GB2247719A - Power operated up-and-over door systems - Google Patents

Abstract

A power operated up-and-over door opening system has a drive motor coupled to a door tilting (20, 42) and a door raising (12) means. In operation a securing means (16) is released and the door is tilted before a substantial force is exerted on the door to raise it. Coupling means (26) connects the drive motor to the door tilting (42) and the door raising means (12) and extends generally vertically and occupies a compact space. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO POWER OPERATED UP-AND-OVER DOOR SYSTEMS This invention relates to power operated up-and-over door systems, such as canopy door systems.

A typical up-and-over door system is the well-known canopy door such as may be found on many garages. Canopy doors are usually opened manually by unlocking the door, pivoting the door, and raising it to a position where it extends above the ground and is generally parallel with the ground. A canopy door also extends outwards beyond the door opening to form a canopy. An example of a canopy door is described in more detail later.

It has long been thought desirable to provide a power operated canopy door, preferably remote controlled.

There are several types of automated garage doors on the market, but despite the industry realising that there was a market desire for an automated canopy door some ten years (or more) ago there is still nothing available which is accepted as being suitable or dedicated solely for automating canopy doors.

According to a first aspect the invention comprises a power-operated door opening system comprising door tilting means, door raising or positioning means, drive means including a drive motor and coupling means, and securing means; the system being adapted to be secured adjacent a door to be opened by the securing means, and the door raising means being connected to the drive motor by the coupling means, the tilting means tilting the door before the door raising means exerts a substantial force on the door, and in which the coupling means extends generally vertically and occupies a relatively compact vertical column of space.

This arrangement makes the system unobtrusive.

According to a second aspect the invention comprises a power operated up-and-over door opening system having initial tilting means, positioning means, drive means, and mounting means; the tilting means being adapted to co-operate in use with the door to be opened so as to tilt the door from its vertical closed position before a substantial lifting force is applied to the door by the positioning means, the position means being adapted to co-operate in use with a part of the door and being driven by the drive means to raise said part of the door generally vertically after the tilting means has acted on the door, and the mounting means being adapted to mount the system adjacent the door.

Preferably said part of the door comprises a pin or member about which the door pivots when it is opened, the pin moving in a guide channel adjacent the door. The guide channel may be a jam channel attached to a door jam.

The drive means preferably comprises a generally longitudinal member which connects a drive motor to the positioning means and which occupies a compact column of space.

When the door has a lock or latch the system also preferably includes automatic unlatching means which operates to unlatch the door before the tilting means tilts it.

The drive means preferably comprises an open ended loop, such as a chain or belt driven by a motor, but could comprise any suitable means such as worm drive, cable drive, or a hydraulic or pneumatic drive.

The system preferably also comprises guide means in which the positioning means is positively guided for movement. The guide means may comprise a channel or track member.

The unlatching means preferably comprise a first component driven by the drive means and movable in use so as to move a second component which causes the lock or latch of the door to be released. The second component is preferably pivoted and the first and second components co-operate with a camming action, the second component moving in an unlatching direction upon movement of the first component in a different direction. The first component is preferably driven by the coupling means and moves in a generally straightline. The first component is preferably guided for movement by the guide means.

The tilting means is also preferably driven by the coupling means. Preferably the tilting means is directly connected to the coupling means.

The positioning means is preferably operatively coupled to the coupling means via a separate driven member directly connected to the coupling means. A lost motion connection may be provided between the positioning means and the driven member.

The driven member preferably comprises the tilting member, the lost motion connection between the tilting member and the positioning means ensuring that the tilting means operates before drive from the coupling means is transferred to the positioning means, and hence the door.

A single movable element may comprise the first component and the tilting means, the element co-operating with the second component to unlatch the door before it co-operates with the door to tilt it.

Preferably the system includes a manual operation decoupling means adapted to decouple the drive means from the automatic unlatching means. This can be useful if the user wishes to open the door manually, for example upon power failure. The decoupling means may be a re-setable trip switch or lever, or a removable or frangible element, and may be operated automatically if the user manually unlatches the door.

According to a third aspect the invention comprises a building or doorway structure comprising an up-and-over door and a power operated door opening system in accordance with either the first or second aspects of the invention.

According to a fourth aspect the invention consists in a method of automating the opening of an up-and-over door having pins running in guide channels and forming a tilting axis of the door, the method comprising the steps of automatically unlatching the door if it has a latch or lock and then automatically tilting the door a small way out of a generally vertically plane by applying a tilting force to the door spaced from its tilting axis, and then urging the tilting axis of the door in a generally vertical direction.

According to a fifth aspect the invention consists in a method of converting to powered operation an existing manual up-and-over door installed in a door frame of the kind in which the door is pivoted about guide pins which are provided at each side of the door and which run in spaced guide channels mounted on the door frame, the method comprising the steps of removing one of the existing guide channels, or jam channels, and replacing it with a power operated up-and-over door opening system including a replacement guide track for the guide pin and in accordance with any previous aspect of the invention.

Preferably the method includes fitting a cam surface to the door for co-operation with the tilting means.

The method may comprise fitting the system to one side only of the door or door frame, and may comprise fitting a stiffening brace to the door.

According to a sixth aspect the invention comprises a kit for converting a manual up-and-over door for power operation, the kit comprising the means of the first or second aspects of the invention.

The kit also preferably includes a cam surface for attachment to the door and subsequent co-operation with the tilting means, and/or a set of instructions.

A remote control unit, for example a radio emitter, is also preferably provided.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 shows a known manual canopy door and associated door frame; Figure 2 shows a canopy door opening system; Figure 3 is another view of the canopy door opening system of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a view showing detail of the canopy door opening system; Figure 5 is a section through an extrusion for the system of Figures 2 to 4; Figures 6Ar B and C are profiles of a follower for the system of Figures 2 to 4; Figures 7A and B are plan and section views of a drive member for the system of Figures 2 to 4; Figure 8 shows a part of another powered canopy door opening system; Figure 9 shows a detail of Figure 8; and Figure 10 is a cross section on line X-X of Figure 9.

A conventional canopy door for garage is shown in Figure 1 and comprises a door 1 mounted to a door frame 2 by means of vertically movable guide pins 3 and link arms 4. The guide pins 3 are guided for vertical movement in a pair of spaced guide tracks or jam channels 5 secured to the upright posts of the door frame 2. The link arms 4 have a lower end 6 pivotally secured to the door and an upper end 7 pivotally secured to the head of the frame. A spring biased latch 8 is provided on the door and co-operates with a catchplate on the cross member of the frame 2. A handle incorporating a lock is provided on the outside of the door for operating the latch 8 by means of a cable connected to an angularly movable bar 8a provided behind the door.

A torsion spring assembly 9 is secured to the cross-member of the frame and serves to support the weight of the door (wires, not shown, connect the rotatable ends 9a of the torsion spring assembly to the pins 3 for this purpose). Other counterbalancing means, such as weights, are also known. When the door is manually opened it pivots about the pins 3 as the pins are simultaneously lifted up their guide tracks 5.

A first example of the powered canopy door is described with reference to Figures 2 to 7A and 7B of the accompanying drawings. A canopy door 10 has at each opposite edge a pin 12 pivotally secured in a bracket 14. Below the pin 12 is a pivotable member 16 attached at one end of Bowden cable 18 that is in turn attached to a spring-loaded latch member (not shown) of the door. Below the member 16 is an arcuate brace 20 which defines a camming surface.

Adjacent to or forming part of the door frame is an aluminium extrusion 22 (see Figure 5). The extrusion 22 has four longitudinal slots 24A,B, C and D. Slots 24A and C provide a continuous channel for a plastics tape track 26 to which is coupled a follower 28 (coupling means; having a part 30 thereof freely slidable in slot 24D (see Figure 6 for detail).

The tape 26 is perforated periodically along its length and is coupled via drive member 32 (see Figures 7A and 7B) to a motor 34. The drive member 32 has spigots 36 that locate in perforations of the tape to cause it to move upwards or downwards as the drive member is rotated by the motor.

The follower 28 has a vertical channel 38 formed in an upper part thereof in which the pin 12 locates.

Below the channel is a lug 40 intended to act on the pivotable member 16 as the follower is raised. Near the lower end of the follower 28 is a peg 42 that abuts the brace 20.

The motor is a D.C. motor and may be operated remotely, say be infra-red or radio waves. Electronic control may be used to control operation of the motor preferably with reference to limit switches and a safety system should the door meet with an obstruction.

The door is opened and closed in the following manner. When the door is a closed position the pins 12 are at the top of their respective guide (or jam) channels 38. When the motor is turned on the tape moves upwards taking the follower with it. The upward movement of the follower firstly causes the lug 40 to pivot the member 16 to unlatch the latching member of the door. Continued upward movement of the follower causes the peg 42 to act on the brace 20 to tilt the door inwards. During this time the follower has no effect on the pin 12 due to the length of the channel 38. As the follower continues to travel upwards the bottom of the channel 38 comes up to the pin 12 and drives the door upwards. The door continues to rise and tilt into a generally horizontal open position. A suitably positioned limit switch will stop the motor once the fully open positioned is reached.

To close the door the motor is reversed so that the follower acts downwardly on the pin 12 and the door will automatically tilt back to a vertical closed position and the latching member will return to its latching position.

Operation of the system may be conveniently controlled by a microprocessor unit.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 8 to 10.

The canopy door and associated door frame of Figure 1 has been modified by removing one of the jam channels or tracks 5 and replacing it with a powered automatic door opening system 50.

The system 50 comprises drive means 52, tilting means 54, positioning means 56, and mounting means 58.

An aluminium extrusion 60 extends up substantially the full height of the upright door post of the frame 2 and is secured to it by screws 62 holding a projecting flange 64 of the extrusion to the frame 2. The extrusion 60 is similar to extrusion 22 of the previous embodiment and comprises the mounting means 58.

The extrusion 60 has channels which receive and guide a strip of perforated plastics tape 66 such as that sold under the Trademark DYMETROL.

An electric motor 68 (represented purely schematically in Figure 8) is provided at the foot of the door post. The motor 68 is mounted on a mounting plate 70 and is protected by a snap on/off plastics cover 72. The motor 68 is a 24 volt DC motor. The tape 66 serves as coupling means connecting the motor 68 to the tilting means 52 and can be driven around by the motor.

The tilting means 52 comprises a metal block 74 having an elongate guide formation 76 (best shown in Figure 10) slidably received in the guide channel of the extrusion 60, and an associated angle plate 78 of L-shaped cross-section extending longitudinally of the block 74. The block 74 has two threaded holes 80 and 82 into one of which a bar 84 is rigidly fixed. In the illustrated example the bar 84 is in hole 80, but it could be fixed in hole 84 if the system is used with a canopy door of a slightly different geometry. The provision of two (or indeed more) possible positions for the bar 84 enables the system to be suitable for converting a variety of existing canopy doors. The block 74 is fixed to the tape 66. A tilting cam 85 is mounted on the door adjacent the bar 84.

The plate 78 has a longitudinal slot 86 through which a rod 88 of the positioning means 56 extends. A lever 90 is pivotally connected at its lower end to the plate 78, by means of pivot 92, has a lug 94 at its upper end, and is provided with a camming surface 96 at an intermediate portion of its length. The lever 90 is best seen in Figure 9.

The lug 94 is connected to the latch or lock 8 by a Bowden Cable 98, the inner inextensible flexible member of which is secured to the lug 98, and the outer sheath member of which is mounted on the plate 78. The plate 78 may also be guided for movement by the extrusion 60.

The positioning means 56 comprises a block 100 having an elongate guide formation 102 (see Figure 9) received in guide channel of the extrusion 60.

The block has a hole or recess 104 in which the pin 3 of the door is located. The block 100 also has the rod 88 projecting from it, as previously mentioned.

Figure 8 shows one of the wires referenced as number 106, by means of which the torsion spring 9 supports at least a major part of the weight of the door 2.

A control box 108 controls the operation of the motor 68 in response to signals generated by an infra-red remote control sensor 110, a position sensor 112 located at the upper region of the extrusion 60, and a resistance to movement sensor 114 (this may monitor the current in the motor).

A drive-force transmitting drive pin 116 is provided removably located in a hole 118 provided in tilting means 52. A cable 120 connects the drive pin 116 to the angularly movable bar 8a of the door handle. The cable 120 and drive pin 116 act as decoupling means to prevent the power-operated opening of the door 2 when the handle is turned manually to open the door, as will be described later.

When a user wishes to open his garage door he presses his radio remote control unit and the sensor 110 passes the signal on to the control box 108 which activates the motor 68 to drive the tape 66 (the part of the tape to which the block 74 is attached moving upwards).

As the block 74 moves upwards the drive pin 116 transmits the drive force to the angle section 78 upon which the lever 86 is mounted. The angle section 78 moves upwards with the block 74, but initially the block 100 stays still, the slot 86 providing a lost-motion connection between the two blocks. During the first few movements of upward travel of the block 74 the camming surface 96 of the lever 90 engages and presses against rod 88 (on the block 100) and the lever pivots away from the door, stretching the cable 98 and releasing the catch 8.

A few moments after the catch has been released, or substantially simultaneously with that event, the bar 84 presses against the tilting cam 85 and since the block 74 and its bar 84 are constrained to move vertically by the guide channel of the extrusion 60 the door 2 is tilted inwards by a few degrees as the bar 84 rides up the tilting cam 85 and pushes the foot of the door away. The block 100 is free to slide, guided by the extrusion 60 and so the pin 3 can move vertically to accommodate initial tilting or pivoting movement of the door.

After the initial tilting of the door by means if the co-operation between the tilting cam 85 and the bar 84, the block 74 eventually moves upwards enough to engage the block 100 (upper face to lower face).

Continued upward movement of the block 74 then drives the block 100 to position the pin 3 (received in hole 104) at the desired height, which is usually to a fully raised position. The fully raised position is detected by sensor 112.

To lower the door the tape 66 is driven in the opposite direction, the rod 88 engaging the angle plate 78 at the upper closed end of the slot 86 to pull the block 100, and the pin 3, down. A sensor is also provided to detect the fully closed position of the door Since the door opening assembly still includes the counter balance torsion spring 9 the motor 68 does not need to be particularly powerful. Although the door is positioned (rather than lifted) at one side only, the torsion spring 9 and the two wires 106 connecting the two pins 3 of the door may serve as automatic compensating means. As the block 100 lifts the one pin 3, relieving the load in the one wire 106 slightly, the torsion spring 9 has a slightly unbalanced twist and may lift the other pin 3 to compensate.

If the door encounters an obstacle when coming down (for example the roof or bonnet of a car) movement stops and the door retracts fully, or possibly just by six inches. If the door is heavier than expected when going up (for example if a dog has been tied to the handle) then it stops. If the sensor 114 detects an overworked motor 68 and the controller shuts off the power, lifts the door, or takes some other appropriate action.

The door can be opened manually from outside, the user turning the door handle which turns the bar 8a which releases the catch 8 and also pulls the drive pin 116 out of the block 74, effectively disconnecting the automatic unlatching means by decoupling the angle plate 78 from the block 74. If subsequently the motor 68 tries to drive the system the Bowden cable 98 is not pulled and the latch 8 is not released, so that the door 1 is not free to lift initially when the bar 84 engages the cam 85. The sensor 114 would then detect an overload and the control box would cut the power. Instead of being pulled out the pin 116 could break to decouple the system.

To install the system the user simply removes one of the existing jam or guide tracks 5, ensures that the blocks 74 and 100 and are correctly mounted on the track and in the guide channels of the extrusion as appropriate, locates the pin 3 in the hole 104, mounts the plate 78, and screws the extrusion 60 to the door frame 2. The motor 68, sensors 110-114, and control box 108 can then be fitted, and the tilting cam 85 secured to the door 1. The bar 84 is mounted in whichever of holes 80 and 82 is suitable for the particular door.

The system 50 may be provided as a kit, which may have a variety of tilting cams for different doors, and may have a selection of different blocks 74 for different doors, together with instructions on how to fit the kit.

The system can be fitted in one or two hours by a mechanic. This compares with the eight or more hours it takes to fit existing systems which also require a more skilled installer.

The system is unobtrusive when installed since the majority of it extends vertically upwards in a column which is preferably only about 10cm x 10cm in cross-section. The motor may be mounted horizontally so as to give the overall system an L-shape, but this does not detract from its neat, compact, arrangement and the system does not extend away from the doorway too much.

Claims (33)

1. A power operated up-and-over door opening system having initial tilting means, positioning means, drive means, and mounting means; the tilting means being adapted to co-operate in use with the door to be opened so as to tilt the door from its vertical closed position before a substantial lifting force is applied to the door by the positioning means, the positioning means being adapted to co-operate in use with a part of the door and being driven by the drive means to raise said part of the door generally vertically after the tilting means has acted on the door, and the mounting means being adapted to mount the system adjacent the door.

2. A power-operated door opening system comprising door tilting means, door raising or positioning means, drive means including a drive motor and coupling means, and securing means; the system being adapted to be secured adjacent a door to be opened by the securing means, and the door raising means being connected to the drive motor by the coupling means, the tilting means tilting the door before the door raising means exerts a substantial force on the door, and in which the coupling means extends generally vertically and occupies a relatively compact vertical column of space.

3. A door opening system according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the positioning means co-operates in use with a part of the door comprising a pin or member about which the door pivots when it is opened, the pin moving in a guide channel adjacent the door.

4. A door opening system according to claim 3 in which the guide channel is a jam channel attached to a door jam.

5. A door opening system according to any preceding claim in which the drive means comprises a generally longitudinal member which connects a drive motor to the positioning means and which occupies a compact column of space.

6. A door opening system according to any preceding claim in which the door has a lock or latch and automatic unlatching means is provided which operates to unlatch the door before the tilting means tilts it.

7. A door opening system according to any preceding claim in which the drive means comprises an open ended loop such as a chain or belt driven by a motor.

8. A door opening system according to any preceding claim in which guide means is provided, the guide means positively guiding the positioning means for movement.

9. A door opening system according to claim 8 in which the guide means comprises a channel or track member.

10. A door opening system according to any preceding claim in which unlatching means is provided to unlatch the door for opening, the unlatching means comprising a first component driven by the drive means and movable in use so as to move a second component which causes a lock or latch of the door to be released.

11. A door opening system according to claim 10 in which the second component is pivoted and the first and second components co-operate with a camming action, the second component moving in an unlatching direction upon movement of the first component in a different direction.

12. A door opening system according to claim 10 or claim 11 in which the first component is driven by the coupling means and moves in a generally straight line.

13. A door opening system according to any one of claims 10 to 12 in which the first component is preferably guided for movement by the guide means.

14. A door opening system according to any preceding claim in which the door raising means is connected to the drive motor by coupling means, and in which the tilting means is also driven by the coupling means.

15. A door opening system according to claim 14 in which the tilting means is directly connected to the coupling means.

16. A door opening system according to claim 14 or claim 15 in which the positioning means is operatively coupled to the coupling means via a separate driven member directly connected to the coupling means.

17. A door opening system according to claim 16 in which a lost motion coupling is provided between the positioning means and the driven member.

18. A door opening system according to claim 17 in which the driven member comprises the tilting member, the lost motion connection between the tilting member and the positioning means ensuring that the tilting means operates before drive from the coupling means is transferred to the positioning means, and hence the door.

19. A door opening system according to claim 10, or any claim dependent directly or indirectly from claim 10, in which a single movable element comprises the first component and the tilting means, the element co-operating with the second component to unlatch the door before it co-operates with the door to tilt it.

20. A door opening system according to claim 10, or any claim dependent directly or indirectly from claim 10, which includes manually operated decoupling means adapted to decouple the drive means from the automatic unlatching means.

21. A door opening system substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to Figures 2 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

22. A door opening system substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to Figures 8 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.

23. A building or doorway structure comprising an up-and-over door and a power operated door opening system in accordance with any preceding claim.

24. A method of automating the opening of an up-and-over door having pins running in guide channels and forming a tilting axis of the door, the method comprising the steps of automatically unlatching the door if it has a latch or lock and then automatically tilting the door a small way out of a generally vertically plane by applying a tilting force to the door spaced from its tilting axis, and then urging the tilting axis of the door in a generally vertical direction.

25. A method of converting to powered operation an existing manual up-and-over door installed in a door frame of the kind in which the door is pivoted about guide pins which are provided at each side of the door and which run in spaced guide channels mounted on the door frame, the method comprising the steps of removing one of the existing guide channels, or jam channels, and replacing it with a power operated up-and-over door opening system including a replacement guide track for the guide pin and in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 22.

26. A method according to claim 25 which further comprises fitting a cam surface to the door for co-operation with the tilting means.

27. A method according to claim 25 or claim 26 which further comprises fitting the system to one side only of the door or door frame.

28. A method according to any one of claims 25 to 27 which further comprises fitting a stiffening brace to the door.

29. A method of converting to powered operation an existing manual up-and-over door installed in a door frame substantially as herein described.

30. A kit for converting a manual up-and-over door for power operation, the kit comprising the means of claim 1 or claim 2.

31. A kit according to claim 30 which further comprises a cam surface for attachment to the door and subsequent co-operation with the tilting means, and/or a set of instructions.

32. A kit according to claim 30 or claim 31 which further comprises a radio emitter.

33. A kit for converting a manual up-and-over door for power operation substantially as described herein.