METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING AN ELECTRIC DOOR OPENER

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electric door opener comprising a locking element movable between a blocking position and a release position, an electromagnet for actuating the locking element, and at least one terminal for connecting an electrical supply and / or control line to the door opener, wherein the following steps are carried out to form the at least one terminal: (i) Separately providing a contact element and a clamping screw, wherein the contact element has a screw receptacle with an inner diameter and the clamping screw has a thread with a tightening direction of rotation and an outer diameter, and wherein the outer diameter of the thread is larger than the inner diameter of the screw receptacle, and (ii) screwing the clamping screw into the screw receptacle by means of an automatic screwing device in the tightening direction of rotation to cut a mating thread into the screw receptacle.

[0002] Electric door openers are used for access control at room and building entrances such as doors, gates, and the like. When connected, the electromagnet can be remotely activated and deactivated, for example, using a push button, to adjust the locking mechanism and grant access to the room or building as needed. The locking mechanism can selectively block a latch or bolt of the corresponding door leaf. The electromagnet can have an armature that acts directly or indirectly on the locking mechanism.

[0003] Cutting the counter-thread by screwing in the clamping screw simplifies the manufacture of the door opener insofar as only a single work step is required for the two processes "thread cutting" and "screwing in".

[0004] To cut a complete thread into the screw receptacle, the clamping screw is usually screwed in completely, i.e., until it stops. When connecting the door opener, the installer then has to unscrew the clamping screw slightly to insert the wire end into the contact element. This is time-consuming and inconvenient. Often, initially loosening the clamping screw requires a relatively high amount of force.

[0005] DE 10 2016 113414 A1 discloses a door opener with a connection block body and clamping screws, wherein pressure surfaces are formed on the inner wall of the screw receptacles which interact with the outer edges of the clamping screw heads to hold the clamping screws in a partially screwed-in position.

[0006] In DE 10 2013 114519 A1 a door opener with a connection block is disclosed which has a plug-in receptacle and a clamping screw receptacle for optional connection by plugging in or by screwing.

[0007] DE 14 00 824 A1 discloses a screw designed for thread cutting, which is provided with two consecutive different threads.

[0008] It is therefore an object of the invention to facilitate the installation of electric door openers.

[0009] The problem is solved by a method for manufacturing an electric door opener with the features of claim 1.

[0010] According to the invention, after the mating thread has been cut in step (ii), the clamping screw is turned back by a predetermined angle in the opposite direction to the tightening rotation using the automatic screwing device or another automatic screwing device. The clamping screw is thus partially unscrewed during the manufacturing process. This is particularly easy because the tool of the automatic screwing device is already engaged with the clamping screw after the screwing step for cutting the mating thread. The automatic screwing device therefore only needs to be operated in the opposite direction for a short time. Because the clamping screw is already slightly unscrewed from the screw receptacle when the electric door opener is delivered, the installer is spared the tedious task of unscrewing it on site.For installation, simply insert the end of the cable into the contact element and tighten the clamping screw to fix the supply and / or control cable in its correct position.

[0011] The contact element can be an eyelet made of an electrically conductive material, in particular a solder lug. The terminal block can be integrated into a terminal block. Preferably, a method according to the invention serves to manufacture an electric door opener comprising at least two terminal blocks with respective contact elements and clamping screws, wherein each clamping screw is screwed in according to step (ii) and unscrewed again according to step (iii).

[0012] Preferably, the unscrewing of the clamping screw according to step (iii) is carried out immediately after the screwing in according to step (ii). The tool of the automatic screw device can remain engaged with the screw head during both steps (ii) and (iii). However, it is also possible to remove or even change the tool in between.

[0013] After the clamping screw has been turned back as described in step (iii), the door opener can be placed in an end-product storage area or container. This ensures that the door opener is shipped with the clamping screw turned back as described in step (iii).

[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, in step (i) a contact element is provided which has a screw receptacle that is either threadless or has a profiled groove, in particular a thread. Such contact elements, for example solder lugs, are particularly easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

[0015] In step (ii) a clamping screw with a self-tapping thread can be provided to enable reliable cutting of the mating thread into the screw receptacle.

[0016] A clamping screw with a metric thread can also be provided for fixing, which is used with a contact element with a profiled notch.

[0017] In step (ii), the clamping screw can be screwed in until the screw head of the clamping screw abuts the contact element to ensure that the mating thread is fully cut.

[0018] Preferably, the clamping screw is turned back a predetermined number of full turns in step (iii). Programming the automatic screw device accordingly is particularly simple.

[0019] Another embodiment of the invention provides that in step (iii) the clamping screw is turned back by a smaller angle than it was turned in step (ii), particularly from a state separate from the contact element. It is therefore preferred to only partially unscrew the clamping screw from the screw receptacle, preferably in such a way that the clamping screw is held securely against the contact element.

[0020] It can be provided that in step (i) for the formation of several connection terminals, at least two, preferably two or four, contact elements with associated clamping screws are provided separately, wherein each of the clamping screws is turned into its respective screw receptacle by means of the automatic screwing device in the tightening direction and then backed off by a predetermined angle of rotation in the opposite direction of tightening by means of the automatic screwing device or a further automatic screwing device. Thus, when installing the electric door opener, the installer does not have to loosen any of the existing clamping screws before connecting the cable.

[0021] According to a specific embodiment, at least four terminals are formed, wherein the electromagnet comprises two coils and each coil is connected to at least two terminals. This allows the use of one and the same electric door opener with different electrical voltages depending on the application, for example, optionally with 12 V or 24 V operating voltage.

[0022] Another embodiment of the invention provides that the electromagnet comprises at least one coil defining a coil axis, wherein the coil is attached to or in a door opener housing having a longitudinal axis such that the coil axis runs transversely to the longitudinal axis of the door opener housing.

[0023] The present disclosure also relates to an electric door opener comprising a locking element movable between a blocking position and a release position, an electromagnet for actuating the locking element and at least one terminal for connecting an electrical supply and / or control line to the door opener, wherein at least four terminals are provided, and wherein the electromagnet comprises two coils and each coil is connected to at least two terminals.

[0024] Alternatively or additionally, the electromagnet can comprise at least one coil defining a coil axis, wherein the coil is attached to or in a door opener housing having a longitudinal axis such that the coil axis runs transversely to the longitudinal axis of the door opener housing.

[0025] By installing the coil transversely rather than longitudinally, a better holding force and thus greater security against unauthorized access can be achieved.

[0026] Further developments of the invention can also be found in the dependent claims, the description and the accompanying drawings.

[0027] The invention is described below by way of example with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a simplified representation of a door opener manufactured by a method according to the invention. Fig. 2 shows a terminal block of the electric door opener according to the invention. Fig. 1 , comprising two terminal blocks with respective clamping screws, the clamping screws being in a fully tightened position. Fig. 3 shows the terminal block according to Fig. 2 with the clamping screws partially unscrewed. Fig. 4 shows the terminal block according to Fig. 3 with the connecting cables plugged in.

[0028] The in Fig. 1 The simplified electric door opener 11 comprises a door opener housing 13 on which a locking element 15, movable between a blocking position and a release position, is mounted. The electric door opener 11 also includes an electromagnet 17 attached to the door opener housing 13, by means of which the locking element 15 can be actuated. The electromagnet 17 is electrically connected to a terminal block 19 arranged on the door opener housing 13. This terminal block has two terminals 21 and 22.

[0029] The electromagnet 17 has a coil 29 that defines a coil axis 30. Furthermore, the door opener housing 13 is elongated, i.e., it has a longitudinal axis 31. The coil 29 is arranged on the door opener housing 13 such that the coil axis 30 runs transversely to the longitudinal axis 31 of the door opener housing 13. This results in a particularly strong holding force when the electromagnet 17 is energized.

[0030] An embodiment of an electric door opener according to the invention, not shown, provides that the terminal block 19 comprises four terminals 21, 22 instead of just two, wherein the electromagnet comprises two coils and each coil is connected to at least two terminals. Depending on how the electromagnet is connected, the corresponding electric door opener can be designed for operation with a 12 V operating voltage or with a 24 V operating voltage. This enables a considerable saving in storage costs.

[0031] In Figs. 2-4 The terminal block 19 has two terminals 21 and 22, which are used to connect the respective electrical connecting lines 23 and 24 ( Fig. 4The figures are enlarged and shown in perspective. The connecting lines 23, 24 are supply and / or control lines. Each of the connecting terminals 21, 22 comprises a contact element (not visible in the figures), preferably in the form of a solder lug, and a clamping screw 27. The clamping screws 27 can be screwed into the respective screw receptacles of the contact elements.

[0032] To manufacture the electric door opener 11, the contact elements and the clamping screws 27 of the terminal block 19 are provided separately. The contact elements each have a threadless screw receptacle. The clamping screws 27 are designed as self-tapping screws and are screwed into the respective screw receptacles of the contact elements in a tightening direction using an automatic screwing device (not shown) to cut corresponding mating threads into the screw receptacles. The automatic screwing device can be an electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic screwing machine, a screwing robot, or the like. The clamping screws 27 are screwed in until the screw heads 33 of the clamping screws 27 abut the contact elements. This condition is reached in Fig. 2shown. This cuts corresponding mating threads for the threads of the clamping screws 27 into the screw receptacles of the contact elements.

[0033] Immediately following the tightening of the clamping screws 27, the automatic screwing device is controlled such that the clamping screws 27 are turned back by a predetermined angle of rotation, in particular by a predetermined number of full turns, in the opposite direction of tightening. The tool head(s) of the automatic screwing device can remain in continuous engagement with the screw heads 33. The clamping screws 27 are not completely unscrewed from the screw receptacles of the contact elements 25, but only partially, so that they remain seated in the contact elements 25. This condition is in Fig. 3The electric door opener 11 is shown in this state being fed into an end-product storage area or an end-product container (not shown) and subsequently delivered.

[0034] When installing the electric door opener 11, the installer only needs to connect the ends of the connecting cables 23, 24 ( Fig. 4 Insert the cable into the designated insertion openings 35 of the terminal block 19 and then tighten the clamping screws 27 using a hand tool, in particular a screwdriver. The cumbersome initial loosening of the clamping screws 27 is no longer necessary.

[0035] The described method for manufacturing the electric door opener 11 shown is also suitable for manufacturing other door openers comprising a locking element 15 movable between a blocking position and a release position, an electromagnet 17 for actuating the locking element 15 and at least one terminal 21 for connecting an electrical connecting line 23 to the door opener 11. Reference symbol list

[0036] 11 Electric door opener 13 Door opener housing 15 Locking element 17 Electromagnet 19 Terminal block 21 Terminal block 22 Terminal block 23 Connection cable 24 Connection cable 27 Clamping screw 29 Coil 30 Coil shaft 31 Longitudinal shaft 33 Screw head 35 Insertion opening

Claims

1. Method for producing an electric door opener (11), which comprises a locking element (15) which is movable between a blocking position and a release position, an electromagnet (17) for actuating the locking element (15) and at least one connection terminal (21, 22) for connecting an electrical supply and / or control line (23, 24) to the door opener (11), wherein the following steps are carried out in order to form the at least one connection terminal (21, 22): (i) separately providing a contact element and a clamping screw (27), wherein the contact element has a receptacle with an inside diameter and the clamping screw (27) has a thread with a tightening direction of rotation and with an outside diameter, and wherein the outside diameter of the thread is greater than the inside diameter of the screw receptacle, and (ii) screwing the clamping screw (27) into the screw receptacle in the tightening direction of rotation by means of an automatic screwing device in order to tap a mating thread into the screw receptacle, wherein (iii) the screwed-in clamping screw (27), after the mating thread has been tapped in step (ii), is unscrewed by a specified angle of rotation counter to the tightening direction of rotation by means of the automatic screwing device or a further automatic screwing device.

2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the unscrewing of the screwed-in clamping screw (27) according to step (iii) is carried out immediately after the screwing-in operation according to step (ii).

3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the door opener (11), after the clamping screw (27) has been unscrewed according to step (iii), is fed to an end product store or an end product container.

4. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a contact element is provided in step (i), the contact element having a screw receptacle, which does not have a thread or is provided with a profiled notch, in particular thread.

5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a clamping screw (27) with a self-tapping or metric thread is provided in step (ii).

6. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the clamping screw (27) is screwed in until a screw head (33) of the clamping screw (27) stops against the contact element in step (ii).

7. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the screwed-in clamping screw (27) is unscrewed by a specified number of complete revolutions in step (iii) .

8. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the screwed-in clamping screw (27) is unscrewed by a smaller angle of rotation in step (iii) than that through which it had been screwed into the screw receptacle, in particular starting from a state separate from the contact element, in step (ii).

9. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least two, preferably two or four, contact elements with associated clamping screws (27) are provided separately in step (i) for the purpose of forming a plurality of connection terminals (21, 22), wherein each of the clamping screws (27) is into the respectively associated screw receptacle in the tightening direction of rotation by means of the automatic screwing device and then unscrewed by a specified angle of rotation counter to the tightening direction of rotation by means of the automatic screwing device or a further automatic screwing device.

10. Method according to Claim 9, characterized in that at least four connection terminals (21, 22) are formed, wherein the electromagnet (17) comprises two coils (29) and each coil (29) is connected to at least two connection terminals.

11. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electromagnet (17) comprises at least one coil (29) which defines a coil axis (30), wherein the coil (29) is fitted to or in a door opener housing (13) having a longitudinal axis (31) in such a way that the coil axis (30) runs transversely to the longitudinal axis (31) of the door opener housing (13).