Horizontal garage door assembly

Abstract

A horizontal garage door assembly includes a plurality of panels, which are pivotally connected at adjacent side edges. A top rail receives the plurality of panels and includes a first straight portion, a curved portion, and a second straight portion. A motor is positioned at a first end of the first straight portion, a tensioning mechanism is disposed on a first panel, a gear mechanism is positioned at a second end of the first straight portion. A connecting band connects the motor, the gear mechanism, and the tensioning mechanism to form a loop along a length of the top rail. The motor drives the connecting band such that the plurality of panels moves between a closed position, in which the plurality of panels is substantially received in the first straight portion, and an open position, in which the plurality of panels is substantially received in the second straight portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A garage door assembly comprising:
 a plurality of panels, each of the plurality of panels having a top edge and a bottom edge and a pair of vertically-extending side edges connecting the top edge and the bottom edge, wherein adjacent panels are pivotally connected at adjacent side edges; 
 a top rail positioned above the top edges of the plurality of panels and configured to receive the plurality of panels, the top rail comprising:
 a first straight portion; 
 a curved portion; and 
 a second straight portion, 
 wherein the curved portion connects the first straight portion and the second straight portion; 
 
 a motor positioned at a first end of the first straight portion; 
 a tensioner disposed on a first panel of the plurality of panels; 
 a driven gear positioned at a second end of the first straight portion; and 
 a connecting band connected to the motor and the driven gear and attached to the tensioner to form a loop along a length of the top rail, 
 wherein the motor is configured to drive the connecting band such that the plurality of panels moves between a closed position and an open position, 
 wherein, in the closed position, the plurality of panels is substantially received in the first straight portion, 
 wherein, in the open position, the plurality of panels is substantially received in the second straight portion, and 
 wherein each of the plurality of panels comprises at least one hanging roller configured to be received within the top rail, the at least one hanging roller being connected to a bracket affixed to the respective panel at an edge of the panel, and 
 wherein the at least one hanging roller is disposed to be offset from a hinge between adjacent panels of the plurality of panels. 
 
     
     
       2. The garage door assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a shield wall configured to be positioned along the curved portion of the top rail and on a back side of the plurality of panels. 
     
     
       3. The garage door assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a shield wall configured to be positioned along the second straight portion and the curved portion and on a front side of the plurality of panels. 
     
     
       4. The garage door assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the curved portion comprises a radius of curvature of about 18 inches. 
     
     
       5. The garage door assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the motor comprises a drive gear configured to receive the connecting band. 
     
     
       6. The garage door assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the driven gear comprises a driven sprocket and a tensioning sprocket that are configured to receive the connecting band, and wherein the tensioning sprocket is linearly offset from the driven sprocket to provide tension to the connecting band as the connecting band is driven by the motor. 
     
     
       7. The garage door assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the connecting band is a belt. 
     
     
       8. The garage door assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the connecting band is a chain. 
     
     
       9. The garage door assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a quick release bracket, wherein the quick release bracket is configured to release the tensioner from the first panel for manual operation of the plurality of panels. 
     
     
       10. The garage door assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first panel comprises a handle configured to allow the plurality of panels to move from the closed position to the open position through manual operation. 
     
     
       11. The garage door assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a bottom rail configured to receive bottom portions of the plurality of panels. 
     
     
       12. The garage door assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the bottom rail includes a central protrusion and each of the bottom portions of the plurality of panels includes a central groove, and wherein the central protrusion is configured to be received within the central grooves of the bottom portions. 
     
     
       13. The garage door assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the bottom rail includes a groove and each of the bottom portions of the plurality of panels includes a central protrusion, and wherein the central protrusions of the bottom portions are configured to be received within the groove. 
     
     
       14. The garage door assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first straight portion extends along a length of a front wall of a garage enclosure and the second straight portion extends along a length of a side wall of the garage enclosure, the front wall having an opening, and the plurality of panels being configured to close the opening when in the closed position. 
     
     
       15. The garage door assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first straight portion extends along at least part of a length of a front wall of a garage enclosure and the second straight portion extends along at least part of a length of a side wall of the garage enclosure, the front wall having an opening, and at least some of the plurality of panels being configured to close the opening when in the closed position. 
     
     
       16. The garage door assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the first panel is a leading panel. 
     
     
       17. The garage door assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the first panel is a non-leading panel. 
     
     
       18. A garage door assembly comprising:
 a plurality of panels, each of the plurality of panels having a top edge and a bottom edge and a pair of vertically-extending side edges connecting the top edge and the bottom edge, wherein adjacent panels are pivotally connected at adjacent side edges; 
 a top rail positioned above the top edges of the plurality of panels and configured to receive the plurality of panels, the top rail comprising:
 a first straight portion; 
 a curved portion; and 
 a second straight portion, 
 wherein the curved portion connects the first straight portion and the second straight portion; 
 
 a carriage disposed on a first panel; 
 a tensioner disposed on the first panel; 
 a fixed connecting band connected to the carriage; and 
 a drive gear, and a driven gear comprising a driven sprocket and a tensioning sprocket that are configured to receive the connecting band, wherein the tensioning sprocket is linearly offset from the driven sprocket to provide tension to the connecting band as the connecting band is driven by a motor, 
 wherein the carriage is configured to move along the fixed connecting band such that the plurality of panels moves between a closed position and an open position, 
 wherein, in the closed position, the plurality of panels is substantially received in the first straight portion, 
 wherein, in the open position, the plurality of panels is substantially received in the second straight portion, 
 wherein the first straight portion extends along a length of a front wall of a garage enclosure and the second straight portion extends along a length of a side wall of the garage enclosure, the front wall having an opening, and the plurality of panels being configured to close the opening when in the closed position, and 
 wherein the driven gear is configured to be mounted to the front wall or a ceiling of the enclosure, and is positioned at a second end of the first straight portion opposite to a first end of the first straight portion, and the first end of the first straight portion is mounted to the front wall of the garage enclosure. 
 
     
     
       19. The garage door assembly of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a shield wall configured to be positioned along the second straight portion and the curved portion and on a front side of the plurality of panels, 
 wherein the shield wall comprises a plurality of supports and a plurality of shield panels attached to the plurality of supports, the plurality of supports and the plurality of shield panels being disposed to the front side of the plurality of panels within an interior of the garage enclosure, 
 wherein the plurality of supports and the plurality of shield panels are configured to attach to the front wall of the garage enclosure, and 
 wherein when the plurality of panels moves from the closed position to the open position, the plurality of panels is configured to enter a space between the shield wall and at least the front wall of the garage enclosure. 
 
     
     
       20. A garage door assembly comprising:
 a plurality of panels, each of the plurality of panels having a top edge and a bottom edge and a pair of vertically-extending side edges connecting the top edge and the bottom edge, wherein adjacent panels are pivotally connected at adjacent side edges; 
 a top rail positioned above the top edges of the plurality of panels and configured to receive the plurality of panels, the top rail comprising:
 a first straight portion; 
 a curved portion; and 
 a second straight portion, 
 wherein the curved portion connects the first straight portion and the second straight portion; 
 
 a motor disposed to at a first end of the first straight portion and mounted to a front wall or ceiling of a garage enclosure; 
 a tensioner disposed on a first panel of the plurality of panels; 
 a connecting band connected to the motor and the driven gear and attached to the tensioner to form a loop along a length of the top rail, 
 a drive gear configured to receive the connecting band, 
 a driven gear positioned at a second end of the first straight portion; the driven gear comprising a driven sprocket and a tensioning sprocket configured to receive the connecting band, wherein the tensioning sprocket is linearly offset from the driven sprocket to provide tension to the connecting band as the connecting band is driven by the motor, 
 a quick release bracket provided with the tensioner, the quick release bracket being configured to release the tensioner from the first panel of the plurality of panels for manual operation of the plurality of panels, 
 wherein the connection band is connected to an attachment bracket and to at least the first panel of the plurality of panels, 
 wherein actuation of the quick release bracket releases the driven sprocket, the tensioning sprocket, and the connecting band from the first panel of the plurality of panels, 
 wherein the motor is configured to drive the connecting band such that the plurality of panels moves between a closed position and an open position, 
 wherein, in the closed position, the plurality of panels is substantially received in the first straight portion, and 
 wherein, in the open position, the plurality of panels is substantially received in the second straight portion.