Patent Abstract:
A mounting system for the safety beam units of a garage door opener, the mounting system having two brackets, each bracket having a base with a circular opening and a support, the supports of both brackets being adjustably coupleable together. The mounting system also has a beam unit housing with a cylindrical mounting base fittable through the circular opening in the base of at least one of the brackets. A spring is coupled to the cylindrical mounting base, the spring having at least one end extending beyond a side of the cylindrical mounting base. The beam unit housing being held in position by the at least one spring end extending into contact with the base of least one bracket.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to electronic garage door openers and, more particularly, to a safety beam bracket and method of assembly for an electronic garage door safety beam. 
     In order to prevent the closing of a garage door upon an obstruction, it is known in the art to pass a sensor beam across the garage door opening. Usually, the sensor beam is oriented in a direction generally parallel to the garage floor. Passage of the beam across the garage door opening is monitored, and when the beam is broken, an electronic garage door controller either stops the electric motor moving the door or reverses the direction of the motor to move the door back upward. 
     It is desirable to have the beam mounted within approximately one foot of the garage floor so that small children and pets in danger of being hit by the door will break the beam. It is also desirable to have the beam mounted some distance off of the garage floor to prevent the path from being obstructed by contaminants such as moisture, dirt and road salt. In some areas, the height of the beam is mandated by legislation to be a particular distance off of the garage floor. 
     Commonly, brackets are used to hold both the beam transmitter and the beam receiver. Installation of the brackets to be at a proper height is often a difficult and time consuming process. Likewise, attachment of the beam transmitter and the beam receiver to the brackets and alignment of the beam transmitter and the beam receiver is often a time and labor intensive process. There is a need for a an improved safety beam mounting system to reduce the difficulty and time needed for installation of a garage door opener safety beam system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A mounting system for the safety beam units of a garage door opener according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has two brackets. Each bracket has a base with a circular opening, and a support. The supports of both brackets are adjustably coupleable to each other. The mounting system also has a beam unit housing with a cylindrical mounting base fittable through the circular opening in the base of at least one of the brackets. A spring is coupled to the cylindrical mounting base. The spring has at least one end extending beyond a side of the cylindrical mounting base. The beam unit housing is held in position by the spring end extending into contact with the base of least one bracket. 
     In an embodiment, the spring is a leaf spring, the spring is coupled to a center of the cylindrical mounting base, and the spring has two pointed ends extending into contact with the base of at least one bracket. The base has a plurality of detents; and the spring end is held in at least one of the detents. The base of at least one bracket also has at least one receiving gap in communication with the circular opening. The end of the spring is insertable through the receiving gap. Additionally, the base of at least one bracket has a plurality of mounting holes. 
     The support of each bracket has a notch and a retaining clip. The retaining clip of each support is insertable into the notch of the other support. The two supports are coupled to each other by a fastener. Additionally, the support of each bracket has a plurality of measuring guide markers. In an embodiment, each of the brackets is made from a single piece of resilient metal folded to form the base and the support, and the fold has a plurality of gussets. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an interior of a garage showing a garage door and an electronic garage door opening system; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mounting system where the beam emitter/sensor is unattached to the brackets according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mounting system where the beam emitter/sensor is attached to the inside of the brackets according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a mounting system where the beam emitter/sensor is attached to the outside of the brackets and according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a beam emitter/receiver housing according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A mounting system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is adapted for achieving simple, inexpensive mounting of a safety beam emitter and a safety beam receiver. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a garage door opener system  10  has a garage door opener  12  coupled to a garage door  14 . An exemplary garage door  14  is sectional and is mounted for travel on a pair of rails  16 ,  18 . The garage door opener has a drive unit  20  coupled to a chain  22 . The chain  22  extends along a T-rail  24  mounted from the drive unit  20  and extending longitudinally to a point above the garage door. The T-rail has laterally extending flanges. A drive assembly  25  is releasably coupled to the chain  22 . The chain  22  is driven by the drive unit, and the drive assembly  25  is driven along the T-rail  24  by the chain  22 . A linkage arm  26  is coupled to the drive assembly  25  and to the garage door  14 . As the drive assembly  25  is driven along the T-rail  24 , the arm  26  causes the garage door  14  to be raised or lowered. A switch  27  activates the drive unit  20 . A safety beam emitter  28  and a safety beam receiver  29  are electrically coupled to the drive unit  20  and may stop the drive unit  20  to prevent the garage door  14  from closing on an obstruction. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting system has a mount  32  and a safety beam emitter/receiver housing  34 . The safety beam emitter  28  and the safety beam receiver  29  are each enveloped in a separate housing  34 , and each housing  34  fits into a separate mount  32 . Typically, a first mount and a safety beam emitter are placed on one side of a garage door opening. A second mount and a safety beam receiver are placed on an opposite side of the garage door opening. 
     Each mount  32  contains two brackets  38 ,  40 . The two brackets  38 ,  40  are identical and fit together to form the mount  32 . Each bracket has a base  42  and a support  44  oriented perpendicular to the base  42 . The two brackets  38 ,  40  are assembled so that one base is mountable against a surface and the other base is used to mount the beam emitter/receiver housing  34 . 
     The base  42  has a circular opening  46 . The circular opening  46  has two receiving gaps  48 ,  50  located on opposite sides of the circular opening  46 . The base  42  also has two mounting holes  52 ,  54  for attachment to a surface, such as a floor or a wall. Additionally, the base  42  has two sets of detents  56  positioned adjacent to portions of the circular opening on a first side, and second sets of detents  58  positioned adjacent to portions of the circular opening on a second side. 
     The support  44  has an oblong notch  60  extending along a portion of its length. At an end of the notch  60  farthest from the base  42 , the support  44  has a retaining clip  62  that extends through the notch  60 . The retaining clip  62  is formed by two tabs. The two tabs are oriented to have an external width approximately equal to the width of the notch  60 . Along the length of the support  44  are indented measurement markings  64 . 
     In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a bracket is made from a single piece of material. In an embodiment, the bracket is made from a strip of suitable metal such as aluminum, steel, or stainless steel. The strip is stamped on a first side with the measurement markings  64  for the support and with the first sets of detents  56  on the first side of the base. The strip is stamped on a second side with the ,second set of detents  58  for the second side of the base. The strip is also stamped on the second side to create the retaining clip  62 . 
     The circular opening  46 , two receiving gaps  48 ,  50 , mounting holes  52 ,  54  and notch  60  are punched out of the strip. The strip is bent to form the base and the support. The corner of the bend is stamped to form two gussets  66 ,  68 . In an alternative embodiment, the bracket is made of plastic. The plastic is molded to obtain the desired features. In another embodiment, the bracket is made by coupling a base to a support. 
     As shown in FIGS. 2 to  4 , the mount  32  is assembled by facing the brackets  38 ,  40  in opposite directions with the bases pointing away from each other. The two supports are lined up so that the two notches are superimposed. Each retaining clip is placed in the notch of the other bracket. The retaining clips maintain alignment of the supports. Although the retaining clips can slide along the length of the notch, the width of the retaining clips prevent the notches from being rotated relative to each other. The supports are moveable to obtain a desired length between the two bases. An exact measurement of the distance between the two bases may be achieved by lining up an end of one support with the measurement markings  64  on the other support. 
     Once the proper distance between the two bases has been achieved, a fastener  70  is placed through both notches and secured. In an embodiment, the fastener is a nut and bolt. In an additional embodiment, a lock washer is placed on the bolt prior to the nut, to prevent vibration from loosening the nut. One of the bases  42  is attached to a desired surface, and the other base is available for attachment of the beam emitter/receiver housing  36 . 
     As shown in FIG. 5, the beam emitter/receiver housing  34  has a body  72  and a raised cylindrical mounting base  74 . The diameter of the cylindrical mounting base  74  corresponds to the diameter of the circular opening  46  in the base of each bracket. The circular opening  46  fits over the mounting base  74  with little play. In an embodiment of the present invention, the housing  34  and the cylindrical mounting base  74  are a unitary piece made of molded plastic. 
     A spring clip  76  is coupled to an outer surface of the cylindrical mounting base  54  using a fastener  78 . In an embodiment, the fastener  78  coupling the spring clip to the mounting base is a screw. The spring clip  76  extends beyond the outer diameter of the mounting base  74 . The ends of the spring clip  76  are pointed flanges  80 , pointing toward the body  72  of the beam emitter/receiver housing  34 . In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the spring clip  76  is a leaf spring made of a resilient metal, such as steel or stainless steel. 
     To couple the beam emitter/receiver housing  34  to the mount  32 , the housing  34  is rotated until the spring clip  76  is aligned with the two receiving gaps  48 ,  50  on the base. The spring clip  76  and the mounting base  74  are inserted into the receiving gaps  48 ,  50  and the circular opening  46  respectively. Once inserted, the housing  34  is rotated so that the spring clip  76  cannot fit back through the receiving gaps  48 ,  50 . The housing  34  is rotated so that the pointed flanges  80  pass over the detents located on the base until the housing  34  is at a desired orientation within the mount  32 . Once at the desired orientation, the resting of one of the pointed flanges  80  in a detent holds the beam housing  34  in the desired orientation. 
     The mount may be attached to different surfaces in different orientations. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the mount may be attached to a vertical surface, such as a garage wall. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the mount may be attached to a horizontal surface such as a garage floor. 
     The beam emitter/receiver housing  34  may be coupled to the mount in different orientations. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the housing  34  may be attached in an inside orientation. In an inside orientation, the housing  34  is inserted into the circular opening  46  of the base  42  from the side of the base closest to the mounting surface. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the housing  34  may be attached in an outside orientation. In the outside orientation, the housing  34  is inserted into the circular opening  46  of the base from the side of the base facing away from the mounting surface. 
     Although references have been made in the foregoing description to an exemplary embodiment, persons of ordinary skill in the art of designing garage door openers will recognize that insubstantial modifications, alterations, and substitutions can be made to the exemplary embodiment described without departing from the invention as claimed in the accompanying claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5