Modular garage door opener

• US 10,237,996 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2018
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TTi (Macao Commercial Offshore) Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: TTi (Macao Commercial Offshore) Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Whitmire, J. Porter, Zimmerman, Todd, Huggins, Mark, Preus, Michael, Pleasants, Parke, Jenkins, J. Luke, McCracken, Robert E., Brazell, Kenneth M., Ohi, Taku, Lagman, C. Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Allen T
• Application Number:
  US15/976,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20180263129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: 340 57- 574
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/43 responsive to disruption of energy beams, e.g. light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/60 using electrical actuators
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/668 for overhead wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/681 operated by flexible elongated pulling elements, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/435 by interruption of the beam
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/436 the beam being parallel to the wing edge
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/214 Disengaging means
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/61 Power supply
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/612 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/614 charging thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/106 Lighting
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/20 Combinations of elements
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0221 Locks; Latches
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring

Abstract

A modular garage door opener system and method including a garage door opener having a motor that is configured to be coupled to a garage door to open and close the garage door. The garage door opener includes a first accessory port including a first accessory mounting interface and a second accessory port disposed on the garage door opener including a second accessory mounting interface. An accessory device including a first mounting interface engages the first accessory mounting interface to couple the accessory device to the first accessory port. The accessory device may be disengaged from the first accessory mounting interface and then engage the second accessory mounting interface to couple the accessory device to the second accessory port. Additionally, a second accessory device may engage the first accessory port after disengagement of the accessory device.

Claims

1. A modular garage door opener system comprising:

a garage door opener including a motor that is configured to open and close the garage door;

a housing of the garage door opener configured to support the motor, the housing having a top portion, a bottom portion, and at least one sidewall;

an accessory port configured to receive and support an accessory device, the accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing, the accessory port comprising a communication interface that includes at least one electrical connector disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing to facilitate data communication between the accessory device and the garage door opener.

2. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sidewall includes a second accessory port.

3. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sidewall includes a first sidewall including the accessory port, and includes a second sidewall including a second accessory port.

4. The modular garage door opener system of claim 3,

wherein the at least one sidewall further includes a third sidewall including a third accessory port, and includes a fourth sidewall including a fourth accessory port, and

wherein the first sidewall, second sidewall, third sidewall, and fourth sidewall connect the top portion of the housing to the bottom portion of the housing.

5. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical connector is configured to provide power and facilitate data communication between the accessory device disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing and the garage door opener.

6. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1, wherein the accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing includes a coupling interface configured to receive a portion of the accessory device and mechanically couple and align the accessory device with the housing.

7. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1, wherein the garage door opener includes a controller having an electronic processor and a memory, the electronic processor configured to execute instructions to control functions of the garage door opener, communicate with the accessory device, and control power to the accessory device via the accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing.

8. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1, wherein the accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing is configured to receive an accessory device comprising a battery pack and a battery charger, wherein the garage door opener transfers electrical charge to the battery charger to charge the battery pack and the battery pack supplies power to the garage door opener during power outages via the accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing.

9. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1, wherein the accessory device received and supported by the accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a speaker, a fan, an extension cord reel, an environmental sensor, a park-assist laser, a light, an inflator, and an inflator cord reel.

10. A modular garage door opener system comprising:

a garage door opener including a motor that is configured to open and close the garage door;

a housing of the garage door opener configured to support the motor, the housing having a top portion, a bottom portion, and at least one sidewall;

a first accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing, the first accessory port including a first accessory mounting interface having a first electrical connector;

a second accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing, the second accessory port including a second accessory mounting interface having a second electrical connector; and

an accessory device including a first mounting interface that is configured to engage the first accessory mounting interface disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing to couple the accessory device to the first accessory port on the at least one sidewall of the housing, and that is configured to engage the second accessory mounting interface disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing to couple the accessory device to the second accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing.

11. The modular garage door opener system of claim 10, wherein the accessory device is at least one selected from the group consisting of a speaker, a fan, an extension cord reel, an environmental sensor, a park-assist laser, a light, an inflator, and an inflator cord reel.

12. The modular garage door opener system of claim 10, wherein the accessory device further includes a mechanical mounting interface and an electrical mounting interface.

13. The modular garage door opener system of claim 12, wherein the first accessory mounting interface disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing includes:

a first coupling interface that is configured to engage the mechanical mounting interface on the accessory device such that the accessory device is mechanically supported on the first coupling interface, and

a first communication interface having the first electrical connector that is configured to engage the electrical mounting interface on the accessory device such that the accessory device is electrically coupled to the first communication interface.

14. The modular garage door opener system of claim 12, wherein the second accessory mounting interface disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing includes:

a second coupling interface that is configured to engage the mechanical mounting interface on the accessory device such that the accessory device is mechanically supported on the second coupling interface, and

a second communication interface having the second electrical connector that is configured to engage the electrical mounting interface on the accessory device such that the accessory device is electrically coupled to the second communication interface.

15. The modular garage door opener system of claim 10, wherein the accessory device comprises a battery charger configured to receive a battery pack and the first accessory mounting interface disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing is configured to receive the battery charger, wherein the garage door opener transfers electrical charge to the battery charger to charge the battery pack and the battery pack supplies power to the garage door opener during power outages via the first accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing.

16. A method of operating a modular garage door opener system comprising:

receiving, by an accessory port disposed on a sidewall of a garage door opener, a first accessory device, wherein receiving the first accessory device includes engaging a first mounting interface of the first accessory device to a communication interface that includes at least one electrical connector in the accessory port disposed on the sidewall of the garage door opener;

disengaging, by the accessory port disposed on the sidewall of the garage door opener, from the first accessory device, wherein disengaging from the first accessory device includes decoupling of the first mounting interface of the first accessory device from the communication interface that includes the at least one electrical connector in the accessory port disposed on the sidewall of the garage door opener; and

receiving, by the accessory port disposed on a sidewall of the garage door opener, a second accessory device, wherein receiving the second accessory device includes engaging a second mounting interface of the second accessory device to the communication interface that includes the at least one electrical connector in the accessory port disposed on the sidewall of the garage door opener.

17. The modular garage door opener system of claim 16, wherein the at least one electrical connector is configured to provide power and facilitate data communication between the accessory device received by the accessory port disposed on the sidewall of the garage door opener.

18. The modular garage door opener system of claim 16, wherein receiving the first accessory device includes engaging the first mounting interface of the first accessory device to a coupling interface in the accessory port disposed on the sidewall of the garage door opener, the coupling interface configured to receive a portion of the accessory device and mechanically couple and align the accessory device with the sidewall of the garage door opener;

wherein disengaging from the first accessory device includes decoupling of the first mounting interface of the first accessory device from the coupling interface in the accessory port disposed on the sidewall of the garage door opener; and

wherein receiving the second accessory device includes engaging the second mounting interface of the second accessory device to the coupling interface in the accessory port disposed on the sidewall of the garage door opener.

19. The modular garage door opener system of claim 16, wherein the sidewall of the garage door opener includes a second accessory port.

20. The modular garage door opener system of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, by a second accessory port of the garage door opener, the first accessory device, wherein receiving the first accessory device includes engaging of the first mounting interface of the first accessory device with a second accessory mounting interface of the second accessory port.