Air spring counterbalance
AssigneeThe Chamberlain Group, Inc.
InventorBrian Roy Skotty
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid-based spring counterbalance mechanism comprising an elastic flexible fluid-based spring disposed between a first plate and a second plate, each plate having a surface in contact with an end of the fluid-based spring. The counterbalance mechanism supports some or all of the weight of a movable barrier. A mechanism is configured to compress the flexible fluid-based spring between the respective surfaces of the two plates in response to motion of the movable barrier. By compressing the fluid-based spring, the counterbalance mechanism provides a force opposed to movement of the movable barrier.
Claims17
A fluid-based spring counterbalance mechanism comprising:
- a flexible fluid-based spring disposed between a first plate and a second plate, the first plate having a first surface in contact with a first end of the flexible fluid-based spring, and the second plate having a second surface in contact with a second end of the flexible fluid-based spring;
- a pulley;
- a cable supported by the pulley, the cable configured to be drawn in response to movement of a movable object;
- wherein the pulley and the first plate and the second plate are configured to compress the flexible fluid-based spring between the first surface and the second surface in response to the drawing of the cable such that the counterbalance mechanism is configured to provide a force opposed to movement of the movable object.
A fluid-based spring counterbalance mechanism comprising:
- a flexible fluid-based spring disposed between a first plate and a second plate, the first plate having a surface in contact with a first end of the flexible fluid-based spring, and the second plate having a surface in contact with a second end of the flexible fluid-based spring;
- a means for loading the flexible fluid-based spring in response to downward motion of a movable barrier such that the flexible fluid-based spring supports at least a portion of a weight of the movable barrier.
A movable barrier operator comprising:
- a movable barrier;
- a flexible fluid-based spring disposed between two plates, the plates each having a surface in contact with an end of the flexible fluid-based spring;
- a mechanism operatively coupled to the movable barrier and configured to compress the flexible fluid-based spring between the first surface and the second surface in response to downward movement of the movable barrier such that the movable barrier operator is configured to provide a force opposed to downward movement of the movable barrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.