additionally, preparation processes on the panels for even improved printing quality and a final coating can be included in the whole process.

Description

FIELD

[0001] The invention presented relates to doors and to a system and method of manufacturing a sectional overhead door with a printed image on it.BACKGROUND

[0002] Garage doors, as commonly understood, are structures designed to create a movable barrier at the entrance of a garage or similar building. Traditional sectional doors consist of horizontally folding sections arranged vertically, connected by hinges, and guided along a track for support.

[0003] The traditional production process for garage doors requires significant manpower and equipment usage. Due to the weight, complexity, and size of the door panels, assembly is slow and laborious. This inefficiency leads to challenges in meeting customer demands and results in high manufacturing costs. Moreover, the labor-intensive nature of conventional door manufacturing contributes to increased errors and inconsistent product quality.

[0004] A similar technique with the one described in the invention was presented by BIOROL in 2008 at the international fair INFACOMA 2008. The appearance of that door was a result of dividing a digital image to horizontal sections and then printing separately with ink these sections on each panel of the door in a way that the assembled door was presenting again the primary digital image. (FIG. 1, FIG. 2)BRIEF SUMMARY

[0005] The present invention introduces a system and method for manufacturing sectional overhead doors, leveraging advanced printing techniques. Rather than dividing a digital image into sections and printing each section separately onto metal door segments, the method involves printing the entire door at once. This approach significantly streamlines the manufacturing process, enhancing efficiency and reducing labor requirements. Additionally, the method includes steps such as applying ultraviolet light to the ink after printing and applying a final transparent coating to the door segments to ensure durability and quality. The resulting garage door features printed designs, ranging from digital drawings to photographs, or a combination thereof, enhancing aesthetic appeal. Moreover, the invention facilitates the integration of automations for the accurate control of the printing and the other processes. The system can produce sectional doors with images that cover all the surface of the product. Overall, this innovative method revolutionizes sectional overhead door manufacturing, offering a more efficient, cost-effective, and customizable solution.DESCRIPTION

[0006] Referring to FIG.1, we can see a sectional door printed with the conventional way. The appearance of that door was a result of dividing a digital image to horizontal sections and then printing separately with ink these sections on each panel of the door in a way that the assembled door was presenting again the primary digital image. FIG. 2 shows this door mentioned moving to give a better understanding of the movement of the sectional door.

[0007] From FIG.3 to FIG.10 the invented printing method is described. On FIG. 3 the printer is shown in action after the panels are inserted with the way presented in FIG. 4.

[0008] Before the panels are fed to the printer, spacers are placed between the panels and then altogether are rapped with tape at the edges in order to keep their arrangement stable during the printing process. The spacers help to improve the final result, as in the assembled door these gaps between the panels do not exist and the painted part of the upper panel overlaps the painted part of the lower panel by some millimeters. If this is not done, unpainted part of the panel may be visible in the connection of the 2 panels. Even though this small section of the image is covered from the upper panel, this is not noticeable and the aesthetic result is not affected.

[0009] In case the unpainted part is still visible between the panels, spray painting or other method can be applied with free hand from a skilled person to give a good imitation of the image that should be painted in this point.

[0010] The printer used is an inkjet printer that also applies an ultraviolet light to the ink during the process. For the printing process, the digital image is inserted to the printer software with the desktop computer shown in FIG. 5.

[0011] The panels fed to the printer are electrostatic powder coated. Before getting in the printer the panels are brushed and sanded as shown in FIG.6, FIG.7 and FIG.8 to ensure the final printing quality. Additionally, after this process the panels surface is cleaned with pressured air and other cleaning products.

[0012] After the printing process, a protective transparent coating is applied as shown in FIG. 9. Finally, the panel is inserted in an oven where remains for a specific amount of time to dry the coating as illustrated in FIG.10. These 2 final stages increase the durability of the printing surface adding an additional resistance to scratches.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 shows a sectional door in closed position. (INFACOMA 2008, conventional method with digital image division) FIG. 2 shows a sectional door moving. (INFACOMA 2008, conventional method with digital image division) FIG. 3 shows the printing technique presented in the invention where the digital image is printed directly to the whole door without separation of the image in sections like in the past. FIG. 4 shows how the panels are fed to the printer. FIG. 5 shows a general set-up of the printing line including the control system of the printer (desktop computer). FIG. 6,7,8 show the preparation made on the surface of the panel before printing which includes brushing and sanding. FIG. 9,10 show the final stage of applying the protective coating and inserting the panel into an oven to stabilize the coating.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a door, comprising: printing a digital image directly to a whole door without separating the primary digital image.

2. The method of manufacturing a door according to claim 1, printing with inkjet printer that can apply at the same time ultraviolet light to the ink.

3. The method of manufacturing a door according to claim 1, including the method of creating gaps between the panels during the process in order to improve the appearance of the assembled door preventing unpainted parts of the panel to be visible.

4. The method of manufacturing a door according to claim 1, wherein the metal comprises steel.

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