Lock-out trolley for garage door opener
AssigneeThe Chamberlain Group, Inc.
InventorsGeorge C. Burm, Philip A. McCartney, Barry M. Bidinger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lock-out trolley for a garage door has a first trolley member having body and a pair of pivot pins connected thereto. A latch arm, pivotally mounted on the pivot pins, has a trolley engaging member for selectively engaging a second trolley member. A cardioid shaped aperture in the latch arm engages one of the pivot pins and may lock the latch arm out of engagement with the second trolley member. A spring biases the latch toward its engaged position.
Claims11
A lock-out trolley for a garage door opener system, comprising:
- a body;
- a first pin connected to the body;
- a second pin connected to the body;
- a latch arm having a trolley engaging member for selectively engaging a trolley member, the latch arm having a pivot slot formed therein and having a lock-out aperture formed therein, the first pin engaging the pivot slot to allow the latch arm to translate and to rotate with respect to the body and the second pin engaging the lock-out aperture to allow the latch arm to assume a stable engaged position or a stable locked-out position;
- and
- means for biasing the lock-out aperture into engagement with the second pin.
A separable trolley assembly for use in a garage door operator system of the type including bar means along which is movable a drive assembly which is driven by a motor, and connecting structure having a first end attached to a garage door, said trolley assembly comprising:
- an inner trolley member supported by and slidable along said bar means;
- an outer trolley member supported by and slidable along said bar means, said outer trolley member receiving at least a portion of said inner trolley member when said trolley members are in an engagement position, one of said trolley members being connected to said drive assembly and the other of said trolley members being joined to the second end of said connecting structure;
- and
- a latch assembly movable between said engagement position wherein said latch assembly locks said trolley members together and a disengagement position wherein said latch assembly permits movement of said other trolley member independently of said one trolley member, said latch assembly including a latch arm having a first elongate slot and a second slot, said latch arm being held by a trolley member by a first pin extending through said first slot and by a second pin extending through said second slot, said arm being capable of rotational and translational movement with respect to said first slot, said second slot being nonlinear and including a first portion for holding said latch assembly in said disengagement position and further including a second portion permitting said latch assembly to shift to said engagement position, said latch assembly further comprising means for biasing said latch assembly toward said engagement position.
A latch arm for a lock-out trolley for a garage door opener system, comprising:
- a trolley engaging member for selectively engaging a trolley member;
- a pivot slot formed therein for engaging a first pin to allow the trolley engaging member arm to translate and to rotate with respect to the first pin;
- and
- a lock-out aperture formed therein for engaging a second pin to allow the trolley engaging member to assume a stable engaged position or a stable locked-out position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.