Gate drive with clamping fastening between drive head and drive rail, as well as manufacturing and assembly methods

Abstract

To improve assembly in terms of cost and effort, the invention provides a gate drive (10) with a drive rail (12), a drive head (14) and a fastening device (34), wherein the drive head (14) can be attached to the drive rail (12) by means of a drive shaft (18) and wherein the fastening device (34) is designed to secure the attached drive head (14) to the drive rail (12), characterized in that the fastening device (34) consists of a clamping fastening (36) for clamping the connecting partners drive head (14) and drive rail (12) together, wherein the clamping fastening (36) has at least one clamping tab (38, 38.1, 38.2) and / or locking tab (40) on one of the two connecting partners, which is designed to clamp and engage the other of the connecting partners to be fastened when attached.

Description

The invention relates to a gate drive, in particular a garage door drive, comprising a drive rail, a drive head, and a fastening device, wherein the drive head can be attached to the drive rail by means of a drive shaft, and wherein the fastening device is configured to secure the attached drive head to the drive rail. The invention further relates to a manufacturing and assembly method for such a gate drive. Examples of such gate operators are the "SupraMatic" and "ProMatic" gate operators from Hörmann KG Verkaufsgesellschaft, as available on the market and known from one or more of the following sources:[1] Website Garage Door Operators of Hörmann KG Verkaufsgesellschaft, downloaded on 05.06.2025 from https: / / www.hoermann.de / privatebauherren-und-modernisierer / antriebe / garagentor-antriebe / [2] "GATE OPERATING ENGINES AND SMART HOME SYSTEMS", company brochure of Hörmann KG Verkaufsgesellschaft[3] "Instructions for Installation, Operation and Maintenance - Garage Door Operator ProMatic 4", company brochure of Hörmann KG Verkaufsgesellschaft with the print reference 4511182 B0 / 18-2022 / RE, downloaded from the Internet on 05.06.2025 at https: / / www.hoermann.de / mediacenter / download / 264360de / 4511182_Pro Matic_4_DE_PT.pdf?20250409143345[4] “Instructions for installation, operation and maintenance - SupraMatic 4 garage door opener”, company brochure of Hörmann KG Verkaufsgesellschaft with the print mark 4511193 B0 / 17-2022 / RE, downloaded from the Internet on 05.06.2025 at https: / / www.hoermann.de / mediacenter / download / 264588de / 4511193_Sup raMatic_4_DE_PT.pdf?20250410081808[5] DE 20 2004 001 119 U1[6] DE 20 2016 008 364 U1[7] DE 10 2016 005 390 A1. Reference [5] discloses the mounting of a drive unit of a garage door opener to a guide rail by means of at least one positive locking retaining clip. The invention, as described in reference [6], relates to the provision of a cost-effective housing for a garage door opener. The focus is on the dimensional stability and the (pre-)assembly of the individual components within the garage door opener. Reference [7] describes the fastening of a unit consisting of a motor and gearbox within a drive device by means of a universal mounting element in order to provide variable mounting and interchangeability of the drive unit in different drive devices. Particularly preferred embodiments of the invention have the same drive rail as the aforementioned SupraMatic and ProMatic garage door openers and a substantially identical drive head. For further features of embodiments of the invention, reference is expressly made to references [1] to [4], which form part of the present disclosure. The invention relates in particular to the fastening of a gate drive head, such as a garage door drive head, to the drive rail. As can be seen in particular from references [3] and [4], in current garage door openers the drive shaft protruding from the drive head is inserted into a drive rotary element of a linear gear mounted in the drive rail. This rotary element converts the rotational movement of the drive shaft into a linear movement of a carriage guided on the drive rail. The drive head is secured in the inserted position on the drive rail by means of a retaining bracket placed over the drive rail, which is screwed to a housing part of the drive head designed as a base plate. The known fastening device thus has two screw connections and a retaining bracket. This fastening device has proven itself over decades. The invention is based on the objective of further improving a gate drive with regard to its installation. In particularly preferred embodiments, an improved fastening between the drive head and the drive rail is to be achieved in terms of cost and time. To solve this problem, the invention provides a gate drive according to claim 1. Manufacturing and assembly methods are the subject of the dependent claims. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims. According to a first aspect of the invention, a gate drive comprises a drive rail, a drive head, and a fastening device, wherein the drive head can be attached to the drive rail by means of a drive shaft, and wherein the fastening device is configured to secure the attached drive head to the drive rail. The invention provides that the fastening device consists of a clamping device for clamping the connecting partners, the drive head and the drive rail, together. The clamping device has at least one clamping tab and / or locking lug on one of the two connecting partners, which is designed to clamp and grip the other connecting partner when the drive head is attached. While the previous fastening device was expensive and time-consuming, embodiments of the invention provide a solution for attaching the drive head to a drive rail quickly and securely. In some embodiments, the drive head is attached to the rail using two retaining tabs (example clamping tab and / or locking tab) so that it locks securely into place. This eliminates the need for screws and a bracket. Installation is significantly simplified. Attachment is achieved in a single step by simply snapping the component into place. This saves time and money. In some embodiments, the clamping device is provided to have a first clamping tab and a second clamping tab that act against each other to clamp. In some embodiments, the first and second clamping tabs are formed on a housing part of the drive head and are arranged in such a way that they clamp the drive rail between them. In some embodiments, the first and second clamping tabs extend essentially in an axial direction with respect to the axis of rotation of the drive shaft. According to the invention, it is provided that the at least one clamping tab is formed integrally on a housing part of one of the connecting partners. In some embodiments, the connecting partner equipped with a clamping tab has a sheet metal housing part from which at least one clamping tab is bent. Preferably, the at least one clamping tab or locking lug is part of a sheet metal base plate of the drive head. In some embodiments, it is provided that at least one clamping tab can be snapped into place on the other connecting partner. In some embodiments, it is provided that at least one clamping tab has a projection that engages a recessed feature on the other connecting partner. According to a further aspect, the invention provides a method for assembling a gate drive, comprising: i) providing a drive rail of the gate drive as the first connection partner and a drive head of the gate drive as the second connection partner, such that at least one clamping tab or locking lug, e.g. with a locking nose, is arranged on at least one of the connection partners for clamping the other connection partner; ii) attaching the drive head to the drive rail by means of a drive shaft and iii) clamping the drive head and drive rail during attachment by means of the at least one clamping tab or locking lug. In some embodiments, the method comprises the steps of: a) providing a drive rail made of sheet metal and mounting a linear drive with a slide in the drive rail; b) providing a drive head with a motor; c) providing at least one clamping tab integrally on a sheet metal housing part of the drive head or on the drive rail; d) attaching the drive head to the drive rail by means of a drive shaft connecting the motor to the linear drive; and e) securing the connection between the drive head and the drive rail by clamping it using the at least one clamping tab. In some embodiments, it is provided that in step c) or i) a first and second clamping tab or locking flag is provided on the drive head and that in step e) or iii) the drive rail is clamped between the first and second clamping tab or locking flag. Embodiments of the invention address improving the attachment of a drive head to a drive rail in gate operators, particularly garage door operators. For this purpose, a clamping device is provided. One idea is to attach the drive quickly and securely to the rail without screws. This eliminates the need for the mounting bracket, the two screws, and the tedious screwing process on-site. The clamping mechanism has, for example, one or more clamping tabs or locking lugs, in particular designed as notched retaining lugs. In some embodiments, retaining lugs are notched from the sheet metal of a base plate of the drive head. Such retaining lugs are just one example and a very simple solution, but they already provide a very secure hold. In some embodiments, retaining lugs are provided that lock firmly into place and can be released again using a tool. An exemplary embodiment is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a garage door opener designed according to a first embodiment; Fig. 2 a perspective view of the individual parts of the garage door opener from Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a perspective exploded view of a drive head of the garage door opener and a drive rail of the garage door opener during assembly, and a detailed view of an area of ​​the garage door opener after assembly; Fig. 4 a schematic sectional view through the garage door opener after assembly as shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 a photograph of an area of ​​a base plate of the drive head of the garage door opener according to a variant of the first embodiment with a clamping device with a clamping tab; Fig. 6 a photograph of a larger area of ​​the base plate from Fig. 5, so that a first and a second clamping tab of the clamping device are visible; Fig.Figure 7 shows a photograph of a drive rail and the base plate shown in Figures 5 and 6, which are secured to each other by means of the clamping fastening; Figure 8 shows another photograph of the base plate clamped to the drive rail; Figure 9 shows a schematic sectional view similar to that in Figure 4 during the assembly of a gate drive according to a second embodiment; Figure 10 shows a schematic sectional view as in Figure 9 of a gate drive according to a third embodiment; Figure 11 shows a schematic sectional view as in Figures 9 and 10 of a gate drive according to a fourth embodiment; and Figure 12 shows a schematic sectional view as in Figures 9 and 10 of a gate drive according to a fifth embodiment. The figures show different representations of a gate drive 10. The gate drive 10 is designed as a trailing drive with a drive rail 12 and a drive head 14. Such gate drives 10 are used in particular as garage door drives for operating a garage door. For example, they serve to operate a sectional door or a single-leaf overhead door, such as a tilt-up door, or also to operate a swing gate with one or two leaves that rotate about a lateral vertical axis. They are also suitable for operating side-sectional doors. Although the preferred use is for operating garage doors, the gate drive can also be used for larger doors such as industrial doors or multi-story car park doors, or even for fire doors. As is well known (for example from [1] to [4]) and therefore not shown in detail here, in such sliding drives a carriage guided in or on the drive rail 12 so as to move back and forth is connected by a drive mechanism to a garage door leaf to be driven. The drive head 14 houses an electric drive with motor and gearbox as well as electronics such as control, communication devices for remote control, optional lighting, etc. A linear drive 16, such as a traction drive or a spindle drive or the like, is provided on the drive rail 12, by means of which a rotary motion initiated by the electric drive is converted into a linear motion of the carriage. The linear drive 16 has an input rotary element (for example, a gear / drive belt pulley) which is rotaryally connected to the electric drive by means of a drive shaft 18. The drive shaft 18 can be designed in different ways. For example, it can be designed as part of the input rotary element and protrude from the drive rail, connecting to a bushing on the output member of the electric drive. In the illustrated embodiments, the drive shaft 18 is located on the output member of the electric drive and protrudes from the drive head 14. The drive head 14 comprises a base plate 20, made in particular of sheet metal, and a hood 22 as housing parts. The drive rail 12 can be designed in a variety of ways. The carriage can, for example, run on the outside of the drive rail. In the illustrated embodiments, the drive rail 12 has a C-shaped profile with a web 24 and two C-legs 26 made of sheet metal. The sheet metal is crimped at each corner edge. This stiffens the rail, and the crimps 28 can also be used to attach the drive rail 12 to a ceiling or the like, as described and shown in [3] and [4]. Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of one end of the drive rail 12 with the drive head 14 mounted on it. Fig. 2 shows the individual parts of the gate drive 10 in the delivery state with drive rail 12 (with linear gear and carriage already housed therein), drive head 14, ceiling mounting brackets 30 for attaching the drive rail to a ceiling of the garage and a remote control 32. Fig. 3 shows the mounting of the drive head 14 on the drive rail 12. As can be seen from Figs. 2 and 3, the drive head 14 is attached to the drive rail 12 by means of the drive shaft 18 and secured with a fastening device 34. While prior art required a retaining bracket and at least two screw connections or screw locks for this purpose, in the embodiments of the gate drive 10 shown in the accompanying figures, the fastening device 34 consists of a clamping device 36. The clamping device 36 has at least one clamping tab 38 or locking lug 40 on one of the connecting parts – drive head 14 or drive rail 12 – by means of which the other connecting part can be clamped when the drive head 14 is attached. In the embodiments shown in Figures 2 to 8 and 10 to 12, at least one clamping tab 38 or locking lug 40 is provided on the drive head 14. As shown in Figure 9, the at least one clamping tab 38 or locking lug 40 can also be arranged on the drive rail 12. Hybrid configurations are also possible, where one or more clamping tabs or locking lugs are arranged on the drive head 14 and one or more further clamping tabs or locking lugs are arranged on the drive rail. The following describes a first embodiment of the gate drive 10 with reference to the illustrations in Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 to 8, in which a first and second clamping tab 38.1, 38.2 are arranged on the base plate 20 in the form of retaining lugs. The clamping tabs 38.1, 38.2 are, for example, notched out of the sheet metal of the base plate 20 and bent away. The clamping tabs 38.1, 38.2 are curved so that they each have a projection 42 pointing towards the other clamping tab. In the illustrated embodiment, the clamping tabs 38.1, 38.2 are elongated such that, in intended use, they extend essentially in the axial direction with respect to the axis of rotation of the drive shaft 18 and in the longitudinal direction of the drive rail 12. Their distance from each other is dimensioned such that they can clamp the drive rail 12 between them. In the illustrated embodiments, a first and a second clamping tab are arranged opposite each other in pairs; more clamping tabs can also be provided on one or both sides, and these can also be offset from each other. The clamping tabs 38.1, 38.2 can be arranged to the left and right of the drive shaft 18. Preferably, the clamping tabs 38.1, 38.2 are arranged laterally offset from the drive shaft 18 in the longitudinal direction of the drive rail (with respect to intended use). Thus, the clamping tabs 38.1, 38.2 provide2 also a good anti-rotation device between drive rail 12 and drive head 14. As can be seen in Figures 3, 4, 7, and 8, when the drive head 14 is attached, the drive rail 12 is held between the clamping tabs 38.1 and 38.2 in such a way that the drive shaft 18 is inserted into its counterpart. The clamping tabs 38.1 and 38.2 are elastically bent during placement until the projection 42 engages in the recess 44 formed behind the crimp 28, thus locking the drive rail 12 between the clamping tabs 38.1 and 38.2. Fig. 9 shows a second embodiment in which the clamping tabs 38.1, 38.2 are unlatched on the drive rail 12 and engage in openings 46 on the base plate 20 of the drive head 14. Fig. 10 shows an embodiment in which the clamping tabs 38.1, 38.2 are designed as locking flags 40 with locking lugs 48, which lock firmly onto the drive rail 12 and can be released again by means of a tool. As the embodiment in Fig. 11 shows, it is not necessary to have multiple clamping tabs 38 or locking lugs 40. It could also be that only one clamping tab 38 or locking lug 40 is provided on one side, with a stop 50 of some kind provided on the other side. As shown in Fig. 12, for clamping, it is sufficient if only the locking lug 48 is elastically designed as a locking tab 40. The locking tab 40 can, for example, be arranged on a projection 52 or step that is fixed and rigid on one of the connecting partners. To improve assembly with regard to cost and effort, the invention provides a gate drive (10) with a drive rail (12), a drive head (14) and a fastening device (34), wherein the drive head (14) can be attached to the drive rail (12) by means of a drive shaft (18) and wherein the fastening device (34) is configured to secure the attached drive head (14) to the drive rail (12), characterized in that the fastening device (34) consists of a clamping attachment (36) for clamping the connecting partners drive head (14) and drive rail (12) together, wherein the clamping attachment (36) has at least one clamping tab (38, 38.1, 38.1).2) and / or locking tab (40) on one of the two connection partners, at least one clamping tab (38) or locking tab (40) is formed integrally on a housing part of one connection partner and is further designed to clamp and grip the other of the connection partners to be fastened when plugged in. Reference symbol list: 10 Gate drive 12 Drive rail 14 Drive head 16 Linear gear 18 Drive shaft 20 Base plate 22 Cover 24 C-bracket 26 C-leg 28 Flanging 30 Ceiling mounting bracket 32 ​​Remote control 34 Mounting device 36 Clamp mounting 38 Clamping tab 38.1 First clamping tab 38.2 Second clamping tab 40 Locking flag 42 Projection 44 Recess 46 Opening 48 Locking lug 50 Stop 52 Projection

Claims

Gate drive (10) comprising a drive rail (12), a drive head (14) and a fastening device (34), wherein the drive head (14) can be attached to the drive rail (12) by means of a drive shaft (18) and wherein the fastening device (34) is configured to secure the attached drive head (14) to the drive rail (12), characterized in that the fastening device (34) consists of a clamping attachment (36) for clamping the connecting partners drive head (14) and drive rail (12) together, wherein the clamping attachment (36) has at least one clamping tab (38, 38.1, 38.2) and / or locking lug (40) on one of the two connecting partners, the at least one clamping tab (38) or locking lug (40) being formed integrally on a housing part of the drive head (14) or integrally on the drive rail (12) and which is configured to secure the other of the connecting partners to be fastened when attached. To capture the connecting partner in a clamping manner. Gate drive (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the clamping fastening (36) has a first clamping tab (38.1) and a second clamping tab (38.2) which act against each other for clamping. Gate drive according to claim 2, characterized in that the first and the second clamping tab (38.1, 38.2) are formed on a housing part of the drive head (14) and are arranged in such a way that they clamp the drive rail (12) between them. Gate drive (14) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the first and second clamping tabs (38.1, 38.2) extend substantially in the axial direction with respect to the axis of rotation of the drive shaft (18) and / or in the longitudinal direction of the drive rail (12). Gate drive (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting partner provided with clamping tab (38) or locking flag (40) has a housing part made of sheet metal, from which the at least one clamping tab (38) or locking flag (40) is bent. Gate drive (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one clamping tab (38) or locking flag (40) can be locked onto the other connecting partner. Gate drive according to claim 6, characterized in that the at least one clamping tab (38) or locking flag (40) has a projection (42, 48) which engages in a return feature (44) on the other connecting partner. Method for mounting a gate drive (10), comprising: i) providing a drive rail (12) of the gate drive (10) as the first connection partner and a drive head (14) of the gate drive (10) as the second connection partner such that at least one clamping tab (38) and / or locking lug (40), each formed in one piece, is arranged on at least one of the connection partners for clamping the other connection partner; ii) attaching the drive head (14) to the drive rail (12) by means of a drive shaft (18) and iii) clamping the drive head (14) and drive rail (12) during attachment by means of the at least one clamping tab (38) or locking lug (40). The method of claim 8, comprising: a) providing the drive rail (12) made of sheet metal and providing a linear drive with a slide in the drive rail (12); b) providing the drive head (14) with a motor; c) providing the at least one clamping tab (38) or the at least one locking lug (40), each formed in one piece, on a housing part of the drive head (14) made of sheet metal or on the drive rail (12); d) attaching the drive head (14) to the drive rail (12) by means of the drive shaft (18) which connects the motor to the linear drive; and e) securing the connection of the drive head (14) and the drive rail (12) by clamping it by means of the at least one clamping tab (38) or locking lug (40). Method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that in step c) or i) a first and second clamping tab (38.1, 38.2) or locking flag is provided on the drive head (14) and that in step e) or iii) the drive rail (12) is clamped between the first and second clamping tab (38.1, 38.2) or locking flag (40).

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