Garage door system and door machine device thereof

Abstract

A garage door system includes a door panel, a transmission assembly, a cable drum, a cable, and a door machine device. The door machine device includes a motor assembly, an actuation assembly, a ratchet retention device and a controller. The motor assembly has a rotating shaft, which is power-connected to the shaft. The actuation assembly includes a ratchet and a gear train. The gear train is power-connected to the rotating shaft, and the ratchet power-connected to the gear train. In response to the motor assembly drives the shaft to rotate, the ratchet correspondingly generates a torque. The ratchet retention device provides a positioning retention force to the ratchet. The controller is configured to generate a control signal according to a detection signal and an adjustment parameter to adjust the positioning retention force by a control signal. The adjustment parameters ensure that the positioning retention force is greater than or equal to the torque.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] A lifting door system, particularly a lifting door system capable of raising or lowering door panels and its door operator device. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Segmented lift garage doors primarily utilize torsion springs to assist in raising and lowering the door, with steel cables transmitting the lifting force of the torsion springs. The steel cables are wound around drums on both sides of the door, and the torsion springs drive the drums to wind or release the steel cables, thereby causing the door panels to rise or fall. Therefore, for the door panels to operate normally, the steel cables must maintain appropriate tension. Once the steel cables lose tension, such as when they break or become loose, the door panels will fall. [Summary of the Invention]

[0003] In view of this, in some embodiments, the lifting door system includes at least one door panel, a transmission assembly, at least one cable drum, at least one cable, and a door operator. The transmission assembly has a shaft. At least one cable drum is connected to the shaft. One end of the at least one cable is connected to the at least one cable drum, and the other end is connected to the at least one door panel. The door operator includes a motor assembly, an actuation assembly, a ratchet retaining device, and a controller. The motor assembly has a shaft, which is poweredly connected to the shaft. The actuation assembly has a ratchet and at least one gear train. At least one gear train is poweredly connected to the shaft, and the ratchet is poweredly connected to the at least one gear train. In response to the motor assembly driving the shaft to rotate, the ratchet correspondingly generates torque. The ratchet retaining device is used to generate a positioning retaining force on the ratchet. The controller is used to generate a control signal based on a detection signal and at least one adjustment parameter to drive the positioning retaining force to be adjusted according to the control signal. The adjustment parameter maintains the positioning retaining force greater than or equal to the torque.

[0004] In some embodiments, the door operator device is used to drive the transmission component of the lifting door system, the transmission component having a shaft. The door operator device includes a transmission component, a motor component, an actuation component, a ratchet retaining device, and a controller. The motor component has a rotating shaft, the rotating shaft being poweredly connected to the shaft. The actuation component has a ratchet and at least one gear train. At least one gear train is poweredly connected to the rotating shaft, and the ratchet is poweredly connected to at least one gear train. In response to the motor component driving the rotating shaft to rotate, the ratchet correspondingly generates torque. The ratchet retaining device includes ratches, a ratchet adjusting component, and a detector. The ratches are used to engage with the ratchet. The ratchet adjusting component has an elastic element, in response to the elastic element applying a biasing force to the ratchet, the ratchet generates a positioning retaining force on the ratchet. The ratchet adjusting component is used to drive the elastic element to adjust the positioning retaining force according to a control signal. The detector generates a detection signal in response to the ratchet disengaging from the ratchet. The controller generates a control signal according to the detection signal and at least one adjustment parameter. Adjust the parameters to maintain the positioning force greater than or equal to the torque.

[0005] In summary, according to some embodiments of the lifting door system, in abnormal situations, such as malfunctions or encountering obstacles, the ratchet will slip off the ratchet teeth, allowing the ratchet to rotate relative to the gear train. At this time, the ratchet idles, stopping the transmission assembly from continuing to drive the door panel up or down, thereby preventing cable breakage, loosening, or excessive tension changes. On the other hand, when the positioning and holding force generated by the ratchet teeth on the ratchet is insufficient, the controller will automatically adjust the positioning and holding force to maintain the sensitivity of abnormal state detection. In other words, according to some embodiments, the time required for manual adjustment of the positioning and holding force can be completely eliminated, and the cumbersome procedure of initially setting the positioning and holding force can be avoided during system installation through the automatic adjustment function.

Implementation Method

[0006] Please refer to Figures 1, 2, and 3 together. In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the lifting door system 100 includes at least one door panel 102, a transmission assembly 104, at least one cable reel 106, at least one cable 108, and a door operator 110. The transmission assembly 104 has a shaft 112. The cable reel 106 is connected to the shaft 112. One end of the cable 108 is connected to the cable reel 106, and the other end is connected to the door panel 102. The door operator 110 includes a motor assembly 114, a drive assembly 116, a ratchet retainer 118, and a controller 120. The motor assembly 114 has a rotating shaft 122, which is poweredly connected to the shaft 112. Here, the motor assembly 114 can drive the shaft 112 to rotate through the rotating shaft 122, thereby driving the steel cable drum 106 to wind up and release the steel cable 108, so that the door panel 102 can rise or fall as the steel cable 108 is wound.

[0007] Please refer to Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5 together. As shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5, the actuation assembly 116 has a ratchet 124 and at least one gear train 126. The ratchet 124 is powered to the gear train 126. The gear train 126 is powered to the shaft 122. In response to the motor assembly 114 driving the shaft 122 to rotate, the ratchet 124 correspondingly generates a torque. The torque can refer to the force by which the shaft 122 drives the gear train 126, and through the gear train 126, causes the ratchet 124 to rotate. The ratchet retaining device 118 is used to generate a positioning retaining force on the ratchet 124, that is, to counteract the torque and prevent the ratchet 124 from generating a rotational force. The controller 120 generates a control signal based on a detection signal and at least one adjustment parameter to drive the positioning retaining force to adjust according to the control signal.

[0008] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, the ratchet retaining device 118 includes a ratchet 128, a ratchet adjustment assembly 130, and a detector 132 (detector 132 shown in Figure 7). The ratchet 128 engages with the ratchet 124. The ratchet adjustment assembly 130 has an elastic element 134, such as, but not limited to, a coil spring or a compression spring. In response to the elastic element 134 applying a biasing force to the ratchet 128, the ratchet 128 generates a positioning retaining force on the ratchet 124. The ratchet adjustment assembly 130 is used to drive the elastic element 134 to adjust the positioning retaining force according to a control signal, for example, by driving the elastic element 134 to deform to increase the positioning retaining force. The detector 132 generates a detection signal in response to the ratchet 128 disengaging from the ratchet 124. The detector 132 can be a contact or non-contact detector, such as, but not limited to, a microswitch or a photoelectric sensor.

[0009] For example, during normal movement of the door panel 102, the ratchet 128 engages with the ratchet 124 to lock the ratchet 124. The transmission assembly 104 can correspondingly drive the cable drum 106 to wind or release the cable 108, thereby raising or lowering the door panel 102. In abnormal situations, such as when the door panel 102 descends and presses against a foreign object (human body or obstacle), causing increased descending resistance, or when an obstacle jams the door panel 102, the motor assembly 114 will autonomously increase current consumption to increase output torque, that is, increase the output force of the shaft 122 to the gear train 126, causing the torque of the ratchet 124 to increase. Then, in response to the torque being greater than the positioning and holding force, the ratchet 128 will disengage from the ratchet 124, causing the ratchet 124 to rotate relative to the gear train 126. When the ratchet 124 rotates, the gear train 126 idles and stops driving the shaft 112. More precisely, when the gear train 126 drives the ratchet 124 to rotate, the cable drum 106 and the cable 108 stop driving the door panel 102, ensuring that the door panel 102 no longer applies force to foreign objects and preventing the cable 108 from loosening due to over-release and causing danger. In addition, when initially installing the lifting door system 100, the elastic element 134 can be loosened first, so that when the door panel 102 closes, the ratchet 128 may disengage from the ratchet 124 because the bias pressure applied by the elastic element 134 is too small. The controller 120 can control the ratchet adjustment assembly 130 to adjust the bias pressure of the elastic element 134 on the ratchet 128, so that the positioning and holding force generated by the ratchet 128 on the ratchet 124 is greater than or equal to the torque. Therefore, in some specific embodiments of the present invention, the positioning holding force can be automatically adjusted, eliminating the time required for manual adjustment, and the initial setting can be automatically completed during the installation of the door operator, thus saving the complicated procedure of the first adjustment.

[0010] As shown in Figure 2, the controller 120 may be, for example, a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a control board with the aforementioned computing elements. The controller 120 can determine adjustment parameters to maintain the positioning holding force greater than or equal to the torque. When the holding force is greater than or equal to the torque, the ratchet 128 can lock the ratchet 124. Furthermore, when the ratchet 124 remains stationary relative to the shaft 122, the shaft 112 and the shaft 122 can form a power connection to wind or release the steel cable 108 through the steel cable drum 106, and drive the door panel 102 to rise or fall. It should be noted that when the abnormal situation is resolved and the movement of the door panel 102 is to be restored, the controller 120 can adjust the positioning holding force by tightening or loosening the elastic member 134. In response to the positioning holding force being greater than or equal to the torque, the ratchet 128 re-engages with the ratchet 124, causing the ratchet 124 to be locked by the ratchet 128 and stop rotating. The shaft 112 can then drive the cable drum 106 and the cable 108 again to restore the movement of the door panel 102.

[0011] Please refer to Figures 4 and 5 together. In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the ratchet 124 has a ring gear 136 on its inner side. Each gear train 126 includes a sun gear 138 and at least one planetary gear 140. The sun gear 138 is connected to the shaft 122. Each planetary gear 140 meshes with the ring gear 136 and the sun gear 138 and selectively drives the shaft 112. It should be noted that when the positioning and holding force is greater than or equal to the torque, the ratchet 124 is locked and held stationary. This causes the planetary gears 140 to rotate around the sun gear 138. Conversely, when the positioning and holding force is less than the torque, each planetary gear 140 will not rotate around the sun gear 138, that is, each planetary gear 140 rotates in place and drives the ring gear 136, thereby driving the ratchet 124 to rotate. In response to the rotation of each planetary gear 140 in place, without driving the shaft 112 (described in detail later).

[0012] Please refer to Figures 5, 6, and 7 together. In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7, the gear train 126 includes a first gear train 126a and a second gear train 126b. The first gear train 126a includes a first sun gear 138a and a plurality of first planetary gears 140a. The second gear train 126b includes a second sun gear 138b and a plurality of second planetary gears 140b. The actuation assembly 116 further includes an input disk 142 and an output disk 144. In some embodiments, the first sun gear 138a is connected to the shaft 122, the first planetary gears 140a are pivotally connected to one side of the input disk 142, and the other side of the input disk 142 is connected to the second sun gear 138b. The second planetary gears 140b are pivotally connected to one side of the output disk 144, and the other side of the output disk 144 is connected to the shaft 112. Therefore, when the shaft 122 rotates, it synchronously drives each of the first planetary gears 140a to revolve relative to the first sun gear 138a, thereby rotating the input disk 142. When the input disk 142 rotates, it drives the second sun gear 138b, causing each of the second planetary gears 140b to rotate relative to the second sun gear 138b (as shown by the positional changes of the second planetary gears 140b indicated by the solid and dashed lines in Figure 7), and driving the output disk 144 to rotate. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5, the actuation assembly 116 further includes a sprocket 145. One end of the sprocket 145 is connected to the output disk 144, and the other end is connected to the shaft 112. The sprocket 145 moves synchronously with the output disk 144, causing the sprocket 145 to drive the shaft 112 to rotate. In some embodiments, when the positioning holding force is less than the torque, when the second sun gear 138b rotates, each of the second planetary gears 140b rotates in its original position (as shown in Figure 7, each of the second planetary gears 140b remains in the same position and rotates independently); at this time, each of the second planetary gears 140b will drive the ratchet 124 to rotate, thereby disengaging the ratchet 124 from the lock of the ratchet 128. Since each of the second planetary gears 140b rotates in its original position, the output disk 144 will not be driven by each of the second planetary gears 140b.

[0013] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the ratchet adjustment assembly 130 includes a motor 146, an adjusting gear 148, a sleeve 150, and a barrel 152. A driven gear 154 is provided on the outer surface of the barrel 152. The motor 146 is connected to the adjusting gear 148, and the adjusting gear 148 meshes with the driven gear 154. The sleeve 150 is fixed to a frame F and has an external thread 151. The inner surface of the barrel 152 has an internal thread 153, and the barrel 152 is screwed into the sleeve 150. An elastic element 134 is placed inside the barrel 152, with one end abutting against the ratchet 128 and the other end abutting against the barrel 152.

[0014] In some embodiments, the driven gear 154, when actuated, drives the elastic element 134 to deform and apply a biasing force to the ratchet 128; the adjusting gear 148 is used to actuate the driven gear 154 according to a control signal. For example, when the motor 146 drives the adjusting gear 148 to drive the driven gear 154, the sleeve 152 will move relative to the sleeve 150 (e.g., towards the ratchet 128) to drive the elastic element 134 to deform and apply a biasing force to the ratchet 128. It should be noted that the adjustment parameter includes at least one rotation angle. The motor 146 can drive the adjusting gear 148 to rotate according to at least one rotation angle corresponding to the phase angle. The motor 146 can be a stepper motor or a servo motor.

[0015] In some embodiments, at least one rotation angle may be either a continuous sequence or an arithmetic sequence. Taking a continuous sequence of rotation angles as an example, the adjusting gear 148 can adjust the rotation of the driven gear 154 in one step, continuously rotating until the elastic element 134 forces the ratchet 128 against the ratchet 124. For example, during the rotation of the ratchet 124, the ratchet adjusting assembly 130 continuously adjusts the positioning and holding force of the ratchet 128 until the ratchet 124 stops rotating, at which point the positioning and holding force is greater than or equal to the torque (the ratchet 124 remains stationary). In other embodiments, taking an arithmetic sequence of rotation angles as an example, the adjusting gear 148 can rotate according to multiple rotation angles in an arithmetic sequence, for example, in a stepwise manner, until the positioning and holding force is greater than or equal to the torque (the ratchet 124 remains stationary). Therefore, the angle difference between two adjacent rotation angles can be determined based on the gear ratio between the driven gear 154 and the adjusting gear 148, the compression ratio of the elastic element 134, the ratio of the tooth pitch of the driven gear 154 to the length of the elastic element 134, and data from preset segments or historical adjustment angles.

[0016] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the ratchet adjustment assembly 130 further includes a shutter disk 156 and a photosensor 158. The shutter disk 156 is disposed on the adjustment gear 148. The photosensor 158 is coupled to the controller 120 and is used to detect the shutter disk 156 to generate a detection angle. The detection angle is substantially equal to one of the rotation angles. Here, the controller 120 can detect whether the angle of rotation of the adjustment gear 148 (detection angle) conforms to the rotation angle of the adjustment parameter through the photosensor 158. In other embodiments, Hall effect sensors can also be used to detect the amount of rotation of the adjustment gear 148. In some embodiments, the detector 132 is a microswitch. When the ratchet 124 rotates, the ratchet 124 triggers the microswitch to generate a detection signal. Taking Figure 7 as an example, the microswitch has a trigger portion 133 normally located in the ratchet 124. During the rotation of the ratchet 124, the trigger 133 can be pressed once by the ratchet 124, and the detector 132 generates a detection signal in response to the pressing of the trigger 133. Alternatively, the trigger 133 is normally pressed by the ratchet 124. During the rotation of the ratchet 124, the trigger 133 can be released by the ratchet 124, and the detector 132 generates a detection signal in response to the release of the trigger 133. In other embodiments, the detector 132 can also be a non-contact sensor, such as a photoelectric sensor, an infrared sensor, or a capacitive sensor.

[0017] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, the ratchet 124 retaining device further includes a current sensor 160. The current sensor 160 is coupled to the controller 120 and is used to detect a current consumption of the motor assembly 114. The controller 120 is used to selectively generate a control signal based on the detected signal, the current consumption, and a current threshold. In some embodiments, the controller 120 does not generate a control signal when it receives a detected signal and the current consumption is greater than the current threshold (i.e., the ratchet adjustment assembly 130 does not operate). For example, as shown in FIG2 and FIG7, if the door panel 102 comes into contact with a foreign object, causing an increase in the descending resistance, or if an obstacle jams the door panel 102, the motor assembly 114 will autonomously increase its output torque, causing its current consumption to increase with the increase in torque; at this time, the torque of the ratchet 124 will exceed the positioning and retaining force of the ratchet 128, and the ratchet 124 will rotate. However, in this situation, the rotation of ratchet 124 is independent of the strength of the positioning and holding force, so the ratchet adjustment assembly 130 will not operate. In other words, the controller 120 can determine that the door panel 102 (load) may come into contact with a foreign object based on the actual current consumption of the motor assembly 114. Then, in response to the controller 120 not generating a control signal, and with ratchet 128 and ratchet 124 remaining idle, the output disk 144 suspends raising or lowering the door panel 102. Thus, when the controller 120 meets the conditions of obtaining a detection signal and comparing the current consumption to a current threshold, it can determine that the door panel 102 is pressing against an obstacle and stop the door panel 102 from continuing to lower or raise, ensuring that the door panel 102 no longer applies force to the obstacle, thus preventing the steel cable 108 from breaking or loosening. In some embodiments, the current threshold can be the peak value of the current consumption of the motor assembly 114 during the complete opening and closing stroke of the door panel 102 under normal operating conditions. Here, the current threshold can be a single current value or a range of current values. In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2 and 7, the controller 120 generates a control signal in response to receiving a detection signal and the current consumption meeting a current threshold. For example, under normal operating conditions, if the ratchet 124 and ratchet 128 separate and spin freely due to mechanical failure or component aging (such as aging of the elastic element 134), the detector 132 will generate a detection signal. At this time, the controller 120 further determines whether the current consumption meets the current threshold; when the controller 120 meets the conditions of receiving the detection signal and comparing the current consumption to meet the current threshold, the controller 120 can generate a control signal to adjust the ratchet retaining device 118 so that the positioning retaining force is greater than or equal to the torque, allowing the door panel 102 to continue operating.

[0018] In summary, according to some embodiments of the lifting door system 100, in case of an abnormal situation, the door operator 110 can automatically disengage the ratchet 124 from the ratchet 128, allowing the ratchet 124 to rotate relative to the gear train 126, thereby stopping the transmission assembly 104 from continuing to drive the door panel 102 to rise or fall and promptly stopping the door panel 102's movement. On the other hand, under normal operating conditions, if mechanical failure or component aging (such as aging of the elastic element 134) occurs, the controller 120 can autonomously adjust the positioning and holding force of the ratchet 128 on the ratchet 124. However, in response to the positioning and holding force being greater than or equal to the torque, the ratchet 128 can re-engage with the ratchet 124, causing the ratchet 124 to stop rotating. Then, the transmission assembly 104 can continue to drive the door panel 102 to rise or fall. Here, when the motor assembly 114 drives the door panel 102, the cable drum 106 and the cable 108 can maintain appropriate tension. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a lifting door system in some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 is a circuit block diagram of a lifting door system in some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 3 is a perspective view of a door operator device in some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 3 along the AA direction. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the motor assembly and the actuation assembly in some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of Figure 5 from another perspective. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 3 along the BB direction, where the dashed lines show the rotation of each planetary gear relative to the sun gear, and the solid lines show the idling of each planetary gear.

Claims

1. A door operator device for driving a transmission assembly of a lifting door system, the transmission assembly having a shaft, the door operator device comprising: A motor assembly having a rotating shaft to which power is connected; A motor assembly includes a ratchet and at least one gear train, the at least one gear train being powered to the shaft, and the ratchet being powered to the at least one gear train; the ratchet generates a torque in response to the activation of the motor assembly; a ratchet retaining device includes: a ratchet tooth for engaging the ratchet; a ratchet adjusting assembly having an elastic element; in response to the elastic element applying a biasing force to the ratchet tooth, the ratchet tooth generates a positioning retaining force on the ratchet tooth; the ratchet adjusting assembly is used to drive the elastic element to adjust the positioning retaining force according to a control signal; a detector generates a detection signal in response to the ratchet tooth disengaging from the ratchet tooth; and a controller generates the control signal according to the detection signal and at least one adjustment parameter; wherein the adjustment parameter maintains the positioning retaining force greater than or equal to the torque.

2. The gantry crane device as described in claim 1, wherein, The ratchet has a ring gear on its inner side; each of the gear systems includes a sun gear and at least one planet gear, the sun gear is connected to the shaft, and each of the planet gears meshes with the ring gear and the sun gear and selectively drives the shaft; wherein, when the ratchet rotates, each of the planet gears does not drive the shaft.

3. The gantry crane device as described in claim 2, wherein, The gear system includes a first gear system and a second gear system. The first gear system includes a first sun gear and a plurality of first planetary gears, and the second gear system includes a second sun gear and a plurality of second planetary gears. The actuation assembly further includes an input disk and an output disk. The first sun gear is connected to the rotating shaft, the first planetary gears are pivotally connected to one side of the input disk, the other side of the input disk is connected to the second sun gear, the second planetary gears are pivotally connected to one side of the output disk, and the other side of the output disk is connected to the shaft.

4. The gantry crane device as described in claim 1, wherein, The ratchet adjustment assembly includes: a driven gear for applying bias force to the ratchet by deforming the elastic element when actuated; and an adjustment gear for actuating the driven gear according to the control signal; wherein the adjustment parameter includes at least one rotation angle.

5. The gantry crane device as described in claim 4, wherein, The ratchet adjustment assembly further includes: a sleeve with a driven gear; an adjusting gear meshing with the driven gear; a sleeve fixed to a frame; the sleeve is screwed into the sleeve, the elastic element is placed inside the sleeve, and the two ends of the elastic element abut against the ratchet and the sleeve respectively; and a motor connected to the adjusting gear and driving the adjusting gear to drive the driven gear, causing the sleeve to move relative to the sleeve.

6. The gantry crane device as described in claim 4, wherein, At least one rotation angle is either a sequence of consecutive numbers or an arithmetic sequence.

7. The gantry crane device as described in claim 4, wherein, The ratchet adjustment assembly includes: a shutter disk disposed on the adjustment gear; and a light sensor coupled to the controller for detecting the shutter disk to generate a detection angle; wherein the detection angle is substantially equal to one of the at least one rotation angle.

8. The gantry crane device as described in claim 1, wherein, The detector is a micro switch. When the ratchet rotates, the ratchet triggers the micro switch to generate the detection signal.

9. The gantry crane device as described in claim 1, wherein, The ratchet retaining device further includes: a current sensor coupled to the controller for detecting a current consumption of the motor assembly; the controller for selectively generating the control signal based on the detection signal, the current consumption, and a current threshold.

10. A lifting door system, comprising: at least one door panel; a transmission assembly having a shaft; at least one cable drum connected to the shaft; at least one cable, one end of which is connected to the at least one cable drum and the other end of which is connected to the at least one door panel; and a door operator, comprising: a motor assembly having a rotating shaft poweredly connected to the shaft; a actuator having a ratchet and at least one gear train, the at least one gear train being poweredly connected to the rotating shaft and the ratchet being poweredly connected to the at least one gear train; the ratchet generating a torque in response to activation of the motor assembly; a ratchet retaining device for generating a positioning retaining force on the ratchet; and a controller for generating a control signal based on a detection signal and at least one adjustment parameter to drive the positioning retaining force to adjust according to the control signal; wherein... The adjustment parameter ensures that the positioning holding force is greater than or equal to the torque.

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