Motorized device for opening/closing a door or window, particularly suitable for doors or entrance doors

Abstract

 A motorized device (1) for opening/closing a door or window (2), the door or window (2) comprising: a supporting frame formed by at least two lateral posts (4,5) and by an upper lintel; at least one leaf (7) mounted rotatably on the supporting frame; and a pivot or hinge (8) for each leaf (7), which is suitable to rotatably support the respective leaf (7) on the supporting frame and to rotate, during use, rigidly therewith; the device (1) further comprising articulated transmission means, which rotates rigidly with the pivot or hinge (8) and is suitable to transmit to the leaf (7) a rotary motion about the respective pivot or hinge (8), and actuation means (9) that is kinematically connected to the articulated transmission means and is suitable to impart thereto a preset angular stroke about the pivot or hinge (8), so as to move the respective leaf (7) between a closure position and at least one open position.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a motorized device for opening/closing a door or window, particularly suitable for doors or entrance doors.

[0002] It is known that devices suitable to automatically open and/or close on command doors or entrance doors are already commercially available.

[0003] Currently installed devices are generally constituted by a cylinder-and-piston unit, which is actuated electromechanically or hydraulically and is provided on each leaf of the door or the window to be automated. In each cylinder-and-piston unit, the cylinder is pivoted to the respective post of the door or window and the piston is designed to slide telescopically within the respective cylinder at one end and to rotatably engage the respective leaf at the other end by means of a pivot that protrudes from the leaf.

[0004] In a device such as the one described above, the controlled advancement or retraction of each piston with respect to its cylinder in fact forces the respective leaf to perform a preset angular stroke in a corresponding direction of rotation about its own hinge, so as to respectively open or close the door or window.

[0005] Such devices, though being currently widely used, especially for moving doors or entrance doors, have the characteristic that they are not easy to operate manually, for example if there is a power outage, since they require a specific intervention, aimed at disengaging actuation mechanisms, which almost always requires the use of a key or the actuation of a disengagement lever system.

[0006] Another drawback of existing motorized devices is that they are normally hinged to the leaf of the door or the window in a manner which is bulky and aesthetically unsatisfactory or are accommodated in an appropriate compartment (pit) formed under the floor, entailing difficulties and high production costs.

[0007] Moreover, the motorized devices currently used to move doors or windows can sometimes be a factor for risk of injury, since a person who happens to be nearby can involuntarily injure his hands, especially if such devices are mounted at such a height from the ground that places them within the reach of children.

[0008] The aim of the present invention is to provide a motorized device for opening and/or closing a door or a window that does not have the drawbacks noted above regarding the devices currently in use.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that is to be installed adjacent to the upper fixed part of the door or window (lintel of the frame), which normally cannot be reached by people and is further easily concealable, thus ensuring maximum safety during its operation, with considerable advantages from the aesthetic point of view as well.

[0010] This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a motorized device for opening/closing a door or a window, said door or window comprising: a supporting frame formed by at least two lateral posts and by an upper lintel; at least one leaf mounted rotatably on said supporting frame; and a pivot or hinge for each leaf, which is suitable to rotatably support the respective leaf on said supporting frame and to rotate, during use, rigidly therewith; characterized in that it comprises articulated transmission means, which rotate rigidly with said pivot or hinge and are suitable to transmit to said leaf a rotary motion about the respective pivot or hinge, and actuation means that is kinematically connected to said articulated transmission means and is suitable to impart thereto a preset angular stroke about the pivot or hinge, so as to move the respective leaf between a closure position and at least one open position.

[0011] Advantageously, the actuation means comprises at least one reversible motor, which is mounted on the supporting frame so that it can perform angular strokes about an articulation axis that is substantially parallel to the pivot or hinge.

[0012] Conveniently, the articulated transmission means comprises: an actuation shaft, which is actuated by said reversible motor so as to receive a rotary motion for a preset number of turns in either direction of rotation; at least one female-thread element, which is mounted so that it can slide along said actuation shaft; and at least one lever, one end of which rotates rigidly with said pivot or hinge and the other end of which is articulated to said female-thread element, so as to convert the rotary motion of said actuation shaft in one direction or in the opposite direction into a corresponding angular stroke of the respective leaf about its pivot or hinge.

[0013] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of some currently preferred examples of embodiment thereof, given merely by way of non-limitative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation view of a door actuated by a device according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the door of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged-scale sectional view of the door of Figure 1, taken along the line III-III of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged-scale sectional view of the device mounted on the door of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged-scale plan view of a detail of the device of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a reduced-scale side elevation view of a second embodiment of the device of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a plan view of a third embodiment of the device of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a plan view of a fourth embodiment of the device of Figure 4;

Figure 9 is a front elevation view of the device of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a front elevation view of a fifth embodiment of the device of Figure 4; and

Figure 11 is a partially sectional plan view of the fifth embodiment of the device of Figure 4.

[0014] In the accompanying drawings, identical or similar parts or components have been designated by the same reference numerals.

[0015] With reference first to Figures 1 to 5, a motorized opening/closure device according to the invention, designated by the reference numeral 1, can be installed at a door or window 2, such as for example a door or entrance door, which is generally composed of a supporting frame 3, comprising two posts 4 and 5 and an upper lintel 6, and of a leaf 7 which is mounted rotatably on the supporting frame 3 by means of a pivot or hinge 8.

[0016] Advantageously, the hinge 8, which can lie vertically or horizontally depending on the opening/closure system to be used for the leaf 7, is designed to support the leaf 7 so as to rotate rigidly therewith, so that an angular stroke of said hinge about its own main axis x-x is matched by an angular stroke of equal breadth of the respective leaf 7.

[0017] In particular, the above cited figures show a door or a window 2 that has the structure of a door, with a leaf 7 articulated to the supporting frame 3 by means of a vertical hinge 8.

[0018] As shown more clearly in Figure 2, the motorized device 1 first of all comprises actuation means, which can be constituted by a reversible motor 9, which is mounted on the leaf 7 so that it can perform angular strokes with respect to a substantially vertical axis y-y (see Figure 1 and the letter A of Figure 2) and is suitable to generate a rotary motion (designated by the letter B in Figure 1) about a substantially horizontal axis z-z.

[0019] The device 1 further comprises transmission means 10 designed to convert the rotary motion B generated by the reversible motor 9 into a corresponding angular stroke of the respective leaf 7 about its own hinge 8 (designated by the letters C' and C" in Figure 2).

[0020] The transmission means 10 preferably comprise an actuation shaft 12, which is actuated by the reversible motor 9 so as to receive a rotary motion B for a preset number of turns in either direction of rotation; a female-thread element 13, which is mounted so that it can slide along the actuation shaft 12; and at least one lever 14, one end 15 of which rotates rigidly with the hinge 8 of the respective leaf 7 and the other end 16 of which is articulated to the female-thread element 13.

[0021] Advantageously, the actuation shaft 12 has a helical thread 17 (see Figures 3 and 4), at least along a portion that corresponds to the stroke of the female-thread element 13, which in turn has female-thread means 18 designed to engage, during use, the helical thread 17 of the actuation shaft 12 in order to convert the rotary motion B of the actuation shaft 12 in either direction into a corresponding linear stroke, respectively an outgoing or return stroke (designated by the letters D' and D" in Figure 2), of the respective female-thread element 13 along said actuation shaft 12.

[0022] Figures 3 and 4 in fact show that a female-thread element 13 is preferably composed of a hollow element 19, which internally delimits a hollow portion 20 that acts as a sliding seat for the actuation shaft 12 and as a seat for the female-thread means 18. Advantageously, the female-thread means 18 is configured so as to engage only an angular portion of the actuation shaft 12 and can be moved on command within the respective hollow portion 20 between an active position, in which it engages the actuation shaft 12, and an inactive position, in which it is retracted and disengaged with respect to said actuation shaft 12.

[0023] As shown in particular in Figure 4, the coupling of the female-thread means 18 to the helical thread 17 of the actuation shaft 12 can be provided by way of an actuation device 21, for example of the electromagnetic type, supported by the female-thread element 13 and powered by an external electrical power source (not shown in the figures).

[0024] The actuation device 21 preferably comprises a supporting housing 23, which is fixed in any suitable manner to the hollow element 19 that composes the female-thread element 12; a solenoid 24, which is accommodated within the supporting housing 23 with a longitudinal axis j-j that lies transversely to the actuation shaft 12; and a keeper element 25, which is arranged inside the respective solenoid 24 and has an end that is mechanically connected to the female-thread means 18.

[0025] Advantageously, a return means 26 is provided between the keeper element 25 and the female-thread means 18 and comprises, for example, a spring suitable to apply a constant force for spacing the female-thread means 18 from the respective actuation shaft 12, so as to ensure that when the solenoid 24 is not energized the female-thread means 18 is disengaged from the actuation shaft 12.

[0026] By means of the actuation device 21, it is therefore possible to make the female-thread means 18 move toward the actuation shaft 12 by supplying the solenoid 24 with a current having a predefined orientation and intensity. The current that flows through the solenoid 24 in fact induces therein a magnetic field suitable to act on the keeper element 25 with a force whose direction coincides with the axis j-j of the solenoid 24 and whose orientation is opposite to the orientation of the elastic force applied by the spring 26.

[0027] When a user operates the device 1, for example, to open the leaf 7, a control unit (not shown in the figures) makes the electric current source supply the solenoid 24 with a preset orientation through its turns 22 that induces inside it a magnetic field directed toward the actuation shaft 12. Accordingly, a force which is opposite to, and greater than, the return force of the spring 26 is applied to the keeper element 25 affected by said induced magnetic field, so as to make it move toward the axis z-z, until the female-thread means 18 engages the helical thread 17 of the actuation shaft 12.

[0028] Once the coupling between the female-thread means 18 and the actuation shaft 12 has occurred, the control unit drives the motor 9 so as to turn the actuation shaft 12 about its own axis z-z, so as to make the female-thread element 13 perform a stroke D' along the axis z-z, the length of the stroke depending on the number of turns of the actuation shaft 12, such number being in turn controlled for example by an encoder (not shown in the figure) associated with the motor 9.

[0029] The movement D' of the female-thread element 13 along the actuation shaft 12 forces the lever 14 pivoted thereto to perform a preset outgoing angular stroke about the axis x-x (designated by the letter E' in Figure 2), which is matched by an identical angular stroke C' of the respective hinge 8 and therefore of the leaf 7, which reaches the intended open position.

[0030] At this point, the control unit interrupts the supply of current to the solenoid 24 and thus removes the electromagnetic force that ensures, during use, the mutual engagement of the female-thread means 18 and the actuation shaft 12. In the absence of a magnetic field, the return spring 26 in fact forces the female-thread means 18 to move away from the axis z-z and disengage from the actuation shaft 12.

[0031] After a preset time interval, the control unit starts the step C" for closing the leaf 7, energizing the solenoid 24 so as to return the female-thread means 18 to the active position, i.e., into the condition in which it engages the helical thread 17 of the actuation shaft 12, and driving the motor 9 so as to turn the actuation shaft 12 in reverse with respect to the opening step. The female-thread element 13 is thus forced to perform a movement D" toward the motor 9, such movement being matched by an angular return stroke E" of the lever 14 whose breadth is equal to the outgoing stroke E' in order to return the respective leaf 7 to the closed position.

[0032] With such an actuation device 21, it is further possible to automatically disengage the opening/closure device 1 from the respective leaf 7 whenever an interruption of the electric current or any other failure affects the power supply system, so as to allow the user to perform manually the operations for opening and/or closing the leaf 7 in a very simple manner and with no risk of damaging the device 1.

[0033] According to a second embodiment, the actuation device 21 is not provided with the return spring 26, in which case it has a rigid and direct coupling between the solenoid 24 and the female-thread means 18. The solenoid 24, depending on the direction in which the current flows through its turns 22, generates internally a magnetic field that is suitable to apply to the respective keeper element 25 a force meant to move the keeper element 25 respectively toward or away from the actuation shaft 12, in order to respectively produce the engagement or disengagement of the female-thread means 18 with respect to the actuation shaft 12.

[0034] If the power supply of the solenoid 24 is interrupted and the female-thread means 18 is in the active position, i.e., in the condition in which it engages the actuation shaft 12, the actuation device 21 requires an auxiliary power source (not shown in the figures) capable of supplying at least the current required to disengage the female-thread means 18 from the actuation shaft 12 in order to allow the free sliding of said shaft within the hollow portion 20 of the female-thread element 13 and therefore allow the manual opening and/or closure of the respective leaf 7.

[0035] The above described automatic opening/closure device is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the protection defined by the appended claims.

[0036] For example, as shown in Figure 6, in fact, a device 1 can comprise, as actuation means, a linear actuator 30 composed of, for example, a cylinder-and-piston unit 31 having a cylinder 32 mounted on the lintel 6 of the supporting frame 3 so that it is free to perform angular strokes about an articulation axis y-y, which is substantially parallel to the hinge 8 of the respective leaf 7, and a piston 34, which is supported by the cylinder 32 and is suitable to slide telescopically, on command, within cylinder 32, so as to perform outgoing and return strokes (designated by the letter F) on a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the articulation axis y-y.

[0037] Advantageously, in the above described embodiment of the device 1, the piston 34 is articulated, at its free end 35, to the end 16 of the lever 14, which in turn rotates rigidly, at its end 15, with the hinge 8 of the respective leaf 7, as in the preceding configuration.

[0038] The device 1 further comprises a control unit (not shown in the figure) which is suitable to drive, during use, the cylinder-and-piston unit 31 in order to move the piston 34 along its main axis z-z between an initial position and a final position, so as to force the lever 14, and therefore the respective leaf 7, by means of the hinge 8, to perform a corresponding angular stroke whose predefined breadth depends on the stroke F that the piston 34 is made to perform.

[0039] The adoption of a cylinder-and-piston unit 31 is suitable to achieve the same results described above if the piston 34 is pivoted to the lintel 6 of the supporting frame 3 and the cylinder 32 is meant to perform outgoing and return movements along the axis z-z and thus make the lever 14 perform a corresponding angular stroke about the hinge 8.

[0040] The above-described embodiment of the device 1 can be provided with clutch means 48 in order to allow the disengagement of the device 1 from the respective leaf 7, so as to allow manual opening and/or closure of said leaf. The clutch means 48, which can be constituted for example by an electric clutch, is preferably mounted at the coupling between the lever 14 and the hinge 8.

[0041] In the normal operation of the device 1, in fact, when a user operates the device 1 so as to open or close the leaf 7 of a door or window 2, the control unit of the device 1 drives the electric clutch 48, by means of which it is possible to make the lever 14 rotate rigidly with the hinge 8 and thus automatically open or close the leaf 7.

[0042] If instead an electric power outage occurs, the control unit deactivates the electric clutch 48, so as to obtain a rotary engagement between the lever 14 and the hinge 8 and allow a user to manually open and/or close the leaf 7 without requiring excessive effort and without the risk of compromising the functionality of the entire device 1.

[0043] Figure 7 illustrates a third embodiment of the device 1, in which the actuation means used is a linear actuator 30 that comprises a double-acting cylinder-and-piston unit 41, in which the cylinder 42 is mounted on the lintel 6 of the supporting structure 3 and the piston 43 is supported by the cylinder 42 and has a distal portion, with respect to the respective cylinder 42, which is shaped like a rack 45 and is rigidly coupled so as to slide, during use, along a linear guide 46.

[0044] The device 1 further comprises a gear 47, which is mounted on the hinge 8 and is suitable to rotate rigidly therewith during use, and an idler gear 48, which is supported by a frame 49 meant to perform, on command, linear strokes G that are parallel to the axis z-z of the cylinder-and-piston unit 41, so as to move the idler gear 48 between an active or engagement position, in which it simultaneously meshes with the rack 45 and the gear 47, and an inactive or disengaged position with respect to the gear 47. The outgoing and return strokes G of the frame 49 and therefore of the idler gear 48 can be actuated by an electromagnet 50 composed of a solenoid 51, which is mounted so as to be fixed with respect to a support 52, and an element 53, which is rigidly coupled to the frame 49 and is meant to slide inside the solenoid 51 under the influence of the magnetic field generated, during use, by such solenoid so as to force the frame 49 to perform an engagement or disengagement stroke G.

[0045] A fourth embodiment of the device 1 is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, which show how the actuation means is constituted by a motor 54 suitable to generate a rotary motion about an axis w-w which is substantially vertical and parallel to the axis x-x of the hinge 8. Downstream of the motor 54 there is an epicyclic reduction unit 56, so as to impart to a gear 57 mounted on the shaft 58 actuated by the reduction unit 56 a preset rotation about its own axis w-w.

[0046] Also in this case, the device 1 comprises a gear 59, which is mounted on the hinge 8 and is suitable to rotate rigidly therewith during use, and an idler gear 60, which is supported by a frame 61 meant to perform, on command, linear strokes H so as to move the idler gear 60 between an active or engagement position, in which it simultaneously meshes with the gear 57 and the gear 59, and an inactive or disengagement position with respect to both gears 57 and 59. The outgoing and return strokes H of the frame 61 and therefore of the idler gear 60 can be actuated by an electromagnet 62 suitable to act along the axis t-t.

[0047] Another possible embodiment of the device 1 is shown in Figures 10 and 11, and uses a motor 64 designed to turn, during use, a worm screw 65 about the axis z-z, which is oblique with respect to the axis x-x of the hinge 8. The worm screw 65 is mounted so as to engage a gear 67 that rotates rigidly with the hinge 8, so that a predefined number of turns of the worm screw 65 is matched, during use, by an angular stroke of the gear 67, which in turn forces the hinge 8 and therefore the respective leaf 7 to perform an angular movement about the axis x-x for opening or closure depending on the direction of rotation of the worm screw 65.

[0048] Also in this case, in order to allow the disengagement of the device 1 with respect to the leaf 7, it is possible to provide, for example, an electric clutch 68 arranged between the gear 67 and the hinge 8, so as to achieve a rotary engagement of the hinge 8 on the lintel 6 of the supporting frame 3 and thus allow the manual opening and/or closure of the door or window 2.

[0049] The materials and the dimensions may be various according to requirements.

[0050] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. VR2000A000087 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

[0051] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A motorized device for opening/closing a door or a window, said door or window comprising: a supporting frame formed by at least two lateral posts and by an upper lintel; at least one leaf mounted rotatably on said supporting frame; and a pivot or hinge for each leaf, which is suitable to rotatably support the respective leaf on said supporting frame and to rotate, during use, rigidly therewith; characterized in that it comprises articulated transmission means, which rotate rigidly with said pivot or hinge and are suitable to transmit to said leaf a rotary motion about the respective pivot or hinge, and actuation means that is kinematically connected to said articulated transmission means and is suitable to impart thereto a preset angular stroke about said pivot or hinge, so as to move the respective leaf between a closure position and at least one open position.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said actuation means comprise at least one reversible motor which is mounted on said supporting frame so that it is free to perform angular strokes about an articulation axis that is substantially parallel to said pivot or hinge.

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said articulated transmission means comprises an actuation shaft, which is actuated by said reversible motor so as to receive a rotary motion for a predefined number of turns in one direction of rotation and in the other; at least one female-thread element, which is mounted so that it can slide along said actuation shaft; and at least one lever, one end of which rotates rigidly with said pivot or hinge and the other end of which is articulated to said female-thread element, so as to convert the rotary motion, in one direction or in the opposite direction, of said actuation shaft into a corresponding angular stroke of the respective leaf about its own pivot or hinge.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein said female-thread element comprises at least one hollow portion, which acts as a seat for the sliding of said actuation shaft, and female-thread means, which is accommodated within said hollow portion and can be engaged with said actuation shaft in order to convert the rotary motion, in one direction or the other, of said actuation shaft into a corresponding linear stroke, respectively an outgoing or return stroke, of said female-thread element along said actuation shaft, said device being characterized in that said female-thread means is configured so as to engage at least one angular portion of said actuation shaft and can move, on command, within said hollow portion between an active position, in which it engages said actuation shaft, and an inactive position, in which it is retracted and disengaged from said actuation shaft.

5. The device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that it comprises an actuation device, which is supported by said female-thread element and is suitable to move, on command, said female-thread means between said inactive position and said active position.

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that said actuation device comprises a supporting housing, which is fixed to said female-thread element; at least one solenoid, which is accommodated within said supporting housing with a longitudinal axis arranged transversely to said actuation shaft; and a keeper element, which is arranged inside the or each solenoid and has an end that is mechanically connected to said female-thread means.

7. The device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that it comprises return means between said female-thread means and the respective solenoid, said return means being suitable to disengage said female-thread means from the respective actuation shaft when said solenoid is deactivated.

8. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said actuation means is supported by said supporting frame.

9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said actuation means comprise at least one linear actuator, which has a first portion, which is mounted on said supporting frame and is free to perform angular strokes about an articulation axis that is substantially parallel to said pivot or hinge, and a second portion, which is supported by said first portion and is suitable to perform, on command, outgoing and return strokes with respect to said first portion on a plane which is substantially perpendicular to said articulation axis.

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that said first portion of the or each linear actuator comprises a cylinder or a piston of a cylinder-and-piston unit, and in that said second portion comprises respectively a piston or a cylinder of said cylinder-and-piston unit.

11. The device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that said articulated transmission means comprises at least one lever, in which one end rotates rigidly with said pivot or hinge and the other end is pivoted to said second portion.

12. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that said first portion of the or each linear actuator comprises a cylinder or a piston of a cylinder-and-piston unit, and in that said second portion respectively comprises a piston or a cylinder of said cylinder-and-piston unit, said second portion being rack-shaped at least in a region which is distal with respect to said first portion.

13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that said transmission means comprises a gear which rotates rigidly with said pivot or hinge and is suitable to mesh, during use, with said rack.

14. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that said second portion of the or each linear actuator is rack-shaped and supported by said first portion, and in that it comprises at least one gear suitable to mesh with said second rack-like portion in order to make it slide within said first portion, so as to perform linear outgoing and return strokes.

15. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that said articulated transmission means comprises at least one lever one end of which rotates rigidly with said pivot or hinge and the other end of which is pivoted to said second rack-like portion.

16. The device according to any one of claims 9 to 15, characterized in that it comprises clutch means between said actuation means and said transmission means or between said transmission means and the respective pivot or hinge, said clutch means being suitable to ensure their coupling during the opening/closure of the respective leaf and their mutual uncoupling if one prefers or needs to open or close said leaf manually.

17. The device according to claim 16, characterized in that said clutch means is of a hydraulic or pneumatic type.

18. The device according to claim 16, characterized in that said clutch means is of an electromagnetic type.

Drawing