US 5,927,690 AGranted

Push-pull chain drive door operator system

AssigneeOverhead Door Corporation

InventorsJames A. White, Nicholas Dragomir, James Stottsberry

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Abstract

A push-pull chain garage door operator system includes a drive module and an elongated guide rail for a push-pull chain connected to a carriage assembly mounted on the guide rail. The chain is engaged with a sprocket mounted on a generally rectangular plate-like molded plastic support member which includes a serpentine idle chain storage slot formed therein. The support member is releasably connected to a stamped metal frame plate for covering the storage slot and supporting the drive module. The bottomwall of the support member supports a right angle speed reduction drive unit connected to a drive motor retained in a cradle formed by an integral boss on the support member. The motor and a starting capacitor therefor are retained in respective cradle portions of the boss by a removable retaining strap. A control circuit board is mounted on the underside of the support member and a two-part shroud for the operator mechanism is releasably secured to the frame plate.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An operator system for opening and closing a movable barrier comprising:

an elongated guide rail including a longitudinal slot formed therein;
a carriage member supported on said guide rail for sliding movement therealong, said carriage member being operably connected to said movable barrier;
a flexible elongated member connected to said carriage member and disposed for movement along said guide rail and confined for longitudinal sliding movement in said slot in said guide rail;
a drive module including a support member operably connected to one end of said guide rail, said support member defining an elongated serpentine storage channel for an idle portion of said flexible elongated member;
a rotatable sprocket disposed on said drive module and engageable with said flexible elongated member for pushing and pulling said flexible elongated member along said guide rail to move said barrier between open and closed positions;
said support member including a guide channel for said flexible elongated member extending between said guide rail and said sprocket, a first switchback portion of said storage channel, and a second switchback portion of said storage channel spaced from said first switchback portion whereby said guide channel is disposed between said first and second switchback portions;
a frame plate releasably secured to said support member and covering said channels and including means for connecting said operator system to a support structure;
and
a drive motor mounted on said drive module and drivably connected to said sprocket for traversing said flexible elongated member along said guide rail to move said barrier between open and closed positions.

6 more elements

An operator system for opening and closing a movable barrier comprising:

an elongated guide rail including a longitudinal slot formed therein;
a carriage member supported on said guide rail for sliding movement therealong, said carriage member being operably connected to said movable barrier;
an elongated flexible member connected to said carriage member and disposed for movement along said guide rail and confined for longitudinal sliding movement in said slot in said guide rail;
a drive module including a support member operably connected to one end of said guide rail, said support member defining an elongated serpentine storage channel for an idle portion of said elongated flexible member;
a rotatable sprocket disposed on said drive module and engageable with said elongated flexible member for pushing and pulling said elongated flexible member along said guide rail to move said barrier between open and closed positions;
a frame plate releasably secured to said support member and including means for connecting said operator system to a support structure;
a drive motor mounted on said drive module and drivably connected to said sprocket for traversing said elongated flexible member along said guide rail to move said barrier between open and closed positions;
a first removable shroud member including a bottomwall, opposed sidewalls, an endwall and spaced-apart projections engageable with said frame plate for releasably securing said first shroud member to said drive module;
and
a second removable shroud member including a light transmitting portion thereof and having opposed sidewalls and an endwall, said second shroud member including connector means thereon engageable with at least one of said first shroud member and said frame plate for releasably securing said second shroud member to said drive module.

7 more elements

An operator system for opening and closing a movable barrier comprising:

an elongated guide rail including a longitudinal slot formed therein;
a carriage member supported on said guide rail for sliding movement therealong, said carriage member being operably connected to said movable barrier;
an elongated flexible member connected to said carriage member and disposed for movement along said guide rail and confined for longitudinal sliding movement in said slot in said guide rail;
a drive module including a support member operably connected to one end of said guide rail, said support member defining an elongated serpentine storage channel for an idle portion of said elongated flexible member;
a rotatable sprocket disposed on said drive module and engageable with said elongated flexible member for pushing and pulling said elongated flexible member along said guide rail to move said barrier between open and closed positions;
said support member includes a boss formed thereon and defining a bore for receiving a bearing bushing and said sprocket includes a hub portion journaled in said bearing bushing for rotation therein;
and
a drive motor mounted on said drive module and drivably connected to said sprocket for traversing said elongated flexible member along said guide rail to move said barrier between open and closed positions.

5 more elements

In an operator system for opening and closing a movable barrier, such as an upward-acting garage door and the like, a drive module engageable with an elongated flexible chain for driving said chain to move said barrier between open and closed positions, said drive module including:

a support member for said chain and for a drive motor drivably engageable with said chain for effecting movement of said barrier between open and closed positions, said support member comprising a generally rectangular plate-like member formed of a molded polymer and including an integral elongated serpentine storage channel formed therein for storing an idle portion of said chain, said support member including means for supporting a rotatable drive sprocket drivenly connected to said drive motor and engageable with said chain, a boss formed on said support member for supporting said drive motor and means on said support member for supporting a speed reduction drive unit interposed an output shaft of said drive motor and said sprocket for reducing the speed of rotation of said sprocket with respect to said output shaft.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.