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(11) | EP 2 224 084 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | A door-activating device |
| (57) The activating device of a door for closing a doorway, comprises a main shaft (5)
for transmitting motion to the door by means of a suitable mechanism, the main shaft
(5) being supported idle in a fixed casing; a bush (8) inserted freely rotatably on
the main shaft (5), and provided with an upper pinion (82) for input of motion, and
a lower pinion (81) for transmission of motion; the lower pinion (81) being connected
to the to the fixed casing by means of at least a planet gear (54) rotating on a pivot
(53) which pivot (53) is parallel to the main shaft (5) and is supported thereby,
the at least a planet gear (54) enmeshing both with the lower pinion (81) of the bush,
and with the internal cogging (420) of a crown fixed to the casing. |
[0001] The invention relates to mechanical activating devices for doors, which can be swing doors or sliding doors.
[0002] In particular the invention relates to an automatic activating device, which commands opening of the door on receiving a signal caused by a presence of a person about to pass through the door, and commands automatic reclosing of the door after a predetermined time.
[0003] The door rotates about a vertical axis located in proximity of one of the vertical edges thereof, and is connected by means of at least two hinges to the adjacent side of the doorway.
[0004] The movement of the door in the containing door-way is given by a device fixed to the wall in which the door-containing space is afforded.
[0005] The device exhibits a main vertical output shaft to an end of which a crank is fixed which crank moves in a horizontal plane and is connected by a connecting rod to a point of the upper edge of the door. The shaft of the crank is rotated by a mechanism which comprises a driven pinion and a suitable gear reduction. The pinion is generally driven by a linear actuator to which it is coupled by a rack-and-pinion coupling.
[0006] A gear reduction is provided between the driven pinion and the main shaft, located in cascade, which in known devices is the origin of mass and efficiency problems which grow in importance as the weight of the door to be activated increases.
[0007] Another known solution, for sliding doors, involves, in the place of the crankshaft, application of a pinion coupled to a rack directly fixed on the door.
[0008] The need in both cases to provide a gear reduction in cascade in order to suit the opening and closing velocity of the door and the torque of the main shaft to the weight of the door, in both a case of con-rod-crankshaft coupling and in a case of rack-and-pinion coupling, has up to now hampered realisation of smaller-sized and silent devices, which have to be automatically-activated. The aim of the present patent is to obviate the above-described drawbacks with a simple and relatively-inexpensive solution.
[0009] The aim of the invention is attained by a device having the characteristics recited in the independent claim.
[0010] The dependent claims illustrate and protect advantageous improvements and operating modes of the device.
[0011] To summarise, the aim of the invention is attained by a device comprising a main shaft destined to transmit motion to the door by means of a special mechanism. The shaft is supported idle in a fixed casing, and bears, inserted thereon, a freely-rotatable bush, provided with an upper pinion for input of motion, and a lower pinion for transmission of motion.
[0012] The lower pinion, according to the invention, is connected to the fixed casing by means of at least a planet gear rotating on a pin which is parallel to the main shaft supported thereby, the at least a planet gear enmeshing with both the lower pinion and the bush, as well as with the internal cogging of a body fixed to the casing.
[0013] The constructional and functional advantages and characteristics of the invention will emerge from the detailed description that follows, which with the aid of the accompanying tables of the drawings illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, provided by way of non-limiting example.
Figure 1 illustrates a swing-door associated to the doorway.
Figure 2 schematically illustrates section II-II of figure 1.
Figure 3 schematically illustrates section III-III of figure 1.
Figure 4 is section IV-IV of figure 3.
Figure 5 is section V-V of figure 4.
Figure 6 is an exploded view of the device.
[0014] The figures illustrate a doorway closed by a door 2 which rotates about an axis 3 defined by coaxial pivots.
[0015] The activating device 4 of the invention is fixed by known means to the upper part of the doorway occupied by the door 2.
[0016] The device of the invention exhibits a casing 41 in which a main shaft 5 is rotatably supported, which main shaft 5 terminates inferiorly with the output shank 51.
[0017] The crankshaft 6 is fixed to the shank 51, which shank 51 is hinged to an end of the con rod 7, which con rod 7 is in turn connected by hinging to the door 2.
[0018] With reference to figures 4, 5 and 6, the device 4 comprises an external casing 41 internally of which the main shaft 5, which extends up to the top of the casing 41, is supported by the bearing 42.
[0019] The main shaft 5 is made in differentiated sections and comprises a broad flange 52, located above the bearing 42.
[0020] The flange 52 supports four equidistant vertical pivots 53, on which four gearings 54 rotate idle.
[0021] The gearings 54 constitute the planet gears of a planetary gear unit, and enmesh on an internal cogged crown 420 fixed to the casing 41. The planet gears 54 are also enmeshed with the external cogging 81 of a bush 8 mounted idle on the shaft 5, the external cogging 81 realising the lower drive-transmission pinion and functioning as the sun element of the planetary gear unit.
[0022] A helically-cogged pinion 82 is keyed and blocked on the bush 8, in a position overlying the external cogging 81, which helically-cogged pinion constitutes the upper drive input pinion of the mechanism of the device.
[0023] The pinion 82 is in turn enmeshed in the helical cogging 83 of a shaft 9 having an axis which is perpendicular to the shaft 5, and which is rotated by an electric motor denoted schematically by 10 in figure 5. The top of the shaft 5 is connected to the end of a spiral spring 11, another end of which is fixed to the cover 43 of the casing 41. The spring 11 can also be left out, as will be better understood from the following.
[0024] The double enmeshing of the satellites 54 with the external cogging 81, which rotates idle, and with the internal cogging 420 which is fixed, forces the planet gears 54 to draw in rotation the support flange 52 thereof and with the flange 52, the shaft 5.
[0025] No description is given herein of the command means of the electric motor 10 which activate on a signalling of a presence of a person about to pass through the doorway, as these means are well known by the expert in the field.
[0027] In the configuration illustrated in figure 1, the door is in the closed position, and the spring 11 is preloaded specially to keep the door in this position.
[0028] When the sensor, not illustrated, signals the presence of a person about to pass through the doorway, the electric motor 10 is activated by means of a first gearing realised by the helical coupling between the pinion 82 and the shaft 9, and a second gearing, realised by the coupling between the bush 8 and the planet gears 54 and the cogging 420, sets the shaft 5 in rotation which draws the door open, overcoming the resistance of the spring 11.
[0029] An encoder (not illustrated) applied on the shaft of the motor 10, signals the complete opening of the door.
[0030] After a predetermined time, the motor is short-circuited to effect a brake, and the spring causes the door to close.
[0031] Alternatively, and in the absence of the spring, the motor is activated in an opposite direction and causes closure of the door.
[0032] Although the above description relates to a swing door, it is also applicable to a sliding door.
[0033] It is also clear that the device of the present application can be coupled to the respective door by different means than the con rod-crankshaft coupling. It can be, for example, coupled to a sliding door by means of a rack-and-pinion coupling, with the pinion being supported by the shank 51 of the shaft 5, and the rack being fixed to the edge of the door.
1. An activating device of a door for closing a doorway, comprising:
a main shaft (5) for transmitting motion to the door by means of a suitable mechanism, the main shaft (5) being supported idle in a fixed casing;
a bush (8) inserted freely rotatably on the main shaft (5), and provided with an upper pinion (82) for input of motion, and a lower pinion (81) for transmission of motion;
the lower pinion being connected to the to the fixed casing by means of at least a planet gear (54) rotating on a pivot (53) which pivot (53) is parallel to the main shaft (5) and is supported thereby, the at least a planet gear (54) enmeshing both with the lower pinion (81) of the bush (8), and with an internal cogging (420) of a crown fixed to the casing.
2. The device of claim 1, characterised in that the main shaft (5) is connected to the door by means of a coupling between a con
rod (7) and a crankshaft (6).
3. The device of claim 1, characterised in that the main shaft (5) is coaxial to a rotation axis (3) of the door and is connected
directly to the door.
4. The device of claim 1, characterised in that the upper pinion (82) of the bush (8) is connected, by means of a helically-cogged
coupling, to the shaft (83) of an electric motor which shaft (83) is perpendicular
to an axis of the bush (8).
5. The device of claim 1, characterised in that the upper pinion (82) of the bush (8) is connected, by a rack coupling, to an actuator
means.
6. The device of claim 1, characterised in that it comprises four planet gears (54).