GB2283052A - Improvements in up and over garage doors - Google Patents

Abstract

In an up and over garage door assembly, a threshold section is adapted to be anchored to the ground as the base of a door frame. The threshold section comprises a metal pressing of stepped outline to provide a continuous upstanding face (3) against which the door panel (8) is adapted to abut when the door is in its closed position, and a ramp section (1) extending from the abutment face (3) into the garage. An aperture (6) to receive a locking member is formed in the section. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN UP AND OVER GARAGE DOORS This invention relates to improvements in up and over garage doors of the kind in which a door panel mounted in a frame is guided for movement between a generally closed vertical position in which it closes an opening defined by the frame and a generally horizontal stored as open position in which a substantial proportion of the door panel is accommodated within the garage itself, to the rear of the door frame.

Most up and over doors of the kind set forth incorporate a locking mechanism in the form of a catch carried by the upper edge of the door panel and engageable with a keeper in a complementary part of the door frame. The catch is spring-loaded into an advanced position for co-operation with the keeper, and is withdrawn from its engagement with the keeper by operation of a central locking mechanism which is rotatable to withdraw the catch through a flexible, inextensible, coupling member. Problems arise in maintaining the security of such doors in as much as they can usually be opened quite easily after disabling the locking mechanism, simply by applying an excessive force to it in an angular direction.

According to my invention I propose, for use with an up and over door of the kind set forth, a threshold section is adapted to be anchored to the ground at the base of the frame and is provided with at least one opening to receive a complementary locking mechanism mounted on the door panel close to its lower edge.

Preferably the threshold section is of stepped outline to provide a continuous upstanding face against which the door panel is adapted to abut in its closed position. The opening to receive the locking mechanism is disposed adjacent to the upstanding face.

The threshold section may be embedded in, or otherwise anchored to, the ground between the uprights of the door frame. T he threshold may comprise a one-piece metal pressing with a ramp section extending rearwardly from the abutment face into the garage.

The threshold may be supplied as a single component for use with new or existing garage doors.

However, in another construction, it may be provided as one integral component of a rectangular frame which provides a mounting for a door.

A first flange extending forwardly from the abutment face is disposed immediately below the edge of the door panel when the door panel is in its closed position and a section flange entry extend firmly for the lower edge of the ram section.

The locking mechanism carried by the door panel may be of any convenient construction. It may be spring loaded into the closed position, or it may be manually movable, or operated electrically. In a modification the locking mechanism may comprise a key operated lock secured to the inner face of the door panel.

When the threshold section forms a part of the frame, and the door panel is mounted in the frame for transit, by locking the door to the threshold section, the integrity of the assembly is maintained without the use of captive screws.

Our invention improves security of up and over garage doors since the locking mechanism is inaccessible from outside of the door, apart from access by means of a key.

Any number of openings may be provided in the threshold depending upon the width of door to be secured, with the door panel carrying a corresponding number of locking mechanisms.

Some embodiments of our invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates one threshold section; Figure 2 illustrates another threshold section; Figure 3 discloses a typical locking mechanism for use with a threshold section; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a door assembly; Figure 5 is an and view of the assembly of Figure 4; Figure 6 shows a modification to the threshold section; and Figures 7 to 10 illustrate different layouts of locking mechanisms.

The threshold section illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings comprises an elongate one-piece metal pressing comprising a ramp section which extends from ground level and from a ground engaging flange 2 in a curve to the upper end of a face 3 which is upstanding from the inner end of a ground engaging flange 4. A portion 5 of the ground section terminating at the upstanding face is generally flat and is located substantially at right angles to the upstanding face 3. At least one opening 6 is provided in the portion 5.

The threshold section is adapted to be secured to the ground between the uprights of a frame for supporting a garage door of the up and over type. The threshold section is positioned with the flange 4 between the uprights and the ramp section extending rearwardly into the garage. The threshold section is secured to the ground by suitable fastening means, convenient ground anchors, which are passed through additional openings 7 in the portion 5 and openings in the flange 4.

The door panel 8, when moved into its closed, generally vertical, position abuts against the upstanding face 6 which acts as a stop to defined the closed position of the door. The door can then be locked in the closed position by the engagement of a locking mechanism 9 in the opening 6. The locking mechanism 9 is secured to the door panel 8 adjacent to its lower edge be means of a rigid mounting plate 10.

In the threshold section illustrated in Figure 2 the ramp section 1 is provided at the end of the threshold remote from the upstanding face 3 to which it is connected through a contiguous, generally flat, portion 10 provided with the locking opening 6. The threshold section is secured in position by fastening member 7 passed through openings in the flange 4, and anchors 12 which are welded to the portion 10 and are embedding in a concrete base 13.

A locking mechanism 14 illustrated in Figure 3 is mounted on the plate 10 and carries a latch or bolt 15 for engagement in the anchoring opening 6 and which is operated by the lock mechanism 16, internally or externally of the garage, by means of a suitable key.

The threshold section 1 described above may comprise a unitary component for use with new or existing garage doors.

In another construction, it may be provided as an integral component of the door frame being fixedly secured between the free ends of spaced parallel side members which, in the installed position, define the uprights of the frame. This facilitates transport and assembly, particularly when a door panel is fitted in the frame.

In the garage door illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings, the threshold section 1 is adapted for use with an existing garage door. As illustrated in addition to the ground engaging flange 4, the flange 2 is also provided with longitudinally spaced openings 20. The section 1 is secured to the ground between the uprights of an existing door frame by means of screws 21 which are passed through the openings and are received in plugged openings 22 in the ground.

The door panel 8 is adapted to receive a locking mechanism 25 by securing a planar mounting plate 26 to the inner face of the panel 8. The mounting plate 26 is spaced from the panel 8, being held rigidly in position by transversely spaced brackets 27 of channel section which are welded or riveted to and between the panel 8 and the plate 26.

A body 28 containing a key-operated lock 28 is mounted on a packing plate 29, and a vertically movable bolt 30 guided from sliding mounting through a guide 31 adjacent to the lower edge of the panel 8 is adapted to be received at its free lower end in a locking opening 32 in the threshold section 1 adjacent to the face 3.

The lock is operated by means of a key 33 which can be inserted into the lock through an opening 34 in the outer face of the panel 8 and through a guide 35 leading into the body 28.

Since the lock body 28 is spaced from the inner force of the door panel 8 to the rear of the mounting plate 26 it is extremely difficult for vandals to tamper with the lock.

The locking mechanism 25 may be located at any convenient location in the width of the door panel 8.

However, when two locking mechanisms are provided at opposite ends of the panel, one of the brackets for each mounting plate 26 may comprise the end flange 36 for that end of the panel 8.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings, the screws 22 are replaced by bolts 40 or other fixing devices, for example rivets, which act to secure anchor strips 41 and 42 to the threshold section and by means of which the section is secured to the ground by casting the strips 41 and 42 in concrete 43.

The arrangement of a two-locking system with a locking mechanism 25 at each end of the door panel 8 is illustrated schematically in Figure 7 of the drawings.

In this illustration the locking mechanism 25 are applied to a door already provided with a cable operating latch 44.

Similarly in Figure 8 the locking mechanism 25 are applied to a door panel 8 already provided with a twin-bar locking mechanism 45.

The door panel 8 illustrated in Figure 9 of the accompanying drawings has a central locking mechanism 46 adapted to actuate simultaneously rods 50, 51 for reception to openings in the threshold section, and existing rods 52, 53 for co-operation with opening in the horizontal component or lintel of the frame.

In the system illustrated in Figure 10 of the accompanying drawings the rods 50 and 51 act on the bolts 30 of the locking mechanism 25 through belt crank levers 52 in order to ensure that the bolts 30 more in a generally vertical plane.

The system is otherwise the same as that of Figure 9.

The system of Figure 10 is particularly suitable for use in installation to which the locking mechanism 46 is mounted particularly high.

Claims (23)

1. A threshold section for use with an up and over door of the kind set forth is adapted to be anchored to the ground at the base of the frame and is provided with at least one opening to receive a complementary locking mechanism mounted on the door panel close to its lower edge.

2. A threshold section as claimed in claim 1, in which the section is of stepped outline to provide a continuous upstanding force against which the door panel is adapted to abut in its closed position.

3. A threshold section as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the section is embedded in an otherwise anchored or secured to the ground between the uprights of a door frame.

4. A threshold section as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the section comprises a ramp section extending rearwardly into the garage from the abutment force.

5. A threshold section as claimed in claim 4, in which a first flange extending forwardly from the abutment force is disposed immediately below the edge of the door panel when the door is in a closed position, and a second flange extends forwardly from the lower edge of the ramp section.

6. A threshold section as claimed in claim 5, in which the first and second flanges are provided with spaced openings to remove fixing means for securing the sections to the ground.

7. A threshold section as claimed in claim 6, in which the openings are adapted to remove screws adapted to be secured into plugged openings in the ground.

8. A threshold section as claimed in claim 6, in which the openings are adapted to remove fixing means by which the flanges are connected to ground anchor strip adapted to be cast in concrete.

9. A threshold section as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the section comprises a single compound in the form of a metal pressing for use with new or existing garage doors.

10. A threshold section as claimed in any of claims 1-8, in which the section comprises an integral component of a rectangular garage door frame which provides a number for a door panel.

11. A threshold section as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the locking mechanism comprise at least one lock-operative bolt adapted to co-operate with an opening to the section, and the lock is mounted on the door panel at a location spaced from the front face, and is operated by a key inserted in the lock from the front of the panel.

12. A threshold section as claimed in claim 11, in which there are two braking mechanisms, spaced transversely at opposite ends of the panel.

13. A threshold section as claimed in claim 11 or 12, in which the key acts on both mechanisms through complementary linkages, and each linkage is otherwise a bell-crank lever to convert a transverse movement of the linkages, into vertical movement of the bolts.

14. A garage door assembly of the kind set forth incorporating a threshold section as claimed in any preceding claim.

15. A threshold section substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A threshold section substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A threshold section substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A threshold section substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

19. A threshold section substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.

20. A garage door substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.

21. A garage door substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings.

22. A garage door substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 9 of the accompanying drawings.

23. A garage door substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 10 of the accompanying drawings.