WO2002099235A1

WO2002099235A1 - Improved garage door opener

Info

Publication number: WO2002099235A1
Application number: PCT/US2002/018438
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Wolfe; Joel Powder; Donald Pastor; James H. St Pierre; John Piechowiak; Erick Dobis; Joseph Stephens
Original assignee: Telephonics Corporation
Priority date: 2001-06-06
Filing date: 2002-06-05
Publication date: 2002-12-12
Also published as: EP1397573A1; CA2449776A1

Abstract

An improved garage door opener is disclosed. The garage door opener has a housing and a rail. The rail has a first end and a second end, said first end being adapted to be connected to a wall of a structure and the second end being adapted to be connected to the housing. The housing has motor for driving a belt that is connected to a trolley riding along said rail. The trolley is adapted to move the door in response to the motion of the belt. The housing has a sensing means for sensing whether said belt is moving when said motor is operating. The sensor causes the motor to cease if there is no belt motion when the motor is operating.

Description

IMPROVED GARAGE DOOR OPENER

Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to improvements in the field of door openers, more particularly garage door openers. The present invention is advantageous in belt driven garage door openers.

Background of the Invention

Garage door openers are relied on more and more by homeowners and business owners for aiding the operation of garage and other doors. Openers are particularly useful for garage doors that are raised to open as opposed to doors that swing outwardly to open. Garage door openers, in addition to assisting the user in raising a heavy door, also have the ability to increase security in the garage. Many locks that are available for garage doors are not very sophisticated and are readily overcome by even the most inexperienced thief. A mechanical garage door opener can be a significant additional deterrent to unauthorized entry because of the significant force that is necessary to overcome the garage door opener's electromechanical brake.

Garage door openers are usually used with doors that ride along a pair of tracks at opposite edges of the doors. Wheels extending from the sides of the door are retained in the tracks. The openers typically have a motor, which may be either a DC motor or an AC motor. The motor is operated by a power source, usually, the homes electric system. The motor frequently drives a screw, chain or belt in order to raise and lower the door. Screw driven and belt driven garage door openers are typically more expensive to manufacture than chain driven garage door openers. Chain driven garage door openers are usually more noisy than screw and belt driven garage door openers.

One of the primary issues with respect to garage door openers in the last few years has been the issue of safety. The force exerted by the door and or the motor as the door is lowered can cause serious injury to people and pets who may be present in the path of travel of the door. As a result, there has been significant work done to improve the safety of garage door openers in operation. Most garage door openers sold today have at least two means for terminating downward movement in the event that an obstruction is present in the path of travel. One common method of ascertaining whether an obstruction is present is the use of a beam of light, infrared or visible, that extends from one side of the door opening to the other. The light beam is usually placed at a height of 6 to 12 inches above the ground to prevent the door from hitting a small child or pet. An emitter sends the beam across the opening to a sensor on the opposite side. If the beam is broken by an obstruction such as an individual, a toy or portion of the car then the door will cease its downward motion and reverse. Although these sensors provide some protection against injury to children or pets, there has been an effort to increase protection and as a result, an inherent sensing means is required to be present in the door openers. Many prior art garage door openers focus on the motor and its motion to provide the main source of safety against obstructions. As a result, the prior art garage door openers may sense resistance on the motor caused by an obstruction and shut down when there is resistance present. Another approach is to use a means to measure rotation of the motor shaft and to shut down the motor if there are irregularities in the movement of the shaft such as would be caused by an obstruction. Alternative approaches include timing devices that measure the amount of time the door takes to travel in normal operation and compare that determination to each closing of the door. If the time it takes the door to close is greater than a predetermined amount then the door's downward motion ceases.

Many current garage door openers employ an AC motor to drive the motor. However, a DC motor has significant advantages for use in a garage door application. These advantages include cost, size and multi-speeds.

One feature that is currently the subject of advertisements for garage door openers is the speed that the doors can be lifted by the opener when the user wants to remove the vehicle from the garage. There is also a desire by the user for the garage door to close rapidly. The advantage of a rapidly closing garage door is that the user does not have to delay leaving the premises while he waits for the door to close. A rapidly closing garage door is advantageous because the customer can see the door close before he leaves and he will be sure the garage is secure without the need to wait an unnecessary period of time for the door to close. As a result, there is a need for a rapidly opening and closing garage door opener.

Another feature that is desired by many consumers is a garage door opener that has a soft startup and stopping motion. A soft stopping motion is advantageous because there is less risk of damage to the door from the force of closing. There is also less chance of damage to an obstruction that may be present. A soft startup is desirable because in order not to overly stress the drive system. At the present time there are generally three types of garage door openers, screw driven, chain driven and belt driven. One of the advantages of a belt driven garage door opener is the quiet operation. Chains and screws are noisy due to their metal construction. A belt is usually considerably quieter.

The purchase and installation of a garage door opener is becoming more and more of a "Saturday project" for the homeowner and as a result, there is a need for the installation of the garage door opener to become simpler and less time consuming. The more parts that are pre- assembled at the factory the fewer the homeowner must contend with and the less risk that the installation will become prone to problems. One of the major assemblies of a garage door opener installation has been the assembly of the drive rail. Heretofore the rail in a chain or belt driven garage door has had to be assembled by the homeowner or other installer at the site. One reason for the site assembly was the need to package the garage door opener in as small a package as possible. This was typically accomplished by shipping the rail in a number of pieces that needed to be bolted or joined together. One of the difficulties encountered in the assembly in this manner was the difficulty in threading the chain or the belt properly in its track. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved one piece rail assembly for a garage door opener as well as an improved means for assembling the parts in an assembled opener..

Most garage door openers available today have a light bulb present to provide an additional source of light to the garage. When the door is installed a fresh bulb is inserted into the opener and forgotten until the bulb burns out many months later. In order to replace the bulb many current garage door openers have a lens cover that is difficult to remove and as a result, there is a tendency for users of the garage door opener to forego removal of the bulb when it has burned out. As a result, there is a need for a garage door opener that has an improved lens arrangement to facilitate replacement of bulbs in the opener.

It is not uncommon for a home owner to release the garage door from the garage door opener's trolley to manually open the without the use of the garage door opener. Manual opening of the door can arise for a number of reasons. One reason for manually opening the garage door is due to a power failure. In order to open the door the door must be released from the trolley so that the door can travel freely. When power is restored or for some other reason the homeowner seeks to reconnect the garage door opener the trolley must cycle through its path of travel to reconnect the door with the door opener. In addition, there is also a need for the door to be capable of being disconnected from the trolley in an expeditious manner in the event there is an emergency need to open the door when the garage door opener is incapable of operation. As a result, there is a need for the garage door opener to have an improved emergency door release mechanism with an automatic reconnect of the trolley.

Most garage door openers available on the market have a housing that is purely functional and does not have any visual appeal. One significant reason for this is that the arrangement of the components in the housing is limited in view of the desire to limit the size of the housing to as compact a form as possible. As a result of these considerations the housing of most garage door openers is box-like, i.e., having a generally square or rectangular shape. Accordingly, there is a need to have an improved arrangement of the opener components in the housing to permit a more esthetic housing. Objects of the Invention

It is an object of the invention to provide a garage door opener with an improved sensing mechanism for sensing the presence of an obstruction in the path of travel of the garage door.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved garage door opener that has an automatically reversible DC motor to cause the door to be lifted in the event an obstruction is sensed.

It is an object of the invention to provide a garage door opener with high speed door opening and closing.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a garage door opener with a soft start-up and stopping motion.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved garage door opener that has a stronger belt less likely to wear out or to become distended over use.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a garage door opener with a one piece preassembled drive rail.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a garage door opener with easy access to the light bulbs present in the system through an improved lens mechanism.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a garage door opener with quieter operation than other belt driven openers.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved emergency door release mechanism with an automatic reconnect of the trolley.

It is another object of the invention to provide a garage door opener that provides significantly greater light in the garage than most conventional garage door openers.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a garage door opener that has an electromechanical locking mechanism to furnish additional security to the property owner.

It is an object of the invention to provide a garage door opener that is easy to install in a garage compared to conventional garage door openers by the use of "quick connect" cables.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a garage door opener that has easy access to interior parts for repair or replacement.

It is an object of the invention to provide a garage door opener that has a multifunction diagnostic control panel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a garage door opener that has an improved housing which provides for ease of manufacture.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows the garage door of the present invention installed in a garage.

Figure 2 is a view of the top side of the garage door opener of the present invention and the rail that houses the drive belt and locking assembly.

Figure 2A shows an exploded view of the top side of the garage door opener.

Figure 2B shows an exploded view of the of the garage door opener looking upwardly from the floor of a garage door

Figure 3 shows the garage door opener of the present invention connected to the rail. Figure 4 is a view of the top of the garage door opener of Figure 2 with the rail and base plate removed.

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the housing of the garage door opener of Figure 2 with the cover removed.

Figure 6 is an exploded view of the drive gear and locking system housing.

Figure 6A shows the assembled drive gear housing of the garage door opener with locking unit.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the rail of the present invention.

Figure 8 is an end view of the rail of the present invention.

Figure 9 is a side view of the rail of the present invention.

Figure 1 is a bottom view of the rail of the present invention.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the trolley of the present invention.

Figure 12 is an exploded view of the trolley of Figure 11.

Figure 13 shows a perspective view of the header bracket assembly on one end of the rail of the garage door opener of Figure 9.

Figure 14 shows a side view of a portion of the header bracket assembly of Figure 13.

Detailed Description of the Invention

As seen in Figure 1, there is a garage with a door 10. The door can be any of the typical overhead door designs with a plurality of panels. The door may be mechanically opened by a door opener 11 having a rail 12 that is connected to the interior wall of the garage. The rail has a trolley 13 riding either within or along the rail. Extending from the trolley 13 is an arm 14 that is attached to an upper interior surface of the garage door 10. The door has a plurality of spaced apart rollers, not shown extending from each side of the door. As the door is raised and lowered the rollers travel in tracks 15 and 16 which guide the door to an opened position. As a safety measure to prevent injury or damage to people or property in the path of travel of the door, a pair of sensor means are located at the lower portion of the path of travel of the garage door. Preferably the sensor means are infrared photosensors. Typically, a beam such as an IR beam is emitted from a transmitter 17 in one of the sensors that is attached in proximity to one of the tracksl5. Instead of an TR. beam other light beams can be used instead. The beam is sensed by the receiver 18 in the other sensor in proximity to the other rail 16. The beam may be any type of beam such as visible, or infrared light that is typically used by garage door openers. In the event the beam is broken when the garage door is traveling downward for example by an object or person in the path, the opener stops the downward travel. The door can either remain where stopped or can be automatically reversed to an open position as is desired.

The opener has a housing 20, which is preferably made of an impact resistant plastic such as ABS plastic. The housing has a lens 20A over a portion of the housing. The lens 20 A is preferably removable to permit the user to remove one or both of the light bulbs present in the housing. The housing is attached to the structure of the garage by a suitable means. As seen in Figure 1 a pair of arms 21 and 21 A extend upwardly from the top surface of the housing 20. These arms may preferably be provided with a plurality of orifices to conveniently secure the arms to the garage's beams so that the opener may be readily set up in its desired position in the garage for smooth operation As seen in Figure 2 the rail 12 is preferably a distinct and separate member from the housing 20. This is advantageous for shipping the garage door opener from the manufacturer to the ultimate consumer as the overall length of the shipping container may be reduced if the housing and the rail are separable. The rail 12 and can be a single member or additional for space saving considerations in shipping can be made up of two or more members connected together by a suitable means.

The rail provides both a guide for the travel of the carriage 13. In a preferred embodiment, the rail may also provide a housing for the carriage 13. The carriage is propelled through movement of the belt 22. As the belt turns, the trolley moves in the rail. The moving trolley 13 drives the door into an open and shut position. A pair of drive shafts 23 and 24 extend from the housing. The first shaft 23 is a drive shaft that is driven by the motor 25 in the housing. The motor is preferably a DC motor such as the DC motors made by Valeo of Germany. The use of a DC motor has certain advantages over an AC motor in the operation of a garage door opener. These advantages include being automatically reversible in the event an obstruction is hit during downward travel of the garage door. The shaft 24 is a sensing gear, as described below, that senses movement or lack of movement of the belt.

As seen in Figure 3 the rail 12 is connected to the housing by a suitable means such as for example, inverted U-shaped brackets 26 and 27 that go around the rail and may be bolted or otherwise connected to the top surface of the housing to hold the rail in place. In a preferred embodiment the housing is provided with a base plate 30 having a pair of wings or flanges 28 and 29. The arms 21 and 21 A may be connected to the housing at flanges 28 and 29 respectively by any suitable means. The flanges may preferably be provided with a series of orifices, 29 A, 29B, 29C, etc. for connecting the arms to the flanges in a variety of locations to accommodate various garage configurations.

Figure 4 shows the top surface of the housing with the rail channel outline removed to reveal the arrangement of the various components of the present garage door opener. There is the drive unit base assembly 32 which has a base plate 30 attached thereto. The motor shaft 23 is inserted into sleeve 67 A (See Figure 6) in the lower half of the drive gear housing 50 when the rail and housing are assembled. The motor drive shaft 23 is preferably a splined shaft that fits into sleeve 66 so that as the motor drive shaft 23 is rotated by the motor and it in turn rotates the drive gear 23A which provides the motive force for rotating the belt 22. The movement of the belt also turns the sensing shaft gear 24 connected to the sending unit 34. An idler wheel 35 resides in the idler housing 36 and maintains tension of the belt on the sensing gear shaft 24 during travel of the belt and also steers the belt to travel down the center of the rail. Also present on the drive unit base assembly 32 are a series of connections for various feature of the garage door opener. For example, there may be one or more jacks 37, 38, 39 and 40. Two jacks 37 and 38 are preferably RJ-8 type jacks for the photosensor connection. The remaining two jacks 39 and 40 are preferably RJ-11 jacks. One of these jacks is to connect the wall control to the system and the other is present in the event a second garage door opener is to be connected to the first, for example, in a two car garage by means of a quick connect cable and digital address selection 42. There may also be a speaker 41 for a alarm in the event the garage door is prevented from closing due to an obstruction. In the event of an obstruction, the speaker will provide an audible signal that the garage door is not moving and has hit an obstruction. In a preferred embodiment there is also a quick connect terminal block 43 for connection to a solenoid lock 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 71 for locking the door in a closed position to provide additional protection to the homeowner from unauthorized entry and a home switch 126 for detecting door opening travel position.

As seen in Figure 5, there is a first transformer 44, preferably a 19 VAC, a motor control circuit card assembly 45, a power supply circuit card assembly 48. DC motor 25 is preferably a DC motor manufactured by Valeo of Germany. The second transformer 46 is preferably a 32 volt AC transformer. Both transformers are preferably those that are manufactured by GlobeTek of New Jersey. Power is supplied from the AC power cord 47, thru terminal block 49.

Many safety organizations require that garage door openers sold in most jurisdictions in the United States have at least two emergency stopping mechanisms for preventing downward travel of the door when an obstruction is present. In the present invention, the first or inherent emergency stopping mechanism is implemented thru the use of the sensing gear 24 which ascertains, as described below, whether there is travel (movement) by the belt. In the event the belt is not traveling when the garage door is in a closing mode the sensing gear 24 signals the motor via the control logic 45 and 48 to cease operation. The details of the logic for the operation of the sensing gear are disclosed in our co-pending U.S. Application Serial No. filed concurrently herewith, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In the present invention the second means for stopping downward travel is the light beam described above that travels from one side of the garage door opening to the other.

The drive gear housing 33 in a preferred embodiment is shown in more detail in Figure 6. The housing 33 is preferably but not required to be in two segments and may have a drive gear docking station 49 and a static lock housing 50 which mate together to form the housing 32. Within the housing 33 are drive gear member 51 which constitutes the drive gear 23 A and braking member 52 that rotate about the same axis as the motor shaft 23. Although shown as two individual members 23 A and 52, the functions of each may be combined together in a single member. Also within the housing are lock block 53, springs 54 and 55 and solenoid 56 and 57. Springs 54 and 55 are retained in the spring cradles 54A and 55A respectively of the static lock housing 50. Corresponding spring cradles 54B and 55B are present in the drive gear docking station 49. The lock block 53 is connected to the solenoid shaft 51 by means of pin 71. The lock block 53 is retracted from the braking member 52 by energizing solenoid 56 during normal movement of the door i.e. movement of the door when no obstruction is present that prevents the garage door from closing. The solenoid 56 is preferably held in place by guide members 71 and 72 on the static lock housing 50. A corresponding pair of guide members are similarly placed on the drive gear docking station 49. In a preferred embodiment the guide members are provided with a notch 73 so that when the drive gear docking station 49 and the static lock housing 50 are assembled, the cross section of the notches approximates the cross section of the pin 57 so that the pin will be retained in position without having its lateral motion impeded when released by the solenoid.

Below the drive gear 23 A and preferably integral therewith is breaking member 52 which is in the form of a generally round disk that has a series of indentations 60. In a preferred embodiment there are four recessed portions 60 spaced generally equidistant around the disk of breaking member 52. Each of the recessed portions 60 preferably mate with a cam 61 on the lock block 53. In one embodiment each of the indentations has a pair of side walls 62 and 63 that are joined together by a base 64. The number of indentations in the breaking member 52 may vary depending on the diameter of the drive gear member. In addition, the configuration or shape of the cam 61 may also vary as desired. However, the design of the recessed portion 60 should be such that it mates with the cam 61. It will be appreciated that in an alternative embodiment, the lock block may be eliminated and the tip 57 A of the pin 57 may be configured to be received by the indentations in the braking member 52. Alternatively, the breaking member may be eliminated and the tip 57A of the pin 57 can be received by the valleys 59 in the drive gear 23 A

The drive gear 23 A rotates within the drive gear housing 33 on sleeves 65 and 66. Sleeve 66 may be open at its base similar to sleeve 65. The orifice of the sleeve 66 may receive the motor drive shaft 23 A which is powered by the motor. In any event, the drive gear 23 A is rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise by the rotation of the motor. The sleeves 65 and 66 are held in place in the drive gear docking station 49 and the static lock housing 50 by receptacles 67 in the drive gear docking station 49 and 67A in the static lock housing, respectively. The rotation of the drive gear will stop when the solenoid 56 receives a signal from the control logic sensed by the sensing gear 24 that belt travel has been impeded by an obstruction or has ceased. The sensing gear 24 has a gear portion 24A which is turned by the teeth on the belt as the belt moves during operation of the door opener. On the opposite end of the gear portion 24A is disk 24B that is provided with a plurality of fingers 24C. As the gear portion is turned by the belt movement, the fingers also rotate. A light or other type of beam is repeatedly broken by the fingers as they turn. When the door meets an obstruction during travel the gear portion 24A ceases to travel and as a result the fingers cease to break the light beam. The control logic recognizes that the beam either remains broken or remains unbroken thus signaling that an obstruction is present. When such signal is received the pin 57 is released from the solenoid 56 and the expansive force of the springs 54 and 55 causes the lock block 53 to move forward toward the breaking member 52 on the drive gear member 51. Alternatively, a spring can cause the pin to travel towards the braking member 52 when the lock block 53 is not present. As the drive gear 23 A is further rotated, the cam 61 on the lock block 53 enters one of the recessed portions 60 causing the drive gear member to lock in place. The termination of rotation causes the belt travel to cease and thus further motion of the garage door is prevented.

The drive gear docking station 49 and a static lock housing 50 are held together by any suitable means such as a pair of screws 69 and 70. The drive gear docking station 49 has a pair of slots 74 and 75 for the drive belt to pass as the drive gear 23 A rotates. The teeth on the drive gear preferably mate with the profile of the teeth on the drive belt to prevent slippage. In one embodiment, the drive gear 23A has a series of teeth 58 that may have generally U-shaped valleys 59 between the teeth so that the drive gear mates with the teeth on the belt 22.

The drive gear docking station 49 and a static lock housing 50 are readily separable by means of screws 69 and 70 for ease of replacement of the drive belt if it has stretched over time through use. The design of the drive gear docking station 49 is such that the belt is unable to rise up off of the teeth of the drive gear unless the drive gear docking station 49 is removed. The static lock housing 50 may be provided with a nose 78 that passes through ring 79 in the drive gear docking station 49. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the nose can be on the drive gear docking station 49 and the ring can be on the static lock housing 50 instead. Although the nose and ring are shown as generally rectangular in configuration, it will also be appreciated that any mating arrangement may be used as desired. The purpose of a mating arrangement of the nose and ring is to permit the user to readily assemble the drive gear docking station 49 and a static lock housing 50 in their proper configuration as may be necessary.

The rail 22 of the present invention is preferably different than the typical inverted "T' shaped rail commonly used in the prior art. The present rail has a generally rectangular or square cross section although the shape of the cross section can be varied. Preferably the rail is a single member. In the preferred embodiment, the rail may have a first rail member 81 and a second rail member 82. Each of these members has a wall 83 having an inner wall surface 84 and an outer wall surface 85 and a pair of side members 86 and 87 on opposite ends of the wall surface 83 . The side members are generally preferably perpendicular to the wall surface 83. The side members on first rail member 81 and second rail member 82 preferably do not touch on at least one surface of the rail, thus leaving an opening for the arm 14 in trolley 13 to travel when the trolley 13 moves within the rail The movement of the belt 22 causes the trolley 13 to travel along the rail. As the trolley 13 travels away from the garage door opener the door is lowered. When the trolley travels toward the opener the door is raised. At the end of the rail where the opener is attached, the drive gear housing 33 is located within the rail 12.

The trolley 13 is shown in more detail in Figures 11 and 12. As shown in these figures there is a carriage 91 a belt trolley 92 having a striker 93. The striker 93 interconnects with the belt trolley to form a positive receptacle for latch 95 attached to carriage 91. The two ends of a belt may be secured together through matching grooves in the top of the trolley. Extending from the carriage 91 are door arms 14 and 94. Door arm 14 is connected at one end to the carriage 91 and at the other end to a mounting bracket on the garage door. At one side of the carriage 91, is latch 95 which is connected to the carriage by clevis pins 96 and 97 and spring 98. When the latch is released by pulling on emergency cord 13 the carriage is permitted to travel unimpeded by the belt so that the door may be manually opened and closed. The spring 98 forces the latch back and thus locking the carriage into position with the trolley strike plate 93 when the two become aligned and when pressure on the latch is released.

Idler gear 127 is attached to rail member 81 to cause drive belt 22 to travel down the center line of the rail 12 when drive gear 23 A is rotated by motor shaft 23. The drive gear housing 33 is located at one end of the rail 12. The other end of the rail has a header bracket 100 for attaching the rail to the garage wall. As seen in Figures 10 and 13, the drive belt 22 travels around an idler wheel 101 that is held in place by a clevis 125. Extending from the clevis 125 is carriage bolt tensioner 103. Carriage bolt tensioner 103 passes through end plate 104. On the side of the end plate opposite the clevis 125 a lock nut 105 and washer 107 holds spring tensioner assembly 106 positioned on the carriage bolt tensioner 103. Extending from the clevis is header bracket 100. As the garage door operates over time there may be a tendency for the drive belt to stretch slightly. The tension of the drive belt can be adjusted by tightening the carriage bolt tensioner 103.

Claims

We Claim l.An improved garage door opener comprising a housing and a rail, said rail having a first end and a second end, said first end being adapted to be connected to a wall of a structure and said second end being adapted to be connected to said housing, said housing having motor for driving a belt that is connected to a trolley in said rail, said trolley being adapted to move said door in response to the motion of the belt, the improvement comprising said rail having a first rail member and a second rail member, each of said first and second rail members having a wall having a first end and a second end, said wall having an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface and a pair of side members on each end of the wall surface, said side members extending from said inner wall surface, said inner wall surfaces being in a face to face relationship such that said side members extend towards each other and wherein at least one of said side members on said first rail member and a corresponding one of said side members on said second rail member do not contact each other and have sufficient distance between each end of said side members to permit an arm to extend from a carriage in said trolley between said side members such that the movement of said trolley through said rail is not impeded by said side members.

2. The garage door opener according to claim 1 wherein said side members are generally perpendicular to said inner wall surface.

3. The garage door opener according to claim 1 wherein said housing has a base plate having a first and second flange raised from said base plate, each of said flanges having an arm extending therefrom for connecting said housing to a garage.

4. An improved garage door opener comprising a housing and a rail, said rail having a first end and a second end, said first end being adapted to be connected to a wall of a structure and said second end being adapted to be connected to said housing, said housing having motor for driving a belt that is connected to a trolley riding along said rail, said trolley being adapted to move said door in response to the motion of the belt, the improvement comprising said housing having a sensing means for sensing whether said belt is moving when said motor is operating, said sensor causing said motor to cease if there is no belt motion when said motor is operating.

5. The garage door opener according to claim 1 wherein said rail has a drive gear housing between the inner wall surface of said first and second rail members.

6. The garage door opener according to claim 5 wherein the drive gear housing has a drive gear docking station and a static lock housing which mate together to form the housing.

7. The garage door opener according to claim 6 wherein said drive gear housing has a drive gear member which comprises a drive gear and a braking member that rotate about the same axis.

8. The garage door opener according to claim 7 wherein said drive gear housing further comprises a lock block that contacts said braking member when a belt in the rail ceases movement and causes said drive gear to cease rotation.

9. The garage door opener according to claim 8 wherein said lock block is forced into engagement with said braking member by a spring means.

10. The garage door opener according to claim 9 wherein said lock block is retained in a position away from engagement with said braking member by a solenoid.

11. The garage door opener according to claim 10 wherein said solenoid releases said lock block when said belt in the rail ceases movement.

12. The garage door opener according to claim 11 wherein said spring means comprises a first and second spring.

13. The garage door opener according to claim 12 wherein said springs are retained in the spring cradles in said drive gear docking station and said static lock housing.

14. The garage door opener according to claim 13 wherein the lock block is releasably retained in said solenoid by a guide pin during movement of the belt.

15. The garage door opener according to claim 14 wherein the pin is held in place in said drive gear docking station and said static lock housing by guide members on the static lock housing and the drive gear docking station.

16. The garage door opener according to claim 15 wherein said guide members are provided with a notch that approximates the cross section of said pin.

17. The garage door opener according to claim 7 wherein said breaking member is in the form of a generally round disk that has at least one recessed portion on an edge of said disk..

18. The garage door opener according to claim 17 wherein said breaking member has four recessed portions spaced generally equidistant around said disk.

19. The garage door opener according to claim 18 wherein each of the recessed portions is adapted to mate with a cam on the lock block.

20. The garage door opener according to claim 19 wherein each of said recessed portions has a pair of side walls and that are joined together by a base.

21. The garage door opener according to claim 7 wherein the drive gear rotates within the drive gear housing on a sleeve.

22. The garage door opener according to claim 21 wherein said sleeve is open at one end and said open end of said sleeve is adapted to receive a motor drive shaft which is rotatable by the motor.

23. The garage door opener according to claim 11 wherein the movement of the belt is sensed by a sensing gear.

24.The garage door opener according to claim 23 wherein rotation of the drive gear will stop when the solenoid receives a signal from the control logic sensed by the sensing gear that belt travel is impeded.

25. The garage door opener according to claim 24 wherein when the signal from said sensing means that the belt travel has ceased signal is received a pin is released from a solenoid and the expansive force of a first and second springs causes a lock block toward said breaking member.

26. The garage door opener according to claim 25 wherein a cam on the lock block enters a recessed portion on an edge of said breaking member causing the drive gear member to cease rotating.

27. The garage door opener according to claim 6 wherein at least one of said drive gear docking station and said static lock housing has a ring for receiving a nose in the other of said drive gear docking station and said static lock housing to assist in assembling said drive gear docking station and said static lock housing to form the drive gear housing.

28. The garage door opener according to claim 1 wherein said trolley comprises a releasable carriage.

29 The garage door opener according to claim 28 wherein said trolley further comprises a belt trolley having a striker to form a positive receptacle for a carriage latch.

30. The garage door opener according to claim 29 wherein at a side of the carriage is a latch which is connected to the carriage such that when the latch is released, the carriage is permitted to travel unimpeded by the belt so that the door may be manually opened and closed.

31. The garage door opener according to claim 1 wherein at the end of the rail opposite the drive gear housing there is a header bracket for attaching the rail to a wall of a garage.

32 The garage door opener according to claim 31 wherein said header bracket has connected thereto a clevis that supports an idler wheel for retaining said belt

33. The garage door opener according to claim 32 wherein said clevis has extending therefrom a carriage bolt tensioner.

34.The garage door opener according to claim 33 wherein the carriage bolt tensioner extends from said clevis and passes through an end plate, said end plate having a spring tensioner assembly on the carriage bolt tensioner on the side of the end plate opposite the clevis.

35. An improved garage door opener comprising a housing and a rail, said rail having a first end and a second end, said first end being adapted to be connected to a wall of a structure and said second end being adapted to be connected to said housing, said housing having motor for driving a belt that is connected to a trolley in said rail, said trolley being adapted to move said door in response to the motion of the belt, the improvement comprising a drive gear housing within said rail in the area of the second end of said rail.

36. The garage door opener according to claim 35 wherein the drive gear housing has a drive gear docking station and a static lock housing which mate together to form the housing.

37. The garage door opener according to claim 36 wherein said drive gear housing has a drive gear member which comprises a drive gear and a braking member that rotate about the same axis.

38. The garage door opener according to claim 37 wherein said drive gear housing further comprises a lock block that contacts said braking member when a belt in the rail ceases movement due to an obstruction in a garage door's path of travel and causes said drive gear to cease rotation.

39. The garage door opener according to claim 38 wherein said lock block is forced into engagement with said braking member by a spring means.

40. The garage door opener according to claim 39 wherein said lock block is retained in a position away from engagement with said braking member by a solenoid.

41. The garage door opener according to claim 40 wherein said solenoid releases said lock block when said belt in the rail ceases movement due to an obstruction in a garage door's path of travel.

42. The garage door opener according to claim 41 wherein said spring means comprises a first and second spring.

43. The garage door opener according to claim 42 wherein said springs are retained in the spring cradles in said drive gear docking station and said static lock housing.

44. The garage door opener according to claim 43 wherein the lock block is releasably retained in said solenoid by a guide pin during movement of the belt.

45. The garage door opener according to claim 44 wherein the pin is held in place in said drive gear docking station and said static lock housing by guide members on the static lock housing and the drive gear docking station.

46. The garage door opener according to claim 45 wherein said guide members are provided with a notch that approximates the cross section of said pin 57.

47.The garage door opener according to claim 37 wherein said breaking member is in the form of a generally round disk that has at least one recessed portion on an edge of said disk..

48. The garage door opener according to claim 47 wherein said breaking member has four recessed portions spaced generally equidistant around said disk.

49. The garage door opener according to claim 48 wherein each of the recessed portions is adapted to mate with a cam on the lock block.

50. The garage door opener according to claim 49 wherein each of said recessed portions has a pair of side walls and that are joined together by a base.

51. The garage door opener according to claim 37 wherein the drive gear rotates within the drive gear housing on a sleeve.

52. The garage door opener according to claim 51 wherein said sleeve is open at one end and said open end of said sleeve is adapted to receive a motor drive gear which is rotatable by the shaft of the motor.

53. The garage door opener according to claim 41 wherein the movement of the belt is sensed by a sensing gear.

54. The garage door opener according to claim 53 wherein rotation of the drive gear will stop when the solenoid receives a signal from the sensing gear that belt travel has ceased.

55. The garage door opener according to claim 54 wherein when the signal from said sensing means that the belt travel has ceased signal is received a pin is released from a solenoid and the expansive force of a first and second springs causes a lock block toward said breaking member.

56. The garage door opener according to claim 55 wherein a cam on the lock block enters a recessed portion on an edge of said breaking member causing the drive gear member to cease rotating.

57.The garage door opener according to claim 36 wherein at least one of said drive gear docking station and said static lock housing has a ring for receiving a nose in the other of said drive gear docking station and said static lock housing to assist in assembling said drive gear docking station and said static lock housing to form the drive gear housing.

58. An improved garage door opener comprising a housing and a rail, said rail having a first end and a second end, said first end being adapted to be connected to a wall of a structure and said second end being adapted to be connected to said housing, said housing having motor for driving a belt that is connected to a trolley, said trolley being adapted to move said door in response to the motion of the belt said trolley comprises a releasable carriage, said trolley further comprising a belt trolley having a striker said striker interconnecting with the belt trolley so that two ends of a belt may be secured together.

59. The garage door opener according to claim 58 wherein at a side of the carriage is a latch which is connected to the carriage such that when the latch is released, the carriage is permitted to travel unimpeded by the belt so that the door may be manually opened and closed.

60. An improved garage door opener comprising a housing and a rail, said rail having a first end and a second end, said first end being adapted to be connected to a wall of a structure and said second end being adapted to be connected to said housing, said housing having motor for driving a belt that is connected to a trolley, said trolley being adapted to move said door in response to the motion of the belt and wherein there is a header bracket for attaching the rail to a wall of a garage said header bracket having connected thereto a clevis that supports an idler wheel for retaining said belt, and said clevis having extending therefrom a carriage bolt tensioner.

61. The garage door opener according to claim 60 wherein the carriage bolt tensioner extends from said clevis and passes through an end plate, said end plate having a spring tensioner assembly on the carriage bolt tensioner on the side of the end plate opposite the clevis.

62. The garage door opener according to claim 1 wherein said trolley comprises a set of grooves matching the teeth of a belt in order to join and secure two ends of a belt together.

63. The garage door opener according to claim 1 wherein at the end of a rail near a drive housing an idler gear is located to cause the drive belt to travel down the center of the rail.