Patent Application
20100058669
The present invention relates to the field of electrical power in garages. More specifically, the present invention relates to the field of systems to manage electrical power in garages.
Garage doors are traditionally fashioned such that individuals can roll them along tracks to open and close them. Often, lights are placed in garages to provide illumination. These lights are traditionally placed on the ceiling of the garage. In the case where the garage door opens towards the ceiling, finally resting parallel to the ceiling, the garage light is often covered by the garage door, substantially reducing the effectiveness of the light.
There have been methods developed to provide illumination in such situations. One way is to provide a light on the garage door itself. Power is traditionally provided to such a light through the use of a power extension cable from a pre-existing power outlet, such as one traditionally found on the ceiling of a garage. Since the source end of the cable is typically fixed but the destination of the cable moves with the garage door, two challenges are presented. One challenge is interference into the garage itself. In other words, the cable provides the requisite power, however it often hangs directly from the power outlet, extending directly to the light. This not only increases the appearance of clutter, but also decreases the safety of individuals walking or working in the garage.
Another challenge concerns repetitive movement of the cable as the garage door opens and closes. When opening and closing the garage door, the cable providing power to the light on the garage door may bend, making it more difficult for storage and use. This can also increase the likelihood that the cable may become damaged due to the repetitive bending. If the cable is damaged, a risk of electrical shock or of blowing a circuit breaker may result, and the user will need to replace the cable, or possibly the entire lighting system.
A more complete understanding of the present invention may be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the Figures, wherein like reference numbers refer to similar items throughout the Figures, and:
Garage door 30 is mounted along tracks 32 so that garage door 30 can slide along tracks 32. Tracks 32 are oriented such that when garage door 30 is closed, garage door 30 is perpendicular to ceiling 28, but when garage door 30 is open, garage door 30 is parallel with ceiling 28. Although garage door 30 is described here as an overhead garage door, garage door 30 can also be a carriage door which is configured such that tracks 32 run parallel to wall 29, and garage door is perpendicular to ceiling 28 both when open and closed.
Reel 22 is attached to ceiling 28 in a manner that allows power extension cable 26 to be wound around reel 22 for storage when garage door 30 is opened, and to be released as needed when garage door 30 is closed. Reel 22 can be further configured to continuously urge the retraction of power extension cable 26, thus placing power extension cable 26 under constant tension. For example, a spring (not shown) within reel 22 may be wound as reel 22 rotates in a first direction (i.e. clockwise or counterclockwise) to feed power extension cable 26 off of reel 22. The spring then continuously urges reel 22 to rotate in a second direction which opposes the first direction (i.e. counterclockwise or clockwise) that will cause power extension cable 26 to be wound onto reel 22. Desirably, no ratcheting mechanism (not shown) is included in reel 22, or any ratcheting mechanism in reel 22 is disabled, so that reel 22 does not lock at any position, but continuously urges the retraction of power extension cable 26. Reel 22 has a plug end 34 that plugs into a wall power outlet and provides power to power extension cable 26.
Although it is desirable that reel 22 be configured to continuously urge the retraction of power extension cable 26, other methods may be used to retract power extension cable 26 within reel 22. Such other methods may include manually retracting power extension cable 26 when garage door 30 is opened and manually extending power extension cable when garage door 30 is closed. Other automatic methods, may also employ a retraction system that will only urge retraction of power extension cable 26 at the time garage door 30 opens, urging the retraction at the same rate at which garage door 30 opens.
Power extension cable 26 has a first end 36 attached to the interior of reel 22, and a second end 38 that passes from reel 22 and through cable guide 24. First end 36 may be attached to reel 22 through a two-prong power plug, a grounding three-prong plug, or any other method by which electricity can be provided to power extension cable 26. Second end 38 is attached to power management device 40, which is attached to garage door 30 such that power management device 40 is within garage 27 when garage door 30 is closed.
Cable guide 24 is pivotally attached to garage door 30, such that once power extension cable 26 has passed through cable guide 24, power extension cable 26 lies parallel to garage door 30. Cable guide 24 is configured to pivot freely along an axis that is perpendicular to the direction of travel of garage door 30 as it is opened and closed.
Cable guide 24 is attached to power extension cable 26 as it passes through cable guide 24. It is desirable to have cable guide 24 clamp around power extension cable 26, due to the constant tension on power extension cable 26 due to reel 22. By clamping around power extension cable 26 in this way, cable guide 24 also opposes substantially all retraction tension applied on power extension cable 26 by reel 22, allowing little or no tension to be transmitted to second end 38 where it could interfere with connections with power management device 40.
A garage door opener 52 is used to open and close garage door 30. Garage door opener 52 is made up of a power unit 54, a trolley guide 56, a releasable trolley 60, and an opening arm 62. Power unit 54 is attached to ceiling 28 proximate to reel 22. Trolley guide 56 has one end attached to power unit 54, a second end attached to garage wall 29 above garage door 30, and a trolley moving mechanism (not shown) within it. Releasable trolley 60 is attached to trolley guide 56 such that releasable trolley 60 can be moved along trolley guide 56 from power unit 54 to garage wall 29 by the trolley moving mechanism. Opening arm 62 has a first end 64 attached to releasable trolley 60, and a second end 66 is pivotally attached to garage door 30 (
Cable guide 24 is pivotally attached to either garage door 30 or second end 66 of opening arm 62. In one embodiment, this attachment is made with the use of pivot pin 74. Pivot pin 74 is traditionally used to secure first end 64 of opening arm 62 to garage door 30. A second pivot pin 74 is used to secure first end 64 of opening arm 62 to releasable trolley 60. In one embodiment of the invention, pivot pin 74 passes through a bracket (not shown) on garage door 30 and second end 66 of opening arm 62 to cable guide 24 to pivotally hold cable guide 24 while also securing garage door 30 to opening arm 62. Similarly, second pivot pin 74 passes through releasable trolley 60 and first end 64 of opening arm 62 to second cable guide 68 to pivotally hold second cable guide 68 while also securing releasable trolley 60 to opening arm 62.
In summary, the present invention teaches a garage door power management system 20. By using cable guides 24 and 68 to guide power extension cable 26 from reel 22 to power management device 40, garage door power management system 20 controls how power extension cable 26 is managed while garage door 30 is closed, opened and moved between the closed and opened positions.
The use of cable guides 24 and 68 prevents power extension cable 26 from extending directly from reel 22 to power management device 40 and interfering with the interior space of garage 27 This promotes a method of controlling power extension cable 26 such that power extension cable 26 does not create a safety hazard.
As reel 22 is continuously urging retraction of power extension cable 26, cable guide 24 relieves tension at power management device 40. This is done by controlling the tension of power extension cable 26 so that any tension that results from reel 22 effectively terminates at cable guide 24 thus relieving the tension of power extension cable 26 at power management device 40. By holding power extension cable 26 in cable guides 24 and/or 68 that freely pivot as garage door 30 moves, power extension cable 26 is prevented from experiencing abrupt bending as garage door 30 opens and closes, thereby extending the useful life of power extension cable 26 and reducing the likelihood of exposing internal cable conductors, and of forming electrical shorts or opens.
Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.
