Automated garage door closer
First Claim
1. An automatically controlled garage door closer device for installation on a garage having a door opening and a garage door with an upper edge and a lower edge, a reversible electric motor providing motive power to move the door between open and closed positions on a pair of parallel tracks, and sensor means adjacent the lower edge of the door opening providing a beam projected across the opening, said device acting to automatically close the door if said door is inadvertently left open after a vehicle enters or exits the garage and comprises a switch housing adapted to be mounted on one of said tracks guiding the door between open and closed positions adjacent the final open position of the door, a switch within the housing having a flexible finger extending beyond the housing and into the path of the upper door edge, and a second housing containing said sensor means and a control circuit including timer means operatively connected to the motive power for the garage door for energization of the door closer once a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the door is opened, relay means operated by the timer once the predetermined time period has elapsed to automatically close the door, and means to interrupt the timer cycle upon breaking of the sensor beam, wherein if the sensor beam is interrupted before the predetermined time cycle is completed for closing the relay, the device is inactivated and reactivation of said timing circuit only occurs when the door is closed for a predetermined period of time.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automated garage door closing device for a remote controlled overhead garage door wherein the device is mounted on one of a pair of parallel tracks receiving rollers suitably mounted on the outer edges of the door panels, the device including a switch housing containing a switch for the leading edge of the door, and a circuit located in a second housing adjacent the garage floor and including an interval timer acting to close the door after a predetermined period of time, an audible alarm which is activated upon the garage door reaching the fully open position, a switch deactivating the entire unit when the garage door is deliberately to be left in the fully open position, and a flexible switch arm extending through the switch housing to a position to engage the upper edge of the garage door panel and acts to activate the automated closing device. A recycle delay circuit in the timing circuit acts to deactivate the unit upon interruption of the door closing operation if door movement is reversed and returned to the open position, and a sensor providing a sensor beam adjacent the garage floor to measure the time interval of interruption of the sensor beam to determine if a vehicle has exited or entered the garage or a person or animal has interrupted the beam. Also, a carbon monoxide detector is inserted in the circuit to provide activation of the door opening cycle if the level of carbon monoxide reaches a dangerous level.
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Citations
20 Claims
- 1. An automatically controlled garage door closer device for installation on a garage having a door opening and a garage door with an upper edge and a lower edge, a reversible electric motor providing motive power to move the door between open and closed positions on a pair of parallel tracks, and sensor means adjacent the lower edge of the door opening providing a beam projected across the opening, said device acting to automatically close the door if said door is inadvertently left open after a vehicle enters or exits the garage and comprises a switch housing adapted to be mounted on one of said tracks guiding the door between open and closed positions adjacent the final open position of the door, a switch within the housing having a flexible finger extending beyond the housing and into the path of the upper door edge, and a second housing containing said sensor means and a control circuit including timer means operatively connected to the motive power for the garage door for energization of the door closer once a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the door is opened, relay means operated by the timer once the predetermined time period has elapsed to automatically close the door, and means to interrupt the timer cycle upon breaking of the sensor beam, wherein if the sensor beam is interrupted before the predetermined time cycle is completed for closing the relay, the device is inactivated and reactivation of said timing circuit only occurs when the door is closed for a predetermined period of time.
- 11. An automatically controlled garage door closer device for installation on a garage having a door opening and a garage door with an upper edge and a lower edge, a reversible electric motor providing motive power to, move the door between open and closed positions on a pair of generally parallel tracks, and sensor means adjacent the lower edge of the door opening providing a beam projected across the opening, said device acting to automatically close the door if said door is inadvertently left open after a vehicle enters or exits the garage and comprises a switch housing adapted to be mounted on one of said tracks guiding the door between open and closed positions adjacent the final open position of the door, a switch within the housing having a flexible finger extending beyond the housing and into the path of the upper door edge, and a second housing containing said sensor means and a control circuit including timer means operatively connected to the motive power for the garage door for energization of the door closer once a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the door is opened, audible alarm means activated when the door reaches its fully open position, relay means operated by the timer once the predetermined time period has elapsed to automatically close the door, and means to interrupt the timer cycle upon a breaking of the sensor beam, wherein if the sensor beam is interrupted before the predetermined time cycle is completed for closing the relay, the timing circuit is deactivated and reactivation of said timing circuit only occurs when the door is closed for a predetermined period of time, said sensor means provides means to gauge the interval of interruption of said sensor beam.
- 15. A method for controlling a motor-driven door operator including the steps of activating a switch when the door is moved to its open position, said switch activating a sensor beam, providing a timer circuit having a predetermined time delay during which the door remains open, sounding an alarm during the time delay indicating that an automatic closer mechanism is activated, upon termination of the time delay reactivating the motor to close the door, and determining the time interval of interruption of the sensor beam and acting to activate the timing cycle based on the elapsed time interval.
Specification