Yieldable gearing and safety mechanisms for garage door operators
US5557887A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 28, 1994 |
| Grant date | Sep 24, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 28, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02H7/0853
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A garage door operator which senses obstructions and takes corrective action before entrapment can occur. Yieldable gears are utilized as a failsafe mechanism such that when the applied torque exceeds certain limit, the gears disengage so that the garage door can be manually moved. The yieldable gears may also be disengaged by remote control or by hand. Solid state circuitry is provided to achieve soft starts and stops of the electric motor. Test circuitry is provided that tests the operational readiness of the electrical components by simulating an abnormal torque condition. During operation of the electric motor, the torque load is electronically calculated and if an abnormal torque load is encountered, the electric motor reverses direction.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.