Door opening system and receptacle
AssigneeProduct Innovations and Sales Company, L.C.
InventorsFred P. Smith, Robert T. Wells, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A receptacle comprising a body including an opening having a door hingedly mounted therein for movement between a normal and substantially vertical orientation and a substantially horizontal orientation, a drive assembly having a hub for taking up and letting out the cord for moving the door between the substantially vertical orientation and the substantially horizontal orientation, and an actuator device for actuating the drive assembly, the hub being spaced apart from said hinge proximate an optimum position for minimizing the amount of force necessary for the drive assembly to move the door.
Claims36
A system for moving a door from a normal substantially vertical orientation to a substantially horizontal orientation, said system comprising:
- said door having an upper edge mounted to an axis of rotation;
- a drive means for moving said door between said substantially vertical orientation and said substantially horizontal orientation, said drive means being spaced apart from said axis of rotation proximate an optimum position for minimizing the amount of force necessary to move the door from said substantially vertical orientation to said substantially horizontal orientation;
- an actuating device for actuating said drive means;
- and
- a moment arm of applied force about the axis of rotation, said moment arm being smallest when said door is disposed in said substantially vertical orientation, and continuously increasing as said door moves toward said substantially horizontal orientation.
A receptacle comprising:
- a body;
- an opening for accessing said body;
- a door having an upper edge mounted by a hinge in said opening and residing in a normal and substantially vertical orientation, said door being movable about said hinge between said substantially vertical orientation and a substantially horizontal orientation;
- drive means for moving said door between said substantially vertical orientation and said substantially horizontal orientation;
- a moment arm of applied force about the axis of rotation, said moment arm being smallest when said door is disposed in said substantially vertical orientation, and continuously increasing as said door moves toward said substantially horizontal orientation;
- and
- an actuator device for actuating said drive means.
A receptacle comprising:
- a body;
- an opening for accessing said body;
- a door having an upper edge mounted in said opening by a hinge and residing in a normal and substantially vertical orientation, said door being movable about said hinge between said substantially vertical orientation and a substantially horizontal orientation;
- a motor having a take-up attachment spaced apart from said hinge proximate an optimum position for minimizing the amount of force necessary to move the door from said substantially vertical orientation to said substantially horizontal orientation;
- an actuator device for actuating said motor;
- a cord having an end coupled to said take-up attachment, and another end coupled proximate a lower edge of said door, said motor for actuating said take-up attachment in response to said actuator device for taking up and letting out said cord for moving said door between said substantially vertical orientation and said substantially horizontal orientation respectively;
- and
- a moment arm defined as perpendicular line extending from said hinge to said cord, said moment arm being smallest when said door is disposed in said substantially vertical orientation, and continuously increasing as said door is moved to said substantially horizontal orientation, thereby minimizing a torque output required to move said door from said substantially vertical orientation to said substantially horizontal orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.