Patent Application
20110023364
The invention relates to a mounting fixture for securing a light barrier element of a light barrier device in the region of a doorway to be closed off by a door. In addition, the invention relates to a light barrier device provided with one such mounting fixture as well as to a door provided with such devices and a door operator system. The invention is pertinent particularly to the field of automated doors and to the field of door operators.
It has been known for a long time to provide automated doors with a protective device to prevent a motorized door leaf from coming up against an obstacle in the doorway.
So-called edge sensors are widely popular, there being one embodiment thereof on the market in which the edge sensor is provided with flexible tubing within which a light barrier link is routed. When the door comes up against an obstacle the tubing is pinched, disrupting the light barrier link. This disruption of the light barrier link results in the door operator powering the door leaf being halted and/or reversed. In such a light barrier link the elements of the light barrier device are secured to the ends of the tubing.
The elements of a light barrier device or light barrier elements as referred to in the following are particularly the components of a light barrier device serving to make a light barrier link, in other words, particularly a light barrier transmitter, a light barrier receiver or a transceiver or a reflector suitable for light barriers. These elements can be devised for transmitting, receiving and reflecting respectively any kind of light beams or other directed electromagnetic radiation for detecting objects, be it in the visible or invisible range, but particularly in the infrared range
Known from WITHOUT 88/02 804 is a light barrier device mounted on a door by a mounting fixture for a light barrier element permitting the light barrier element to be inserted in a bottom closure element of the door leaf.
Apart from such light barrier systems moving with the door it is also known to monitor door actioning by light barriers whose light barrier elements are secured stationary in the region of the doorway, as a rule in a lower portion of the doorway so as to cover the full width of the doorway and also arranged as near as possible thereto so that any obstacle standing in the way is reliably detected. It is mostly the case that doors have a fixed door frame and a door leaf guided thereon or therein, often in the form of a door panel. The nature and design of the fixed door element, especially the door frame, as well as of the door leaf or door panel differ depending on the design and type of door involved. There is a wealth of different types of doors such as lift doors, pivot doors, swing doors, canopy doors, single-lead overhead doors, sectional doors, rollup doors, revolving doors, revolving panel doors, side sectional doors, folding doors and sliding doors; and among these different types of door there are differing aspects thereof. To achieve the cited arrangement of the light barrier elements a mounting fixture adapted to the situation involved is needed. A broad acceptance of the light barrier systems known hitherto is hampered by the high price of having to adapt them to each particular situation.
One factor hiking the price of a door operator system is also the time to install the system. Because a light barrier meant hitherto a serious addition to the work involved, most door operator systems hitherto lack a light barrier or can only be fitted out with a light barrier on special request at corresponding extra cost.
The basic object of the invention is thus to sophisticate a light barrier system for monitoring a door operator or a door powered thereby so that it can now be simply fitted to the various types and/or designs of door involved.
This object is achieved by a mounting fixture for one such light barrier system having the features as set forth in claim 1 and/or claim 2 as well as by a light barrier device provided therewith as it reads from claim 28.
A door operator provided therewith as well as a door provided therewith, particularly in the form of a sectional door or a single leaf overhead door as well as a door system comprising diverse types and aspects of the door read from the subject matter of the further independent claims.
Advantageous aspects of the invention read from the sub-claims.
The mounting fixture in accordance with the invention thus features a light barrier fastening means by which a light barrier element—for instance the transmitter or receiver or a transceiver or a reflector—can be secured to the mounting fixture. The mounting fixture comprises furthermore at least one door fastening means for securing the mounting fixture to an element of a door. In accordance with one aspect of the invention at least two such door fastening means are provided adapted for securing to diverse elements of diverse types and designs of door or it is provided for in accordance with another aspect of the invention that in addition to a door fastening means, adapted for securing the mounting fixture to the element of a door, a floor or wall fastening means are provided by means of which the mounting fixture can be secured to the floor or a wall in the region of the doorway (which may also be a door post). In a particularly preferred aspect of the invention both at least two diverse door fastening means for securing to two differing types of door and a floor or wall fastening means for securing to floor or a wall are provided.
This now allows the site fitter, depending on the situation involved, to chose between at least two options for making the fastening. For example, a first door fastening means can be provided designed for securing to the frame of a sectional door, for instance, and a second door fastening means designed for securing to the frame of a single leaf overhead door, such as particularly a overhead door.
This simplifies fitting since special adaptations to mounting and/or positioning aids can now be provided at the door, resulting in even a non-professional fitter to do the job correctly. In addition to this, the complications in adapting to local circumstances are reduced since a mounting fixture is now compatible with several types of door or several different door elements of various door designs. This saves on the number of parts needing to be fitted and the necessity of having to select the suitable parts from a multitude of parts as included in delivery or available for ordering.
Many door operators on the market are already devised for optional operation of diverse types of doors, such as optional operation of sectional doors or up and over doors. With a corresponding mounting fixture a light barrier can now be simply assigned to the door operator for use just as universally as the door operator.
In addition, or as an alternative, to the second door fastening means the floor and/or wall fastening means can be provided which finds particular application when no door element is available compatible with one of the door fastening means. For example, instead of the arrangement on a door frame, securing it to the floor or wall in the direct vicinity of the door frame is an option. The mounting fixture can then be assigned revolving door operators for instance, where siting a light barrier monitor ahead of or behind the actual doorway is of advantage where no door frame or the like is available for fitting.
The diverse options of securing the mounting fixture are particularly simple to achieve when the mounting fixture is configured as a mounting bracket having a first leg and a second leg. The two legs in this arrangement are preferably oriented at right angles to each other in thus enabling the mounting fixture to be used as a mounting bracket for securing to the floor or for securing to the front or rear side of a door frame. When the first leg is devised longer than the second leg, this first leg can be used to secure the light barrier element more or less spaced away from the second leg. For another thing, this first leg can also be used as a mounting plate so that both door mounting and mounting the light barrier element on this first mounting bracket is permitted.
The first leg is configured preferably offset. The offset is particularly suitable to serve as a stopper means for defining the mounting fixture at a corresponding shaped wall portion of a door frame in thus finalizing the orientation of the mounting fixture.
For another thing, the offset can be put to use to advantage in positioning the light barrier element as a function of the door or floor fastening means to be employed. When orienting the offset so that the mounting bracket in the side view has roughly the shape of question mark, the second leg despite being sized, can be dimensioned to advantage for floor mounting such that it does not protrude beyond the light barrier housing when the latter is secured to a leading second free end portion of the first leg.
To render the mounting fixture even more universal in application, several light barrier fastening means are provided for optional use depending on the particular fitting situation. Thus a light barrier element can be secured differingly spaced away from door elements and/or from the floor. Or, it is just as possible, to secure the light barrier element differingly oriented relative to the door element and/or to the floor.
Preferably the longer first leg features at least two light barrier fastening means in thus enabling with the same mounting bracket two differing levels of the light beam above the floor when floor mounting or two differing spacings of the light beam from the door element to be selected as wanted when secured to the door element.
To make such a selection preferably two light barrier fastening means are arranged on the foreswept second portion, the free end portion of the second leg. In addition, or alternatively, a further light barrier fastening means can be arranged on the backswept first portion. This third light barrier fastening means can be employed for securing the light barrier when the first leg is used as a simple mounting plate (making no use of the second leg for mounting).
Preferably, however, a further light barrier fastening means is provided in addition or alternatively on the second leg to add to the possible applications of the mounting bracket in making available further possible orientations of the mounted light barrier element.
The at least one light barrier fastening means, preferably all of a plurality of light barrier fastening means is/are preferably configured such that the light barrier housing can be secured only in predefined orientations to directly provide the fitter the wanted mounting position. This can be achieved particularly simply by means of an out of round notch for engaging by a corresponding protuberance on the light barrier element so that depending on the symmetry of the notch only one, two or more orientations are possible. Particularly preferred is a square notch offering a total of four orientations of a corresponding square protuberance. Preferably furthermore each notch of the light barrier fastening means is arranged on a longitudinal centerline of the mounting fixture and thus symmetrical to thus make it easy to use this notch in a plurality of orientations of the mounting fixture. It is obviously just as possible, of course, to consider the kinematic reversal: recess or backsweep at the light barrier housing and protuberance at the mounting fixture.
To permit making use of the mounting fixture both left and right of the door for securing the one or other light barrier elements needed for the light barrier link, the mounting fixture is configured substantially mirror symmetrical in all. This may exclude a floor fastening means provided at the second leg since in corresponding upright fitting of the mounting bracket a symmetrical relative to the longitudinal centerplane is less important.
The light barrier fastening means may comprise either the corresponding polygonal rimmed notch and/or it may also feature a notch differingly shaped for door fastening, for example a right-circular shaped notch, and a positioning means for locating the light barrier element when properly oriented.
Door fastening too, becomes particularly simple when just one straightforward connection such as a detent means or bolt fastener is provided for securing to a door element, particularly the door frame. Accordingly, the at least one door fastening means features preferably a bolting hole by means of which the mounting fixture can be bolted to the door frame. This hole may also be used furthermore preferably also for other purposes, for example, for engaging a protuberance of clip of detent means fastener. To assure correct orientation of the light barrier during fitting a positioning aid is furthermore provided preferably for door fastening, preferably defined by positive connection of adapting elements on the door frame and mounting fixture. For this purpose, each of the door fastening means of the mounting fixture includes a suitable stopper means for stopping an edging of the door frame positively connected and/or non-rotatably. This stopper means may be configured particularly simply by a tab bent out from the mounting fixture preferably made of sheet metal and/or by an offset, for example, that of the first leg as already mentioned above.
In particularly preferred aspects of sectional doors an inclined projecting edging may be provided on the door frame at an edge facing away from the doorway inwardly to the bay to be closed off. Preferably the mounting fixture is configured such that a corresponding offset exactly locates this inclined edging when bolting the mounting fixture to a corresponding bolting hole of the door frame. For further exact positioning an additional clasping means may be provided, particularly in the form of a tab bent out parallel to the offset or shaped otherwise, which clasps the edging from the other side. This enables the mounting fixture to be simply mounted on this projecting edging and then bolted in place. This results in the location of the mounting fixture and thus the location of the light barrier element being precisely defined by the door frame, making for extremely simplified fitting.
For a secure adapting location and facilitated fitting the clasping means forms with the offset a hole approximately three to four mm, particularly approximately 3.5 mm wide for receiving the edging. Furthermore preferred the offset extends at an angle of approximately 44° to 48°, particularly approximately 46° to the two portions to thus achieve precise location of this inclined portion on correspondingly configured door frames of sectional doors. Furthermore, preferably both the bolting hole in the mounting fixture and a bolting hole provided in the door frame for securing the light barrier which may be a tapped bolting hole have a spacing of approximately 44 to 48 mm, preferably approximately 46 mm, each bolting hole adapted to the other.
For securing the mounting fixture to frame of a single leaf overhead door (e.g. pivot door, up and over door, canopy door) it is furthermore provided for preferably a door fastening means configured adapted to the frame at the second leg. For this purpose there is furthermore preferably provided a stopper means of the door frame configured for being secured to the frame of the single leaf overhead door on the side of the second leg opposite the first leg jutting away from the second leg.
Provided at the door frame of the single leaf overhead door is preferably a bolting hole for a light barrier fastening means, where necessary also as a tapped bolting hole, at the required level spaced approximately 14 to 16 mm, particularly 15 mm away from a vertical edge. Correspondingly the stopper means of the mounting fixture is spaced away from the center of the assigned fastener notch of the corresponding door fastening means approximately 14 to 16 mm, particularly approximately 15 mm.
Instead of a bolt fastener a clip adapter may be provided configured with two detent means protuberances facing each other, for example, on the one hand, for a securing and arresting detent means in the bolting hole each preferably configured the same in the diverse doors and, on the other, for a securing and arresting detent means in each bolting hole of a door fastening means in thus simplifying fitting without the need of a tool.
Since no such corresponding positioning or fitting aids can be provided on the floor or wall of the bay to be closed off by the door, the floor or wall fastening means is preferably configured such that the light barrier can be mounted both secure and facilitatedly oriented. For this purpose preferably the floor or wall fastening means features a first bolting hole for a first bolt/dowel combination and spaced away therefrom a second bolting hole for a second bolt/dowel combination. Whilst the first bolting hole is circular for precisely positioning, the second bolting hole is provided as a curved slot circumscribing a circular line with the first bolting hole as the centerpoint. Thus even when the angle of the four bolting holes to be provided on the left and right of the doorway for the four holes deviates, the two light barrier elements each to be mounted by one of the mounting fixtures as described can be easily oriented to face each other simply by turning them about each first bolt/dowel combination.
It is also possible to provide separate fastening means for floor and wall mounting, whereby in addition to the floor fastening means as described above a wall fastening means specially configured for wall mounting can be provided, for example, at another location of the mounting fixture, for instance at another leg of the mounting bracket. For this purpose the mounting fixture may be configured substantially U-shaped with a web and two U-shaped legs to make available even more degrees of freedom, also for mounting on a vertical wall.
A light barrier device in accordance with the invention assigned to a door operator is characterized by at least one light barrier element featuring a light barrier housing configured adapted for securing to the mounting fixture and at least one mounting fixture of the aforementioned kind for mounting this light barrier housing.
Fitting is further simplified by the light barrier housing comprising a through-hole for a bolt fastener.
The light barrier housing and the corresponding light barrier fastening means are configured preferably adapted to each other such that the light barrier housing can be secured in just a few selectable orientations to the mounting fixture in thus making it easy for the fitter to find the adapted position in each case, he having a choice, for example, of just on, two, three etc up to a maximum of eight selectable orientations.
In a particularly preferred aspect securing the light barrier housing to the mounting fixture and/or securing the mounting fixture to the door is done by a clip or detent means, thus doing away with the need for bolts and tools needed for fitting. Here too, preference is given to certain arrangements, levels and/or orientations by corresponding fastening elements and/or positioning aids on the door, mounting fixture and/or light barrier housing. For example, a detent tongue with a detent nose can be configured at the light barrier housing and a corresponding edging —be it in the region of a recess or notch or a projection or some other protruding element—adapted for being clasped by the detent tongue may be configured at the mounting fixture. A corresponding edging may also be configured at a fixed door element; i.e. particularly at a frame of the door, so that the light barrier housing can be secured optionally directly to the fixed door element or indirectly by means of the mounting fixture, the latter too featuring corresponding detents, where possible.
For detenting it is, of course, irrelevant at which of the elements to be connected a detent tongue or like detent means and at which a claspable edging is provided.
It is also possible that the detent means serves exclusively to secure the mounting fixture to the door whilst the light barrier continues to be bolted or otherwise secured, or exclusively serves to secure the light barrier device to the mounting fixture whilst the mounting fixture continues to be bolted or otherwise secured to the door. Preferably detent means or click fasteners are employed for connecting both light barrier device/mounting fixture and mounting fixture/door.
The mounting fixture is made to advantageous from sheet metal or a plastics material, both of which are affordable and well suited for mass production. Where made in sheet metal the diverse notches or recesses are easily achieved by punching; and an offset is simple to achieve by bending. Straps and tongues can be made by punching. When made in plastics even complicated shapes can be mass produced cost-effectively by injection molding, it being particularly the integrated detents that are simple to achieve thereby. The equivalent to this when made of metal would be die-casting.
The light barrier device or the mounting fixture is particularly suitable as an accessory package to a door operator. By the configuration in accordance with the invention such light barrier devices can be furnished with two light barrier elements (e.g. transmitter and receiver) and two mounting fixtures as described presently as an accessory package to each door operator suitable for a variety of door types or also just to a specific type of door. Because of the mounting fixture being universal in its application it can be secured to the diverse types of door to which the door operator is adapted. The strategy of like parts achievable by this concept makes for substantially savings in the costs of production and handling in commissioning door operators, each of which is simply furnished with the light barrier device, each engineered the same, and two of the mounting fixtures in accordance with the invention no matter for what type of door involved. Accordingly, the mounting fixtures with the light barrier elements are furnished as an accessory package just the same for reversible door operators as for shafted door operators, revolving door operators or push door operators.
The invention also relates to a combination of the corresponding door—be it a sectional door or roll door, be it a single-leaf overhead door, side hung door (involving a door wing hinged to a door post or a wall to rotate about a vertical axis) or a push door—with the light barrier device as described presently. In this arrangement the door element to be fixedly secured in each case, for instance the door frame involved, is prepared adapted to mount the mounting fixture by it preferably featuring a corresponding tapped hole for the bolt fastener to be employed with the corresponding door fastening means of the mounting fixture.
The invention also relates to a door system comprising
The invention covers in addition each of the individual system components for such a system.
Example aspects of the invention will now be detailed with reference to the attached drawings in which:
Referring now to
The mounting fixture 10 illustrated by itself without the light barrier element 12 in
The mounting bracket 18 has a longer first leg 20 as well as shorter second leg 22 oriented substantially at right angles thereto. The first leg 20 is provided with an offset 24 so that a first portion 26 and a second portion 28 are oriented substantially staggered parallel to each other. Disposed between the first portion 26 and the second portion 28 the form the offset 24 is a inclined connecting portion 30 inclined aaa alpha of 46° to the first portion 26, second portion 28.
The orientation is such that the inclined connecting portion 30 at the one end of the first portion 26 and the adjoining second portion 28 protrudes in the same direction as the second leg 22 protrudes at the other end of the first portion 26, resulting in the mounting bracket 18 having roughly the shape of a “?” or a hook as viewed from the side (see for example
Except for a floor and wall fastening means 44 as detailed further on, the mounting bracket 18 is configured in all symmetrical to its longitudinal centerline 34.
Located centered on the longitudinal centerline 34 at the first leg 20 is a total of three first light barrier fastening means 36, 37, 38 each of which features a square notch 40. In this arrangement a first light barrier fastening means 36 is located at the free end portion of the second portion 28. The second portion 28 comprises furthermore also the second light barrier fastening means 37 at a middle section displaced nearer to the offset 24. The third light barrier fastening means 38 is arranged at the a middle section of the first portion 26.
The mounting bracket 18 features furthermore two door fastening means 42 and 43 as well as a floor and wall fastening means 44.
The first door fastening means 42 is devised for securing the mounting bracket 18 to the door frame 45 of a sectional door (for more details see
The first stopper means 48 comprises in the example as shown in this case inswept to the second leg 22 the connecting portion inside surface 54 of the inclined connecting portion 30 of the offset 24 as well as a clasping means 50. The clasping means 50 as shown in this example is configured as a bent-out tab 52 oriented substantially parallel to the inclined connecting portion 30. Disposed between the tab inside surface 53 of the tab 52 and the connecting portion inside surface 54 of the inclined connecting portion 30 is a spacing of 3.5±0.1 millimeters.
The second door fastening means 43 is assigned to the second leg 22, it likewise featuring a second bolt fastening hole 56 located central to the longitudinal centerplane running through the longitudinal centerline 34 as well as a positioning aid, here in the form of a second stopper means 58. As is best evident from
The floor and wall fastening means 44 too—for use in both securing the mounting bracket 18 of the floor of the bay to be closed off by the door being monitored, or a space before the doorway as well as on the surface of a door fastening, particularly a door frame of any kind of door and for securing to a wall (not shown) surrounding the doorway—features at the side edge portions of the second leg 22 a first bolt fastening hole and second bolt fastening hole 63 each. The first bolt fastening hole of the floor and wall fastening means 44 is located roughly on a transverse centerline through the second leg 22 and machined as a circular hole. The second bolt fastening hole 63 of the floor and wall fastening means 44 is machined as a curved slot 64 circularly curved about the center of the first bolt fastening hole.
Provided to stiffen the relative orientation of the first leg 20 and second leg 22 is an inswept ramped reinforcement portion 66 at both corner portions configured between the two legs 20, 22.
Provided furthermore to stiffen the mounting fixture 10 are beads 29 extending along the edge portions of the first leg 20 on the rear side of the first leg 20 to thus stiffen both portions 26 and 28 and the offset 24.
For further details of the mounting bracket 18 express reference is made to the fine detailed illustration.
Referring now to
In accordance with a first embodiment the light barrier element 12 is seated in a first embodiment of a light barrier housing 68 which is rectangular in a front view. Communicating in a centerpoint transversely to the front side 70 to the rear side 72 is a through-hole 74 for a hexagon bolt 76 (see for example
As evident from
At the rear side 72 the through-hole 74 ports into a square protuberance 80 protruding from the rear side 72 configured to precisely locate the square notches 40 of the light barrier fastening means 36, 37 or 38.
Provided furthermore at the rear side 72 is a total of eight hemispherical protuberances 82 which marry the beads 29 when the light barrier housing 68 is oriented parallel to the first leg 20. In this arrangement the distribution and arrangement of the protuberances 82 is such that the protuberances 82 arranged near to the square protuberance 80 also engage the beads 29 when the light barrier housing 68 is oriented transversely to the first leg 20.
It is this protuberance/recess combination between the protuberances 80, 82 and the notches and beads 40, 29 respectively that the light barrier housing 68 can be optionally oriented in a total of four (and not more) ways at the first and second light barrier fastening means 36, 37. Because of the first portion 26 being backswept a longitudinal orientation of the light barrier housing 68 and the first leg 20 is not possible at the third light barrier fastening means 38 arranged at this portion, i.e. here there are only two options available for orienting the light barrier housing 68 relative to the first leg 20.
For cost-effective production the light barrier housing 68 is preferably made of a tough high-strength plastics material.
Provided in the light barrier housing 68, to form the light barrier element 12, in each case is a sensor of the light barrier which can be a transmitter or a receiver. To form the light barrier 14 a light barrier housing 68 provided with a transmitter needs to be secured to the one side of the door by means of the mounting fixture 10 and a light barrier housing 68 provided with an receiver needs to be secured to the other side of the door by means of the mounting fixture 10.
It is furthermore possible to provide in the light barrier housing 68 a transceiver with simply a reflector being located at the other end of the doorway.
Provided preferably in the light barrier housing 68 is a photodiode 84 with its assigned electronic circuitry (not shown) serving as a transmitter or as a receiver depending on how it is activated.
In the example as shown the light barrier element 12 is engineered as a two-wire system as is known in principle. For more details as regards the inner structure of the light barrier element 12 and how the light barrier 14 works as regards the two-wire connection and its circuiting with the door operator (not shown) reference is expressly made to German patent DE 20 2004 005 113 U1 making special mention that and how the light barrier element 12 can be operated with two cables as either an transmitter or as a receiver structured roughly the same depending on how activated and circuited.
To simplify connecting the two cables a connector in the form of a cable connector 86 with two connector clips 87, 88 is provided in a lower portion near to the bottom edge of the front side 70 as are popular with home stereo speaker connectors. The two connector clips 87, 88 thus featuring a contact element or clip element 89 biased in the clipped position by spring tension and featuring a finger scallop 90 for finger tip actuation from its clipped position by opening the central portion into which the stripped end of the cable can be inserted and which on removal of finger pressure results in the spring bias of the clip element 89 clamping the stripped end of the cable between metal surfaces in contact. Such connector clips are popular in the electronics marketplace as speaker terminals.
Referring now to
There is provided, as shown in
Orienting the light beam transmitted or received by the photodiode 84 is possible because of a curved slot 64 by turning the mounting bracket 18 about a bolting hole 62 with the bolt/dowel combinations 94 inserted.
Referring now to
Referring now to
In the same mounting position it is, however, also possible to use the second door fastening means 43 for securing to an adapting door frame 98 of a up and over door or the like, as detailed below with reference to
Shown in
The door frame 98 as shown in the
The bolting hole 100 can be prefabricated tapped for a corresponding bolt, but preferably the mounting fixture 10 in accordance with a first embodiment is furnished with a self-tapping bolt 106 for mounting to the door frame 98 or to the door frame 45 of a sectional door as detailed below.
To fit the light barrier element 12 to the door frame 98 of the up and over door, firstly the mounting bracket 18 is positioned by suitable applying the second stopper means 58 to edge 104 so that the second bolt fastening hole 56 is inline with the bolting hole 100, before the mounting bracket 18 is secured to the door frame 98 with the self-tapping bolt 106. The light barrier housing 68 is secured as located with reference to FIGS. 18 to 20—either previously or afterwards—by means of the hexagon bolt 76 and the nut 92. All that then needs to be done is to connect the two-wire cable 126 (
Referring now to
When mounted in this way the first leg 20 serves both to make the securement to the door as well as to the light barrier element 12. In this case the light barrier housing 68 is secured transversely to the third light barrier fastening means 38 by means of the hexagon bolt 76 and the nut 92. The second leg 22 is not needed for fastening but can function to protect the light barrier housing 68 from side impact.
To secure the mounting fixture 10 to the door frame 45 the first door fastening means 42 is used. The sectional door involved (not shown) is particularly of the type as is known from the publication “Garage sectional doors” S.09.05/DOOR.09.05/HF851841/G100 (i.e. printed in September 2005 and distributed directly among other things over Internet) of the firm Hörmann KG, to which express reference is made as to further details.
As evident from
It is in this way that the mounting fixture 10, simply with the first stopper means 48 formed by the clasping means and the offset 24, is mounted on the edging 122 and subsequently fixed in place with the self-tapping bolt 106. This thus now makes it very easy to fit the light barrier element in precisely defined location on the door frame 45. In this arrangement the spacing between the clasping means 50 and the offset 24 can be selected such that it results in a clamped seating on the edging 122 so that there is not even a need to hold the mounting bracket 18 secure when bolting it in place.
When fitting the system to the door frame 45 too, it is again simple to make the connection of the two-wire cable 126 by means of the connector clips 87 and 88, whilst routing the first wire 128 up to the door operator controller is in turn simple by means of the self-adhesive cable clips 108 or 110.
In the example as shown, the light barrier 14 can be furnished particularly as an accessory package for any type of door operator, compatible with operators for different types of doors, for example, both sectional and overhead doors. Such an accessory comprises two intercompatible light barrier elements 12 for forming a light barrier as well as two mounting fixtures 10 and the various fasteners 76, 92, 94, 106, a length of two-wire cable 126 for connecting both light barrier elements 12 as well as a plurality of self-adhesive cable clips 108 and 110 respectively.
In addition to mounting the light barrier housing 68 by means of the mounting fixture 10 the through-hole 74 also makes it possible to fit the light barrier housing 68 directly to a wall, for example, a wall running transversely to the plane of the doorway, for instance in the reveal area of the doorway.
Referring now to
Except for the light barrier housing 268 the light barrier element 212 of the second embodiment corresponds to the light barrier element 12 of the first embodiment. The light barrier housing 268 of the second embodiment differs from the light barrier housing 68 of the first embodiment solely by a first detent means 220 at the rear side 72.
Instead of the through-hole 74 the first detent means 220 features four detent tongues 221 each diametrally opposed to the other and provided at sides facing away from each other a detent nose 223. The detent tongues 221 are engineered elastically squeezable.
This enables the first detent means 220 to be clipped into place in a hole 124 drilled for securing the light barrier so that it can be positioned, for example, on the inside surface of a L-section wall 112. Positioning aids can be provided at the inside surface of the L-section wall 112 in one aspect (not shown) of this embodiment to position the light barrier housing 268 oriented as preselected. These positioning aids may be provided as stops or recesses for positively connected parts of the light barrier housing 268.
Referring still to
The square notches 40 in the mounting bracket 18 have in one preferred embodiment the same dimensions as the square notches 130 in the door frame 45 in thus enabling, when required, one of the cable clips 208 to also be clipped in place in one of the notches 40 in the mounting bracket 18 so as to route and locate the cable two-wire cable 126 in the immediate vicinity of the light barrier element 12. For instance, the cable 126 can be safely routed around and behind the mounting bracket 18 so that the cable 126 cannot flutter because of wind gusts and shock impact, for example, disturbing the light path.
Referring still to
The first bolting hole 46 of the mounting bracket 18 forming the mounting fixture 10 in a first embodiment is dimensioned comparable to the hole 124 in the door frame 45. Thus, instead of directly securing the light barrier housing 268 as shown in
Referring now to
The mounting bracket 218 in its second embodiment differs from the first mounting bracket 18 of the first embodiment merely by the recess 96 with the assigned second tab 60 being omitted. Instead of this, the second door fastening means 43 with this second portion 28 features at the second leg 22 a third tab 260 arranged in the region of the free end of the second leg 22. The third tab 260 firstly features a longer middle portion 261 swept back at an angle to the side of the first leg 20 and its edge portion again swept back to the second leg 22 forming an downswept end 262. The third tab 260 is oriented within a notch 296 machined in the free edge portion of the second leg 22 in thus protruding inwards only to the first leg 20. The mounting bracket 218 can thus be located by its rear also very near to a wall without the rear side tab 60 getting in the way. Now, when the second door fastening means 43 is needed as a positioning aid, as described above, the third tab 260 simply needs to be depressed until the bent end 262 protrudes roughly at a right angle below the second leg 22. This results in a third stopper means 258 being formed at the underside of the second leg 22 which can be put to use like the second stopper means 58 of the first embodiment. Because of the longer middle portion 261 a longer lever is formed for depressing than that when depressing the second tab 60 in thus making for a more facilitated handling in all.
The light barrier housing 368 in accordance with a third embodiment is configured the same as light barrier housing 68 in the first embodiment, except that a third detent means 320 is now additionally configured at the rear side 72 for detesting at the long outer edges 228 of the mounting bracket 18, 218.
The third detent means 320 comprises in the middle of the longer side edges of the rear side 72 of the light barrier housing 368 a detent tongue 321. Each detent tongue 321 comprises at the side inswept to the light barrier housing 368 a detent nose 323 for clasping the edges 228 of the mounting bracket 218. For this purpose the detent tongues 320 can be elastically splayed.
In accordance with another embodiment (not shown) two of the square notches 40 at the mounting bracket 18, 218 are configured spaced so far from each other that the two detent tongues 320 can also engage the two square notches 40 to clasp the rims there. This enables the light barrier housing 368 to be optionally latched in place either oriented with the mounting bracket 18, 218 as shown in
Referring now to
To produce the fourth detent means 325 the mounting bracket 318 in accordance with the third embodiment can be fully injection molded in a plastics material, the fourth detent means 325 being molded integral instead of the first bolt fastening hole 46 of the mounting bracket 18 in the first embodiment. As an alternative the mounting bracket 218 or mounting bracket 18 of the second or first embodiment can be used, there being inserted in the first bolt fastening hole 46 a pin-shaped clip fastener 330 featuring at the end covered by the mounting bracket 218 in the illustration as shown in
Otherwise, as evident from
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2005 057 797.0 | Nov 2005 | DE | national |
| 10 2006 009 713.0 | Mar 2006 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/DE06/02060 | 11/22/2006 | WO | 00 | 10/19/2010 |
