Movable Barrier Hydraulic Braking
AssigneeThe Chamberlain Group, Inc.
InventorsRoger William Lhotak, Brian Roy Skotty
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydraulic brake apparatus, a movable barrier apparatus, a hydraulic brake kit, a method of stopping movement of a movable barrier, and a method installing a hydraulic brake assembly are described herein. A selectively operable piston mechanism converts rotation of a drive shaft of a movable barrier into hydraulic pressure used to operate a brake configured to stop movement of the drive shaft.
Claims35
A hydraulic movable barrier brake apparatus comprising:
- a cam coupled to a drive shaft of a movable barrier operator configured to control operation of a movable barrier;
- a first piston mechanism configured to selectively engage the cam;
- and
- a brake mechanism operatively coupled to the first piston mechanism and configured to impede rotation of the drive shaft in response to the first piston mechanism engaging the cam.
A movable barrier operator comprising:
- a housing;
- a movable barrier motor at least partially received within the housing, the movable barrier motor having a motor shaft and being configured to drive a movable barrier between and open and closed positions;
- a hydraulic brake assembly for the movable barrier motor at least partially received within the housing, the hydraulic brake assembly configured to selectively engage the motor shaft to thereby inhibit rotation of the motor shaft and movement of the movable barrier.
A hydraulic brake kit for a movable barrier, the hydraulic brake kit comprising:
- a cam configured to be coupled to a drive shaft of a movable barrier;
- a hydraulic piston pump configured to selectively engage the cam;
- a brake mechanism configured to operably couple to the hydraulic piston pump and selectively engage the drive shaft such that the brake mechanism impedes movement of the drive shaft in response to the hydraulic piston pump engaging the cam.
A hydraulic brake device for a movable barrier, the hydraulic brake device comprising:
- a hydraulic block comprising:
- a piston pump compartment;
- a reservoir compartment;
- a brake piston bore;
- a spool bore;
- fluid lines hydraulically coupling the piston pump compartment, the reservoir, and the brake piston bore, the spool bore fluidly positioned intermediate of the piston pump and the reservoir;
- a brake mechanism comprising a shiftable brake pad;
- a spool received within the spool bore and shiftable between first and second positions, the first position impeding fluid flow between the piston pump and the reservoir, and a second position allowing fluid flow between the piston pump and the reservoir;
- a first piston received within the piston pump compartment and configured to be driven to an extended position by pressure within the reservoir with shifting of the spool to the second position for engaging a cam, and being driven to a compressed position by the cam to thereby pressurize a fluid line connecting the piston pump compartment and the brake piston bore;
- a second piston received within the brake piston bore and configured to be driven to an extended position by the pressurized fluid line to thereby shift the brake pad of the brake mechanism to engage a rotor.
A method of impeding rotation of a drive shaft to stop movement of a movable barrier, the method comprising:
- converting rotational movement of a drive shaft into linear movement of a piston within a piston pump;
- creating pressure within a hydraulic line fluidly connected to the piston pump by operation of the piston pump;
- the pressure driving a brake pad into frictional engagement with a brake member coupled to the drive shaft.
A method of installing a hydraulic brake assembly for a movable barrier, the method comprising:
- coupling a cam to a drive shaft of a movable barrier;
- mounting a piston pump adjacent to the drive shaft for selective engagement of the cam;
- coupling a brake member to the drive shaft of the movable barrier;
- mounting a brake caliper assembly having a brake pad adjacent to the brake member for selective engagement of the brake member by the brake pad;
- mounting a brake piston mechanism adjacent to the brake caliper assembly, the brake piston mechanism configured to selectively shift the brake pad into engagement with the brake member;
- and
- establishing a hydraulic line between the piston pump and the brake piston mechanism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.