US3695332A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Door operating mechanism
Assignee: Steiner American Corp
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Filing: 1970-05-25
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Granted: 1972-10-03
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Expires: 1990-05-25
Abstract
Abstract An automatic operator for an overhead garage door gravity-biased to a closed position includes a keeper centrally positioned on the garage above the doorway, a pivotally biased latch member secured to the top of the door and spring-biased into a locking configuration wherein it is engageable with the keeper for locking the door in its closed position, a reel mounted in the garage above the top of the door centrally thereof, a cable interconnecting the reel and the latch member, a reversible electric gear head motor coupled to the reel for rotating same in a winding direction to unlock the latch and open the door and in an unwinding direction to permit closing of the door and locking thereof by the latch member, means for actuating the motor, and motor control circuitry including a screw-type limit switch responsive to rotation of the reel for deactuating the motor after opening or closing of the door.
Inventors
- 👤 Erwin B Bahnsen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 07:48
CPC Classifications
E; E05; E05F; E05F15/00; E05F15/60; E05F15/603; E05F15/665; E05F15/668; E05F15/681; E05F15/686; E05Y; E05Y2201/00; E05Y2201/20; E05Y2201/218; E05Y2201/22; E05Y2201/23; E05Y2201/232; E05Y2201/24; E05Y2201/40; E05Y2201/43; E05Y2201/434; E05Y2201/60; E05Y2201/622; E05Y2201/644; E05Y2201/654; E05Y2201/658; E05Y2201/664; E05Y2201/71; E05Y2201/726; E05Y2900/00; E05Y2900/10; E05Y2900/106; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T292/00; Y10T292/08; Y10T292/1043; Y10T292/1051; Y10T292/1052; Y10T292/1057
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
346 words
The combination for use with an associated building having a door-receiving opening therein, said combination comprising a door mounted for movement between a closed position and an open position with respect to the door-receiving opening and biased toward the closed position thereof, a reel mounted on the associated building for rotation in a winding direction and an unwinding direction, said reel including a central hub and a peripheral cable channel and a radially extending web interconnecting said hub and said channel and recessed with respect thereto, a cable coupled at one end thereof to said reel and coupled at the other end thereof to said door, an annular gear having teeth formed internally thereof and being fixedly secured to said cable channel substantially coaxial with said reel, a motor mounted adjacent to said reel and provided with a rotatably driven output shaft and having a winding condition and an unwinding condition, and a pinion gear coupled to said output shaft and projecting inwardly of said annular gear and disposed in meshing engagement therewith for transferring the rotational movement of said output shaft to said reel, the recess in said reel freely accommodating the portion of said pinion gear projecting inwardly of said annular gear to provide a compact coupling between said motor and said reel, said motor in the winding condition thereof effecting rotation of said reel in the winding direction for winding said cable on said reel thereby to move said door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof, said motor in the unwinding condition thereof effecting rotation of said reel in the unwinding direction for paying out the cable on said reel thereby to permit movement of said door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof, whereby operation of said motor in the winding condition thereof effects automatic movement of said door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof and operation of said motor in the unwinding condition thereof effects automatic movement of said door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
346 words
The combination for use with an associated building having a door-receiving opening therein, said combination comprising a door mounted for movement between a closed position and an open position with respect to the door-receiving opening and biased toward the closed position thereof, a reel mounted on the associated building for rotation in a winding direction and an unwinding direction, said reel including a central hub and a peripheral cable channel and a radially extending web interconnecting said hub and said channel and recessed with respect thereto, a cable coupled at one end thereof to said reel and coupled at the other end thereof to said door, an annular gear having teeth formed internally thereof and being fixedly secured to said cable channel substantially coaxial with said reel, a motor mounted adjacent to said reel and provided with a rotatably driven output shaft and having a winding condition and an unwinding condition, and a pinion gear coupled to said output shaft and projecting inwardly of said annular gear and disposed in meshing engagement therewith for transferring the rotational movement of said output shaft to said reel, the recess in said reel freely accommodating the portion of said pinion gear projecting inwardly of said annular gear to provide a compact coupling between said motor and said reel, said motor in the winding condition thereof effecting rotation of said reel in the winding direction for winding said cable on said reel thereby to move said door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof, said motor in the unwinding condition thereof effecting rotation of said reel in the unwinding direction for paying out the cable on said reel thereby to permit movement of said door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof, whereby operation of said motor in the winding condition thereof effects automatic movement of said door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof and operation of said motor in the unwinding condition thereof effects automatic movement of said door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said motor comprises a reversible electric gear head motor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
612 words
The combination for use with an associated building having a door-receiving opening therein, said combination comprising a door mounted for movement between a closed position and an open position with respect to the door-receiving opening and biased toward the closed position thereof, a latch member mounted on said door and movable between a locking configuration and an unlocking configuration and biased toward the locking configuration thereof, a keeper mounted on the associated building adjacent to said latch member and cooperating therewith when said door is in the closed position thereof and said latch member is in the locking configuration thereof for locking said door in the closed position thereof, a reel mounted on the associated building for rotation in a winding direction and an unwinding direction, said reel including a central hub and a peripheral cable channel and a radially extending web interconnecting said hub and said channel and recessed with respect thereto, a cable coupled at one end thereof to said reel and coupled at the other end thereof to said latch member, an annular gear having teeth formed internally thereof and being fixedly secured to said cable channel substantially coaxial with said reel, a motor mounted adjacent to said reel and provided with a rotatably driven output shaft and having a winding condition and an unwinding condition, a pinion gear coupled to said output shaft and projecting inwardly of said annular gear and disposed in meshing engagement therewith for transferring the rotational movement of said output shaft to said reel, the recess in said reel freely accommodating the portion of said pinion gear projecting inwardly of said annular gear to provide a compact coupling between said motor and said reel, said motor in the winding condition thereof effecting rotation of said reel in the winding direction for winding said cable on said reel to thereby move said latch member from the locking configuration thereof to the unlocking configuration thereof and thereafter to move said door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof, said motor in the unwinding condition thereof effecting rotation of said reel in the unwinding direction for paying out the cable on said reel thereby to permit movement of said door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof and thereafter to permit movement of said latch member from the unlocking configuration thereof to the locking configuration thereof, means for actuating said motor to the winding and unwinding conditions thereof, and control apparatus directly coupled to said reel and to said motor and responsive to rotation of said reel through a predetermined angle for automatically de-actuating said motor upon movement of said latch member from the locking configuration thereof to the unlocking configuration thereof and subsequent movement of said door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof and for automatically de-actuating said motor upon movement of said door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof and subsequent movement of said latch member from the unlocking configuration thereof to the locking configuration thereof, whereby actuation of said motor to the winding condition thereof effects automatic movement of said latch member from the locking configuration thereof to the unlocking configuration thereof and thereafter effects automatic movement of said door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof with resultant automatic de-actuation of said motor and whereby actuation of said motor to the unwinding condition thereof effects automatic movement of said door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof and thereafter effects automatic movement of said latch member from the unlocking configuration thereof to the locking configuration thereof with resultant automatic de-actuation of said motor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
612 words
The combination for use with an associated building having a door-receiving opening therein, said combination comprising a door mounted for movement between a closed position and an open position with respect to the door-receiving opening and biased toward the closed position thereof, a latch member mounted on said door and movable between a locking configuration and an unlocking configuration and biased toward the locking configuration thereof, a keeper mounted on the associated building adjacent to said latch member and cooperating therewith when said door is in the closed position thereof and said latch member is in the locking configuration thereof for locking said door in the closed position thereof, a reel mounted on the associated building for rotation in a winding direction and an unwinding direction, said reel including a central hub and a peripheral cable channel and a radially extending web interconnecting said hub and said channel and recessed with respect thereto, a cable coupled at one end thereof to said reel and coupled at the other end thereof to said latch member, an annular gear having teeth formed internally thereof and being fixedly secured to said cable channel substantially coaxial with said reel, a motor mounted adjacent to said reel and provided with a rotatably driven output shaft and having a winding condition and an unwinding condition, a pinion gear coupled to said output shaft and projecting inwardly of said annular gear and disposed in meshing engagement therewith for transferring the rotational movement of said output shaft to said reel, the recess in said reel freely accommodating the portion of said pinion gear projecting inwardly of said annular gear to provide a compact coupling between said motor and said reel, said motor in the winding condition thereof effecting rotation of said reel in the winding direction for winding said cable on said reel to thereby move said latch member from the locking configuration thereof to the unlocking configuration thereof and thereafter to move said door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof, said motor in the unwinding condition thereof effecting rotation of said reel in the unwinding direction for paying out the cable on said reel thereby to permit movement of said door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof and thereafter to permit movement of said latch member from the unlocking configuration thereof to the locking configuration thereof, means for actuating said motor to the winding and unwinding conditions thereof, and control apparatus directly coupled to said reel and to said motor and responsive to rotation of said reel through a predetermined angle for automatically de-actuating said motor upon movement of said latch member from the locking configuration thereof to the unlocking configuration thereof and subsequent movement of said door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof and for automatically de-actuating said motor upon movement of said door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof and subsequent movement of said latch member from the unlocking configuration thereof to the locking configuration thereof, whereby actuation of said motor to the winding condition thereof effects automatic movement of said latch member from the locking configuration thereof to the unlocking configuration thereof and thereafter effects automatic movement of said door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof with resultant automatic de-actuation of said motor and whereby actuation of said motor to the unwinding condition thereof effects automatic movement of said door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof and thereafter effects automatic movement of said latch member from the unlocking configuration thereof to the locking configuration thereof with resultant automatic de-actuation of said motor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
375 words
A door operating mechanism for use with a door mounted in an associated building having A door-receiving opening therein for movement between a closed position and an open position with respect to the door-receiving opening therein for movement between a closed position and an open position with respect to the door-receiving opening with the door being biased into the closed position thereof, said door-operating mechanism comprising a reel mounted on the associated building for rotation in a winding direction and an unwinding direction, said reel including a central hub and a peripheral cable channel and a radially extending web interconnecting said hub and said channel and recessed with respect thereto, a cable coupled at one end thereof to said reel and coupled at the other end thereof to the associated door, an annular gear having teeth formed internally thereof and being fixedly secured to said cable channel substantially coaxial with said reel, a motor mounted adjacent to said reel and provided with a rotatably driven output shaft and having a winding condition and an unwinding condition, and a pinion gear coupled to said output shaft and projecting inwardly of said annular gear and disposed in meshing engagement therewith for transferring the rotational movement of said output shaft to said reel, the recess in said reel freely accommodating the portion of said pinion gear projecting inwardly of said annular gear to provide a compact coupling between said motor and said reel, said motor in the winding condition thereof effecting rotation of said reel in the winding direction for winding said cable on said reel thereby to move the associated door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof, said motor in the unwinding condition thereof effecting rotation of said reel in the unwinding direction for paying out the cable on said reel thereby to permit movement of the associated door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof, whereby operation of said motor in the winding condition thereof effects automatic movement of the associated door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof and operation of said motor in the unwinding condition thereof effects automatic movement of the associated door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
375 words
A door operating mechanism for use with a door mounted in an associated building having A door-receiving opening therein for movement between a closed position and an open position with respect to the door-receiving opening therein for movement between a closed position and an open position with respect to the door-receiving opening with the door being biased into the closed position thereof, said door-operating mechanism comprising a reel mounted on the associated building for rotation in a winding direction and an unwinding direction, said reel including a central hub and a peripheral cable channel and a radially extending web interconnecting said hub and said channel and recessed with respect thereto, a cable coupled at one end thereof to said reel and coupled at the other end thereof to the associated door, an annular gear having teeth formed internally thereof and being fixedly secured to said cable channel substantially coaxial with said reel, a motor mounted adjacent to said reel and provided with a rotatably driven output shaft and having a winding condition and an unwinding condition, and a pinion gear coupled to said output shaft and projecting inwardly of said annular gear and disposed in meshing engagement therewith for transferring the rotational movement of said output shaft to said reel, the recess in said reel freely accommodating the portion of said pinion gear projecting inwardly of said annular gear to provide a compact coupling between said motor and said reel, said motor in the winding condition thereof effecting rotation of said reel in the winding direction for winding said cable on said reel thereby to move the associated door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof, said motor in the unwinding condition thereof effecting rotation of said reel in the unwinding direction for paying out the cable on said reel thereby to permit movement of the associated door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof, whereby operation of said motor in the winding condition thereof effects automatic movement of the associated door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof and operation of said motor in the unwinding condition thereof effects automatic movement of the associated door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
361 words
A door-operating mechanism for use with a door mounted in an associated building having a door-receiving opening therein for movement between a closed position and an open position with respect to the door-receiving opening therein for movement between a closed position and an open position with respect to the door-receiving opening with the door being biased into the closed position thereof, said door-operating mechanism comprising a reel having an annular recess formed therein and being mounted on the associated building for rotation in a winding direction and an unwinding direction, a cable coupled at one end thereof to said reel and coupled at the other end thereof to the associated door, an annular gear having teeth formed internally thereof and being fixedly secured to said reel about the periphery of said annular recess substantially coaxial with said reel, a motor mounted adjacent to said reel and provided with a rotatably driven output shaft and having a winding condition and an unwinding condition, and a pinion gear coupled to said output shaft and projecting inwardly of said annular gear and disposed in meshing engagement therewith for transferring the rotational movement of said output shaft to said reel, the recess in said reel freely accommodating the portion of said pinion gear projecting inwardly of said annular gear to provide a compact coupling between said motor and said reel, said motor in the winding condition thereof effecting rotation of said reel in the winding direction for winding said cable on said reel thereby to move the associated door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof, said motor in the unwinding condition thereof effecting rotation of said reel in the unwinding direction for paying out the cAble on said reel thereby to permit movement of the associated door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof, whereby operation of said motor in the winding condition thereof effects automatic movement of the associated door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof and operation of said motor in the unwinding condition thereof effects automatic movement of the associated door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
361 words
A door-operating mechanism for use with a door mounted in an associated building having a door-receiving opening therein for movement between a closed position and an open position with respect to the door-receiving opening therein for movement between a closed position and an open position with respect to the door-receiving opening with the door being biased into the closed position thereof, said door-operating mechanism comprising a reel having an annular recess formed therein and being mounted on the associated building for rotation in a winding direction and an unwinding direction, a cable coupled at one end thereof to said reel and coupled at the other end thereof to the associated door, an annular gear having teeth formed internally thereof and being fixedly secured to said reel about the periphery of said annular recess substantially coaxial with said reel, a motor mounted adjacent to said reel and provided with a rotatably driven output shaft and having a winding condition and an unwinding condition, and a pinion gear coupled to said output shaft and projecting inwardly of said annular gear and disposed in meshing engagement therewith for transferring the rotational movement of said output shaft to said reel, the recess in said reel freely accommodating the portion of said pinion gear projecting inwardly of said annular gear to provide a compact coupling between said motor and said reel, said motor in the winding condition thereof effecting rotation of said reel in the winding direction for winding said cable on said reel thereby to move the associated door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof, said motor in the unwinding condition thereof effecting rotation of said reel in the unwinding direction for paying out the cAble on said reel thereby to permit movement of the associated door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof, whereby operation of said motor in the winding condition thereof effects automatic movement of the associated door from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof and operation of said motor in the unwinding condition thereof effects automatic movement of the associated door from the open position thereof to the closed position thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-10-03 | 1976-04-03 | 1976-10-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-10-03 | 1980-04-03 | 1980-10-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-10-03 | 1984-04-03 | 1984-10-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |