Patent Application
20120237285
This invention relates to the automatic doors, more particularly, a full breakout arm having a sliding arm and breakaway mechanism that partially detaches the door from the motor if excess pressure is applied to the door and/or in the event of an emergency.
Automatic doors are commonly used in facilities, such as super markets, malls, hospitals, etc., to provide easy access for disabled individuals and individuals pushing shopping carts, baby carriages and so forth. Swinging automatic doors are opened and closed by a motor that is activated by a motion sensor or button. Once the motor is activated, it engages the door and does not allow for manual opening or closing of the door. A common problem caused by the engagement of the motor with the door is damage to the motor and/or the door caused by individuals attempting to manually push the door open faster than the speed at which the motor is operating. For example, an individual may hit the door with a shopping cart not realizing that the motor is engaged with the door. The impact of the shopping cart hitting the door will not push the door open any faster. Instead the impact from the shopping cart will at times cause damage to the frame of the door, break glass in the door and/or cause damage to the motor. An additional problem caused by the engagement of the motor with the door occurs during power outages. If the motor loses power while engaged to the door than the door will be locked in place.
Therefore a need exists for a mechanism that will allow the door to be easily released from the motor when excess pressure is applied to the door, thereby preventing damage to the door and/or the motor.
The relevant prior art includes the following patent references:
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a full breakout arm for automatic doors that will allow the door to be easily released from the motor when excess pressure is applied to the door.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a full breakout arm for automatic doors that will prevent damage to the automatic door when excess pressure is applied to the door.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a full breakout arm for automatic doors that will prevent damage to the motor when excess pressure is applied to the door.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a full breakout arm for automatic doors that will allow the door to be opened in emergency situations.
The present invention fulfills the above and other objects by providing a full breakout device having a sliding arm with a first end and a second end. The sliding arm is preferably attached to a swinging door along an upper edge of the swinging door. The first end of the sliding arm is fixedly and pivotally attached to a hinged side of the door via a clevis fastener. A release mechanism is mounted to the opposite side of the door. The release mechanism engages the second end of the sliding arm via a pressure ball that engages an aperture located on the second end of the sliding arm. When excess pressure is applied to the door the pressure ball automatically pushes downward into the release mechanism, thereby freeing the second end of the sliding arm from the release mechanism and the door. The tension of the pressure ball may be adjusted via a screw located on a lower surface of the release mechanism. A channel is located along the upper surface of the sliding arm. The channel is slidably and pivotally attached to a first end of the rotating arm. A second end of the rotating arm is attached to a motor that rotates the rotating arm in order to open and shut the door. The motor is preferably mounted to a wall above the door. When the release mechanism is disengaged from the second end of the sliding arm, the first end of the sliding arm remains fixedly and pivotally attached to the door while the rotating arm slides back and forth within the channel of the sliding arm. This device prevents damage to the door while allowing for easy re-attachment of the second end of the sliding arm back to the door and to the release mechanism.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention.
In the following detailed description, reference will be made to the attached drawings in which:
For purposes of describing the preferred embodiment, the terminology used in reference to the numbered components in the drawings is as follows:
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It is to be understood that while a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts or use herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not considered to be limited to what is shown and described in the specification and drawings.
