HOLDING SYSTEM

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a locking system for locking an open leaf of a door, a window or the like, with an energizable coil which, when energized, is intended to block automatic closing of the leaf by a drive connected to the leaf, and a supply voltage input for the coil.

[0002] Hold-open systems are designed to hold a leaf in an open position and release it from this held position as needed. One well-known hold-open system is described in US3777423A. Conventional hold-open systems are usually designed for a defined supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input, for example 24V DC, for which the current flowing through the coil corresponds to a defined, predetermined value within the nominal operating range of the coil. If, on the other hand, the hold-open system is operated with a supply voltage that is too high, for example 48V DC, the coil can be overloaded due to the higher current, and high torques outside the permissible standard range can then be required to manually close the leaf. In the worst case, the overload can even cause the coil to burn out and thus cause irreversible damage to the hold-open system.On the other hand, if the supply voltage is too low, for example 12V DC, the locking system may not be able to provide the release torque required to lock the sash.

[0003] The invention is therefore based on the object of creating a locking system which reliably performs its function even over a wide range of the supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input.

[0004] This object is achieved by a locking system having the features of claim 1, and in particular by an electronic control device which is designed to measure a supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input when switched on and to regulate the current flowing through the coil to a predetermined value, wherein the current flowing through the coil is measured for current regulation, and wherein the starting value of the current regulation is determined as a function of the measured supply voltage.

[0005] A standard-compliant holding function of the hold-open system requires that the current flowing through the coil creates a holding torque of the hold-open system that exceeds the closing torque of the drive by 40 Nm to 120 Nm. This allows the sash to be reliably held in its open position, while the operator can manually or by applying their own force overcome the resulting holding force of the hold-open system and close the sash. Since the holding torque of the hold-open system follows the current flowing through the coil extremely sensitively, it is particularly crucial for a standard-compliant holding function that the current flowing through the coil is constant during operation of the hold-open system and that its current intensity corresponds to the specified value, which can vary depending on the required holding torque.

[0006] With regard to the above requirements, the locking system according to the invention fulfills several functions: Since the locking system regulates the current flowing through the coil to the specified value for any supply voltage value when switched on by means of the electronic control device, the locking system can also be operated reliably with supply voltages that vary over a wide range, in particular in a 12V DC network or 48V DC network.

[0007] Furthermore, due to the regulation of the current flowing through the coil, fluctuations in the supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input, which can occur in building networks due to other switching operations, are compensated.

[0008] In addition, current control compensates for parameter changes, in particular changes in the ohmic coil resistance due to heating caused by the current flowing through the coil.

[0009] The last two control interventions represent scenarios that allow the current flowing through the coil to be at a constant, predetermined value, particularly after commissioning, and especially during operation of the hold-open system.

[0010] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the subclaims, the description of the figures and the drawing.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, a voltage divider can be provided which directly taps the supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input. The electronic control device can then be designed to measure the supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input using the voltage divider when switched on. This means that the supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input can generally be measured both when the coil is de-energized and when it is energized. Measuring in a de-energized state offers the particular advantage that when the locking system is switched on, the risk of overloading the coil due to excessive current, which could flow through the coil during measurement in the energized state, is reduced.

[0012] Alternatively, the electronic control device can be configured to energize the coil upon power-up and measure the supply voltage present at the supply voltage input based on the current flowing through the coil during power-up and before the start of current regulation. This allows for a simple and cost-effective design of the locking system, since no additional voltage divider is required to measure the supply voltage present at the supply voltage input.

[0013] Preferably, a measuring resistor connected in series with the coil is provided, and the electronic control device is configured to measure the current flowing through the coil using the measuring resistor. This allows for a simple current control structure.

[0014] According to a further embodiment, a parameter input is provided, and the electronic control device is configured to set the predefined value via the parameter input. This allows the predefined value to be changed quickly and easily. This may be particularly necessary when drives with different closing torques are each to be equipped with a holding device according to the invention. By setting the predefined value, the corresponding required holding torque of the holding device can be set.

[0015] The locking system preferably comprises an electronic switching element, in particular a field-effect transistor. The electronic control device is configured to control the electronic switching element with a pulse-width-modulated signal having a duty cycle and to regulate the current flowing through the coil to the specified value by adjusting the duty cycle of the pulse-width-modulated signal. The combination of the electronic switching element and its control by means of the pulse-width-modulated signal allows for simple, yet fast, precise, and low-loss control of the current flowing through the coil.

[0016] A further development provides that the starting value of the current control corresponds to a starting duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal, which is stored in a lookup table for the measured supply voltage in a memory, in particular in the electronic control device. Alternatively or additionally, the starting duty cycle can be calculated by the electronic control device from the measured supply voltage.

[0017] In another embodiment, the electronic control device is configured to compare the current flowing through the coil with the predetermined value in order to adjust the duty cycle of the pulse-width-modulated signal and to adjust the duty cycle of the pulse-width-modulated signal as a function of the comparison in order to regulate the current flowing through the coil to the predetermined value. In particular, the electronic control device is configured to reduce the duty cycle of the pulse-width-modulated signal if the current flowing through the coil is greater than the predetermined value and to increase the duty cycle of the pulse-width-modulated signal if the current flowing through the coil is less than the predetermined value.

[0018] Preferably, a preset duty cycle is stored in the electronic control device, and the electronic control device is configured to control the electronic switching element with the pulse-width modulated signal at the preset duty cycle upon power-up and before the start of current regulation. The preset duty cycle is preferably a maximum of 50%. This prevents the current flowing through the coil during power-up and before the start of current regulation from overloading the coil at high supply voltages.

[0019] The electronic control device for controlling the current flowing through the coil preferably comprises a PID controller. This advantageously minimizes the control deviation.

[0020] In general, the coil can be designed as part of an electromagnet which is intended to block a sliding block of the drive, which is guided in a slide rail, in the energized state of the coil in order to block automatic closing of the wing.

[0021] The coil can, for example, also be designed as part of an electro-hydraulic valve, which is intended to assume a closed valve position when the coil is energized in order to interrupt a hydraulic circuit in the drive in order to block automatic closing of the wing.

[0022] Preferably, the locking system can be designed for a supply voltage in a voltage range of 10V DC to 70V DC, in particular 20V DC to 56V DC, and the electronic control device can be configured to regulate the current flowing through the coil to the specified value for each supply voltage within the voltage range. This covers all common supply voltages in building technology.

[0023] In particular, the specified value can be within a current range of 20 mA DC to 100 mA DC, in particular 30 mA DC to 80 mA DC. These values ​​have proven particularly suitable for operating the locking system according to the invention.

[0024] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a door, a window or the like, with a wing, a drive for automatically closing the wing and a locking system according to the invention.

[0025] The invention also relates to a method for locking an open leaf of a door, window, or the like by means of a locking system, wherein the locking system comprises: an energizable coil which, when energized, is intended to block automatic closing of the leaf by a drive connected to the leaf, a supply voltage input for the coil, and an electronic control device. The method is characterized in that the electronic control device performs the following steps: measuring the supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input upon switching on, regulating the current flowing through the coil to the predetermined value, wherein the current flowing through the coil is measured for current regulation, and wherein the starting value of the current regulation is determined as a function of the measured supply voltage.

[0026] It is understood that the advantageous embodiments of the locking system according to the invention, according to which the electronic control device is designed to carry out a specific action, apply analogously to the method according to the invention, which is carried out by the electronic control device.

[0027] The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawing, which shows schematically Fig. 1 a circuit diagram of a locking system according to the invention.

[0028] In Fig. 1A schematic circuit implementation of a locking system 11 for locking an open leaf of a door, window, or the like is shown, comprising an energizable coil 13, a supply voltage input 15 for the coil 13, and an electronic control device 17. Furthermore, the locking system 11 comprises a measuring resistor 21, which is connected in series with the coil 13, and a parameter input 23. Furthermore, the locking system 11 contains an electronic switching element 25, which can be controlled by the electronic control device 17 using a pulse-width modulated signal in order to regulate the current flowing through the coil 13 to a predetermined value. Furthermore, a circuit board 27 is shown, on which the electronic control device 17, the electronic switching element 25, and the measuring resistor 21 are arranged.For its own power supply, the electronic control device 17 has a power input 29, which is connected to the supply voltage input 15. The generally higher supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input 15 is converted to the nominal operating voltage of the electronic control device 17 by means of a voltage converter to supply power to the latter. In particular, known switching regulators or linear regulators can be used for this purpose, which can provide a defined output voltage of, for example, 3.3V DC or 5V DC as the nominal operating voltage for different input voltages. Alternatively, the electronic control device 17 can also be supplied by a different supply network than the supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input 15.

[0029] When the locking system 11 is switched on, a supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input 15 is first measured.

[0030] For this purpose, the electronic control device 17 controls the electronic switching element 25 via a signal output 31 with a pulse-width modulated signal with a preset duty cycle, resulting in a current flow through the coil 13. The current flowing through the coil 13 generates a voltage drop across the measuring resistor 21, which is detected by the electronic control device 17 via a measuring input 19. If the preset duty cycle were 100%, the voltage drop across the measuring resistor 21 in the stationary state of the coil 13 would at least approximately correspond to the supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input 15. For example, if the locking system 11 is designed for a nominal voltage of 24V DC and the locking system 11 is connected to a supply voltage of 48V DC, the coil 13 can be overloaded with a preset duty cycle of 100% due to the higher current associated with the higher voltage.To prevent this, a preset duty cycle of only 50% or less, for example 25%, is used, so that the current flowing through coil 13 corresponds at most to the current flowing through coil 13 at the nominal voltage of 24V DC. With a duty cycle of 20%, in the stationary state of coil 13, the voltage drop across measuring resistor 21 is at least approximately a quarter of the supply voltage. Taking into account the preset duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal used to control electronic switching element 25, electronic control device 17 determines the supply voltage present at supply voltage input 15 based on the detected voltage drop across measuring resistor 21 and the other circuit parameters known to electronic control device 17.

[0031] Alternatively, the supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input 15 can also be measured by the electronic control device 17 by means of a voltage divider which directly taps the supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input 15 (not shown).

[0032] Subsequently, the current flowing through the coil 13 is regulated to the specified value, which can be preset during production and can be set to a different value by the electronic control device 17 by applying a corresponding signal to the parameter input 23, to which a further input 33 of the electronic control device 17 is connected.

[0033] In order to start the regulation of the current flowing through the coil 13 following the measurement of the supply voltage, the electronic control device 17 must first determine a starting value for the current regulation, which corresponds to a starting duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal.

[0034] For this purpose, the electronic control device 17 takes the starting duty cycle of the pulse-width-modulated signal from a lookup table stored in a memory, in particular the electronic control device 17, which is stored in the lookup table for the supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input 15 and determined by the previous measurement. Alternatively or additionally, the electronic control device 17 can also calculate the starting duty cycle of the current control from the measured supply voltage. If the lock-opening system 11 is designed for a nominal voltage of 24V DC, for example, the starting duty cycle can be 45%, for example. If the same lock-opening system 11 is operated in a 12V DC or a 48V DC network, for example, the electronic control device 17 determines a starting value for the current control that corresponds to a starting duty cycle of the pulse-width-modulated signal of, for example, 90% or 22.5%.After determining the starting duty cycle, the electronic control device 17 controls the electronic switching element 25 with the pulse-width modulated signal corresponding to the starting duty cycle to start the current regulation.

[0035] Thereafter, i.e. after the start of the current regulation, the electronic control device 17 regularly measures the current flowing through the coil 13 by means of the measuring resistor 21 via the measuring input 19 in order to regulate the current to the predetermined value.

[0036] For this purpose, the electronic control device 17 comprises a PID controller, to which it supplies a control deviation from the measured current value and the predefined value, wherein the control loop is closed by feedback of the measured current value. Based on the manipulated variable output by the PID controller, the electronic control device 17 adjusts the duty cycle of the pulse-width-modulated signal accordingly. The electronic control device 17 then measures the current flowing through the coil 13 again and feeds the control deviation formed from the predefined value and the fed-back, currently measured current value back to the PID controller. As a result of a cycle of the above steps, the electronic control device 17 regulates the current to the predefined value. List of reference symbols

[0037] 11 Locking system 13 Coil 15 Supply voltage input 17 Electronic control device 19 Measuring input 21 Measuring resistor 23 Parameter input 25 Electronic switching element 27 Circuit board 29 Power input 31 Signal output 33 Additional input

Claims

1. Hold-open installation (11) for holding open an open wing of a door, a window or the like, having an energizable coil (13) which is intended to block automatic closing of the wing in the energized state by a drive connected to the wing, and a supply voltage input (15) for the coil (13), characterized by an electronic control device (17) which is designed, upon being switched on, to measure a supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input (15) and to regulate the current flowing through the coil (13) to a predefined value, wherein, in order to regulate the current, the current flowing through the coil (13) is measured, and wherein the starting value of the current regulation process is determined depending on the supply voltage measured.

2. Hold-open installation (11) according to Claim 1, characterized in that a voltage divider which directly taps the supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input (15) is provided, and the electronic control device (17) is designed, upon being switched on, to measure the supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input (15) by means of the voltage divider.

3. Hold-open installation (11) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the electronic control device (17) is designed, upon being switched on, to energize the coil (13) and to measure the supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input (15) based on the current flowing through the coil (13) upon being switched on and before the start of the current regulation process.

4. Hold-open installation (11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a measuring resistor (21) connected in series with the coil (13) is provided and the electronic control device (17) is designed to measure the current flowing through the coil (13) using the measuring resistor (21).

5. Hold-open installation (11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a parameter input (23) is provided and the electronic control device (17) is designed to set the predefined value via the parameter input (23).

6. Hold-open installation (11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an electronic switching element (25), in particular a field effect transistor, is provided and the electronic control device (17) is designed to control the electronic switching element (25) using a pulse-width-modulated signal having a duty cycle and to regulate the current flowing through the coil (13) to the predefined value by adjusting the duty cycle of the pulse-width-modulated signal.

7. Hold-open installation (11) according to Claim 6, characterized in that the starting value of the current regulation process corresponds to a starting duty cycle of the pulse-width-modulated signal, which starting duty cycle is stored for the measured supply voltage in a look-up table stored in a memory, in particular the electronic control device (17), and / or is calculated from the measured supply voltage by the electronic control device (17).

8. Hold-open installation (11) according to Claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the electronic control device (17) is designed, in order to adjust the duty cycle of the pulse-width-modulated signal, to compare the current flowing through the coil (13) with the predefined value and to adjust the duty cycle of the pulse-width-modulated signal on the basis of the comparison in order to regulate the current flowing through the coil (13) to the predefined value.

9. Hold-open installation (11) according to one of Claims 6 to 8, characterized in that a preset duty cycle is stored in the electronic control device (17) and the electronic control device (17) is designed, when it is switched on and before the start of the current regulation process, to actuate the electronic switching element (25) with the pulse-width-modulated signal at the preset duty cycle, wherein the preset duty cycle is preferably at most 50%.

10. Hold-open installation (11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electronic control device (17) comprises a PID regulator in order to regulate the current flowing through the coil (13).

11. Hold-open installation (11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coil (13) is designed as part of an electromagnet which is intended to block a sliding block of the drive, which is guided in a sliding rail, in the energized state of the coil (13) in order to block automatic closing of the wing, or in that the coil (13) is designed as part of an electrohydraulic valve which is intended to assume a closed valve position in the energized state of the coil (13) in order to interrupt a hydraulic circuit in the drive in order to block automatic closing of the wing.

12. Hold-open installation (11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hold-open installation (11) is designed for a supply voltage in a voltage range of 10 V DC to 70 V DC, in particular 20 V DC to 56 V DC, and the electronic control device (17) is designed to regulate the current flowing through the coil (13) to the predefined value for each supply voltage within the voltage range.

13. Hold-open installation (11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the predefined value is within a current range of 20 mA DC to 100 mA DC, in particular 30 mA DC to 80 mA DC.

14. Door, window or the like, having a wing, a drive for automatically closing the wing and a hold-open installation (11) according to one of the preceding claims.

15. Method for holding open an open wing of a door, a window or the like using a hold-open installation (11), wherein the hold-open installation (11) comprises: an energizable coil (13) which is intended to block automatic closing of the wing in the energized state by a drive connected to the wing, a supply voltage input (15) for the coil (13), and an electronic control device (17), characterized in that the electronic control device (17) performs the following steps: measuring the supply voltage applied to the supply voltage input (15) upon being switched on, regulating the current flowing through the coil (13) to the predefined value, wherein, in order to regulate the current, the current flowing through the coil (13) is measured, and wherein the starting value of the current regulation process is determined depending on the supply voltage measured.