Vehicle door operating mechanism
AssigneeAutomatic Truck Door, Inc.
InventorsRichard L. Stillwell, Christopher G. Bohn, Daniel W. Boerman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle door operating mechanism provides automatic opening and closing of a delivery truck door from within or without the vehicle. A low profile side mounted electric motor operates a closed loop drive means with limit switches assuring proper operation. The motor and drive means cooperate directly with the existing tracking.
Claims31
A power driven vehicular utility door operating mechanism for an enclosed container having a floor, ceiling, opposed sides, end and open rear selectively closed by a door, the door having multiple panels hinged together and moveable in opposed tracks, the tracks having a vertical section extending from the floor toward the ceiling along each side of the opening, a horizontal section extending along the upper edge of the sides of the container from the open end toward the front end, and a curved section interconnecting the vertical and horizontal sections whereby the door is moveable from a vertical position to fully close the opening to a generally horizontal position immediately beneath the ceiling to open the rear end, the mechanism comprising, in combination:
- a reversible motor positioned adjacent one of said sides and in general alignment with the horizontal track section associated therewith, said motor including a drive shaft and a drive sprocket fixed to said drive shaft;
- an idler pulley mounted in the same plane as said sprocket, said pulley being mounted at the upper end corner of said container adjacent said curved track section attached to said one of said horizontal track sections;
- drive means cooperatively engaged with said drive sprocket and idler pulley forming an endless loop, said drive means moving in clockwise or counterclockwise direction depending on the direction movement of said motor drive sprocket;
- link means interconnected to said drive means and said door, whereby movement of said drive means in one direction will raise said door selectively between a fully closed position to a fully open position and movement of said drive means in the other direction opposite said one direction will move said door from a fully raised open position to a fully closed position;
- and
- control means for selectively actuating said motor to raise and lower said door to said fully open or closed positions or positions intermediate thereto.
A truck or the like, including, in combination:
- a vehicle frame, an enclosed cab mounted on said frame, and a body having an opening said body having a roof, floor, side and end walls, said opening being in the rearward end wall of said body;
- guide means in said truck positioned alongside said opening and continuing inwardly in said body said guide means including spaced tracks extending vertically along said opening and curving to extend horizontally immediately beneath said roof and adjacent said sides;
- closure means operably connected to said guide means for movement along said guide means to selectively close or open said opening said closure means is a multipaneled foldable door, said door in said fully closed position being vertical, and in said fully open position being generally horizontally positioned immediately beneath said roof;
- drive means mounted within said body along one of said sides and immediately beneath said roof and interconnected with said guide means to automatically move said closure means between a fully opened and fully closed position;
- and
- control means for selectively operating said drive means, said drive means comprising a low profile reversible motor, said motor being capable of utilizing electric energy generated by the truck or one or more storage batteries.
A power driven door operating mechanism for a vehicle having a vehicle frame, an enclosed cab mounted on said frame and an enclosed body mounted on said frame rearward of said cab, said body having a roof, floor, spaced sides and front and rear ends, the rear end of said body having means defining an opening essentially the size of said end and a foldable sliding door mounted on guide tracks whereby the door is movable between a fully closed position where said door is vertical and a fully open position wherein said door is essentially horizontally positioned adjacent to and beneath the roof, the operating mechanism comprising, in combination:
- a low profile motor electrically interconnected to the battery and electrical generator of the truck, said motor including a drive shaft rotatable in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, said motor being removably mounted to the forward end of one of said guide tracks adjacent the roof of said body;
- a drive wheel secured to said drive shaft;
- an idler wheel secured to said body adjacent the roof at a rearward point adjacent said one of said guide tracks and in alignment with said drive wheel;
- an endless loop mounted about said wheels;
- link means interconnecting said loop, said one guide track and said door whereby movement of said loop urges said door between an open and closed position;
- and
- control means for activating said motor to move said loop and interconnected door.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.