Supply and control unit of a pneumatic actuator, in particular for driving a roof smoke extractor flap

Abstract

 The unit has a control valve (C) and at least two piercers (A1), (B), one of the piercers (B) is equipped with a double arm lever (2) with the control arm (14) extending beyond the back side of the body (3) and the other piercers (A1) have a single arm lever (1). At the back wall of the bodies (3) the piercers (A1), (B) have side channel holes connected to the gas outlet socket channels. The piercers (A), (B) are attached with the back side to the common assembly wall (4). The control valve (C) has a slide rail (15) attached slidably in the plane of the assembly wall (4), guided along the O-O axis set by the axes of the side channels (14), and connected movably to the control arm (14) of the double arm lever (2). The slide rail (15) has de-aerating holes located in such a way that in one extreme position one de-aerating hole coincides with the side channel of the piercer (B) with the double armed lever (2) and in the other extreme position the other de-aerating holes coincide with the side channels of the other piercers (A1). The unit is used in particular in fire protection systems for driving roof smoke extractor flaps.

Description

[0001] The present invention concerns a supply and control unit of a pneumatic actuator, operated by compressed gas energy in a vessel with a pierceable diaphragm. The unit is used in particular in fire protection systems for driving roof smoke extractor flaps, which opened by a fire signal enable carrying away of smoke.

[0002] Smoke extractor flaps are driven by pneumatic piston actuators, operating chambers of which are connected to two compressed air vessel piercers, which are replaced after each re-adjustment of the actuator. Operation of the two-sided actuator require compressed gas supply to one chamber be accompanied by depressurizing of the other one. In the power supply and control unit as described in FR 2 812 681 each chamber of the actuator driving a smoke flap is alternately connected to the piercer or depressurised by a valve pneumatically re-adjusted by gas pressure.

[0003] According to the present invention the unit contains also lever piercers for diaphragms of compressed gas vessels and a control valve. The unit has at least two piercers, which at the back side of their body have holes of side channels connected with gas outlet socket channels and which at their back side are attached to a common assembly wall.

[0004] One piercer is equipped with a double arm lever with a control arm extended towards the back wall of the body whilst the others have single arm levers. The control arm consists of the bent end section of the axle bearing the double arm lever, protruding behind the back side of the body and said control arm is entered into a fork made in one of the flanges of the double arm lever extended beyond the axle.

[0005] The unit control valve has a slide rail fixed slidably in the assembly wall, guided along the axis set by the axes of piercer side channels. The slide rail adjoins O-rings of the piercer side channels and is connected to the control arm of the piercer with the double arm lever. De-aerating holes are made in the slide rail, they are located in such a way that in one extreme position one de-aerating hole coincides with the side channel of the piercer with a double armed lever and in the other extreme position the other de-aerating holes coincide with the side channels of the other piercers. The control valve is re-adjusted by the control arm of the double armed lever, swung while the vessel diaphragm is pierced.

[0006] A unit with a number of piercers equipped with single arm levers can support several pneumatic actuators. Each single arm piercer is connected to the working stroke chamber of a single actuator whilst return stroke chambers of these actuators are supplied simultaneously from the single piercer with a double armed lever.

[0007] In the advantageous embodiment the control valve has a slide rail guided lengthwise in a groove cut out in the assembly wall between the surfaces of the back sides of the piercer bodies and plates attached to the assembly wall at the other side. Holes coaxial with side channels of all piercers are made in the plates.

[0008] The slide rail drive with a perpendicular swinging movement of the control arm of the double arm lever is performed by means of a cam gear by releasing the lock of a spring tighten towards re-adjustment of the slide rail.

[0009] In the first embodiment, the slide rail is connected to the control arm by an attached cam with an oblique guide groove so that the projection of the groove onto the rail axis determines the stroke between the extreme positions.

[0010] In the second embodiment, the slide rail is engaged to the control arm with the trigger groove, made in the upper edge of the slide rail in position of coinciding the de-aerating hole with the side channel of the piercer with a double arm lever. At one end the slide rail is articulated to the tightening lever, which is placed in a bearing at the assembly wall and loaded with a spring towards the extreme position in which the de-aerating hole coincides with the side channel of the piercer with a single arm lever.
The control arm in this embodiment constitutes a flange of the double arm lever extended beyond the back side of the body.

[0011] The invention is presented by a description of example embodiments of two units intended to supply and control the actuator driving a roof smoke extractor flap.

[0012] The unit according to the first embodiment, intended to support one piston actuator, is shown in fig. 1 to 11. Fig.1 shows the unit in a perspective bottom view, fig. 2 shows a functional diagram of connection of the unit to the actuator, fig. 3 and fig. 4 show cross-sections through the piercer with a single arm lever in the armed position and after the diaphragm is pierced, fig. 5 shows the top view of the piercer, fig. 6 - a cross-section through the piercer with a double arm lever in the armed position, fig. 7 - a back view of the assembly wall, fig. 8 and 9 - the slide rail with the cam attached, a front view and side views, fig. 10 and 11 - side views of the piercer while piercing the diaphragm, in an intermediate position and in the bottom position of the double arm lever. Subsequent fig. 12 to 16 concern the example of the unit with the spring drive of the slide rail. Fig. 12 shows a functional diagram of connection of this unit to the actuator, fig. 13 - a side view of the piercer with the double arm lever in the armed position, fig. 14 - a back view of the assembly wall, supplemented with the broken line marking the embodiment of a unit with a few piercers equipped with single arm levers, fig. 15 - the slide rail and fig. 16 - a side view of the piercer with a double arm lever in the bottom position, after piercing the vessel's membrane.

[0013] The unit - according to the first embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 11 - has two piercers: the piercer A with a single arm lever 1 and the piercer B with a double arm lever 2, attached with their back body sides 3 to the assembly wall 4. In rectangular bodies 3 the sockets 5 of pressure vessels are made, which are connected by the side channels 6 to the gas outlet sockets 7. The tubular strikers 8, with a longitudinal slot, are fixed to the pistons guided coaxially with the vessel sockets 5 and are loaded with return springs.

[0014] The single arm lever 1, of a C-like cross-section, embraces the body 3 with its flanges. It is mounted in a bearing on the axle 9 in the body. The web of the single arm lever 1 presses the piston towards the vessel 10.

[0015] The striker piston 8 has a neck "d" close to its end protruding out of the body 3 while the web of the single arm lever 1 has a cut-out in the form of circular hole of a diameter D1 slightly greater than the diameter D of the piston, connected to a groove "r", which is slightly wider than the neck diameter "d" and the symmetry axis of this cut-out is perpendicular to the axle 9 of the bearing of the single arm lever. The side channel 6, at the back wall of the body 3 is open by the hole of the bushing mounted in this body. The bushing has an external neck on which an O-ring 11 is mounted.

[0016] The second piercer B differs from the piercer A by an additional double arm lever 2 which embraces the single arm lever 1 and is mounted in a bearing on the same axle 9. The double arm lever 2 is longer than the single arm lever 1 which in the case of this piercer B has a protruding prong 12 at the bottom corner of the flanges, while the web of the double arm lever 2 is cut out at the side of the axis 9 to a depth at which the radius of the front edge of the front web is slightly greater than the inner radius of the prong 12.

[0017] The axle 9 is bent at right angle and its bent section is entered into a fork 13 made in one of the flanges of the double arm lever 2 extended beyond the axle 9. The bent section of the axle forms the control arm 14 which protrudes behind the back side of the body 3.

[0018] The control valve C constitutes a slide rail 15 attached slidably in the plane of the assembly wall 4, guided along the O-O axis set by the axes of side channels 6 of the piercers A and B. The slide rail 15 adjoins the O-rings 11 of the side channels 6 and is guided lengthwise in a groove cut out in the assembly wall 4 between the surfaces of the back sides of the bodies 3 of the piercers A and B and plates 16 attached to the assembly wall 4 at the other side.

[0019] In the plates 16 there are holes 17 made coaxially with the side channels 6 of the piercers A and B. The cam plate 18 with an askew guided groove 19, into which the control arm 14 of the double arm lever 2 is entered, is attached crosswise to the slide rail 15. The projection of the guide groove onto the O-O axis of the slide rail 15 sets the stroke between its extreme positions x and y.

[0020] In the slide rail 15 there are two de-aerating holes 20 and 21 which are located so that in one extreme position x of the slide rail 15 and if the double arm lever 2 is lifted one of the de-aerating holes 20 coincides with the side channel 6 of the piercer B and in the other extreme position y of the slide rail 15 - set by the control arm 14 - after piercing the diaphragm of the vessel 10 in the piercer B - the second de-aerating hole 21 coincides with the side channel 6 of the piercer A.

[0021] The operation of the described unit, starting with the initial arming situation, that is with the A and B piercers lifted to the top positions a and c of the levers 1 and 2, with strikers 8 lifted and with full gas vessels 10 fixed in their sockets 5, shall be as follows, in phases:

I. - a fire signal initiates the pressure onto the single arm lever 1 and the piercer A. The stroke of the single arm lever 1 shifts the striker 8 downwards, which pierces the vessel 10 diaphragm. At the end of the phase of the stroke the neck d enters into to the hole D1 of the cut-out, and at the bottom position b of the single arm lever 1, when the piston is in the plane of the cut-out hole D1 - the piston is released from the pressure of the single arm lever 1 and it is pushed up by force of the return spring. The single arm lever 1 is then locked in its bottom position b by the striker piston 8.
Gas from the vessel 10 flows through the side channel 6 - closed at the back side of the body 3 with the slide rail 15 - to the gas outlet socket 7 and the work chamber of the actuator connected to the socket. The return stroke chamber of the actuator is connected to the piercer B, of which the side channel 5 in the x position of the slide rail 15 is connected to the atmosphere through the de-aerating hole 20 of arming.

II. - following the fire alarm cancel signal the smoke flap is closed by actuating the piercer B. The pressure onto the double arm lever 2 and its swing within the scope between the position c and the position e causes a shift of the slide rail 15 by the stroke s from the position x to the position y, while the side channel 6 in the piercer B is closed and in the piercer A is opened by the de-aerating hole 21 of unloading. The slide rail 15 is moved by the control arm 14 entered into the guide groove 19 of the cam 18. Within the range of double arm lever 2 swing, the single arm lever 1 and the striker 8 remain stationary.
In the position e the web edge of the double arm lever 2 engages at the prongs 12 of the single arm lever 1, which causes that in further movement the both levers 1 and 2 are coupled and together they are swung up to the position f of the double arm lever 2. The slide rail 15 position is not changed as the guide groove 19 within this range is in line with the swing direction of the control arm 14. Same as in the case of the piercer A - after the vessel 10 diaphragm is pierced and while approaching the position f, the neck d enters the hole D1 of the cut-out in the web of the single arm lever 1, and when the piston is in the plane of the cut-out hole D1 - the piston is released from the pressure of the single arm lever 1 and it is pushed up by force of the return spring.

III. - arming the unit for the subsequent action require performance of the following activities: to remove used gas vessels 10 from the sockets 5, to lift the single arm lever 1 and the double arm lever 2 in the both piercers A and B to the top positions a and c, after unlocking both levers by manual shifting of the striker 8 pistons downwards until the necks d are entered into the grooves r of the single arm lever 1 and finally to put new gas vessels 10 into the piercers A and B.

[0022] The second example embodiment of the unit, presented in fig. 12 to 16 differs from the above by the method of the slide rail 15 drive. The piercer B - in this unit embodiment - has only a double arm lever 2 of which the control arm 14 constitutes a flange of this lever extended beyond the back side of the body 3. The end of the control arm 14 goes through the vertical slot in the assembly wall 4 and in the extreme armed position x it is engaged into the trigger groove 22 made on the upper edge of the slide rail 15.

[0023] In the x position of the slide rail 15 the de-aerating hole 20 of arming coincides with the side channel 6 of the piercer B. At one end the slide rail 15 is articulated to the tightening lever 23, which is mounted in a bearing at the assembly wall 4 and to a spring loaded towards the extreme position y of unloading of the slide rail 15, in this position the second de-aerating hole 21 coincides with the side channel 6 of the piercer A1, A2.

[0024] The operation of the unit in the second presented above embodiment is very similar to the unit with a cam shift of the slide rail 15 described first. The difference concerns the phase II and III and follows from a different, spring drive of the slide rail 15 shift.

[0025] In the phase:

II. - of closing of the smoke flap: the pressure onto the double arm lever 2 of the piercer B already at the beginning of the swing causes ejection of the control arm 14 from the trigger groove 22 and results in release of the slide rail 15. The slide rail 15 loaded by the spring 24 by means of the tightening lever 23 makes a stroke s, from its extreme armed position x to its extreme unloaded position y. In the position y, the side channel 6 of the piercer B is closed and the piercers A1, A2 are connected to the atmosphere via the de-aerating unloading holes 21. Further swing of the double arm lever 2 causes piercing of the gas vessel 10 diaphragm with the striker 8 and supply of the return stroke chamber of the actuator. After the double arm lever 2 reaches the position f, while the piston is covered by the surface of the hole D1 - it is released and the piston is ejected upwards with the return spring force - resulting in locking of the double arm lever 2

III. - arming of the unit require performance of the following activities: to remove used gas vessels 10 from the sockets 5, to lift the single arm lever 1 in the both piercers A1 and A2 to the top positions a - which is possible after unlocking the lever by shifting the pistons downwards until the necks d are entered into the grooves r of the single arm lever 1. The act of lifting the double arm lever 2 of the piercer B requires previous shift of the slide rail 15 to the extreme armed position x, which is performed with the tightening lever 23 while tightening the spring 24. The control arm 14 entered into the trigger groove 22 locks the slide rail 15 in the extreme armed position x. Arming is finished by fixing the new gas vessels 10 in the piercers A1, A2 and B.

Claims

1. The supply and control unit of the pneumatic actuator, in particular for driving the smoke flap, containing lever piercers for compressed air vessel diaphragms and a control valve, characterized in that:

- it has at least two piercers (A1),(A2, (B), which at the back side of their bodies (3) have side channel (6) holes connected to the gas outlet socket channels (7), and which are attached at the back side to a common assembly wall (4) and additionally one of the piercers (B) is equipped with a double arm lever (2) with a control arm (14) extended beyond the back side of the body (3) and the other ones (A1),(A2) have a single arm lever (1),

- whereas the control valve (C) has a slide rail (15) attached movably in the plane of the assembly wall (4), guided along the O-O axis set by the axes of the side channels (6) of the piercers (A1), (A2),(B) and having de-aerating holes (20), (21), placed so that in one extreme position (x) of the slide rail (15) one de-aerating hole (20) coincides with the side channel (6) of the piercer (B) with a double arm lever (2) and in the other extreme position (y) the other de-aerating holes (21) coincide with the side channels (6) of the other piercers (A1), (A2).

2. The unit according to the claim 1 characterised in that the slide rail (15) is guided lengthwise in the groove cut out in the assembly wall (4) between the surfaces of the back walls of the bodies (3) of the piercers (A1), (A2), (B) and plates (16) attached to the assembly wall (4) at the other side; the plates have holes (17) coaxial with the side channels (6) of the piercers (A1), (A2), (B).

3. The unit according to the claim 1 or 2 characterised in that the control arm (14) consists of the bent end section of the axle (9) bearing the double arm lever (2), protruding behind the back side of the body (3) and said control arm (14) is entered into a fork (13) made in one of the flanges of the double arm lever (2) extended beyond the axle (9).

4. The unit according to the claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the slide rail (15) is connected to the control arm (14) by a cam (18) with an oblique guide groove (19) attached to it so that the projection of the groove onto the O-O axis of the slide rail (15) determines the stroke s between the extreme positions (x), (y).

5. The unit according to the claim 1 or 2 characterised in that the slide rail (15) is connected to the control arm (14) by engaging to the trigger groove (22), made on the upper edge of the slide rail (14) in the position where the de-aerating hole (20) coincides with the side channel (6) of the piercer (B) equipped with a double arm lever (2) and in addition at one end the slide rail (15) is articulated to the tightening lever (23) mounted in a bearing on the assembly wall (4) and a spring loaded towards the extreme position (y) of the slide rail where the de-aerating hole (21) coincides with the side channel (6) of the piercer (A1), (A2) with a single arm lever (1).

6. The unit according to the claim 5 characterised in that the control arm (14) constitutes a flange of the double arm lever (2) extended beyond the back side of the body (3).

Drawing