Patent Application
20190119971
The present disclosure relates to power-operated actuators of entry and exit doors of a dwelling unit where there is one main door and a secondary door, such as a screen or storm door, mounted within a single door frame. The disclosed door opener is especially designed for physically disabled and elderly occupants who require wheelchairs or walking assistance devices, allowing simultaneous operation of the main door and secondary door to facilitate traversing of the doorway by the occupant of the home.
For a person living with a disability or for elderly individuals, especially those in wheelchairs or scooters, a double door entry to a home, such as a main door and a screen or storm door, presents a major obstacle. To exit the home, one must first move forward to open the inner door, then move backwards to fully open the inner door, move forward again to open the outer door and lock it in an open position, move backwards again to reach the inner door, move for ward past the threshold again to close the inner door, and then move further out the clear the outer door and unlock it to allow it to return to its closed position. Going back into the home presents a similar challenge, overcome through a reversed sequence of the above operations. Entering or exiting the home while carrying groceries or the like introduces additional steps in the sequence to free up one or both hands and later recollect the items before finally closing both of the doors. Known devices for holding one of the two doors in an open position, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,302 to Crawford for example, are of minimal help as they still require completion of the full sequence of steps above.
Despite this difficulty, it may still be desirable for disabled individuals to keep the double door configuration in place for their home. Screen doors allow airflow into the home to efficiently regulate temperature while keeping insects and debris out. Storm doors can also protect foe main door from damage. The second door may further add an extra level of security, discouraging intruders by providing an additional barrier to entry. Homeowner associations or other regulations may also prohibit removal of the second door or removal may be too cumbersome for the disabled individual.
One possible solution to assist the physically disabled in traversing the double door entryway of their home includes an automated door actuator that can move a hinged door between its closed and open positions. One example of an automated door opener is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,120 to Current, hereby incorporated by reference. Such openers typically utilize a rotary drive screw to power an arm link that is pivotally attached to the door. Some door operators, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,374 to Rohroff, utilize improved arm configurations to reduce the mechanical force required to open the door. The Rohroff device also discloses the use of rollers in contact with the door. There are also known door opening devices that utilize remotely controlled opening devices such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,545 to Ingham and U.S. Pat. No. 6,891,479 to Eccleston.
Automated door openers to date, however, all provide a means for actuating a single door. For double door configurations where a main door and a secondary door are installed within the same doorway, due to space limitations, it would be difficult or impossible to install a second door operator within the same doorway. In light of the foregoing, there is a need for an improved door actuator that allows for simultaneous operation of a set of opposing doors, addressing the needs of the physically disabled or elderly.
The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.
A door operating system for simultaneously opening a pair of opposing hinged doors comprises an external guide housing mounted to the door frame between the pair of opposing doors. Disposed within the housing is a lead screw oriented horizontally along the length of the guide housing. A pair of articulated arm linkages are included, each arm pivotally connected on one end to a yoke located near the mounting end of the guide housing and pivotally connected on the other end to a carriage member. Bach linkage comprises two arm members pivotally connected to each other. Preferably, the two arm members are connected by a knuckle roller, each roller making contact with one of the doors.
A drive is included to induce rotational movement of the screw. The carriage member is internally threaded to engage the lead screw, whereby rotation of the screw causes linear translation of the carriage member. As a result, the obtuse angle between the two members of each arm linkages is decreased, thereby causing each arm linkage to apply pressure to the surface of one of the two doors forcing it to pivot about its hinges.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
The door opener system includes a pair of articulated arm linkages 19, 21 free to move along a horizontal plane parallel to the upper door frame member. Both articulated arm linkage 3 comprises two arm members 19a, 19b and 21a, 21b connected by a vertical knuckle pin 24a, 24b. Each arm linkage 19, 21 is pivotally connected on one end to a support yoke 26 and associated pivot shoulder bolt 28 of the hearing block 7. The opposite end of each arm linkage 19, 21 is pivotally connected by a pivot shoulder bolt 28a, 28b to a translating yoke 30, integrally connected to the carriage assembly 5. The articulated arms 19, 21 are positioned to form an obtuse angle between the arm members when the doors are in a closed position. The left hand arm linkage 21a, 21b is pivotally connected to the yokes 30a, 30b by shoulder bolts 28a, 28b on the right hand side of the door opening system with the knuckle pin 32a in close proximity to the left hand side door. The second arm linkage 19a, 19b is pivotally mounted by shoulder bolts 31a, 31b to the yokes 34a and 34b on the left hand side of the door opening system with the knuckle pin 32b in close proximity to the right hand side door.
Rotation of the lead screw 13 causes the carriage assembly to translate along the longitudinal axis Z of the lead screw. As a result, the obtuse angle between the two members of the arm linkages 19, 21 is decreased, thereby applying pressure to the surface of each door forcing it to pivot about its hinges. In the preferred embodiment, knuckle pins 32a, 32b are equipped with at least one integral knuckle roller 36 pivotally rotating on the same vertical axis of the knuckle pin 32a, 32b. The knuckle roller 36 makes rolling contact with one of the two doors being operated. The door may also be equipped with a suitable known door closure device (e.g., a typical dashpot spring) to maintain door contact with the knuckle rollers 36 during opening and closing operations.
In some embodiments, the door opener system may also include a pair of electronically activated magnetic locks 38 to secure each door against the door frame (not shown) in a closed position, whereby one of the locks 38 is mounted on the door frame. The electromagnetic locks 38 are configured to release their closure force prior to beginning the opening sequence of the system. An outside lock box 40 (
As shown in
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the opposing door opener of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the embodiments disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims.
