FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a hinge suitable for use on sectional overhead doors.

BACKGROUND

Existing sectional overhead doors of the type relevant to this invention are of the form where sections or panels are pivotally fastened one to another to build the sectional overhead door. These doors are used to cover an opening into a structure, such as a garage. The sectional overhead doors are usually assembled on site. The panels are fixed together with hinges that are fastened to each horizontal edge of adjacent panels. The existing hinges are difficult and time consuming to fasten to the panels and make the overall installation time of the sectional overhead door complex and lengthy.

Once installed the panels are guided within rails at either longitudinal end of the panels. The panels ar-e oriented in use to be substantially vertical when the sectional overhead door is closed. During opening of the door the panels are lifted and guided around a bend in the rails so as to be stored substantially horizontally along the roof of the structure. The hinges are required to allow the panels to pivot relative to one another as they move around the bend.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided a hinge comprising: a first part comprising a curved finger defining a pin receiving zone on an inside of the curve of the

finger, the pin receiving zone having an opening with a width smaller than a diameter of the pin receiving zone; a second part comprising a tab and a pin portion extending substantially orthogonally from the tab, the pin portion having an eccentrically shaped cross section such that, in a first orientation of the second part relative to the first part, the pin portion is narrow enough to pass through the opening into the pin receiving zone and such that, in a range of orientations of the second part relative to the first part, distinct from the first orientation, the pin is sufficiently wide to be captured by the finger so as to not be able to pass through the opening, wherein the first part and second part are able to be positioned in the first relative orientation during assembly and the first part and second part are able to be oriented in the range of relative orientations during normal operation of the hinge.

Preferably the first part comprises at least two spaced apart fingers having a slot there between. Typically the tab is sized to fit in the slot between two adjacent fingers of the first part.

Preferably the hinge has a range of normal movement which coincides with the range of orientations between the first part and the second part. Preferably the range of movement of the hinge, during normal operation of the hinge, does not include the first orientation.

Preferably the opening into the pin receiving zone faces the second part when the second part is oriented at one end of the normal range of movement.

Preferably the eccentrically shaped cross section is formed by a flat part of the pin, the flat part being located on the pin portion such that it is on the inside

of the pin receiving zone though the normal range of movement of the hinge. Preferably the flat part opens the pin receiving zone when the pin portion is inside the pin receiving zone and when the second part is in the first orientation.

Preferably two curved fingers are provided. Alternatively three or four curved fingers are provided.

In one embodiment one tab is provided on the second part. Alternatively two or three spaced apart tabs are provided on the second part. In one embodiment a plurality of pin portions form a pin. In one embodiment the pin portions have gaps there between extending substantially in line with each other, whereby each pin portion of each tab is discontinuous from adjacent pin portions.

Also according to the present invention there is provided a sectional door comprising of at least two door panels coupled together by a hinge, the hinge comprising: a first part comprising a curved finger defining a pin receiving zone on an inside of the curve of the finger, the pin receiving zone having an opening with a width smaller than a diameter of the pin receiving zone; a second part comprising a tab and a pin portion extending substantially orthogonally from the tab, the pin portion having an eccentrically shaped cross section such that, in a first orientation of the second part relative to the first part, the pin portion is narrow enough to pass through the opening into the pin receiving zone and such that, in a range of orientations of the second part relative to the first part, distinct from the first orientation, the pin is sufficiently wide to be captured by the finger so as to not be able to pass through the opening, wherein the first part and second part are able to be positioned in the first relative orientation during

assembly and the first part and second part are able to be oriented in the range of relative orientations during normal operation of the hinge.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a hinge part comprising a curved finger defining a pin receiving zone on the inside of the curve of the finger, the pin receiving zone having an opening with a width smaller than a diameter of the pin receiving zone, the pin receiving zone being suitable for receiving a pin portion of another hinge part, the pin portion having an eccentrically shaped cross section, wherein in a first orientation of the pin portion relative to the finger the opening into the pin receiving zone is wide enough to allow the pin to pass though the opening into the pin receiving zone, and wherein in a range of orientations of the pin portion relative to the finger, distinct from the first orientation, the opening is sufficiently narrow for the finger to retain the pin portion within the pin receiving zone.

Preferably the hinge part is coupled to a panel of an overhead sectional door.

According to yet a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a hinge part comprising a tab having a pin portion extending substantially orthogonally there from, the pin portion being for insertion into a pin receiving zone defined by a curved finger of another hinge part, the pin receiving zone having opening thereto with a width smaller than a diameter of the pin receiving zone, wherein the pin portion has an eccentrically shaped cross section such that in a first orientation of the pin portion relative to the finger the pin portion is narrow enough to pass through the opening into the pin receiving zone, and such that in a range of orientations of the pin portion relative to the finger, which are distinct from

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the first orientation, the pin portion is sufficiently wide to be captured by the finger so it not be able to pass through the opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In order to provide a better understanding preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a hinge according to the present invention installed for use, with one part of the hinge being oriented at an angle of 15° from being in line with another part of the hinge;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the hinge of Figure

1, with the first part of the hinge being oriented at an angle of 65° from being in line with the other part; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the hinge of Figure

2, with the first part of the hinge being oriented at an angle of 120° from being in line with the other part;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the hinge not installed for use, with the angle of the part being oriented at an angle of 95° from being in line with the other part;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional perspective view of a portion of the hinge of Figure 1, where the parts of the hinge being in line with each other; Figure 6 is a cross sectional side elevation of the view in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a lower perspective view of a second embodiment of hinge parts according to the present invention, with the parts of the hinge orientated so as to be in line with and offset from one another and spaced apart as would be the case prior to installation of adjacent sectional door panels;

Figure 8 is an upper perspective view of the hinge parts of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a cross sectional view of the hinge parts of Figure 7;

Figure 10 is a upper perspective view of a hinge formed of the parts of Figure 7, with a first part of the hinge being engaged with a second part of the hinge and the first part being orientated at an angle of 120° from being in line with the second part;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the hinge of Figure 10, with the first part of the hinge being in line with the second part of the hinge;

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the hinge of Figure 10, with the first part of the hinge being orientated at angle of 65° from being in line with the second part;

Figures 13A - 13E are schematic side elevations showing the relative positions of parts of the hinge prior to assembly (Figure 13A) , at the beginning of assembly

(Figure 13B) , at the conclusion of assembly (Figure 13C) , and in normal operation when sectional door is closed (Figure 13D), and when the sectional door is pivoting about the hinge during opening (Figure 13E) ; Figure 14 is a set of schematic perspective views of the hinge parts coupled to an upper sectional door panel and a lower sectional door panel, which form a sectional door; and

Figures 15A - 15C are enlarged schematic perspective views of the parts of Figure 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the Figures 1 to 6 there is shown a hinge 100 installed on overhead sectional door panels 102 and 104. The overhead sectional door panels 102 and 104 have profiled abutting edges 106 and 108 of known configuration

so as to minimise the chance of a finger being caught and pinched between the panels during operation of the sectional overhead door.

The hinge 100 is comprised of a first part 112 and a second part 110. The first part 112 is profiled so as to snuggly fit within the inside of the profiled edge 108, likewise an end of the second part 110 is profiled so as to snuggly fit within the inside of the profiled edge 106 of the second panel 102. The profiled edges 106 and 108 have holes through which end portions of the parts 110 and 112 can respectively project there through so as to co¬ operate to form a hinge.

The second part 110 has a number of protecting tabs 116

(in this case three) . The tabs 116 are joined together by with a pin 124 of eccentric shape in cross section. The pin 124 projects perpendicularly from the tabs 116 remotely from the rest of the part 110. The eccentric shape of the pin 124 is such that it is circular in cross section except for a flat section 126 which forms a chord of the circle.

The first part 112 has a plurality of fingers 120 (in this case four) which are curved so as to form a pin receiving zone 122 within the inside curve of the fingers. The fingers 120 are spaced apart so as to form a slot 118 between each adjacent finger 120. In total three slots 118 are formed between the four fingers 120. The pin receiving zone 122 under each finger 120 is substantially circular in cross section. The pin receiving zones 122 under the fingers 120 align so that a cylindrical void extends through the zones 122 for receiving the pin 124.

A gap 115 is formed between the pin 124 and the rest of the part 110 between each tab 116. Each gap 115 receives one of the fingers 120 when the hinge 100 is assembled.

The fingers 120 do not complete a full lap and thus end spaced from the corresponding opposite side so as to form a gap 128 which forms an opening to each pin receiving zone 122. Each gap 128 is smaller in width than the diameter of the respective pin receiving zone 122 so that each gap 128 forms a restricted opening to each zone 122. An aperture formed by the openings in combination with the eccentric shaped pin ^' 124 only allows the pin 124 to enter the pin receiving void 122 when it is positioned in a certain orientation. In this orientation the width with the pin presented for travel through the aperture is smaller than the width of the aperture because the flat section 126 produces a smaller diameter of the pin in this orientation, which from the point of view of the fingers 120, is sufficient for pin 124 to fit through the aperture 128. When the pin 124 is at a different orientation its width is larger than the width of the aperture because the diameter of the pin 124, from the point of view of the fingers 120, is larger than the aperture 128, thereby capturing the pin 124 within the pin receiving void 122. The two parts 110 and 112 thus become pivotally locked together and can thereby operate as a hinge 100 between the panels 102 and 104.

The method of use of this embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

A first hinge 112 is typically installed on the first panel 104 at a manufacturing facility, likewise the second part 110 is installed on the second panel 102. This allows for more efficient production of panels by manufacturing the hinge parts as a part of the panels. This in turn allows the hinge to be constructed in-situ when the sectional overhead door is assembled on-site.

The first panel 104 is placed in a vertical position in the doorway on-site and secured by rollers to guide rails

(not shown) . The second panel 102 is oriented at an angle to allow the pin 124 to pass through the aperture 128 into the pin receiving void 122. This is typically at an angle of about 60° between the parts or 120° from the parts (and panels) being in line as shown in Figure 3. The second panel 102 is then lifted so that its orientation moves to an angle of about 95° from alignment of the panels. At this angle the pin 124 is captured within the pin 124 receiving void 122. The second panel 102 is further lifted through the angles of 65° and 15° as shown at

Figures 2 and 1 so that it is typically at an angle of about 0° as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The pin 124 remains captured within the pin receiving zone 122.

The panel 102 is then secured by rollers to guide rails of the sectional overhead door.

The typical angle of operation of the panels to each other once the rollers are inserted in the guide rails is between 0 and 65°. Thus during its normal operation the pin 124 will always remain captured within the pin receiving void. Thus the method of building the sectional overhead door is considerably simpler than in the prior art.

Referring to Figures 7-12 there is shown an alternative hinge 200 for installation on overhead sectional door panels, which comprises a first part 212 and a second part 210. The first part 212 has a projecting tab 216 which projects from the rest of the part 210. Extending orthogonally in both directions from the tab is a pin 224. The pin 224 and the tab 216 form a "T" shape. The pin 224 has an eccentric cross section formed by virtue of a flat section 226 which forms a chord of the circle of the cross section.

The first part 212 has two curved fingers 220, with the inside of the curve defining a pin receiving zone 222. The fingers 220 are spaced apart to form a slot 218 there between. The pin receiving zone 222 is substantially circular in cross section and has a gap 228 narrower than the diameter of the pin receiving zone 222 thereby forming a restricted opening to the pin receiving zone 222.

A gap 215 is formed between the pin 222 and the rest of the part 210 for receiving the fingers 222 when the hinge is constructed, as can been seen in Figures 10, 11 and 12.

The restricted opening in combination with the eccentric shaped pin 224 allows the pin 224 to enter the pin receiving void 222 when the second part 210 is in a particular orientation with respect to the first part 212, as shown in Figure 10. In this orientation the width of the pin 222 presented for travel through the restricted opening is smaller than the width of the opening. When the pin is rotated such that the second part 210 is at a different angle to the first part 212, as indicated for example in Figures 11 and 12, the diameter of pin 224 presented to the restricted opening is larger than the width of the opening. Thus the pin 224 remains captured within the pin receiving void 222.

The method of use of this embodiment of the present invention is virtually identical to the previous embodiment. The method of engagement of the parts of the hinges is described in more detail relation to Figures 13A to 13E, 14 and 15A to 15C.

Initially the door panels 202 and 204 with the respective hinges parts 210 and 212 are spaced apart as indicated in Figure 13A. The door panels are aligned in a vertical plane adjacent to one another such that the hinge parts as shown in Figure 13B and 15A. The (upper) panel is then

rotated about a virtual axis substantially at the centre of pin 224 and then adjusted so that the pin 224 enters the pin receiving void 220 via the aperture 228, as shown Figure 13C.

The panel 202 with hinge part 210 is then rotated about the axis of rotation of the hinge 200, which coincides with the centre of the pin 224, so that the panel is in the position substantially in line with the underlining panel. Thus the second hinge part 210 is substantially in line with the first hinge part 212 as depicted in Figures 13D and 15C.

The top panel 202 is then fixed by rollers to a roller guide so that in normal operation when the sectional door is closed the hinges remain as shown in Figure 13D. As the sectional door opens the panels pivot about the hinge 200 such that the angle between hinge parts is at a maximum at about that shown in Figure 13E, that is part 210 is at about an angle of 100° to 120° relative to the part 212 through the range of movement of the hinge part 210.

The panels are progressively stacked one upon another in this way to build the sectional door.

It will be understood to persons skilled in the art of the invention that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

In the claims of this application and in the description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the words "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" are used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.