Safety device, particularly for roll-up doors

• US 4,953,608 A
• Filed: 03/17/1989
• Issued: 09/04/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nomafa AB
• Original Assignee: Nomafa AB
• Inventors: Larsson, Nils H. I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Purol, David M.
• Application Number:
  US07/340,418
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 160/1, 160/2, 160/7, 160/133, 160/188, 160/189, 160/310, 160/312, 49/26, 49/27, 49/28, 49/25
• US Class Current: 160/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/43 responsive to disruption of energy beams, e.g. light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/436 the beam being parallel to the wing edge
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/47 Springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/13 by motors, magnets, springs or weights
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/46 in or on the wing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/00 Application of doors, windows, wings or fittings thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/885 Braking mechanism activated by the bottom bar
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/70 comprising an electric motor positioned outside the roller
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/84 against dropping
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/88 for limiting unrolling

Abstract

A safety device, particularly intended to be used in roll-up doors to cause reversal of the door closing movements in case an obstacle obstructs the path of movement of the door. The device comprises at least a couple of photoelectric cells which are arranged at a certain distance from the closing edge of the door leaf in alignment with the door leaf on a support arm which is displaceable in the direction of closing of the door.

Claims

1. A safety device, particularly intended for use in a roll-up door, said roll-up door including a roll-up door leaf extending horizontally between two upright posts defining a width for said roll-up door, said roll-up door further including an upper cross beam onto and off of which said door leaf is wound to open and close said roll-up door, respectively, and a lower cross beam connected to a bottom edge of said door leaf, said bottom edge of said door leaf being adjacent to a plane base surface when said roll-up door is in a closed position, said safety device comprising at least one signal emitting means (7) which is arranged to emit a signalling beam across the width of the door-leaf at a distance below the lower cross beam on said bottom edge of the door-leaf so that any object, obstructing a movement of the roll-up door into said closed position, interrupts the signalling beam emitted by the signalling means and causes a stopping of the closing movement of the door-leaf before the bottom edge thereof hits said object, characterized therein that the signal emitting means (7) is mounted on a support arm (9) which is slideably mounted in a holder (8) mounted on said lower cross beam, said support arm (9) arranged to abut against said plane base surface upon closing of the door so that the signal emitting means are displaced relatively to and towards the door-leaf to a position at least in level with the bottom edge of said door-leaf during the final closing movement thereof.

2. A safety device as claimed in claim 1, characterized therein that the signal emitting means (7) are positioned in vertical alignment with the door-leaf.

3. A safety device as claimed in claim 1, characterized therein that the safety device (6) is arranged to be disconnected when the door reaches a position at a predetermined level above the closed ;

4. A safety device as claimed in claim 1, characterized therein that said signal emitting means are a photoelectric cell.

5. An improved safety device, particularly intended for use in roll-up doors of the kind comprising a door-leaf and an overhead roll-up roller, said door leaf arranged to be wound onto and off of said roll-up roller for opening and closing movements, respectively, said door-leaf extending horizontally between two upright posts defining a width for said roll-up door, said roll-up door further including a lower cross beam connected to a bottom edge of said door-leaf, said bottom edge of said door-leaf being adjacent to a plane base surface when said roll-up door is in a closed position, said safety device comprising at least one signal emitting means, said means arranged to emit a signalling beam across the width of said door-leaf at a distance below the lower cross beam on said bottom edge of said door-leaf so that any object obstructing a movement of said door into a closed position interrupts said signalling beam emitted by said signal emitting means and causes a stopping of said closing movement of said door-leaf before the bottom edge thereof hits said object, said improved safety device comprising:

a support arm on which said signal emitting means is mounted;

a holder mounted on said lower cross beam and slidingly receiving said support arm therein;

said support arm arranged to abut against said plane base surface upon closing of said door so that said signal emitting means are displaced relatively to and towards said door-leaf to a position at least level with the bottom edge of said door-leaf during the final closing movement thereof.

6. An improved safety device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said signal emitting means are positioned in vertical alignment with said door-leaf.

7. An improved safety device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said signal emitting means are a photoelectric cell.

8. An improved safety device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said safety device is arranged to be disconnected when said door reaches a position at a predetermined level above said closed position.