Sectional door

• US 7,048,029 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2004
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Novoferm GmbH (Sanwa Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Novoferm GmbH (Sanwa Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Rieder, Franz-Wilhelm, Höfling, Stefan, Göckus, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Blair M.
• Application Number:
  US10/755,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20040182528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 160/188, 160/191, 160/192, 160/193, 493/58, 104/202, 104/233, 104/236, 104/172.1, 104/230, 105/73, 105/150
• US Class Current: 160/188
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/24 consisting of parts connected at their edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/67 operated by flexible or rigid rack-and-pinion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/676 operated by friction wheels
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/434 Electromotors; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/656 Chains
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/46 in or on the wing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages

Abstract

A sectional door having a door frame, a door panel comprising sections coupled to another in articulated manner, a weight equalization device coupled to the door panel, and an electrical door drive for opening and closing movements of said door panel. The uppermost section in the closed position of the door panel, is guided on running rails as the header section, wherein said rails extend essentially horizontally up to the door frame, and have a vertical end segment on the frame side. The other sections that follow below the header section are guided in guide rails that have a vertical segment along the door frame, a horizontal segment parallel to the running rail that holds the header section, and an arc that joins the two segments. With this device, the door drive is attached to one of the sections connected below the header section, and has at least one power take-off shaft having an impeller at the end. The driven impeller engages in the guide rail and moves the door panel.

Claims

1. A sectional door having

a) a door frame;

b) a door panel comprising a plurality of sections coupled to one another in articulated manner;

c) a weight equalization device coupled to said door panel;

d) an electrical door drive coupled to said door panel for opening and closing movements of the door panel wherein said door drive comprises at least one impeller;

e) a plurality of running rails,

f) a plurality of guide rails coupled to said frame,

g) a spring-loaded tensioning device coupled to at least one of said two power take off shafts, said spring-loaded tensioning device having at least one pressure roller supported on a surface of said plurality of guide rails, wherein said spring loaded tensioning device presses said at least one impeller against a surface of said guide rail;

h) a tensioning spring, wherein said tensioning device comprises two pivot arms mounted to rotate about said power take-off shaft, and which is connected by means of said tension spring, wherein said pressure roller is arranged on said pivot arms, in each instance;

wherein said plurality of sections include an uppermost section, which in the closed position of the door panel, is guided on said plurality of running rails as a header section, wherein said plurality of running rails extend essentially horizontally up to said door frame, and have a vertical end segment on a frame side, and wherein any other sections of said door panel that follow below said header section are guided in said plurality of guide rails that have a vertical segment along said door frame, a horizontal segment parallel to said running rail that holds said header section, as well as an arc that joins two of said segments, wherein said door drive is attached to at least one of said sections connected below said header section, and has at least one power take-off shaft mounted on said at least one section, with said impeller at the end of said power take-off shaft, and wherein said driven impeller moves said door panel along said guide rails.

2. The sectional door according to claim 1, wherein said door drive is attached to a section that is lowermost in a closed position of said door panel.

3. The sectional door according to claim 1, wherein said door drive is designed so that a maximal drive force for moving said door panel is not more than 150 N.

4. The sectional door according to claim 1, wherein said door drive has two power take off shafts and has a bifurcation gear mechanism for said two power take-off shafts that extend to both sides of an attached section and wherein said door drive has at least one impeller that engages in said guide rails at their ends.

5. The sectional door according to claim 1, wherein said guide rail has a C-shaped cross-sectional profile having at least two shanks, whereby at least one shank of said profile is configured as a groove-shaped running surface and another shank forms a support surface arranged at a distance from said running surface.

6. The sectional door as in claim 1, wherein said driven impeller has a rubber tire.

7. A sectional door having

a) a door frame;

b) a door panel comprising a plurality of section coupled to one another in an articulated manner;

c) a weight equalization device coupled to said door panel;

d) an electric door drive coupled to said door panel for opening and closing movements of the door panel;

e) a plurality of running rails;

f) a plurality of guide rails coupled to said frame;

wherein said plurality of sections include an uppermost section, which in the closed position of the door panel, is guided on said plurality of running rails as a header section, wherein said plurality of running rails extend essentially horizontally up to said door frame, and have a vertical end segment on a frame side, and wherein any other section of said door panel that follow below said header section are guided in said plurality of guide rails that have a vertical segment along said door frame, a horizontal segment parallel to said running rail that holds said header section, as well as an arc that joins two of said segments, wherein said door drive is attached to at least one of said sections connected below said header section, and has at least one power take-off shaft mounted on said at least one section, with an impeller at the end of said power take-off shaft, and

g) a flexible power transmission train, wherein said driven impeller works together with said flexible power transmission train that is held under tension in said guide rail and wherein said driven impeller contacts said guide rails for said sections and moves said door panel along said guide rails.

8. The sectional door as in claim 7, wherein said guide rollers are disposed in front of said driven impeller, as seen in an opening movement direction, wherein said guide rollers press said driven impeller against said power transmission train, so that said power transmission train partly loops around said driven impeller.

9. The sectional door as in claim 8, further comprising a guide roller that is disposed in front of said driven impeller, as seen in the opening movement direction, wherein said power transmission train loops around said driven impeller in a Z shape, and further comprises a plurality of tensioning stations disposed at both ends of said power transmission train, to maintain a tension during an opening and closing process of said door panel.

10. The sectional door as in claim 8, wherein said guide rollers are disposed in front of said driven impeller, so that said power transmission train loops around said driven impeller in a loop shape.

11. The sectional door as in claim 7, wherein said driven impeller is configured as a pinion, which meshes with said power transmission train which is configured as a toothed belt or chain.

12. The sectional door as in claim 7, wherein said driven impeller has a U-shaped running surface that is delimited by side flanks, and wherein said power transmission train is configured as a cable.

13. The sectional door as in claim 7, wherein said power transmission train is structured as a bead chain that comprises a core and a plurality of bodies attached to said core at equal intervals, and wherein said driven impeller has a U-shaped running surface delimited by side flanks, which contains depressions adapted to said bodies of said bead chain in the bottom of the running surface.

14. The sectional door as in claim 7, wherein said guide rollers are disposed behind said driven impeller, as seen in the opening movement direction, wherein said guide rollers press the driven impeller against the power transmission train, so that said power transmission train partly loops around said driven impeller.

15. The sectional door as in claim 8, wherein said guide roller is disposed behind said driven impeller, as seen in the opening movement direction, wherein said power transmission train loops around said driven impeller in a Z shape, and further comprising a plurality of tensioning stations disposed at both ends of said power transmission train, to maintain the tension during an opening and closing process of said door panel.

16. The sectional door as in claim 8, wherein said guide rollers are disposed behind said driven impeller, so that said power transmission train loops around said driven impeller in a loop shape.