The present invention relates to a safety device for garage door. More specifically, the present invention relates to a safety device that is built on an extensive sensing network that can assure the safety when a garage door is closing.
Presently, it is very popular to use automated garage door. It has a high practical value because it satisfies the car driver with safety and convenience when a car is moving in and out of a garage. Please refer to
To prevent the garage door 5 from hitting people when it is closing, usually there is a single-beam sensing device 53 comprising a transmitter and a receiver installed respectively nears the ground at the two sides of garage door either by cable or wireless (battery powered). Cable device uses electric wire along the garage door 5 peripheral to connect to the door control mechanism 52, while wireless device does not need wire connection, but the batteries in the transmitter and the receiver. In a practical application when the single beam is blocked, it responds to the door control mechanism 52, which immediately reverses the motion of the garage door 5 and drives the door to an open state. In this way, the safety is assured when people, cars and objects are moving in and out of the garage.
The above-mentioned garage door safety device can effectively provide safety when the door is closing. But after careful investigation, it still has the following drawbacks that need improvement:
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,288, several laser ray generators and sensors are arranged in parallel. Laser ray is reflected only once by any one of the several reflectors to be received by the sensor. This structure applied to the garage door safety device will make cost too high. In addition, lots of wires are needed, which will cause messy arrangement and difficult maintenance of those wires.
Knowing the drawbacks of the traditional garage door safety device, the inventor of the present invention was dedicated to the development of an extensive sensing network with improved operating range and sensitivity. Especially, it provides improved safety and progressiveness. It is a garage door safety device that possesses a significant practical value and is designed to improve the above-mentioned drawbacks. Furthermore, the present invention also provides a high level of convenience and safety.
The present invention is to provide a garage door safety device that can significantly and extensively increase the safety of a garage door.
The safety device for garage door of the present invention comprises a garage door, a control mechanism, a movement mechanism and a light guiding mirror. The control mechanism includes a light transmitter and a light receiver, which is located above the garage door. The movement mechanism is connected to the garage door and controlled by the control mechanism to open or close the garage door. The light guiding mirror is disposed on a location adjacent to each of four corners of the garage door.
The light transmitter emits light beam to be reflected in a number of times by the light guiding mirrors and to be received by the receiver so that a light traveling path constructs an extensive sensing network to make the control mechanism capable of responding immediately when the garage door is closing and subject to blockage to stop closing action and return to open state. Therefore, the safety is improved when people, cars or objects are moving in and out of a garage.
Please refer to
The garage door 1 includes a plurality of plates connected together. A plurality of rollers are mounted on two sides of the garage door 1. Two L-shaped track is installed beside each side of the garage door 1 so that the rollers can move along the tracks to have the garage door 1 open or close.
The control mechanism 2 for controlling the garage door 1 is fixed on the garage ceiling near the rear ends of the tracks. The control mechanism 2 includes a motor and a driving device connected to the motor. A light transmitter 20 and a light receiver 21 are installed inside the control mechanism 2.
The light guiding mirror 4 is disposed on a location adjacent to each of four corners of the garage door 1. Preferably, the light guiding mirror 4 is a paraboloidal mirror.
Please refer to
From the above description, the present invention adds a transmitter and a receiver in the garage door control mechanism. With a number of light guiding mirrors, the invention constructs a complete and extensive sensing network. Its installation is so simple that it does not need the traditional method that puts a transmitter and a receiver under the door and needs exposed wires for connection to the door control mechanism. Especially due to the absence of exposed wires, it offers an aesthetic feeling visually. It also eliminates the unorganized feeling because there is no overly arranged wiring. In addition, the invention provides a means to prevent signal loss due to hardly found wire damage. The maintenance becomes much easier. It is unlikely for the sensing device not to operate due to negligence about replacing batteries when power is out as in the traditional wireless device. This prevents risks to the safety of people, cars and objects moving in and out of the garage.
To summarize the above description, the garage door safety device in the present invention provides a high level of safety and applicability. The extensive sensing network is considered as technical breakthrough in the field. Due to its practical value in industrial application, the invention should meet the patent requirements. A patent application is thus filed.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10752693 | Jan 2004 | US |
Child | 11284967 | Nov 2005 | US |