Method for automatically adjusting a holding force of a door closer and door closer for a door

Abstract

The invention relates to a method which is used to automatically adjust a holding force of a door closer for a door. The door closer is designed to close the door by applying a closing force and has an arrester device which can apply the holding force so as to arrest the door in a holding position against the closing force. The method comprises the following steps: - determining a release force at which the arrester device releases the closing movement of the door due to the closing force, and - adjusting the holding force to a normal holding force on the basis of the release force.

Description

[0001] Method for automatically adjusting a holding force of a door closer and door closer for a door

[0002] The invention relates to a method for automatically adjusting a holding force of a door closer and to a door closer for a door.

[0003] Such door closers are typically mounted on the door leaf and connected to the frame via a rod to exert a force on the door. The rod can, for example, comprise a slide rail in which a sliding block is arranged for linear movement. The lever of the door closer is connected to the sliding block at one end and thereby exerts a closing force on the door leaf.

[0004] Door closer holding devices are often located in the rods of the door closer. For example, in a slide rail, the holding device blocks the linear movement of the sliding block, thus holding the door in place. To close the door, the holding device must be overridden, thus overcoming its holding force. With electric holding devices, the door can alternatively be released using a manual button.

[0005] Depending on the closing force set on the door closer, the hold-open mechanism must be adjusted to a higher or lower level to hold the door in the hold-open position. If the force required to overcome the hold-open position is too high, the door cannot be manually released, which could result in damage to components. If the force is too low, even the closing force of the door closer or a slight gust of wind can undesirably release the door from the hold-open position.

[0006] Typically, the holding force of the locking device is adjusted manually during assembly. In practice, the holding force is therefore adjusted "by feel," resulting in many locking devices being incorrectly adjusted and therefore not functioning properly. It is an object of the present invention to propose a method for automatically adjusting the holding force of a door closer and a door closer for a door, with which automatic and precise adjustment of the holding force is possible.

[0007] This object is achieved according to the invention by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous further developments are the subject matter of the respective subclaims.

[0008] The method according to the invention serves for automatically adjusting the holding force of a door closer for a door, in particular a revolving door. The door closer is designed to close the door by applying a closing force and has a locking device that can be subjected to the holding force to lock the door in a holding position against the closing force. The method comprises the following steps:

[0009] - Determining a release force at which the locking device releases the closing movement of the door due to the closing force, and

[0010] - Adjust the holding force to a normal operating holding force based on the release force.

[0011] The process is therefore carried out automatically by the door closer, in particular by a control device of the door closer, without the need for manual adjustment of the holding force. This means, in particular, that all process steps are carried out automatically, controlled by the control device. The door closer can previously have been placed in a calibration mode in which the process is carried out.

[0012] Above all, this method allows for very precise adjustment of the holding force, so that the door does not close accidentally when it is supposed to remain in the hold-open position. On the other hand, it also does not require the door to be forced out of the hold-open position with excessive force, which could potentially damage components. Furthermore, this represents a very convenient way of adjusting the holding force during commissioning. In particular, the method only requires activation by a technician. The system can then adjust itself automatically.

[0013] To determine the release force, the holding force is preferably set to an initial holding force at which the locking device locks the door, and the holding force is then reduced, in particular gradually, until the locking device releases the closing movement of the door due to the closing force. In other words, the initial holding force is initially selected to be high enough for the locking device to lock the door against which the closing force acts. If the holding force is now reduced from the initial holding force and, as a result, the closing movement is released at a specific time, the holding force present at that time can be determined. This corresponds to the release force.

[0014] The initial holding force can, for example, correspond to a maximum holding force, i.e. in particular to a highest possible holding force that the locking device can apply.

[0015] The normal operating holding force can be calculated by adding a predetermined overpressure force to the release force. This makes the normal operating holding force greater than the release force, so that the door leaf can be securely held in the holding position during normal operation. The overpressure force can therefore also be considered a (safety) buffer.

[0016] The override force can be a constant value or dependent on the door size and / or closing force. For example, a predetermined force can always be added to the release force. Alternatively, the override force can be based on the dimensions of the door, so that, particularly for a large or heavy door or with a high closing force, the override force, i.e., the buffer, is selected to be comparatively large, while for a small and light door or with a low closing force, the override force is selected to be comparatively small.

[0017] In particular, the method can be initiated by pressing a button provided on the door closer, in particular on the control device, or by means of a wired or wireless network connection, for example, LAN, WLAN, or Bluetooth. Preferably, the initiation puts the control device into calibration mode, and the method is then carried out fully automatically.

[0018] The holding force is preferably provided by an electrically controllable actuator. Control is provided, in particular, by the control device. The actuator can be, in particular, a holding magnet or an electromagnet; however, other actuators, such as an electric motor, can also be provided. To reduce the holding force, the voltage applied to the actuator and / or the current fed into the actuator can be reduced.

[0019] In an advantageous embodiment, to release the closing movement of the door, the locking device is moved from a locking position, in particular in which a sliding block of the door closer coupled to the door is locked, to a release position, in particular in which the sliding block is released. For example, the locking device can be held in the locking position by the actuator, e.g., magnetically, and moved into the release position due to the closing force, counter to the action of the actuator.

[0020] To determine the release force, it can be detected, in particular based on a position and / or a state of an electrically controllable actuator providing the holding force or of the locking device, when the locking device has released the door. For example, in the case of an actuator designed as an electromagnet or holding magnet, the locking device can tear away from the actuator against the magnetic force, creating a voltage spike that is detected by the actuator or the control device. Alternatively, if the actuator is designed as an electric motor, the locking device can be connected, for example, via a rack or pinion to a motor shaft of the electric motor, so that the release of the door by the locking device can be detected, since a detectable rotary movement of the motor shaft takes place via the rack or pinion.Another alternative would be conceivable for the detection to take place by means of a micro switch which is actuated or released when the door is released, for example by the locking device.

[0021] The door closer according to the invention for a door, in particular a revolving door, is designed to close the door by applying a closing force and comprises a locking device for locking the door against the closing force, an actuator for applying a holding force to the locking device, and a control device for controlling the actuator. The control device is designed to execute the previously described method for automatically adjusting the holding force of the door closer in a calibration mode.

[0022] The control device is powered, for example, via a building's power grid or alternatively via a rechargeable battery or a battery, and itself supplies power to the actuator, which provides the holding force. The control device also controls or regulates the holding force of the actuator. This can be achieved using voltage regulation, pulse width modulation, or similar methods. To reduce the holding force, for example, the voltage applied to the actuator and / or the current fed into the actuator can be reduced. Accordingly, in this case, increasing the voltage and / or the current leads to a higher holding force.

[0023] The control device is preferably designed to monitor a release state of the locking device in a normal operating mode. This means that the control device detects when the locking device has released the door. For example, in the case of an actuator designed as an electromagnet or holding magnet, the locking device can be torn away from the actuator against the magnetic force, resulting in a voltage spike that is detected by the actuator or the control device. Alternatively, if the actuator is designed as an electric motor, the locking device can be connected to a motor shaft of the electric motor, for example via a rack or pinion, so that the release of the door by the locking device can be detected because a detectable rotational movement of the motor shaft takes place via the rack or pinion.Another alternative would be conceivable for the detection to take place by means of a micro switch which is actuated or released when the door is released, for example by the locking device.

[0024] In an advantageous embodiment, the control device is designed to activate a power-saving mode in which the actuator applies no or only a reduced holding force to the locking device when the control device detects that the locking device has released the door. The power-saving mode is preferably activated when it has also been detected that the door is closed. In this state, the application of a holding force is not required, so that the power-saving mode can be activated to save power. This is particularly useful when the control device and the actuator are powered by a battery.

[0025] The control device can have a button and / or be connected to a network either wired or wirelessly, for example via LAN, WLAN, or Bluetooth. The button can be designed, in particular, to put the control device into calibration mode and / or to initiate the process for automatically adjusting the holding force.

[0026] The invention will be explained below using an exemplary embodiment. In the drawings, which schematically illustrate the exemplary embodiment, Fig. 1 shows a side view of a slide rail with a sliding block held by a locking device in a locking position.

[0027] Fig. 2 is a side view of the slide rail and the sliding block from Fig. 1, wherein the sliding block has been released by the locking device in a release position, and

[0028] Fig. 3 is a side view of the slide rail and the sliding block from Fig. 1 and 2, with the sliding block being moved back into the locking position.

[0029] Fig. 1, 2 and 3 each show a slide rail 23 of a door closer 10 with a sliding block 19 arranged movably along the slide rail 23, a locking device 11 designed as a blocking element, an actuator 13, which in the present embodiment is designed as an electromagnet, and a control device 15. The sliding block 19 is connected to a lever of the door closer (not shown in the figures).

[0030] The control device 15 is connected to a wired or wireless network, for example, LAN, WLAN, or Bluetooth, via a network connection 21 indicated by dashed lines in Figs. 1 to 3, and is supplied with power via a building's power grid or, alternatively, via a rechargeable battery or a battery. Furthermore, the control device 15 is provided with a button 17, which, as indicated in Fig. 1, can be actuated by pressing. The actuator 13 is connected to the control device 15 to enable, on the one hand, a power supply to the actuator 13 and, on the other hand, control or regulation of the actuator 13 by the control device 15.

[0031] As already described, the actuator 13 in the present embodiment is designed as an electromagnet or a holding magnet. The locking device 11 is designed as a locking element made of a particularly magnetic material, has two free ends 11a, 11b, and is rotatably mounted on the slide rail 23 by a pivot joint at a bearing point 25 arranged between the free ends 11a, 11b. One of the free ends 11a is assigned to the actuator 13, while the locking device 11 has a projection 27 at the other free end 11b, which interacts with the sliding block 19 to block movement of the sliding block 19. For this purpose, the projection 27 has a steep flank 27a and a flat flank 27b.

[0032] To carry out the method for automatically adjusting the holding force of the door closer 10, the door is first opened beyond a holding position in which the door or door leaf is to be held. Then, by pressing the button 17 or via the network connection 21, the control device 15 is placed into calibration mode, and the automatic process is started. Alternatively, however, it would also be conceivable to initiate the calibration mode and the process with a time delay, i.e., that the button 17 is first pressed or the signal is sent via the network, then the door is opened beyond the holding position, and after a predetermined period of time has elapsed or after the locking element has been passed in the opening direction, the calibration mode is activated and the process is initiated.

[0033] In the method, the control device 15 first controls the actuator 13 in order to apply an initial holding force to the locking device 11, which in the present example corresponds to a maximum achievable holding force. This can be done in particular by increasing the voltage applied to the actuator 13 or the current fed into the actuator 13, for example by voltage regulation or pulse width modulation, to adjust the holding force. This increases the magnetic force that holds the locking element 11 in the locked position shown in Fig. 1, in which the sliding block 19 of the door closer 10 is locked against a closing force by the door closer, since the projection 27 projects into its travel path along the slide rail 23 and inhibits the movement of the sliding block 19.The control device 15 then gradually reduces the holding force, i.e., it reduces the voltage applied to the actuator 13 or the current fed into the actuator 13, until the locking device 11 is moved into a release position shown in Fig. 2, in which the sliding block 19, and thus the closing movement of the door, is released due to the closing force. As shown in Fig. 2, the sliding block 19 presses against the flank 27a of the projection 27 due to the closing force of the door closer 10, thereby generating an upward force on the free end 11b of the locking device 11 and thus a torque acting in the bearing point 25, which counteracts the moment generated by the force of the actuator 13.As soon as the free end 11a of the locking device 11 "tears off" the actuator 13 due to the closing force acting on the sliding block 19, the control device 15 detects this and determines and stores the holding force of the actuator 13 present at this moment, which is referred to below as the "release force." More precisely, the control device 15 stores a voltage or current value, a parameter for the pulse width modulation, or a similar parameter that corresponds to the release force. In particular, the control device 15 can detect the tearing off due to a voltage peak that occurs when the free end 11a tears off the actuator 13.

[0034] Based on the release force, the control device 15 sets the holding force to a normal operating holding force, which is applied by the actuator 13 during regular operation. The normal operating holding force is calculated in particular by adding a predetermined overpressure force, which can be either a constant value or a value dependent on the dimensions of the door system, to the release force. Since large doors offer a larger surface area exposed to wind, it may be necessary to adjust the overpressure force depending on the door size. Large doors usually also have higher closing forces set on the door closer. In this way, the door closer 10 can be optimally and fully automatically adjusted for normal operation, corresponding to a normal operating mode, and the subsequent holding operations, thus avoiding damage to components and, on the other hand, preventing the door from being undesirably released from the holding position.

[0035] In normal operating mode, the control device 15 can also monitor the release state of the locking device 11. Optionally, the control device 15 can be provided with lighting, for example an LED, and / or emit acoustic signals that signal the locking or the release state. When the control device 15 has detected that the locking device 11 has released the door, it can switch to a power-saving mode in which the actuator 13 applies no or only a very reduced holding force to the locking device 11. Optionally, to activate the power-saving mode, it can also be monitored whether the door is closed. If the control device 15 is in power-saving mode, the door is then opened again and the sliding block 19 thereby moves the locking device 11, as shown in Fig.3, the control device 15 detects this and reactivates the normal operating mode in which the normal operating holding force is applied.

[0036] List of reference symbols 10 Door closer 11 Holding device 11a Free end 11b Free end 13 Actuator 15 Control device 17 Button 19 Sliding block 21 Network connection 23 Slide rail 25 Bearing point 27 Projection 27a Flank 27b Flank

Claims

Claim 1. A method for automatically adjusting the holding force of a door closer (10) for a door, which is configured to close the door by applying a closing force and has a holding device (11) that can be acted upon with the holding force to hold the door in a holding position against the closing force, wherein the method comprises the following steps: - Determining a release force at which the locking device (11) releases the closing movement of the door due to the closing force, and - Adjusting the holding force to a normal operating holding force based on the release force.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that, to determine the release force, the holding force is set to an initial holding force at which the locking device (11) holds the door, and the holding force is in particular reduced stepwise until the locking device (11) releases the closing movement of the door due to the closing force.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the initial holding force corresponds to a maximum holding force.

4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the normal operating holding force is calculated by adding a predetermined overpressure force to the release force.

5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the overpressure force is a constant value or depends on the door size and / or the closing force.

6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method is initiated by actuating a push button (17) provided on the door closer (10) or by means of a wired or wireless network connection (21), for example LAN, WLAN or Bluetooth.

7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding force is provided by an electrically controllable actuator (13).

8. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the voltage applied to the actuator (13) and / or the current supplied to the actuator (13) is reduced to reduce the holding force. 9.A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, to release the closing movement of the door, the hold-open device (11) is moved from a hold-open position, in particular in which a sliding block (19) of the door closer (10) coupled to the door is held, to a release position, in particular in which the sliding block (19) is released. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, to determine the release force, in particular based on a position and / or state of an electrically controllable actuator (13) providing the holding force or the hold-open device (11), it is detected when the hold-open device (11) has released the door.

11. Door closer (10) for a door, configured to close the door by applying a closing force, and comprising a hold-open device (11) for holding the door open against the closing force, an actuator (13) for applying a holding force to the hold-open device (11), and a control device (15) for controlling the actuator (13), characterized in that the control device (15) is configured to perform the method according to one of the preceding claims in a calibration mode.

12. Door closer (10) according to claim 11, characterized in that the control device (15) is configured to monitor a release state of the hold-open device (11) in a normal operating mode. 13.Door closer (10) according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the control unit (15) is configured to activate a power-saving mode in which the actuator (13) applies no or only a reduced holding force to the hold-open device (11) when the control unit (15) detects that the hold-open device (11) has released the door.

14. Door closer (10) according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the control unit (15) has a push button (17) and / or is connected to a network via a wired or wireless connection, for example via LAN, WLAN or Bluetooth.

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