Abstract:
The apparatus operates roll up doors used on commercial vehicles by employing dual powered opener/closer motors. The motors are mounted along the door tracks and there is no motor unit that must be mounted in the cargo space of the truck in the matter of a garage door opener the current invention is more suited for commercial vehicle use. The motors are synchronized in order to avoid having the door jam, or otherwise damaging the door, due to one side of the door raising or lowering more quickly than the other. The motors may have integrated rechargeable batteries so that the motors and door move along the tracks with wires.

Description:
[0001]    This application is based upon and claims priority from U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 62/236,575, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    Applicants&#39; invention relates to a device for remotely operating a motor-assisted roll-up commercial truck door. 
         [0004]    Background Information 
         [0005]    There have been many efforts to make the vehicle doors of commercial trucks and vehicles more efficient to operate and safer for workers. To date, these attempts have significantly failed. It can be very difficult to manually raise and lower a commercial door. Even if the user is able to raise and lower the door, doing so can be a repetitive activity that can cause injury over time. As a result, numerous back injuries and other injuries occur each year due to slip and falls, and other accidents, while users attempt to open and close commercial doors. These accidents and injuries can result in numerous “Workers&#39; Compensation” claims being filed each year. 
         [0006]    It is quite common for garage doors to be open and closed by electric motors. Smaller garage doors may be made using a single panel that tilts up and back across the garage ceiling. Larger doors are usually made using a multiplicity of jointed panels that roll up on tracks across the garage ceiling. An even larger doors, the jointed panels may roll up into a roll above the doorway. The operating mechanism is a spring-loaded or counterbalanced mechanism where the motor is online with the center of the door approximately level with the top of the doorway. Thus, the door is pulled up from the center which maintains the balance of the doorway. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Commercial trucks and vehicles often have doors similar to a garage door in that they are made of a multiplicity of panels that roll up along the door track. The present invention is an apparatus to operate roll up doors used on commercial vehicles by employing dual powered opener/closer actuators. Because the actuators are mounted along the door tracks and there is no motor unit that must be mounted in the cargo space of the truck in the matter of a garage door opener the current invention is more suited for commercial vehicle use. 
         [0008]    In a first embodiment, two rechargeable electric motors are used. The first motor is in operative communication with a first roller which is engaged with a first track on a first side of the door and doorway. The second motor is in operative communication with a second roller which is engaged with a second track on the second side of the door and doorway. The motors turn their respective rollers that engage the door tracks and thus the motors and rollers are in operative communication with the door. When the motors are positively activated they cause the rollers to turn moving the door upward along its track. When the motors are negatively activated they cause the rollers to turn moving the door downward along its track. The first and second motors are synchronized in order to avoid having the door jam, or otherwise damaging the door, due to one side of the door raising or lowering more quickly than the other. Thus, the first and second motors are synchronized so that they move at the same speed in order to keep the bottom of the door relatively horizontal. A locking mechanism may be used to secure the doors. In order for the doors to be opened, the locking mechanism must be unlocked. Therefore, when the locking mechanism recognizes a start-up cycle the locking mechanism unlocks, or when the motors are activated the locking mechanism is also activated unlocking the door, allowing the door to move upwardly. At the top of the door tracks, a portion of the actuator, the door, or the roller comes in contact with a switch that acts as an up stop. It is anticipated that the actuators will be activated by a driver or other user remotely—either in the cab of the commercial vehicle or otherwise away from the actuators. 
         [0009]    It is anticipated that the actuator  100  may be installed as described herein as a commercial vehicle is manufactured, however it does not preclude retrofitting existing commercial vehicles. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a cutaway, perspective view of the rear of a commercial vehicle with the present invention installed. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a top view of an actuator attached to a portion of a commercial vehicle door. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3A  is a top view of a locking mechanism for use with the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3B  is a perspective view of a locking mechanism for use with the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a stop sensor for use with the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0015]    Referring to the figures, the figures are labeled as follows: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 2 
                 Door 
               
               
                 4 
                 Cover 
               
               
                 6 
                 Base 
               
               
                 8 
                 Truck 
               
               
                 10 
                 Motor 
               
               
                 12 
                 Door Frame 
               
               
                 14 
                 Floor 
               
               
                 16 
                 Top 
               
               
                 18 
                 Rechargeable Battery 
               
               
                 20 
                 Drive Wheel 
               
               
                 22 
                 Door Track 
               
               
                 24 
                 Roller 
               
               
                 26 
                 Axle 
               
               
                 28 
                 Axle Connector 
               
               
                 30 
                 Contacts 
               
               
                 32 
                 Locking Mechanism 
               
               
                 33 
                 Solenoid 
               
               
                 34 
                 Stop Pin 
               
               
                 35 
                 Compression Spring 
               
               
                 36 
                 Pin Tip 
               
               
                 38 
                 Locking Apperture 
               
               
                 40 
                 Pin 
               
               
                 42 
                 Rocker 
               
               
                 44 
                 Rocker Support Member 
               
               
                 50 
                 Spring 
               
               
                 52 
                 Spring Base 
               
               
                 54 
                 Motor Extension Member 
               
               
                 56 
                 Stabilizer 
               
               
                 60 
                 Up Stop 
               
               
                 61 
                 Up Stop Switch 
               
               
                 62 
                 Release 
               
               
                 64 
                 Kill Switch 
               
               
                 66 
                 Down Stop 
               
               
                 100 
                 Actuator 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0016]      FIG. 1  illustrates a partial cutaway of the rear of a truck  8 . Bordering the perimeter of a doorway is a truck door frame  12 . Filling the door frame  12  is a door  2 . The door  2  reaches from the truck bottom  14  to the truck top  16 . The storage area inside the commercial vehicle is generally in the shape of a cuboid (also called a rectangular cuboid, an orthotope, or a hyperrectangle). On the inside of the door frame  12  is a door track  22  that runs upwardly along the frame  12  from near the floor  14  to near the top  16 . Shown in cutaway style, are actuators  100  that are mounted near the bottom and on the interior side of the door  2 . When motors  10 , which are part of the actuators  100 , are he along the track  22 . A locking mechanism  32  is positioned along the track  22  such that when the door  2  is in the down position, the locking mechanism  32  is slightly above the roller  24 . The locking mechanism  32  unlocks when it recognizes the start of the up cycle, or when the door  2  begins to move upwardly. As the door  2  moves upwardly and the roller  24  nears the top  16  it will come into contact with an up stop  60 . It is anticipated that other portions of the actuator  100  or drive wheel  20  might also contact the up stop  60  instead. When the up stop  60  is contacted it activates an up stop switch  61  that is in electronic communication with the actuator  100  and causes the motor  10  to deactivate, stopping the door  2  in an open position with the bottom of the door  2  near the top  16  of the truck  8 . When the door  2  is closed the up stop  60  and locking mechanism  32  act in reverse—when the close cycle starts, or when the door  2  starts moving down, the up stop causes the actuator  100  and motor  10  to activate in reverse lowering the door  2 . After the leading edge of the door  2  passes the locking mechanism  32 , the locking mechanism  32  locks the door  2  in the closed, or down, position. 
         [0017]    It is anticipated that the locking mechanism (solenoid)  32  will be integrated with the charging contacts  30  and located at the bottom of the track  22 . 
         [0018]    The use of a mechanical up stop  60  eliminates the switch  61  if a remote control up button is depressed through the up cycle. The user would recognize when the door is in its maximum opposition and would release the up button (not shown) on the remote control assembly. The downward cycle would work in the same manner with the user either manually stopping the downward cycle of the door or using a down stop (not shown) to effectuate the door ending its downward cycle. 
         [0019]    Because it is anticipated that there may be times in which a user will want to immediately stop the movement of the door  2 , a kill switch  64  may be mounted in a convenient place on the commercial vehicle  8 , such as on the frame  12 . The kill switch  64  is in electronic communication with the actuator  100  and motor  10 . When the kill switch  64  is activated it causes the motor  10  to deactivate stopping the door to at the then present position. If the user is required to depress an up or down button on a remote control assembly throughout the entire up or down cycle, then a kill switch would not be necessary. 
         [0020]    It is anticipated that a user may be inside the interior of the truck  8  storage space when the door  12  is closed. Therefore a release switch  62  may be installed in the interior of the truck  8  storage space. The release switch  62  is in electronic communication with the actuators  100 . When the release switch  62  is activated the motors  10  are positively activated raising the door  2  to its open position and allowing the trapped user to escape. 
         [0021]    It is anticipated that there are times when power would not be available for the motor  10  in which case the actuator  100  will allow the door to be moved manually. 
         [0022]      FIG. 2 . shows the actuator  100  assembly attached to the interior of the door  2  from a top view. The actuator  100  assembly is comprised of a motor  10 , a pressure spring apparatus, a drive wheel  20 , and contacts  30 . It may also include a cover  4 . The actuator  100  assembly is attached to the door  2  near the side of the door where the roller  24  is attached to the door  2  via its axle  26  and axle connector  28 . The roller  24  sits within a door track  22  and the roller  24  rotates about the axle  26 . 
         [0023]    It is anticipated that the actuator mechanism  100  may be further comprised of a motor (such as a 12 V motor) with or without an integrated battery pack (similar to a conventional battery powered hand tool) that delivers enough energy to raise and lower the door. 
         [0024]    Near the midpoint of the length of the motor  10  and drive wheel  20  assembly, a rocker  42  is attached. Opposite the rocker  42  is a rocker support member  44  that is attached to the interior side of the door  2 . The rocker  42  and the rocker support member  44  are connected using a pin  40 . The rocker  42  and rocker support member  44  have apertures through which the pin  40  extends. The rocker  42  and rocker support member  44  are designed such that when the pin  40  is inserted through the apertures of the rocker  42  and rocker support member  44 , the rocker  42  can rotate about the center axis of the pin  40 . Thus, the motor  10  is attached to the interior of the door  2 , but the ends of the motor  10  can move inward or outward, to and from the door  2 . At a first end  10   a  of the motor  10  a drive wheel  20  is attached via a driveshaft (not shown). The motor  10  is sized and the rocker  42  and rocker support member  44  are positioned such that the drive wheel  20  is positioned directly adjacent to the door track  22 . A motor extension member  54  is attached to the second and  10   b  of the motor  10 . The motor extension member  54  extends outwardly and parallel to the door  2 . A spring  50  is positioned between the motor extension member  54  and door  2 . The spring  50  is held in place by a spring base  52  that is attached to the door  2 . The spring base  52  extends outwardly from the door  2 . Extending inwardly toward the door  2  from, and attached to, the motor extension member  54  is a stabilizer  56 . The spring  50  sits between the spring base  52  and the motor extension member  54 , and has helped to be held in place by the spring base  52  and the stabilizer  56 . The spring  50  exerts pressure outwardly against the door to and the motor extension member  54 . This outward pressure on the second end  10   b  of the motor  10  in conjunction with the rotational movement of the motor about the axis of the pin  40  causes the drive wheel  20  to press against the door track  22 . It is anticipated that the drive wheel  20  will be made from a substance with a relatively high coefficient of friction sufficient such that when the motor  10  is activated and the drive wheel  20  begins to turn, it will move the door upwardly or downwardly due to the drive wheel&#39;s  20  contact with the door track  22  and not tend to slip. Thus for example, the drive wheel might be made from neoprene, urethane, or other rubber-like substances. 
         [0025]    When the motor  10  is positively activated the driveshaft (not shown) is turned, along with the drive wheel  20 , in a direction that raises the door  2 . When the motor  10  is negatively activated the driveshaft (not shown) is turned, along with the drive wheel  20 , in a direction that lowers the door  2 . 
         [0026]    It is anticipated that the motor  10  may derive its power from a vehicle battery, in which case the motor  10  would be required to be in electrical communication with the external battery or other electrical source. If an external battery is used to power the motor  10  then wiring would need to be provided from the source to the motor  10 . While this can be difficult due to the relative movement of the motor  10  up and down the door track  22 , it can be done. 
         [0027]    Alternatively, the actuator  100  may include within its assembly and onboard, rechargeable battery  18 . If an onboard, rechargeable battery  18  is used, then in order to recharge the battery contacts  30  would be included in the actuator  100  assembly and attached to the motor  10  and in electrical communication with the rechargeable battery  18 . It is anticipated that a vehicle electrical source such as a battery or alternator would be an electrical communication with first complementary contacts attached at the bottom of the door track  22  such that when the door  2  is lowered to its closed position the contacts  30  would connect with the first complementary contacts (not shown) so as to close a circuit between the electrical source (not shown) and the rechargeable battery  18 . In this manner, the rechargeable battery  18  would be recharged while the door  2  is in the closed position and power to raise and lower the door  2  would be maintained. ( FIG. 2  is not intended to be limiting as to the location of the rechargeable battery  18  in the actuator  100 .) It is also anticipated that a second complementary contacts (not shown) could be installed at the top of the door track  22 . Like the first complementary contacts (not shown) the second complementary contacts would be in electrical communication with the vehicle power source (not shown) and would connect with the contacts  30  such that when the door was in its open position the rechargeable battery  18  would be recharged. In order to protect the life of the vehicle power source, switches could be installed such that the rechargeable battery  18  would only be recharged at a certain time—such as when the vehicle engine (not shown) is running. 
         [0028]    The use of wireless motors  10  avoids fixed wiring that would be chafed as the door  2  is raised and lowered. It is a major safety feature as it avoids fires that could be started from poor wiring design and use. 
         [0029]    It is anticipated that several activation devices might be used in order to raise and lower the door  2  via the actuator  100 , such as a wired switch in electrical communication with the motor  10  and located remotely from the actuator  100 , or other wireless switching devices. It is also anticipated that certain actions might automatically, positively or negatively activate the motor  10  such as locking/unlocking the door, starting the vehicle engine, or putting the vehicle in gear. 
         [0030]    In another embodiment, the actuators  100  raise and lower the door  2  using two rack and pinion tracks. The motor arbor length is the full length of the door  2  and engages the track  22  on both the right and left hand sides of the door  2  to provide synchronism and avoid jamming, or otherwise damaging, the door  2  due to one side of the door  2  raising or lowering more quickly than the other. Generally, on smaller width doors it is not necessary to employ a rack and pinion on both sides. 
         [0031]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  show a locking mechanism  32  that can stop the door  2  from moving along the door track  22 . While the locking mechanism  32  may be placed in a position along the door track  22  that the manufacturer or user desire, is anticipated that it would be placed just above the actuator  100  when the door  2  is in its closed position.  FIG. 3A  is a top view of the locking mechanism  32  attached to the door track  22  the locking mechanism  32  has a solenoid  33  that moves a stop pin  34 . It is anticipated that the locking mechanism  32  and solenoid  33  will be integrated with the charging contacts  30  and likely located at the bottom of the track  22 . The pin  34  extends through the solenoid  33  and its pin tip  36  further extends through a locking aperture  38  and into the door track  22  such that it can block movement of the roller  24  in the door track  22 . The side of the pin  34  opposite the pin tip  36  extends outwardly from the solenoid  33  and is engaged with a compression spring  35  that acts to fold the pin tip  36  out of the door track  22  through the locking aperture  38  such that the roller  24  may move through the door track  22 . When the solenoid  33  is activated, the pin  34  is moved and opposition to the compression spring  35  and is inserted into the door track  22 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 3B  is a perspective view of the locking mechanism  32  attached to the door track  22  with the solenoid  33  activated and the pin  34  moved in opposition to the compression spring  35  causing the pin tip  36  to extend into the door track  22  and thus block the roller  24  from moving upwardly. Thus the locking mechanism  32  provides a locking function for the door  2 . Before a user can raise the door  2 , the solenoid  33  must be energized in order to release the door. It is anticipated that the solenoid may be energized by either being hardwired to a power source and switch or be wirelessly switched. The locking mechanism  32  provides security for the contents of the commercial vehicle. The locking mechanism  32  can be released electrically by the remote, key, or switch. In the advent of an electrical failure the key can release a manual override on the locking mechanism  32 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 4  illustrates a sensor that will recognize when the door  2  is in the open position and shut off the motor  10 . There are many embodiments that this sensor may take. Embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 4  shows a up stop switch in the track  22  that may be contacted by the roller  24  when the door  2  raises sufficiently. The up stop switch  61  would be activated by the roller  24 . The up stop switch  61  is in electrical communication with an up stop  60 . The up stop  60  would be in communication with the motor  10  and, when activated, would signal the motor  10  to deactivate. 
         [0034]    Likewise other sensors (not shown) similar to the up stop  60  and up stop switch  61  could be placed so as to recognize an obstruction in the door track  22  and shut off the motor  10  when an obstruction could damage the door  2 . This is also important if the motors  10  are not synchronized. Synchronizing the energy to raise and lower the door to avoid match-boxing is critical. 
         [0035]    Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limited sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments of the inventions will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon the reference to the description of the invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention.