Sliding door drive system
AssigneeElectronic Controls Company
InventorsWalter Heidt Barnes, Benjamin Downey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sliding door drive system may include a drive axle and at least one idler axle spaced a part and parallel to each other. The sliding door drive system may further include a first pair of gears having a first radius, each of which is coupled to a different one of the drive axle and the at least one idler axle. The sliding door drive system may further include a second pair of gears having a second radius larger than the first radius. The sliding door drive system may further include a first drive belt coupled between the first pair of gears, and a second drive belt coupled between the second pair of gears. The sliding door drive system may further include a first door bracket coupled to the first drive belt and a second door bracket coupled to the second drive belt.
Claims20
A sliding door drive system comprising:
- a drive axle configured to be driven by a drive motor;
- at least one idler axle spaced apart from the drive axle and positioned parallel to the drive axle;
- a first pair of gears, each of the first pair of gears coupled to a different one of the drive axle and the at least one idler axle and aligned with each other, each of the first pair of gears having a first radius;
- a second pair of gears, each of the second pair of gears coupled to a different one of the drive axle and the at least one idler axle, the second pair of gears aligned with each other and spaced apart from the first pair of gears on the drive axle and the at least one idler axle, respectively, each of the second pair of gears having a second radius larger than the first radius;
- a third pair of gears, each of the third pair of gears coupled to a different one of the drive axle and the at least one idler axle, the third pair of gears aligned with each other and spaced apart from the first and second pairs of gears on the drive axle and the at least one idler axle, respectively, each of the third pair of gears having a third radius larger than the second radius;
- a first continuous drive belt coupled between the first pair of gears;
- a second continuous drive belt coupled between the second pair of gears;
- a third continuous drive belt coupled between the third pair of gears;
- a first door bracket coupled to the first continuous drive belt, the first door bracket configured to move between a first deployed position and a first stored position;
- a second door bracket coupled to the second continuous drive belt, the second door bracket configured to move between a second deployed position and a second stored position;
- a third door bracket coupled to the third continuous drive belt, the third door bracket configured to move between a third deployed position and a third stored position;
- a fourth door bracket coupled to the first continuous drive belt and configured to move between a fourth deployed position and a fourth stored position, the fourth deployed position positioned closer to the first deployed position than the fourth stored position is to the first stored position;
- a fifth door bracket coupled to the second continuous drive belt and configured to move between a fifth deployed position and a fifth stored position, the fifth deployed position positioned closer to the second deployed position than the fifth stored position is to the second stored position;
- and
- a sixth door bracket coupled to the third continuous drive belt and configured to move between a sixth deployed position and a sixth stored position, the sixth deployed position positioned closer to the third deployed position than the sixth stored position is to the third stored position.
A sliding door drive system comprising:
- a drive axle configured to be driven by a drive motor;
- at least one idler axle spaced apart from the drive axle and positioned parallel to the drive axle;
- a first pair of gears, each of the first pair of gears coupled to a different one of the drive axle and the at least one idler axle and aligned with each other, each of the first pair of gears having a first radius;
- a second pair of gears, each of the second pair of gears coupled to a different one of the drive axle and the at least one idler axle, the second pair of gears aligned with each other and spaced apart from the first pair of gears on the drive axle and the at least one idler axle, respectively, each of the second pair of gears having a second radius larger than the first radius;
- a first continuous drive belt coupled between the first pair of gears, the first continuous drive belt having an upper portion and a lower portion defined between the first pair of gears;
- a second continuous drive belt coupled between the second pair of gears, the second continuous drive belt having an upper portion and a lower portion defined between the second pair of gears;
- a first door bracket coupled to one of the upper portion or the lower portion of the first continuous drive belt, the first door bracket configured to move between a first deployed position and a first stored position;
- a second door bracket coupled to one of the upper portion or the lower portion of the second continuous drive belt, the second door bracket configured to move between a second deployed position and a second stored position;
- a third door bracket coupled to a different one of the upper portion or the lower portion of the first continuous drive belt than the first door bracket and configured to move between a third deployed position and a third stored position, the third deployed position positioned closer to the first deployed position than the third stored position is to the first stored position;
- and
- a fourth door bracket coupled to a different one of the upper portion or the lower portion of the second continuous drive belt than the second door bracket and configured to move between a fourth deployed position and a fourth stored position, the fourth deployed position positioned closer to the second deployed position than the fourth stored position is to the second stored position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.