Door operator system

Abstract

A door operation system opens and closes an opening with a door. A drive unit mounted on the door and having at least one motor moves the door from the closed (C) position to the open (O) position and vice versa. An elongated transmission member extends along a side of the opening. The drive unit includes a driven transmission member in driving connection with the motor that is movably connected to the elongated transmission member and arranged to interplay with said elongated transmission member and to be driven along the elongated transmission member. The elongated transmission member at least partially wraps around the driven transmission member. At least one guide member with a sliding surface with a curvature is mounted to the door to interplay with the elongated transmission member to guide the elongated transmission member into contact with the driven transmission member. The elongated transmission member is configured to slide along the curvature to urge the elongated transmission member to flex and follow the curvature.

Claims

1. A door operation system for opening and closing an opening comprising: a door frame comprising a first frame section at a first side of the opening and a second frame section at a second side of the opening; a door arranged to be moved between a closed (C) and an open (O) position, the door being movably connected to the door frame; a drive unit mounted on the door, the drive unit comprising at least one motor arranged to move the door from the closed (C) position to the open (O) position and vice versa, and an elongated transmission member extending along at least one of the first side and second side of the opening, wherein the drive unit further comprises a driven transmission member in driving connection with the motor, the driven transmission member being movably connected to the elongated transmission member and arranged to interplay with said elongated transmission member for driving the driven transmission member along said elongated transmission member by the elongated transmission member at least partially wrapping around the driven transmission member, wherein at least one guide member mounted to the door is arranged to interplay with the elongated transmission member for guiding the elongated transmission member into contact with the driven transmission member, wherein the least one guide member comprises a sliding surface on which the elongated transmission member is configured to slide, wherein a width of the sliding surface is larger than a width of the elongated transmission member, wherein the elongated transmission member forms a guide track in the sliding surface shaped by wear of the elongated guide member against the sliding surface, wherein the sliding surface is rotationally fixed with respect to the door, and wherein the sliding surface has a curvature, which is configured to urge the elongated transmission member to flex and follow the curvature.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the curvature of the sliding surface has a radius (R) in the range of 15 mm-50 mm.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the elongated transmission member is a suspended bendable transmission member.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a resilient panel attached to the door and extending from the bottom horizontal edge of the door, said resilient panel being arranged to come into contact with a floor of the opening when the door is in the closed position (C).

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the elongated transmission member is a belt.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the elongated transmission member is a drive chain.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the sliding surface has a surface hardness less than a surface hardness of the drive chain, wherein motion of the drive chain along the sliding surface forms the guide track in the sliding surface.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the door comprises a plurality of horizontal and interconnected sections.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a first set of guide rollers mounted to the door arranged to interplay with the first frame section and a second set of guide rollers arranged to interplay with the second frame section.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the drive unit is mounted on a section of the plurality of sections of the door, whereby a first and second upper guide roller extend from the section towards the first frame section and the second frame section, respectively, and a first and second lower guide roller extend from the section towards the first frame section and the second frame section, respectively.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the drive unit is mounted to a bottommost section of the door and the first and second lower guide rollers are disposed adjacent to a bottom horizontal end phase of the bottommost section.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein one guide roller is rotatably connected to each of the at least one guide member at a position where a center axis of the one guide roller is arranged coaxially with a center axis of a curvature of the sliding surface of the at least one guide member.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein a first upper guide roller is rotatably connected to at least one upper guide member at a position where a center axis of the guide roller is arranged coaxially with a center axis of a curvature of the sliding surface of the at least one upper guide member.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein a second one of the guide rollers is rotatably connected to one of the guide member adjacent to a bottom horizontal edge of the door and at a position where a center axis of the second guide roller is arranged coaxially with the center axis of a curvature of the sliding surface of the at least one guide member.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the center axis of the one guide roller defines an axial direction and wherein the one guide roller moves in the axial direction of the center axis.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above objects, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of example embodiments of the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic front view of a door operator system according to the invention, with a door in a closed position,

(3) FIGS. 2a and 2b show schematic side views of a door operator system according to the invention, with the door in an opened and closed position,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic detail view of a door operator system according to the invention,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic detail view of a door operator system according to the invention,

(6) FIGS. 5a and 5b show schematic front views of a door operator system according to the invention, with the door in a closed positon, and

(7) FIG. 6 shows a schematic side view of a door operator system according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which currently preferred example aspects and embodiments of the disclosure are shown. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the herein disclosed embodiments. The disclosed aspects and embodiments are provided to fully convey the scope of the disclosure to the skilled person.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a schematic front view of a door operator system 1 according to the invention, with a door 8 in a closed position. The door operation system 1 for opening and closing an opening 2. A door frame 3 comprising a first frame section 4 at a first side 5 of the opening 2 and a second frame section 6 at a second side 7 of the opening 2. A door 8 is arranged to be moved between a closed C and an open O position (FIG. 2a). The door 8 is movably connected to the door frame 3. Two drive units 10 are mounted on the door 8. The door 8 comprises a plurality of horizontal and interconnected sections 9a-e. The door operation system 1 in FIG. 1 shows an overhead door operator system, wherein each of the first frame section 4 and the second frame section 6 may comprise a vertically extending part 4a, 6a, a horizontally extending part 4b, 6b and a bent interconnecting part 4c, 6c.

(10) FIGS. 2a and 2b show schematic side views of the door operator system 1 according to the invention, with the door 8 in an opened O and closed C position. The door 8 is movable from and to the opening 2 in order to opening and closing the opening 2. In the closed C position, the door 8 cover the opening 2 or a part of the opening 2. In the closed C position, the door 8 may rest on a floor 15. In the open O position, the door has been moved away from the opening 2 or a part of the opening 2 and the door 2 is arranged horizontally above the opening 2.

(11) The door operator system may be an overhead door operator system.

(12) FIG. 3 shows a schematic detail view of a door operator system 1 according to the invention. The drive unit 10 comprising at least one motor 11 arranged to move the door 8 from the closed C position to the open O position and vice versa. An elongated transmission member 19 extending along at least one of the first side 5 and second side 7 of the opening 2. The drive unit 10 further comprises a driven transmission member 18 in driving connection with the motor 11. The driven transmission member 18 is movably connected to the elongated transmission member 19 and arranged to interplay with said elongated transmission member 19 for driving the driven transmission member 18 along said elongated transmission member 19 by the elongated transmission member 19 at least partially wrapping around the driven transmission member 18. The elongated transmission member 19 is in the form of a suspended bendable transmission member. The elongated transmission member 19 may be a belt or a drive chain. In FIG. 3 the elongated transmission member 19 is a drive chain.

(13) At least one guide member 92, which is mounted to the door 8, is arranged to interplay with the elongated transmission member 19 for guiding the elongated transmission member 19 into contact with the driven transmission member 18. The least one guide member 92 comprises a sliding surface 101 on which the elongated transmission member 19 is configured to slide. The sliding surface 101 has a curvature, which is configured to urge the elongated transmission member 19 to flex and follow the curvature. The curvature of the sliding surface 101 has a radius R, which may be in the range of 15 mm-50 mm.

(14) The at least one guide member 92 may be mounted to be fixed relative to the door 8. The sliding surface 101 may be fixed relative to the door 8 to facilitate sliding contact with the elongated transmission member.

(15) Worded differently, the at least one guide member 92 comprises a sliding surface 101 arranged to be in sliding contact with the elongated transmission member 19 to guide relative translational movement between the elongated transmission member 19 and the sliding surface 101.

(16) A resilient panel 91 is attached to the door 8 and extending from the bottom horizontal edge 20 of the door 8, said resilient panel 91 being arranged to come into contact with the floor 15 (FIG. 2b) of the opening 2 when the door 8 is in the closed position C.

(17) FIG. 4 shows a schematic detailed view of a door operator system 1 according to the invention. The sliding surface 101 comprises a guide track 12 for the elongated transmission member 19. The sliding surface 101 has a surface hardness, which provides the drive chain 19 to form the guide track 12 for the drive chain 19 in the sliding surface 101. Sliding surface 101 has a width in the direction transverse to the elongated direction that is larger than the width of elongated transmission member 19.

(18) The sliding surface 101 may be in a polymeric material, such polyamide or polyurethane.

(19) A guide roller 17 is rotatably connected to the guide member 92 at a position where a centre axis of the guide roller 17 is arranged coaxially with a centre axis of a curvature of the sliding surface of the at least one guide member 92. However, the centre axis of the guide roller 17 and the centre axis of a curvature of the sliding surface of the at least one guide member 92 may have different center axis placement. The guide roller 17 is rotatably connected to one of the guide member 92 adjacent to the bottom horizontal edge 20 of the door 8 and at a position where a centre axis 13 of the guide roller 17 is arranged coaxially with a centre axis 14 of a curvature of the sliding surface 101 of the at least one guide member 92. The guide roller 17 is arranged to move in the direction of its centre axis 13. The driven transmission member 18 is driven by the motor 11. The motor 11 may transmit torque to the driven transmission member 18. The motor 11 may transmit rotational movement to the driven transmission member 18. A gearbox 16 may be arranged between the motor 11 and the driven transmission member 18. The movably connection between the driven transmission member 18 and the elongated transmission member 19 results in a movability of the drive unit 10 and thus the door 8 (FIG. 3) along the elongated transmission member 19. The movable connection of the driven transmission member 18 with the elongated transmission member 19 may be obtained in that the elongated transmission member 19 at least partially wrapping around the driven transmission member 18. The driven transmission member 18 may engage with the the elongated transmission member 19 when the elongated transmission member 19 at least partially wrapping around the driven transmission member 18.

(20) FIGS. 5a and 5b show schematic front views of a door operator system 1 according to the invention, with the door 8 in a closed positon C. According to FIG. 5a, a first set of guide rollers is 17 mounted to the door 8 arranged to interplay with the first frame section 4 and a second set of guide rollers 17 is arranged to interplay with the second frame section 6. Motors 11 are mounted on sections 9c and 9e of the door 8. A guide member 92 is arranged coaxially with the guide roller 17. According to FIG. 5b motors 11 are mounted on the bottommost section 9e of the door 8, whereby a first and second upper guide roller 17 extend from the section 9e towards the first frame section 4, and a first and second lower guide roller 17 extend from the section 9e towards the second frame section 6. The first and second lower guide roller 17 are disposed adjacent to a bottom horizontal end phase of the bottommost section 9e. An upper guide member 92 is arranged coaxially with the first upper guide roller 17 and a center axis of the first upper guide roller 17 is rotatably connected to each of the at least one upper guide member 92 at a position where a centre axis of the first upper guide roller 17 is arranged coaxially with a centre axis of a curvature of the sliding surface of the at least one upper guide member 92. The motors 11 are each connected to a driven transmission member 18.

(21) FIG. 6 shows a schematic side view of a door operator system 1 according to the invention. The elongated transmission member 19 may be suspended in the door frame. The elongated transmission member 19 may be suspended in the door frame 3. The elongated transmission member 19 may alternatively or in combination be suspended in a building, wall a fence 22, which comprises the door opening 2. The elongated transmission member 19 may be bendable. The suspended bendable transmission member 19 may be configured to transform a rotational motion from the driven transmission member 18 to a motion of the door 2, which follows the shape of the first and second frame sections 4, 6. The bendable characteristics of the suspended bendable transmission member 19 may facilitate for the suspended bendable transmission member 19 to at least partially wrapping around the driven transmission member 18. The bendable characteristics of the suspended bendable transmission member 19 may facilitate for the suspended bendable transmission member 19 to follow the curvature of the sliding surface 101 of the guide member 92.

(22) The person skilled in the art realizes that the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above. The person skilled in the art further realizes that modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. Additionally, all aspects and embodiments of the invention could be combined with the other aspects and embodiments of the invention. Additionally, variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by the skilled person in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.