Overhead door with polygonal barrel

Abstract

In example implementations, an apparatus for a rolling door is provided. The apparatus includes a polygonal barrel. The polygonal barrel includes a plurality of sides, wherein at least one side of the plurality of sides is not symmetrical with remaining sides of the plurality of sides that are symmetrical, a connection point to receive a first slat of a plurality of slats of the rolling door located between the at least one side and one of the remaining sides, and a nesting gap formed between the remaining sides to receive hinges connecting the plurality of slats.

Description

OVERHEAD DOOR WITH POLYGONAL BARRELBACKGROUND

[0001] Overhead doors can be used for a variety of applications. For example, overhead doors can be used as garage doors in residential locations or doors for bays and entrances to warehouses in commercial locations.

[0002] Some overhead doors can include a curtain that can be wrapped around a barrel or shaft. The curtain can include a plurality of slats that can be opaque or visibly clear. When the curtain is closed, the curtain can block an entrance or opening. The curtain can be opened to allow egress through the entrance of the opening. The curtain can be controlled to be opened or closed through a system that includes a motor / operator that can rotate the barrel or shaft connected to the curtain.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] FIG. 1 illustrates a first isometric view of an example overhead door system of the present disclosure;

[0004] FIG. 2 illustrates a second isometric view of an example of the overhead door system of the present disclosure;

[0005] FIG. 3 illustrates an example barrel of the present disclosure and an example exploded view of a polygonal attachment ring of the present disclosure;

[0006] FIG. 4 illustrates a close-up view of the example exploded view of the polygonal attachment ring of the present disclosure;

[0007] FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of an example of a curtain of the overhead door system wrapped around the example barrel with polygonal attachment rings of the present disclosure;

[0008] FIG. 6 illustrates an isometric view of the example of the curtain of the overhead door system wrapped around the example barrel with polygonal attachment rings of the present disclosure;

[0009] FIG. 7 illustrates a close-up view of a portion of the curtain of the overhead door system wrapped around the example barrel with polygonal attachment rings of the present disclosure;

[0010] FIG. 8 illustrates an isometric view of an exterior side of an example slat of the curtain of the overhead door system of the present disclosure;

[0011] FIG. 9 illustrates an isometric view of an interior side of the example slat of the curtain of the overhead door system of the present disclosure;

[0012] FIG. 10 illustrates a close-up view of an example bottom hinge of the present disclosure;

[0013] FIG. 11 illustrates a close-up view of an example top hinge with wheel of the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG. 12 illustrates a close-up view of an example bottom hinge and top hinge connecting adjacent slats of the curtain of the overhead door system of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG. 13 illustrates a side view of the curtain of the overhead door system of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 14 illustrates a bottom-view of an example overhead door system of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG. 15 illustrates a close-up bottom-view of a track of the overhead door system of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 16 illustrates a view of a bell mouth portion of the track of the present disclosure; and

[0019] FIG. 17 illustrates a view of the bell mouth portion of the track interacting with the curtain of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Examples described herein provide examples of an overhead door system with a polygonal barrel. As discussed above, overhead doors can be used for a variety of applications. For example, overhead doors can be used as garage doors in residential locations or doors for bays and entrances to warehouses in commercial locations.

[0021] Some overhead doors can include a curtain that can be wrapped around a barrel or shaft. The curtain can include a plurality of slats that can be opaque or visibly clear. When the curtain is closed, the curtain can block an entrance or opening. The curtain can be opened to allow egress through the entrance of the opening. The curtain can be controlled to be opened or closed through a system that includes a motor / operator that can rotate the barrel or shaft connected to the curtain.

[0022] The curtain can be wrapped around a barrel and stored in a header. A smaller sized header is more desirable. Current overhead doors may have curtains that wrap around a barrel that generally have a header that occupies a large amount of space. For example, attempting to wrap a curtain with rectangular slats around a cylindrical barrel can be bulky. In addition, the wrap of the curtain around the cylindrical barrel can be even bulkier if the rectangular slats are not properly aligned.

[0023] One solution may be to make the slats as small as possible or have a curtain with a large number of slats. This may help to make the wrap more “circular;” however, this may lead to high complexity and costs in manufacturing. In addition, slats that are too small may not be as aesthetically desirable. Small slats may also lack strength to resist prying or breaking.

[0024] The present disclosure provides an overhead door with a polygonal barrel. The polygonal barrel provides a relatively tight wrap for the curtain. As a result, the overhead door system of the present disclosure may have a smaller header. In addition, the polygonal barrel of the present disclosure allows varying sized slats to be used for the curtain without the using transition sized orintermediate sized slats. Thus, manufacturing the varying sized slats may be simplified.

[0025] In addition, the slats of the present disclosure may be designed with unique features that allow the slat to form a seal between slats when the overhead door system is closed. In addition, other features of the slat may allow the slat to remain centered in a track of the overhead door system when the curtain is opening and closing.

[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a first isometric view of an interior side of an example overhead door system 100 of the present disclosure. In an example, the overhead door system 100 may include a curtain 102. The curtain 102 may be comprised of a plurality of slats 114i to 114n (hereinafter also referred to individually as a slat 114 or collectively as slats 114). As discussed in further details below, the slats 114 may be grouped into a subset of same sized slats. For example, a group of slats 116 may include slats 114 having a first height 126, a group of slats 118 may include slats 114 having a second height 127, and a group of slats 120 may include slats 114 having a third height 128. Notably, there are no “transition-sized” slats between slats having different heights 126, 127, or 128.

[0027] The varying slat heights 126, 127, and 128 may provide several benefits. In rolling doors, each connection point or hinge may be a source of heat loss. Thus, minimizing the number of hinges (e.g., by increasing the slat height) may reduce heat loss and improve thermal performance. However, having large slat heights may make it difficult for the slats to roll compactly around a barrel and increase the size of the header.

[0028] The present disclosure has unexpectedly discovered that varying slat heights 126, 127, and 128 may provide a compact sized header 104, while also providing a non-linear improvement to thermal performance. For example, having groups of slats 114 with a slat height 126, another group of slats 114 with a slat height 127, and another group of slats 114 with a slat height 128 may provide better performance than a door with a constant slat height with manyconnection points or slats 114 that have a constantly changing slat height (e.g., all slats 114 would have a different height). Furthermore, having different groups of slats 114 with different slat heights 126, 127, and 128 may perform thermally almost as well as a door with a same large slat height, but have a much smaller coil size or smaller sized header 104.

[0029] In one embodiment, it has been found for an opening that is ten feet tall that using three different slat heights 126, 127, and 128 can minimize the size of the header 104, while also providing a substantial increase in U-Factor performance. U-Factor is a rating that measure show well a window or door prevents heat loss. Values for U-Factor can range from 0.20 to 1 .20. A lower U- Factor value means the door is more energy efficient. For example, when compared to a door that has slats that are three inches tall, the U-Factor can be reduced by more than half without much size increase in the header 104.

[0030] In one example, for a door that is ten feet tall, the slat height 126 may be 8.8 inches, the slat height 127 may be 7.4 inches, and the slat height 128 may be 6 inches. With these example slat heights 126, 127, and 128, the U-Factor for the door may decrease from 0.82 down to 0.39 to 0.27. In addition, the size or diameter of the coil in the header 104 may only increase slightly, although other factors may contribute to the diameter of the coil in the header 104 (e.g., barrel size, slat thickness, and the like).

[0031] In one embodiment, the overhead door system 100 may include tracks or guides 110 and 112. The tracks 110 and 112 may be on opposite sides of the curtain 102. The tracks 110 and 112 may run vertically and guide movement of the curtain 102 up to a bell mouth or curved portion (shown in FIG. 16 and 17 and discussed below) and into the header 104 as the curtain 102 is opened and closed.

[0032] The header 104 is shown in FIG. 1 without a cover. However, it should be noted that the header 104 may include a cover to hide the curtain 102 when the curtain is open.

[0033] A barrel 106 may be located inside of the header 104. The barrel 106may be rotationally coupled to a motor 122. The motor 122 may be directly coupled to the barrel 106 (e.g., a direct drive) or may be indirectly coupled to the barrel 106 (e.g., via a chain or coupling for an indirect drive). The motor 122 operate to rotate the barrel in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction to wind the curtain 102 around the barrel 106 in an opening operation and to unwind the curtain 102 from the barrel 106 in a closing operation.

[0034] In one embodiment, the barrel 106 may include may include polygonal attachment rings 108 coupled to the barrel 106 to create a polygonal barrel.Although polygonal attachment rings 108 are illustrated in FIG. 1 , it should be noted that the barrel 106 may be formed to have a cross-sectional shape of a polygon along an entire length of the barrel 106. In other words, the polygonal attachment rings 108 may be integrated with the barrel 106 to form a unitary piece. However, using the polygonal attachment rings 108 may reduce the manufacturing costs of fabricating a polygonal barrel and allow existing barrels 106 to be retrofitted with the polygonal attachment rings 108.

[0035] The polygonal attachment rings 108 may have any polygon shape having five or more sides. For example, the polygonal attachment rings 108 may have a pentagon shape, a hexagon shape, an octagon shape, and so forth.However, it should be noted that there is a balance between having more sides to create a tighter / more circular wrap and having a larger number of different sized slats 114, thereby increasing manufacturing costs. FIG. 1 illustrates an example that uses a hexagon shape for the polygonal attachment rings 108.

[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates a second isometric view of the interior side of the example overhead door system 100. For example, FIG. 2 illustrates a second view opposite the first view illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0037] Although FIGs. 1 and 2 illustrate three polygonal attachment rings 108 attached to the barrel 106, it should be noted that any number of polygonal attachment rings 108 may be deployed. For example, two polygonal attachment rings 108 may be coupled to opposite ends of the barrel 106 or four or more polygonal attachment rings 108 may be distributed evenly along a length of thebarrel 106, and so forth.

[0038] FIG. 3 illustrates an isometric view of the barrel 106 and the polygonal attachment rings 108. In one embodiment, the polygonal attachment rings 108 may be formed by a plurality of differently sized plates. The differently sized plates form a U-channel 302. The U-channel 302 may provide vibration reduction and / or noise dampening when the curtain 102 is wrapped around the polygonal attachment rings 108 during an opening operation.

[0039] The polygonal attachment rings 108 may be concentrically coupled to the barrel 106. Said another way, the barrel 106 may be fitted through center openings of the polygonal attachment rings 108. The polygonal attachment rings 108 may be coupled to the barrel 106 via mechanical fasteners (not shown) or may be welded onto the barrel 106. Thus, the polygonal attachment rings 108 may be secured to the barrel 106 such that the polygonal attachment rings 108 rotate as the barrel 106 is rotated by the motor 122.

[0040] FIG. 4 illustrates a close-up exploded view of a polygonal attachment ring 108. For example, the polygonal attachment ring 108 may include a first plate 402, a second plate 404, and a third plate 406. The first plate 402 and the third plate 406 may have a same width (wi). The second plate 404 may have a width (W2) that is smaller or less than the width (wi) of the first plate 402 and the third plate 406. This may create a depression around a perimeter of the polygonal attachment ring 108 that is shown as the U-channel 302 in FIG. 3.

[0041] In one embodiment, the first plate 402 and the third plate 406 may be fabricated from steel or metal. The second plate 404 may be fabricated from rubber to provide noise dampening. In an embodiment, the second plate 404 may also include an attachment ring 408 that includes an opening 420.

[0042] The attachment ring 408 may be positioned to be concentric to the second plate 404. In other words, the attachment ring 408 may be positioned inside of the second plate 404 such that each side of the attachment ring 408 and the second plate 404 lie on a flat plane. Said another way, the attachment ring 408 does not protrude above a plane of the second plate 404 on either sideof the second plate 404. The opening 420 may have a same diameter as a diameter of the barrel 106. The barrel 106 may be inserted through the opening 420 to secure the fully assembled polygonal attachment ring 108 to the barrel 106.

[0043] In one embodiment, the first plate 402, the attachment ring 408, and the third plate 406 may be coupled together via mechanical fasteners 412. The mechanical fasteners 412 may be screws, a nut and bolt combination, and the like. The second plate 404 may be secured between the first plate 402 and the third plate 406 via the mechanical coupling of the first plate 402, the attachment ring 408, and the third plate 406.

[0044] In one embodiment, bushings 410 may be used with the mechanical fasteners 412 and between the first plate 402 and the attachment ring 408, and between the third plate 406 and the attachment ring 408. The bushings 410 may be rubber or plastic to also help reduce vibrations and / or provide noise dampening as the curtain 102 is wrapped around the polygonal attachment rings 108 during an opening and / or closing operation.

[0045] FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the curtain 102 wrapped around the polygonal attachment ring 108. In one embodiment, the polygonal attachment ring 108 may be designed such that each layer of slats 114 around polygonal attachment ring 108 does not use transitional sized slats and that each slat 114 rests flat or parallel to another slat 114 on an adjacent inner layer.

[0046] To avoid the use of transitional sized or intermediate sized slats, the polygonal attachment ring 108 may be designed as a non-symmetrical polygon. In the present example using a hexagonal shape, the polygonal attachment ring 108 may have six sides 504i to 504e (hereinafter also referred to as a side 504 or collectively as sides 504). At least one of the sides 504i to 504e may be non- symmetrical or non-uniform compared to the remaining sides 504i to 5046. For example, the side 504e may have a length 520 that is longer than a length of the sides 504i to 504s. In other words, the sides 504i, 5042, 5043, 5054, and 504s may each have an identical length. The side 5046 may have a length that isdifferent (e.g., longer) than the length of the sides 504i, 5042, 5043, 5054, and 5045.

[0047] A difference in the length 520 of the side 504e may be a function of a size of the polygonal attachment ring 108 and a desired height of the slats 114. For example, the length 520 of the side 504e may be 5-10% longer than the sides 504i to 504s.

[0048] The non-uniform length of each of the sides 504i to 504e may also cause at least two angles 518 and 522 to be different or non-symmetrical with the remaining angles. For example, for a uniform hexagon the hexagon may be divided into six equal slices having an angle of 60 degrees. Each angle is formed between lines that define each slice from a center of the hexagon to each vertex where the sides 504i to 504e would intersect.

[0049] However, the non-symmetrical polygon shape of the polygonal attachment ring 108 may not have six equal slices having an angle of 60 degrees. Because of the longer length 520 of the side 504e, an angle 518 may be slightly greater than 60 degrees (e.g., approximately 63 degrees). Thus, an angle 522 may be slightly less than 60 degrees (e.g., 57 degrees). An angle 524 may be 60 degrees, as well as the remaining angles measured from a center of the polygonal attachment ring 108 and between the vertices of the remaining sides 504. Thus, the polygonal attachment ring 108 may be non-symmetric with respect to a length 520 of one of the sides 504i to 504e or with respect to angles formed between each of the sides 504i to 504e. The non-symmetric polygonal shape of the polygonal attachment ring 108 allows the slats 114 to be wrapped around the polygonal attachment ring 108 without the use of transitional sized slats.

[0050] In addition, the polygonal attachment ring 108 may include a connection point 506 and hinge gaps 508, 510, 512, 514, and 516. The connection point 506 may be located next to the side 504e with the longest length 520. A top most slat 114nmay be connected to the connection point 506 to connect the curtain 102 to the polygonal attachment ring 108. The connectionmay be made with rotatably fasteners (not shown).

[0051] The hinge gaps 508, 510, 512, 514, and 516 may include cut-outs where a vertex would otherwise be located for the polygonal shape. For example, the hinge gap 508 may be formed where the side 504i and 5042 would otherwise intersect. The hinge 510 may be formed where the side 5042 and 5043 would otherwise intersect, and so forth.

[0052] The hinge gaps 508, 510, 512, 514, and 516 may have a cut-out shape that is similar to the shape of the hinges (discussed below and illustrated in FIGs. 7-13) that connect adjacent slats 114. Thus, the hinges may nest in the hinge gaps 508, 510, 512, 514, and 516. This allows the curtain 102 to form a tight wrap around the polygonal attachment rings 108 on the barrel 106.

[0053] In addition, the hinge gaps 508, 510, 512, 514, and 516 may bear most of the weight / force of the curtain 102. Normally, when a curtain is opened hinges between adjacent slats bear most of the weight / force of the slats. However, with the present design, the hinge gaps 508, 510, 512, 514, and 516 may bear most of the weight / force of the slats 114 when the curtain 102 is being wrapped around the polygonal attachment rings 108 during an opening operation. The hinge gaps 508, 510, 512, 514, and 516 may minimize the coil / lever arm change as the curtain 102 is wrapped around the polygonal attachment rings 108.

[0054] As can be seen in FIG. 5, each layer or ring around the polygonal attachment rings 108 may be formed by a group 116, 118, and 120 of the slats 114. The slats 114i to 1144 may each have identical dimensions as part of the group 116. The slats 114s to 114io may each have identical dimensions as part of the group 118. The slats 114n to 114nmay each have identical dimensions as part of the group 120.

[0055] The slats 114i to 1144 of group 116, the slats 114s to 114i o of group 118, and the slats 114i 1 to 114nof group 120 may each have a different length 520 (or height when shown in FIG. 1 ). For example, the length 520 (or height 126, 127, and 128 when shown in FIG. 1 ) may gradually get smaller. As noted above, the slats 114i to 1144 of group 116 may have a largest height 126, theslats 114s to 114io of group 118 may have a height 127 that is less than the height 126, and the slats 114i 1 to 114n of group 120 may have a smallest height 128 that is less than the height 126 and 127.

[0056] Due to the non-symmetrical design of the polygonal attachment ring 108 noted above, no transition or intermediate sized slats are required between two different sized slats. For example, no transition sized slats are used between two different sized slats 1144 and 114s or between two different sized slats 114io and 114u . Thus, manufacturing of the slats 114 and curtain 120 may be simplified.

[0057] In addition, each layer around the polygonal attachment ring 108 may be comprised of a single group of slats 114. For example, the innermost layer directly adjacent to the polygonal attachment ring 108 may include the smallest slats 114i 1 to 114nof group 120 up to the non-symmetrical side 504e. The second layer on top of the innermost layer may include the second smallest slats 114s to 114io of group 118. The outermost layer may include the largest slats 114i to 1144 of group 116.

[0058] FIG. 6 illustrates an isometric view of the slats 114 wrapped around the polygonal attachment ring 108. In an example, the bottom bar 122 may not wrap around the polygonal attachment ring 108 or feed completely into the header 104 of the overhead door system 100.

[0059] FIG. 7 illustrates a close-up view of a portion of the curtain 102 wrapped around the example barrel 106 with the polygonal attachment rings 108 of the present disclosure. As can be seen in FIG. 7, each successive layer from the polygonal attachment ring 108 outward includes a slightly larger slat 114. For example, the slat 114nis a smallest height 128 on the innermost layer (e.g., directly adjacent to or contacting a side 504 of the polygonal attachment ring of the of the polygonal attachment ring 108) around the polygonal attachment ring 108. The slat 114g lies flat or parallel to the slat 114nin a layer adjacent to the layer of the slat 114nand has a height 127 that is larger than the height 128 of the slat 114n. The slat 1143 lies flat or parallel to the slat 114g in a layer adjacentto the layer of the slat 114g and has a height 126 that is larger than the height 127 of the slat 1149.

[0060] This gradual change in the slat length 520 or height 126, 127, and 128 allows rollers 132 with a larger diameter to be used for each slat 114. Larger diameter rollers 132 provide more stability as the curtain 102 is opened and closed within the track 110 and 112. The larger diameter rollers 132 may also operate at lower rotations per minute (RPMs) than smaller diameter rollers, which may allow the use of a cheaper bearing that can further reduce manufacturing costs. In an embodiment, the rollers 132 may have a diameter of approximately 3 inches.

[0061] In addition, by aligning the slats 114 such that each slat 114 lies flat on one another, the larger rollers 132 can be offset (e.g., offset relative to a vertical line) due to the gradually increasing slat size. In other words, the rollers 132 of a slat 114 are located slightly off center of the rollers 132 located on slats 114 of an adjacent layer. As a result, the slats 114 may be wrapped around the polygonal attachment ring 108 in a smaller diameter (e.g., a tighter wrap). Thus, the required size of the header 104 may be decreased.

[0062] FIG. 7 also illustrates hinges 130 that connect adjacent slats 114. As noted above, the polygonal attachment ring 108 may include hinge gaps 508, 510, 512, 514, and 516. The hinge gap 508 is shown with the connection point 506. The connection point 506 may also be considered a hinge gap, but may provide a connection point to connect the top most slat 114nto the polygonal attachment ring 108, as noted above.

[0063] The size of each slat 114 and the number of slats 114 of a particular size in each group 116, 118, and 120 may be designed and / or selected such that the slats 114 and the hinges 130 are predictably located around the polygonal attachment ring 108. In addition to the way the slats 114 are arranged around the polygonal attachment ring 108, the hinges 130 may also predictably lie within one of the hinge gaps 508, 510, 512, 514, and 516. For example, the hinge 130 that connects the slats 114i4 and 114nmay be aligned with and rest within thehinge gap 508. The hinge 130 that connects the slats 114s and 114g in an adjacent layer may be aligned with the hinge gap 508 and rest within an opening formed by the previous layers hinge 130. The hinge 130 that connects the slats 1142 and 114s in an adjacent layer may be aligned with the hinge gap 508 and rest within an opening formed by the previous layers hinge 130.

[0064] As a result, the hinges 130 that connect 114i4 and 114n, 114s and 114g, and 1142 and 1143 may all be aligned such that a line 702 can be drawn from a center of the hinge gap 508 through the center of the hinges 130.Similarly, a line 704 may be drawing from a center of the connection point 506 (also serving as a hinge gap) through the center of the hinges 130 that connect slats 114g and 114io and slats 1143 and 1144. Thus, the slats 114 may be wrapped around the polygonal attachment ring 108 such that each of the hinges 130 are aligned with one of the hinge gaps 508, 510, 512, 514, and 516.

[0065] Although a particular number of slats 114 are illustrated in each group 116, 118, and 120, it should be noted that the number of slats 114 in each group 116, 118, and 120 may vary based on a size of the curtain 102 and a size of the polygonal attachment rings 108. In addition, although three groups 116, 118, and 120 of slats 114 are illustrated in FIGs. 1-7, it should be noted that the curtain 102 may have any number of groups of slats 114. In other words, if there are four different sized slats, then the slats 114 may be divided into four groups of slats 114 that would create four layers around the polygonal attachment rings 108.

[0066] FIG. 8 illustrates an isometric view of an exterior side 802 of an example slat 114 of the curtain 102 of the overhead door system 100 of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 illustrates an isometric view of an interior side 804 of an example slat 114 of the curtain 102 of the overhead door system 100 of the present disclosure.

[0067] In one embodiment, each slat 114 may include a body 912 that may be solid metal or may be an optically clear material (e.g., clear plastic, glass, end the like). The body 912 may be enclosed by a top rail 908, a bottom rail 910, endstiles 904 and 906, and a center stile 902. The top rail 908 and the bottom rail 910 may be single aluminum rails that may have a U-channel (not shown) to provide additional noise dampening. The top rail 907 and the bottom rail may be extruded aluminum rails. The top rail 908 and the bottom rail 910 may act as tension bearing members from an end cap attachment (not shown). The end stiles 904 and 906 and the center stile 902 may be fabricated from plastic.

[0068] In one embodiment, each slat 114 may include one or more bumpers 160 on an interior side 804 of the end stiles 904 and 906, as shown in FIG. 9. The bumpers 160 may be fabricated from rubber or a soft plastic. The bumpers 160 may contact a slat 114 in an adjacent layer. The bumpers 160 may provide noise dampening and also ensure that a slat 114 does not scratch any portion of the slat 114 (e.g., glass, body, stiles, rails, etc.) of a slat 114 in an adjacent layer. For example, referring to FIG. 5, the bumpers 160 on the slat 1143 may contact the adjacent slat 114g and prevent the slat 1143 from scratching the body 912 of the slat 114g that may be glass or optically clear plastic while the curtain 102 is opening.

[0069] FIGs. 8 and 9 illustrate how each slat 114 may include a top center hinge 150 and a bottom center hinge 152. The top center hinge 150 and the bottom center hinge 152 may be located on interior side 804 of the center stile 902 and along a centerline of the slat 114. The top center hinge 150 may include two members that extend away from the center stile 902 and beyond a top of the top rail 908. The bottom center hinge 150 may include a single member that extends away from the center stile 902 and a beyond a bottom of the bottom rail 910.

[0070] The single member of the bottom center hinge 152 may be inserted between the two members of a top center hinge 150 of an adjacent slat 114 to form a center hinge. Similarly, the two members of the top center hinge 150 may be coupled to a single member of a bottom center hinge 152 of an adjacent slat 114 to form another center hinge.

[0071] The offset design (e.g., located off center between an exterior side 802and an interior side 804 of the slat 114 or to the interior side 804 of the slat 114) of the top center hinge 150 and the bottom center hinge 152 act as a chain link that can create a clamping force when the curtain 102 is closed. The clamping force may create a seal between adjacent slats 114 when the curtain 102 is closed.

[0072] In addition, each slat 114 may include a top hinge 140 and a bottom hinge 142 located on each end stile 904 and 906. The top hinge 140 may include the roller 132. The top hinge 140 may be coupled to a bottom hinge 142 of an adjacent slat 114 to create the hinge 130 illustrated in FIG. 12 and discussed below. Similarly, the bottom hinge 142 may be coupled to a top hinge 140 of another adjacent slat 114 to create another hinge 130.

[0073] FIG. 10 illustrates a close-up view of the top hinge 140. The top hinge 140 may be coupled to the end stile 904 via mechanical fasteners 1002 and 1004 (e.g., screws, bolts, etc.). The top hinge 140 may include a member 1006 that extends away from the interior side 804 and above the top rail 908. The member 1006 may be aligned with the two members of the top center hinge 150. The member 1006 may include an opening 1008. The roller 132 may be coupled to the top hinge 140. The roller 132 may be fabricated from rubber to provide additional noise dampening.

[0074] FIG. 11 illustrates a close-up view of the bottom hinge 142. The bottom hinge 142 may be coupled to the end stile 904 via mechanical fasteners 1102,1104, and 1106 (e.g., screws, bolts, etc.). The bottom hinge 142 may include a member 1110 that extends away from the interior side 804 and below the bottom rail 910. The member 1110 may be aligned with the single member of the bottom center hinge 152. The member 1110 may include an opening 1108 that can be aligned with the opening 1008 of the top hinge 140 of an adjacent slat 114 to connect the bottom hinge 142 to the top hinge 140 of the adjacent slat 114.

[0075] FIG. 12 illustrates a close-up view of how the top hinge 140 of a slat 114i is connected to a bottom hinge 142 of a slat 1142 to form the hinge 130.FIG. 12 illustrates the opening 1108 aligned with the opening 1008 (hidden behind the opening 1108 in FIG. 12) and coupled together (e.g., via a screw, a rivet, a rotatable coupling, etc.). When the curtain 102 is closed, the member 1110 and the member 1006 (hidden behind the member 1110 in FIG. 12) may extend beyond the interior side 804 of the slats 114i and 1142. As noted above, the design of the center hinge and the hinge 130 create a clamping force between the slats 114i and 1142 to create a seal. When the curtain 102 is opened, the hinge 130 may rotate to separate the slats 114i and 1142 to create an opening where hinges 130 between slats 114 of an adjacent layer may be located or positioned, as illustrated in FIGs. 5 and 7, and discussed above.

[0076] FIG. 13 illustrates a side view of the curtain 102 of the overhead door of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the other side of the curtain 102 may be identical to the view shown in FIG. 13.

[0077] FIG. 13 illustrates the plurality of slats 114i to 114n coupled together via hinges 130. FIG. 13 illustrates how the bottom bar 122 may include two rollers 132 on each end. Each slat 114i to 114nmay include a single roller 132. However, as the size (e.g. , the height 126, 127, and 128) of the slats 114i to 114nchanges, the distance between the rollers 132 may also change. For example, the largest slats 114i to 1144 may have a first distance 1302 between rollers 132. The next sized group of slats 114s to 114io may have a second distance 1304 between rollers 132. The next sized group of slats 114n to 114nmay have a third distance 1306 between rollers 132.

[0078] In an example, the first distance 1302 may be the largest distance and the third distance 1306 may be the smallest distance. In an example, the first distance 1302 may be greater than the second distance 1304 and the third distance 1306. The second distance 1304 may be greater than the third distance 1306.

[0079] Having the distance between the rollers 132 smaller towards the inner wraps of the polygonal attachment rings 108 may help bridge the rake angle area. This may help to reduce the allowed angle the slats 114 enter the tracks inthe header allowing for a faster opening and closing operation. The larger slats 114 (e.g., the slats 114i to 1144) may have a greater distance 1302 between rollers 132 as the larger slats 114 are at a lesser of an angle when entering the tracks in the header.

[0080] FIG. 14 illustrates a bottom-view of the overhead door system 100 of the present disclosure. The bottom-view helps to illustrate the U-channel 302 formed in the polygonal attachment rings 108, as described above. The bottomview also shows the tracks 110 and 112.

[0081] FIG. 15 illustrates a close-up bottom-view of the track 110 of the overhead door system 100. It should be noted that the track 112 opposite the track 110 may also have a similar design and features.

[0082] FIG. 15 illustrates how ends 1502 and 1504 of the track 110 may be roll formed. As a result, the entrance of the track 110 may secure the roller 132 within the track 110. The roll form of the track 110 (and similarly in track 112) may be strong enough to withstand wind load force and keep the roller 132 within the track 110. In some embodiments, the ends 1502 and 1504 may be rubber injection molded to further dampen vibrations and reduce noise reduction upon opening and closing the curtain 102.

[0083] In one embodiment, the bottom bar 122 may also include a side roller 1506. The side roller 1506 may keep the slats 114 centered as the curtain 102 opens and closes. The side roller 1506 may contact the end 1502 as the curtain 102 may move laterally (e.g., along a line 1508) and prevent an end of the roller 132 from contacting against an inside of the track 110. This may help prevent additional wear on the rollers 132.

[0084] FIG. 16 illustrates a view of a bell mouth portion 170. As noted above, the bell mouth portion 170 may be located near a top portion of the tracks 110 and 112. The bell mouth portion 170 may be designed to work with the highspeed rolling door of the present disclosure. For example, the bell mouth portion 170 may allow the slats 114 to nest quieter onto the polygonal attachment rings 108 by eliminating the impacts of flat spots on the polygonal attachment rings108 as the slats 114 the flat spots come into contact with the slats 114 as the barrel 106 rotates.

[0085] In one embodiment, the bell mouth portion 170 comprises a curved side 174 and a contact side 176. The contact side 176 may be slightly angled to guide the slats 114 at an angle towards the header 104. One end of the contact side 176 may have a curved end 172 to create the bell mouth. The curved end 172 may have a radius of curvature to gradually increase a width of the opening. For example, a width 176 at a first end may be narrower or smaller than a width 180 at a second end. In other words, the width of an opening formed by the track 110 or 112 and the bell mouth portion 170 may gradually increase from the width 176 to the width 180.

[0086] The radius of curvature of the curved end 172 may be a function of a size of the curtain 102, a size of the slats 114, and a size of the rollers 132. The radius of curvature of the curved end 172 may be constant, or may gradually change. For example, the radius of curvature may gradually increase to create a gradually increasing width towards a top end of the bell mouth portion 170.

[0087] The curved end 172 may eliminate the hinges 130 from being fully closed between slats 114 as the slats 114 are being pulled onto the polygonal attachment rings 108. The bell mouth portion 170 may also extend out away from a header bracket 182 (e.g., away from the page). Thus, the bell mouth portion 170 may contact the slats 114 on the end stiles 904 and 906 of each slat 114.

[0088] FIG. 17 illustrates a view of the bell mouth portion 170 of the track 110 and 112 interacting with the curtain 102 of the present disclosure. As noted above, the slats 114 may be slightly angled by the contact side 176. As the slat 114 approaches the polygonal attachment ring 108, the curved end 172 may allow the hinge 130 to remain partially open as the slats 114 are being pulled onto the polygonal attachment ring 108. FIG. 17 illustrates a small gap 184 that remains open between the top hinge 140 and the bottom hinge 142 as the slats 114i and 1142 approach the bell mouth portion 170. As a result, the bell mouthportion 170 helps to allow the curtain 102 to open and close quietly and efficiently to achieve the desired high speeds.

[0089] In one embodiment, the present disclosure may also provide a method for operating a high-speed rolling door in accordance with the features of the high-speed rolling door of the present disclosure that are described above. The method may further include a method for wrapping an overhead door around a polygonal barrel described herein.

[0090] In one embodiment, the method may include rotating the polygonal barrel to lift a curtain into an open position, wrapping a first subset of slats of the curtain having a first size around polygonal rings of the polygonal barrel such that hinges connecting the first subset of slats rest inside of hinge gaps around the polygonal rings, and wrapping a second subset of slats of the curtain having a second size around the first subset of slats such that hinges connecting the second subset of slats are aligned with the hinges connecting the first subset of slats and the hinge gaps around the polygonal rings.

[0091] In one embodiment, additional subset of slats having different sized slats than the first subset of slats and the second subset of slats may be wrapped around the previous subset of slats and the polygonal rings. The hinges connecting the additional subsets may be aligned with the hinges connecting the previous layer of slats and the hinge gaps around the polygonal rings. As a result, the curtain may be wrapped around the polygonal barrel as shown in FIG. 5, and discussed above.

[0092] In one embodiment, the method may further include angling each slat as the slat is moved towards a header and the polygonal barrel such that the hinges between adjacent slats are not fully closed, or remain partially open. This may allow the curtain to open and close quietly and efficiently.

[0093] In one embodiment, the method may perform the wrapping of the first subset of slats and the second subset of slats (e.g., an opening operation) at an average rate or speed of between 12 inches per second to 80 inches per second from a fully closed position to a fully open position. In one embodiment, theaverage speed may be between 24 inches per second to 48 inches per second from a fully closed position to a fully open position. In one embodiment, the average speed may be between 30 to 40 inches per second from a fully closed position to a fully open position. In one embodiment, the average speed may be at least 36 inches per second from a fully closed position to a fully open position.

[0094] The speed at which the slats are wrapped around the polygonal barrel may be an average as the speed may vary due to various factors associated with the operator and weight of a bottom bar. For example, during the opening operation, the speed may gradually ramp up from a starting speed that covers a first height or first few inches to feet of the opening, to a maximum speed that covers a majority of the height of the opening, and finally to an ending speed that covers the last few inches to feet of the opening.

[0095] In one embodiment, the method may further include rotating the polygonal barrel to lower the curtain into a closed position. The rate at which the slats are unwrapped around the polygonal barrel from a fully open position to a fully closed position may also be an average as the curtain may move at different speeds along different heights of the opening. The polygonal barrel may be rotated to lower the curtain at an average rate or speed of between 12 inches per second to 80 inches per second. In one embodiment, the average speed may be between 24 inches per second to 48 inches per second. In one embodiment, the average speed may be between 30 to 40 inches per second. In one embodiment, the average speed may be at least 36 inches per second.

[0096] In one embodiment, the curtain may be closed at a slower speed than the opening speed for safety reasons. For example, the curtain may be closed at an average speed of approximately 24 inches per second.

[0097] Thus, the present disclosure provides a high-speed rolling door that can open and close quickly and be wrapped in a relatively tight coil around the polygonal attachment rings 108. For example, the overhead door system 100 of the present disclosure can open at a rate of at least 36 inches per second, or greater, and close at a rate of at least 24 inches per second, or greater. Inaddition, the varying slat heights 126, 127, and 128 can provide the relatively tight coil around the polygonal attachment ring 108, while also providing improved thermal performance (e.g., a lower U-factor) of the overall overhead door system 100.

[0098] It will be appreciated that variants of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . An apparatus for a rolling door, comprising: a polygonal barrel comprising: a plurality of sides, wherein at least one side of the plurality of sides is not symmetrical with remaining sides of the plurality of sides that are symmetrical; a connection point to receive a first slat of a plurality of slats of the rolling door located between the at least one side and one of the remaining sides; and a nesting gap formed between the remaining sides to receive hinges connecting the plurality of slats.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the polygonal barrel, further comprises: a barrel; and at least one polygonal attachment ring coupled to the barrel to form a polygon shaped perimeter of the polygonal barrel.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one polygonal attachment ring comprises: a first polygonal plate; a second polygonal plate; a center plate between the first polygonal plate and the second polygonal plate, wherein a width of the center plate is smaller than the first polygonal plate and the second polygonal plate to form a U-channel along an outer perimeter of the at least one polygonal attachment ring; and an attachment ring positioned concentric to the center plate and located between the first polygonal plate and the second polygonal plate.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the attachment ring is coupled to thefirst polygonal plate and the second polygonal plate via mechanical fasteners and vibration dampening bushings and the center plate is held between the first polygonal plate and the second polygonal plate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the polygonal barrel comprises at least one of: a pentagon shape, a hexagon shape, or an octagon shape.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the polygon barrel comprises the hexagon shape7. An overhead door, comprising: a barrel; a plurality of polygonal attachment rings coupled to the barrel, wherein each polygonal attachment ring of the plurality of polygonal attachment rings, comprises: a plurality of sides, wherein at least one side of the plurality of sides is not symmetrical with remaining sides of the plurality of sides that are symmetrical; a connection point located between the at least one side and one of the remaining sides; and a plurality of nesting gaps formed between the remaining sides; and a curtain, comprising: a plurality of slats, wherein a first slat is coupled to the connection point of each polygonal attachment ring, wherein the plurality of slats is coupled together via hinges, wherein the plurality of slats includes a first group of slats having a first size and a second group of slats having a second size.

8. The overhead door of claim 7, wherein each hinge of the first group of slats is aligned with a nesting gap of the plurality of nesting gaps of a polygonalattachment ring of the plurality of attachment rings.

9. The overhead door of claim 8, wherein each hinge of the second group of slats is aligned with a hinge of the hinges of the first group of slats.

10. The overhead door of claim 9, wherein each slat of the first group of slats lies adjacent and parallel to one of the plurality of sides of the plurality of polygonal attachment rings and one or more slats of the second group of slats lies adjacent and parallel to a slat of the first group of slats.11 . The overhead door of claim 7, wherein each slat of the first group of slats has a first height and each slat of the second group of slats has a second height.

12. The overhead door of claim 11 , wherein the height of the second group of slats is larger than the height of the first group of slats.

13. The overhead door of claim 7, wherein the hinges are offset to allow adjacent slats of the plurality slats to apply a clamping force to form a seal between the adjacent slats.

14. The overhead door of claim 7, wherein each slat of the plurality of slats comprise at least one bumper.

15. An overhead door, comprising: a track; a barrel; a plurality of polygonal attachment rings concentrically coupled to the barrel, wherein each polygonal attachment ring of the plurality of polygonal attachment rings, comprises: a plurality of sides, wherein at least one side of the plurality of sidesis not symmetrical with remaining sides of the plurality of sides that are symmetrical; a connection point located between the at least one side and one of the remaining sides; and a plurality of nesting gaps formed between the remaining sides; and a curtain, comprising: a plurality of slats, wherein each one of the plurality of slats comprises a roller located within the track, wherein a first slat is coupled to the connection point of each polygonal attachment ring, wherein the plurality of slats is coupled together via hinges, wherein the plurality of slats includes a first group of slats having a first size and a second group of slats having a second size.

16. The overhead door of claim 15, wherein ends of the track are roll formed.

17. The overhead door of claim 15, wherein the curtain further comprises: a bottom bar, wherein the bottom bar comprises a side roller to keep the roller centered within the track.

18. The overhead door of claim 15, wherein a spacing between rollers of the first group of slats is less than a spacing between rollers of the second group of slats.

19. The overhead door of claim 15, wherein the plurality of slats comprises a third group of slats having a third size.

20. The overhead door of claim 15, wherein the plurality of polygonal attachment rings each have a hexagon shape.

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