Garage door operator motor secondary thermal overload

• US 5,925,996 A
• Filed: 10/10/1997
• Issued: 07/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Whistler Corporation of Massachusetts
• Inventors: Murray, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ip, Paul
• Application Number:
  US08/948,720
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 318/430-480, 361/20-33
• US Class Current: 318/471
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0852 directly responsive to abnormal temperature by using a temperature sensor in a control circuit H02H7/0833

Abstract

A secondary thermal overload device is connected to one winding of a motor having a bi-directional rotatable output shaft and is preset at a lower trip temperature than a trip temperature of a primary thermal overload device connected to the motor to deactivate only the one motor winding effecting closing movement of a garage door at a lower motor operating temperature and before the primary thermal overload device trips while enabling the motor winding associated with an opening movement of the garage door to be activated to open the garage door.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a garage door operator controlling movement of a garage door between open and closed position, the control apparatus comprising:

an electric motor having first and second windings for rotating an output shaft of the motor in one of two opposed directions, respectively, when electric power is applied thereto;

a operator means coupled between a garage door and the output shaft of the motor for translating bi-directional rotation of the output shaft of the motor to movement of a garage door in opening and closing directions;

means, connected to the first and second windings, respectively, for mutually exclusively completing an electric circuit to the first and second windings;

primary thermal overload sensor means, connected to both of the first and second windings and a source of electric power, for disconnecting electric power to both of the first and second windings at a sensed primary overload operating temperature of the motor; and

secondary thermal overload sensor means, connected to the second winding, for disconnecting electric power to the second winding independently of the primary thermal overload sensor means, when the sensed motor operating temperature reaches a second preset overload temperature, and enabling electric power to still be applied to the first winding to effect movement of the closure in the opening direction.

2. The control apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the second preset overload temperature of the secondary thermal overload sensor means is lower than the primary overload temperature of the primary thermal overload sensor means.

3. A control apparatus for an operator coupled to a closure movable between open and closed positions by an electric motor having first and second windings for rotating a motor output shaft coupled to the operator in two opposed directions when electric power is applied thereto, the control apparatus comprising:

means, connected to the first and second windings and to a source of electric power, for supplying electric power to the first and second windings;

control means for selectively activating the connecting means;

primary thermal overload sensor means, connected to the first and second windings and a source of electric power, for disconnecting electric power to both of the first and second windings at a sensed primary overload operating temperature of the motor; and

secondary thermal overload sensor means, connected to the second winding, for disconnecting electric power to the second winding independently from the primary thermal overload sensor means, while allowing the first winding to be connected to a source of electric power by the connecting means, when an operating temperature of the motor reaches a secondary overload temperature less than the primary overload temperature.

4. A method controlling the position of a closure between opposed open and closed positions in an opening, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an electric motor having first and second windings for rotating a motor output shaft in one of two opposed directions to move the closure between the open and closed positions when electric power is applied to the first and second windings;

coupling an operator to the closure and the motor output shaft for translating bi-directional rotation of the motor output shaft to translation of the closure between the open and closed positions;

applying electric power to the first and second windings to move the closure between the open and closed positions, respectively;

disconnecting electric power to both of the first and second windings upon detecting a primary overload operating temperature of the motor;

disconnecting electric power to only the one of the first and second windings of the motor effecting movement of the closure to the closed position upon detecting a secondary overload operating temperature of the motor less than the primary overload operating temperature; and

when the secondary overload operating temperature is detected, enabling the application of electric power to only the other of the first and second windings to effect movement of the closure to the open position.

5. A closure operator control apparatus comprising:

an electric motor having first and second windings, wherein the first and second windings are separately energizable to rotate an output shaft of the first and second opposed directions;

operator means, coupled between a closure and an output shaft of the motor, for translating bi-directional rotation of the output shaft of the motor to movement of the closure in a first opening direction in response to energization of the first winding and in a second, opposed, closing direction in response to energization of the second winding;

means for energizing one of the first and second windings, and

thermal overload means, connected in series with only the second winding, for disconnecting electric power to only the second winding at a sensed overload operating temperature of the motor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising;

primary thermal overload means, connected to both of the first and second windings and a source of electric power, for disconnecting electric power to both of the first and second winding at a primary overload operating temperature of the motor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein:

the preset overload temperature of the thermal overload means is lower than the overload temperature of the primary thermal overload means.

8. A control apparatus for a closure operator controlling movement of a closure between open and closed positions, the control apparatus comprising:

an electric motor having first and second windings for rotating an output shaft of the motor in a first direction to open a closure and in a second direction to close the closure when electric power is selectively applied to the first and second windings;

open closure and close closure means connected to the first and second windings, respectively, for completing an electric circuit to the first and second windings;

thermal overload sensor means, connected to the second winding, for disconnecting electric power to only the second winding when the sensed motor operating temperature reaches a secondary preset overload temperature; and

circuit means operable to energize the first winding to effect movement of the closure in the opening direction after the secondary preset overload temperature is reached.

9. The control apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

primary thermal overload sensor means, connected to at least the first winding, for disconnecting electric power to at least the first winding when the sensed motor operating temperature reaches a primary preset overload temperature, the primary preset overload temperature being higher than the secondary preset overload temperature.

10. A closure operator control apparatus comprising:

an electric motor having first and second windings for rotating a motor output shaft coupled to a closure movable in opening and closing directions, the first and second windings being separately energizable to rotate the motor output shaft in first and second opposed directions, respectively;

means for energizing only one of the first and second windings; and

thermal overload means, connected in series with the only one of the first and second windings, for disconnecting electric power to the only one of the first and second windings when a sensed motor operating temperature reaches a preset overload temperature, and allowing the other one of the first and second windings to be energized for movement of the closure only in the opening direction.