Lock mechanism for improved door panel seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10994752-B2
Application number	US-201716088978-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2017
Priority date	Apr 6, 2016
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

A door operator system for moving a door of a vehicle between open and closed positions includes a track defined in a base, the track having a curved portion at an end thereof; a drive bracket configured to suspend the door from the base, the drive bracket being slidably movable along the track between an open position and a closed position adjacent to the curved portion; a drive mechanism configured to cause movement of the drive bracket between the open and closed positions; and a locking system configured to retain the drive bracket in the closed position. When the drive bracket is in the closed position, the curved portion engages a cam follower of the locking system to retain the cam follower in a locked position that is over center with respect to a plane perpendicular to the track and a plane parallel to the track.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A door operator system comprising:
a base configured to be mounted on a vehicle above a door opening, the base comprising a first set of tracks defined therein, a first track of the first set of tracks having a curved portion at an end thereof;
a drive bracket slidably mounted on the first set of tracks of the base, the drive bracket being configured to suspend the door from the base, the drive bracket being slidably movable along the first set of tracks between a door open position and a door closed position adjacent to the curved portion of the first track;
a drive system disposed on the base, the drive system comprising:
a linear drive mechanism configured to be activated to cause movement of the drive bracket between the door open position and the door closed position; and
a linearly driven member connected to the linear drive mechanism to be driven by the linear drive mechanism in opposing directions along a second track of the first set of tracks, the linearly driven member being operably connected to the drive bracket; and

a locking system connecting the drive bracket to the linearly driven member and configured to retain the drive bracket in the door closed position, the locking system comprising:
a cam-follower drive arm pivotably connected to the linearly driven member at a first end of the cam-follower drive arm;
a track-engaging cam follower connected to a second end of the cam-follower drive arm, the track-engaging cam follower being movably disposed in the first track of the first set of tracks to be movable along the first track; and
a locking arm pivotably connected to the second end of the cam-follower drive arm, the locking arm being operatively connected to the drive bracket,

wherein when the drive bracket is in the door closed position, the curved portion of the first track of the first set of tracks engages the track-engaging cam follower such that the track-engaging cam follower is retained in a locked position that is over center with respect to a first over center plane perpendicular to the first set of tracks extending through a pivotal connection between the cam-follower drive arm and the linearly driven member and with respect to a second over center plane parallel to the first set of tracks extending along a surface of the first track of the first set of tracks.

2. The door operator system according to claim 1 , wherein the track-engaging cam follower comprises a roller engaging the first track of the first set of tracks.

3. The door operator system according to claim 1 , wherein the drive system further comprises a roller engaging the second track of the first set of tracks, the roller being connected to the cam-follower drive arm and the linearly driven member at the pivotal connection.

4. The door operator system according to claim 1 , wherein the locking system further comprises a spring positioned at an end of the curved portion of the first track of the first set of tracks, the spring being configured to engage the track-engaging cam follower when the drive bracket is in the door closed position to bias the track-engaging cam follower toward the curved portion and the locked position.

5. The door operator system according to claim 1 , wherein the locking system further comprises a track end bumper positioned proximate to the curved portion of the first track of the first set of tracks, the track end bumper being configured to engage the track-engaging cam follower to cause the track-engaging cam follower to travel along the curved portion to the locked position as the drive bracket approaches the door closed position and to retain the track-engaging cam follower in the locked position.

6. The door operator system according to claim 1 , wherein the cam-follower drive arm comprises a spur at the second end thereof and the locking system further comprises an abutment disposed adjacent to the curved end of the first track, and wherein the spur engages the abutment when the track-engaging cam follower is in the locked position to retain the track-engaging cam follower in the locked position.

7. The door operator system according to claim 1 , wherein the linear drive mechanism comprises: a motor; and a drive screw having a rotary power connection to the motor, at least one of the motor and the drive screw being mounted on the base, and
wherein the linearly driven member comprises a drive nut engaging the drive screw to be driven by the drive screw such that rotation of the drive screw imparts linear motion to the drive nut.

8. The door operator system according to claim 7 , wherein the drive screw and the curved portion of the first track are configured such that one turn of the drive screw by the motor drives the track-engaging cam follower to travel along the curved portion from a position at a top of the curved portion to a position that is over center with respect to the second over center plane.

9. The door operator system according to claim 1 , wherein the locking system further comprises a drive arm link that connects the drive bracket to the locking arm, and wherein the drive arm link is driven by the drive system to move along a line parallel to the first set of tracks.

10. The door operator system according to claim 1 , wherein the door operator system is configured to move a pair of doors of the vehicle in opposing directions along the door opening between respective open and closed positions.

11. The door operator system according to claim 10 , wherein the base further comprises a second set of tracks defined therein, a first track of the second set of tracks having a curved portion at an end thereof,
wherein a second drive bracket is slidably mounted on the second set of tracks of the base, the second drive bracket being configured to suspend a second door from the base, and the second drive bracket being slidably movable along the second set of tracks between a door open position and a door closed position adjacent to the curved portion of the first track of the second set of tracks,
wherein the drive system further comprises a slave drive mechanism configured to be actuated by the linear drive mechanism to cause movement of the second drive bracket between the door open position and the door closed position and a second linearly driven member connected to the slave drive mechanism to be driven by the slave drive mechanism in opposing directions along a second track of the second set of tracks, the second linearly driven member being operably connected to the second drive bracket,
wherein a second locking system connects the second drive bracket to the second linearly driven member and is configured to retain the second drive bracket in the door closed position,
wherein the second locking system comprises: a second cam-follower drive arm pivotably connected to the second linearly driven member at a first end of the second cam-follower drive arm; a second track-engaging cam follower connected to a second end of the second cam-follower drive arm, the second track-engaging cam follower being movably disposed in the first track of the second set of tracks to be movable along the first track; and a second locking arm pivotably connected to the second end of the second cam-follower drive arm, the second locking arm being operatively connected to the second drive bracket, and
wherein when the second drive bracket is in the door closed position, the curved portion of the first track of the second set of tracks engages the second track-engaging cam follower such that the second track-engaging cam follower is retained in a locked position that is over center with respect to a first over center plane perpendicular to the second set of

Assignees

• Westinghouse Air Brake Tech Corp

Inventors

• Stojc Andre
• Filion Daniel

Classifications

• B61D19/005

  sliding (B61D19/008, B61D19/009 take precedence) · CPC title

• B61D19/02 Primary

  for carriages (B61D19/003 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E05F15/652

  operated by screw-and-nut mechanisms · CPC title

• E05F15/638

  allowing or involving a secondary movement of the wing, e.g. rotational or transversal · CPC title

• E05Y2900/51

  for railway cars or mass transit vehicles · CPC title