Shield apparatus and method for sectional door hinge

摘要

A shield apparatus and method for guarding the gap between door sections of a sectional door to inhibit the insertion of fingers into the gap as the sectional door traverses between the elevated open position to the lowered, closed position. The shield apparatus is configured as an outer shield and an inner shield, both of which are fabricated from a resilient sheet material. The outer shield is formed into an L-shaped cross section along its length with the foot portion of the L shape being mounted to the upper edge of the lower door section so that the leg portion of the L shape extends upwardly across the gap between the lower door section and the upper door section. A water diversion channel is formed into the foot to divert water to the ends of the sectional door to preclude the water from dripping from the sectional door as it is raised to the open, overhead position. A pair of double-face tapes are used to secure the shield apparatus to the top edge of the lower door section. The inner shield is configured as a strip of resilient material such as plastic that is mounted to the lower edge of the inner face of the upper door section so that it extends downwardly across the gap between these two door sections. The resiliency of the inner shield causes the inner shield to slidingly cooperate with the inner face of the upper edge of the lower door section as the sectional door closes.