Patent Application
20110275476
This invention relates generally to barrier movement operator and more specifically to the installation of an operator onto a previously installed movable barrier.
Barrier movement operators generally comprise power and control systems for responding to operator inputs and sensed conditions. Operators thereby move barriers, such as garage doors or sliding gates, between open and closed positions. Various systems for operating and controlling movable barriers have been employed.
Though many movable barriers are now installed with operating systems, previously installed systems may be retrofitted to incorporate an operating and control system onto a movable barrier. In addition, if an installed barrier operator has failed, a new operating system may need to be incorporated onto a previously installed movable barrier. In general, such systems include a primary barrier control mechanism that couples with a corresponding barrier and causes the barrier to move (typically between closed and opened positions). One known approach to installing an operator includes removing the previously installed barrier or garage door from its mount and then install the operator that is mated to the barrier prior to remounting. Many conventional operators employ a sun gear with a central bearing that is configured to mount onto an end of an axle or shaft in either of what is known in the art as a live shaft or dead shaft configuration. In such configurations, the operator extends below the axle to accommodate a sun gear that rotates around the axle. Further, installation of such a movable barrier operator typically requires that the garage door be uninstalled so that the central bearing of the sun gear may be mounted onto the axle without interference from a bracket or other mounting structure. This, of course, can be cumbersome, error prone, and time consuming to accomplish, especially considering the size, weight, and shape of many movable barriers. Alternatively, some installers disconnect a portion of the barrier to avoid removing the entire mounted movable barrier from its mounted position. To that end, an installer may release one side of a mounted barrier, and may then rotate the barrier off a single side to partially remove a previously installed movable barrier. Such rotation and movement, however, may be dangerous due to the weight of the door and may also require specialized equipment.
In practice, though, some garage doors have been installed into spaces with little additional room to accommodate conventional operators. In such circumstances, even removing the movable barrier from the door mount may not permit an operator and controller to be installed into an insufficient space. Further, such space restrictions can, in fact, limit the use of operators for newly designed garage doors and openings where space is limited.
Conventional garage door operators such as rack and pinion drives or push-pull drive chain types are suitable for use in larger garage spaces which allow for hanger brackets to be connected from the ceiling to provide a rail for a drive chain that is connected to a trolley, which is movable along the rail. However, many garages, such as older garages, have relatively low ceilings and relatively little additional space to accommodate such conventional operators. In such circumstances, a shaft-mounted operator or jackshaft operator is often used to operate movement of the barrier. Jackshaft operators are suitable for use with garages having low ceilings or other space limitations as they do not require the additional center rail and trolley. One example of a jackshaft operation is described in U.S. Pat. No. RE40,001, which is incorporated by reference as through fully rewritten herein. A jackshaft operator typically has a motor with a motor housing and a control unit. The motor is operably connected to a jackshaft that is positioned parallel to an upper edge of the door and rotatably mounted above the garage door frame. A torsion spring may be wound around the jack shaft to provide a restoring force to it.
The jackshaft operator is typically mounted inside a parking structure or garage on a wall thereof immediately above the door opening and slightly offset, near a corner edge thereof. The jackshaft operator is operably connected to the jack shaft, which comprises a portion of the garage door structure and has a torque-providing helical spring wound thereabout for providing a restoring torque to the jackshaft. While such jackshaft operators occupy minimal space compared to operators having a rail and trolley configuration, some jackshaft operators still employs L-shaped tracks into which rollers attached to the garage door are permitted to ride, thereby guiding movement of the barrier from the open to closed position. The tracks may require additional installation and can be difficult for very small spaces to accommodate.
In addition, installing such an operator to a previously mounted garage door, as mentioned, can be quite difficult, especially considering the weight of a typical garage doors and barriers. For example, some operator configurations require that the previously mounted garage door be dismounted so that the operator can be positioned and properly mated with the garage door. Further, some garage doors have low ceilings and little additional room for a movable barrier operator that is significantly offset from the opening. For example, in a garage where the wall surrounding the opening adjoins another wall near that opening such that the space between the opening and the adjoining wall is limited.
Generally speaking, and pursuant to these various embodiments, an operator, as described herein, includes a motor with a motor housing and drive gear. Further, it is contemplated that the operator includes a rotational drive unit with a sun gear that engages the drive gear along a circumference of the sun gear. In one approach, the drive gear and the sun gear support are positioned off-set from the rotational center of the sun gear and engage the circumference of the sun gear such that neither the sun gear nor the rotational drive unit is supported by a central bearing at its rotational axis. In one approach, the sun gear is configured to couple with a movable barrier to move the barrier between the first and second position. In one aspect, the apparatus may be configured to couple to a movable barrier in one of a live-shaft configuration or a dead-shaft configuration. In another one aspect, the sun gear support includes several bearings such as first and second gear supports positioned off-set from the center of the sun gear. In still another aspect, the sun gear support includes an arcuate lip or another gear.
In another approach, a shaft-mounted operator includes a motor, motor housing, and sun gear driven by the motor, where the sun gear has a removable portion allowing assembly of the sun gear onto the shaft without removal of the shaft and garage door from their installed position. An annular, first portion of the sun gear includes openings that are configured to receive portions of a second, removable portion thereby mating the removable portion of the sun gear with the annular portion of the sun gear. Further, the sun gear is configured to be slidably mounted onto a previously installed movable barrier without removing the movable barrier. In addition, once the annular portion of the sun gear and associated motor housing have been connected to the shaft, the removable portion of the sun gear may be connected to the remainder of the sun gear.
So configured, a conveniently mountable movable barrier operator may be mounted into less than ideals locations, such as a confined space that would typically not accommodate a conventional movable barrier operator. Such a mountable movable barrier operator would be conveniently mountable proximate the shaft and is smaller to thereby accommodate a variety of installation configurations and save costs. Further, such a conveniently mountable operator is lighter and, therefore, easier to install. One such movable barrier operator, such as a shaft-mounted operator, then may be installed onto a previously installed movable barrier without requiring removal of a previously installed barrier from its mount.
In one configuration, a portion of the sun gear extends beyond the motor housing. The In one such approach, a protection mechanism, such as protection plate(s), is connected to the motor housing between the housing and the sun gear. The plate(s) being movable between two positions where one of the positions substantially covers the portion of the sun gear that extends beyond the motor housing and another position that exposes a portion of the sun gear that extends beyond the motor housing. The plate position exposing a portion of the sun gear that extends below the housing is used when the removable portion of the sun gear is mated with the annular portion of the sun gear.
So configured, a movable barrier operator may include a protection mechanism, such as a finger guard, that does not require removal of the protection mechanism for assembly or installation of the operator.
In one approach, a method of installing an operator onto a previously installed movable barrier includes providing a motor, a motor housing, a drive gear, an associated sun gear, and a protection plate. The method further includes arranging the protection plate into a position substantially exposing the portion of the sun gear extending beyond the motor housing. The sun gear having an annular shaped body with an opening and an open center, the opening of the annular body configured to receive a removable sun gear portion. The method also includes mounting the motor housing and associated sun gear to a shaft supporting a garage door, while the removable portion of the sun gear is removed. Once the operator is positioned adjacent the shaft, the removable portion of the sun gear is mated to the annularly shaped body of the sun gear. The removable portion may have a first projection and a second projection that may extend through first and second apertures in the annular shaped body of the sun gear where the first and second projections are configured to engage a portion of the installed movable barrier. The method of installation also includes positioning the protection plate in a position substantially covering the portion of the sun gear that extends beyond the motor housing.
The above needs are at least partially met through provision of the method and apparatus described in the following detailed description, particularly when studied in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.
Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to
As illustrated in
In one example illustration shown in
As installed, one of the at least two wheels 38 is positioned proximate an end of the axle that is adjacent the operator 10. As mentioned, the garage door 20 may be raised or lowered by rotation of wheel 38 because the door 20 is fixedly attached to the wheel 38 by the fasteners 39. To that end, a portion of the operator 10 engages with spokes 40 of the wheel 38 to rotate the wheel 38 and thereby move the garage door 20. When the wheel 38 is rotated, the garage door 20, which is secured to the wheel 38, is wound or unwound around the wheel 38 and the axle 36. As the door 20 is further wound around the wheel 38, a drum-like structure is formed having the axle 36 at its center, garage door slats 28 along the circumference of the drum-like structure, and the wheels 38 at the ends. In addition, a torsion spring may be wrapped around the axle in between the two wheels 38.
In one configuration illustrated in
As mentioned, garage door 20 may be raised and lowered by movable barrier operator 10. Operators for such roll-type doors are generally attached to a point of reference, such as the axle 36 or the bracket 30, while being positioned to engage the wheel 38. In one approach, operator 10 is mounted onto axel 36 such that a portion of operator 10 engages the spokes of wheel 38, thereby rotating the wheel about the stationary axle.
As mentioned, the expandable shaft coupling 62 is configured to expand when adjusted to clamp the movable barrier operator 10 to axle 36 by the shaft coupling 62 clamping to the inside of the hollow axle 36. Further, the expandable shaft coupling 62 may be used for either dead shaft configurations (bearings are located on the wheels that rotate) or live shaft configurations (bearings are mounted on the axle), whereas many previous couplers mountable to the outside of the axle were only mountable on dead shaft configurations so that the coupler would not interfere with bearings mounted on the axle. The expandable shaft coupling 62 is fixedly attached to the support 60 by a bolt 64 that extends through the panel 60 to the coupling 62. Conventional couplers that clamped onto the exterior of the axle are also generally bigger than the axle to grip the outside surface of the axle. In addition, conventional couplers sometimes required that the shell 34 be adjusted so as to provide access to the axle 36. By having the expandable shaft coupling 62 engage the interior of the hollow axle, the coupling between the motor and shaft is smaller and lighter, and therefore, less expensive than would otherwise be necessary and generally does not require shell adjustment when accessing the axle. An expandable shaft coupling 62 generally provides for easier installation and reinstallation, such as when the door or motor are removed for maintenance, because in certain spaces there is limited space for maneuvering hands and tools.
As installed, the movable barrier operator 10 may be positioned primarily above the axle 36 such that the support 60 extends adjacent and slightly below an end of the axle 36 as shown in
Turning now to
More specifically, and with continuing reference to
The annularly-shaped first portion 47 includes two sidewalls 58 and 59 and a plate 61 that is configured to join the two sidewalls together proximate a side of the rotational drive unit 46 that faces the wheel 38. The sidewalls 58 and 59 follow a circular path wherein the outer sidewall 58 has a larger circumference, while the inner sidewall 59 has a smaller circumference. The apertures 53 extend through plate 61 in between the two sidewalls 58, 59.
The removable portion 48 also includes a center plate 55 that is curved in shape to follow the opening 49 in the annular shape of rotational drive unit 46. The removable portion 48 includes a flange 56 that is arcuate in shape to follow a side wall 58 of the annularly shaped rotational drive unit 46. The flange 56 aligns with the side wall 58 when the removable portion 48 is mated with the first portion 47. The flange 56 extends from the plate 55 in a direction opposite the projections 54. The flange 56 and the plate 55 may have portions of the sun gear 52 disposed thereon, as discussed below. Further, the removable portion 48 also includes wall portion 57 that aligns with the inner side wall 59 of the rotational drive unit 46 when the removable portion 48 is mated with the first portion 47.
When the removable portion 48 has been mated with the remainder of the rotational drive unit 46, the projections 54 of the removable portion 48 engage portions of the wheel 38. More specifically, the projections 54 engage one of the spokes 40 of the wheel 38. Further, a single spoke 40 is typically captured in between the projections 54a, 54b such that one of the projections extends along each side of the spoke.
The rotational drive unit 46 has a first side 43 that, when installed, faces the wheel 38 and is illustrated in
In one approach, the wheels 38 are free to rotate about the axle 36 that is constrained from rotation via bearings incorporated into the wheel 38. By another approach, the axle being constrained from rotation has bearings mounted thereon such that the wheels 38 are free to rotate around by engaging the bearings mounted on the axle 36. Either configuration may permit rotation of the wheels 38 around the axle 36. Further, as the wheels 38 rotate, the door 20 is wound around the wheels 38 and axel 36. As mentioned above, the movable barrier operator 10 rotates the wheels 38 to raise or lower the garage door and such operators have typically required removal of the door from its mount in order to install the operator. The movable barrier operator 10, however, includes a removable portion 48 that permits installation of the operator 10 onto the axle 36 without removal of the door 30 and shaft 26 from the mounting brackets 44. Indeed, the removable portion 48 permits the rotational drive unit 46 to be mounted to engage the wheel 38 as it rotates around the axle 36.
As installed, the projections 54 of the rotational drive unit 46 will rotate around the axle 36, along with the wheel 38. Thus, the axle 36 may extend into the open center 45 of the rotational drive unit 46 such that the projections 54 rotate around the axle 36 positioned in the open center of the rotational drive unit 46. Indeed, it is anticipated that in many configurations the axle 38 will extend into the open center 45 to engage the expandable shaft coupling 62 with the axle 36 and to position the projections 54 to contact the wheel 38. As the projections 54 rotate around the axle 36, the projections contact spokes 40 such that the wheel 38 is rotated and the door is wound or unwound around the shaft 26.
Installing movable barrier operators may be accomplished in a number of manners. For example, the movable barrier operator 10 may be installed at the same time as the garage door 20, which permits the installer to mount the operator on the axle at the same time as the door is installed. Alternatively, while conventional operators required the user to remove a mounted barrier in order to permit the operator to be properly coupled to the barrier, the movable barrier operator 10 may be mounted to a previously installed door without requiring removal of the door. To that end, the movable barrier operator 10 is configured to be mounted onto a previously installed movable barrier by having the removable portion 48 removed therefrom. Thus, the opening 49 in the first portion 47 of the rotational drive unit 46 permits the axle 36 to be positioned within the center opening 45 such that the rotational drive unit 46 is proximate the wheel 38. The operator 10 is slid onto the axle 36 via the opening 49, after which the coupling 62 may secure the operator 10 to the axle 36. Further, once the movable barrier operator 10 is positioned adjacent the wheel and axle end, the removable portion 48 may be mated with the opening 49, the apertures 53, and the wheel 38. In one illustrative embodiment, the expandable coupling 62 may be mated to the axle 36 prior to mating the removable portion 48 with the remainder of drive unit 46. Alternatively, in some configurations the removable portion 48 may be mated with rotational drive unit 46 prior to securing the expandable coupling 62 to the axle 36.
Turning now to
By one approach, examples of which are shown in
As mentioned, the rotational drive unit 46 is driven by a pinion gear that engages the sun gear 52 on the side 50 of the drive unit 46. One such three-point support configuration, shown in
In another illustrative embodiment, shown in
The gears 78, 80 engage the inside of the sun gear 52 on the inside surface of the rotational drive unit 46. More particularly, the gear teeth of the sun gear 52 are disposed on the sidewall 58 on an inside surface thereof facing the rotational axis of the rotational drive unit 46. The gears 78, 80, like gears 70, 72, are positioned to engage the teeth of the sun gear 52 located on the interior surface of the sidewall 58 of the rotational drive unit 46. In one illustrative embodiment, the gears are positioned at one o'clock and eleven o'clock to provide support for the rotational drive unit and such a configuration provides distributed support through both gears. Further, either or both of the gears 78, 80 may be driving gears.
Yet another example bearing assembly 68 is illustrated in
As incorporated into the movable barrier operator 10, the three-points of support engage the rotational drive unit 46 including the sun gear 52 along a circumference of the drive unit 46 including both the larger circumference along the sidewall 58 and the smaller circumference along sidewall 59. Thus, the housing 24, which has the bearing assembly with the three-points of support, is operably connected to the rotational drive unit at the circumference of the rotational drive unit 46. The circumference may be on the inner surface, outer surface, or both surfaces of the rotational drive unit 46. More particularly, as used herein the circumference may include the inner and outer surfaces of the sidewall 58, the flange 79, along with the inner and outer surfaces of the sidewall 59 and the flange 88. By one approach, the sun gear 52 is disposed on an interior surface of the larger circumference (sidewall 58) of the rotational drive unit 46 such that a driving or pinion gear is configured to rotate the sun gear 52 and rotational drive unit 46, while other bearings may support the rotational drive unit 46 at the circumference such as through arcuate surfaces or idler gears or at the smaller circumference (sidewall 59). More specifically, the rotational drive unit 46 may be supported by at least one driving pinion gear and at least one support gear, both of which are positioned off-set from a center of the rotational drive unit 46 and sun gear 52 such that the sun gear 52 and rotational drive unit 46 are not supported by a central bearing. By another approach, a sliding engagement also supports the rotational drive unit 46 along with the gears. As mentioned above, the sliding engagement may include an arcuate lip that can engage either or both sidewalls 58, 59.
The three-points of support configured to rotate and engage the rotational drive unit 46 permit the sun gear to have a substantially hollow center. The substantially hollow center is configured to receive portions of the barrier mount such as an axle to which the movable barrier may be mounted. Further, the rotational drive unit 46 extends below housing 24, which thereby exposes the sun gear 52 below the housing 24, which does not significantly extend below the axle. In addition, this exposure is in a direction facing away from the movable barrier.
To prevent injury and increase the safety of the device, a protection mechanism such as a finger guard may be incorporated into the movable barrier operator. In one illustrative embodiment, the protection mechanism is configured to protect fingers from getting pinched between the sun gear and the operator including the gears such as the pinion gear. In addition, such a guard may also protect other items such as jewelry or clothing from getting inadvertently entangled with the gearing. Further, such a guard may be movable to provide access to the sun gear 52 and closable to cover the sun gear 52. When the guard is in the access position, permitting a user to access the sun gear, the removable portion of the rotational drive unit may be inserted and removed from the remainder of the rotational drive unit, as discussed below.
Turning now to
As illustrated in
The c-shaped plates 92 are connected to the housing 24 such that the plates are movable. For example, the plates 92 may rotate or slide open to provide access to the sun gear 52 and then rotate or slide closed to cover the sun gear 52. The c-shaped plates 92 are illustrated in
Another configuration of the finger guard 90 is illustrated in
The finger guard 90 is configured to protect and cover the sun gear 52. In addition, having the protection plate(s) or finger guard 90 movable from the covering position to an open position, permits the removal or insertion of the removable portion 48 of the sun gear 52. Thus, by configuring the finger guard 90 in the open position, the removable portion 48 may be mated with the remainder of the rotational drive unit 46 and with the movable barrier 20. In short, during installation of the movable barrier operator 10, the finger guard 90 is positioned in the open positioned to permit the projections 54 of the removable portion 48 to pass through the apertures 53 and to engage the wheel 38 onto which the movable barrier 20 is mounted. By having the finger guard 90 movable between two positions, one permitting installation of the removable portion 48 and one covering sun gear 52 during operation, the finger guard 90 may be mounted to the operator prior to installation of the operator 10 onto a previously mounted garage door.
Turning now to
Once the finger guard is positioned to expose the sun gear 52, then, the motor housing and the associated rotational drive unit with the removable portion removed may be mounted 206 onto the axle 36 adjacent the wheel 38 while the removable portion 48 is removed. To this end, an expandable shaft coupling may be used to attach a support 60 of the housing 24 to the axle 36. Once the housing 24 is secured to adjacent the wheel 38, the removable portion 48 may be mated 208 with the remainder of the rotational drive unit such that the portion of the sun gear 52 on the removable portion is mated with the sun gear 52 portion that is disposed on the rotational drive unit. Further, the removable portion 48 mates the movable barrier operator 10 to the garage door via placement of portions of the removable portion 48 around portions of the wheel 38 to which the door 20 is mounted. To this end, the projections 54 of the removable portion 48 may be extended through the apertures 53 that are proximate the opening 49 of the rotational drive unit 46. As the projections 54 are extended through the apertures 53, the projections engage portions of the previously installed movable barrier including spokes 40 of the wheel 38. After mating the removable portion 48 with the opening 49 of the rotational drive unit 46 via mating projections 54 with spokes 40, the finger guard 90 is positioned 210 into the first position substantially covering the portion of the sun gear 52 that extends beyond housing 24.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of modifications, alterations, and combinations can be made with respect to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, and that such modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept.
