Garage door operator safety apparatus

• US 5,684,372 A
• Filed: 01/18/1996
• Issued: 11/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Fitzgibbon, James J., Willmott, Colin B.
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US08/588,227
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 318/280-286, 318/466-470, 318/256, 318/265, 318/461, 318/463, 49/26, 49/28, 49/118, 49/141, 160/292, 160/293.1, 361/23, 361/25, 361/31
• US Class Current: 318/280
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/41 Detection by monitoring transmitted force or torque E05F15/48 takes precedence; Safety couplings with activation dependent upon torque or force, e.g. slip couplings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/668 for overhead wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/10 Electronic control
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/554 sensing motor load
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/00 Details, accessories and auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/21 of identical elements, e.g. of identical compression springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/246 with at least one element being redundant
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4062 Monitoring servoloop, e.g. overload of servomotor, loss of feedback or reference
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/42321 Wrong direction or sign of measured value, eventually stop
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45242 Door, panel, window operation, opening, closing
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 47/002 Monitoring or fail-safe circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0851 for motors actuating a movable member between two end positions, e.g. detecting an end position or obstruction by overload signal

Abstract

A garage door opening and closing apparatus having improved operational safety is disclosed. The apparatus includes a control circuit which responds to a number of input stimuli to generate commands to open and close a garage door as well as to stop garage door movement. Three relays respond to the commands via drive circuitry to actually connect door operating voltages to the windings of a door controlling motor. By redundancies in the operation of the three relays, faults in the operation of those relays result in safe door operating conditions. Additionally, the control circuitry upon issuing a door stop command, performs a test to determine whether or not the door is still moving. If the door is still moving, door up commands are generated by the control circuitry to place the door in a safe position.

Claims

1. Apparatus for opening and closing a garage door comprising:

a motor having a rotatable member for rotating in a first direction to open the garage door and in a second direction to close the garage door;

motor control circuitry responsive to motor control commands for selectively connecting electrical power to said motor to cause rotation of said rotatable member thereby opening and closing said garage door;

control means for selectively sending one of a plurality of motor control commands to said motor control circuitry, said motor control commands specifying one of rotation of said rotatable member in said first direction, rotation of said rotatable member in said second direction, and no rotation of said rotatable member;

means for sensing the rotation of said rotatable member after the sending of at least a predetermined one of said motor control commands; and

means for sending fault control signals to said motor control circuitry when the rotation of said rotatable member sensed by said sensing means is not in accordance with the rotation specified by said at least one predetermined motor control command.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one predetermined motor control command specifies no rotation of said rotatable member and said fault control signals comprise signals specifying the rotation of said motor in said first direction.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said motor comprises an up winding which, when connected to electrical power, rotates said rotatable member in said first direction and a down winding which, when connected to electrical power, rotates said rotatable member in said second direction;

and

said motor control circuitry comprises;

first switching means responsive to said control commands during fault free operation for selectively connecting electrical power to said up winding or to an intermediate conductor;

second switching means responsive to said control commands during fault free operation for selectively connecting said intermediate conductor from said first switching means to said down winding; and

third switching means responsive to said control commands during fault free operation for selectively connecting electrical power to said up winding.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said control means comprises:

means for generating upward movement control commands defining upward movement of said door;

means for generating downward movement control commands defining downward movement of said door;

means for generating stop commands specifying no movement by said door; and

means responsive to said fault control signals for generating said upward movement signals.

5. Apparatus for raising and lowering a door comprising:

a source of motor driving voltage;

a motor having an up winding which, when energized by said motor driving voltage, raises said door and a down winding which, when energized by said motor driving voltage, lowers said door;

control means for generating control signals defining door movement;

first switching means responsive to said control signals during fault free operation for selectively connecting said motor driving voltage to said up winding or to an intermediate conductor;

second switching means responsive to said control signals during fault free operation for selectively connecting said intermediate conductor from said first switching means to said down winding; and

third switching means responsive to said control signals during fault free operation for selectively connecting said motor driving voltage to said up winding;

wherein said control means comprises means for generating a downward movement control signal specifying the connection by said first switching means of said motor driving voltage to said second switching means by said intermediate conductor, the connection by said second switching means of the motor driving voltage from said intermediate conductor to said down winding and no connection by said third switching means between said motor driving voltage and said up winding.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 comprising fault detecting means for detecting faults in the operation of said apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said control means comprises:

means for generating upward movement control signals defining upward movement of said door;

means for generating downward movement control signals defining downward movement of said door;

means for generating stop signals specifying no movement by said door; and

means responsive to the detection of a fault by said fault detection means for generating said upward movement signals.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said motor comprises a rotatable shaft and said fault detection means comprises means for sensing the rotation of said shaft.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said control means comprises means for generating a upward movement control signal specifying the connection by said first switching means of said motor driving voltage to said up winding and the connection by said third switching means of said motor driving voltage to said up winding.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said motor comprises a rotatable shaft and said apparatus comprises fault detection means for detecting improper rotation by said shaft in response to said control signals.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said control means comprises means responsive to a fault detected by said fault detection means for generating an upward movement control signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 5 comprising means responsive to the contemporaneous connection of said motor driving voltage to both said up winding and said down winding for interrupting current flow to both said up winding and said down winding from said motor driving voltage.

13. Apparatus for raising and lowering a door comprising:

a source of motor driving voltage;

a motor having an up winding which, when energized by said motor driving voltage, raises said door and a down winding which, when energized by said motor driving voltage, lowers said door;

control means for generating control signals defining door movement;

first switching means responsive to said control signals during fault free operation for selectively connecting said motor driving voltage to said up winding or to an intermediate conductor;

second switching means responsive to said control signals during fault free operation for selectively connecting said intermediate conductor from said first switching means to said down winding; and

third switching means responsive to said control signals during fault free operation for selectively connecting said motor driving voltage to said up winding;

wherein said second and said third switching means each comprise a normally open single throw relay contact set and said first switching means comprises a double throw relay contact set having an armature contact connected to said source of motor driving voltage, a normally open contact connected to said up winding and a normally closed contact connected via said intermediate conductor to one contact of said second switching means.