Garage door openers and methods of operating garage doors
OwnerDaniel D. Durochikinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Garage door openers and methods of operating garage doors to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Such a garage door opener includes a motor unit configured to raise and lower an overhead garage door of a garage functionally coupled thereto, and an carbon monoxide (CO) detector that detects and measures a concentration of carbon monoxide gas in the garage. The CO detector directly delivers a signal to the motor unit in response to the detected concentration of carbon monoxide gas exceeding a predetermined CO threshold level for at predetermined duration, so that the garage door opener raises the overhead garage door with the motor unit.
Claims20
A garage door opener comprising:
- a motor unit configured to raise and lower an overhead garage door of a garage functionally coupled thereto;
- and
- a detector module containing a carbon monoxide (CO) detector configured to detect and measure a concentration of carbon monoxide gas in the garage and containing a smoke detector configured to detect a concentration of smoke in the garage, the detector module being removably received within a cavity of the garage door opener at an exterior thereof, the detector module having an electrical connector for electrically connecting the detector module with the motor unit as the detector module is being inserted into the cavity, the CO detector generating a first signal in response to the concentration of carbon monoxide gas detected by the CO detector exceeding a predetermined CO threshold level for a predetermined first duration of time greater than zero, the smoke detector generating a second signal in response to the concentration of smoke detected by the smoke detector exceeding a smoke threshold level;
- wherein the garage door opener is configured to raise the overhead garage door with the motor unit in response to receiving the first signal from the CO detector and, if the CO detector generates the first signal and the smoke detector generates the second signal, the second signal operates to prevent the garage door opener from raising the overhead garage door with the motor unit.
A method of operating a garage door opener having a motor unit configured to raise and lower a garage door of a garage of a building, the method comprising:
- providing the garage door opener with a detector module containing a carbon monoxide (CO) detector configured to detect and measure a concentration of carbon monoxide gas in the garage and containing a smoke detector configured to detect a concentration of smoke in the garage, the detector module being removably received within a cavity of the garage door opener at an exterior thereof, the detector module having an electrical connector for electrically connecting the detector module with the motor unit as the detector module is being inserted into the cavity, the CO detector generating a first signal in response to the concentration of carbon monoxide gas detected by the CO detector exceeding a predetermined CO threshold level for a predetermined first duration of time greater than zero, the smoke detector generating a second signal in response to the concentration of smoke detected by the smoke detector exceeding a smoke threshold level;
- detecting and measuring the concentrations of carbon monoxide gas and smoke in the garage with the CO detector and the smoke detector of the detector module;
- and
- if the concentration of carbon monoxide gas in the garage measured by the CO detector does not exceed the CO threshold level for the first duration, the CO detector does not generate the first signal;
- if the concentration of carbon monoxide gas in the garage measured by the CO detector exceeds the CO threshold level for the first duration of time, the CO detector generates the first signal;
- if the concentration of smoke in the garage measured by the smoke detector exceeds the smoke threshold level, the smoke detector generates the second signal;
- wherein the garage door opener raises the overhead garage door with the motor unit in response to receiving the first signal from the CO detector and, if the CO detector generates the first signal and the smoke detector generates the second signal, the second signal prevents the garage door opener from raising the overhead garage door with the motor unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.