Fenestration automation systems and methods
AssigneePella Corporation
InventorsEvan R. Vande Haar, Todd A. Bernhagen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fenestration assembly including a panel, a lock assembly coupled to the panel, and an actuation system coupled to the lock assembly. The lock assembly includes a motor, a transmission driven by the motor, a sensing assembly, and a slide assembly that includes a rack member operatively coupled to the motor by the transmission and a drive bracket member that is slidable by the rack member between a locked drive bracket member position and an unlocked drive bracket member position.
Claims21
A fenestration assembly comprising:
- a panel;
- a lock assembly coupled to the panel;
- and
- an actuation system coupled to the lock assembly and including a motor, a gear transmission driven by the motor, a sensing assembly, and a slide assembly that includes a rack member operatively coupled to the motor by the gear transmission and a drive bracket member that is slidable relative to the rack member independent of the gear transmission and is also slidable by the rack member by operation of the motor through the gear transmission between a locked drive bracket member position and an unlocked drive bracket member position,
- wherein the drive bracket member is longer than the rack member to permit the drive bracket member to slide relative to the rack member independent of the gear transmission, and
- wherein the rack member is configured to be received along a central portion of the drive bracket member and between a first end of the drive bracket member and a second end of the drive bracket member.
A method of actuating a lock assembly of a fenestration assembly including a first panel having the lock assembly and an actuation system coupled to the lock assembly, the method comprising:
- activating a motor of the actuation system to drive a gear transmission which engages a rack member of the actuation system to push a drive bracket member of the actuation system to move an accessory bar coupled to the lock assembly to a locked position, the drive bracket member and the rack member have different lengths to allow manual sliding of the drive bracket member relative to the rack member, wherein the rack member is received along a central portion of the drive bracket member, and wherein the drive bracket member is manually slidable relative to the rack member independent of the gear transmission.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.