Line belt driven retrofittable door opener, system, and method of retrofitting thereof

• US 9,574,389 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EON Enterprises, LLC
• Original Assignee: EON Enterprises, LLC
• Inventors: Menze, Peter C., Lang, Stephen R., Jewell, Matthew P.
• Primary Examiner(s): REDMAN, JERRY E
• Application Number:
  US14/739,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20160362928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 493/39, 493/40, 493/41, 493/45
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 1/0053 Handles or handle attachments facilitating operation, e.g. by children or burdened persons foot-operation E05B53/001
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 21/00 Arrangements or combinations of wing fastening, securing, or holding devices, not covered by a single preceding main group; Locking kits
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/627 operated by flexible elongated pulling elements, e.g. belts, chains or cables using flexible elongated push-pull mechanisms E05F15/619
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/63 operated by swinging arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/75 responsive to the weight or other physical contact of a person or object
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2003/228 Arrangements where the end of the closer arm is sliding in a track
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/631 the end of the arm sliding in a track; Slider arms therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/224 for assisting in opening the wing
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/227 mounted at the top of wings, e.g. details related to closer housings, covers, end caps or rails therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/644 Flexible elongated pulling elements; Members cooperating with flexible elongated pulling elements
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/626 Plates or brackets
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/70 Retrofitting of elements
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/132 Doors

Abstract

A line belt driven retrofittable door opener includes a motor, a drive link, an output link, and at least one flexible link. The at least one flexible link includes at least one flexible line link. The drive link is connected to the motor. The output link is connected to the arm of the door. The at least one flexible link interconnects the drive link with the output link. Wherein, the motor is configured for opening the door by rotating the drive link, which in turn rotates the output link via the at least one flexible link, which in turn rotates the arm, thereby opening the door.

Claims

1. A door opener for automatically opening a door with an arm comprising

a motor;

a drive link connected to said motor;

an output link connected to the arm of the door; and

at least one flexible link interconnecting said drive link with said output link;

said at least one flexible link including at least one flexible line link;

wherein;

said at least one flexible link is configured to compress, and stretch to create a shock absorbing action;

said at least one flexible link is configured to allow manual opening of the door; and

said at least one flexible link is configured to allow manual opening of the door without rotating the motor.

2. The door opener of claim 1 wherein, said motor is configured for opening the door by rotating the drive link, which in turn rotates the output link via the at least one flexible link, which in turn rotates the arm, thereby opening the door.

3. The door opener of claim 1, wherein said at least one flexible link includes a loop belt and a line belt.

4. The door opener of claim 3 further comprising:

a differential pulley interconnecting said loop belt with said line belt;

said drive link is a drive pulley and said output link is an output pulley;

said loop belt is looped around said drive pulley connected to the motor and a first wheel of said differential pulley, where an inner surface of the loop belt includes teeth configured to grip grooves on said drive pulley and the first wheel of said differential pulley; and

said line belt is wound around said output pulley at one end and wound around a second wheel of said differential pulley at its other end, thereby creating an automatic variable pulley ratio, where the line belt includes an anti-stick material between wound layers configured for preventing the wound layers from sticking;

said first wheel and said second wheel of said differential pulley being rotationally fixed; and

said motor is configured for opening the door by rotating the drive pulley, which in turn rotates the differential pulley via the loop belt, which in turn rotates the output pulley via the line belt, which in turn rotates the arm, thereby opening the door;

wherein the line belt is configured to allow manual opening of the door without rotating the motor;

whereby, when the door is manually opened and the arm rotates the output pulley, the line belt is configured to uncoil.

5. The door opener of claim 4, wherein:

said drive pulley is smaller than said output pulley;

said drive pulley is smaller than said first wheel of said differential pulley;

said first wheel of said differential pulley is larger than said second wheel of said differential pulley;

said second wheel of said differential pulley is smaller than said output pulley.

6. The door opener of claim 1 further including:

a back plate configured for mounting the door opener to the door; and

an inner bracket assembly configured to at least position the motor, the drive link and the output link.

7. The door opener of claim 1 being configured to be retrofitted to an existing door closer without having to modify the existing door closer.

8. The door opener of claim 7, wherein said output link is attached to the arm of the door via a rotating pinion of the existing door closer;

whereby the door opener opens the door by rotating the output link, which in turn rotates the rotating pinion of the existing door closer, which in turn rotates the arm, thereby opening the door; and

whereby, when the door is opened, the existing door closer controls the closing of the door via the rotating pinion.

9. The door opener of claim 8, wherein the existing door closer is non-handed via the rotating pinion extending through the existing door closer on both ends;

whereby, when the existing door closer is mounted on the door with the arm connected to one end of the rotating pinion, the output link of the door opener is configured to attach to an unused end of the rotating pinion.

10. The door opener of claim 1, wherein the door is a swing door or gate, whereby the door opener is configured to operate the swing door or gate.

11. The door opener of claim 1 wherein:

said flexible link is a line belt;

said drive link is a drive pulley and said output link is an output pulley;

said line belt is attached to the drive pulley and the output pulley;

said line belt is wrapped upon it self;

said line belt is configured to wrap or unwrap to produce a variable ratio.

12. The door opener of claim 1 wherein:

said flexible link is a line belt;

said drive link is a drive pulley and said output link is an output pulley;

said line belt is attached to the drive pulley and the output pulley;

said line belt is wound around said output pulley at one end and wound around the drive pulley at its other end;

said motor is configured for opening the door by rotating the drive pulley, which in turn rotates the output pulley via the line belt, which in turn rotates the arm, thereby opening the door;

wherein the line belt is configured to allow manual opening of the door without rotating the motor;

whereby, when the door is manually opened and the arm rotates the output pulley, the line belt is configured to uncoil.

13. The door opener of claim 1 wherein:

said flexible link is a line belt;

said line belt is fitted with sensors on each end of the line belt that sense each end of the line belt independently;

wherein, the sensors control the line belt slack.

14. A door opener for automatically opening a door with an arm and an existing door closer linked to said arm via a rotating pinion comprising:

a motor with an output link connected to the arm of the door via the rotating pinion of the door closer;

a drive link connected to said motor; and

at least one flexible link interconnecting said drive link with said output link;

said at least one flexible link including at least one flexible line link;

wherein, said motor is configured for opening the door by rotating the drive link, which in turn rotates the output link via the at least one flexible link, which in turn rotates the arm, thereby opening the door.

15. The door opener of claim 14, whereby the door opener opens the door by rotating the output link, which in turn rotates the rotating pinion of the existing door closer, which in turn rotates the arm, thereby opening the door;

and

whereby, when the door is opened, the existing door closer controls the closing of the door via the rotating pinion.

16. The door opener of claim 14, wherein the existing door closer is non-handed via the rotating pinion extending through the existing door closer on both ends;

whereby, when the existing door closer is mounted on the door with the arm connected to one end of the rotating pinion, the output link of the door opener is configured to attach to an unused end of the rotating pinion.

17. The door opener of claim 14, wherein said at least one flexible link is configured to allow manual opening of the door without rotating the motor.

18. A door opener system for automatically opening and controlling the closing of a door with an arm comprising:

a door opener comprising a motor with an output link connected to the arm of the door;

an existing door closer comprising a rotating pinion;

wherein, said output link of the door opener is attached to the arm of the door via the rotating pinion of the door closer;

a drive link connected to said motor; and

at least one flexible link interconnecting said drive link with said output link;

said at least one flexible link including at least one flexible line link;

wherein, said motor is configured for opening the door by rotating the drive link, which in turn rotates the output link via the at least one flexible link, which in turn rotates the rotating pinion of the door closer, which in turn rotates the arm, thereby opening the door.

19. The door opener system of claim 18, whereby the door opener opens the door by rotating the output link, which in turn rotates the rotating pinion of the door closer, which in turn rotates the arm, thereby opening the door;

and

whereby, when the door is opened, the door closer controls the closing of the door via the rotating pinion.

20. The door opener system of claim 18, wherein the door closer is non-handed via the rotating pinion extending through the door closer on both ends;

whereby, when the door closer is mounted on the door with the arm connected to one end of the rotating pinion, the output link of the door opener is attached to an unused end of the rotating pinion.

21. The door opener system of claim 18 further including:

a back plate configured for mounting the door closer and door opener to the door.

22. A method of retrofitting a door opener to an existing door closer with a rotating pinion comprising:

providing a door opener comprising;

a motor;

a drive link connected to said motor;

an output link connected to the arm of the door; and

at least one flexible link interconnecting said drive link with said output link;

said at least one flexible link including at least one flexible line link;

wherein;

said at least one flexible link is configured to compress, and stretch to create a shock absorbing action;

said at least one flexible link is configured to allow manual opening of the door; and

said at least one flexible link is configured to allow manual opening of the door without rotating the motor; and

attaching the output link of the door opener with the rotating pinion of the existing door closer.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the existing door closer is non-handed via the rotating pinion extending through the existing door closer on both ends;

wherein, the step of attaching the output link of the door opener with the rotating pinion of the existing door closer including;

attaching the output link of the door opener to an unused end of the rotating pinion of the existing door closer.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising the steps of:

removing the existing door closer;

mounting the existing door closer and the door opener to a back plate; and

connecting the back plate to the door.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the method includes no required steps for modifying the existing door closer.