Foldable ventilated garage door panel
View Patent ↗A panel in an overhead door system having a rigid outer frame with an aperture therethrough dimensioned to receive a plurality of movable, foldable horizontally hinged sub-panels dimensioned to fit within confines of the aperture of such outer frame when closed and a plurality of movable, foldable horizontally hinged sub-panels dimensioned to fit within the confines of the aperture of such outer frame when closed, said sub-panels being an upper sub-panel, a first sub-panel, a second sub-panel and a lower sub-panel, the upper sub-panel coupled along its lower horizontal edge to the top horizontal edge of the first sub-panel, the first sub-panel being coupled along its lower horizontal edge to the top horizontal edge of the second subpanel, and the lower horizontal edge of the second subpanel being coupled to the top horizontal edge of the lower sub-panel and including a pin, roller or track system.
1. A panel in an overhead door system, comprising:
a rigid outer frame with an aperture therethrough dimensioned to receive a plurality of movable, foldable horizontally hinged sub-panels dimensioned to fit within the aperture of such outer frame when closed; and
a plurality of movable, foldable horizontally hinged sub-panels dimensioned to fit within the aperture of such outer frame when closed, said sub-panels being an upper sub-panel, a first sub-panel, a second sub-panel and a lower sub-panel, the upper sub-panel coupled along its lower horizontal edge to the top horizontal edge of the first sub-panel, the first sub-panel being coupled along its lower horizontal edge to the top horizontal edge of the second subpanel, and the lower horizontal edge of the second subpanel being coupled to the top horizontal edge of the lower sub-panel,
wherein the panel further comprises a horizontal hinge coupling the first sub-panel to the second sub-panel and wherein the upper sub-panel being coupled to the rigid outer frame via a first rotatable coupler that couples a left side of the upper sub-panel to a left vertical member of the rigid outer frame and a second rotatable coupler that couples a right side of the upper sub-panel to a right vertical member of the rigid outer frame.
2. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the first rotatable coupler is a pin extending from the left side of upper sub-panel into an aperture proximate an upper end of the left vertical member of the rigid outer frame and wherein the second rotatable coupler is a pin extending from the right side of upper sub-panel into an aperture proximate an upper end of the right vertical member of the rigid outer frame.
3. The panel of claim 2 , wherein the first rotatable coupler and the second rotatable coupler are operable to allow the upper sub-panel and hence the first sub-panel to articulate with respect to the rigid outer frame.
4. The panel of claim 3 , further comprising a first lower pin or roller extending from the right side of the lower sub-panel and a second lower pin or roller extending from the left side of the lower side panel, the first lower pin or roller being confined within a track or rail integrated into or coupled to the left side of the outer rigid frame and the second lower pin or roller being confined within a track or rail integrated into or coupled to the right side of the rigid frame.
5. The panel of claim 4 , wherein the first lower pin or roller and corresponding track or rail and the second lower pin or roller and corresponding track or rail are operable to allow the lower sub-panel and hence second sub-panel to move with respect to the rigid outer frame.
6. The panel of claim 5 , wherein the horizontal hinge is operable to permit the sub-panels to articulate with respect to each other.
7. The panel of claim 6 , wherein when the lower sub-panel is moved in an upward motion via the interaction of the first lower pin or roller within its corresponding track or rails and the second lower pin or roller within its corresponding track or rails, it causes a repositioning of the first sub-panel with respect to second sub-panel such that they fold.
8. The panel of claim 7 , wherein the upper sub-panel is integrated with the first sub-panel and the lower sub-panel is integrated with the second sub-panel.
9. A ventilating panel of a plurality of panels in a residential garage door, comprising:
a rigid outer frame with an aperture therethrough dimensioned to receive a plurality of movable, foldable horizontally hinged sub-panels dimensioned to fit within the aperture of such outer frame when closed;
a screen coupled to the rigid outer frame operable to cover the aperture;
a plurality of movable, foldable horizontally hinged sub-panels dimensioned to fit within the aperture of such outer frame when closed, said sub-panels being an upper sub-panel, a first sub-panel, a second sub-panel and a lower sub-panel, the upper sub-panel coupled along its lower horizontal edge to the top horizontal edge of the first sub-panel, the first sub-panel being coupled along its lower horizontal edge to the top horizontal edge of the second subpanel, and the lower horizontal edge of the second subpanel being coupled to the top horizontal edge of the lower sub-panel;
a horizontal hinge coupling the first sub-panel to the second sub-panel wherein the hinge is one selected from the group consisting of: a flexible, resilient plastic, a flexible resilient rubber compound, one or more piano hinges, one or more continuous hinges, one or more continuous piano hinges, one or more continuous geared hinges, one or more butt hinges, one or more strap hinges, one or more barrel hinges and one or more hidden hinges;
the upper sub-panel being coupled to the rigid outer frame via a first rotatable coupler that couples a left side of the upper sub-panel to a left vertical member of the rigid outer frame and a second rotatable coupler that couples a right side of the upper sub-panel to a right vertical member of the rigid outer frame wherein the first rotatable coupler is a pin extending from the left side of upper sub-panel into an aperture proximate an upper end of the left vertical member of the rigid outer frame and wherein the second rotatable coupler is a pin extending from the right side of upper sub-panel into an aperture proximate an upper end of the right vertical member of the rigid outer frame and wherein the first rotatable coupler and the second rotatable coupler are operable to allow the upper sub-panel and hence the first sub-panel to articulate with respect to the rigid outer frame; and
a screwjack coupled from the rigid outer frame to the lower sub-panel operable to move the sub-panels with respect to each other when rotational force is applied to a worm component.
10. The ventilating panel of claim 9 , wherein the upper sub-panel is integrated with the first sub-panel and the lower sub-panel is integrated with the second sub-panel; and further comprising a locking mechanism operable to lock the lower sub-panel to the rigid outer frame and a strut coupled from the lower subpanel to the rigid outer frame operable to assist in the opening of the sub-panels.
11. The ventilating panel of claim 9 , wherein either of the first sub-panel and the second sub-panel are comprised of a solar transducer operable to receive sunlight, transduce sunlight into an electrical potential and wherein an angle of the sunlight hitting the first sub-panel or second sub-panel is a function of an angle that said sub-panel makes with respect to the rigid outer frame.