Magnetic Smart Seal For Overhead Garage Doors: Innovation Never Stops.

US20220136321A1

As one of Canada’s best-rated garage door companies, we always pay close attention to new products and services in the garage door industry. This time, an interesting patent application by Mr. Andrew S. Hoezee caught our attention.
According to the recent patent application number US20220136321A1, Mr. Hoezee invented an innovative magnetic seal for both residential and commercial garage doors, which got us excited. Why is this a big deal, you ask? There are several reasons the final product may have significant success, and if you’re located in a colder climate like us, this invention may significantly reduce your energy bill while keeping insects and pests out.

Why Is Garage Door Seal Important?

Most homeowners pay close attention to the R-Value of their garage door when choosing one. However, even the best-in-class insulated garage door won’t save you if there’s a gap between the door and the frame. The warm air will find its way out without an adequate seal around the garage door.
Standart outside weatherstripping helps seal the door, yet from our experience, it is rarely doing a good job at it. Worn-out hinges and rollers also reduce the seal quality between the garage door and the frame, which means that the energy loss due to worn-out hardware and poor performance of the weatherstripping can be huge.

Contrary to popular belief, the R-Value of your garage door and a good seal around it is essential regardless if you have a heater inside your garage or not. Your winter energy bill will have a significant “hair cut” if you have an adequate seal along with good quality insulated garage door.

So How The Magnetic Smart Seal For Overhead Garage Doors Will Work?

According to the patent application, the inventor aims to create a magnetic trim disposed at opposing lateral sides of the frame. The magnets will be configured to engage and disengage after receiving an electrical impulse from the garage door opener, similarly to the electronic lock LM841 by Liftmaster. Having a tight magnetic seal around your garage door should significantly reduce heat loss and make your house even more energy-efficient. The patent application defines different ways to achieve a magnetic seal between the door and the door’s frame, such as using electro-permanent magnets. Such magnets can switch between an ON and OFF state in response to a pulse of electrical current coming from the garage door opener or another controller.

Will The Magnetic Smart Seal For Overhead Garage Doors Get Traction?

While the idea is certainly interesting and useful for a huge part of the globe, there may be some challenges in bringing the concept to life and delivering a successful product to the market. The first thing to consider would be synchronization between the garage door opener and the “Magnetic Smart Seal.”
Mr. Andrew S. Hoezee will need to collaborate with brands like Chamberlain and Liftmaster to make his product work with the most popular and capable garage door openers on the market. At the time of writing this article, Liftmaster and Chamberlain have limited garage door models compatible with the magnetic garage door lock, meaning that around 95% of all garage door openers on the market don’t have the functionality to send a signal or electrical current prior to opening the door. As a solution to this issue, we came up with the idea of an external receiver that will first capture the signal from the remote, release the magnetic seal, and then transmit the signal to the opener with a short delay.

Another challenge in adopting the “Magnetic Smart Seal” will be the installation procedure. If the product is easy to install, some homeowners will be able to buy it online and DIY the project. However, from our experience, most homeowners prefer to hire a professional to deal with their garage door. That means that the team behind the final product will have to bring as many garage door companies on board as possible.

One last thing that comes to mind is the energy efficiency of the magnetic seal. Depending on the final design and implementation, the magnets may be consuming electricity while sealing the garage door. This energy consumption should be minimal to justify the electricity cost of the seal compared to heat transfer reduction.

Final Thoughts on The "Magnetic Smart Seal" by Mr. Andrew S. Hoezee.

Is this an exciting patent application?- Definitely!
Does it solve a significant problem? – Yes, it does! ( If the seal is energy efficient.)
Will it be easy to convince an average homeowner to buy it? – May be (Price dependant)
Will it become popular? – May be ( Depending on the ease of installation )
Will we try this product once it is out? – You bet we will, and we’ll tell you everything about it!

For more details, visit the official patent application page.

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Calgary Garage Door Fix Inc.

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Quick Contacts

Calgary Garage Door Fix Inc.