AU648532B2 - A drive system motor operated garage doors - Google Patents

Description

S F Ref: 118131 FORM COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (ORIGINAL) 64R FOR OFFICE USE: 532 Class Int. Class 6 6. 66 6 6 6 66 6 S 6 .6P.

66 66 6 66 6 6 *666 66666 6 6666 o 66 66 6 66*666 6 6 *66666 6 666666 6 6 Application Number: Lodged: Priority: Related Art: PJ81 51 11 January 1990 Accepted: Publi shed: Name and Address A S4.~ Ccc(NA T L of Applicant: insight One Pty Limite L -eA P.4 Actual Inventor: Neil Geoffrey Griffiths, Joseph Albert Kellner Address for Service: Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys, Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street, Sydney, New South Males, 2000, Australia Complete Specification for the invention entitled: A Drive System for Motor Operated Garage Doors The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us 581 5/2 A DRIVE SYSTEM FOR MOTOR OPERATED GARAGE DOORS The present invention relates to motor operated doors, and in particular, to a drive system for the doors which is easy to install.

BACKGROUND ART There are many known systems of automatically opened and closed motor driven garage doors and the like. Most systems employ a remote electronic control unit which controls an electric motor to manipulate the door.

In the case of roller doors, the electric motor rotates the spool on which the roller door is wound. The rotation of the spool thereby winds or unwinds the door. The drive system is therefore only suitable for use with roller doors. Examples of drive systems include, exposed chain operation and internal and external ring gear arrangements.

In the case of overhead garage doors, the usual method of drive system is a sprocket and chain drive which moves an attachment to the door along a guidance rail.

The abovementioned systems are able to be installed on existing garage doors, however there is often the problem with availability of space for the requirements of installation and also the fact that the garage door in some instances has to be removed and reinstalled during the installation procedure. Each particular type of garage door has to have a particular type of drive system.

to design limitations and the fact that the remote control operators are produced for specific types of garage doors the abovementioned units are not interchangeable. Basically the operating principles are the same requiring in all instances removal of the brackets to a spring tensioned door and in many cases cor fete reinstallation to the door.

Naturally with doors ranging up to 300mm high and 500mm wide this 30 creates a great deal of risk, time and effort plus difficulty if service .i is ever required. Obviously with this degree of risk work is carried :out by a specialist who is usually trained for one particular type of unit. With all of the units expressed above weight bars are added to the door which assists their operation. However when converted to manual operation the door becomes difficult to operate simply due to the added weight applied. As part of their design these units all S incorporate a disengagement lever. Some more difficult than others, they are all located at the top of the door.

IAD/227o In the event of an emergency, access to the release mechanism could be quite difficult and in a number of instances a step ladder would be required to release the door into manual operation.

Power to the door is supplied from the control unit which is normally situated to one side of the door and should be responsibly located in a position out of reach of children.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a universal type drive system for motor driven garage doors, which substantially overcomes or ameliorates the abovementioned disadvantages.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a door operating mechanism comprising a hollow, longitudinally slit shaft having a threaded rod therein rotatable in opposite directions by a motor means mounted at one end of the shaft, a threaded carrier mounted on said rod, reciprocable along said shaft by rotation of said rod, and having a door operating portion extending through said slit, wherein said shaft has a substantially constant, rectangular exterior cross-sectional profile having four faces, and said motor means is mounted by abutment with any selected one of said four faces to permit said motor means to be mounted at either end of said shaft and in any one of four possible orientations relative to said shaft, each of said orientations corresponding to one of said four faces, and wherein .said shaft exterior cross--sectional profile is square, said motor means includes a U-shaped mounting bracket having a bite located between two arms, and said bracket is engageable with said shaft with said bite abutting said one face and each said arm extending over at least a portion of the corresponding adjacent face.

"i...According to another aspect of the present invention there is 30 disclosed a door operating mechanism comprising a hollow longitudinally slit shaft having a threaded rod therein rotatable in opposite directions by a motor means mounted at one end of the shaft, a threaded carrier mounted on said rod, reciprocable along said shaft by rotation of said rod, and having a door operating portion extending through said 35 slit, wherein said motor means is mounted in a housing received by said shaft in a selectable one of a plurality of positions extending around said shaft and lying in an arc extending through 3600 to permit said motor meais to be mounted at either end of said shaft and in said selectable one of said plurality of positions, and wherein said shaft ,,,!AD/227o exterior cross-sectional profile is square, said motor means includes a U-shaped mounting bracket having a bite located between two arms, and said bracket is engageable with said shaft with said bite abutting said one face and each said arm extending over at least a portion of the corresponding adjacent face.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a front view of a roller garage door with a drive system of the preferred embodiment, Fig. 2 is a cut away side view of a motor and worm shaft of the drive system of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a side view of a drive system of a second embodiment which is used with an overhead type garage door, Fig. 4 is a schematic side view of the drive system of Fig. 3 being used with a sectional overhead door, Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the drive system of Fig. 3 used with a one piece overhead door, Fig. 6 is a schematic side view of the drive system of Fig. 3 used with a jamb type one piece overhead door, Fig. 7 is a rear elevational view of a drive system of a third embodiment being used with a sliding garage door, Fig. 8 is a rear elevational view of a drive system of a fourth 25 embodiment used with a sliding gate.

"e "Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a shaft to be used with one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view of the shaft of Fig. 9, Fig. 11 is a side view of the shaft of Fig. 9, 30 Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a threaded rod, carriage, saddle and springs to be used in association with the shaft of Fig. 9, Fig. 13 is a cross sectional view of the carriage, threaded rod and saddle of Fig. 12, 35 Fig. 14 is a perspective view an alternate arrangement to that of Fig. 12, Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the carriage, threaded rod and h ~shaft of another arrangement, [AD/227o Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the motor unit being attached in four different positions to the shaft, Fig. 17 is a rear view of the drive system in a vertical position connected to a roller type door, Fig. 18 is a schematic side view showing the system in a horizontal position connected to overhead type doors, Fig. 19 shows the system connected to swing gates, Fig. 20 is a schematic plan view showing an alternate arrangement connected to a swing gate, Fig. 21 is a schematic side view showing the system connected on an angle to the vertical for a sectional overhead type door, Fig. 22 is a perspective view of the system showing another arrangement incorporating a rotatable drive shaft, Fig. 23 is a schematic plan view showing the rotatable nature of the drive shaft, Fig. 24 is a perspective view showing the drive shaft end motor, Fig. 25 is a cross sectional view of a motor/gear box section incorporating a support sleeve, Fig. 26 is a cross sectional view of a shaft which is snap-fitted to a wall bracket, and Fig. 27 is a schematic, partly sectional, diagram showing a top cap bearing fitted to a shaft.

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The apparatus 1 of a first embodiment as illustrated in Figs. 1

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25 and 2 comprises a spool mounted roller door for a garage 3.

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A control unit 5 is positioned on the floor 6 inside the garage 3. The control unit 5 comprises an electric motor 7 which drives a w-M drive shaft 9 by a belt-drive 8. An alternate method of driving the shaft 9 is using gears for heavy duty units The worm drive shaft 9 is located on the inside of the garage 3 being vertically mounted adjacent the roller door 2. Attached to the roller door 2 is a lifting arm which mates with, and is driven by, the worm drive shaft 9. As the worm drive shaft 9 rotates, the lifting arm 10 and therefore the roller door 2, travels up or down depending on the direction of rotation of the worm shaft drive shaft 9.

Illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6 is the apparatus 11 of a second embodiment which comprises an overhead door 12 either of the sectional overhead type door 12a (Fig. a track-type one piece overhead door AD/227o 12b (Fig. 5) or a jamb type one piece overhead door 12c (Fig. Each door 12 provides access to a garage 13.

A control unit 15 is located adjacent the ceiling of tl garage 13 and is of the same type as control unit 5. A worm drive shaft 19 is driven by the control unit 15 in the same manner as in the abovementioned embodiment. A lifting arm assembly 20 is attached at one end to the top of the door 12 and at its other end mates with the worm drive shaft 19. As the drive shaft 19 is rotated the position of the lifting arm 20 is varied thus opening or closing the overhead door 12.

Limit switches (not illustrated) control the open and closed positions of door 12.

Another embodiment is illustrated in Fig. 7 and is the apparatus 21 for a sliding garage door 22. Once again a control unit 25 is positioned at one end of a worm drive shaft 29 which is rotatable thereby. A connecting arm 30 is attached to the door 22 and is matable with, and reciprocable by, the shaft 29. The door 22 is thus operated in the same manner as the other embodiments.

Another embodiment is illustrated in Fig. 8 and shows a wheeled gate 32 being operated by the apparatus 31 in a manner similar to that of Fig. 7.

Only some embodiments of the present invention have been described, and modifications obvious to those skilled in the art can be m made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.

*o.o o For example, the control unit and drive shaft can be used to 25 operate a varying number of doors such as grilles, sliding gates, swing o gates, concertina doors and the like. One advantage of the present invention is that the type of drive shaft is applicable to all varieties of doors.

.Other forms of the drive shaft include chain drive and cable drive.

Illustrated in Figs. 9 to 13 is a particular embodiment of the worm drive shaft 9 as described previously. An elongated hollow shaft 41 has a substantially square cross section along its length. One side of the shaft 41 has a slot 42 along the entire length of the side. As seen in the drawings, the shaft 41 has protruding corners 43 which are 35 used for snap fitting with a wall bracket 44 as illustrated in Fig. 26.

The wall bracket 44 is usually mounted on a wall and the shaft 41 can be easily installed or removed as required. Naturally, the shaft 41 can be manufactured to the required length for each installation.

:AD/227o A carriage 45 (Fig. 12) corresponds to the lifting arm 10 as previously described. The carriage 45 has an interior thread which corresponds to the thread of a threaded rod 46 which is located within th shaft 41. As seen in Fig. 15, the threaded rod 46 is connected at one end to a motor 52 (with its gear box) and at its other end to a top cap end 'av ing 48 which is fitted into the shaft 41. The top cap end bearing 48 allows the threaded rod 46 to rotate within the shaft 41.

The threaded carriage 45 travels along the threaded rod 46 as it rotates. A slide saddle 49 (Fig. 12) in association with the carriage 45 is spring loaded between a pair of springs 51 and provides the added advantages of smoother, and more controlled operation, shock absorption, cushioning of vibrations, and assistance in the initial lifting by providing transfer of torque when the system is switched on.

Illustrated in Fig. 14, is an alternative arrangement to that of Fig. 12. A pair of travel stops 50 are located within the shaft 41.

ihe travel stops prevent the springs 5! and carriage 45 escaping from the saddle 49. As the carriage 45, springs 51 an,' saddle 49 are a complete assembly, they will travel along the threaded rod 46 when it is rotated. Nhen the travel stop 50 abuts either end of the threaded rod 46, the carriage 45 will continue to travel as the corresponding spring 51 is comprised before limit switches (not illustrated) cut off the electrical power prior to any great load or damage being caused.

As illustrated in Fig. 16, the shaft 41 and is designed to be I attached to a motor unit 52. The square nature of the shaft 41 ensures that the motor unit 52 is able to be connected to any one of the four sides of the shaft 41 so that the system can be connected according to the spatical requirements of the particular installation. The motor unit 52 in effect has the ability to be mountable around the drive shaft 41 30 providing a location of for example north, south, east and west opositions. This provides the system the flexibility to meet the number of applications and restrictive clearances in vertical or horizontal positions with the motor being fitted with any one of the four orientations and at either end of the shaft 41.

35 This feature allows the system to be substantially universal and applicable to a range of situations to overcome previous limitations.

For example, as illustrated in Fig. 17 the system can be connected to a roll-up type door in various vertical positions. The installation :AD/227o choices are wide, ranging from a floor mount to a motor mounted overhead or adjacent the ceiling. The system can be connected either to the left or right side. The system can be fixed to a door track or behind the door track, or alternatively to a side wall. Further technical advantages which will be described later illustrates the universal nature where there are restricted clearances within which previous systems cannot function.

For example, as illustrated in Figs. 22 to 25, a motor gearbox section 54 is connected to the shaft 41 complete with the threaded rod 46, top cap bearing 48'and carriage 45. In this further embodiment, the motor gearbox section 54 is mountable around the shaft 41 to give a desired orientation in any position in 360°. The selectable position of the motor gearbox section 54 in relation to the positioning of the carriage 45 allows the system when connected, to be flexible on installation and applicable to various situations. Figs. 22 and 23 illustrate the four main possible positions in relation to the carriage being, say, north, south, east and west. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 24, the drive shaft has a support sleeve 55 which is mateable to a circular adaption 56 on the motor gearbox section 54.

This permits the motor gearbox section 54 to achieve any desired orientation within 360°.

In this particular embodiment, the motor gearbox section 54 includes a variable speed controller, which varies the speed of the motor and therefore varies the speed of the carriage 45. This assists the system in providing correct operation in a number of applications.

The variable speed control also provides the capable of varying the lifting capacity (torque) in relation to an increase or decrease of speed of travel.

The support sleeve 55 incorporated with the motor gearbox 54 acts 30 as a supportive brace to both the drive shaft and the gearbox. Nhen connected, the shaft 41 is secured within the support sleeve 55 by two locking nuts (not illustrated). When this connection is made, the carriage 45 attached to the threaded rod 45 is permitted to gain maximum travel within the support sleeve 55. This in addition to the fact that 35 the motor unit which is connected to a different axis to that of the drive shaft 41 allows the motor gearbox section 54 to be aforemounted as the carriage 45 is able to achieved maximum travel towards the floor and _7 X therefore the carriage 45 takes full advantage of the total length of \D/227o the shaft 41 and threaded rod 46.

In the alternative, the support sleeve 55 is able to be fixed to the drive shaft, or incorporated into the motor gearbox section 54.

A further aspect of the present embodiment is that the system incorporates the top cap end bearing 48 which, as seen in Fig. 27, is located at the end of the shaft 41 opposite the motor gear box section 54. The top cap end bearing 48 principally functions as a bearing for the threaded rod 46.

Another advantage of the top cap end bearing 48 is that it allows the shaft 41 together with the threaded rod 46 to be cut directly and squarely should the length of the system be required to be reduced to suit a particular position. The simplicity that the top cap end bearing 48 allows it to be reconnected after alteration of the drive shaft 41 and threaded rod 46 with ease, therefore avoiding total or partial disassembly of the system.

The length of the top cap end bearing 48, when inserted into the shaft 41 to receive to threaded rod 46, allows the carriage 45 to achieve maximum travel. This is achieved by the carriage 45 surrounding part of the top cap end bearing 48 when full travel is achieved in that direction. This is illustrated in Fig. 27 where the extended bearing 58 fits into a recess 57 of the carriage Another feature of the top cap end bearing 48 is that it includes a fixing or pivot point and also provides a safety cap for the drive S:system.

S: 25 INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY o The system of the preferred embodiments are applicable to be used with the remote control opening of roller doors, tilt-up doors, panel lift doors, grilles and sliding doors and gates, and are applicable to all types.

too: The nature of the system enables the system to be easily changed to manual operation with a specially designed releases.

e S" IAD/227o

Claims (9)

1. A door operating mechanism comprising a hollow, longitudinally slit shaft having a threaded rod therein rotatable in opposite directions by a motor means mounted at one end of the shaft, a threaded carrier mounted on said rod, reciprocable along said shaft by rotation of said rod, and having a door operating portion extending through said slit, wherein said shaft has a substantially constant, rectangular exterior cross-sectional profile having four faces, and said motor means is mounted by abutment with any selected one of said four faces to permit said motor means to be mounted at either end of said shaft and in any one of four possible orientations relative to said shaft, each of said orientations corresponding to one of said four faces, and wherein said shaft exterior cross-sectional profile is square, said motor means includes a U-shaped mounting bracket having a bite located between two arms, and said bracket is engageable with said shaft with said bite abutting said one face and each said arm extending over at least a portion of the corresponding adjacent face.

2. A mechanism as claimed in claim I, wherein said shaft has four protruding corners and said arms each have a lip engageable with the corresponding corners.

3. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shaft has two ends and an end cap mounted within said shaft at the end thereof remote from said motor means, said end cap carrying a bearing within which said threaded rod is received.

4. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said door I operating portion is engageable with a door selected from the class of doors consisting of: hinged doors pivotable about a vertical axis, sliding doors suspended from an overhead track, sliding doors having ground engaging wheels, roll up spool mounted doors and one piece tilting doors. S:

5. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said motor means •includes a gear box.

6. A door operating mechanism comprising a hollow longituciirrally slit shaft-having a threaded rod therein rotatable in opposite directions by a motor means mounted at one end of the shaft, a threaded carrier mounted on said rod, reciprocable along said shaft by rotation of said rod, and having a door operating portion extending through said slit, wherein said motor means is mounted in a housing received by said i^ shaft in a selectable one of a plurality of positions extending around 1 UJIAD/227o said shaft and lying in an arc extending through 360° to permit said motor means to be mounted at either end of said shaft and in said selectable one of said plurality of positions, and wherein said shaft exterior cross-sectional profile is square, said motor means includes a U-shaped mounting bracket having a bite located between two arms, and said bracket is engageable with said shaft with said bite abutting said one face and each said arm extending over at least a portion of the corresponding adjacent face.

7. A mechanism as claimed in claim 6, wherein said shaft has two ends and an end cap mounted within said shaft at the end thereof remote from said motor means, said end cap carrying a bearing within which said threaded rod is received.

8. A mechanism as claimed in claim 6, wherein said door operating portion is engageable with a door selected from the class of doors consisting of: hinged doors pivotable about a vertical axis, sliding doors suspended from an overhead track, sliding doors having ground engaging wheels, roll up spool mounted doors and one piece tilting doors.

9. A mechanism as claimed in claim 6, wherein said motor means includes a gear box. DATED this SIXTEENTH day of FEBRUARY 1994 Vi'4 PHB Concepts Pty Ltd e* a Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON o A IAD/2270