Up-and-over garage door with integrated motor in the fixed frame

Abstract

The invention relates to a tilting garage door comprising a motor (30) mounted in the two side posts (12) of a fixed frame, and coupled to the shutter panel (15) of the door (10) to move it between a closed and an open position, and vice versa. The garage door (10) comprises, for each side post (12), a motor support (40) constituting a subassembly, to which are attached a motor, a bearing for a rotation shaft of the shutter panel (18), a mechanical transmission (33), and attachment means (22-24, 26) for the two ends (20a, 20b) of a weight compensation mechanism (20) for the panel. Figure 4b is shown in the abstract.

Description

Title of the invention: Up-and-over garage door with integrated motor in the fixed frame technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tilting garage door for closing a garage opening or any other room, comprising a fixed frame provided with two lateral uprights, a closing panel coupled to each of said lateral uprights by a main lever and a rotation shaft, a motor mounted in the lateral uprights of said fixed frame and coupled to each of said rotation shafts to move said closing panel between a closed position and an open position, and vice versa, and a compensation mechanism provided in said lateral uprights and coupled to each of said main levers. Previous technique

[0002] This type of up-and-over garage door, of the circular-sliding type, is well known and used to close off the entrance to a garage or any other premises. The applicant's publication FR 2 871 189 B1 proposes a motorization solution integrated into the fixed frame of the garage door, which eliminates the need for ceiling-mounted guide rails and offers numerous advantages. In particular, the garage door installation requires no masonry work or electrical work; a simple connection to a standard electrical outlet is sufficient. Furthermore, the garage door is quiet because the shutter panel has high lateral stability and moves smoothly without jerking or jolting.

[0003] To date, the motor is mounted in the side posts of the fixed frame by means of various support pieces designed to receive the motor unit, the bearings for the rotation shafts of the shutter panel, the attachment points for the counterbalance springs, etc. These support pieces are welded individually and directly to the side posts at specific locations. However, the support pieces and the specific locations vary depending on the dimensions of the shutter panel, the height of the rotation shaft, and the type of garage door mounting.

[0004] This manufacturing method involves production and inventory management of various support parts, which is cumbersome and costly. Furthermore, the welding operations require prior layout, precise execution, and significant factory intervention time. These welding operations can also generate, under the effect of heat, deformations in the lateral uprights of the fixed frame. These deformations are detrimental to the rigidity of the fixed frame and For mounting the fixed frame to the masonry during garage door installation. It may be necessary, in particular, to use shims during garage door installation to compensate for these deformations.

[0005] Furthermore, the development of contemporary houses creates a need for garage doors that are tall and / or wide, which are often installed flush with the facade, that is, installed in a tunnel rather than surface-mounted against the masonry as is traditional. This type of installation without vertical support requires garage doors of a specific design to be able to support the weight of large shutter panels.

[0006] There is therefore a need to adapt the manufacturing process of garage doors to meet these new requirements, while maintaining a wide range of garage doors in traditional dimensions (for example from 2400mm to 3500mm in width and from 1800mm to 2200mm in height) to large dimensions (for example from 3500mm to 6000mm in width and up to 3000mm in height), with a choice of surface or tunnel installation. Description of the invention

[0007] The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks by offering a garage door whose manufacturing process is simplified and standardized, reduces the quantity of raw material, the number of parts to be manufactured and managed, as well as the number of assembly operations, eliminates the need for prior measurements and tracing, as well as welding operations, therefore does not generate any risk of deformation of the fixed frame, is modular and compatible with different dimensions of garage doors, with or without external insulating coating, and for all types of installation: surface-mounted and tunnel-mounted.

[0008] To this end, the invention relates to a garage door of the type indicated in the preamble, characterized in that it comprises, for each of the lateral uprights of said fixed frame, a motor support constituting a sub-assembly of said garage door and comprising a support profile, said support profile constituting a support for attachment means of a first end of said compensation mechanism, and attachment means of a second end of said compensation mechanism.

[0009] The motor sub-assembly is then attached to each side post of the fixed door frame, for example by screwing, and serves both as a motor support and as a new mechanical reinforcement for the side posts. Indeed, it has been observed that the motor sub-assembly significantly improves the rigidity of the fixed frame, thus meeting the new requirement for large garage doors.

[0010] The means for attaching a first end of said compensation mechanism, and the means for attaching a second end of said compensation mechanism, can be fixed directly on said support profile.

[0011] Furthermore, said support profile can constitute a support for a motor, a bearing for said rotating shaft, a mechanical transmission between said motor and said rotating shaft, said compensation mechanism, the motor, the bearing for said rotating shaft, and the mechanical transmission between said motor and said rotating shaft being fixed directly on said support profile.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each lateral upright of said fixed frame further comprises an upright profile of U-shaped cross-section, constituting a housing in which said motor support is mounted by fitting said support profile into said upright profile in a determined mounting position.

[0013] Thus, the combination of the fixed frame and the motor sub-assemblies makes it possible, with a single dimension, to advantageously meet different door models.

[0014] Advantageously, each side post and each motor support includes indexing means to ensure relative positioning of said motor support with respect to said side post in the direction of the height of said garage door, and fixing means to ensure that said motor support is held in position in said side post after positioning.

[0015] According to embodiments of the invention, said indexing means provided respectively in said side post and in said motor support can be chosen from the group comprising orifices, balls, pins, notches.

[0016] Similarly, the said fastening means provided respectively in the said side post and in the said engine support can be chosen from the group comprising fastening elements to be screwed, bolted, riveted, glued, spot welded.

[0017] In the preferred embodiment, said indexing means and said fixing means provided respectively in said side post and in said motor support are combined.

[0018] Each side post and each motor support can thus include a plurality of holes arranged to define several relative mounting positions of said motor support with respect to said side post, in order to be able to accommodate different door models.

[0019] Said shutter panel may further include an external insulating coating, of greater or lesser thickness to provide an additional thermal insulation function, while being compatible with the configuration of the door according to the invention.

[0020] Depending on the building's architecture, said garage door can be arranged to be surface-mounted, said fixed frame being intended to be mounted vertically against a masonry of the building, or can be laid in a tunnel, said fixed frame being intended to be laid inside the bay of a masonry of the building. Brief description of the drawings

[0021] The present invention and its advantages will become more apparent from the following description of several embodiments given by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] [Fig.IA] is a plan view of a fixed frame for a garage door according to the invention, the fixed frame comprising a motor support in each of its side posts,

[0023] [Fig.1B] is a cross-sectional view of the fixed frame along plane AA of [Fig.1A],

[0024] [Fig.2] is an exploded perspective view of the engine mount being installed in a side post of the fixed frame,

[0025] [Fig.3A] is an exploded plan view of the engine mount and the side support of [Fig.2] in a first mounting position,

[0026] [Fig.3B] is an exploded plan view of the engine mount and the side support of [Fig.2] in a second mounting position,

[0027] [Fig.3C] is an exploded plan view of the engine mount and the side support of [Fig.2] in a third mounting position,

[0028] [Fig.3D] is an exploded plan view of the engine mount and the side support of [Fig.2] in a fourth mounting position,

[0029] [Fig.4A] is a plan view of the motor mount equipped with a motor,

[0030] [Fig.4B] is a side view of the motor mount of [Fig.4A],

[0031] [Fig.5] is a cross-sectional view of a garage door installed on the surface of a garage opening, showing the shutter panel in the open position,

[0032] [Fig.6] is a view similar to [Fig.5] showing the shutter panel fitted with a thick insulating coating, and

[0033] [Fig.7] is a cross-sectional view of a garage door installed in a tunnel within a garage opening, showing the shutter panel in the open position, fitted with an insulating coating flush with the facade. Description of the implementation methods

[0034] In the illustrated embodiments, identical elements or parts bear the same reference numbers. Furthermore, terms with a relative meaning, such as vertical, horizontal, right, left, front, back, above, below, etc., should be interpreted under normal conditions of use of the invention, and as shown in the figures. The X, Y, and Z axes are defined by an orthonormal coordinate system illustrated in [Fig. 1A]. Moreover, the geometric positions indicated in the description and the claims, such as "perpendicular," "parallel," The term "symmetrical" is not limited to the strict geometric definition, but extends to geometric positions that are close, meaning they allow a certain tolerance within the technical domain under consideration, without affecting the result obtained. This tolerance is notably introduced by the adverb "approximately," although this term is not necessarily repeated before every adjective.

[0035] With reference to the figures, the garage door according to the invention is of the circular-sliding type, like that described in the applicant's publication FR 2 871 189 B1. It is mounted in an opening 1 of a garage entrance 2, for example for a road vehicle, or any other premises for any other use. The garage 2 is conventionally delimited by walls (not shown), a floor 3, a ceiling 4 and a drop 5 (see figures 5 to 7).

[0036] The garage door 10 includes a fixed frame 11 mounted in the opening 1 and formed of two side posts 12, a top rail 13 and a threshold 14. It includes a hinged shutter panel 15, movable between a closed position to close said opening 1 (not shown) and an open position to clear it completely (see figures 5 to 7).

[0037] The shutter panel 15 is connected to the fixed frame 11 by two motion transmission mechanisms, each of which includes a main lever 16 fixed to said shutter panel 15 by a joint 17, and provided with a rotation shaft 18 mounted for rotation in the lateral uprights 12 of the fixed frame 11 by bearings 19.

[0038] Two compensation mechanisms 20 are also provided in the side supports 12 and are connected to the main levers 16 via their rotation shaft 18, to balance the weight of the shutter panel 15 during its movements. These compensation mechanisms 20 may consist of tension springs 21 (see Figures 5 to 7), gas springs, or any other equivalent component, in the number of one, two, three, or even more depending on the weight of the shutter panel 15. These components are arranged parallel to each other and extend between the fixed frame 11 and the rotation shaft 18 of the main levers 16, to which they are connected respectively, at a first end 20a, by a first attachment piece 22, and at a second end 20b, by a second attachment piece 26.In the example shown, a fixing bracket 23 is welded to the rotation shaft 18 and coupled to the corresponding first attachment piece 22 by a joint 24.

[0039] The garage door 10 includes a motor 30 for automating the operation of the shutter panel 15. The motor 30 comprises two motors 31, each mounted in a side post 12, preferably such that their output shaft 32 is parallel to the rotation shaft 18 of the main lever 16 and coupled to the latter by a mechanical transmission 33. The motors 31 may be Geared motors, stepper motors, or any other equivalent type of actuator, such as rotary or linear cylinders. They can be mains powered and are preferably controlled by an electronic board in a control box 37.

[0040] The mechanical transmission 33 in the example shown comprises a drive pinion 34 provided on the output shaft 32 of each motor 31 driving a driven pinion 35 provided on the rotation shaft 18 by a chain 36. Of course, any other type of equivalent mechanical transmission may be suitable, such as a pulley-belt system, a rack and pinion system, a connecting rod-arm system.

[0041] With particular reference to Figures 2, 4A and 4B, the motorization 30 comprises, for each of the lateral uprights 12 of the fixed frame 11, a specific motor support 40 which constitutes a sub-assembly of the garage door 1. The motor support 40 is designed in a standard manner and comprises a support profile 4L. The support profile 41, the cross-section of which may be U-shaped, is configured to support the first hooking piece 22 of the compensation mechanism 20, and the second hooking piece 26 of the compensation mechanism 20, and preferably all the constituent parts of the motorization 30, such as the motor 31, the bearing 19 for the rotation shaft 18, the mechanical transmission 33, and optionally the control box 37.The motor 31, the bearing 19 for the rotation shaft 18, the mechanical transmission 33, optionally the control box 37, the first attachment piece 22 of the compensation mechanism 20, and the second attachment piece 26 of the compensation mechanism 20, can then be fixed directly onto the support profile 41, which is a single piece.

[0042] The support profile 41 is preferably straight and shorter than the height of the side uprights 12. Advantageously, the support profile 41 has a U-shaped cross-section defining a base 42 and two side walls 43 perpendicular to the base. The base 42 of the support profile 41 may have a plurality of oblong openings 44 and fixing holes 45, distributed along the height and width of the profile, the function of which will be described below.

[0043] In the example shown, the second attachment piece 26 is an angle bracket comprising three holes, for the possible attachment of three springs 21. The angle bracket 26 is attached to the support profile 41 by means of a threaded rod and bolts, the position of the bolts on the rod allowing the tension of the springs 21 to be adjusted.

[0044] The side walls 43 of the support profile 41 may have, in their upper half, parallel cutouts 46 and 47, respectively, to allow the passage and retention of the output shaft 32 of the motor 31 and the rotation shaft 18 of the shutter panel 15. They may have holes 48 for mounting the motor 31 and the bearings 19, and openings 49 for spacers 50. The side walls 43 of the support profile 41 may have, in their lower part, parallel cheeks 51 to receive the attachment of the second hook piece 26 of the compensation mechanism 20. The side wall 43 on the outside side of the garage door 1 may also have protruding fixing tabs 52, provided with oblong holes 44, and obtained by cutting out the corresponding side wall 43.

[0045] The side uprights 12 of the fixed frame 11 are also specific and arranged to cooperate with the motor mounts 40. In a preferred embodiment, they are designed in a standard manner and each forms a housing for receiving a motor mount 40. They each then comprise a straight upright profile 61 extending over the entire height of the fixed frame 11. The upright profile 61 may have a U-shaped cross-section defining a base 62 and two side walls 63 perpendicular to the base. The cross-section of the upright profile 61 is preferably complementary to the cross-section of the support profile 41 to allow assembly by interlocking and sliding the support profile 41 inside the upright profile 61.

[0046] The base 62 of the upright profile 61 may have a plurality of oblong openings 64 and fixing holes 65, distributed along the height and width of the profile, arranged to cooperate with the oblong openings 44 and fixing holes 45 of the motor support 40. The combination of the oblong openings 44, 64 and the fixing holes 45, 65 forms indexing means for positioning the support profile 41 relative to the upright profile 61 according to different mounting positions. The oblong openings 44, 64 allow for compensation of manufacturing and / or assembly tolerances. The different mounting positions can be determined by the specifications of the garage door 10, and in particular its height, width, and the thickness of the external insulating cladding 15'.

[0047] Figures 3A to 3D illustrate different mounting positions as well as the combination between the different oblong orifices 44, 64 and fixing holes 45, 65 allowing these different mounting positions to be obtained, which are locked by fixing means, such as screws or the like (not shown).

[0048] Figure 3A corresponds to a first mounting position, in which the upper dimension DI extending between the axis of the spacer 50 and the top of the fixed frame 11 is, for example, equal to 265 mm. In this case, the orifices and holes used are identified by the legend PI and / or by the legend F if they are used to fix the fixed frame 11 in the masonry.

[0049] Figure 3B corresponds to a second mounting position, in which the upper dimension D2 is greater than DI and, for example, equal to 315 mm. In this case, the orifices and holes used are identified by the legend P2 or PI depending on whether they are suitable for both the first and / or the second position, and / or by the legend F if they are used to fix the fixed frame 11 in the masonry.

[0050] Figure 3C corresponds to a third mounting position, in which the upper dimension D3 is greater than D2 and, for example, equal to 415 mm. In this case, the orifices and holes used are identified by the legend P3 or P2 or PI depending on whether they are suitable for the first, second and / or third positions, and / or by the legend F if they are used to fix the fixed frame 11 in the masonry.

[0051] Figure 3D corresponds to a fourth mounting position, in which the upper dimension D4 is greater than D3 and, for example, equal to 465 mm. In this case, the orifices and holes used are identified by the legend P4, P3, P2, or P1, depending on whether they are suitable for the first, second, third, and / or fourth positions, and / or by the legend F if they are used to fix the fixed frame 11 in the masonry. Of course, the values ​​mentioned for D1, D2, D3, and D4 are given by way of example and are not limiting.

[0052] Figure 5 shows an example of installing a garage door 10 in an opening 1 of a garage entrance 2, with the fixed frame 11 mounted on the back of the masonry drop 5. The illustrated position can correspond to the first mounting position described with reference to Figure 3A according to dimension DL. Figure 6 shows the same example of installing the garage door 10 as in Figure 5. In this case, the shutter panel 15 has a thicker external insulating coating 15' than that in Figure 5, requiring the mounting position of the motor 30 to be lowered, for example, by choosing the second mounting position described with reference to Figure 3B according to dimension D2. Figure 7 shows another example of the installation of a garage door 10 in an opening 1 of a garage entrance 2, the fixed frame 11 being placed in a tunnel at the level of the drop 5 of the masonry.The illustrated position may correspond to the first mounting position described with reference to [Fig.3A] according to dimension DL. In this type of installation, the external insulating cladding 15' of the garage door 10 is flush with the cladding of the building's facade, to obtain a more contemporary aesthetic for the garage door 10. Of course, the side posts 12 of the fixed frame 11 are completed, on the interior side of the garage 2, by a cover 25 to protect the moving parts, whether the frame is surface-mounted, as shown for example in figures 5 and 6, or tunnel-mounted, as shown in [Fig.7].

[0053] It is clear from this description that the invention allows for standardization and modularity of the up-and-over garage door 10. The support of the two ends 20a, 20b of the compensation mechanism 20 by a single piece has the technical effect of significantly increasing the rigidity of the fixed frame 11, enabling it to better withstand the forces generated by the compensation mechanism 20 during the opening and closing movements of the garage door 10. The invention thus makes it possible to offer garage doors 10 that are technically more reliable, lighter, and more Rigid, also suitable for large openings 1 of great height and / or width. It also offers the possibility of fitting the shutter panel 15 with a thick external insulating coating 15' without mechanical modification, as the position of the shutter panel can be lowered. The invention thus makes it possible to industrialize the garage door 10 as a whole, to produce a powder-coated finished product, to pre-equip the motor support 40 with a motor 30 integrated into the fixed frame 11, and to add the compensation mechanism 20.

[0054] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described but extends to any modification and variant obvious to a person skilled in the art, within the limits of the appended claims. Furthermore, the technical features of the various embodiments and variants mentioned above may be combined, in whole or in part. Similarly, the indexing and fastening means described for defining the different mounting positions of the motor 30 on the fixed frame 11 in the vertical direction of the garage door 10 may differ from those described, without, however, departing from the scope of protection defined in the appended claims.

Claims

Demands

1. A tilting garage door (10) for closing an opening (1) in a garage or any other premises, comprising a fixed frame (11) provided with two side posts (12), a closing panel (15) coupled to each of said side posts (12) by a main lever (16) and a rotation shaft (18), a motor (30) mounted in the side posts (12) of said fixed frame and coupled to each of said rotation shafts (18) to move said closing panel (15) between a closed position and an open position, and vice versa, and a compensation mechanism (20) provided in said side posts (12) and coupled to each of said main levers (16), characterized in that said garage door (10) comprises, for each of the side posts (12) of said fixed frame, a motor support (40) constituting a sub-assembly of said garage door and comprising a support profile (41),said support profile (41) constituting a support for attachment means (22-24) of a first end (20a) of said compensation mechanism (20), attachment means (26) of a second end (20b) of said compensation mechanism (20), a motor (31), a bearing (19) for said rotation shaft (18), a mechanical transmission (33) between said motor and said rotation shaft, of said compensation mechanism (20), the motor (31), the bearing (19) for said rotation shaft (18), and the mechanical transmission (33) between said motor and said rotation shaft being fixed directly on said support profile (41).

2. Up-and-over garage door according to claim 1, characterized in that each side post (12) of said fixed frame comprises a post profile (61) of U-shaped cross-section, constituting a housing in which said motor support (40) is mounted by fitting said support profile (41) into said post profile (61) in a determined mounting position.

3. Up-and-over garage door according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that each side post (12) and each motor support (40) have indexing means to ensure relative positioning of said motor support with respect to said side post in the direction of the height of said garage door, and fastening means to ensure that said engine mount is held in position in said side post after positioning.

4. Up-and-over garage door according to claim 3, characterized in that said indexing means provided respectively in said side post (12) and in said motor support (40) are selected from the group comprising holes (44, 45; 64, 65), balls, pins, notches.

5. Up-and-over garage door according to any one of claims 3 to 4, characterized in that said indexing means and said fixing means provided respectively in said side post (12) and in said motor support (40) are combined.

6. Up-and-over garage door according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that each side post (12) and each motor support (40) have a plurality of holes (44, 45; 64, 65) arranged to define several relative mounting positions of said motor support (40) with respect to said side post (12).

7. Up-and-over garage door according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the hooking means (22-24) of a first end (20a) of said compensation mechanism (20), and the hooking means (26) of a second end (20b) of said compensation mechanism (20) are fixed directly on said support profile (41).

8. Up-and-over garage door according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said garage door (10) is arranged to be surface-mounted, said fixed frame (11) being intended to be mounted vertically against a masonry (5) of a building.

9. Up-and-over garage door according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said garage door (10) is arranged to be installed in a tunnel, said fixed frame (11) being intended to be installed inside the opening of a masonry (5) of a building.

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