Door panel for overhead roll-up doors and a method for creating the same

Abstract

A door panel for an overhead roll-up door assembly having a first face, a second face, a top edge, and a bottom edge. The door panel is constructed by butt jointing at least two sub-panels together in a horizontal direction such that neither sub-panel overlaps the other and applying at least one strip of seaming material over each horizontal butt joint, the seaming material being adhered over each butt joint on at least the first face of the door panel. The door panel further includes at least one strip of seaming material adhered vertically along at least one face of the door panel extending from approximately the top edge of the door panel to approximately the bottom edge of the door panel, and being configured such that a top face of the vertical seaming material is substantially co-planar with a top face of the horizontal seaming material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A door panel for an overhead roll-up door assembly for a vertically moving door to permit and prohibit access to an opening, the door panel having a first face, a second face, a top edge, and a bottom edge and further comprising:
 at least two sub-panels butt jointed together in a horizontal direction in a manner such that neither sub-panel overlaps the other; at least one strip of seaming material adhered over each horizontal butt joint, the seaming material being adhered over each butt joint on at least the first face of the door panel; and,   at least one strip of seaming material adhered vertically along at least one face of the door panel, the seaming material extending from approximately the top edge of the door panel to approximately the bottom edge of the door panel and being configured such that a top face of the vertical seaming material is substantially co-planar with a top face of the horizontal seaming material.   
     
     
         2 . The door panel of  claim 1  further comprising at least three sub-panels, the three sub-panels configured such that:
 at least two sub-panels are vertically butt jointed forming at least one of a top portion of the door panel or a bottom portion of the door panel; 
 wherein the top portion of the door panel and the bottom portion of the door panel is horizontally butt jointed to at least one other sub-panel to form the door panel. 
 
     
     
         3 . The door panel of  claim 1  further comprising an intermediate panel disposed between the top and bottom portions of the door panel, the intermediate panel having a width substantially equal a width of the top and bottom portions of the door panel and being horizontally butt jointed to the top and bottom portions of the door panel. 
     
     
         4 . The door panel of  claim 3  wherein the at least one strip of vertical seaming material creates a gap between the first and second faces of the door panel when the door panel is rolled-up in at least a partially open position. 
     
     
         5 . The door panel of  claim 4  wherein each vertical butt joint in the top portion of the door panel substantially aligns with one vertical butt joint in the bottom portion of the door panel. 
     
     
         6 . The door panel of  claim 5  wherein the top and bottom portions of the door panel each include at least three vertically butt jointed sub-panels. 
     
     
         7 . The door panel of  claim 3  wherein the intermediate panel is substantially transparent. 
     
     
         8 . The door panel of  claim 2  wherein at least one strip of seaming material is adhered over each vertical butt joint and extends vertically from approximately a top edge of the door panel to approximately a bottom edge of the door panel. 
     
     
         9 . The door panel of  claim 1  wherein the strips of seaming material have a thickness less than the thickness of each sub-panel. 
     
     
         10 . The door panel of  claim 9  wherein the strips of seaming material have a thickness of approximately 1/16th of an inch. 
     
     
         11 . The door panel of  claim 1  wherein the strips of seaming material each have a width in the range of approximately two to three inches. 
     
     
         12 . The door panel of  claim 1  wherein the seaming material is multi-layered. 
     
     
         13 . The door panel of  claim 1  wherein the seaming material includes at least one selected from the group comprising at least a partially woven material, fabric, PVC, PET, and a partially reflective material. 
     
     
         14 . The door panel of  claim 1  wherein the at least one strip of seaming material is adhered over each horizontal butt joint and vertically on the door panel on both the first and second faces of the door panel. 
     
     
         15 . The door panel of  claim 1  wherein a strip of heavy duty material is attached to at least one of the strips of seaming material or the door panel proximate the at least one strip of vertical material. 
     
     
         16 . The door panel of  claim 1  wherein a face of the at least one strip of vertical seaming material is substantially co-planar with a face of the at least one strip of seaming material adhered over each horizontal butt joint. 
     
     
         17 . The door panel of  claim 1  wherein the at least one strip of seaming material adhered over each horizontal butt joint has at least one discontinuity at each vertical strip of seaming material so as to not overlap any portion of the at least one vertical strip of seaming material. 
     
     
         18 . A method of creating a door panel for an overhead roll-up door for a vertically moving door to permit and prohibit access to an opening, the door panel having a first face, a second face, a top edge, and a bottom edge, the method comprising the steps of:
 butt jointing at least two sub-panels horizontally;   adhering at least one strip of seaming material over each butt joint; and,   adhering at least one strip of seaming material vertically on at least one face of the door panel.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising the step of butt jointing at least one intermediate panel horizontally between the at least two sub-panels.