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(11) | EP 4 800 210 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | SWIVEL BARRIER |
| (57) A barrier is described rotatable about a vertical axis relative to a fixed structure
to clear or close a passage, comprising: an exclusively mechanical device comprising
means for detecting a push on the barrier tending to rotate the barrier towards an opening direction when the barrier is in the rest position and closes the passage, and reacting to said push by rotating the barrier relative to the fixed structure towards the opening direction until the passage is cleared. |
[0001] The present invention relates to a method for mounting a rotatable barrier, a rotatable barrier, and a device or means for rotating the rotatable barrier.
[0002] Revolving doors, used here as an example of a rotatable barrier, are commonly used in public or private spaces to control access to certain areas. To simplify their use, it's common to equip the revolving door with an automatic closing device, either mechanical or electrical. A person opens the door by pushing it, but then it is enough to let it go and it automatically returns to its closed position.
[0003] These doors pose obvious limitations for people with mobility disabilities, or simply for those who want to open the door and have their hands full.
[0005] According to one aspect of the invention, a method for mounting a barrier, which is rotatable about a vertical rotation axis to close or clear a passage, comprises the steps of:
- mounting the barrier in oscillating manner so that it can rotate about the vertical axis, so that, when at rest, it remains in front of the passage to block it and can rotate to clear the passage; and
- mounting on the barrier an exclusively mechanical device capable of detecting a push on the barrier towards the opening direction when the barrier is in the rest position, and
[0006] Thanks to the method the rotatable barrier becomes convenient to use: a gentle push on the barrier toward the opening direction is enough to activate the device and triggers the automatic rotation of the barrier. For example, a person with their hands full, an elderly person, or someone with walking difficulties can easily move the barrier.
[0007] In one embodiment, the barrier is mounted in a swinging manner so that it can rotate at least 90 degrees about the vertical axis, so that, when at rest, it remains in front of the passage to block it and can rotate 90 degrees to clear the passage.
[0008] In one embodiment, said device is able to react to said push by rotating the barrier 90 degrees towards the opening direction.
[0009] In one embodiment, the barrier is mounted swingingly such that it can rotate 180 degrees overall.
[0010] In one embodiment, the barrier is mounted so that in order to clear the passage it can rotate 90 degrees clockwise and 90 degrees counterclockwise.
[0011] In one embodiment, the barrier is mounted cantilevered on a vertical wall of a furniture item placed next to the passage or on a fixed structure placed next to the passage.
[0012] According to one aspect of the invention, a barrier, rotatable about a vertical axis with respect to a fixed structure to clear or close a passage, comprises:
an exclusively mechanical device comprising means for
- detecting a push on the barrier tending to rotate the barrier towards an opening direction when the barrier is closed and closes the passage, and
- reacting to said push by rotating the barrier with respect to the fixed structure towards the opening direction until the passage is clear.
[0014] In one embodiment said device comprises means for
- detecting a push on the barrier tending to rotate the barrier towards an opening direction, and
- reacting to said push by rotating the barrier 90 degrees towards the opening direction with respect to the fixed structure.
[0015] In one embodiment of the device, said means comprise:
- a cam member comprising a cam surface developing about a longitudinal axis of the cam member;
- a slider mounted to rotate about the cam member by sliding on the cam surface;
- means for pushing, preferably elastically, the slider against the cam surface;
the cam surface comprises
a first cam surface shaped to maintain the relative position of the slider and the cam member in stable equilibrium for small angular movements of the barrier with respect to the barrier's rest position, and
a second cam surface, angularly adjacent to the first surface, shaped to force the relative sliding of the slider and the second surface so that the slider rotates about the cam member, e.g. 90 degrees, and generates a torque in the device that causes the barrier to rotate correspondingly.
[0016] In one embodiment, the cam surface comprises a third cam surface, angularly adjacent to the first surface and opposite to the second surface, for forcing the relative sliding of the slider and the third cam surface so that the slider rotates about the cam member, e.g. by 90 degrees, in a direction opposite to that imposed by the second cam surface and generates a torque in the device that correspondingly rotates the barrier in a direction opposite to the direction induced by the second cam surface.
[0017] In one embodiment, the cam member extends coaxially with the barrier's axis of rotation and is integral with the furniture item or a floor, while the slider is slidably contained in a casing mounted within the barrier. Preferably, the casing comprises an internal cavity to rotatably house the slider and slidably house the means for pushing so as to move them together with the barrier.
[0018] In one embodiment, the longitudinal axis of the cam member is parallel to the axis of rotation of the barrier.
[0019] In a different embodiment, the slider is mounted integrally with the furniture item or the floor and the cam member is integral with the barrier and can rotate with it.
[0020] In one embodiment the cam member has a head and a stem, wherein the head comprises the cam side surface of the cam member and comprises a first surface and a second surface that are adapted for abutment and permanent contact for the slider.
[0021] In one embodiment, the first surface is configured to maintain the relative position of the slider and the cam member in stable equilibrium for small angular displacements about the vertical axis of the barrier with respect to the rest position.
[0022] In one embodiment, the first surface comprises or is constituted of a recess or concavity facing the outside of the cam member for housing a distal portion of the slider; preferably, the recess is of a shape complementary to the distal portion.
[0024] In one embodiment, the first surface comprises or consists of a flat surface lying in a plane orthogonal to a plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the cam member.
[0026] In one embodiment, the second surface is shaped so as to cause the slider to slide on the second surface under the push of the means for pushing.
[0027] In one embodiment, the second surface has a curvature such that it causes the slider to slide on the second surface under the push of the means for pushing.
[0028] In one embodiment the second surface is convex with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cam member.
[0029] In one embodiment, the second surface converges toward the longitudinal axis of the cam member as the second surface develops about such axis away from the first surface.
[0030] In one embodiment, the second surface has a development defined as follows: let D1 be the distance between the longitudinal axis of the cam member and a first point of the second surface in proximity to the first surface, and let D2 be the distance between said axis and a second point of the second surface in proximity to the first or second dead point, it always holds that D1 > D2; and let D be the distance from said axis relating to the intermediate points of the second surface between said first and second point, then the relationship D2 < D < D1 holds.
[0031] In one embodiment, the second surface is flat and lies in a first plane that is orthogonal to a second plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the cam member.
[0032] In one embodiment, the second surface has a development such that a first plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the cam member, and a plane tangent to the second surface at the point where the first plane intersects the second surface, form an angle, wherein said angle, which opens towards and contains the first surface, is an obtuse angle.
[0033] In one embodiment, said head is rotatably inserted into the casing, and the stem protrudes from the casing and is fixed integrally to the wall or the floor; the head being housed in the cavity and being in constant contact with the slider thanks to the thrust developed by the means for pushing.
[0034] In one embodiment, the third surface is shaped to cooperate with the slider and achieve the same technical effect as the second surface on the slider, only with an opposite direction of rotation. For example, the second and third surfaces are identical and/or have polar symmetry with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cam member.
[0035] In one embodiment the first dead point and/or the second dead point is a surface recess or concavity on the second or third surface.
[0036] In one embodiment, the cam member is integral with the barrier while the casing, containing the slider and the means for pushing, is integral with the furniture item or the floor.
[0037] In one embodiment, the access is associated with a wall dividing two rooms, and preferably consists of a passage opening between the rooms.
[0038] In one embodiment, the furniture item is placed against the wall and on one side of the opening; the barrier is hinged to one side of the furniture item.
[0039] In particular, the furniture item is a column furniture item and/or is combined with other furniture items aligned along the wall to form a wider furniture item.
[0040] In one embodiment, the furniture item comprises, for example, a compartment that defines a space - e.g. open toward the outside - delimited by a bottom, a top, two vertical side walls spaced apart by the width of the compartment, and a rear wall.
[0041] In one embodiment, the barrier is hinged flush with the furniture item so that the barrier's lying plane can be coplanar with an imaginary plane passing through the front edges of the furniture item. Specifically, the barrier is mounted to be coplanar with the front edges of the compartment. In this way, the barrier is mounted
to remain suspended cantilevered in front of the passage, and
to remain suspended in front of the passage at a certain distance from the passage, and
to be able to remain suspended in front of the passage in a position parallel to the wall.
[0042] In one embodiment the barrier is hinged about a vertical axis that is external to the furniture item.
[0043] In one embodiment, the head has a mirror shape with respect to a plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the cam member.
[0044] In one embodiment, the head has a mirror shape with respect to two planes passing through the longitudinal axis of the cam member, wherein the two planes are orthogonal to each other.
[0045] In one embodiment, the device is configured to allow the barrier to be closed and automatically returned to its rest position. To this end, the cam member is mounted rotated so that the slider, when at rest, lies at the dead point or at one of the dead points.
[0047] In one embodiment of the device, the means for pushing comprise a mechanical compression or tension spring, preferably with a hydraulic damper, e.g. by means of oil passage.
[0049] In one embodiment, the barrier is a door or panel that rotates about a vertical axis to close or clear a passage.
[0050] In one embodiment, the cam member is fixed with respect to the rotation of the barrier and the slider is mounted on the edge of the barrier; in another embodiment, the cam member is mounted on the edge of the barrier and the slider is fixed with respect to the rotation of the barrier.
[0052] Another aspect of the invention relates to an assembly comprising:
said barrier equipped with said device, and
said passage and/or said furniture item or fixed structure.
[0053] The advantages of the invention will be further clarified by preferred embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
- Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a passage and a related rotatable barrier;
- Figures 2 and 6 show a plan view of a pin;
- Figure 3 shows a three-dimensional view of the pin;
- Figure 4 shows a vertical cross-section of an automatic opening device for the rotatable barrier;
- Figure 5 shows a horizontal cross-section of an automatic opening device for the rotatable barrier.
[0054] One embodiment concerns a rotatable barrier such as a door 10 which is rotatable about a vertical axis X (fig. 1) to close or clear an opening 26. Preferably the door 10 is hinged about the X axis to a wall 20 of a furniture item 24 resting on a floor 96. For example, the opening 26 is formed in a wall 92 adjacent to the furniture item 24. In a rest position the door 10 is substantially orthogonal to the wall 20 to prevent access to the opening 26, i.e. the plane of the door 10 hinders passage through the opening 26 and the door 10 is parallel to the wall 92.
[0055] In one embodiment, the door 10 from the rest position is able to rotate 90 degrees about the X axis only in any of the two possible opposite directions of rotation, to give access to the passage 26, see arrows F1.
[0056] In one embodiment, to give access to the passage 26, the door 10, from the rest position, is able to rotate 90 degrees in either direction. Therefore, overall, the door 10 can rotate 180 degrees about the X axis, see arrow F2.
[0057] After said 90 degree rotation, the door 10 is substantially parallel to the wall 20 and orthogonal to the wall 92. To obtain the aforementioned rotations, a rotation device 30 is mounted on the door 10, see Figs. 2-5.
[0058] In one embodiment the device 30 comprises
a cam member 50 having a longitudinal axis coinciding with the X axis,
a slider 70 mounted to rotate around the cam member 50 and the X-axis by sliding on a side cam surface of the cam member 50, and
means 90 for pushing the slider 70 against the side cam surface of the cam member 50 along a Y-axis lying in a plane orthogonal to the X-axis. The Y-axis is horizontal in Fig. 1.
[0059] In one embodiment, the means 90 push the slider 70 against the cam member 50 elastically. In one embodiment, the means 90 is a gas spring or a compression spring or a tension spring.
[0060] The cam member 50 extends coaxially with the X-axis and is integral with the furniture item 24 or the floor 96, while the slider 70 is slidably contained in a casing 72 mounted in the door 10, e.g. on the lower side of the door 10. For this purpose, the casing 72 comprises an internal cavity 74 to rotatably house the slider 70 and slidably house the means 90 so as to move them together with the door 10. In a different embodiment, the slider 70 is mounted integral with the furniture item 24 or the floor 96 and the cam member 50 is integral with the door 10 and can rotate with it.
[0061] In essence, only the relative rotation between the slider 70 and the cam member 50 is essential to generate a torque that rotates the door 10 by 90 degrees in one direction or in two opposite directions. It is the thrust of the means 90 that induces the relative displacement of the slider 70 and the Y-axis with respect to the cam member 50, that is, the slider 70 is forced by the force developed by the means 90 to rotate about the X-axis.
[0062] In one embodiment the cam side surface of the cam member 50 (Fig. 3) comprises a first surface 60 and a second surface 62 which are for abutment and permanent contact for the slider 70.
[0063] The first surface 60 is configured to maintain the relative position of the slider 70 and the cam member 50 in stable equilibrium for small angular displacements about the X-axis of the door 10 with respect to the rest position (due e.g. to an air current or insufficient manual push on the door 10).
[0064] In one embodiment, the first surface 60 comprises or is constituted of a recess or concavity 64 facing the outside of the cam member 50 to accommodate a distal portion 76 of the slider 70; preferably, the recess 64 has a shape complementary to the distal portion 76.
[0065] In one embodiment, the first surface 60 comprises a dead point 68 for the quasi-stable stopping of the slider 70 in the rest position.
[0067] In one embodiment, the first surface 60 comprises or consists of a flat surface lying in a plane orthogonal to a plane passing through the X-axis.
[0068] The second surface 62 is angularly adjacent to the first surface 60 and is shaped so as to induce the sliding of the slider 70 on the second surface 62 under the thrust of the means 90. This sliding occurs so that the slider 70 rotates on and around the cam member 50 by 90 degrees generating a torque on the casing 72 which, transmitted to the door 10, causes it to rotate correspondingly about the X axis.
[0070] In one embodiment, the second surface 62 has a curvature such as to induce the slider 70 to slide on the second surface 62 under the thrust of the means 90.
[0072] In one embodiment, the second surface 62 comprises a (first) dead point 78 located on an opposite edge of the second surface 62. The point 78 serves to stabilize the door 10 when it is rotated 90 degrees.
[0073] In one embodiment, the second surface 62 converges towards the X axis as the second surface 62 develops around the X axis away from the first surface 60. In one embodiment, the second surface 62 has a development defined as follows, see fig. 2. Considering the distance D1 between the X axis and a first point of the surface 62 in proximity to the first surface 60, and considering the distance D2 between the X axis and a second point of the surface 62 in proximity to the first or second dead point 78, 78b, D1 > D2 is always valid; and for the distance D from the X axis relating to the intermediate points of the surface 62 between the first and second point, D2 < D < D1 is valid.
[0074] In one embodiment, the second surface 62 is flat and lies in a first plane that is orthogonal to a second plane passing through the X-axis.
[0075] In one embodiment, the second surface 62 has a development defined as follows, see fig. 6. Considering a first plane P1 passing through the X axis and a plane P2 tangent to the second surface 62 at the point where the plane P1 intersects it, the angle α between the planes P1, P2 which opens towards and contains the first surface 60, is an obtuse angle.
[0076] In one embodiment, the cam member 50 has a head 52 (Figs. 2 and 3) and a stem 74, and the head 52 comprises the cam side surface of the cam member 50 (Fig. 3). In one embodiment, the head 52 (Figs. 2 and 3) is rotatably inserted inside the casing 72, and the stem 74 protrudes from the casing 72 and is fixed integrally to the wall 20 or the floor 96. The head 52 is housed in the cavity 74 and is in constant contact with the slider 70 due to the thrust developed by the means 90.
OPERATION
[0077] When the door 10 is in the rest position (fig. 1) the slider 70 rests on the first surface 60, in particular the distal portion 76 is contained in the recess 64. The first surface 60, e.g. the concave surface of the recess 64, requires that the door 10 be pushed manually and rotated by a non-negligible angle to push the slider 70 out of the first surface 60, e.g. out of the recess 64. Otherwise the door 10 does not move or at most oscillates slightly about the X axis to return to the rest position, a movement corresponding to the slider 70 traveling back and forth along the first surface 60, e.g. the walls of the recess 64, without going beyond it.
[0078] With a sufficient push on the door 10, a person is able to transfer the slider 70 from the first surface 60 to the second surface 62, e.g. by stepping over the recess 64. When the slider 70 reaches the second surface 62, the constant push of the means 90 on the slider 70 begins to take effect and causes the slider 70 to slide onto the second surface 62. The slider 70 then slides on the second surface 62, moving away from the first surface 60, and travels along the entire second surface 62 until it reaches the dead point 78. This travel of the slider 70, which is rotated by 90 degrees about the X-axis, corresponds to the autonomous rotation (i.e. without manual push) of the door 10 by 90 degrees relative to the rest position, see arrow F1.
[0079] One embodiment envisages that the door 10 is able to open automatically by rotating 90 degrees in one opening direction only, and only one second surface 62 is sufficient, see arrow F1.
[0080] One embodiment envisages that the door 10 is able to open automatically by rotating 90 degrees in two opening directions opposite to the rest position, see arrows F2. For this purpose, the cam member 50 also comprises a third surface 66, angularly adjacent to the first surface 60 and opposite to the second surface 62, and preferably a second dead point 78b relative to the third surface 66.
[0081] The second dead point 78b is located on the cam member 50 in a position diametrically opposite to the first dead point 78.
[0082] The third surface 66 is shaped to cooperate with the slider 70 and achieve the same technical effect as the second surface 62 on the slider 70, only with an opposite direction of rotation. For example, the second and third surfaces 62, 66 are identical and/or have polar symmetry with respect to the X-axis.
[0083] In one embodiment, the dead point 68 is a surface recess or concavity on the first surface 60, for added stability of the door 10.
[0084] In one embodiment either the dead point 78 and/or the second dead point 78b is a surface recess or concavity on the second or third surface 62, 66, for added stability of the door 10.
[0085] In one embodiment, the cam member 50 is integral with the door 10 while the casing 72, containing the slider 70 and the means 90, is integral with the furniture item 24 or the floor 96.
[0086] In one embodiment, the access 26 is associated with a wall 92 dividing two rooms, and preferably consists of a passage opening between the rooms.
[0087] In one embodiment, the furniture item 24 is placed against the wall 20 and on one side of the opening 12; the door 10 is hinged to one side of the furniture item 24.
[0088] In particular, the furniture item 24 is a column furniture item and/or is associated with other furniture items aligned along the wall 92 to form a wider furniture item.
[0089] The furniture item 24 comprises, for example, a compartment that defines a space - e.g. open toward the outside - delimited by a bottom, a top, two vertical side walls spaced apart by the width of the compartment and a rear wall.
[0090] In one embodiment, the door 10 is hinged flush with the furniture item 24 so that the plane of the door 10 can be coplanar with an imaginary plane that passes through the front edges of the furniture item 24. In particular, the door 10 is mounted to be coplanar with the front edges of the compartment. In this way, the door is mounted
to remain suspended cantilevered in front of the passage 26, and
to remain suspended in front of the passage 26 at a certain distance from the passage 26, and
to be able to remain suspended in front of the passage 26 in a position parallel to the wall 92.
[0091] In one embodiment, the door 10 is hinged about the X-axis which is external to the furniture item 24. For this purpose, in one embodiment, the furniture item 24 comprises two rigid spacer supports 88 which are - in use - fixed to the top and bottom of the furniture item 24 aligned along a vertical axis. Each support 88 is mounted to extend cantilevered from one side of the furniture item 24 in a horizontal direction. For example, each support 88 supports at its free end a hinge for the door 10. In at least one of the two hinges, the cam member 50 of a device 30 is mounted.
[0092] In one embodiment, the head 52 has a mirror shape with respect to a plane passing through the X-axis, so its mounting in the casing 72 is simplified (it works the same way even if it is rotated 180 degrees).
[0093] In one embodiment, the head 52 has a mirror shape with respect to two planes passing through the X axis, where the two planes are orthogonal to each other (it works in the same way even if it is rotated by 180 degrees and the dynamics of the door 10 are the same for the two opening directions).
[0094] In one embodiment, the device 30 can allow the door 10 to be closed to automatically return it to the rest position. It is sufficient to mount the cam member 50 rotated 90 degrees with respect to that illustrated in Fig. 5; that is, the slider 70 at rest lies at the dead center 78. Thus, the same torque that previously developed to rotate the door 10 from the rest position to an open position now rotates the door 10 from the open position to the rest position
1. Barrier rotatable about a vertical axis relative to a fixed structure to clear or
close a passage, comprising:
an exclusively mechanical device comprising means for
- detecting a push on the barrier tending to rotate the barrier towards an opening direction when the barrier is in the rest position and closes the passage, and
- reacting to said push by rotating the barrier relative to the fixed structure towards the opening direction until the passage is cleared.
2. Barrier according to claim 1, wherein said means comprise:
- a cam member comprising a cam surface extending around a longitudinal axis of the cam member;
- a slider mounted to rotate about the cam member by sliding on the cam surface;
- means for pushing the slider against the cam surface; wherein
the cam surface comprises- a first cam surface shaped to maintain the relative position of the slider and the cam member in stable equilibrium for small angular movements of the barrier with respect to the rest position of the barrier, and
- a second cam surface, angularly adjacent to the first surface, shaped to force the relative sliding of the slider and the second surface so that the slider rotates around the cam member and generates a torque in the device that causes the barrier to rotate correspondingly.
3. Barrier according to claim 2, wherein the longitudinal axis of the cam member is parallel
to the axis of rotation of the barrier, the cam member being integral with a furniture
item or a floor, while the slider is contained slidably in a casing mounted in the
barrier.
4. Barrier according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first surface comprises or consists
of a recess or concavity facing the outside of the cam member for accommodating a
distal portion of the slider.
5. Barrier according to claim 2 or 3 or 4, wherein the second surface is convex with
respect to the longitudinal axis of the cam member.
6. Barrier according to claim 2 or 3 or 4 or 5, wherein the second surface converges
toward the longitudinal axis of the cam member as the second surface extends about
said axis away from the first surface.
7. Barrier according to claim 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6, wherein the cam surface comprises
a third cam surface, angularly adjacent to the first surface and opposite to the second
surface, to force the relative sliding of the slider and the third cam surface so
that the slider rotates around the cam member in the opposite direction to that imposed
by the second cam surface and generates in the device a torque that correspondingly
rotates the barrier in the opposite direction to the direction induced by the second
cam surface.
8. Barrier according to claim 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7, wherein the cam member has
a mirror shape with respect to a plane passing through its longitudinal axis of the
cam member.
9. Assembly comprising:
• a passage;
• a furniture item or a fixed structure;
• a barrier according to any preceding claim, the barrier being hinged to the furniture item or the fixed structure to rotate about a vertical axis so as to close or clear the passage.
10. Method for mounting a barrier, which is rotatable about a vertical rotation axis to
close or clear a passage, comprises the steps of:
- mounting the barrier in a swinging manner such that it can rotate at least 90 degrees about the vertical axis, so that, when at rest, it remains in front of the passage to block it and can rotate 90 degrees to clear the passage; and
- mounting on the barrier an exclusively mechanical device capable of
∘ detecting a push on the barrier towards the opening direction when the barrier is in the rest position, and
∘ reacting to said push by rotating the barrier 90 degrees towards the opening direction.