Overhead door

An overhead door for a structure, the overhead door comprising:

• a pair of tracks mounted on the structure, each of the tracks having a substantially smooth engagement surface having an angled portion and a u-shaped channel, and wherein the individual u-shaped channels are positioned in predetermined substantially parallel relation, one to the other;
• a substantially rigid door panel located intermediate the pair of tracks, and movable along a predetermined path of travel which is defined by the pair of tracks;
• and
• a release assembly borne by the substantially rigid door panel and operable to releasably engage at least one of the tracks, the release assembly including a housing mounted on the door panel and defining a cavity;
• a plunger movably borne by the housing, and received in the cavity, the plunger having a proximal end which is received in the housing, and a distal end, which is received in the u-shaped channel of one of the tracks, and wherein the plunger is reciprocally moveable along a predetermined path of travel from a first, engaged position, wherein the distal end of the plunger is received in the u-shaped channel, to a second, retracted position wherein the distal end of the plunger is displaced from the u-shaped channel;
• and means borne by the housing for biasing the plunger into the first, engaged position;
• and wherein the plunger has a main body which includes a threaded passageway, and wherein a threaded shaft is reciprocally borne by the housing and received in the cavity, and wherein the threaded shaft threadably engages the plunger, and wherein a nut threadably engages the threaded shaft and is positioned intermediate its opposite ends, and wherein the biasing means includes a spring which is received about the threaded shaft, and is biased between the housing and the nut, the spring urging the plunger into the first, extended position.

An overhead door for selectively occluding an opening in a structure, the overhead door comprising:

• a pair of tracks individually borne on opposite sides of the opening, the individual tracks each having a main body which includes forwardly and rearwardly facing surfaces, and laterally disposed, inwardly and outwardly facing surfaces, and wherein the inwardly facing surfaces of each of the tracks have engagement surfaces which define a u-shaped channel which extends substantially longitudinally relative to each of the tracks;
• a substantially rigid door panel positioned between the tracks and operable to selectively occlude the opening of the structure;
• a housing mounted on the door panel;
• a plunger movably borne by the housing and having a distal end which is movably received in the u-shaped channel of at least one of the tracks, and wherein the plunger is reciprocally moveable along a predetermined linear path of travel from a first, engaged position, wherein the distal end of the plunger is positioned in the u-shaped channel, to a second, retracted position wherein the distal end of the plunger is displaced from the u-shaped channel;
• and
• means borne by the housing for biasing the plunger into the first engaged position, and wherein force applied to the door panel causes the plunger to move from the first, engaged position, to the second, retracted position thus allowing the door panel to disengage from the track;
• and wherein the plunger has a main body which includes a passageway, and wherein a shaft is reciprocally borne by the housing and engages the passageway, and wherein the shaft includes a stop member, and wherein the biasing means includes a spring which is received about the shaft and biased between the stop member and the housing, the spring biasing the plunger into the first, extended position.

An overhead door for a structure comprising:

• a pair of tracks mounted on the structure, each of the tracks having an inwardly facing surface which defines a channel, and wherein the individual channels are mounted in predetermined substantially parallel relation one to the other;
• a door panel located between the pair of tracks and moveable along a predetermined path of travel which is defined by the pair of tracks;
• and
• a release assembly borne by the door panel and operable to releasably engage at least one of the tracks, the release assembly including a moveable plunger which is received in the channel of one of the tracks, and wherein the plunger has a proximal end which is received in the housing, and a distal end which is received in the channel, and wherein the plunger is reciprocally moveable along a predetermined path of travel from a first engaged position, wherein the distal end of the plunger is received in the channel, to a second, retracted position wherein the distal end of the plunger is displaced from the channel, and wherein the plunger has a main body which includes a threaded passageway, and wherein a threaded shaft is reciprocally borne by the housing and received in the cavity, and wherein the threaded shaft threadably engages the plunger and wherein a nut threadably engages the threaded shaft and is located in a position intermediate its opposite ends, and wherein a biasing means including a spring is received about the threaded shaft and is biased between the housing and the nut, the spring urging the plunger into the first extended position, and wherein the plunger moves along the path of travel and further disengages from the channel when force of predetermined magnitude is applied to the door panel.

An overhead door for selectively occluding an opening in a structure, the overhead door comprising:

• a pair of tracks individually borne on opposite sides of the opening, the individual tracks each having a main body which includes forwardly and rearwardly facing surfaces, and laterally disposed, inwardly and outwardly facing surfaces, and wherein the inwardly facing surfaces of each of the tracks have engagement surfaces which define a u-shaped channel which extends substantially longitudinally relative to each of the tracks;
• a plurality of substantially rigid door panels positioned between the tracks and operable to selectively occlude the opening of the structure;
• at least one housing mounted on each of the substantially rigid door panels;
• a plunger borne by each of the housings and having a distal end which is movably received in the u-shaped channel of at least one of the tracks and wherein the plunger is reciprocally moveable along a predetermined linear path of travel from a first, engaged position wherein the distal end of the plunger is positioned in the u-shaped channel to a second, retracted position, wherein the distal end of the plunger is displaced from the u-shaped channel;
• a shaft reciprocally borne by each of the housings and made integral with each of the plungers, and wherein the shaft includes a stop member;
• and
• means borne by the each of the housings for biasing each of the plungers into the first, engaged position, and wherein the biasing means includes a spring which is received about the shaft and biased between the stop member and the housing, and wherein force applied to any one of the substantially rigid door panels causes the plunger of the forced, substantially rigid door panel to move from the first, engaged position to the second, retracted position, allowing the forced, substantially rigid door panel to disengage from the track.

An overhead door for a structure, the overhead door comprising:

• a pair of tracks capable of being mounted on the structure, each of the tracks having a substantially smooth engagement surface having an angled portion and a u-shaped channel, and wherein the individual u-shaped channels are capable of being positioned in predetermined substantially parallel relation, one to the other;
• a plurality of substantially rigid door panels capable of being mounted intermediate the pair of tracks, each movable along a predetermined path of travel which is defined by the pair of tracks;
• and
• at least one release assembly borne by each of the substantially rigid door panels and operable to releasably engage at least one of the tracks, each release assembly including:
• a housing mounted on one substantially rigid door panel;
• a substantially rigid plunger movable along a linear path of travel having a proximal end received in the housing, a distal end received in the u-shaped channel of one of the tracks, and a main body which includes a stop member, the movable plunger capable of guiding the door panel along its predetermined path of travel, and which further disengages from the u-shaped channel, moves along the angled portion of the engagement surface, and disengages from the at least one of the tracks when force of a predetermined magnitude is applied to the door panel;
• and
• means borne by the housing for biasing the plunger into the first, engaged position, and which is biased between the housing and the stop member.