US 2012/0066976 A1 · Driven Member Positioner

Abstract

In one aspect, a method of operating a movable barrier operator includes engaging a flexible driven member with a drive of the movable barrier operator. The method includes moving the flexible driven member in a first direction to move a movable barrier connected to the driven member and monitoring the position of the movable barrier. In response to the movable barrier reaching a given position, the driven member is moved in a second direction without moving the movable barrier to remove slack from the driven member. In another aspect, a movable barrier apparatus includes a movable barrier controller operatively coupled to a movable barrier operator. The movable barrier controller is configured to cause the movable barrier operator to reverse direction of a flexible driven member a distance after stopping movement of a movable barrier toward a limit position and without moving the movable barrier.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of operating a movable barrier operator, the method comprising:

engaging a flexible driven member operatively connected to a movable barrier with a revolving drive of the movable barrier operator between leading and trailing portions of the driven member, the revolving drive being configured to rotate about an axis with the leading portion of the driven member being initially paid out from the axis and the trailing portion of the driven member being initially pulled toward the axis as the revolving drive rotates about the axis;
moving the movable barrier by moving the leading portion of the driven member away from the revolving drive while moving the trailing portion of the driven member toward the revolving drive;
suspending movement of the movable barrier in response to the movable barrier arriving at a stopping point;
and
moving the leading portion of the driven member toward the revolving drive while moving the trailing portion of the driven member away from the revolving drive after suspending movement of the movable barrier and without moving the movable barrier.

2 more elements

A movable barrier apparatus comprising:

a movable barrier configured to move between a first limit position and a second limit position;
a flexible driven member having a pair of end portions configured to connect to the movable barrier;
a movable barrier operator disposed between the end portions of the driven member and configured to selectively move the driven member in a forward direction to move the movable barrier toward the first limit position and move the driven member in a reverse direction substantially opposite to the forward direction to move the movable barrier toward the second limit position;
and
a movable barrier controller operatively coupled to the movable barrier operator, the movable barrier controller being configured to cause the movable barrier operator to move the driven member in the reverse direction a distance after stopping movement of the movable barrier toward the first limit position and without moving the movable barrier.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Driven Member Positioner

Life of this patent

Driven Member Positioner

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19