Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WINDING SYSTEM, ROLLING DOOR ASSEMBLY INCLUDING THE SAME
AND KIT FOR ASSEMBLING THE WINDING SYSTEM
Field of the invention:
The present invention relates to a winding system. More particularly, the
present invention relates to a winding system for winding a rolling door
assembly,
such as mini-warehouse doors, commercial rolling steel doors, and the like,
for
example. The present invention also relates to a rolling door assembly
provided
with such a winding system and to a kit for assembling the winding system.
Background of the invention:
Rolling door assemblies, such as mini-warehouse doors, commercial
rolling steel doors, and the like, are very well known in the art.
These rolling door assemblies typically comprise an overhead shaft
which is mounted onto a fixed structure, such as a wall for example, a drum
mounted about the overhead shaft, and a door curtain foldable (i.e. wound,
coiled-
up, etc.) about the drum and unfoldable from the same via a rotation of the
drum
so as to alternatively lower and raise the curtain, i.e. operate the door.
Generally,
these rolling door assemblies also generally comprise at least one, but
typically a
pair of, counterbalancing spring(s) having ends operatively connected to
corresponding parts of the assembly for providing the same with a suitable
counterbalancing force. This counterbalancing force is used namely to decrease
force required to open the door and also facilitate its closing.
Also known in the art are two main types of rolling door assemblies,
namely "dead shaft" rolling door assemblies and "live shaft" rolling door
assemblies.
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A "dead shaft" rolling door assembly is one in which, after proper
installation thereof, the overhead shaft is securely fixed and tightened onto
the
fixed structure by means of brackets and corresponding fasteners, and thus
does
not rotate during normal operation of the rolling door assembly. In contrast,
a "live
shaft" rolling door assembly is one in which, after proper installation
thereof, the
overhead shaft is pivotally connected to the fixed structure and rotates
thereabout
during normal operation of the rolling door assembly.
In the case of a "dead shaft" rolling door assembly, the drum is pivotally
mounted about the overhead shaft and rotates thereabout, and each
counterbalancing spring typically has first and second ends operatively
connected
to the shaft and drum respectively so as to be wound and unwound accordingly,
depending on the operation of the door assembly, so as to provide a
corresponding counterbalancing force thereto.
In the case of a "live shaft" rolling door assembly, the drum is securely
mounted about the overhead shaft and rotatable therewith with respect to the
fixed
structure, and each counterbalancing spring typically has first and second
ends
operatively connected to the shaft (or drum) and fixed structure respectively
so as
to be wound and unwound accordingly, depending on the operation of the door
assembly, so as to provide a corresponding counterbalancing force thereto.
It is also known in the art that with "live shaft" rolling door assemblies
for example, the winding thereof needs to be properly calibrated in order to
ensure
a suitable operation of the door assembly. Typically, an installer must use a
winding system having a portion which cooperates with the fixed structure onto
which a corresponding end of the counterbalancing spring of the assembly is
operatively connected, said portion having corresponding sockets for receiving
a
widing bar. The aforementioned portion of the winding system is rotated by the
installer with the winding bar inserted into a corresponding socket in order
to
provide the counterbalancing spring with a suitable torque, such that the
latter may
offer a corresponding suitable counterbalancing force. A problem associated
with
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this type of winding is that it is carried out at elevated heights, typically
using a
ladder, given the fact that the overhead shafts of rolling door assemblies are
generally located well above ground level or well out of human reach. Another
problem associated with this type of winding is that is it difficult to
achieve a
precise winding because the winding of the assembly results from a rough
estimate of the installer manually operating the winding bar, which is used as
a
lever arm for winding the assembly. Another problem associated with the above-
mentioned type of winding is that a considerable effort is required from the
installer
to carry out the above-mentioned maneuvers, often causing him to force onto
the
parts and causing him also to undertake undesirable movements and/or
positions.
Another problem associated with the above-mentioned conventional winding
system is that it is not provided with a safety device which would prevent the
rolling door assembly and/or the winding (or "counterbalancing") thereof from
being inadvertently tampered with, which is also very undesirable.
Hence, in light of the aforementioned, there is a need for an improved
system and/or method for winding a rolling door assembly which would be able
to
overcome some of the aforementioned problems.
Summary of the invention:
The object of the present invention is to provide a winding system
which, by virtue of its design and components, satisfies some of the above-
mentioned needs and is thus an improvement over other related winding systems
and/or methods known in the prior art.
In accordance with the present invention, the above object is achieved
with a winding system for winding a rolling door assembly having an overhead
shaft mounted about a fixed structure and rotatable thereabout along opposite
first
and second directions of rotation, a drum mounted about said overhead shaft, a
door curtain foldable about the drum and unfoldable from the drum via a
rotation of
the drum, and a counterbalancing spring having first and second ends
operatively
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connected to the overhead shaft and the fixed structure respectively for
counterbalancing the rolling door assembly, the winding system comprising:
a support bracket rigidly connectable to the fixed structure, said support
bracket having receiving means and supporting means, the receiving means
comprising a hub projecting from the support plate;
a first gear pivotally mounted about the hub of the receiving means of
the support bracket and rotatable thereabout along opposite first and second
directions of rotation, the first gear being operatively connectable to the
second
end of the counterbalancing spring, a portion of the overhead shaft being
extendable through said first gear and said hub;
a second gear pivotally mounted about the supporting means of the
support bracket and rotatable thereabout along opposite first and second
directions of rotation, said second gear being threadably engaged with the
first
gear such that, rotation of said second gear along one of its first and second
directions of rotation causes the first gear to rotate along a corresponding
one of
its first and second directions of rotation, thereby resulting in a
corresponding
winding of the counterbalancing spring of the rolling door assembly; and
at least one spacer projecting from the support bracket, said at least
one spacer being positioned proximate the hub for abutting with the first gear
and
delimiting positioning of the first gear from the support bracket, the hub
comprising
at least one longitudinal strip being foldable against the first gear for
maintaining
the first gear secured against the at least one spacer.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also
provided a rolling door assembly having an overhead shaft mounted about a
fixed
structure and rotatable thereabout along opposite first and second directions
of
rotation, a drum mounted about said overhead shaft, a door curtain foldable
about
the drum and unfoldable from the drum via a rotation of the drum, and a
counterbalancing spring having first and second ends operatively connected to
the
overhead shaft and the fixed structure respectively for counterbalancing the
rolling
door assembly, the rolling door assembly being provided with a winding system
comprising:
CA 02426068 2009-09-23
a support bracket rigidly connectable to the fixed structure, said support
bracket having receiving means and supporting means, the receiving means
comprising a hub projecting from the support plate;
a first gear pivotally mounted about the hub of the receiving means of
5 the support bracket and rotatable thereabout along opposite first and second
directions of rotation, the first gear being operatively connected to the
second end
of the counterbalancing spring, a portion of the overhead shaft being
extendable
through said first gear and said hub;
a second gear pivotally mounted about the supporting means of the
support bracket and rotatable thereabout along opposite first and second
directions of rotation, said second gear being threadably engaged with the
first
gear such that, rotation of said second gear along one of its first and second
directions of rotation causes the first gear to rotate along a corresponding
one of
its first and second directions of rotation, thereby resulting in a
corresponding
winding of the counterbalancing spring of the rolling door assembly; and
at least one spacer projecting from the support bracket said at least one
spacer being positioned proximate the hub for abutting the first gear and
delimiting
positioning of the first gear from the support bracket, the hub comprising at
least
one longitudinal strip being foldable against the first gear for maintaining
the first
gear secured against the at least one spacer.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is also
provided a kit for assembling a winding system for winding a rolling door
assembly
having an overhead shaft mounted about a fixed structure and rotatable
thereabout along opposite first and second directions of rotation, a drum
mounted
about said overhead shaft, a door curtain foldable about the drum and
unfoldable
from the drum via a rotation of the drum, and a counterbalancing spring having
first and second ends operatively connected to the overhead shaft and the
fixed
structure respectively for counterbalancing the rolling door assembly, the kit
comprising:
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a support bracket rigidly connectable to the fixed structure, said support
bracket having receiving means and supporting means, the receiving means
comprising a hub projecting from the support plate;
a first gear pivotally mountable about the hub of the receiving means of
the support bracket and rotatable thereabout along opposite first and second
directions of rotation, the first gear being operatively connectable to the
second
end of the counterbalancing spring, a portion of the overhead shaft being
extendable through said first gear and said hub;
a second gear pivotally mountable about the supporting means of the
support bracket and rotatable thereabout along opposite first and second
directions of rotation, said second gear being operatively connected to the
second
end of the counterbalancing spring and being also threadably engaged with the
first gear when the winding system is assembled such that, rotation of said
first
gear along one of its first and second directions of rotation causes the
second gear
to rotate along a corresponding one of its first and second directions of
rotation,
thereby resulting in a corresponding winding of the counterbalancing spring of
the
rolling door assembly; and
at least one spacer projecting from the support bracket said at least one
spacer being positioned proximate the hub for abutting the first gear and
delimiting
positioning of the first gear from the support bracket, the hub comprising at
least
one longitudinal strip being foldable against the first gear for maintaining
the first
gear secured against the at least one spacer.
The objects, advantages and other features of the present invention will
become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description
of
preferred embodiments thereof, given for the purpose of exemplification only
with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Brief description of the drawings:
Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a rolling door assembly
provided with a winding system according to a first preferred embodiment of
the
invention.
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Figure 2 is a perspective view of the winding system shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a top plan view of the winding system of Figure 2, said
winding system being shown without a cap.
Figure 4 is an exploded view of the winding system of Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the support bracket of the winding
system shown in Figure 2.
Figure 6 is a side. view of a winding system according to another
preferred embodiment of the invention, said winding system being shown mounted
onto a fixed structure and with its safety device in the first position.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the winding system of Figure 6, the
winding system being now shown mounted onto a fixed structure, in an exploded
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manner with respect to a plug and a rolling door assembly, and with its safety
device in the second position.
Figure 8 is a partial perspective view of the winding system of Figure 6,
the winding system being shown now with a plug mounted onto the first gear and
with its safety device in the second position.
Figure 9 is a rear partial perspective view of the winding system of
Figure 8, the winding system being shown now with the second gear operated by
a tool.
Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention:
In the following description, the same numerical references refer to
similar elements. The embodiments shown in the figures are preferred.
In the context of the present description, the expression "rolling door
assembly" includes various types of rolling door assemblies, such as mini-
warehouse doors, commercial rolling steel doors, and the like. Although the
present invention was primarily designed for a live shaft rolling door
assembly, it
may be used with other kinds of rolling door assemblies, such as fire doors or
shutters, or with any other counterbalanced door assemblies using an overhead
shaft, as apparent to a person skilled in the art. For this reason, the
expression
"live shaft" and/or "rolling door assembly" should not be taken as to limit
the scope
of the present invention and includes all other kinds of doors assemblies or
items
with which the present invention may be used and could be useful.
Moreover, in the context of the present description, the expressions
"door" and "assembly", "curtain" and "door", "counterbalancing shaft" and
"overhead shaft", "system" and "device", "winding" and "counterbalancing", as
well
as any other equivalent expressions and/or compound words thereof, may be
used interchangeably. The same applies for any other mutually equivalent
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expressions, such as "plate" and "bracket" for example, as apparent to a
person
skilled in the art.
In addition, although the preferred embodiment of the present invention
as illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises various components such
as a hub, a plug, spacer(s), strip(s), supporting arm(s), a cap, a flange,
tongue(s),
slit(s), a safety device, a tab, a spring, etc., and although the preferred
embodiment of winding system I and corresponding parts of the present
invention
as shown consists of certain geometrical configurations as explained and
illustrated herein, not all of these components and geometries are essential
to the
invention and thus should not be taken in their restrictive sense, i.e. should
not be
taken as to limit the scope of the present invention. It is to be understood,
as also
apparent to a person skilled in the art, that other suitable components and
cooperations thereinbetween, as well as other suitable geometrical
configurations
may be used for the winding system 1 according to the present invention, as
will
be briefly explained herein and as can be easily inferred herefrom, without
departing from the scope of the invention,
Broadly described, the winding system 1 according to the present
invention, as exemplified in the accompanying drawings, is a winding system 1
devised for winding a rolling door assembly 3, such as mini-warehouse doors,
commercial rolling steel doors, and the like, but may also be used for other
types
of installations where a torque must be applied onto a counterbalanced system
having an overhead shaft.
The winding system 1 according to the present invention is particularly
useful for winding a rolling door assembly 3 having an overhead shaft 5
mounted
about a fixed structure 7 and rotatable thereabout along opposite first and
second
directions, corresponding respectively to a raising and a lowering of the door
9.
The rolling door assembly 3 generally further comprises a drum (not shown)
mounted about the overhead shaft 5 and a door curtain 9 foldable about the
drum
and unfoldable from the same via rotation of the drum. The rolling door
assembly 3
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preferably also comprise a counterbalancing spring 11 operatively connected
between corresponding parts of the assembly 3 for counterbalancing the same.
In
the case of a "live shaft" rolling door assembly 3 for example, the
counterbalancing
spring 11 is operatively connected between the overhead shaft 5 (or drum for
example) and a fixed structure 7 of the assembly 3 for counterbalancing the
rolling
door assembly 3. It is worth mentioning that, instead of using a
counterbalancing
spring 11, the rolling door assembly 3 according to the present invention may
be
counterbalanced by other suitable means, such as counterweights for example,
as
apparent to a person skilled in the art.
According to the present invention, and as better shown in Figures 1-5,
the winding system I comprises a support bracket 13, and first and second
gears
15,17. Preferably, the first and second gears 15,17 are part of a worm gear
assembly, although other suitable gear assemblies, such as a spur gear
assembly,
a bevel gear assembly, a rack-and-pinion gear assembly, a planetary gear
assembly, and the like, for example, may be used according to the present
invention, provided the first and second gears 15,17 are meshed with one
another
so that displacement (e.g. rotation) of one is transmitted to the other, and
vice
versa, the first gear 15 being operatively connected to an end 19 of the
counterbalancing spring 11 of the assembly 3, and the second gear 17 being
used
for winding or "counterbalancing" the spring 11, and thus the assembly 3, via
the
first gear 15, as can be easily understood by a person skilled in the art.
Preferably, the support bracket 13 is rigidly connected to the fixed
structure 7, such a wall for example, by means of suitable fasteners 21, as
better
shown in Figure 6. The fasteners 21 may consist of a bolt combined with other
suitable complementary pieces, such as a nut, a washer, a spacer, and/or the
like,
as exemplified in Figure 6 and as apparent to a person skilled in the art. In
such a
case, the support bracket 13 of the winding system 1 preferably acts as a wall
bracket 13 for the rolling door assembly 3, as is known in the art. The
support
bracket 13 according to the present invention is preferably devised to have
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receiving means 23 for receiving the first gear 15 and supporting means 25 for
supporting the second gear 17.
Indeed, as can be easily understood when referring to Figure 4, the first
5 gear 15 is pivotally mounted about the receiving means 23 of the support
bracket
13 and rotatable thereabout along opposite first and second directions of
rotation.
Similarly, the second gear 17 is pivotally mounted about the supporting means
25
of the support bracket 13, and is rotatable thereabout along opposite first
and
second directions of rotation. According to the present invention, and as
10 aforementioned, the second gear 17 is operatively connected to the second
end
19 of the counterbalancing spring 11 and is also threadedly engaged with the
first
gear 15 such that, a rotation of said first gear 15 along one of its first and
second
directions of rotation causes the second gear 17 to rotate along a
corresponding
one of its first and second directions of rotation, thereby resulting in a
corresponding winding of the counterbalancing spring 11 of the rolling door
assembly 3.
As better shown in Figure 4, the receiving means 23 preferably
comprise a hub 27 projecting from the support plate. The hub 27 preferably has
a
cone-like shape and is preferably made integral to the support bracket 13, via
a
suitable process, such as extrusion for example, as apparent to a person
skilled in
the art. Preferably also, the first gear 15 is pivotally mounted about said
hub 27,
and a portion of the overhead shaft 5 extends through the first gear 15 and
the hub
27, as better shown in Figure 7. Consequently, the first gear 15 preferably
has an
orifice 29, as better shown in Figure 4, through which extends the overhead
shaft
5 and for mounting the first gear 15 onto the hub 27 of the support bracket
13.
Preferably also, the winding system I comprises at least one spacer 31
projecting
from the support bracket 13, each spacer 31 being positioned adjacent about
the
hub 27 for abutting with the first gear 15 and delimiting positioning of the
same
from the support bracket 13, that is, maintaining the first gear 15 at a given
distance from the support bracket 13. The hub 27 also preferably comprises at
least one longitudinal strip 33 being foldable against the first gear 15 for
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maintaining the same secured against the spacer(s) 31, as better shown in
Figures 4-8. The combination of spacer(s) 31 and strip(s) 33 are namely
devised
also to properly position the first gear 15 with respect to the second gear 17
mounted about the supporting means 25 of the support bracket 13, as apparent
to
a person skilled in the art.
As better shown in Figure 4, the supporting means 25 comprise at least
one supporting arm 35, preferably a pair of supporting arms 35, projecting
from the
support bracket 13, and the second gear 17 is preferably pivotally mounted
about
the supporting arm(s) 35. The supporting arms 35 are preferably adapted to be
at
an angle with respect to the support bracket 13, as better shown in Figure 3,
in
order to allow an optimal interaction between the gears 15,17, as apparent to
a
person skilled in the art. The angle between gears 15,17 is preferable
selected to
reduce friction on the system and allow a suitable force transmittal, as also
apparent to a person skilled in the art.
The supporting means 25 also preferably comprise a cap 37 having a
portion removably mountable onto the supporting arms 35 and another portion
removably securable onto the support bracket 13. As better shown in Figure 4,
the
cap 37 is preferably L-shaped, having a first portion provided with a pair of
holes
39 for hooking onto corresponding hooks 41 of the pair of supporting arms 35
and
a second portion provided with a fastening flange 43 for removably fastening
or
securing onto the support bracket 13, via suitable fasteners, such as screws,
rivets, and the like, for example. It is worth mentioning that although in
principle a
single supporting arm 35, or other suitable supporting structure, may be used
for
supporting the second gear 17 and enabling it to move (e.g. rotate) with
respect to
the fixed structure 7 , at least two supporting arms 35 and a corresponding
cap 37
are preferably used for providing the supporting means 25 of the winding
system 1
with greater structural rigidity and for assuring proper positioning of the
second
gear 17, among other advantages, as apparent to a person skilled in the art.
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Preferably also, the winding system 1 comprises a plug 45 pivotally
mounted about the overhead shaft 5, the plug 45 being used namely to
operatively
connect the second end 19 of the counterbalancing spring 11 to the first gear
15.
The plug 45 preferably comprises a flange 47 operatively connected to the
second
end 19 of the counterbalancing spring 11 and connecting means 49 for removably
connecting the plug 45 onto the first gear 15. The flange 47 of the plug 45 is
preferably in abutment with the second end 19 of the counterbalancing spring
11,
as shown in Figure 1, or in abutment with a hooked portion of the second end
19
of the counterbalancing spring 11, as shown in Figure 7. The connecting means
49 of the plug 45 preferably include at least one tongue 51 removably
insertable
into at least one corresponding slot 53 provided on the first gear 15. Each
tongue
51 preferably comprise at least one slit 55 for engaging with the at least one
corresponding slot 53 of the first gear 15. According to the embodiments shown
in
the accompanying drawings, the plug 45 preferably comprises a pair of tongues
51 removably insertable into a corresponding pair of slots 53 provided on the
first
gear 15, and each tongue 51 preferably comprise a pair of slits 55 for
engaging
with a corresponding slot 53 of the first gear 15.
As a protective measure, the winding system 1 preferably comprises a
safety device 57 for maintaining the rolling door assembly 3 in a stable and
fixed
configuration, upon proper winding thereof, so as to not have to rely entirely
on the
worm gear assembly (e.g. first and second gears 15,17) of the winding system
1.
Indeed, as better shown in Figures 6-9, the winding system 1 may
comprise a safety device 57 pivotally mounted about the support bracket 13 and
positioned adjacent to the first gear 15, the safety device 57 having a pawl
arm 59
removably insertable between a pair of adjacent teeth 61 of the first gear 15,
said
safety device 57 being operable between a first position where the pawl arm 59
is
inserted into a pair of adjacent teeth 61 of the first gear 15 so as to
prevent a
rotation thereof, and a second position where the pawl arm 59 is away from the
first gear 15 and allows the same to rotate.
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Preferably, the safety device 57 further comprises a tab 63 extending
from the pawl arm 59, said tab 63 being shaped and sized so as to cover access
to the second gear 17 when the safety device 57 is in the first position, as
better
shown in Figure 6, and so as to operate the safety device 57 in the second
position when said tab 63 is drawn away from said access to the second gear
17,
as shown in Figures 7-9.
Preferably also, the winding system I comprises biasing means 65 for
biasing the safety device 57 into the first position, and the biasing means 65
preferably comprise a spring 67 operatively connected between the pawl arm 59
and the support bracket 13, as better shown in Figure 8.
As can be easily understood when contrasting Figures 6 and 7-9, and
as aforementioned, the safety device 57 is preferably operable between first
and
second positions ("locked" and "unlocked" positions respectively). The first
position
corresponds to the configuration where the hook-shaped pawl arm 59 of the
safety
device 57 is interlocked with the teeth 61 of the first gear 15, as better
shown in
Figure 6, and the second position corresponds to the configuration where said
hook-shaped pawl arm 59 is drawn away from the first gear 15 enabling the same
to rotate about the receiving means 23 of the support bracket 13, as better
shown
in Figures 7-9. Preferably, the safety device 57 is actuated between the two
above-mentioned positions by means of its flange-like tab 63. That is, in
order to
actuate the safety device 57 into the second position, one must simply pull on
the
tab 63 of the safety device 57, as can be understood when referring to Figures
6-
9.
Referring now back to Figure 6, one can understand that during normal
operation of the winding system 1, the support bracket 13 thereof is
preferably
bolted onto a wall, and the shaft 5 of the garage door assembly 3 which
supports
the door 9, is preferably slid into the bracket 13 through the receiving means
23
thereof. A torsional spring 11 is also provided and preferably mounted onto
the
shaft 5 and operatively interconnected between the door assembly 3 and the
fixed
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structure 7 though appropriate connecting means, such as a plug 45 for
example,
for counterbalancing the door weight when the door 9 is opened or closed. When
the door 9, spring 11, plug 45, first and second gears 15,17 are operatively
connected to one another, as apparent to a person skilled in the art in view
of what
is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, then the installer or the user of
the
present winding system 1 may wind and/or unwind the door assembly 3 by
operating the worm assembly, and more particularly by operating the second
gear
17. Typically, a suitable tool 69, such as an allen key for example, is
inserted into
a corresponding socket 71 of second gear 17, as better shown in Figures 4 and
9,
in order to "screw" or "unscrew" (i.e. rotate, displace, etc.) the second gear
17 and
thus drive the first gear 15 of the winding system 1, and consequently provide
the
torsional spring 11 of the winding system 1 with a desired tension. When this
predetermined tension is attained, the worm assembly is preferably locked into
position. As known in the art, the worm assembly, by virtue of its design, may
be
inadvertently tappered with, which could in turn result in an unwanted
rotation of
the gears 15,17 (e.g. free rotation thereof) and thus an undesirable raising
or
lowering of the garage door 9, or an inadequate counterbalancing of the
assembly
3. To prevent these adverse consequences, a safety device 57 according to the
present invention is provided on the support bracket 13 of the winding system
1,
so that if one wants to access the worm assembly, the safety tab 63 must be
pulled, this movement giving access to the worm assembly and to the socket 71
of
the second gear 17, as better shown in Figures 7-9. Indeed, when in the first
position, the safety device 57 not only blocks the first gear 15 by means of
its
hook-shaped pawl arm 59, but also provides a shield against the entry into the
socket 71 of the second gear 17 by virtue of its tab 63, as better shown in
Figure
6. When in the second position, the first gear 15 is released by the pawl arm
59
and access to the socket 71 of the worm assembly (i.e. second gear 17) is
provided because the flange-like safety tab 63 is removed therefrom, enabling
to
operate the worm assembly so as to wind and/or unwind the torsional spring 11.
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As can be easily understood, although the safety device 57 of the
winding system 1 is not an essential feature thereof, it nevertheless provides
the
same with substantial advantages, as discussed above.
5 It is to be understood that several modifications could be made to the
present winding system 1 according to the present invention without departing
from the scope of the present invention. Indeed, as aforementioned, the
biasing
means 65 are operatively connected between the support bracket 13 and the
safety device 57 so as to exert a biasing force for urging the pawl arm 59 of
the
10 safety device 57 into the first gear 15. The biasing means 65 preferably
comprise
a loaded spring member 67, capable of storing potential energy via deformation
so
as to provide a potential force, the spring member 67 having a first end
operatively
connected to the support bracket 13 and a second end operatively connected to
the safety device 57. It is worth mentioning however that other suitable
biasing
15 means 65 which do not use potential energy for providing a biasing force
may be
used according to the present invention, so long as these biasing means 65 are
capable of biasing the pawl arm 59 of the safety device 57 in a suitable way
towards the first gear 15 in the manner discussed above, as apparent to a
person
skilled in the art.
Moreover, it is worth mentioning that the biasing means 65 may have
other suitable dispositions on the winding system 1 so as to ensure a
corresponding biasing force on the pawl arm 59 of the safety device 57 towards
the first gear 15. It is also worth mentioning that, according to the present
invention, the spring member 67 is not absolutely necessary for proper
operation
of the winding system 1. Indeed, the biasing means 65 may simply consist of
the
effect of gravity acting on the safety device 57, in which case, the pawl arm
59 and
tab 63 would be positioned, shaped, and sized onto the support bracket 13 so
that,
by virtue of the effect of gravity acting thereon, as apparent to a person
skilled in
the art, it would cause the safety device 57 to be in the first position, that
is, to
have namely the pawl arm 59 to be engaged with the first gear 15, said pawl
arm
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59 being releasable from the first gear 15 preferably by using the tab 63 as a
lever
arm, as described above.
It is worth mentioning also though that, according to the present
invention, the safety device 57 may be disposed otherwise on support bracket
13
and/or on other parts of the winding system 1, as briefly described
hereinabove
and as apparent to a person skilled in the art.
The winding system 1 and corresponding parts (hub 27, plug 45,
spacers 31, strips 33, supporting arms 35, cap 37, a flange 43, tongues 51,
slits
55, safety device 57 and corresponding pawl arm 59, tab 63, spring 67, etc.)
are
preferably made of substantially rigid materials, such as metallic materials
(steel,
etc.), hardened polymers, composite materials, and/or the like, so as to
ensure a
proper operation thereof depending on the particular applications for which
the
winding system 1 is intended and the different parameters in cause
(counterbalancing force in the spring 11, weight of the door 9, number of
cycles,
etc.), as apparent to a person skilled in the art.
It is to be understood that other modifications could be made to the
present winding system I according to the present invention without departing
from the scope of the present invention. Indeed, as aforementioned, the safety
device 57 may be shaped, positioned, and sized in such a way that the effect
of
gravity will act to replace the biasing force of the spring member 67.
Moreover, the
end 19 of the counterbalancing spring 11 may be operatively connected directly
onto the first gear 15 instead of using a plug 45. Moreover, instead of being
mounted onto a hub 27, the first gear 15 could be mounted onto a corresponding
orifice of the support bracket 13, as apparent to a person skilled in the art.
Moreover, the winding system 1 may comprise a bearing 73 operatively
positioned
between the hub 27 (or orifice) of the support bracket 13 and the overhead
shaft 5
and/or a bearing 73 operatively positioned between the plug 45 and the
overhead
shaft 5, as shown in Figure 4, said bearing(s) 73 being used for facilitating
relative
displacement and reducing noise between neighboring parts. Furthermore, as
CA 02426068 2003-04-22
17
aforementioned, the end 19 of the counterbalancing spring 11 may be
operatively
connected to the first gear 15, and thus, although advantageous for operation
and
assembling reasons namely, the plug 45 of the winding system 1, is not an
essential component thereof. Moreover, the winding system 1 may be provided
with a ratchet system cooperating with the overhead shaft 5 and/or the first
gear
for preventing the same from being rotate along a given direction of rotation.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a rolling door assembly 3 provided with the above-mentioned winding system 1.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also
provided a kit comprising some or several of the preferred components
constituting the winding system 1 according to the present invention, as
exemplified in Figures 4 and 7, so that a user may employ these components and
assemble them so as to obtain a winding system 1 having the structural
components and displaying the features described hereinabove.
As may now be better appreciated, the present invention is a
substantial improvement and presents several advantages over devices and/or
methods known on the prior art. Indeed, the present invention may be used in
the
garage door industry, with new door assemblies or existing door assemblies. In
such cases, the present invention is devised to adjustably and precisely wind
a
rolling door assembly 3 without the use of a winding bar as in the case with
conventional winding systems, thus preventing the occurrence of significant
damages to property and/or serious personal injuries to people. The present
invention is a compact, reliable, easy to use, easy to maintain, and cost
effective
system 1 for winding rolling door assemblies 3. Moreover, the present winding
system 1 provides an easier and safer way of winding rolling door assemblies 3
than what is possible with the devices and/or methods available in the prior
art.
Furthermore, the present invention may be used with other kinds of door
assemblies 3, such as fire doors 9 and/or shutters for example, or with any
other
CA 02426068 2003-04-22
18
items provided with a shaft 5 requiring to be properly adjusted, rotation-
wise, as
aforementioned and as apparent to a person skilled in the art.
As may now be appreciated, the present invention is also a substantial
improvement over the prior art in that by virtue of its safety device 57, it
enables
several advantages. Firstly, because the safety device 57 is biased against
the
first gear 15 in its first position (locked position), it enables to lock the
gear in place
in case of sliding between the worm gear assembly (i.e. first and second gears
15,17), thus provided with an added safety feature. Furthermore, by virtue of
its
design and components, namely its shielding tab 63, the safety device 57
enables
to block the access to the worm assembly and assures that nobody may
inadvertently wind and/or unwind the assembly 3 without previously disengaging
the safety device 57 of the winding system 1. Hence, in view of the above, it
may
now be appreciated that the present invention represents an important
advantage
over previous winding systems known in the prior art, namely in terms of
safety
and improved precision and facility of winding.
Of course, numerous modifications could be made to the above-
described embodiments without departing the scope of the invention, as defined
in
the appended claims.
