Automatic door assembly and door operator therefor

Details Automatic door assembly and door operator therefor Automatic door assembly and door operator therefor

2000-02-04

2003-03-11

Redman, Jerry (Department: 3634)

Movable or removable closures

With operator for movably mounted closure

Coaxial of closure pivot

C049S333000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06530178

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Swing door operators are well-known in the automatic door assembly art for controlling the pivoting movements of pivoting or swing door panels between open and closed positions thereof. In most automatic door assemblies, the door panel is moved under power by the door operator in a normal motor driven door opening direction in response to an input device thereof detecting the presence of a person or object adjacent to the door assembly. One problem with conventional swing door operators is that they are difficult and oftentimes costly to service. For example, in order to service the motor of the operator, a technician must remove the operator from the door assembly and disassemble the operator housing to access the motor. This is a time consuming operation in view of the fact that the amount time spent servicing the motor itself is often quite short in comparison to the amount of time spent removing the operator and disassembling its housing. For example, in the case of a burnt-out motor, the technician can remove the old motor and replace the same with a new one very quickly, but will end up spending substantially more time removing the operator, disassembling its housing, re-assembling its housing, and remounting the operator. Consequently, there exists a need in the art for a door operator that has improved servicability to provide for easier and quicker servicing.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to meet the above-described need. To achieve this object, one aspect of the present invention provides a door operator comprising a rotatable operator output member constructed and arranged to be operatively connected with the door panel such that rotation of the output member moves the door panel between the open and closed positions thereof. A housing of the operator has an opening providing access to the interior of the housing. The operator further comprises a motor disposed within the interior of the housing in an operating position wherein the motor is coupled to the operator output member such that operation of the motor rotates the output ember so as to move the door panel between the open and closed positions thereof. The motor and the opening of the housing are configured with respect to one another to enable the motor to be moved out of the operating position thereof outwardly through the opening for servicing of the motor without disassembling the housing. The motor and the opening of the housing are also configured with respect to one another to enable the motor to be moved inwardly through the opening to reposition the motor in the operating position thereof within the housing interior.
In the preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention a releasable fastener is accessible through the opening of the housing from an exterior thereof. The fastener is constructed and arranged to be selectively manipulated through the opening in a motor releasing manner to release the motor to allow for removal of the motor from the operating position thereof and in a motor securing manner to releasably secure the motor in the operating position thereof within the interior of the housing.
A related aspect of the present invention provides a method for servicing a door operator comprising (a) a rotatable operator output member, the operator output member being constructed and arranged to be operatively connected with the door panel such that rotation of the output member moves the door panel between the open and closed positions thereof; (b) a housing having an opening providing access to the interior of the housing; and (c) an installed motor disposed within the interior of the housing in an operating position wherein the motor is coupled to the operator output member such that operation of the motor rotates the output member so as to move the door panel between the open and closed positions thereof, the installed motor and the opening of the housing being configured with respect to one another to enable the installed motor to be moved out of the operating position thereof outwardly through the opening for servicing of the motor without disassembling the housing. The method according to this related aspect of the invention comprises releasing the installed motor to allow for removal of the installed motor from the operating position thereof; moving the released motor out of the operating position thereof outwardly through the opening of the housing without disassembling the housing; providing a reinstallation motor, the reinstallation motor and the opening of the housing being configured with respect to one another to enable the reinstallation motor to be moved inwardly through the opening to position the reinstallation motor in the operating position thereof within the housing interior; moving the reinstallation motor inwardly through the opening to install the reinstallation motor in the operating position within the housing interior such that the reinstallation motor is coupled to the operator output member such that operation of the reinstallation motor rotates the output member so as to move the door panel between the open and closed positions thereof; and securing the installed reinstallation motor in the operating position within the interior of the housing.
Providing the reinstallation motor in accordance with this aspect of the invention may be accomplished either by servicing the released motor or by providing a replacement motor. Servicing the released motor may comprise inspecting the released motor, repairing the released motor, or both. During inspecting, it may be determined that the released motor is damaged but should be repaired (i.e. because it is beyond repair or because the cost of repair is not justified in view of the cost of providing a replacement motor) and then providing the reinstallation may be performed by the providing a replacement motor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,885 discloses a door operator comprising a torsion spring that becomes wound during door opening to store energy and thereafter releases that stored energy by unwinding to rotate a striker disk to effect pivotal movement of the door panel in the closing direction thereof. The rear volute of the spring is fixed to a support disk that can be rotated to tension or relax the torsion spring via winding or unwinding the same to control an amount of spring force applied. However, the support disk during rotation thereof remains in the same axial position with respect to the spring. As a result, this arrangement is not suitable for adjusting spring force in an operator in which the return spring is used in compression spring instead of torsion to effect spring driven door panel movement because it does not stress the spring by compression or extension, which is the way in which a compression spring functions to effect door panel movement. Thus, there exists a need for a simple and effective arrangement for adjusting spring force in a door operator in which spring force is provided by a compression spring instead of a torsion spring.
It is therefore another object of the present invention to meet the above-described need. To achieve this object, another aspect of the invention provides a door operator comprising a rotatable operator output member rotatable about an operator output axis. The operator output member isg constructed and arranged to be operatively connected with the door panel such that rotation of the output member moves the door panel between the open and closed positions thereof. A motor is coupled to the operator output member such that operation of the motor rotates the output member so as to move the door panel between the open and closed positions thereof. A door moving compression spring structure is positioned in a spring force applying relationship with respect to the operator output member such that operating the motor to rotate the output member in the first rotational direction thereof to move the door panel in a first door moving direction stresses the spring structure. The spring structure is constructed and arranged t

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Automatic door assembly and door operator therefor does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Automatic door assembly and door operator therefor, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Automatic door assembly and door operator therefor will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3071170