US 12,071,803 B2
Powered opening module for a door closer
Daniel Langenberg, Zionsville, IN (US); Jason Fodstad, Zionsville, IN (US); Adithya Gangadhar Shetty, Bangalore (IN); John A. Wolfe, Cicero, IN (US); and David V. Toloday, Martinsville, IN (US)
Assigned to Schlage Lock Company LLC, Carmel, IN (US)
Filed by Schlage Lock Company LLC, Carmel, IN (US)
Filed on May 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/203,374.
Application 18/203,374 is a division of application No. 17/225,615, filed on Apr. 8, 2021, granted, now 11,661,786.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/030,680, filed on May 27, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0110431 A1, Apr. 4, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. E05F 15/00 (2015.01); E05F 15/614 (2015.01); E05F 15/73 (2015.01); E05F 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC E05F 15/73 (2015.01) [E05F 15/614 (2015.01); E05F 1/00 (2013.01); E05Y 2201/434 (2013.01); E05Y 2201/716 (2013.01); E05Y 2400/32 (2013.01); E05Y 2400/40 (2013.01); E05Y 2400/61 (2013.01); E05Y 2400/66 (2013.01); E05Y 2400/85 (2013.01); E05Y 2600/46 (2013.01); E05Y 2600/51 (2013.01); E05Y 2800/70 (2013.01); E05Y 2900/132 (2013.01)] 27 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of retrofitting an existing door closer, comprising:
providing a retrofit powered opening module for installation to the existing door closer;
wherein the existing door closer comprises:
a closer body;
a pinion rotatably mounted to the closer body for rotation in a door-closing direction and a door-opening direction opposite the door-closing direction, wherein the pinion is biased in the door-closing direction; and
an armature connected with the pinion;
wherein the retrofit powered opening module comprises:
a case;
an output shaft rotatably mounted in the case;
a motor mounted in the case and operable to rotate the output shaft; and
a control assembly configured to cause the motor to urge the output shaft in a first rotational direction in response to receiving an actuating signal; and
wherein installation of the retrofit powered opening module to the existing door closer comprises coupling the output shaft with the pinion such that rotation of the output shaft in the first rotational direction is correlated with rotation of the pinion in the door-opening direction.