DEVICE FOR TESTING AN AUTOMATIC DOOR MOTOR

Abstract

A device configured to test a motor configured to close a door, the device comprising: a piston within a cylinder; a spring mounted within the cylinder in conjunction with the piston, the spring being movable between a compressed configuration and an extended configuration to move the piston; and a trigger assembly attached to the cylinder. When unlocked, the trigger assembly releases the spring to move from the compressed configuration to the extended configuration, pushing the piston outward from the retracted position to the extended position. The spring is configured to exert a predetermined amount of force on the piston, which is expected to activate the motor to swing the door and engage a door latch with a door catch.

Description

INTRODUCTION The present invention relates to a device for testing a motor of an automatic door. Automatic doors contain a motor configured to open and close the door, or at least to assist a user in opening and closing it. The motor can be configured to move the door from an open to a closed position in response to a light push from the user. To open the door, a button or lever is typically pressed to unlock it. The motor is then activated to further open the door in response to a light push from the user. The testing of the functionality of motors, particularly with regard to their mechanical parameters such as internal resistances but also their output variables (power, force, torque), is usually carried out using easily controllable and calibrated test benches or corresponding setups. Reference is made in this regard to DE 10 2023 120 195 B3. SUMMARY According to the invention, a device with the features of claim 1 is presented, which is configured to test a motor that is configured to close a door. The device comprises: a cylinder; a piston located inside the cylinder and extending from within the cylinder, the piston being movable between a retracted position and an extended position; a spring located inside the cylinder in conjunction with the piston, the spring being movable between a compressed configuration and an extended configuration to move the piston from the retracted position to the extended position; and a trigger assembly located on the cylinder and being movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the trigger assembly being configured in the locked position to interact with the piston to hold the piston in the retracted position and to maintain the spring in the compressed configuration.While the trigger assembly in the unlocked position does not interact with the piston, the spring is released to move from the compressed to the extended configuration, pushing the piston outward from the retracted to the extended position. The spring is configured to push the piston from the retracted to the extended position with a predetermined amount of force, which is expected to activate the motor to swing the door and engage a door latch with a door striker. According to further characteristics, the spring is a compression spring. According to further features, the trigger assembly includes a pin that is movable in and out of interaction with the piston; wherein, in the locked position of the trigger assembly, the pin interacts with the piston to hold the piston in the retracted position, while in the unlocked position, the pin is decoupled from the piston to allow the piston to move from the retracted position to the extended position. According to further features, the trigger arrangement also includes a lever that interacts with the pin to move the pin, so that actuation of the lever moves the pin out of interaction with the piston. According to further characteristics, the specified amount of force is only sufficient to activate the motor to swing the door and to bring the door bolt into contact with the door closing bar if the motor has a specified frictional torque or less than a specified frictional torque. According to further characteristics, the specified amount of force is expected to overcome the friction of the motor in order to activate the motor to swing the door and bring the door bolt into contact with the door closing bar. According to further features, the spring is configured to exert the specified amount of force against the door when the door is opened to a specified opening distance between the door bolt and the door closer, where the specified opening distance is equal to the total length of the device with the piston in the retracted position. According to further features, a preload element is configured to return the trigger arrangement to the locked position after it has been moved to the unlocked position. Another apparatus, configured to test a door motor, comprises: a cylinder; a piston rod seated within the cylinder and extending from the interior of the cylinder, the piston rod being movable between a retracted position and an extended position; a compression spring located within the cylinder in conjunction with the piston rod, the compression spring being movable between a compressed configuration and an extended configuration to move the piston rod from the retracted position to the extended position; and a trigger assembly attached to the cylinder and movable by a lever in conjunction with a pin between a locked position and an unlocked position, the pin engaging with the piston rod in the locked position.to hold the piston rod in the retracted position and maintain the compression spring in the compressed configuration, while the pin is decoupled from the piston rod in the unlocked position, thus releasing the compression spring to move from the compressed configuration to the extended configuration and to push the piston rod outward from the retracted position to the extended position. The compression spring is configured to push the piston rod with a predetermined amount of force, which is expected to activate the motor and overcome the motor's friction to cause the motor to pivot the door outward from the retracted position to the extended position a distance sufficient to bring a door bolt into contact with a door strike plate. According to further characteristics, the specified amount of force is sufficient to activate the motor to swing the door and to bring the door bolt into contact with the door closing bar if the motor has a specified frictional torque or less than a specified frictional torque. Furthermore, a method for testing a motor configured to close a door is described. The method includes the following: placing a test device in a locked position, in which a piston rod of the test device is in a retracted position within a cylinder; a trigger arrangement interacts with the piston rod to hold the test device in the locked position; and a spring is located within the cylinder, interacting with the piston rod in a compressed configuration, which stores a predetermined amount of force expected to activate the motor to pivot the door to engage a door bolt with a door closer.Opening the door to a distance equal to the maximum overall length of the test device with the piston rod in the retracted position, as measured between the door bolt and the door striker; positioning the test device between an operator and the door, with a distal end of the piston rod in contact with an outer surface of the door at a height generally aligned with the door bolt and the door striker; actuating the trigger assembly to disengage the trigger assembly from the piston rod, thereby releasing the spring to move from the compressed configuration to an extended position and push the piston rod outward from the retracted position against the door with the predetermined amount of force to activate the motor and pivot the door;Determine that the motor is acceptable if, in response to the specified amount of force, the motor pivots the door to bring the door bolt into contact with the door striker; and determine that the motor is unacceptable if, in response to the specified amount of force, the motor fails to pivot the door by the amount of travel required to bring the door bolt into contact with the door striker. According to further characteristics, the specified amount of force is expected to overcome the friction of the motor in order to activate the motor, to swing the door and to bring the door bolt into contact with the door closing bar. According to further features, the motor is a first motor with a first frictional torque, the method further comprising replacing the first motor with a second motor with a second frictional torque that is smaller than the first frictional torque, after the first motor has been deemed unacceptable. According to further characteristics, the specified amount of force is only sufficient to activate the motor, to swing the door and to bring the door bolt into contact with the door closing bar if the motor meets a specified friction torque requirement. Further features include the actuation of the trigger assembly involving the downward pressing of a lever attached to the cylinder to unlock the trigger assembly from interaction with the piston rod, with a preload element configured to return the lever to the locked position after downward pressing. Further applications of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description, the claims, and the drawings. The detailed description and the specific examples serve only for illustration. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings; these show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a test apparatus of the present invention configured to test the ability of a motor to close a door, illustrating a piston rod of the test apparatus in an extended position; Fig. 2 a perspective view of the test apparatus with the piston rod in a retracted position; Fig. 3 a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 the test apparatus positioned against a door to be tested, the test apparatus configured with the piston rod in the retracted position; and Fig. 5 the test apparatus after a trigger arrangement thereof has been activated to release the piston rod into the door to close the door. Reference symbols can be used multiple times in the drawings to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention is generally directed to a test apparatus configured to test an automatic door motor. The motor can be configured to close any suitable door, such as a motor vehicle door. The motor can also be configured to close any suitable non-motor vehicle door. The test apparatus of the present invention is configured to test the motor of any suitable motor vehicle or non-motor vehicle door. Although the present invention focuses on the motor configured to close a door, the motor can also be configured to open a door. The motor provides assistance to the user to facilitate the closing of a door (and optionally the opening of a door), such as a relatively large door of an SUV. The motor is configured to move the door from an open to a closed position in response to a light push from the user. For example, a gentle push activates the motor, rotating the door inwards until a bolt engages a locking bar on the door frame in a securing position. The locking bar, bolt, and latching mechanism then work together to pull the door inwards into a locked position, ensuring a smooth and quiet closing action. For the motor to be acceptable, it must typically be configured to respond to a predetermined amount of force applied by the user when the user pushes on the door, causing it to swing open and engage the door latch with the door catch. The predetermined amount of force is determined based on what is considered an acceptable amount of force for the user to apply. This predetermined amount of force may, for example, be specified by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The test apparatus of the present invention is configured to apply a predetermined amount of force to the door in order to test whether the door motor is acceptable. With the door open, as described below, the test apparatus can be used to apply the predetermined amount of force to the door. If the motor is activated in response to receiving the predetermined amount of force and the door pivots far enough for the door bolt to engage with the strike plate, then the motor is determined to be acceptable. However, if the motor fails to rotate the door far enough in response to the predetermined amount of force for the door bolt to engage with the strike plate, then the motor is determined to be unacceptable. The motor may be unacceptable for various reasons; for example, the motor may have excessive friction. The excessive friction may be caused, for example, by...This could be a result of the windings receiving too much current, the magnets being too strong, etc. Figures 1-3 illustrate an example of a test apparatus 10 according to the present invention, configured to test a motor configured to close (and optionally open) a door. The door can be a motor vehicle door (see, for example, Figures 4 and 5) or any suitable non-motor vehicle door. With regard to motor vehicle doors, the door can be, for example, that of an SUV. The test apparatus 10 is configured to apply a predetermined amount of force to the door to determine whether, in response to the predetermined amount of force, the motor can pivot the door far enough to bring a door bolt into contact with a door striker. If the motor fails to pivot the door far enough in response to the predetermined amount of force to bring the door bolt into contact with the door striker, then the motor is considered unsuitable. The test apparatus 10 generally comprises a cylinder 20 and a piston rod 30, which is slidably located within the cylinder 20. A first end of the cylinder 20 is closed with an end cap 22. A plug 24 is located at a second end of the cylinder 20, opposite the first end and the end cap 22. The plug 24 defines an opening through which the piston rod 30 extends. Specifically, in Fig. 3, a proximal end 32 of the piston rod 30 remains within the cylinder 20. A distal end 34 of the piston rod 30 is located outside the cylinder 20 and is covered by a bumper 36. Inside the cylinder 20 is a spring 50. The spring 50 interacts with the piston rod 30 and the cylinder 20, for example at the end cap 22. The spring 50 can be any suitable preloading element, such as a compression spring. The spring 50 is movable between a compressed configuration (Fig. 3) and an extended configuration to move the piston rod 30 from a retracted position (Figs. 2 and 3) to an extended position (Fig. 1). The spring 50 is configured to store a predetermined amount of force in its compressed position, which is expected to activate a motor to swing a door and engage a door bolt with a door closer. The spring 50 is therefore configured to move the piston rod 30 from the retracted position to the extended position with the predetermined amount of force. The predetermined amount of force is determined based on what is considered an acceptable force for the user to apply to the door to close it. The predetermined amount of force can be any suitable amount of force. For example, the predetermined amount of force may be specified by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM).Any suitable measuring device or force gauge can be used to measure the amount of force exerted by the piston rod 30 to confirm that the specified amount of force is being exerted. If the specified amount of force is not being exerted, the test apparatus 10 can be modified in any suitable way. For example, the spring 50 can be replaced with a stronger or weaker spring if necessary. The test device 10 further comprises a trigger assembly 60. The trigger assembly 60 is attached to the cylinder 20 in some suitable manner. According to the illustrated example, the trigger assembly 60 is attached to the cylinder 20 by means of a bracket 62. The trigger assembly 60 comprises a lever 70, which may alternatively take the form of any suitable actuator, such as a button, a trigger, etc. The lever 70 is attached to the bracket 62 in some suitable manner so that it is pivotable about a pivot point 72. The lever 70 interacts with a pin 80. The pin 80 is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position. In the locked position, the pin 80 interacts with the piston rod 30, for example, via a recess 38 defined by the piston rod 30.In the unlocked position, the pin 80 is released from its interaction with the piston rod 30 to allow the spring 50 to move the piston rod 30 with the specified amount of force from the retracted position (Fig. 2 and Fig. 3) to the extended position (Fig. 1). The lever 70 is pivotable about the pivot point 72 to move the pin 80 from the locked position to the unlocked position. Specifically, when the lever 70 is pressed, it pivots about the pivot point 72 to pull the pin 80 upwards and out of contact with the piston rod 30, thus allowing the spring 50 to extend and move the piston rod 30 from the retracted position to the extended position with the specified amount of force. A preload element 90 is located between the bracket 62 and the lever 70 and is attached to the lever 70 by a fastener 92. After the lever 70 is released, the preload element 90 pushes the lever 70 upwards, which pushes the pin 80 back downwards against the piston rod 30.When the piston rod 30 is pushed back into the cylinder 20 to the retracted position, the pin 80 engages again in the recess 38 to lock the piston rod 30 in the retracted position. Figures 1-3, and additionally Figures 4 and 5, describe an exemplary method for using the test device 10 to test a motor configured to close a door. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a door 110 of an exemplary vehicle 120 and a motor 150 configured to close the door 110 (and optionally also to open the door 110). The door 110 includes a latch 130 configured to interact with a locking bar 140 attached to a door frame. The door 110 is an exemplary door; the present invention applies to any suitable motor vehicle or non-motor vehicle door configured to close automatically using a suitable motor. In response to a user lightly pressing on the door 110 when it is open, the motor 150 is configured to activate and pull the door 110 inward until the bolt 130 engages with the strike plate 140. The motor 150 can be any suitable motor configured to provide powered assistance to close the door 110. For example, the motor 150 can work in conjunction with a linear actuator connected to the door 110 to move the linear actuator, thus rotating the door and causing the bolt 130 to engage with the strike plate 140. The motor 150 may further be configured to close the door completely, or the door 110 may contain any suitable soft-closing mechanism to close the door 110 completely after the motor 150 has brought the bolt 130 into interaction with the locking bar 140.In some cases, the motor 150 may be unable, in response to the specified amount of force being applied to the door, to move the door 110 in order to engage the bolt 130 with the strike plate 140. The motor 150 may, for example, have excessive friction. This friction could result from, for example, the windings receiving too much current, the magnets being too strong, etc. The test apparatus 10 is configured to test the motor 150 to determine whether it can rotate the door 110 far enough to engage the bolt 130 with the strike plate 140 when the specified amount of force is applied to the door 110. To test the motor 150 (or any other suitable motor), the test apparatus 10 is set with the piston rod 30 in the retracted position (Figs. 2, 3, and 4) with the spring 50 compressed. To set the piston rod 30 in the retracted position and compress the spring 50, the piston rod 30 is pushed inward until the pin 80 engages with the recess 38. The door 110 is then opened to a distance equal to a maximum total length of the test device 10 with the piston rod 30 in the retracted position, as measured between the bolt 130 and the locking bar 140.The distance by which the door 110 is open can be any suitable distance, with the same distance being maintained throughout the entire test for consistency. Next, the test device 10 is positioned between an operator (e.g., at the operator's hip) and the door 110, so that the bumper 36 is in contact with an outer surface of the door 110 at a height generally aligned with the latch 130 of the door 110 and the strike plate 140, as illustrated in Fig. 4. In Fig. 5, the operator then actuates the lever 70 to withdraw the pin 80 from the piston rod 30, thus decoupling the trigger assembly 60 from the piston rod 30. As a result, the spring 50 is free to move from the compressed configuration to the extended position and push the piston rod 30 outward from the retracted position against the door 110 with the predetermined amount of force, thereby activating the motor 150 to pivot the door 110 inward. If, in response to being moved by the specified amount of force exerted by the test device 10, the motor 150 pivots the door 110 to bring the bolt 130 into contact with the strike plate 140, the motor 150 is determined to be acceptable. However, if the motor 150 fails to pivot the door sufficiently to bring the bolt 130 into contact with the strike plate 140 in response to being moved by the specified amount of force exerted by the test device 10, the motor 150 is determined to be unacceptable. An unacceptable motor may be replaced by a substitute motor with a frictional torque that is lower than that of the unacceptable motor.The specified amount of force is only sufficient to activate the motor 150 and pivot the door 110 far enough to bring the bolt 130 into contact with the locking bar 140 if the motor 150 has a frictional torque equal to or less than a specified frictional torque requirement, which may be defined, for example, by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The test device 10 is therefore configured to test the frictional torque of the motor 150. The test device 10 is suitable for use at any stage of manufacturing and assembly, or after manufacturing and assembly. For example, the test device 10 is suitable for use in end-of-line testing in a production plant, maintenance facility, testing laboratory, etc., to determine whether the motor is suitable for its intended use (e.g., to determine whether the motor has a suitable frictional torque).

Claims

Device (10) configured to test a motor (150) configured to close a door (110), the device (10) comprising: a cylinder (20); a piston (30) located within the cylinder (20) and extending from within the cylinder (20), the piston (30) being movable between a retracted position and an extended position; a spring (50) located within the cylinder (20) in conjunction with the piston (30), the spring (50) being movable between a compressed configuration and an extended configuration to move the piston (30) from the retracted position to the extended position; and a trigger assembly (60) located on the cylinder (20) and being movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the trigger assembly (60) being configured in the locked position to interact with the piston (30).to hold the piston (30) in the retracted position and maintain the spring (50) in the compressed configuration, while the trigger assembly (60) in the unlocked position does not interact with the piston (30), thereby releasing the spring (50) to move from the compressed configuration to the extended configuration and push the piston (30) outward from the retracted position to the extended position, the spring (50) being configured to push the piston (30) outward from the retracted position to the extended position with a predetermined amount of force, which is expected to activate the motor (150) to pivot the door (110) and bring a door bolt into contact with a door strike plate. Device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the spring (50) is a compression spring. Device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the trigger arrangement (60) includes a pin (80) which is movable in and out of interaction with the piston (30); and the pin (80) interacts with the piston (30) in the locked position of the trigger arrangement (60) to hold the piston (30) in the retracted position, while the pin (80) is decoupled from the piston (30) in the unlocked position to allow the piston (30) to move from the retracted position to the extended position. Device (10) according to claim 3, wherein the trigger arrangement (60) further comprises a lever which interacts with the pin (80) to move the pin (80) such that the actuation of the lever moves the pin (80) out of interaction with the piston (30). Device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount of force is sufficient to activate the motor (150) to pivot the door (110) and to bring the door bolt into contact with the door closing bar only if the motor (150) has a predetermined frictional torque or less than a predetermined frictional torque. Device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount of force is expected to overcome the friction of the motor (150) in order to activate the motor (150) to pivot the door (110) and to bring the door bolt into contact with the door closing bar. Device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the spring (50) is configured to exert the predetermined amount of force against the door (110) when the door (110) is opened to a predetermined opening distance between the door bolt and the door closing bar, wherein the predetermined opening distance is equal to the total length of the device (10) with the piston (30) in the retracted position. Device (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a preloading element (90) configured to return the trigger arrangement (60) to the locked position after it has been moved to the unlocked position.

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