AU2004203081B2

AU2004203081B2 - Roller door drive system

Info

Publication number: AU2004203081B2
Application number: AU2004203081A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Hasib Felic; Jack Gringlas
Original assignee: Regal Beloit Australia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Regal Beloit Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2004-07-08
Filing date: 2004-07-08
Publication date: 2010-08-12
Anticipated expiration: 2024-07-08
Also published as: NZ553104A; WO2006005107A1; AU2004203081A1

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT ORIGINAL Applicant(s); CMG TECHNOLOGY PTY LTD, ACN 005 827 976 Actual Inventor(s): Hasib Felic and Jack Gringlas Address for Service: PATENT ATTORNEY SERVICES 26 Ellingworth Parade Box Hill Victoria 3128 Australia Title: ROLLER DOOR DRIVE SYSTEM Associated Provisional Applications: No(s).: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- ROLLER DOOR DRIVE SYSTEM This invention relates to drive systems for operating roller doors or shutters or the like. Electric drive mechanisms are commonly used in Australia for reversibly driving s an associated roller doors or shutters or the like between open and closed positions. Safety considerations make it desirable, or where appropriate safety legislation mandates it, compulsory for the door to be manually opened, e.g. if there is a power or motor failure and emergency access to the doorway closed by the roller door is required. One known system for enabling the manual operation of the door is to provide a io pulley wheel on a shaft which can be drivingly coupled to the door operating mechanism. The pulley wheel commonly has an endless chain draped over the pulley wheel so that manual operation of the chain from ground level transmits drive through the pulley wheel to the door opening mechanism. So that the pulley wheel is not causing the chain to rotate during electrical operation of the door, it is known for the chain to be lifted off the 15 pulley wheel during such normal electrical operation of the door mechanism. When manual operation is required, the chain is dropped back onto the pulley wheel by manual intervention, whereupon operation of the chain from ground level will drive the door. When the chain is lifted off the pulley wheel, operation of the drive motor will rotate the pulley wheel but effectively the pulley wheel will be idling because the chain is not 20 passing around it In another known arrangement, there is a manually operated mechanism clutch which causes engagement and disengagement of the chain driven pulley wheel with the driving arrangement for the door. During normal motor operation, the pulley wheel is disengaged from the driving relationship with the door mechanism. When manual 25 operation is required, the user can engage the mechanical clutch mechanism so that 2 pulling of the chain transmits the rotation of the pulley wheel through the drive mechanism to operate the door. Both of these mechanical systems for selectively engaging and disengaging the manual drive to and from the door require user intervention when manual operation of 5 the door is required. Not only does this introduce an additional operation that may delay the ability to open the door in an emergency, but also people unfamiliar with operation of the manual drive system may have difficulty manually operating the door in an emergency. Also in known electric roller door operating systems, a high voltage or current 10 power supply is usually provided at the operating switch height which is user accessible. The provision of high power electric supply lines near roller doors at easy user accessible height can have a greater risk to users e.g. in the case of inadvertent damage to the power lines running to and from the switch. The above references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not 15 intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art in Australia. Embodiments of the present invention provide a roller door drive system which can provide an effective manual operation function as an alternative to normal electric operation of the associated door. 20 Embodiments of the invention provide a roller door drive system which can alleviate problems discussed above in relation to prior door operating systems, or can at least provide a useful alternative thereto. Embodiments of the present invention to provide a roller door system in use utilising the drive system according to the first aspect of the present invention. 3 According to the first aspect of the present invention there is provided a roller door drive system for operating an associated roller door or shutter by electrical operation and for enabling selective manual operation of the associated door, the system including: an electric drive mechanism which includes a drive motor drivingly coupled in 5 use to a power output so as to reversibly drive the associated door between open and closed positions; a manual drive mechanism which includes a manual drive wheel arranged to be drivingly coupled to the power output so as to enable manually effected rotation of the manual drive wheel to drive the power output to move the door between the open and 10 closed positions; a clutch mechanism having a normal default condition and an electrically initiated motor drive enabling condition, the clutch mechanism in the normal default condition enabling functional operation of the manual drive mechanism in which manually effected rotation of the manual drive wheel drives the power output to move the associated door 15 between the open and closed positions, the clutch mechanism in the motor drive enabling condition functioning so as to: firstly disable the manual drive mechanism so that manual rotation of the manual drive wheel does not transfer drive through the power output to move the door; and 20 secondly enable operation of the drive motor to transfer drive to the power output; the clutch mechanism being electrically operated to change from the-normal default condition to the motor drive enabling condition when the electric drive mechanism is to be operated to drive the associated door between the open and closed positions; wherein the manual drive wheel in the normal default condition of the clutch 25 mechanism is biased by biasing means into an operative position of the manual drive wheel; 4 wherein the manual drive wheel is mounted for rotation on a shaft drivingly coupled to the power output with a ball bearing assembly located between the drive wheel and the shaft, the ball bearing assembly including an outer race and an inner race with the ball bearings therebetween, the inner race being located around the shaft and 5 being both axially slidable along the shaft and relatively rotatable on the shaft, the biasing means being arranged to provide biasing force acting in the axial direction against the inner race, whereby, when the clutch mechanism is in the normal default condition, manually effected rotation of the drive wheel transmits rotary motion of the drive wheel to the shaft and therethrough to the power output without the inner race 10 moving substantially in a rotary motion against the biasing means. Preferably the clutch mechanism includes moving means for moving the manual drive wheel between (i) an idling position which is adopted when the clutch mechanism is in the motor drive enabling condition, and (ii) an operative position which is adopted when the clutch mechanism is in the normal default condition and in which manually 15 effected rotation of the manual drive wheel transmits rotary motion to the power output. The moving means preferably includes electromagnetically operable displacement means which is operative upon supply of electric power thereto to displace the manual drive wheel against the bias of the biasing means away from the operative position of the drive wheel and into the idling position of the drive wheel. In the preferred embodiments, the 20 manual drive wheel includes ferromagnetic material, and the displacement means includes an electromagnet having a coil to which the electric power is supplied when the electric drive mechanism is to be utilised to drive the associated door between the open and closed positions, the electromagnet when supplied with electric power displacing the manual drive wheel against the bias of the associated biasing means from the normal 25 operative position to the idling position of the drive wheel, discontinuance of application of electric power to the electromagnet allowing the manual drive wheel to return under 5 the action of the biasing means to the operative position of the drive wheel enabling manually effected operation of the associated door. The drive system may further include a control circuit which, upon user initiated activating of the electric drive mechanism to operate the associated door, is operative to 5 firstly effect changeover of the clutch mechanism from the normal default condition to the electrically initiated motor drive enabling condition and secondly, a short interval of time after the first operation of changing over the condition of the clutch mechanism, is effective to enable or to cause the drive motor to operate to drive the associated door. The power output may include a power output shaft from a gear box, the drive 10 motor being operative to provide rotary drive power to the gear box and, in use, the power output being coupled to drive the associated door, the manual drive mechanism including a manual power input shaft also associated with the gear box so that rotation of the manual power input shaft by manually effected rotation of the manual drive wheel transmits drive to the power output shaft of the gear box which in use is coupled to the 15 associated door. In this embodiment, the manual drive wheel may include a pulley wheel freely rotatably mounted on the manual power input shaft, the pulley wheel in use having a manually movable operating line such as a chain passing aound the pulley wheel for manually effected rotation thereof, the clutch mechanism including a driven disc adjacent the pulley wheel, the driven disk being secured on the manual power input shaft, the 20 pulley wheel in the normal default condition of the clutch mechanism having a frictional drive transmitting relationship with the driven disc and, in the motor drive enabling condition of the clutch mechanism, the pulley wheel being displaced along the manual power input shaft out of frictional driving engagement with the driven disc. According to the second aspect of the invention there is provided a roller door 25 system having a roller door or shutter mounted in an opening whereby the door is movable between open and closed positions, a roller door drive system according to the 6 first aspect of the invention and which is operatively mounted and drivingly coupled to the roller door for reversibly driving the door between the open and closed positions, the electric drive mechanism of the roller door drive system being mounted in an elevated position beyond unaided reach of a user, the electrical power supply for the electric drive 5 mechanism being connected to the elevated electric drive mechanism also from an elevated location beyond unaided reach of the user, the roller door system further including: a power switching circuit for the electric drive mechanism, the power switching circuit being located at the elevated location of the electric drive mechanism and being 10 operative to switch the power supply for the electric drive mechanism to the electric motor, and an operating control switch for operating the door drive system by selective user control, the operating control switch being located at a convenient user accessible location within unaided reach of the user, the operating control switch being electrically 15 connected to the power switching circuit with low power only being coupled to the operating control switch through electric connections thereto. Possible and preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be 20 construed as limiting on the scope of the invention. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a drive system for a roller door according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a cross section through a clutch mechanism of the embodiment of Fig. 1 (with the drive wheel in its operative position), and 7 Fig. 3 is a cross section through an alternative possible clutch mechanism of the embodiment of Fig. I (with the drive wheel in its idling position). Referring to the drawings, the roller door drive system 10 is for operating an associated roller door or shutter or the like (not shown). The roller door can be 5 conventional and can include for example a horizontal shaft extending across the top of the opening to be closed by the door around which the roller door is wound when the door is open. The system 10 includes an electric drive mechanism 15 which includes a drive motor 16 which is coupled to a gear box 17 which has a power output shaft 18. During 10 operation of the drive motor 16, the rotary drive power is transmitted to the gear box 17 and the power output 18 is coupled to drive the associated door (not shown), for example through drive sprocket 19, drive chain 20 which is coupled to the shaft on which the roller door is wound- The motor 16 has a motor shaft 21 which in the illustrated embodiment extends through the gear box 17 and has shaft portion 21a which projects 15 from the housing of the gear box 17 at the end remote from the motor 16. However, this use of an elongated motor shaft 21 is not essential and the motor shaft 21 may terminate within the gear box 17 so as to drive the output shaft 18, whilst a separate shaft 21a for manual drive as will be described later, projects from the housing of the gear box 17 on the side remote from the motor 16. 20 The drive system includes a manual drive mechanism 25 which includes a manual drive wheel 26 arranged to be drivingly coupled to the power output 18 so that manually effected rotation of the manual drive wheel 26 by means of the endless loop chain 28 (or similar line) drives the power output 18 to move the associated door. The chain 28 hangs down from the elevated position (beyond unaided reach of a user) to a convenient height so that a user can pull the chain 28 in either direction to open or close the associated door as required. The system includes a clutch mechanism 30 having a nonnal default condition as shown in Fig. 2 in which manual effected rotation of the manual drive wheel 26 drives S the power output 18 to move the associated door. In the embodiment of Fig. 2, the manual drive wheel 26 is shown in an operative position adopted when the clutch mechanism 30 is in its normal default condition enabling manually effected rotation of the wheel 26 to transmit its rotary motion to the power output 18. The drive wheel 26 in the default condition is biased by biasing means 31, shown as compression springs 32, 10 into its operative position. The springs 32 have bearings 33 on their outer ends which bear against the adjacent face of the wheel 26, so that the bearings 33 are preferably low friction and hard wearing to provide good effective life of the system. The bearings 33 could for example comprise Teflon bodies or plugs, or perhaps balls to provide a rolling contact with the adjacent face of the wheel 26. In the particular illustrated embodiment is of Fig. 2, the manual drive wheel 26 comprises a pulley wheel 27 rotatably mounted, e.g. with associated bearings or bushing (not shown), on the manual power input shaft 21a which in this embodiment is the end of the motor shaft 21. The clutch mechanism 30 includes a driven disc 35 adjacent the pulley wheel 27, the driving disc 35 being secured on the manual powered input shaft 21a. The pulley wheel 27 in the illustrated normal 20 default condition of the clutch mechanism is in fictional drive transmitting relationship with the driven disc 35. A frictional liner may be provided on one or both of the respective opposed faces of the disc 35 and wheel 27 to provide high frictional contact therebetween for transmission of the manually applied force through the wheel 27 to the disc 35 and hence to the shaft 21a. With this arrangement, pulling of the chain 28 in 25 either direction transmits that manual drive through the pulley wheel 27 to the driven 9 disk 35 then through the manual power input shaft 21a through the gear box 17 to the drive output 18. The clutch mechanism also has an electrically initiated motor drive enabling condition in which the clutch mechanism 30 firstly disables the manual drive mechanism 5 25 so that manual rotation of the drive wheel 26 does not transfer drive through the power output 18 to move the door and secondly enables operation of the drive motor 16 to transfer drive to the power output 18. The clutch mechanism 30 is electrically operated to change from its normal default condition (as illustrated in Fig. 2) to its motor drive enabling condition when the electric drive mechanism is operated to drive the 10 associated door. The clutch mechanism 30 includes moving means 40 to move the manual drive wheel 26 between its illustrated operative position and an idling position which is adopted when the clutch mechanism is in its motor drive enabling condition. The moving means 40 includes electromagnetically operable displacement means 41 which is operative on the supply of electric power thereto to displace the manual drive 15 wheel 26 against the bias of the biasing means 31 away from its illustrated operative position and into its idling position. The manual drive wheel 26 is made of or includes magnetic material (e.g. is composed of mild steel) and the displacement means 41 comprises an electromagnet illustrated as a ferromagnetic body 42 having a coil 43 to which electric power is supplied when the electric drive mechanism 15 is to be utilised to 20 drive the associated door. The electromagnet 42, 43 when supplied with electric power displaces the drive wheel 26 by pulling it against the bias of the associated biasing means 31 from its illustrated or operative position to a retracted idling position away from the driven disc 35 and into closer engagement with the electromagnet body 42, i.e. in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 2. Discontinuance of electric power to the coil 43 of the 25 electromagnet 42 allows the manual drive wheel 26 to return from its idling position 10 under the action of the biasing means 31 to its normal operative position illustrated enabling manually effected operation of the associated door. Fig. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of a clutch mechanism 30. In this figure, the drive wheel 26 is axially retracted or displaced along the manual power input shaft 5 21 a out of frictional driving engagement with the driven disc 35 and against the electromagnet 42, 43. The drive wheel 26 is mounted on the shaft 21a by the ball bearing assembly 60 which includes an outer race 61 and an inner race 62 with ball bearings 63 therebetween. The ball bearing assembly 60 is located and held in position by circlip 64. Located between the inner race 62 and the shaft 21a is a bush 65 which enables the 10 bearing assembly 60 and the drive wheel 26 to move axially along the shaft 21 a under the action of the biasing means 31 and the electromagnet 42, 43. The compression spring 66 constituting the biasing means 31 in Fig. 3 acts against the inner race 62 (which is therefore unlike Fig. 2 where the biasing force is applied against the face of the wheel 26 which faces the electromagnet 42, 43 in Fig. 2). The arrangement of the ball bearing 15 assembly 60 and spring 66 in Fig. 3 can avoid any significant frictional resistance and/or component wear upon rotation of the drive wheel 26 during manual operation. When the drive wheel is in its default operative position pressed against the disc 35 by the spring 66, manual operation of the chain 28 to manually rotate the drive wheel 26 causes the outer ball race 61 to rotate with the wheel 26 but the inner race 62 against which the 20 biasing fbrce of the spring 66 is applied does not rotate. The shaft 21 a within the inner race 62 does rotate which is enabled by the bush 65. Thus in Fig. 3, there is no need for the hard wearing low friction bearings 33 required in the embodiment of Fig. 2 which will contribute some frictional resistance to manual operation of the drive wheel 26 in that embodiment and which will be subject to wear over time.

II

* The system further includes a control circuit 50 illustrated schematically in Fig. I by reference to the adjoining housing at the side of the motor 16 remote from the gear box 17. The control circuit 50 is operative, upon user initiated activating of the electric drive mechanism 15 to operate the associated door, to (i) firstly effect changeover of the 5 clutch 30 from its normal default condition (as illustrated in Fig. 2) to its electrically initiated motor drive enabling condition (as illustrated in Fig. 3) and (ii) secondly, a short interval of time such as about a second after the first operation of changing over the condition of the clutch mechanism 30, to enable or to cause the drive motor 16 to operate and drive the associated door. By providing a short delay between operation of the tO clutch 30 and commencement of operation of the electric drive mechanism 15, there is no even momentary torque applied from the shaft 21 through the driven disc 35 to the manual drive wheel 26 and hence to the chain 28. In the roller door system utilising the drive system according to the embodiment illustrated and described above, the power output 18 is drivingly coupled to the roller t5 door so that selective reversible operation of the electric drive mechanism 15 can drive the door between its open and closed positions. The electric drive mechanism 15 is mounted in an elevated position beyond unaided reach of a user. Electric power supply 51 for the electric drive mechanism 15 is connected to the elevated electric drive mechanism also from an elevated location beyond unaided reach of the user. The control 20 circuit 50 can include a power switching circuit 52 for the electric drive mechanism 15, the power switching circuit 52 being located at the elevated location and preferably within the housing adjacent the motor 16 and being operative to switch the power supply 51 for the electric drive mechanism to the electric motor 16. An operating control switch 55 is provided for operating the door drive system 10 by selective user control. The 25 operating control switch 55 is located at a convenient user accessible location within 12 unaided reach of the user. The switch 55 is electrically connected through lines 56 to the power switching circuit 52 with low power only, e.g. 24 volt de, being coupled to the operating control switch 55 through the lines 56. In this way high power lines 51, e.g. a 415 volt 3 phase power supply, is elevated out of unaided reach of the user and only 5 relatively safe low power exists at the user accessible level. It will be appreciated that the preferred embodiment of the drive system and the roller door system in use described and illustrated herein, enables simply and effective manual operation of the door operating mechanism. There is no need for any particular user training or knowledge in order to enable the manual operation, other than operation 10 of the chain to open and close the door. The mechanism has a fail safe condition enabling manual operation at any time and, if there is a power outage or fault in the electric drive mechanism, manual operation remains possible. It will also be seen that the mechanism is relatively simple in construction and operation and can be manufactured so as to be of robust construction and having a long useful life. 15 Furthermore, the system enables high power electric lines to be kept away from user accessible positions. It is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be made to the features of the possible and preferred embodiment(s) of the invention as herein described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 20 13

Claims

1. A roller door drive system for operating an associated roller door or shutter by electrical operation and for enabling selective manual operation of the associated door, the system including: 5 an electric drive mechanism which includes a drive motor drivingly coupled in use to a power output so as to reversibly drive the associated door between open and closed positions; a manual drive mechanism which includes a manual drive wheel arranged to be drivingly coupled to the power output so as to enable manually effected rotation of the 10 manual drive wheel to drive the power output to move the door between the open and closed positions; a clutch mechanism having a normal default condition and an electrically initiated motor drive enabling condition, the clutch mechanism in the normal default condition enabling functional operation of the manual drive mechanism in which manually effected 15 rotation of the manual drive wheel drives the power output to move the associated door between the open and closed positions, the clutch mechanism in the motor drive enabling condition functioning so as to: firstly disable the manual drive mechanism so that manual rotation of the manual drive wheel does not transfer drive through the power output to move the door; 20 and secondly enable operation of the drive motor to transfer drive to the power output; the clutch mechanism being electrically operated to change from the normal default condition to the motor drive enabling condition when the electric drive mechanism is to be operated to drive the associated door between the open and closed positions; 14 wherein the manual drive wheel in the normal default condition of the clutch mechanism is biased by biasing means into an operative position of the manual drive wheel; wherein the manual drive wheel is mounted for rotation on a shaft drivingly 5 coupled to the power output with a ball bearing assembly located between the drive wheel and the shaft, the ball bearing assembly including an outer race and an inner race with the ball bearings therebetween, the inner race being located around the shaft and being both axially slidable along the shaft and relatively rotatable on the shaft, the biasing means being arranged to provide biasing force acting in the axial direction 10 against the inner race, whereby, when the clutch mechanism is in the normal default condition, manually effected rotation of the drive wheel transmits rotary motion of the drive wheel to the shaft and therethrough to the power output without the inner race moving substantially in a rotary motion against the biasing means.

2. A system as claimed in claim I wherein the clutch mechanism includes moving 15 means for moving the manual drive wheel between (i) an idling position which is adopted when the clutch mechanism is in the motor drive enabling condition, and (ii) an operative position which is adopted when the clutch mechanism is in the normal default condition and in which manually effected rotation of the manual drive wheel transmits the rotary motion to the power output. 20

3. A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the moving means includes electromagnetically operable displacement means which is operative upon supply of electric power thereto to displace the manual drive wheel against the bias of the biasing means away from the operative position of the drive wheel and into the idling position of the drive wheel. 15

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the manual drive wheel includes ferromagnetic material, and wherein the displacement means includes an electromagnet having a coil to which the electric power is supplied when the electric drive mechanism is to be utilised to drive the associated door between the open and closed positions, the 5 electromagnet when supplied with electric power displacing the manual drive wheel against the bias of the associated biasing means from the normal operative position to the idling position of the drive wheel, discontinuance of application of electric power to the electromagnet allowing the manual drive wheel to return under the action of the biasing means to the operative position of the drive wheel enabling manually effected operation 10 of the associated door.

5. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and further including a control circuit which, upon user initiated activating of the electric drive mechanism to operate the associated door, is operative to firstly effect changeover of the clutch mechanism from the normal default condition to the electrically initiated motor drive 15 enabling condition and secondly, a short interval of time after the first operation of changing over the condition of the clutch mechanism, is effective to enable or to cause the drive motor to operate to drive the associated door.

6. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the power output includes a power output shaft from a gear box, the drive motor being operative to provide 20 rotary drive power to the gear box and, in use, the power output being coupled to drive the associated door, the manual drive mechanism including a manual power input shaft also associated with the gear box so that rotation of the manual power input shaft by manually effected rotation of the manual drive wheel transmits drive to the power output shaft of the gear box which in use is coupled to the associated door. 16

7. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the manual drive wheel includes a pulley wheel freely rotatably mounted on the manual power input shaft, the pulley wheel in use having a manually movable operating line such as a chain passing around the pulley wheel for manually effected rotation thereof, the clutch mechanism including a driven 5 disc adjacent the pulley wheel, the driven disk being secured on the manual power input shaft, the pulley wheel in the normal default condition of the clutch mechanism having a frictional drive transmitting relationship with the driven disc and, in the motor drive enabling condition of the clutch mechanism, the pulley wheel being displaced along the manual power input shaft out of frictional driving engagement with the driven disc. 10

8. A roller door system having a roller door or shutter mounted in an opening whereby the door is movable between open and closed positions, a roller door drive system as claimed in any of the preceding claims being operatively mounted and drivingly coupled to the roller door for reversibly driving the door between the open and closed positions, the electric drive mechanism of the roller door drive system being 15 mounted in an elevated position beyond unaided reach of a user, the electrical power supply for the electric drive mechanism being connected to the elevated electric drive mechanism also from an elevated location beyond unaided reach of the user, the roller door system further including: a power switching circuit for the electric drive mechanism, the power switching 20 circuit being located at the elevated location of the electric drive mechanism and being operative to switch the power supply for the electric drive mechanism to the electric motor, and an operating control switch for operating the door drive system by selective user control, the operating control switch being located at a convenient user accessible 25 location within unaided reach of the user, the operating control switch being electrically 17 connected to the power switching circuit with low power only being coupled to the operating control switch through electric connections thereto.

9. A roller door drive system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 5

10. A roller door system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 18