Patent ID: 6176039
Filing Date: 2001-01-23
Classification: E05F,E05Y,E06B

Abstract:
An object sensor system for mounting on a garage door having a ground contacting leading edge, said object sensor system comprising a pair of object sensors, each said object sensor comprising:(a) a mounting plate for permanent attachment to the garage door near the leading edge thereof, said mounting plate having an upper terminus and a lower terminus;(b) an upper hinge plate hingeably connected to the upper terminus of the mounting plate;(c) a lower hinge plate hingeably connected to the lower terminus of the mounting plate;(d) a connecting hinge plate hingedly connected at a first end to the upper hinge plate and hingedly connected at an opposed second end to the lower hinge plate so that the upper hinge plate, lower hinge plate and connecting hinge plate move in concert;(e) a return spring attached at a first end to one of said plates and attached at a second end to another of said plates to urge said upper and lower hinge plates together;(f) a bracket having a first vertical leg attached to the connecting hinge plate and a second horizontal leg for extending under the leading edge of the garage door;(g) an electronic sensor permanently mounted on the horizontal leg of the bracket to transmit or receive a light beam to a matching electronic sensor on the other object sensor of the object sensor system for continuously sensing objects directly in a travel path of the garage door's leading edge and transmitting a signal to a motor driven garage door opener; and(h) an anti-friction means attached to an underside of the horizontal leg of the bracket to allow said bracket to slide along ground surface;whereby when the garage door is at least partially open, the electronic sensor is directly below the leading edge of the garage door to continuously sense objects in the travel path of the garage door until the garage door approaches ground surface whereupon the bracket moves backwardly away from the garage door thereby causing the upper and lower hinge plates to pivot upwardly until the leading edge of the garage door is at rest on the ground surface.