Low-Profile Stile Garage Door Section for Nested Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pan garage door sections have full-profile stiles that prevent nesting when stacked, leading to inefficient storage and transport due to the inability to reduce the overall stack height and the lack of accessible storage for door hardware.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of low-profile end and center stiles, which are offset from the plane of the top and bottom rail legs toward the door section face, allows for a reduced door section depth, enabling nested stacking of pan overhead garage door sections and providing accessible storage for door hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If full-profile stiles are used in conventional pan garage door sections, then structural strength and stiffness are improved, but the ability to nest stack sections is lost and storage space for hardware is eliminated
Solution Approach 1:
The stile is segmented into two functional zones: a full-depth rear portion that provides structural strength and stiffness, and a reduced-depth front portion that enables nesting. This segmentation allows the stile to simultaneously satisfy both structural requirements and space-efficient stacking requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The stile profile is changed from a uniform full-depth box design to a low-profile design where the front face is offset toward the door face, creating a stepped dimensional structure. This dimensional change reduces the protruding depth while maintaining rear structural integrity, enabling nested stacking.
2Strength
If full-profile stiles are used in conventional pan garage door sections, then structural strength and stiffness are improved, but accessible storage for door hardware is eliminated
Solution Approach 1:
The stile is segmented into two functional zones: a full-depth rear portion that provides structural strength and stiffness, and a reduced-depth front portion that enables nesting
Solution Approach 2:
The stile profile is changed from a uniform full-depth box design to a low-profile design where the front face is offset toward the door face, creating a stepped dimensional structure
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional full-depth stiles are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but storage efficiency and shipping costs are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The stile is segmented into two functional zones: a full-depth rear portion that provides structural strength and stiffness, and a reduced-depth front portion that enables nesting
Solution Approach 2:
Door sections are designed to nest within each other when stacked, with each section fitting into the space created by the low-profile stile configuration, similar to nested dolls. This nesting capability significantly reduces storage volume and shipping space requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A pan overhead garage door section having end stiles installed at each end of the door section face and at least one center stile installed at an intermediate location along the door section face, each such stile spanning between the opposite top and bottom rails and having a respective end and center stile face that is offset from and parallel to the door section face and is offset from the plane of the top and bottom rail legs toward the door section face entirely between the opposite top and bottom rails, wherein the perpendicular distance between the door section face and the offset end and center stile faces defines a reduced door section depth between the opposite top and bottom rails, thereby allowing for nested stacking of two pan overhead garage door sections together and accessible storage of door hardware between such nested pan overhead garage door sections.