ROLLER DOOR ASSEMBLY - Patent 4033066

(19)

(11)

EP 4 033 066 A1

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43)	Date of publication:
	27.07.2022 Bulletin 2022/30

(21)	Application number: 22151786.5

(22)	Date of filing: 17.01.2022

(51)

International Patent Classification (IPC):

E06B 9/88^(2006.01)

E06B 9/68^(2006.01)

(52)	Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC):
	E06B 9/88; E06B 2009/6854; E06B 9/68

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR
	Designated Extension States:
	BA ME
	Designated Validation States:
	KH MA MD TN

(30)

Priority:

20.01.2021 GB 202100747

(71)	Applicant: Tilt-a-Dor Limited
	County Down BT23 4YH (GB)

(72)	Inventor:
	McGrogan, Emmet Newtownards, BT23 4YH (GB)

(74)	Representative: MacLachlan & Donaldson
	Unit 10, 4075 Kingswood Road Citywest Business Campus Dublin D24 C56E Dublin D24 C56E (IE)

(54)	ROLLER DOOR ASSEMBLY

(57) A roller door assembly (1)comprising a door (3) comprising a plurality of vertically-stacked and connected laths (5), a shaft (7) adapted for connection to a support for the roller door assembly, a first drum wheel (9) having a rim and a hub, the hub positioned on the shaft towards a first end thereof, a second drum wheel (11) having a rim and a hub, the hub positioned on the shaft towards a second end thereof, a first torsion spring (15) mounted around a portion of the shaft which provides a torque opposing moving of the door and a second torsion spring (17) mounted around a portion of the shaft which provides a torque opposing moving of the door, an open-ended barrel (19) positioned around and connected to the rims of the first and second drum wheels for wrapping of the laths of the door therearound, a door connector provided on the barrel and connected to a lath provided at a top end of the door, a driver (21) connected to the first drum wheel comprising a driver motor which provides a torque to rotate the first drum wheel about the shaft to move the door, and a driver controller connected to the driver and comprising a processor configured to send signals to the driver to move the door from an open position to a closed position and to move the door from a closed position to an open position, receive a plurality of driver motor torque signals used to move the door and compare the received driver motor torque signals with expected driver motor torque signals, wherein when an obstruction to closing of the door is encountered, the torque of the torsion springs opposing moving of the door increases, causing the driver motor torque to increase and the received driver motor torque signals to exceed the expected driver motor signals, and the driver controller sends a signal to the driver motor to cease rotation of the first drum wheel and moving of the door.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a roller door assembly, in particular to a spring-balanced roller door assembly.

Background to the Invention

[0002] Roller-type closures, such as roller door assemblies, come in an assortment of shapes, sizes, finishes and styles, and can be manual or motorised. Typical materials used for the closures include timber, galvanised steel, polyester powder coated aluminium, composite insulated metal garage doors filled with foam insulation, and glass reinforced polyester, in a lathed construction.

[0003] Residential, motorised, roller garage door assemblies typically have an anti-drop device installed to ensure that in the event of motor failure, the door does not fall as the device catches and stops it. However, such anti-drop devices can be unreliable and often fail to secure the door within the 300mm standard required. Some installers have also been known to remove the anti-drop device from the product during installation. This creates a grey area as to with who responsibility lies in the event of door failure. Further issues have been encountered with the requirement for these types of doors to be able to detect and react to obstructions to the opening of the door.

[0004] Roller garage door assemblies and other roller-type closures, such as commercial security shutters on shopfronts or vehicles, are often not insulated. Further problems arise with wear on the surface of laths of roller door assemblies due to these rubbing over each other when the door is opened and closed. Also, to provide a seal at the top of a roller door assemblies, the top lath is often forced against the support structure to minimise the gap between these and this causes wear of the lath.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a roller door assembly which alleviates the above disadvantages and/or provides a suitable alternative.

Summary of the Invention

[0006] A roller door assembly comprising:

a door comprising a plurality of vertically-stacked and connected laths,

a shaft adapted for connection to a support for the roller door assembly,

a first drum wheel having a rim and a hub, the hub positioned on the shaft towards a first end thereof,

a second drum wheel having a rim and a hub, the hub positioned on the shaft towards a second end thereof,

a first torsion spring mounted around a portion of the shaft which provides a torque opposing moving of the door and a second torsion spring mounted around a portion of the shaft which provides a torque opposing moving of the door,

an open-ended barrel positioned around and connected to the rims of the first and second drum wheels for wrapping of the laths of the door therearound,

a door connector provided on the barrel and connected to a lath provided at a top end of the door,

a driver connected to the first drum wheel comprising a driver motor which provides a torque to rotate the first drum wheel about the shaft to move the door, and

a driver controller connected to the driver and comprising a processor configured to:

send signals to the driver to move the door from an open position to a closed position and to move the door from a closed position to an open position,

receive a plurality of driver motor torque signals used to move the door and compare the received driver motor torque signals with expected driver motor torque signals,

wherein when an obstruction to closing of the door is encountered, the torque of the torsion springs opposing moving of the door increases, causing the driver motor torque to increase and the received driver motor torque signals to exceed the expected driver motor signals, and the driver controller sends a signal to the driver motor to cease rotation of the first drum wheel and moving of the door.

[0007] When an obstruction to closing of the door is encountered, the driver controller preferably sends a signal to the driver motor to cease rotation of the first drum wheel and moving of the door within 0.75 seconds.

[0008] The driver controller may further send a signal to the driver motor to cause rotation of the first drum wheel in a direction to move the door away from the obstruction. The driver controller preferably sends the signal to the driver motor to cause rotation of the first drum wheel in a direction to move the door away from the obstruction within 5 seconds.

[0009] When the door encounters an obstruction to closing of the door, the weight of the door changes due to the obstruction taking some of the weight of the door. As the torsion springs are set to oppose the normal weight of the door, the obstruction has the effect of increasing the torque of the torsion springs. This, in turn, increases the torque required by the driver motor to close the door and enables the driver controller to detect the obstruction.

[0010] By providing a torque opposing moving of the door, the torsion springs will act as a fall-arrest system to prevent the door from free falling to the ground. By providing a torque opposing moving of the door, the torsion springs resists the driver motor opening and closing of the door. The driver motor must overcome the torque of the torsion springs to open and close the door.

[0011] When an obstruction to opening of the door is encountered, the torsion spring torque opposing moving of the door increases, causing the driver motor torque to increase and the received driver motor torque signals to exceed the expected driver motor signals, and the driver controller may send a signal to the driver motor to cease rotation of the first drum wheel and moving of the door.

[0012] When an obstruction to opening of the door is encountered, the driver controller preferably sends a signal to the driver motor to cease rotation of the first drum wheel and moving of the door within 0.75 seconds.

[0013] The driver controller may further send a signal to the driver motor to cause rotation of the first drum wheel in a direction to move the door away from the obstruction. The driver controller preferably sends the signal to the driver motor to cause rotation of the first drum wheel in a direction to move the door away from the obstruction within 5 seconds.

[0014] The expected driver motor torque signals may be generated during testing of the roller door assembly and stored in a memory device of the driver controller. The expected driver motor torque signals may comprise received driver motor torque signals generated during at least one previous closing and opening of the door and stored in a memory device of the driver controller.

[0015] The first torsion spring may comprise a first end connected to the first drum wheel and a second end connected to the shaft, such that rotation of the first drum wheel changes the torque of the spring. The second torsion spring may comprise a first end connected to the second drum wheel and a second end connected to the shaft, such that rotation of the second drum wheel changes the torque of the spring.

[0016] Each torsion spring may have a spring constant which provides a torque opposing opening of the door comprising a torque opposing weight of the door plus a torque opposing a balance factor. The balance factor may comprise a force of approximately 50N. The balance factor is used so that the door will not open on the application of a slight, inadvertent, force. The balance factor is chosen to be a force that a person would be able to apply to open the door.

[0017] Each torsion spring may have a spring constant which matches a torque moment of the drum wheels. Each torsion spring may have a spring constant which matches a linear torque moment per degree of turn of the drum wheels.

[0018] The door may comprise a plurality of connectors minimising separation of adjacent laths and increasing transmission of force from the door to the driver motor. On encountering an obstacle to movement of the door, the plurality of connectors may cause the torque of the driver motor to further increase and the received driver motor torque signals to further exceed the expected driver motor torque signals. This improves reliability and performance of detection of an obstruction to closing or opening of the door.

[0019] The plurality of connectors may be provided across adjacent laths of the door to minimise separation of adjacent laths. The plurality of connectors may comprise a first strip of connectors provided towards a first side of the door and extending from a top edge to a bottom edge of the door and a second strip of connectors provided towards a second side of the door and extending from the top edge to the bottom edge of the door. The plurality of connectors may comprise a bendable material which allows the laths to wrap around the barrel. The bendable material may be a braided material, such as a nylon braided material.

[0020] The plurality of connectors may allow some separation of adjacent laths when the laths are wrapped around the barrel. This reduces rub between the laths, helping to maintain the exterior finish of the laths.

[0021] The door may comprise laths having outer and inner walls and an insulating core between the walls.

[0022] The driver may comprise gears and limit switches to set the rotation of the first drum wheel to 360 degrees per 5 turns of the driver motor. The limit switches may comprise a limit switch for opening of the door and a limit switch for closing of the door. The driver motor may comprise a 24V DC motor.

[0023] The driver motor may comprise an emergency release handle which disengages the motor from the first drum wheel. This allows manual operation of the door. The springs balance the weight of the door. In the event of power failure, the driver or driver motor failing, the springs act as a fall arrest system to prevent the door from free falling to the ground.

[0024] The roller door assembly may comprise a third drum wheel having a rim and a hub, the hub positioned on the shaft at an approximate mid-point of the shaft. The torque moment of the drum wheels may be a linear variable per degree of turn. The drum wheels may comprise a rim having a step. The step allows subsequent wraps of the laths of the door to pass smoothly over previous wraps of the laths.

[0025] The barrel may be formed from a sheet curved around the drum wheels and joined along opposing ends of the sheet. The diameter of the barrel may be chosen to reduce wear of the laths of the door during wrapping and unwrapping around the barrel.

[0026] The door connector may be elongate and provided along a length of the barrel. The door connector may comprise an elongate lip joined to the barrel along the length of the barrel. The elongate lip may be joined to the barrel on formation of the barrel by insertion and compression of the lip between opposing ends of the barrel sheet. The door connector may comprise an elongate female joint. The lath provided at the top end of the door may comprise an elongate male joint which connects with the elongate female joint of the door connector. The door connector may comprise an elongate U-shaped body connected between the elongate lip and the elongate female joint. The elongate U-shaped body may be connected to the drum wheels.

[0027] The roller door assembly may comprise a first seal system provided at the top end of the door. The seal system may comprise a plurality of seal fittings holding an elongate seal. The seal fittings may comprise a spine, a first fastener protruding substantially perpendicularly from one end of the spine and a second fastener protruding substantially perpendicularly from an approximate mid-point of the spine to form a clasp for the elongate seal. The spines of the plurality of seal fittings may be attached to a plurality of positions of a lath provided at the top end of the door. This allows for height adjustment of the seal system. The spines may be curved to fit with an outer curve of the lath. The elongate seal may be a collapsible seal. The collapsible seal may comprise a memory material capable of regaining shape after collapsing under compression. When the door is opened and the laths wrap around the barrel, the elongate seal is compressed by overlapping laths. When the door is closed, the elongate seal regains its shape and closes any gap between the door and its surround.

[0028] The roller door assembly may comprise a second seal system provided at a bottom end of the door. The second seal system may be elongate and be connected along a length of a lath provided at the bottom end of the door. The second seal system may comprise an elongate body portion, an elongate hook-shaped joint protruding from a first end of the body and an elongate arcuate fitting attached to a second end of the body. The elongate hook-shaped joint may be received in an elongate recess of the lath provided at the bottom end of the door for connection of the second seal system to the door. On closure of the door, the elongate arcuate fitting may abut a surround of the door. The second seal may comprise a flexible material, such as an ethylene propylene diene monomer material. On closure of the door, the elongate arcuate fitting may flex to a provide a substantially flat surface to abut a surround of the door.

[0029] The roller door assembly may further comprise a first elongate guide rail located, in use, along a first side edge of the door and a second elongate guide rail located, in use, along a second side edge of the door. The elongate guide rails may have a substantially U-shaped cross section and surround the side edges of the door to guide the door when opening and closing.

[0030] The roller door assembly may comprise a guide roller located proximate to a junction formed by the top end of the door and the first side of the door, to guide laths of the door into the first guide rail. The guide roller may be attached to a bracket of the assembly used to attach the assembly to a surround. The guide roller may comprise a cylindrical body and a winged edge at one end of the body. As the door closes and the laths of the door unwrap from the barrel, the laths pass over the guide roller and are fed into the first guide rail. The winged edge helps to guide the laths into the guide rail without them becoming misaligned.

[0031] The roller door assembly may comprise a lock provided in a lock lath of the door. The lock may comprise a lock face plate, a lock mechanism and an elongate lock bar which extends across the lock lath to locks inside the first and second guide rails. The lock lath may comprise an extruded shape designed for mounting of the lock therein. The lock lath may comprise a flat exterior side for attachment to the lock front plate allowing this to sit correctly to maintain a water tight seal. The lock lath extruded shape may reduce the protrusion of the lock, necessary for minimising the distance needed between the lock lath and a surround when opening the door and prevents damaging of the door by the lock. The lock lath extruded shape may comprise a chamber to guide the lock bar into position.

Brief Description of the drawings

[0032] A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a rear view of a roller door assembly according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows a side view of a drum wheel of the assembly of Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a cross sectional view of a door connector of the assembly of Figure 1;

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a driver of the assembly of Figure 1;

Figure 5 shows a cross sectional view of a lath of a door of the assembly of Figure 1;

Figure 6 shows a cross sectional view of a first seal system of the assembly of Figure 1, and

Figure 7 shows a cross sectional view of a second seal system of the assembly of Figure 1.

Detailed Description

[0033] An embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings, where like reference numeral represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views.

[0034] Referring to Figure 1, the roller door assembly 1 comprises a door 3 comprising a plurality of vertically-stacked connected laths 5, a shaft 7, a first drum wheel 9, a second drum wheel 11, a third drum wheel 13, a first torsion spring 15, a second torsion spring 17, an open-ended barrel 19, a door connector (not shown), a driver 21, a driver controller (not shown), a first bracket 23 and a second bracket (not shown).

[0035] The first bracket 23 and the second bracket of the roller door assembly 1 are attached to a surround, such as a surround of an opening in a garage or a surround of an opening of a vehicle to provide a door for the opening in the garage or vehicle. The brackets are preferably laser cut from 3mm galvanised steel, but standard steel and powder coating can also be used for the brackets.

[0036] The shaft 7 is attached to the brackets, for example, using U-shaped clamps and saddles. The shaft 7 supports the roller door assembly 1 in the opening.

[0037] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2, the first, second and third drum wheels 9, 11, 13 each have a rim 31 and a hub 33. The hub 33 of the first drum wheel 9 is positioned on the shaft 7 towards a first end thereof, the hub 33 of the second drum wheel 11 is positioned on the shaft 7 towards a second end thereof and the hub 33 of the third drum wheel 13 is positioned on the shaft 7 at an approximate mid-point of the shaft 7. In operation of the roller door assembly 1, each of the drum wheels 9, 11, 13 rotate about the shaft 7 and the torque moment of the drum wheels 9, 11, 13 is a linear variable per degree of turn. The drum wheels 9, 11, 13 each comprise a step 35 provided in the rim 31, of a depth of approximately 15mm. The steps 35 allow subsequent wraps of the laths 5 of the door 3 to pass smoothly over previous wraps of the laths 5. The first and second drum wheels 9, 11 each comprise a fixing point 37 for the first and second torsion springs 15, 17. The drum wheels 9, 11, 13 are preferably manufactured from pressed steel, particularly from 1.2mm galvanised steel. Each drum wheel 9, 11, 13 comprises a hub liner 39 manufactured from plastic. The liner allows for reduced maintenance of the drum wheels.

[0038] Referring to Figure 1, the first torsion spring 15 is located about a portion of the shaft 7 and has a first end connected to the first drum wheel 9 and has a second end connected to the shaft 7. The second torsion spring 17 is located about a portion of the shaft 7 and has a first end connected to the second drum wheel 11 and has a second end connected to the shaft 7. The first ends of the first and second torsion springs 15, 17 are preferably connected to the first and second drum wheels 9, 11 using a plurality of bolts (not shown). The second ends of the first and second torsion springs 15, 17 are preferably connected to the shaft 7 using spring clamps (not shown). The first and second torsion springs 15, 17 have a spring constant which matches the linear torque moment per degree of turn of the first and second drum wheels 9, 11.

[0039] Each torsion spring 15, 17 has a spring constant which provides a torque opposing opening of the door 3 comprising a torque opposing weight of the door plus a torque opposing a balance factor. The balance factor may comprise a force of approximately 50N. The balance factor is used so that the door 3 will not open on the application of a slight, inadvertent, force. The balance factor is chosen to be a force that a person would be able to apply to open the door 3.

[0040] The open-ended barrel 19 is positioned around and connected to the rims of the first, second and third drum wheels 9, 11, 13. The barrel 19 is formed from a sheet curved around the drum wheels 9, 11, 13 and joined along opposing ends of the sheet. The sheet is preferably a 0.5 mm sheet of steel. Joining the whole way along the length of the opposing ends of the sheet provides rigidity to the barrel 19 and reduces twisting of the barrel 19 when the door 3 meets an obstruction which is off-centre with respect to the door 3. On opening and closing of the door 3, the laths 5 of the door wrap around and unwrap from the barrel 19. The diameter of the barrel 19 is chosen to reduce wear of the laths 5 of the door 3 during wrapping and unwrapping. This increases the life span of the laths 5 of the door 3.

[0041] The door connector of the roller door assembly 1 is provided on the barrel 19 and is connected to a lath 5 provided at a top end of the door 3. The door connector is elongate and provided along a length of the barrel 19. Referring to Figure 3, the door connector 41 comprises an elongate lip 43 which is used to join the door connector 41 to the barrel 19 along the length of the barrel 19. The elongate lip 43 is preferably joined to the barrel 19 on formation of the barrel 19 by insertion and compression of the lip 43 between the opposing ends of the barrel sheet. The door connector 41 further comprises an elongate female joint 45 which is used to connect along a length of the lath 5 provided at the top end of the door 3. The lath 5 provided at the top end of the door 3 comprises an elongate male joint (not shown) which connects with the elongate female joint 45 of the door connector 41. The door connector 41 comprises an elongate U-shaped body 47 connected between the elongate lip 43 and the elongate female joint 45, which is connected to the drum wheels 9, 11, 13.

[0042] By being elongate and being attached along the length of the barrel 19 and along the length of door 3, the door connector 41 provides a solid connection between the barrel 19 and door 3. This also provides stability of the roller door assembly 1 if the door 3 hits an obstruction which is off centre with respect to the door 3, by minimising twist in the barrel 19. The door 3 will not twist up on one side before a reverse of the door 3 is triggered.

[0043] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 4, the driver 21 of the roller door assembly 1 is connected to the first drum wheel 9. The driver 21 comprises a driver motor (not shown) which provides a torque to rotate the first drum wheel 9 about the shaft 7. The driver 21 comprises gears and limit switches to set the rotation of the first drum wheel to 360 degrees per 5 turns of the driver motor. The limit switches may comprise a limit switch for opening of the door and a limit switch for closing of the door. The driver motor preferably comprises a 24V DC motor. The driver motor further comprises an emergency release handle (not shown) which disengages the motor from the drum wheel 9. This allows manual operation of the door 3, as may be necessary in a power cut or if the driver motor fails.

[0044] The driver controller (not shown) is connected to the driver 21 and is generally mounted to the support of the roller door assembly 1. For example, the driver controller may be mounted on a wall adjacent of the surround approximately 1500 mm from the ground.

[0045] Referring to Figures 1 and 5, the door 3 comprises laths 5 having an outer wall 51, an inner wall 53 and an insulating core 55 between the walls. The laths 5 are preferably manufactured from aluminium. The door 3 further comprises a plurality of connectors (not shown) which minimise separation of adjacent laths 5. The plurality of connectors are provided across adjacent laths 5 of the door 3 to minimise separation of adjacent laths 5. The plurality of connectors comprise a first strip of connectors provided towards a first side of the door 3 and extending from a top edge to a bottom edge of the door 3 and a second strip of connectors provided towards a second side of the door 3 and extending from the top edge to the bottom edge of the door 3. The plurality of connectors comprise a bendable material which allows the laths 5 to wrap around the barrel. The bendable material is a braided material, such as a nylon braided material, which is screwed and bonded to each lath 5 with the laths 5 pushed tightly together. The plurality of connectors allow some separation of adjacent laths 5 when the laths are 5 wrapped around the barrel 19. This reduces rub between the laths 5, helping to maintain the exterior finish of the laths 5.

[0046] Referring to Figure 1, the roller door assembly 1 further comprises a first elongate guide rail 61 located, in use, along a first side edge of the door 3 and a second elongate guide rail 63 located, in use, along a second side edge of the door 3. The elongate guide rails 61, 63 have a substantially U-shaped cross section and surround the side edges of the door 3 to guide the door 3 when opening and closing. The guide rails 61, 63 are attached to the surround of the roller door assembly 1 and also to the brackets used for attaching the roller door assembly 1 to the surround.

[0047] The roller door assembly 1 also comprises a guide roller (not shown) located proximate to a junction formed by the top of the door 3 and the first side of the door 3, to guide laths 5 of the door 3 into the first guide rail 61. The guide roller is attached to a bracket of the assembly 1. The guide roller comprises a cylindrical body and a winged edge at one end of the body. As the door 3 closes and the laths 5 of the door 3 unwrap from the barrel 19, the laths 5 pass over the guide roller and are fed into the first guide rail 61. The winged edge helps to guide the laths 5 into the guide rail 61 without them becoming misaligned.

[0048] Referring to Figure 6, the roller door assembly 1 comprises a first seal system 71. This is provided at the top end of the door 3 to seal between the top of the door 3 and the surround. This reduces draughts into the garage or vehicle accessed by the roller door assembly 1. The first seal system 71 comprises a plurality of seal fittings 73 holding an elongate seal 75. The seal fittings 73 are manufactured as aluminium extrusions. The seal fittings 73 each comprise a spine 77, a first fastener 79 protruding substantially perpendicularly from one end of the spine 77 and a second fastener 81 protruding substantially perpendicularly from an approximate mid-point of the spine 77 to form a clasp for the elongate seal 75. The distance between the fasteners 79, 81 of the clasp is set to allow mounting of the seal 75 therein. The fastener 81 is provided with small diameter half circles to increase friction and seal retention reducing the probability of the seal 75 being released from the clasp. The spines 77 of the plurality of seal fittings 73 are attached to a plurality of positions of a lath 5 provided at the top end of the door 3. The multiple connection positions allows for height adjustment of the seal system 71. The spines 77 are curved to fit with an outer curve of the lath 5.

[0049] The elongate seal 75 is a collapsible seal, comprising a memory material capable of regaining shape after collapsing under compression. When the door 3 is opened and the laths 5 wrap around the barrel 19, the elongate seal 75 is compressed by overlapping laths 5. When the door 3 is closed, the elongate seal 75 regains its shape and closes any gap between the door 3 and the surround.

[0050] Referring to Figure 7, the roller door assembly 1 further comprises a second seal system 85. This is provided at the bottom end of the door 3. The second seal system 85 is elongate and connected along a length of a lath 5 provided at the bottom end of the door 3. The second seal 85 comprises an elongate body portion 87, an elongate hook-shaped joint 89 protruding from a first end of the body 87 and an elongate arcuate fitting 91 attached to a second end of the body 87. The elongate hook-shaped joint 89 is received in an elongate recess of the lath 5 provided at the bottom end of the door 3 for connection of the second seal 85 to the door 3. On closure of the door 3, the elongate arcuate fitting 91 abuts the surround of the door 3. The second seal system 85 comprises a flexible material, such as an ethylene propylene diene monomer material. On closure of the door 3, the elongate arcuate fitting 91 flexes to a provide a substantially flat surface to abut the surround of the door 3.

[0051] The roller door assembly 1 comprises a lock (not shown) provided in a lock lath of the door 3. The lock comprises a lock face plate, a lock mechanism and an elongate lock bar which extends across the lock lath to locks inside the first and second guide rails 61, 63. The lock lath comprises an extruded shape designed specifically for mounting of the lock therein. The lock lath comprises a flat exterior side for attachment to the lock front plate allowing this to sit correctly to maintain a water tight seal. The lock lath extruded shape reduces the protrusion of the lock, necessary for minimising the distance needed between the lock lath and the surround when opening the door 3 and prevents damaging of the door 3 by the lock. The lock lath extruded shape comprises a chamber to guide the lock bar into position.

[0052] The driver controller is connected to the driver 21 and is capable of sending signals to and receiving signals from the driver. The driver controller comprises at least one processor which may run a set of software instructions to control and monitor the operation of the roller door assembly 1.

[0053] When the door 3 is to be opened, the driver controller sends a signal to the driver 21 to place the door 3 in an open position. This causes the driver motor of the driver 21 to provide torque to rotate the first drum wheel 9, and thereby the barrel 19 and the second and third drum wheels 11, 13, about the shaft 7 in a first direction. This, in turn, causes the laths 5 of the door 3 to move upwardly and wrap around the barrel 19. When the door 3 is to be closed, the driver controller sends a signal to the driver 21 to place the door 3 in a closed position. This causes the driver motor of the driver 21 to provide torque to rotate the first drum wheel 9 and thereby the barrel 19 and the second and third drum wheels 11, 13 about the shaft 7 in a second, opposite, direction. This, in turn, causes the laths 5 of the door 3 to unwrap from around the barrel 19 and move into a closed position.

[0054] During opening and closing of the door 3, the driver controller receives a plurality of driver motor torque signals used to move the door 3 and compares the received driver motor torque signals with expected driver motor torque signals. The expected driver motor torque signals may be generated during testing of the roller door assembly 1 and stored in a memory device of the driver controller. The expected driver motor torque signals may comprise received driver motor torque signals generated during at least one previous closing and opening of the door 3 and stored in a memory device of the driver controller.

[0055] At an open position of the door 3 and at a closed position of the door 3, the torque of the torsion springs 15, 17 opposes moving of the door. The driver motor must overcome the torque of the torsion springs 15, 17 to open and close the door. This provides protection against inadvertent closing and opening of the door 3.

[0056] When an obstruction to closing of the door 3 is encountered, the torque of the torsion springs 15, 17 opposing moving of the door 3 increases. This causes the required torque of the driver motor to increase and the received driver motor torque signals to exceed the expected driver motor signals. On detection of this, the driver controller sends a signal to the driver motor to cease rotation of the first drum wheel 9 and moving of the door 3, preferably within 0.75 seconds of encountering the obstruction. The driver controller may further send a signal to the driver motor to cause rotation of the first drum wheel 9 in a direction to move the door away from the obstruction, preferably within 5 seconds of encountering the obstruction.

[0057] When an obstruction to closing of the door 3 is encountered, the weight of the door 3 changes due to the obstruction taking some of the weight of the door 3. As the torsion springs 15, 17 are set to oppose the normal weight of the door 3, the obstruction has the effect of increasing the torque of the torsion springs 15, 17. This, in turn, increases the torque required by the driver motor to close the door 3 and enables the driver controller to detect the obstruction by detecting that the received driver motor torque signals exceed the expected driver motor signals.

[0058] When an obstruction to opening of the door 3 is encountered, the torque of the torsion springs 15, 17 opposing moving of the door 3 increases. This causes the required driver motor torque to increase and the received driver motor torque signals to exceed the expected driver motor signals. On detection of this, the driver controller sends a signal to the driver motor to cease rotation of the first drum wheel 9 and moving of the door 3, preferably within 0.75 seconds of encountering the obstruction. The driver controller may further send a signal to the driver motor to cause rotation of the first drum wheel 9 in a direction to move the door 3 away from the obstruction, preferably within 5 seconds of encountering the obstruction.

[0059] The plurality of connectors of the door 3 minimise separation of adjacent laths 5 of the door 3. This increases transmission of force from the door 3 to the driver motor. On encountering an obstacle, this causes the torque of the driver motor to further increase and the received driver motor torque signals to further exceed the expected driver motor torque signals. This improves reliability and performance of detection of an obstruction to closing of the door.

[0060] It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein which are given by way of example only and that various modifications and alterations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A roller door assembly comprising: