Garage Door Track Coupler with Arcuate Intermediate Tracks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing garage door systems face challenges in efficiently and economically coupling a one-piece garage door to inverted L-shaped guide tracks, particularly in tight spaces, while ensuring safe and convenient operation.
Innovation Solution
The system employs wheeled coupling assemblies with arcuate intermediate tracks and hinged brackets, along with a lifting mechanism using pulleys and springs, to enable the garage door to slide between horizontal and vertical positions within tight curvatures, maintaining rollers in tracks for smooth operation and reducing lifting effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional garage door coupling systems are used, then the door can operate in open spaces, but the system cannot operate within tight clearances of the garage chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curved intermediate tracks with a radius of curvature between 1 and 2 inches to connect the horizontal upper tracks and vertical lower tracks. This curvature enables the garage door to navigate tight clearances within the garage chamber while maintaining smooth operation of the door panels through the restricted space.
Solution Approach 2:
The track system is divided into multiple segments: horizontal upper tracks, vertical lower tracks, and curved intermediate tracks. This segmentation allows each track portion to be optimized for its specific function while collectively enabling the door to operate within tight clearances through coordinated movement across all segments.
2Reliability
If a one-piece garage door design is used, then the door provides continuous screening coverage, but the door requires complex coupling assemblies to navigate tight turns
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling assembly acts as an intermediary mechanism between the one-piece garage door and the curved tracks. It includes hinged brackets that connect the door to the tracks and allow the door to follow the curved path while maintaining structural integrity and continuous screening coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling assembly incorporates hinged brackets that can dynamically adjust their angle as the door moves through the curved tracks. This dynamic adjustment allows the rigid one-piece door to navigate the curved path without compromising its continuous screening function.
3Area of stationary object
If tight radius curvature tracks are used, then the door can operate within available clearances, but the coupling assembly becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate tracks are designed with a tight radius of curvature between 1 and 2 inches, allowing the door to operate within the limited clearance of the garage chamber. The curved geometry is precisely engineered to match the available space while maintaining smooth door movement.
4Ease of operation
If manual lifting of the garage door is required, then the system structure can be simpler, but the effort required to open and close the door increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting mechanism uses springs as counterweights to offset the weight of the garage door. The springs are positioned to provide lifting assistance at critical points in the door's movement, reducing the manual effort required to open and close the door while navigating the curved tracks.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting mechanism provides periodic assistance through the spring system, which stores and releases energy at specific points in the door's travel cycle. This periodic action reduces lifting effort during the most demanding portions of door operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for safe, convenient, and economical operation of the garage door, ensuring it can move within tight clearances and reducing the effort required to open and close the door, while maintaining rollers in tracks for continuous operation.
Implementation Method 1
A spring-loaded pulley system is mounted to the track assemblies
Implementation Method 2
A spring-loaded pulley system is mounted to the track assemblies
Implementation Method 3
A spring-loaded pulley system is mounted to the track assemblies
Data Source
AI summary
A rectangular one-piece garage door has rigid horizontal upper and lower rails and rigid vertical first and second side rails. A small door is mounted in the garage door. A track assembly has horizontal first and second upper tracks. The track assembly has vertical first and second lower tracks. An arcuate first intermediate track couples the first upper track and the first lower track. An arcuate second intermediate track couples the second upper track and the second lower track. First and second upper hinged brackets are secured to the garage door adjacent to the upper rail. First and second lower brackets are secured to the garage door adjacent to the lower rail. Rollers are each coupled to one of the brackets and rotatably received within one of the tracks for guiding the movement of the garage door between a closed lower orientation and an open raised orientation.