US 6,006,475 AGranted

Spring loaded swinging door system

AssigneeNabco Entrances Inc.

InventorsJames E. Schwantes, James R. Scott, Michael L. Slosiarek, Donald G. Mussa, James A. Treichel

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Abstract

An spring apparatus for use with an automatic swinging door closure system wherein the system includes a motor linked to a door via a gear train and a drive arm, the train including a plurality of gears including a first gear adjacent the motor, the motor driving the gears to move the door in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction and the apparatus for driving the gears in the direction opposite motor direction when motor power is cut off, the apparatus including a spring mounted within a housing which is linkable to the first gear in a first orientation to cause clockwise door movement and is linkable to the first gear in a second orientation to cause counter-clockwise door movement, the apparatus is easily modifiable so as to be configured in either of the first or second orientations and also includes a tension adjusting mechanism for adjusting spring tension.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A spring apparatus for use with a swinging door closure system, the system used to move the door between first and second door positions, the system including a motor having a rotor shaft, a gear housing and a plurality of gears forming a gear train positioned within the housing, the train having a last gear at a distal end and N other gears including a first gear at a proximal end opposite the distal end and in operative communication with the rotor shaft, each gear centered along a gear axis for rotation, a drive shaft extending from the last gear, an arm member linked to the drive shaft at a proximal end and to the door at a distal end, the apparatus positionable in at least a first orientation with respect to the closure system, when power is provided to the motor to drive the rotor in a first direction the gears rotate such that the drive shaft and arm force the door from the first to the second position, when the apparatus is in the first orientation, the apparatus for forcing the door from the second back into the first position when power is cut off to the motor, the apparatus comprising:

a stopper securable in a fixed position with respect to the gear housing;
and
a torsional spring arranged about an Mth gear axis having central and lateral spring ends, a first of the spring ends linked to the Mth gear and a second of the spring ends linked to the stopper, the Mth gear being one of the N gears;
whereby, when the apparatus is in the first orientation the spring is wound about the Mth gear axis from the first to the second ends such that the spring is compressed when power is provided to the motor to drive the rotor in the first direction and the spring expands thereby forcing the door back into the first position when power is cut off from the motor.

1 more element

A swinging door closure system for moving a door between first and second door positions, the system comprising:

a motor having a rotor shaft;
a gear assembly including a gear housing and a plurality of gears forming a gear train positioned within the housing, the housing forming a linking shaft aperture, the train having a first gear at a proximal end in operative communication with the rotor shaft and a last gear at a distal end opposite the proximal end, the first gear centered for rotation along a gear axis and including a spring linking shaft which extends out the linking shaft aperture, a drive shaft extending from the last gear;
an arm member linked to the drive shaft at a proximal end and linkable to the door at a distal end;
and
a spring assembly linkable to the spring linking shaft outside the gear housing;
whereby, when power is provided to the motor to drive the rotor in a first direction the gears rotate such that the drive shaft and arm force the door from the first to the second position;
and
whereby the spring assembly can be positioned in a first orientation with respect to the gear housing wherein the spring is wound about the gear axis from the first to the second ends such that the spring is compressed when power is provided to the motor to drive the rotor in the first direction and the spring expands thereby forcing the door back into the first position when power is cut off from the motor.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.