Door operator unit

An apparatus comprising a motor driven door operator unit for moving a door between open and closed positions, said operator unit comprising:

• a drive motor including a motor output shaft;
• a speed reduction drive mechanism including a housing, a gear drive mechanism supported in said housing and connected to said motor output shaft and to an operator output shaft, said drive motor being operable to drive said operator unit output shaft at a reduced speed in opposite directions of rotation, said gear drive mechanism comprises a differential planetary gear drive including at least one planet gear operably engaged with a sun gear and with a first ring gear, said first ring gear being operable to be non-rotatable with respect to said housing and a second ring gear engageable with said planet gear and rotatable with respect to said housing and operably coupled to said operator unit output shaft;
• and
• a release member operably engaged with said first ring gear to prevent rotation of said first ring gear and said operator unit output shaft when said motor is deenergized, said release member being operable to disengage from said first ring gear to allow rotation of said first ring gear and said operator unit output shaft.

A motor driven door operator unit for moving a door between open and closed positions, said operator unit comprising:

• a drive motor including a motor output shaft;
• a speed reduction drive mechanism including a housing, a gear drive mechanism supported in said housing and connected to said motor output shaft and including an output gear drivably connected to an operator unit output shaft, said drive motor being operable to drive said operator unit output shaft at a reduced speed in opposite directions of rotation;
• a brake assembly disposed between said drive motor and said drive mechanism and operably connected to said motor output shaft for braking rotation of said motor output shaft and said operator unit output shaft, said brake assembly including an electromagnetic brake unit including a brake member operably connected to said motor output shaft, said brake member being free to rotate with said motor output shaft in response to energizing said brake assembly;
• a release member operably connected to said gear drive mechanism and operable in a first position to lock said operator unit output shaft against rotation when said brake assembly is engaged, said release member being movable to a second position to allow rotation of said operator unit output shaft independent of said motor output shaft;
• an adjustable torque limiting clutch disposed between said output gear and said operator unit output shaft for limiting torque imposed on said drive mechanism.

An apparatus comprising a motor driven door operator unit for moving a door between open and closed positions, said operator unit comprising:

• a drive motor including a motor output shaft;
• a speed reduction drive mechanism including a housing, a gear drive mechanism supported in said housing and operably connected to said motor output shaft and to an operator output shaft, said drive motor being operable to drive said operator unit output shaft at a reduced speed in opposite directions of rotation;
• a brake assembly operably connected to and disposed between said motor output shaft and said drive mechanism for braking rotation of said motor output shaft and said operator unit output shaft, said brake assembly comprising an electromagnetic brake unit including a brake member operably connected to said motor output shaft, said brake member being free to rotate with said motor output shaft in response to energizing said brake unit, said brake assembly being operable to lock a coupler between said gear drive mechanism and said motor output shaft against rotation with respect to said housing, said coupler including a sun gear, said gear drive mechanism comprising a differential planetary gear drive mechanism including at least one planet gear operably engaged with said sun gear and with a first ring gear, said first ring gear being engageable with said at least one planet gear and operable to be non-rotatable with respect to said housing, and a second ring gear engageable with said at least one planet gear and rotatable with respect to said housing and operably coupled to said operator unit output shaft;
• and
• a release member operably connected to said gear drive mechanism and operable in a first position to lock said operator unit output shaft against rotation when said brake assembly is engaged, said release member being movable to a second position to allow rotation of said operator unit output shaft independent of said motor output shaft.

An apparatus comprising a motor driven door operator unit for moving a door between open and closed positions, said operator unit comprising:

• a drive motor including a motor output shaft;
• a speed reduction drive mechanism including a housing, a gear drive mechanism supported in said housing and operably connected to said motor output shaft and to an operator output shaft, said drive motor being operable to drive said operator unit output shaft at a reduced speed in opposite directions of rotation;
• a brake assembly operably connected to said motor output shaft and said drive mechanism for braking rotation of said motor output shaft and said operator unit output shaft;
• a release member operably connected to said gear drive mechanism and operable in a first position to lock said operator unit output shaft against rotation when said brake assembly is engaged, said release member being movable to a second position to allow rotation of said operator unit output shaft independent of said motor output shaft;
• and
• a torque limiting clutch disposed between said drive mechanism and said operator unit output shaft for limiting torque imposed on said drive mechanism, said torque limiting clutch including a first hub operably connected to said operator unit output shaft, a second hub operably connected to said drive mechanism, clutch plate means disposed between said hubs, spring means operably engaged with said hubs and said clutch plate means for forcibly engaging said hubs with said clutch plate means and an adjustment member for adjusting the bias force of said spring means.

A motor driven door operator unit for moving a door between open and closed positions, said operator unit comprising:

• a drive motor including a motor output shaft;
• a speed reduction drive mechanism including a housing, a gear drive mechanism supported in said housing and connected to said motor output shaft and to an operator unit output shaft, said drive motor being operable to drive said operator unit output shaft at a reduced speed in opposite directions of rotation;
• a brake assembly interposed said drive motor and said drive mechanism and operably connected to said motor output shaft for braking rotation of said motor output shaft and said operator unit output shaft, said brake assembly including an electromagnetic brake unit including a brake member operably connected to said motor output shaft, said brake member being free to rotate with said motor output shaft in response to energizing said brake assembly;
• a release member operably connected to said gear drive mechanism and operable in a first position to lock said operator unit output shaft against rotation when said brake assembly is engaged, said release member being movable to a second position to allow rotation of said operator unit output shaft independent of said motor output shafts;
• and
• a torque limiting clutch disposed between said drive mechanism and said operator unit output shaft for limiting torque imposed on said drive mechanism, said torque limiting clutch including a first hub operably connected to said operator unit output shaft, a second hub operably connected to said drive mechanism, clutch plate means interposed said hubs, spring means operably engaged with said hubs and said clutch plate means for forcibly engaging said hubs with said clutch plate means and an adjustment member for adjusting the bias force of said spring means.

A motor driven door operator unit for moving a door between open and closed positions, said operator unit comprising:

• a drive motor including a motor output shaft;
• a speed reduction drive mechanism including a housing, a gear drive mechanism supported in said housing and connected to said motor output shaft and to an operator unit output shaft, said drive motor being operable to drive said operator unit output shaft at a reduced speed in opposite directions of rotation;
• a brake assembly interposed said drive motor and said drive mechanism and operably connected to said motor output shaft for braking rotation of said motor output shaft and said operator unit output shaft, said brake assembly including an electromagnetic brake unit including a brake member operably connected to said motor output shaft, said brake member being free to rotate with said motor output shaft in response to energizing said brake assembly;
• a release member operably connected to said gear drive mechanism and operable in a first position to lock said operator unit output shaft against rotation when said brake assembly is engaged, said release member being movable to a second position to allow rotation of said operator unit output shaft independent of said motor output shaft, said release member being engageable with a release member position control mechanism including means for holding said release member in a position disengaged from a member of said drive mechanism in response to a first actuation of said release member and said release member being operable to reengage with said member of said drive mechanism in response to a second actuation of said release member;
• and
• a torque limiting clutch disposed between said drive mechanism and said operator unit output shaft for limiting torque imposed on said drive mechanism.

An apparatus comprising a motor driven door operator unit for moving a door between open and closed positions, said operator unit comprising:

• a drive motor including a motor output shaft;
• a speed reduction drive mechanism including a housing, a gear drive mechanism supported in said housing and operably connected to said motor output shaft and to an operator output shaft, said drive motor being operable to drive said operator unit output shaft at a reduced speed in opposite directions of rotation, said gear drive mechanism comprising a planetary gear drive including at least one planet gear operably engaged with a sun gear and with a ring gear, said ring gear being operable to be non-rotatable with respect to said housing,
• a release member operably connected to said gear drive mechanism and operable in a first position to lock said ring gear against rotation, said release member being movable to a second position to allow rotation of said ring gear and said operator unit output shaft;
• and
• an auxiliary drive shaft operably connected to said ring gear and drivably connected to said operator unit output shaft through said ring gear when said release member is in said second position.