Automatic door operator

• US 5,325,628 A
• Filed: 04/02/1993
• Issued: 07/05/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dan C. Yingling
• Original Assignee: Dan C. Yingling
• Inventors: Yingling, Dan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): KANNAN, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US08/041,923
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 49/360, 49/118, 49/123, 49/370, 49/410, 49/199, 49/200, 49/25, 49/139, 49/140, 49/368, 49/367, 49/506
• US Class Current: 49/360
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/643 operated by flexible elongated pulling elements, e.g. belts, chains or cables by flexible elongated push-pull mechanisms E05F15/635
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/77 using wireless control
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/132 Doors

Abstract

An automatic door operator which works in conjunction with a sliding door(s) and existing track on which the door(s) moves, to open and close the door(s) without manual pushing and pulling. The invention is useful on single-sliding door installations, biparting single-track installations, and biparting overlapping door installations.

Claims

1. An automatic door operator assembly for use in opening and closing a door slideably mounted to a building structure and movable along a path adjacent a doorway of said structure, the doorway defining an area inside said building structure and an area outside said building structure, said operator assembly comprising:

a motorized unit secured on a first side of said doorway and inside said building structure;

a gear drive driven by said motorized unit;

said door mounted on the outside of said building structure and at least one structural member rigidly secured to said door;

an idler bracket assembly secured to a second side of said doorway opposite said first side of said doorway and inside said building structure; and

a flexible member forming a continuous loop, said flexible member in association with said gear drive, said structural member, and said idler bracket assembly, such that said flexible member actuated by said gear drive engages said structural member causing said door to open or close depending upon the direction of movement of said flexible member.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said flexible member is a chain comprised of a plurality of links.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said idler bracket assembly comprises a freely revolving sprocket wheel.

4. An automatic door operator apparatus for use in opening two biparting doors slideable mounted on a building structure adjacent a doorway of said structure, said apparatus comprising:

a motorized gear drive unit mounted on a first side of said doorway, adjacent one of said doors, and inside said building structure;

a first structural member rigidly secured to a first door, said first door mounted on the outside of said building structure;

a second structural member rigidly secured to a second door, said second door mounted on the outside of said building structure;

an idler bracket assembly secured to a second side of said doorway opposite said first side of said doorway, and inside said building structure; and

a flexible member forming a continuous loop, said flexible member driven by said motorized gear drive, said flexible member disposed in relation to said first structural member, said second structural member, and said idler bracket assembly, independent of door supporting means in such a way that as said flexible member moves in one direction, said first and second doors open simultaneously and when said flexible member moves in an opposite direction, said first and second doors simultaneously close.

5. An automatic door operator system for use in opening and closing first and second biparting doors slideably mounted to a building structure and movable along a path adjacent a doorway of said structure, said system comprising:

a drive unit mounted on a first side of said doorway adjacent said first door, and inside said building structure;

a first structural member rigidly secured to said first door, said first door mounted on the outside of said building structure;

a second structural member rigidly secured to a second door, a portion of said second door overlapping said first door when said doors are in a closed position, said second door mounted on the outside of said building structure;

an idler secured to a second side of said doorway adjacent said second door, and inside said building structure; and

a flexible member formed in a continuous loop, extending from said drive unit to said idler, said flexible member driven by said drive unit engaging said first structural member and said second structural member to move said first and second doors when said drive unit is actuated.

6. In a building structure having a doorway and at least one horizontally sliding door mounted outside said building structure adjacent said doorway, an improved method for opening said slidable door, said method comprising the steps of:

securing a powered drive unit adjacent said doorway and inside said building structure;

securing at least one structural member to said at least one door;

providing a flexible member to engage said drive unit and said structural member;

providing a return device spaced apart from said drive unit and engaged by said flexible member, to enable said flexible member to form a continuous loop between said drive unit, said structural member, and said return device; and

actuating said flexible member with said drive unit to cause said door to open.