Combined weather seal, light block and wear insert for overhead door panel

Abstract

An overhead door and associated mating panels include enhanced wear surfaces and protection against the intrusion of climatic elements or the like in the form of a combined weather seal, light block and wear insert on the upper and/or lower edges of the mating adjacent door panels. The wear surfaces are utilized during the opening and closing of the door so that frictional interaction or rubbing between the mating edges is minimized to reduce wear and damage to the panels over the service life of the door. Additionally, the wear insert portion reduces a gap between the mating edges of the adjacent panels to provide enhanced protection without requiring increased roll forming tolerances on the panel manufacturing process. Moreover, the invention includes upright projecting weather seal and light blocking portions that are positioned in a gap formed at the juncture of the mating panels. When the door is closed, the weather seal and light blocking portions are deflected. The weather seal provides a climatic barrier as well as inhibiting the passage of foreign material between the mated panels and the light block inhibits light from passing between the mated panels.