AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Innovation Patent Applicant (s): Smart Openers Pty Ltd Invention Title: Door Operator Unit Having a Motor Unit Housing and an Electric Component Housing The :following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method for performing it known to me/us: P80801.AU PaLStFiling Application 20094-20.doc (M) - 2 Door Operator Unit Having a Motor Unit Housing and an Electric Component Housing 5 This invention relates to a door operator unit having a motor unit housing and an electric component housing and relates particularly but not exclusively to such for roll up doors of the domestic or semi industrial types. 10 Hitherto, door operator units have been known for opening and closing roller shutter doors. In certain installations, particularly in domestic installations, there may be insufficient room at the side of the door opening to permit the door operator device to be 15 satisfactorily mounted to drive a drum onto which the door curtain is wound. In such cases it has been impossible to install a door operator unit to open and close the door. In our prior Australian Innovation patent no. 2007101192 we have disclosed a door operator unit that has a motor 20 unit housing and an electric component housing which can be separated. The motor unit housing has an external radial dimension smaller than the internal dimension of the drum that is formed by the door curtain as it is wound on an off drum rollers. In this case, the motor unit 25 housing can be mounted internally of the side edges of the door curtain within the drum, and the electrics component housing mounted at a convenient position on an adjacent wall surface of the garage. In the aforementioned Australian patent, it is a requirement that there be a fly 30 lead that extends between the motor unit housing and the electric component housing for the necessary electrical connections. Typically, the motor unit housing contains the electric motor for driving the shutter door, and limit sensing means that senses the end stop positions of the 35 door such as the open and closed positions of the door. Electrical connections need to be provided between the motor unit housing and the electric component housing to N:\Melboume\Cases\Patent\80000-80999\P80801 AU\Specis\P8D8O1.AU doc 20/0409 -3 enable electric current and signals to be conveyed between the components in the two housings. The fly lead has been physically connected with the electric components either in the motor unit housing or in the electric component 5 housing by soldering or by a screw connector termination, and a plug and socket is provided at the end of the fly lead for connecting with the opposite one of the motor unit housing or the electric component housing. When the motor unit housing and the electric component housing are 10 mounted together at a side edge of the door curtain (when sufficient space is available), then the fly lead must be accommodated either within the motor unit housing or within the electric component housing. Typically the fly lead is between to 2 - 5 meters in length and occupies a 15 considerable physical space and often inhibits the easy installation of mounting of the motor unit housing to the electric component housing. There is a need for an alternative system for 20 permitting the electrical connections to be made between the components in the motor unit housing and the electric component housing. Therefore, according to a first broad aspect of the 25 present invention there is provided a roller door operator unit comprising a motor unit housing comprising an electric motor for opening and closing a curtain of the roller door and an electrics component housing comprising electric circuit components for enabling supply of power 30 and operation control of said electric motor, said motor unit housing having radial external dimensions that will enable the motor unit housing to be operatively fitted within a roller door curtain drum formed from said curtain so as to impart drive to permit 35 up and down rolling of the curtain, the motor unit housing and the electrics component housing having co-operable mounting surfaces and fastening 898543_1 (GHMatters) 4/08/09 -4 means to enable the electrics component housing to be mated, mounted and fastened to the motor unit housing to extend radially outermost of the radial external dimensions thereof, 5 whereby when the electrics component housing is mounted to the motor unit housing the whole assembly can be operatively fitted with the roller door curtain at one side of said curtain external of the drum and electrically operatively inter connected, and if there is insufficient 10 space at the side edge of the curtain, the electrics component housing and the motor unit housing can be separated and the motor unit housing mounted within the roller door curtain drum, and the electrics component housing placed at a distant position adjacent the roller is door, and electrically operatively interconnected with the drive module, and wherein said electric component housing carries either a plug or a socket connector, and said motor unit housing carries an opposite socket or plug connector whereby, 20 electrical connection between electrical components in said motor unit housing and electrical components in said electrics component housing will be made through mating plug and socket connection when said mounting surfaces are mated. 25 In one example, said plug connector and said socket connector are "D" type connectors. In order that the invention can be more clearly 30 ascertained, an example of an embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is an end view of a door operator unit of 35 the example fitted at a side edge of a roller door curtain. The roller door curtain has not been shown in order to aid clarity. 8985431 (GHMatters) 4/08/09 - 5 Figure 2 is an end elevation of the operator shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a side view of the motor unit housing 5 shown in Figures 1 and 2, Figure 4 is a side view of the electric component housing shown in Figures 1 and 2, 10 Figure 5a is an end elevation of a socket connector used in the installation, and Figure 5b is a plan view of the socket connector shown in Figure 5a. 15 Referring firstly to Figures 1 - 4, there is shown a door operator unit 1 having external features identical to those shown in our aforementioned Australian Innovation patent no.2007101192. Reference should be made to the 20 specification of that patent for a detailed explanation. The door operator unit has a motor unit housing 3, and an electric component housing 5. The motor unit housing 3 carries an electric motor (not shown), limit sensing means for sensing the open and closed stop positions of the door 25 curtain (not shown) and an output drive 7 whereby motor 2 can be can be transmitted to a roller curtain drum wheel (not shown). The roller curtain drum wheel has spokes which are engaged by fingers 9 that extend from the output drive 7. Typically, the output drive 7 is an internally 30 tooth crown wheel which drive engages with a sprocket wheel driven by the electric motor within the motor unit housing 3. The electric component housing 5 contains the 35 electric circuit components needed for controlling operation of the door operator unit 1. These typically comprise a mains input power supply line 11, a toroidal... N:\Melboume\Cases\Patent\80000-89P8081.AU\Specis\P80801 AU.doc 20/0409 - 6 transformer for converting mains A.C. power to the required voltage to drive the motor and the electric components, a radio receiver unit to enable a remote control transmitter to interface with the electric s components, and a user interface control board (not shown) whereby a user can set parameters for operation of the door operator unit 1. Typically, the user interface is provided under a swing down flap lid 13. The motor unit housing has a generally circular profile which has a 10 diameter less than the diameter of the roller door curtain drum wheels onto which the door curtain is wound. Thus, as described in our aforementioned patent, if there is insufficient space at a side edge of the door installation to accommodate the door operator unit, then the electric 15 component housing 5 can be separated from the motor unit housing 3 so that the motor unit housing 3 can be fitted internally of the door curtain drum. The motor unit housing 3 is fastened to an axle 15 by means of a 'U' bolt 17. Thus, the motor unit 3 is held stationary relative to 20 the axle 15 by the 'U' bolt 17. The roller curtain drum wheels freely rotate about the axle 15 and are driven by the fingers 9 on the output drive 7. The electric component housing 5 can then be mounted to an adjacent wall of the garage and electrical interconnection can be 25 made by means of a fly lead (not shown). If there is sufficient space at the side of the door curtain, then the motor unit 3 and electric component housing 5 can be mounted together as shown in Figures 1 and 2. 30 The motor unit housing 3 and the electric component housing 5 have mounting surface means 19 which comprise generally flat planar surfaces on the respective motor unit housing 3 and electric component housing 5, and aligned openings 21 to permit aligned relationship to be 35 established between the motor unit housing 3 and the electric component housing 5 so that the respective mating mounting surface means 19 can co-operate with each other N:Melboume\Cases\Paten80000-80999\P8080.1AU\Specis\P80801.AU.doc 20/049 and so that fastening means 23 can be used to hold the motor unit housing 3 and the electric component housing 5 in assembled aligned relationship. Typically, the fastening means may comprise screw fastening means such as 5 thumb bolts. Other fastening means are not excluded. Whilst flat planar surfaces of the mounting means have been shown, other configurations may be provided. In one example there may be upstanding faces on one of the motor unit housing or electric component housing to mate with 10 corresponding surfaces on the opposite one of those housings. Fingers may be provided on one of the housings to engage in recesses in the other of the housings. In the example shown, the electrics component housing 15 5 carries either a plug or a socket connector 25, and the motor unit housing 3 carries an opposite socket or plug connector 25 (see Figures 3 and 4). The respective plug and socket connectors 25 are mounted to the respective mounting surfaces 19 at appropriate positions so that when 20 the electric component housing 5 is aligned and appropriately mounted with respect to the motor unit housing 3, the plug and socket connectors 25 will be mated with each other and provide appropriate electrical connection between the electric component housing 5 and 25 the motor unit housing 3. Thus, the previously used fly lead can be dispensed with in so far as needing to be retained within the housing of the motor unit housing 3, or the electric component housing 5. This, in turn, makes for a more compact design of the operator unit itself and 30 avoids the necessity of having to wind up the fly lead to insert it within the appropriate housing. If the electric component housing 5 is to be separated from the motor unit housing 3 to permit mounting 35 of the motor unit housing 3 within the drum of the door curtain 3, then a stand alone interconnect lead can be provided with an appropriate male and female plug and N:\elboume\Cases\Patent\800 99\P80801 AU\Specis\P8080.AU.doc 20/04/09 - 8 socket connector at each end to interconnect the electrical components within the motor unit housing 3 and the electric component housing 5. 5 Figures 5a and 5b show a socket of a typical plug and socket connector used in the example. Here, the plug and socket connectors are "D" type plug and socket connectors. The plug that mates with the socket shown in Figures 5a and 5b is of the appropriate opposite arrangement to 10 permit electrical interconnection between the plugs and sockets 25. Whilst "D" connectors typically have screw fastening means 27 to enable releasable fixing of the plug and socket interconnected relationship, the screw fastening means 27 are not utilised, in this example, for 15 the purpose of permitting non-intended disconnection of the plug and sockets. The intended interconnection is established by the fastening means 23 that fastens the motor unit housing 3 aligned with the electric component housing 5. 20 Figures 5a and 5b show that the "D" connector 25 has two large electrical socket connections 29 and five smaller electrical connections 31. The two large diameter connections 29 are used for carrying the necessary current 25 to the electric motor within the motor unit housing. Typically, this current can be up to 30amps. The smaller electrical connections 31 are for a lesser carrying current capacity for carrying current associated with limit sensing means used for sensing the open/stop 30 position and the closed/stop position of the roller door. Whilst a "D" type connector has been shown, other types of connectors may be utilised. The connector may be multiple plug and socket connectors and the term "plug and 35 socket connector" utilised herein comprises not only a single plug and socket connector of the "D" type as shown, but multiple plug and socket connectors. In this case, N:\Melboume\Cases\Patent8OO000999\P80801.AU\Specis\P8080.AU.doc 20/0409 -9 when multiple plug and socket connectors are utilised they will be mounted to the respective motor unit housing 3 and electric component housing 5 at appropriate positions so that they will mate when there is aligned mating s relationship of the motor unit housing 3 with the electric component housing 5. It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not 10 constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country. In the claims which follow and in the preceding 15 description, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to 20 preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention. Modifications may be made to the invention as would be apparent to a person skilled in the art of producing 25 door operator units and/or electrical interconnection devices. These and other modifications may be made without departing from the ambit of the invention the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description. 30 N:\Mlboumne\Cases\Patent\80000-099\P80801.AU\Specis\P80801.AU doc 20/04/09