Brake device for garage doors and the like

A brake device for a door operated by a tensioned cable, the cable-operated door having a movement guided by a fixed structure, the fixed structure having an inner portion and an outer portion, the brake device being mountable onto the cable-operated door and being configured for cooperating with the tensioned cable so as to immobilize the cable-operated door with respect to the fixed structure in the event of a given loss of tension in the cable, the brake device comprising:

• a support bracket mountable onto a bottom portion of the cable-operated door, the support bracket comprising:
• at least one hole for receiving a corresponding fastener for securely mounting the support bracket onto the cable-operated door;
• and
• a connection point configured for connecting to an extremity of the tensioned cable;
• a guiding assembly operatively mounted onto the support bracket for travelling along the inner portion of the fixed structure so as to guide the movement of the cable-operated door along said fixed structure when the support bracket is mounted onto the bottom portion of the cable-operated door;
• a braking assembly operatively mounted onto the support bracket for cooperating with the tensioned cable, the braking assembly comprising a swivel component pivotably mounted on and movable about the support bracket, the swivel component having opposite first and second ends, the first end being provided with a braking arm, and the second end being provided with a lever portion positioned about the support bracket for cooperating with the tensioned cable, the braking arm projecting out from the support bracket for positioning of said braking arm adjacent to the outer portion of the fixed structure, the braking arm being operable between a retracted configuration, where the braking arm is urged away from the fixed structure via a frictional engagement of the tensioned cable against the lever portion opposite to the braking arm of the swivel component, so as to allow the guiding assembly to guide the cable-operated door freely along the fixed structure, and a braking configuration, caused by the given loss of tension in the cable resulting in a decrease of the frictional engagement of the lever portion against the cable, where the braking arm is no longer urged away from the fixed structure and thereby engages a portion of the outer portion of the fixed structure for braking the movement of the cable-operated door with respect to the fixed structure, wherein the braking arm is provided with a knife having an edge extending from the braking arm for cutting the outer portion of the fixed structure when in the braking configuration, wherein the knife is removably mounted onto the braking arm with at least one fastener;
• biasing means operatively connected between the support bracket and the braking assembly for biasing the braking arm into the braking configuration;
• and
• a guiding channel defined within the lever portion of the swivel component for guiding the tensioned cable about the braking assembly and onto the connection point of the support bracket.