A preinstalled overhead door and a method for converting the preinstalled door into an overhead door that is ready to use

Abstract

A preinstalled overhead (1) door comprising hinged door panels (2, 3, 4, 5) and a door profile (6, 7) on each lateral side of the overhead door (1), said profile (6, 7) being formed as a U-shaped rail (8) provided with a pretensioned spring packet (9) which is assembled with and attached to the profile (6, 7), said profile (6, 7) being further equipped with at least one steel rope (10, 11) connected at a first end to the pretensioned spring packet (9) and at a second end to one of the door panels of the overhead door (1), wherein said at least one steel rope (10, 11) extends within and along the U-shaped rail (8), wherein said at least one steel rope (10, 11) is releasably fixed to the profile (6, 7) with a removable clamp (12) at a second position which is between the first end and the second end of the at least one steel rope (10, 11), which clamp (12) is secured in position with a removable brace (13) which extends around the profile (6, 7) along an outer side (8') of the U-shaped rail (8) which is facing away from the door panels (2, 3, 4, 5) and is opposite to where the at least one steel rope (10, 11) runs.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a preinstalled overhead door comprising hinged door panels and a door profile on each lateral side of the overhead door, said profile being formed as a U- shaped rail provided with a pretensioned spring packet which is assembled with and attached to the profile, said profile being further equipped with at least one steel rope connected at a first end to the pretensioned spring packet and at a second end to the door panels, wherein said at least one steel rope extends within and along the U-shaped rail.

[0002] EP 3 243 988 A discloses a method of installing an overhead door comprising profiles on either side of the door, each of the profiles being provided with a pre-tensioned spring packet, said overhead door further comprising movable door panels which are pivotally attached to each other between said profiles, wherein the door panels rest on a rope frame engaging with the spring packets on either side of a removable locking element. For the purpose of installing the known overhead door the spring packets which are subjected to a tensile stress and the interconnected door panels are coupled by removing said locking elements, at the time when the forces exerted by the spring packets and the interconnected door panels at the location of the locking element substantially balance each other out. In particular the idea of EP 3 243 988 A is that at the location of the locking element, the weight of the fitted door panels in combination with, if necessary, for example the force exerted by the foot of the installer, provides a balance with respect to the force exerted by the spring packet such that the locked state can be readily cancelled, and that the wing bolt of the locking element can be safely removed. By virtue thereof, when the installer no longer presses down the door, said door will have the tendency, due to the pre-tensioning to move automatically upwards over an important first part of its track. The spring packet will then gradually become unstressed if first the third panel and subsequently the second panel move towards and inwards in the horizontal part of the wheel track.

[0003] It is an object of the invention to simplify the installation of the preinstalled overhead door, and to reduce the number of actions that are required to convert the preinstalled overhead door into an overhead door that is ready to use.

[0004] According to the invention a preinstalled overhead door is proposed as well as a method for converting this preinstalled overhead door into an installed overhead door, as specified in the appended claims.

[0005] Accordingly the preinstalled overhead door of the invention is characterized in that said at least one steel rope is releasably fixed to the profile with a removable clamp at a second position which is between the first end and the second end of the at least one steel rope, which clamp is secured in position with a removable brace which extends around the profile along an outer side of the U-shaped rail which is facing away from the door panels and is opposite to where the at least one steel rope runs.

[0006] This arrangement improves the accessibility of the removable brace, making its removal easy. Furthermore a notable advantage is that the relatively complicated installation procedure as disclosed by EP 3 243 988 A is avoided, since the conversion of the preinstalled overhead door into a ready to use overhead door can take place simply by releasing the clamp and removing the brace.

[0007] Suitably the removable brace is provided with a forward pointing part for arresting the removable clamp in position.

[0008] Preferably the removable clamp is screwed onto the profile for immovably fixing the at least one steel rope with reference to the profile. Unscrewing the clamp and removing the arresting brace suffices then to convert the preinstalled overhead door into a ready to use overhead door.

[0009] In order to make arresting the removable clamp by the removable brace effective and reliable it is preferred that the removable clamp is provided with a flat portion engaging the at least one steel rope, and is provided with an upper bent portion and a lower bent portion, each being provided at right angles with reference to the flat portion, wherein the forward pointing part of the removable brace can be received between the upper bent portion and the lower bent portion.

[0010] The reliability of the construction can be provided by arranging that the removable brace is fixed in position with reference to the profile by having extensions that are fitted in preestablished apertures in the rail of the profile.

[0011] The accompanying drawing, which is incorporated into and forms a part of the specification, illustrates one or more embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serves to explain the principles of the invention. The drawing is only for the purpose of illustrating one or more embodiments of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention.

[0012] In the drawing: figure 1 shows the preinstalled overhead door according to the invention is an isometric view; and figures 2 and 3 show details A and B of figure 1.

[0013] Whenever in the figures the same reference numerals are applied, these numerals refer to the same parts.

[0014] With reference to figure 1 a preinstalled overhead door 1 is shown, comprising hinged door panels 2, 3, 4, 5 and a door profile 6, 7 on each lateral side of the overhead door 1.

[0015] Each profile 6, 7 is formed as a U-shaped rail 8 as is best shown in fig. 3.

[0016] Each profile 6, 7 is provided with a pretensioned spring packet 9 which is assembled with and attached to the profile 6, 7. Each profile 6, 7 is further equipped with two steel ropes 10, 11 as shown in fig. 3. Theoretically at least one steel rope could suffice, but in practice for safety reasons on both sides of the overhead door 1 two steel ropes are applied. In a known way the steel ropes 10, 11 are connected at a first end to the pretensioned spring packet 9 and at a second end to (one of the door panels of) the overhead door 1.

[0017] As shown in fig. 3 the steel ropes 10, 11 extend within and along the U-shaped rail 8. Figure 3 best shows that the steel ropes 10, 11 are releasably fixed to the profile 7 with a removable clamp 12 which is provided at a second position which is between the first end and the second end of the steel ropes 10, 11. The clamp 12 is secured in position with a removable brace 13 which extends around the profile 7 along an outer side 8' of the U-shaped rail 8 which is facing away from the door panels 2, 3, 4, 5 and is opposite to where the steel ropes 10, 11 run.

[0018] Figure 3 further shows that the removable brace 13 is provided with a forward pointing part 13' for arresting the removable clamp 12 in position.

[0019] With a screw 14 the removable clamp 13 is screwed onto the profile 7 for immovably fixing the steel ropes 10, 11 with reference to the profile 7.

[0020] As depicted in figure 3 the removable clamp 12 is provided with a flat portion 12-1 engaging the steel ropes 10, 11, and is provided with an upper bent portion 12-2 and a lower bent portion 12-3, each being provided at right angles with reference to the flat portion 12-1, wherein the forward pointing part 13' of the removable brace 13 is received between the upper bent portion 12-2 and the lower bent portion 12-3.

[0021] As best shown in figure 2 the removable brace 13 is fixed in position with reference to the profile 6 by having extensions that are fitted in preestablished apertures 15 in the rail 8 of the profile 6.

[0022] Converting the preinstalled overhead door 1 into an installed overhead door which is ready for use, merely requires removing the screw 14 from the removable clamp 13 to release it from the profile 6, 7 followed by removal of the removable brace 13 to release the steel ropes 10, 11 and have the spring packets 9 at both profiles 6, 7 apply tension to the overhead door 1.

[0023] Although the invention has been discussed in the foregoing with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the invention is not restricted to this particular embodiment which can be varied in many ways without departing from the invention. The discussed exemplary embodiment shall therefore not be used to construe the appended claims strictly in accordance therewith. On the contrary the embodiment is merely intended to explain the wording of the appended claims without intent to limit the claim to this exemplary embodiment. The scope of protection of the invention shall therefore be construed in accordance with the appended claims only, wherein a possible ambiguity in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using this exemplary embodiment.

[0024] Variations and modifications of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and equivalents. The entire disclosures of all references, applications, patents, and publications cited above are hereby incorporated by reference. Unless specifically stated as being "essential" above, none of the various components or the interrelationship thereof are essential to the operation of the invention. Rather, desirable results can be achieved by substituting various components and / or reconfiguration of their relationships with one another.

Claims

1. A preinstalled overhead (1) door comprising hinged door panels (2, 3, 4, 5) and a door profile (6, 7) on each lateral side of the overhead door (1), said profile (6, 7) being formed as a U-shaped rail (8) provided with a pretensioned spring packet (9) which is assembled with and attached to the profile (6, 7), said profile (6, 7) being further equipped with at least one steel rope (10, 11) connected at a first end to the pretensioned spring packet (9) and at a second end to one of the door panels of the overhead door (1), wherein said at least one steel rope (10, 11) extends within and along the U-shaped rail (8), characterized in that said at least one steel rope (10, 11) is releasably fixed to the profile (6, 7) with a removable clamp (12) at a second position which is between the first end and the second end of the at least one steel rope (10, 11), which clamp (12) is secured in position with a removable brace (13) which extends around the profile (6, 7) along an outer side (8') of the U-shaped rail (8) which is facing away from the door panels (2, 3, 4, 5) and is opposite to where the at least one steel rope (10, 11) runs.

2. The preinstalled overhead door (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said removable brace (13) is provided with a forward pointing part (13') for arresting the removable clamp (12) in position.

3. The preinstalled overhead door (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the removable clamp (12) is screwed onto the profile (6, 7) for immovably fixing the at least one steel rope (10, 11) with reference to the profile (6, 7).

4. The preinstalled overhead door (1) according to any one of claims 1 - 3, characterized in that the removable clamp (12) is provided with a flat portion (12-1) engaging the at least one steel rope (10, 11), and is provided with an upper bent portion (12-2) and a lower bent portion (12-3), each being provided at right angles with reference to the flat portion (12-1), wherein the forward pointing part (13') of the removable brace (13) is received between the upper bent portion (12-2) and the lower bent portion (12-3).

5. The preinstalled overhead door (1) according to any one of claims 1 - 4, characterized in that the removable brace (13) is fixed in position with reference to the profile (6, 7) by having extensions that are fitted in preestablished apertures (15) in the rail (8) of the profile (6, 7).

6. Method for converting the preinstalled overhead door (1) according to any one of claims 1 - 5 into an installed overhead door which is ready for use, characterized in that the removable clamp (12) is unscrewed from the profile (6, 7) followed by removal of the removable brace (13).

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