Automatic garage door dead-bolt lock

In an automatic garage door opening system wherein a garage door pivoted for opening and closing has an operating arm of an automatic garage door opener connected to a top edge thereof for opening and closing the door, the improvement for locking and unlocking the garage door in combination with the action of the automatic garage door opener comprising:

• (a) a locking bar attached to the garage door for sliding motion between an extended locked position and a retracted unlocked position, said locking bar being disposed to engage an area peripheral to the garage door only when in said extended locked position;
• (b) a mounting plate carrying said locking bar for sliding movement between said extended locked position and said retracted unlocked position;
• (c) biasing means for urging said locking bar to said extended and locked position, said biasing means comprising a spring connected between said mounting plate and said locking bar to urge said locking bar towards said extended locked position;
• and,
• (d) locking and unlocking mechanism means attached to the top of the garage door and connected to the operating arm of the automatic garage door opener and to said locking bar for moving said locking bar to said retracted and unlocked position against a biasing force of said spring before allowing the operating arm of the automatic garage door opener to lift the top of the garage door in an opening action and for releasing said locking bar to move to said extended and locked position from said biasing force of said spring only after the operating arm of the automatic garage door opener has moved the top of the garage door to a fully closed position, said locking and unlocking mechanism means comprising,
• (d1) a pivot plate mounted to the top of the garage door, said pivot plate having a pair of vertical members with a pivot pin disposed between them,
• (d2) a lock-lifting arm disposed between said vertical members, said lock-lifting arm having a first hole therethrough adjacent one end thereof having said pivot pin disposed therethrough, said lock-lifting arm having a second hole therethrough adjacent a second end thereof opposite said one end,
• (d3) a connecting cable connected between said second hole in said lock-lifting arm and said locking bar, and
• (d4) a slider member disposed between said vertical members in combination with said lock-lifting arm for sliding movement therebetween, said slider member having the operating arm of the automatic garage door opener connected thereto for sliding said slider member between said pair of vertical members during opening and closing of the garage door, said slider member having lifting means operably connected to said lock-lifting arm for lifting said second end of said lock-lifting arm when said slider member is slid between said vertical members on said pivot pin from a closed and locked position towards an open and unlocked position and for lowering said second end of said lock-lifting arm when said slider member is slid between said vertical members on said pivot pin from said open and unlocked position to said closed and locked position, said slider member having control means for preventing the operating arm of the automatic garage door opener from lifting the top of the garage door to open the garage door until said slider member has slid from said closed and locked position to said open and unlocked position and for preventing said slider member from sliding from said open and unlocked position to said closed and locked position until the operating arm of the automatic garage door opener has lowered the top of the garage door to a fully closed position.

An automatic locking and unlocking mechanism for use with an automatic garage door opening system wherein a garage door pivoted for opening and closing has an operating arm of an automatic garage door opener connected to a top edge thereof for opening and closing the door comprising:

• (a) a locking bar attached to the garage door for sliding motion between an extended locked position and a retracted unlocked position, said locking bar being disposed to engage an area peripheral to the garage door only when in said extended locked position;
• (b) a mounting plate carrying said locking bar for sliding movement between said extended locked position and said retracted unlocked position;
• (c) biasing means for urging said locking bar to said extended and locked position, said biasing means comprising a spring connected between said mounting plate and said locking bar to urge said locking bar towards said extended locked position;
• (d) a pivot plate mounted to the top of the garage door, said pivot plate having a pair of vertical members with a pivot pin disposed between them;
• (e) a lock-lifting arm disposed between said vertical members, said lock-lifting arm having a first hole therethrough adjacent one end thereof having said pivot pin disposed therethrough, said lock-lifting arm having a second hole therethrough adjacent a second end thereof opposite said one end;
• (f) a connecting cable connected between said second hole in said lock-lifting arm and said locking bar;
• and,
• (g) a slider member disposed between said vertical members in combination with said lock-lifting arm for sliding movement therebetween, said slider member having the operating arm of the automatic garage door opener connected thereto for sliding said slider member between said pair of vertical members during opening and closing of the garage door, said slider member having lifting means operably connected to said lock-lifting arm for lifting said second end of said lock-lifting arm when said slider member is slid between said vertical members on said pivot pin from a closed and locked position towards an open and unlocked position and for lowering said second end of said lock-lifting arm when said slider member is slid between said vertical members on said pivot pin from said open and unlocked position to said closed and locked position, said slider member having control means for preventing the operating arm of the automatic garage door opener from lifting the top of the garage door to open the garage door until said slider member has slid from said closed and locked position to said open and unlocked position and for preventing said slider member from sliding from said open and unlocked position to said closed and locked position until the operating arm of the automatic garage door opener has lowered the top of the garage door to a fully closed position.